Liverpool, Barcelona, PSG: Which football teams are most fun to watch?

No matter how scrappy it is, there’s no better feeling for any football fan than seeing their side put the ball in the back of the net.

However, there’s always the occasional weekend throughout the season where – for whatever reason – your own team isn’t in action. In that scenario, which of Europe’s top sides are likely to provide you with the best entertainment?

It’s a question that ESPN have attempted to answer with their second-annual ