Michael J. Chandler, Daniel Rouse

21h ago

ANDER GILLENEA / AFP / Getty

Taking into consideration recent domestic and continental results, along with underlying stats, we try to figure out which clubs are among Europe’s elite.

1. Barcelona (1st in La Liga)

Previous rank: 2nd

After Willian Jose and Juanmi handed host Real Sociedad a two-goal first-half lead Sunday in Basque Country, Barcelona’s unbeaten season was suddenly under threat. Thanks to a Luis Suarez second-half brace and Lionel Messi’s record-breaking free-kick, Ernesto Valverde’s side won at the Anoeta Stadium for the first time since May 2007, and regained a nine-point advantage on second-place Atletico Madrid. – MC

2. Manchester City (1st in Premier League)

Previous rank: 1st

Sliding one spot after Liverpool handed Pep Guardiola and Co. a maiden league defeat, Manchester City is still leaps and bounds better than its Premier League rivals with a 15-point margin to show for said dominance. City’s plus-50 goal margin is nearly twice that of any other side in England’s top flight, and its 67 goals scored is 13 better than the next closest total. – MC

3. Paris Saint-Germain (1st in Ligue 1)

Previous rank: 3rd

Ligue 1 leader Paris Saint-Germain celebrated the new year Sunday with a 1-0 victory at defensively adroit Nantes, and thanks to Monaco’s stalemate at Montpellier and Lyon’s draw against Angers, the capital club now boasts an 11-point domestic lead. After slumping to their first shock defeat of the season at Strasbourg in December, Les Parisiens have won four in a row whilst outscoring opponents 11-3 over that stretch. Next is a home date with Dijon, who has had a man sent off in three of its last four matches in all competitions. – MC

4. Bayern Munich (1st in Bundesliga)

Previous rank: 4th

The Bundesliga title race is a foregone conclusion. After 18 matches, Bayern Munich possesses 13 more points than second-placed RB Leipzig, and manager Jupp Heynckes noted his team’s superb discipline in Friday’s 3-1 victory at Bayer Leverkusen. The Bavarians are tipped as a likelier winner of the Champions League than Paris Saint-Germain with some bookmakers, but they should be wary of an exciting Besiktas side in the round of 16. – DR

5. Atletico Madrid (2nd in La Liga)

Previous rank: 8th

It seemed Atletico Madrid would have more firepower when Diego Costa’s transfer was finally rubber-stamped, but the Brazil-born brute was sent off after scoring in his first start. Without the striker in its arsenal, Diego Simeone’s team was characteristically stubborn in defence when engineering a scrappy 1-0 win at Eibar, and currently enjoys a 11-point cushion in La Liga’s Champions League qualification places. – DR

6. Liverpool (3rd in Premier League)

Previous rank: 11th

For a 30-minute spell after the break Sunday against City, Liverpool played like a side bewitched, tearing the previously unbeaten side to shreds with an unyielding attack capped by a trio of world-class finishes. Days after shipping Philippe Coutinho, the Reds are making a claim for England’s second-best side and can begin looking forward to next season when Naby Keita’s arrival and the hopeful addition of a quality shot-stopper should thrust Jurgen Klopp’s tireless charges into the title discussion. – MC

7. Juventus (2nd in Serie A)

Previous rank: 5th

Juventus’ inactivity sees it suffer a slight fall down the rankings, but belief that the Old Lady can capture a seventh straight Scudetto continues to grow. Blaise Matuidi’s arrival has shaken up the midfield, and Paulo Dybala seems to be back to his best after a peculiar period of bench-warming. An 11-match unbeaten run in all competitions still isn’t enough for top spot in Serie A, with Napoli owning one more point. – DR

8. Napoli

Previous rank: 6th

A spot ahead of Juventus in the league but one short of the six-time successive Scudetto champ on this ladder, Napoli has shown an uncharacteristic resolve in bouncing back from the loss to Max Allergri’s lot at the Stadio Sao Paolo in December. The Partenopei’s attack isn’t quite at the breathtaking levels it was during a stretch of eight consecutive victories to start the domestic campaign, though it hasn’t mattered as Serie A’s stingiest backline has guided Napoli to four league wins on the bounce. – MC

