Liverpool’s current form has put them in the top 10 of Europe’s best teams, with their European rivals and two Premier League sides looming ahead of them.
Matches from all competitions are taken into account and only teams from Europe’s top 10 leagues are included.
10) Liverpool (W7 D2 L1 F27 A10)
Liverpool are top of both the Premier League and Champions League, winning all four of their last 10 competitions and progressing very quietly in the quadruple, with their only defeat coming in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg. It was against the Spurs.
9) Naples (W8 D0 L2 F17 A8)
Napoli, aiming for their second Scudetto in three years, have swept aside almost everyone in recent days, with the exception of Lazio, who knocked Antonio Conte’s side out of the Coppa Italia and beat them in back-to-back games to test their resolve for the title. Ta.
8) Nottingham Forest (W8 D1 L1 F19 A9)
The only blemish on the recent copybook was the defeat to Manchester City 10 games ago, which accounts for a third of Nottingham Forest’s total goals conceded since the start of December. This is something really special.
7) Stuttgart (W8 D1 L1 F26 A9)
Manager Sebastian Hoeneß won’t regret his call-up after rejecting Manchester United in the summer and guiding Stuttgart to fourth place in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal quarter-finals and a possible place in the Champions League knockout stages.
6) Real Madrid (W8 D1 L1 F34 A16)
Since this is Real Madrid, two of those games were finals, one was a humiliating defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa de España, and the other was against Pachuca in the Intercontinental Cup. They are also in first place in La Liga but are clinging on in Europe.
5) Paris Saint-Germain (W8 D2 L0 F25 A12)
PSG, who won their 11th Trophy in 12 seasons, are really struggling in the Champions League, while desperately holding on to a nine-point lead in Ligue 1.
4) Club Brugge (W8 D2 L0 F24 A10)
An impressive win against Sporting was followed by a hard-fought draw with Juventus in the Champions League, and Brugge progressed through the semi-finals of the Belgian Cup, with Genk trailing gamely in the league.
3) Bayer Leverkusen (W9 D0 L1 F21 A8)
Xabi Alonso was planning a 12-game winning streak to take Leverkusen back into contention for the Bundesliga title, a firm footing in the Champions League and the DFB Pokal quarter-finals. But then Diego Simeone’s Atlético faced a huge team reduced to 10 men early in the Metropolitano.
2) Atletico Madrid (W9 D0 L1 F21 A8)
Leganes, who were on the brink of relegation, had 68% possession away from home and missed a penalty at the last minute, ending their run of 15 straight wins. In the next game, they defeated Leverkusen at home with 30% possession, one sending off, and a last-minute victory. Never change, Diego.
1) Newcastle (W9 D0 L1 F27 A7)
After their heavy defeat at home to Bournemouth, it doesn’t look like they are Europe’s in-form team, but results elsewhere have conspired to hand Newcastle the top spot. The pressure is on to get back on track quickly after a record-equalling nine wins brought them to the brink of reaching the Carabao Cup final and qualifying for the Champions League.
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