Football, Futbol, Fußball, Calcio: The Weekend Review

Every Monday, we'll take a stroll through Europe to review the best - and worst - the top leagues on the continent had to offer over the weekend. As always, there is plenty to discuss after a full slate of action.

The Storylines

Arsenal and Tottenham put on a show, but lose ground to Leicester

In arguably the most important north London derby in history, Arsenal and Tottenham delivered a rousing spectacle.

Saturday's dramatic 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane had a little bit of everything: stunning goals befitting a match of this magnitude, daft and reckless tackles, questionable refereeing decisions and narrative-busting moments. It was an exhilarating 90 minutes of football. It was, in a word, wonderful.

Especially for Leicester City.

By virtue of both the Gunners and Spurs dropping points, the Foxes, this magical team that was nearly relegated last season, was able to open up a five-point gap at the top of the Premier League table with a slim victory over Watford later in the day.

With nine matches remaining, Claudio Ranieri's men - 5,000-1 underdogs to win the league prior to the campaign - are in pole position to etch their names into sports lore as the greatest Cinderella story of all time.

Cristiano Ronaldo sticks it to the haters

As is so often the case following a Real Madrid match - for better or worse - Cristiano Ronaldo was the centre of attention after Los Blancos obliterated a good Celta Vigo side 7-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.

The 31-year-old, who rustled feathers by appearing to call out his lacklustre teammates last month - before clarifying his remarks - was back in the good graces of the Spanish media after netting four goals and moving into second place on La Liga's all-time scoring list.

The subject of unbridled scorn from those who view him as a narcissist who cares only about personal achievements, Ronaldo has largely carried a dysfunctional, imbalanced Real Madrid squad this season.

Much of the talk surrounding the former Manchester United attacker this season has suggested that he is in decline. Physically, that may be fair. Age remains an undefeated champion. And yet, here's Ronaldo, redefining his role from winger to more central striker, leading the Pichichi race with 27 goals.

It would be unfair to say he's doing it quietly, because nothing about him is subtle, but it's a reminder of just how absurdly talented Ronaldo is. Even if his sea of critics refuse to accept it.

Der Klassiker stalemate

That should just about do it in the race for the Bundesliga crown.

An entertaining, end-to-end contest between Germany's two best clubs at the Westfalenstadion ended goalless on Saturday, and with the final whistle came the overwhelming sense that Borussia Dortmund had squandered its only chance to put real pressure on Bayern Munich at the top of the table.

The Bavarian behemoth holds a five-point edge over its greatest rival, and with nine matches remaining, it's difficult to see where Pep Guardiola's men will drop the points necessary to allow Thomas Tuchel and Co. to gain ground.

The Highlights

Ronaldo goes boom

After listening to jeers rain down from the Santiago Bernabeu faithful mere minutes earlier, the statuesque Portuguese promptly turned them into cheers by unleashing this dipping rocket.

Guardiola shows Kimmich tough love

Joshua Kimmich was one of the best players on the pitch in Saturday's Der Klassiker, but that didn't stop Pep Guardiola from showing the makeshift centre-back some tough love after the final whistle. This is either brilliant coaching, or the unnecessary evisceration of a young player by a maniacal manager. It depends who you ask.

Who knew Mario Lemina could do this?

Not the Atalanta backline, apparently.

Rony Lopes is Zeus

Had the mesh not intervened, this Rony Lopes thunderbolt - which helped Lille defeat Reims on Saturday - would probably have crossed the border into Belgium.

The Lowlight

Poor Bryan Ruiz

Five days after inexplicably missing a gaping net against Vitoria Guimaraes, Costa Rican international Bryan Ruiz outdid himself, as the Sporting Lisbon attacker sent what should have been the easiest goal of his career into orbit during a contest against fellow Portuguese power Benfica.

The Shocker

Coquelin, Mata lose their minds

Football matches, particularly at the professional level, move quickly. Decisions need to be made in a split-second. Sometimes players make the wrong ones. A mistimed tackle here, a brain fart there. It happens.

And yet, you couldn't help but wonder what on earth Francis Coquelin and Juan Mata - and James Milner, for that matter - were thinking when they made farcical decisions that resulted in dismissals from their respective matches.

Coquelin's stood out as being particularly foolish, given the stakes.

His side leading 1-0 in its most important match of the season, the Frenchman, already on a yellow card, went sliding in for a wholly unnecessary tackle on Harry Kane that always looked like ending with a red card.

Within seven minutes of Coquelin's dismissal, Spurs scored twice.

It's impossible to predict how the match would have unfolded had it ended with 11 players on the pitch for both sides, but it's undeniable that Coquelin's rash tackle - on a player running down the sideline with virtually no support around him - nearly did irreparable damage to Arsenal's title bid.

Stray Thoughts

Barcelona is never going to lose again, thanks primarily to the fact that Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar score more goals just amongst the three of them than every other team in the world.
Conversely, Crystal Palace - which conspired to blow a lead while a man up against Liverpool on Sunday, and then conceded a 96th minute penalty to lose the match altogether - may never taste victory again.
AC Milan is literally incapable of beating Sassuolo.
They (understandably) get overlooked as everyone pays attention to the races for league titles and Champions League places, but the battles to avoid relegation across Europe are going to be fascinating as the season winds down. Don't sleep on 'em.