9. Tottenham Hotspur (5th in Premier League)

Previous rank: 15th

Spurs strolled to a 4-0 bashing of Everton in Saturday’s late kick-off, with Heung-Min Son continuing to impress in the Londoner’s attack. A tricky period is on the horizon for Mauricio Pochettino’s lot, however, when league wrangles with Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are followed by a Champions League trip to Juventus. It’s a two-week period that could define Tottenham’s season. – DR

10. Manchester United (2nd in Premier League)

Previous rank: 12th

Manchester United’s matches aren’t awash with shots on target, but Jose Mourinho’s outfit is callous, preying on errors and half-chances. Even when Romelu Lukaku isn’t firing, someone like Jesse Lingard or Anthony Martial will step up. There aren’t any obvious vulnerable areas in Mourinho’s squad, but sometimes you wish he would approach games with a more positive mindset. He has the personnel on hand to trounce teams – just like United did in the season’s earlier months. – DR

11. Valencia (3rd in La Liga)

Previous rank: 11th

Marcelino continues to restore pride at sleeping giant Valencia, guiding the club into third place and tightening its grip on the Champions League qualification places. A huge chunk of the squad is made up of players who are looking to rebuild their careers – like Gabriel Paulista, Francis Coquelin, Simone Zaza, and Geoffrey Kondogbia – and Valencia is benefitting from them seizing their opportunities. – DR

12. Chelsea (4th in Premier League)

Previous rank: 7th

The goals have dried up at Chelsea. Saturday’s goalless affair with Leicester City was the third consecutive 0-0 draw for the Blues, and the fifth straight appearance Alvaro Morata hasn’t registered on the scoresheet. The Spanish striker has just five goals across all competitions since late September, temporarily stalling what appeared to be a blossoming partnership between himself and Eden Hazard. – DR

13. Sporting CP (1st in Primeira Liga)

Previous rank: NR

Power rankings debutant Sporting CP vaulted rival FC Porto for top spot in Portugal courtesy of Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Aves fuelled by a Bas Dost treble to maintain the capital club’s unbeaten start to the season. Porto – which has a match in hand – is also without defeat as the Primeira Liga boasts a top-heavy table where heavyweight Benfica sits third with just one loss. Sporting has conceded a scant 10 goals this season, and has won six in seven, with a 1-1 draw at Benfica the first week of January the sole blip on a stellar run. – MC

14. Internazionale (3rd in Serie A)

Previous rank: 10th

Tumbling a few spots courtesy of the winter hiatus and a 1-1 draw at Fiorentina the first Friday of 2018, Inter’s spot in this ranking is as tenuous as its Scudetto hopes as a stretch of five Serie A matches sans victory sees Luciano Spalletti’s side nine points adrift of table-topping Napoli. A dearth of squad depth has been largely responsible for Inter’s recent run of form, but the over-reliance on Mauro Icardi continues to be the biggest concern at the Giuseppe Meazza, with the Argentine responsible for 18 of the club’s 35 league tallies. – MC

15. PSV Eindhoven (1st in Eredivisie)

Previous rank: 13th

The ease in which Hirving Lozano has stormed the Eredivisie since moving from Mexico should make him one of the hottest properties on the planet. He’s relentless on the left-hand side, with his 11 league goals in 16 appearances often coming when he cuts onto his stronger right foot. He also leads the team for Eredivisie assists with four. He’s been instrumental in helping PSV to a five-point advantage atop Dutch football. – DR

On the cusp: Real Madrid, Istanbul Basaksehir, Lokomotiv Moscow, FC Porto

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

MINNEAPOLIS — The “Minnesota Miracle” happened on a play called “Seven Heaven.” Why do the Minnesota Vikings use that name? Because if the quarterback hits the seven route, a deep corner in this case, well, something heavenly happens.

Stefon Diggs was running the seven route on Sunday night when he caught his miraculous 61-yard touchdown on a heave from Case Keenum that lifted the Vikings to a 29-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints and into the NFC Championship Game. It was third-and-10. The clock showed 10 seconds. The Vikings trailed by one point, had no timeouts remaining and just a 2.6 percent chance to win, according to ESPN’s win-probability model.

