Manchester United and Real Madrid dressed up in their best Champions League gear for commanding domestic performances over the weekend.
But not all of the continent's top eight sides fared as well when league action resumed in Europe with Inter Milan going down to a surprise 2-1 defeat at Udinese and Ajax losing 2-0 away to Dutch leaders PSV Eindhoven.
Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo scored either side of the interval in Real's 2-0 home win over Deportivo Coruna while United, their Champions league quarter-final opponents, beat Fulham 3-0 with a Ruud van Nistelrooy hat-trick. Barcelona at last seem to be translating their fine European form onto the domestic front under new coach Radomir Antic and they crushed Racing Santander 6-1, including two late goals by Dutch winger Marc Overmars.
It is almost certainly too late, however, to secure a Champions League berth next season. They are 11 points behind fourth-placed Valencia, who are 10 adrift of leaders Real after being held 1-1 at home by Espanyol.
Real Sociedad dropped three points behind Madrid after Villarreal scored twice in injury time to draw 2-2 when Darko Kovacevic's two goals had looked good enough for victory.
United kept the pressure on leaders Arsenal but the defending champions responded to that and their Champions League disappointment with a hard-fought 2-1 home victory over Everton, thanks to goals from Frenchmen Pascal Cygan and Patrick Vieira.
Arsenal lead with 66 points, two more than United and five in front of Newcastle, who crushed Blackburn Rovers 5-1. Chelsea, in fourth 12 points behind, also scored five to rout Manchester City 5-0.
JUVE BEATEN
Juventus and AC Milan, two of Italy's three Champions League quarter-finalists, came up against each other at the San Siro with the home side winning a tough tussle 2-1 to rein in Serie A leaders Juve and keep three teams in the title race.
However, Inter Milan, who will meet coach Hector Cuper's former club Valencia in the last eight of the Champions League, could have pulled level with Juventus if they had won in Udine and their indifferent recent form must have them worried. AC Milan meet Ajax, whose 2-0 defeat at PSV Eindhoven puts them under pressure from Feyenoord for a Champions League qualifying berth in second spot in the Dutch first division.
PSV, whose striker Mateja Kezman took his league leading tally to 25 with both goals, look set to lift the Dutch title.
They are on 66 points, 10 more than Ajax and 11 in front of Feyenoord, who crushed Heerenveen 5-0 on Saturday with a hat-trick by Pierre van Hooijdonk.
In France, whose Champions League sides failed to progress past the first group stage, Monaco stayed top on goal difference from 1993 European champions Olympique Marseille.
Monaco won 3-0 at Le Havre and Marseille 2-1 at Montpellier with a late winner from Belgium defender Daniel van Buyten.
Defending champions Olympique Lyon stayed a further point behind after Juninho's goal gave them a 1-0 victory at Nice.
Marseille and Monaco, France's best European exponents apart from Paris St Germain's 1996 Cup Winners Cup win, should help raise their country's European profile if they both return to the Champions League next season.
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