'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
March has already dawned upon us and the season 2018/19 has culminated to the next level at the turn of the month.
Paris Saint Germain, Barcelona and Juventus are safely cruising to the titles in their respective domestic leagues. However, the English Premier League and the Bundesliga have added the spice to the season as the race for the league titles in these competitions has gotten hotter as the days have passed by.
Meanwhile, the UEFA Champions League has played its part by adding its usual element of surprise in the round of 16.
While some clubs have maintained their consistency, others have lost a bit of sharpness and allowed their to surpass them in the Power Rankings. On that note, here are the top ten clubs in the world at the moment.
#10 Napoli
Napoli were a serious threat to Juventus' Serie A hopes last season, but the story this year is entirely different. While the Old Lady sit atop the league table unchallenged, the Partenopei have just made sure they own a spot in the Champions League next season.
The gap between Napoli and Juve has lengthened after the former's draw against Sassuolo recently. Udinese is the only club they will meet in the Serie A in March.
Coming to their Europa League campaign, Carlo Ancelotti and co can easily advance to the last 8 if they protect their 3-0 lead over Red Bull Salzburg well.
Napoli have been a fine unit over the years but winning the silverware is of paramount importance for the club, if they want to be known as a team to reckon in Europe in the near future.
Also see : women's world cup 2019, womens world cup schedule, womens world cup bracket
#9 Lyon
Lyon have had a mediocre league campaign, however, their fine performances in February speak loads of their improvement. Les Gones, currently 3rd in the Ligue 1, won 4 games, lost 1 and drew 1 in the month of February.
Bruno Genesio's men progressed to the French Cup semi-finals, beat Paris Saint Germain and held Barcelona to a stalemate in the UEFA Champions League.
However, the challenges aren't over yet. With Lyon winning against Toulouse and drawing against Strasbourg, The Kids are fighting a battle to confirm their booking for the Champions League next season.
The return leg to Barcelona in Europe this month will be the highlight for Lyon this season. The French outfit were impressive in the first leg and will be banking on every chance to cause an upset to the Spanish champions during the clash.
#8 Arsenal
Arsenal have slowly gathered pace as the time has passed by. Unai Emery's men won 4 games, lost 2 and drew 1 in the month of February.
The Gunners have also clawed back into the top 4 after they recently beat Manchester United 2-0 at home. With that being their last meeting with any of the members in the top 6, they have the best. chance of finishing in the top 4 when the season draws to a close.
However, the North London club seriously need to look at winning silverware rather than just staying satisfied with mediocrity. Their recent 3-1 loss to Rennes has put a dent on their hopes of clinching the Europa League.
With Arsenal already having played 2 of their only 3 games in March, the home leg against Rennes is the crucial challenge they will look to prepare for, if they dream of advancing forward in the last 8 of the competition.
It remains to be seen how Unai Emery manages to resurface after the setback and try for achieving glory.
#7 Bayern Munich
The doubts over Niko Kovac's management skills will surely have subdued by now. Bayern Munich's start of the campaign was far from capturing the praises of the on-lookers, however, the things have drastically changed since then.
The Bavarians are now leading the league table on goal difference and the Bundesliga looks lively and exhilarating now more than ever. In February, Kovac's men won 2 games, lost 1 and drawn 1 game. They also displayed sturdiness as they managed a 0-0 draw against Liverpool in the Champions League Round of 16.
With 5-1 and 6-0 drubbings of Monchengladbach and Wolfsburg respectively, the German champions will be going into the second leg of the round of 16 with brimming confidence against a faltering Liverpool who seemed to have lost their sharpness.
Bayern Munich are hungrier than ever for laying their hands on the Champions League and it will be interesting to see if Niko Kovac delivers the prize.
#6 Manchester United
Manchester United are already experiencing the promised land, aren't they? The Red Devils are yet to win silverware, but the mere return of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has brought back the nostalgia of Sir Alex Ferguson's golden epoch at Old Trafford.
February was an important month for both United and Solskjaer; the club had a series of important clashes dependent upon which was the future of their interim boss. However, Solskjaer's boys have come out with flying colours with wins over Chelsea and Arsenal and successfully holding Liverpool to a draw at home. They have won 5, lost 1 and drawn 1 in February.
