Ranking the 5 best attacking displays in Europe this past weekend

It's business time in Europe and the stage is well and truly lit for the stars to show up and ease into their groove. It's quite simply make-or-break time and the European stalwarts are all hitting their form of the season to avoid any further slip-ups in the battle for the bragging rights.

This weekend, we saw some of the European giants give their opponents a hiding by being unrelenting in their quest for goals. Good results are of paramount importance as we approach the critical part of the season across the top 5 European leagues and there could be no better time to have your attackers be whacking great at their jam.

Here we rank the best 5 attacking displays in Europe from the past weekend:

#5 Liverpool 4-1 West Ham

Goalscorers: Emre Can 29' Mohamed Salah 51' Roberto Firmino 57' Michail Antonio 59' Sadio Mane 77'

When Jurgen Klopp said that Liverpool don't need to replace Philippe Coutinho, Europe let out a collective condescending sigh. Now all the critics can sit down at the dinner table and eat their own words because Liverpool are on a roll. In fact, they hardly look like a team that just recently lost its main creative outlet.

To keep things ticking in the centre, Emre Can took the reigns and drove the Liverpool heavy metal machine over the Hammers who couldn't keep up with the pace, fitness levels and the attacking impetus of the Merseysiders.

Emre Can deservedly opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 29th minute. But that's only after Mo Salah hit the post inside the opening 2 minutes of the game.

Liverpool scored their 2nd of the night after Oxlade Chamberlain put his body and feet to labour and slid a delightful ball into the box for Salah before collapsing to the ground. Salah nodded home and really, it has become part of the Egyptian's weekend chores to inflict pain on the opposition.

Firmino then slotted one home within the next 6 minutes and did it with a no-look finish for the benefit of those with flash photography and this time, Emre Can was the architect. Showmanship done right.

Though Antonio pulled one back for West Ham, they never really looked like they'll claw their way back into the game and Sadio Mane should have got his name down on the scoresheet after being released in on goal by the Ox but his effort hit the post and fizzled out for a goalkick.

Mane did eventually make it to the scoresheet as he tapped in from a Robertson cross to seal the deal on the night at Anfield.

#4 Real Madrid 4-0 Deportivo Alaves

Goalscorers: Cristiano Ronaldo 44' 61' Gareth Bale 46' Karim Benzema 89 (P)'

It's time to shape up or ship out in the Champions League and the Lions have come roaring out of their den, eyes wide open into the light. Real Madrid are running riot in Europe finally and it is a joy to watch.

What makes Los Blancos' victory all the sweeter is the fact that the BBC looks well and truly back and look clinical in front of goal. We got to see more of Ronaldo taking on defenders and punishing Alaves for affording him an inch or two inside the area with 2 well-taken finishes.

Real Madrid looked immense on the counter, splitting the Alaves defence open with their pace and precise passing. Benzema, however, still looked a bit out of sorts in front of goal as he missed a couple of gilt-edged chances.

But he showed how important he is to this Madrid team as he set up Bale for their second goal of the night with a well weighted and perfectly timed through ball to top off yet another impressive counter-attack. It was the Frenchman's second assist of the night.

Benzema was flagged offside when he finally slotted home from a Ronaldo pass. Lucas Vazquez would then set up Ronaldo for his second of the night with a sweet ball into the box which the Portuguese talisman had no trouble dispatching.

Gareth Bale was brought down inside the box in the 89th minute and an altruistic Ronaldo said "not today" to his 50th hattrick and gave the ball to Benzema to get their no.9's spirits back up. Benzema slotted home from the spot and ran back to Ronaldo as the BBC got comfortable in a sweet embrace that could send shivers down the spine of the rest of Europe.

#3 Cagliari 0-5 Napoli

Goalscorers: Jose Callejon 29' Dries Mertens 42' Marek Hamsik 61' Lorenzo Insigne (P) 72', Mario Rui 90'

A 5-0 victory comes with a stamp of authority and when it's complemented by the fact the netting was disturbed by 5 different scorers on the night, you just gotta throw in the towel and beg for mercy.

The free-scoring juggernaut of Naples dismantled 14th placed Cagliari to keep the Scudetto race gripping as we head into the business end of the season. Jose Callejon started the onslaught in the 29th minute after being set up by Allan before their top scorer Dries Mertens poked home from 6 yards out from a Lorenzo Insigne cross in the 42nd minute for their second goal of the night.

