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Champions League Finalists Juventus And Real Madrid Stay First And Second
With five goals vs. Leipzig, Bayern took their Bundesliga total to 85, their most in a season since 2013-14.
May 19th, 2017 | 10:35 AM | 939 views
ESPNFC.COM
It's that time of the season when trophies are handed out and the biggest teams celebrate. And not just because they feature in Shaka Hislop's Power Rankings!
1. Juventus (no change)
In terms of Juve's treble mission, Part 1 is complete -- a 2-0 Coppa Italia final win vs. Lazio saw to that -- and Part 2 should be finalised on Sunday, when a draw vs. Crotone will be enough to clinch Serie A. After that, the focus will turn to the Champions League final.
2. Real Madrid (no change)
Talking of which, Juve's opponents in Cardiff have some business of their own to attend to before that June 3 showdown. After a week in which they won 4-1 vs. Sevilla and Celta Vigo, Madrid will seal the Liga title if they avoid defeat at Malaga on Sunday.
3. Chelsea (no change)
Admit it, how many of you predicted that Michy Batshuayi would score Chelsea's title-clinching goal? The scorer might have been unlikely but, since September, the destination of the Premier League trophy this season has been more and more apparent.
4. Barcelona (no change)
Neymar's hat trick sealed a sixth straight league win -- thrashing Las Palmas 4-1 -- but the title looks to be slipping away. Fans seeking some hope, though, might point to Barcelona's last defeat: A 2-0 reverse at Madrid's final-day opponents, Malaga.
5. Bayern Munich (no change)
With the Bundesliga decided, Bayern's trip to second-place RB Leipzig had less meaning. Or so it appeared. The hosts led 4-2 and looked set to bloody the champions' nose, only for Carlo Ancelotti's side to snatch victory with three goals in the last 10 minutes.
6. Monaco (no change)
One of the most impressive league-title wins of recent seasons was competed on Wednesday when Monaco claimed Ligue 1 glory. Manager Leonardo Jardim's exciting young side have been a joy to watch all season; here's hoping it doesn't get broken up this summer.
7. Roma (+2)
While a 3-1 win against Juventus is unlikely to derail the champions-elect, Roma's victory was noteworthy nonetheless. What's more, it keeps them in the box seat for second -- and group-stage entry into the UCL -- with Napoli a point behind.
8. Atletico Madrid (-1)
Twelve points behind Barcelona and six in front of Sevilla mean Atletico will finish third in La Liga. And so their attention turns to the summer transfer window and the yet-to-be-answered questions surrounding the future of Diego Simeone and several key players.
9. Benfica (new)
Winning the league is great -- Benfica did that with a 5-0 thumping of Guimaraes -- and winning the league for a fourth straight seasons is even greater. But what tops both of those things? How about celebrating with a few motorbike tricks in the changing room?
10. Feyenoord (new)
Not all heroes wear capes, and, in a football sense, few of them are veterans whose best years have -- we thought -- passed. Step forward Dirk Kuyt, 36, who scored a hat trick to clinch Feyenoord's first league title in the Dutch Eredivisie since 1999. Then he retired three days later!
Dropping out: Borussia Dortmund, Ajax.
Source:
courtesy of ESPNFC
by SHAKA HISLOP
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