United's emphatic comeback against Paris Saint Germain has sent the hopes soaring high for the club's fans this season. While March beacons clashes against Wolves and Watford which are pretty good tests to pass, the English outfit will have no scarcity of confidence going into the fixtures.
#5 Liverpool
At the start of the season 2018/19, it looked like no force could stop Liverpool from cruising to the title. However, the Merseysiders have lost much of the sharpness they displayed in the entire season.
Jurgen Klopp's men managed only 2 wins and 3 draws in what was an easy fixture list to follow in February. As a result, they have been knocked off their perch by rivals Manchester City. Further, they also played out a stalemate against Bayern at home, inviting yet another tough challenge to be faced in the return leg at the Allianz Arena.
Calls for consistency have grown even more crucial in March, now that Liverpool are facing a title challenge that is set to go down to the wire. They will lock horns with Burnley, Fulham and Tottenham in the league, while the clash against Bayern will determine their fate in the Champions League.
#4 Juventus
Italian heavyweights Juventus continue to domineer the Serie A with an unprecedented fashion. The Bianconeri are 16 points ahead of second-placed Napoli following a satisfactory performance in February.
The Old Lady won three games, drew one and lost one game last month. However, the highlight of the month was their loss to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. They have been hankering after the most coveted trophy in club football; shelling out €100m for Cristiano Ronaldo was enough to show they meant serious business in the competition this season.
However, with the Rojiblancos gaining a 2-0 advantage in the first leg, Juve's UCL hopes seem to be dangling yet again like last season.
Massimiliano Allegri's men are steadily marching towards their eighth consecutive league title, but getting soaked in the European glory still remains the ultimate dream for them
#3 Barcelona
Barcelona are safely cruising to yet another LaLiga title, maintaining their fearsome domestic domination in Spain. The Catalans are safely atop the league table, but February was a month where they lost a considerable amount of the consistency they have shown since the start of the season.
La Blaugrana grabbed 3 wins and 4 draws in all competitions, beating Real Madrid twice in February and once at the start of March. They also qualified for the Copa Del Rey finals after thumping Real Madrid out of the competition in the semi-finals.
However, the jubilation of beating their fierce arch-rivals was marred by their unexpected 0-0 stalemate against Lyon in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. Lionel Messi will yet again be under limelight as Barca will depend on his magic to see them through into the next round.
After starting March on a positive note with wins over Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano, the face-off against Lyon is the next big challenge Ernesto Valverde and co will prepare for. It seems ages since they have laid hands on the famous UCL trophy.
#2 Paris Saint Germain
Talking about the Ligue 1, Paris Saint Germain have continued their habitual domination of the domestic league. However, it isn't the league performances they need to be judged on, knowing that they hardly face competition on their soil.
Les Parisiens are just a step away from securing qualification foe the UCL quarter-finals following their splendid 2-0 win over Manchester United in the first leg.
What makes it more praiseworthy is the fact that they successfully overcame a tough hurdle in the absence of Neymar and Edinson Cavani. However, their celebrations lasted for a brief period of time until Manchester United staged a historic comeback at the Parc Des Princes to qualify for the quarter-finals.
PSG have been eliminated from the Champions League Round of 16 for the third time in a row, which will definitely make it tough for them to keep hold of the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe who have been hounded by various European giants.
#1 Manchester City
Manchester City were forced to withstand yet another tough month following a hectic January, but the Citizens are far from cringing by the thought of such a frantic calendar.
Man City built up on their fantastic month in January with an emphatic win over Arsenal at the start of February.
Pep Guardiola's boys have won all the 7 games they played in February - a run of fixtures that also includes an away win to Schalke in the UEFA Champions League followed by a Carabao Cup final victory over rivals Chelsea.
For all the amazing consistency that they have showcased, Pep Guardiola and co have reaped a worthy reward. They have regained the top position in the Premier League and are marching strongly towards their dream of clinching a quadruple this season.
They will face Watford and Swansea this month - a deserved rest after a hectic start to 2019.
