by Greg Seltzer for Soccer365

This week, our jog through France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain will take in the scenery around the clubs that look most ready to shift to a sprint out of the international break blocks.

As is customary, we'll rank the stories by the lane they hold to the title.

#5 - Up at the crack of noon...

Marseille had a bad start. A very bad start and one that lasted longer than they'd care to think about. It took them five games to win in Ligue 1 and then another three to win again.

Nowadays, however, L'OM and fans are salivating over the restart and singing about better late than never. If there is ever a time to face second place surprise package Montpellier and leaders Paris St. Germain back-to-back, it is now.

The Velodrome crew won three straight into the break, which they've used to seemingly finalize the recovery of defensive midfielder Stephane Mbia. By running their streak to five victories, Marseille could begin thinking title chase again - that us if they can make sure the attack doesn't cool off. Including a friendly winner against the U.S. for the latter, Andre Ayew and Loic Remy each have three goals in the last three weeks.

#4 - The Ice Cream Team

It seems almost too obvious, but I'm going to go there anyway. Napoli had looked very Neapolitan up to the break, indeed. Should they get held at home by Lazio this weekend, the Blues will have gone W-L-D for three cartons' worth of the famous chocolate/vanilla/ strawberry ice cream presentations.

In sixth with a game in hand on all but one (Juventus) of the five teams above them, things could definitely be worse in Napoli. Edison Cavani has but one goal since a mid-September hat trick to beat champs AC Milan, while fellow transfer topic Ezequiel Lavezzi and Goran Pandev have combined for just two all season.

The Lazio match starts a run where Napoli will have three of four and five if the next seven at home. The following week they visit Atalanta (another streaky club that won before the break) and then comes the catch-up showdown with Juventus - the fans are hoping the can stick to strictly chocolate for a while.

#3 - The Farmer's Horse

Accustomed to coming down the stretch with the league lead, PSV Eindhoven are now in position to make their move in the Eredivisie race. The Farmers, six points behind first place AZ, do not have to face the pacesetters, holders Ajax or FC Twente until mid-March.

Long story short: PSV manager Fred Rutten should feel ready to kick the spurs once Stanislav Manolev and Kevin Strootman return from suspensions following this weekend's short trip to face De Graafschap.

That's not to say the Philips crew will have it like a mosey to the medal stand until spring; they do have three consecutive potentially tricky road trips set for Feyenoord, Heerenveen and FC Utrecht wrapped around the winter break, plus an away KNVB Cup tilt with Twente in December.

A potential key to their next few months of play? Getting top scorer Ola Toivonen to halt a road goal drought that dates back to September.

#2 - Be All You Can BvB

Germany may be known as the land of poets and thinkers, but I know Borussia Dortmund supporters. When the champs opened with one win in four games, they were on impulse. And it was not the impulse to wax.

Whether they had been frantic, bummed or retreating into denial memories of last season's fun, the BvB faithful found the cure in late September. Since then, the champs have punched their way to five wins from an unbeaten six, with three shutouts in that span and 14 goals from their last three at home.

During those half dozen games, the high-octane offense has featured five players with at least two goals, led by Robert Lewandoski's six.

The upcoming schedule provides none of their current optimism, however. Next up? They could slice their five-point title deficit at Bayern Munich this weekend, followed by an attempted derby raid by Schalke and a trip to early darlings Borussia Moenchengladbach.

#1 - Right now, it does not pay well enough to be Real Zaragoza.

That's right. The last four teams to play defenders Barcelona after dropped points suffered losses totalling 17-1.

And this is the situation staring at Zaragoza, who must go to Camp Nou this weekend riding a four-game winless streak to face a Catalan side that will have had nearly two weeks to stew over their preceding Athletic Bilbao share.

So who among the in Los Blaugrana gets the angriest at these times? Try not to fall over from the shock, but Leo Messi had six goals on 19 shots and two helpers despite only playing in three of those four lash-out games.

Even better, with three points to make up on leaders Real Madrid and Valencia breathing down their necks, Barcelona get to relax after the Zaragoza match by watching those two rivals beat up on each other.