7 Truths: Barcelona are back to their best, and they have Luis Suarez to thank

Barcelona are back to their best. There is little doubt about that. Lionel Messi is in sparkling form, but so is Luis Suarez - and it's the former Liverpool man's resurgence that has been the true catalyst. These two look like they have been playing together for years. Suarez is constantly on the move. Both men create space for each other. Rayo Vallecano simply had no answer to either man in suffering a 6-1 beating that could have been heavier, but better teams than the Liga fodder will find difficulty in coping with such a pairing.

Barcelona are one point ahead of Real Madrid at the summit of La Liga, and seem to be running into form at exactly the right time of the season. Madrid should take note on a couple of fronts, particularly with the next Clasico looming large at the Camp Nou on March 22. But Bayern Munich and Chelsea should also be wary.

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OK, so the FA Cup would be a pretty sweet accomplishment for Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool side this season, and the field looks ripe enough for them to go all the way. But as much as they knocked on Blackburn's door at Anfield, and as much as they felt they should have had a penalty, it wasn't happening.

Now, they face a replay - and an extra game is the worst case scenario for a side fighting for a Champions League berth. The Reds' good form in the league had begun to make that fourth place look on the cards, despite being so unlikely in the first half of the season; but you have to wonder about Liverpool's ability to sustain the purple patch. Cup triumphs shouldn't be sniffed at, but if the schedule clogs up and their unbeaten run falls by the wayside, Liverpool will end up wishing Rovers just snatched a late upset on the break and put them out of their misery in the one game.

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Most of us support a team, through thick and thin - but keeping tabs on interesting sides in continental leagues gives a wonderful respite from the normal roller-coaster, particularly when you catch a decent in-form side with trendy players and great results. Villarreal punched way above their weight last season, their first after regaining top flight status, and remain one of those nifty 'non-huge club' teams worth following whenever they're on TV. Their 4-1 despatching of Celta Vigo on Sunday included goals for former Tottenham man Giovani dos Santos and current trending star Luciano Vietto. Their stock as a 'temporary second team' continues to hold strong.

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Talk of a behind-the-scenes bust-up between Mario Mandzukic and Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone was all over the Spanish media this week. Simeone denied it in a press conference, but appeared to confirm the chatter as Mandzukic was left out of the starting line-up for the huge match with Valencia. With Antoine Griezmann ruled out as well it seemed a big gamble to leave out a key player - and it backfired as Atletico were held 1-1 by their Champions League rivals.

While Real and Barca both have enough talent on the bench to cope with the loss of a big player, it seems Atletico don't have that luxury. Not that it matters now: seven points adrift of Barcelona, all they're playing for is third place.

During the Scottish Cup clash between Dundee United and Celtic, referee Craig Thomson awarded two penalties and dished out three red cards. Hoops boss Ronny Deila accused Aidan Connolly of diving for one of those spot-kicks, while the ref seemed to flat-out send off the wrong person when dismissing Paul Paton.

On the plus side, such incidents gave neutrals a reason to get excited about a Scottish Cup match. But blunders are happening far too much. Remember Andre Marriner's Chelsea-Arsenal similar mistake last year? Referees undermine their own authority when these things happen, and that's disastrous in all sorts of ways. Why can't they have more help - probably technological help - to restore confidence? There's simply far too much human error in big games at the moment - and it matters. Even in the Scottish Cup.

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The Italian top flight is widely acclaimed as being a lot less interesting than its history, reputation, and collection of talent should allow. It obviously isn't as boring as bar stool pundits suggest when flippantly mocking the Italian game - but Roma seem hell-bent on proving the anti-Serie A mob right. Their dismal form of eight draws in nine games means an intriguing battle for the title with dominant Juventus has fallen away, and the Old Lady are set for yet another success.

Meanwhile the likes of AC and Inter Milan are just flat-out depressing with their respective identity crises; Napoli flatter to deceive under big-talker Rafa Benitez; and Parma, a symbol of the cool 1990s heyday of the division, are going to be relegated without a penny to their name. Roma had the chance to give us SOMETHING about the Italian scene to like - and they blew it with months to spare.

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Not familiar with the name? He plays for Cologne and Nigeria as a striker, and from now on will forever be associated with celebrating a goal (his side's fourth in a 4-2 win over Frankfurt) by manhandling a goat. Yes, a GOAT.