Here’s the story of what happened next — the first fourth-quarter, walk-off touchdown in NFL playoff history — as told by the people who lived it on the field:

Diggs, Vikings receiver: “Case said, as I was about to leave [the huddle], ‘I’m going to give somebody a chance.’ That somebody was me.”

Adam Thielen, Vikings receiver: “We knew we had some time on the clock. And we knew that all we needed was a field goal. Obviously, we knew it was going to be tough. All they had to do was stay back and not give up the big play.”

Sean Payton, Saints coach: “It was an outside zone [defense]. We were protecting the sidelines. Anything inside and you’re in a pretty good position when the game is over. It’s a situation we practice quite a bit.”

Linval Joseph, Vikings defensive lineman: “I was thinking that at best we were going to have to kick the longest field goal in NFL history to win this game.”

The Saints rushed four defensive linemen and had seven in coverage.

Cameron Jordan, Saints defensive end: “We had them exactly where we wanted them. As a defensive end and player of my caliber, I should have been able to eradicate that play all together. … Had I been a half-step faster, I would have been able to get off the tight end and tackle and completely take over that play.”

The first two reads were wide receiver Jarius Wright and tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Wright: “We are the guys who can actually catch the ball and run out of bounds on that play. We’re running more of an out route. Diggs was running a deep corner. He’s the big shot on that. We’re the catch-and-get-out-of-bounds guys.”

Keenum, Vikings quarterback: “I’m not going to say I picked out [Diggs] beforehand. But we needed a big chunk. Thielen was on the backside covered. I had to give a guy a chance. I don’t know what the percentage was. I was just trying to give a guy a chance.”

Wright: “We practice that play all the time. But the high seven never gets the ball. It has never been thrown to that route, as far as I can remember.”

Diggs: “I was thinking, ‘Catch it, get out of bounds and maybe kick a field goal.’ I took a picture before I turned around to catch the ball. There was only one guy there. If he slipped, then I was going to try to stay up and keep it going.”

Joseph: “[Diggs] caught the ball and the safety whiffed — he missed, whatever you want to call it. He didn’t get to the ball.”

• 

  After missing a tackle that allowed Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs to run free for a 61-yard, game-winning touchdown on Sunday, Saints safety Marcus Williams vowed to do all he can “to make sure nothing like this happens again to me.”

• 

  Sacksonville heads to Foxborough to face Tom Brady for the AFC title. Here’s an early look, plus what the Saints or Vikings could expect in Philly.

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That safety was Saints rookie Marcus Williams.

Williams: “It was just my play to make. The ball was in the air. I didn’t go attack it. And he came down and made a great play, and that’s just on me. I just got to be that guy and go up and get the ball. As a safety back there, you got to be the eraser. And that was my job.”

Keenum: “I saw [Diggs] go up, and I was like, ‘He’s got a chance to catch it.’ He caught it. Then, ‘Oh, he’s got a chance to get out of bounds. Get out of bounds!’ But he fell kind of back in bounds, away from [Williams], and then he almost fell over. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I really couldn’t.”

Mike Zimmer, Vikings coach: “That didn’t look like a curse out there to me. That looked like a Hail Mary.”

Diggs: “I was preparing for somebody to contact me so I could go out of bounds, but nobody contacted me. I kind of lost my footing a little bit. I just tried to gather myself with my hand. My hand never let me down. Just tried to gather myself, and the rest is history.”

Thielen: “For him to put his hand down and stay up, it was unbelievable.”

Payton: “Look, [Williams] jumped and went for the tackle. The call is what we wanted in that situation. The right call.”

Marshon Lattimore, Saints cornerback: “All we had to do to end this game if they catch it is tackle them inbounds. They didn’t have any timeout. I mean, things happen.”