Allan and Insigne tormented the Cagliari defence from the get-go. Marek Hamsik curled one past Cragno in the 61st minute and moved closer to a century of top-flight goals for the Partonopei. It was Lorenzo Insigne who was once again the architect as he flew down the right flank before dragging it back for his captain to score.

Insigne would then reap the reward for all his hard work on the night as he slotted home from the spot after Cagliari's Leandro Castan handled the ball inside the box.

Mario Rui then topped it off with a delightful freekick in the 90th minute to let Juve know that the title race is going right down to the wire.

#2 Sevilla 2-5 Atletico Madrid

Goalscorers: Diego Costa 29', Antoine Griezmann 42', 51' (P), 81' Koke 65', Pablo Sarabia 85', Nolito 89'

La Liga's high-profile clash of the weekend saw Griezmann return to the hunting ground like a starved jaguar. With Manchester United watching every step of the Sevillans, this was definitely not a performance they would have liked to put in before the return leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie.

A comedy of defensive errors led to Diego Costa opening the scoring for Atletico Madrid as he stole the ball from an indecisive Ever Banega who was given the ball by Sergio Rico when he was standing on the edge of the penalty area.

Luis Muriel almost pulled one back for Sevilla but for Jan Oblak's brilliant save. After that, it was Griezmann's chance to take the mickey out of Los Nervionenses as he slalomed past two or three defenders before telegraphing one to the top corner with his right foot. It was an absolute peach of a goal.

Diego Costa won a penalty for Atletico, 5 minutes into the second half, after he was brought down by Rico inside the area. Antoine Griezmann dispatched the spot-kick with characteristic ease as Atletico Madrid looked like they had put the game to bed.

But Sevilla decided that they needed some salt on their would as yet another horrendous defensive mistake cost them a goal. This time, it happened in the form of a puny back pass to the goalkeeper which was intercepted and sent home by a vigilant Koke.

Griezmann got his hattrick in the 81st minute as he turned up inside the box to sidefoot Saul's cross into the netting.

Sevilla got themselves not one but two consolation goals in the 85th and 89th minute to adorn the scoreline with a little bit of respectability as Pablo Sarabia and Nolito ended the night as the only two players to take home any positives on the night.

Atletico Madrid thus ensured that the Catalan giants' lead at the top of the table stayed at 7 points.

#1 FC Barcelona 6-1 Girona

Goalscorers: Portu 3' Luis Suarez 5' 44' 76' Lionel Messi 30' 36' Philippe Coutinho 66'

When FC Barcelona knock their opponents into the middle of next week, it always makes for delightful viewing. And when Leo Messi is at the heart of everything good, the entertainment level is unparalleled.

Much maligned in the first half of the season for 'having forgotten how to score', Luis Suarez was at his beastly best as he added yet another hattrick to his already illustrious Barcelona career. However, it was Girona that opened the scoring on the night owing to some lackadaisical defending from Samuel Umititi which led to Portu slotting home in the 3rd minute.

From there on, it was all Barcelona. The league leaders responded in kind 2 minutes later, as Luis Suarez finished off after being sent one-on-one with the goalkeeper by Lionel Messi.

Suarez returned the favour but Messi had a bit more to do before sending one home. He received the ball on the right side of the area and decided to make the result doubly sure as he wriggled his way into the centre of the area before finishing it off as Girona defenders looked too scared to commit.

Leo Messi then bamboozled the Girona defence and their goalkeeper as he decided to go below the wall from a freekick from right outside the penalty box.

FC Barcelona then broke on a counter like unleashed greyhounds on the racetrack as they ripped apart the Girona backline. Leo Messi drove down the centre before releasing Coutinho on the left side of the box. The Brazilian cut it back for Luis Suarez who grabbed the opportunity to bag a brace with both hands.

The next goal was vintage Coutinho, enough said.

Luis Suarez and Leo Messi came close to scoring multiple times and Ousmane Dembele was also starting to grow into the game as he was given more space to operate with on the right flank in the second half.

The youngster eventually made a contribution as his sumptuous cross was well connected by Luis Suarez from 7 yards out as the Uruguayan completed a well-deserved hat-trick.

FC Barcelona are well and truly in top gear and the rest of Europe will need to take notes.

Edited by Amit Mishra