Top 10 Performances from Around the World for Weekend of Feb. 6-8
The weekend saw a whole load of terrific matches and performances in the world of football, from the Africa Cup of Nations' closing stages to major fixtures in some of the game's top domestic leagues.
We've taken a full roundup of the most notable results and teams and ranked them for their weekend successes. The order was determined by quality of opposition, league standing, performance quality, scoreline and more.
Here are our top 10. Feel free to leave your own suggestions below.
10. Ivory Coast
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This is the odd time we include a side that drew a game, rather than won, because of the significance or effort involved. Ivory Coast drew 0-0 with Ghana in the AFCON final on Sunday, eventually lifting the trophy after winning on penalties.
The 9-8 victory saw goalkeeper Boubacar Barry as the hero, saving and scoring the last two, as Ivory Coast won their first title since 1992.
It wasn't the most enthralling final, but the nation deserves acclaim and acknowledgement for its title.
9. Melbourne Victory
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To domestic matters now and the first of a few derbies in this week's series, as we start in the A-League in Australia.
Melbourne Victory defeated Melbourne City by a 3-0 scoreline on Saturday, dominating the match and creating far better chances thanks to the industry and relentless movement of Besart Berisha in particular. He scored one and was involved throughout as the home side took a deserved win.
Coupled with Perth Glory's home defeat later in the day, it leaves Victory just one point off top spot, in second, after 16 games.
8. Torino
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To Europe now, and we start in Italy. Serie A side Torino picked up another impressive win, their fourth in succession, on Saturday.
They travelled to and beat Hellas Verona by a 3-1 scoreline, with Josef Martinez and Fabio Quagliarella making the game comfortable before each side traded a late strike. The Turin side moves up to seventh after this good run of form.
It could be sustained, too: They play Cagliari next, who are just outside the bottom three.
7. Heerenveen
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Heerenveen moved back up to sixth in the Dutch Eredivisie this weekend after trouncing PEC Zwolle 4-0 at home, a mighty win with their rivals in third place ahead of kick-off.
Luciano Slagveer (pictured) got the ball rolling early on, and the home team didn't let up the pace or its clinical edge throughout, leading by three at the break and rounding things off late on.
Heerenveen are inside the Europa League playoff spots, but with some consistency, they could certainly challenge a couple of places higher over the next month or so with some winnable fixtures coming up against bottom-half clubs.
6. Borussia Dortmund
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Yep, you read that right: Borussia Dortmund won a game!
The Bundesliga's bottom club is, in fact, no longer the Bundesliga's bottom club. BVB shifted up into 16th, the relegation playoff spot, with a 3-0 win at Freiburg at the weekend thanks to an early Marco Reus strike and a brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
It's still a long road back up the table, but the win—their first in six league games—will give optimism that the slow rise can at last begin. Dortmund face mid-table Mainz and new bottom club Stuttgart in their next two fixtures.
5. Levante
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There were a couple of shock results from bottom-half clubs in Spain this weekend, but Levante's was certainly the biggest.
Fresh from holding Athletic Bilbao to a draw and then beating Valencia, Malaga would have been confident of a win at La Liga's bottom team. But apparently out of nowhere, Levante decided they would become a capable outfit with a ruthless streak in front of goal, winning 4-1.
Malaga took an early lead, but Levante fought back via David Barral's hat-trick, including two penalties, and a goal from new boy Kalu Uche. The victory lifts Levante to 17th, outside the drop zone, as the relegation merry-go-round continues in Spain.
4. Barcelona
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At the top end of the table, it was more predictable: Barcelona, in great form and with goals throughout the team at present, went to Athletic Bilbao and simply outscored them.
A great match finished 5-2 to the Catalan team, which was always looking to pass forwards, create space and produced some fantastic link play along the way.
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar all scored once more, with Pedro adding late on and an own goal thrown in for good measure. Barcelona are second in La Liga, one point behind Real Madrid.
3. Tottenham Hotspur
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The north London derby in the Premier League was an exciting affair, mainly one of Tottenham's attack against Arsenal's defence.
It seemed the perfect game plan for the Gunners. They repelled early attacks, took the lead themselves and then bunkered in, defending brilliantly until the break, but Harry Kane yet again came to Spurs' rescue with two perfect striker's finishes, including a late header to win the game in impressive fashion.
Spurs certainly deserved the win for their continued attempts to break through, and they are up to fifth in the table.
2. Wolfsburg
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Back to Germany now, and Wolfsburg's great start to the Bundesliga in 2015 continued with a convincing 3-0 win over Hoffenheim.
An early Bas Dost goal came via Andre Schurrle, the new big-money signing from Chelsea in the January transfer window, before Kevin De Bruyne—also signed from Chelsea—added two of his own strikes.
Wolfsburg remain second, eight points off top spot and seven ahead of third-placed Schalke. They are away to sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen next time out, a big test.
1. Atletico Madrid
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The performance of the weekend, without any shadow of a doubt, goes to Atletico Madrid for their crushing 4-0 victory against city rivals Real Madrid in La Liga.
The derby started in tempestuous and exciting fashion, with fouls and a cracking atmosphere giving Atleti a far faster start than Real. They made it count with two goals in the opening 20 minutes: a drive from Tiago, which Iker Casillas spilled into the net, and a spectacular bicycle kick from Saul, an early sub.
Atletico's relentless performance stopped dead any hopes of a Real comeback with terrific pressing and defending, attacking at pace and in numbers and further goals from strike duo Antoine Griezmann and Mario Mandzukic.
It leaves La Liga very tight at the top, with four points separating Real in first from Atletico in third.
