Reign from Spain’s club teams, too
Just a few months after Euro 2008, it is not just the Spanish national team that is flying high at the top of European soccer. Spain's leading club teams are also exerting their dominance in European competition, cutting a swathe of destruction through the group stages of the Champions League and UEFA Cup.
With one matchday still remaining in Champions League group action, all four La Liga clubs have qualified for the last 16. Barcelona leads the way with 13 points and looks in devastating form, while Villarreal's dropped points include a pair of 0-0 draws with Manchester United. Likewise, Atletico Madrid is unbeaten, having won three games and drawn twice with Liverpool, while Real Madrid's only defeats came against Juventus.
Combined, the four Spanish teams have accumulated 42 points, with the English Premier League's representatives amassing 39 and Serie A's quartet 31.
In UEFA Cup action on Thursday, it was another impressive night for the Spaniards as Deportivo La Coruna breezed past Feyenoord 3-0 and Valencia hammered Rosenborg 4-0 in Norway. Spain's third UEFA Cup team, Sevilla, had a bye week but, like Deportivo and Valenica, is strongly poised to qualify for the last 32.
So is the recent Spanish club success a byproduct of the overall level of confidence coursing through Spanish soccer? Do the performances this season indicate that La Liga is edging ahead of the EPL in terms of quality? Or is it a temporary situation?
Share your thoughts below.