Keenum: “Being a kid, growing up, that’s what you want to do in the backyard. There’s 30 seconds to go, you’re down by two, fourth quarter, playoffs. Drew Brees is the quarterback for the other team. That’s what you dream about.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Tennessee Titans talked all week about how they wanted an opportunity to show they could hang with the AFC elite. On Saturday night, we learned they aren’t there yet.

The New England Patriots were the better team in every department — coaching, offense and defense — in their 35-14 win. Tennessee’s winning its first playoff game since the 2003 season was a good takeaway from the season, but there still remains a sizable gap between it and the AFC elite. The Titans might not be as close to being true contenders as they had hoped.

“Hopefully, people use this as motivation,” quarterback Marcus Mariota said. “Yeah, it’s nice to get in the playoffs, but you don’t play to just get in, especially coming in the divisional playoff and losing the way we did.”

New England shut down Tennessee after the Titans scored the first touchdown of the game. Tom Brady was vintage, picking apart the holes in the Titans’ defense. A front seven that needed to step up and make Brady uncomfortable was extremely disappointing, barely touching him and failing to register a sack.

On a day when several Titans needed to play their best football ever to pull an upset, none of them — outside of rookie Corey Davis, who scored his first two career touchdowns — played particularly well. The final result was a club that was outclassed by the Patriots.

It’s a bittersweet end to the season for the Titans. They made playoff progress, but there is an apparent need for change in offensive scheme if this team ever hopes to be a championship contender.

“As an offense, I’ll be the first one to say that we underachieved this year,” left tackle Taylor Lewan said. “To make it this far, that’s extremely promising, but we can’t do that again in the 2018 season. We have the firepower to do it. It’s just a matter of getting it done.”

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Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels outschemed Titans defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau by slowly chipping away at the Titans’ pass defense with a combination of Dion Lewis and James White on screens and sweeps, Rob Gronkowski rummaging through the middle and Danny Amendola taking advantage of open shallow zones.

PITTSBURGH — Bell crazy.

That was the response from Steelers backup running back Stevan Ridley when Le’Veon Bell recounted his summer, when he turned down a mega-deal from the Steelers to play on the franchise tag. Bell explained that his plan was in full motion.

“With what I can bring to the table and what I look forward to, I wasn’t going to settle for anything less than what I think I’m worth,” Bell told ESPN as part of an interview that revealed he’s considering sitting out 2018 or retiring if franchise tagged for the second consecutive year.

These words are jarring against the backdrop of the Steelers’ potential Super Bowl run, which begins in earnest against Jacksonville in Sunday’s AFC divisional round. But this is Bell’s reality: He’s an honest speaker who has grandiose ideas about his football career that he plans to crystallize with conviction.

The money will talk this summer — turning down a second franchise tag of $14-plus-million is hard to believe until it’s a reality — but Bell is a different dude.

He knows he’s the game’s most productive rusher and a viable No. 2 receiver, and he won’t be dissuaded from that point. He’s comfortable delivering his message now because, for one, he’s ready to catalyze a playoff push. He mentioned the words “Super Bowl” several times in the interview. “That’s the only thing (left) I wanted to do,” he said. He could touch the ball 30 or more times against the Jaguars.

Bell makes clear market precedent for running backs is more important to him than making a few extra million, which Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott will love to hear.

And, well, Bell was asked about all this at his locker, so he gave insight about happiness and potentially leaving millions on the table. “It’s about leaving a legacy,” he told me.

Bell knew the Steelers wanted to see him play a full season. So, he upped his recovery regimen to ensure it. Fifteen games (one healthy scratch), 406 touches and 1,946 yards later, Bell is exercising whatever power he has on his future.

“I knew what to expect from myself, even if others didn’t expect it,” Bell said. “And I always try to keep a chip on my shoulder.”

This isn’t going away because Bell is open about his stance, and there’s no going back now. Steelers fans are sweating the timing of the comments, and although Bell had no intention of being a distraction, Steelers players shrug at the weekly chaos. This will have no bearing on the outcome of Sunday’s game. In fact, the spotlight might just fuel Bell even more.

As one veteran Steeler told me, when a player says something silly, his teammates just make fun of him behind the scenes.

Bell might laugh with teammates on that, but don’t laugh at his words. He might just sit.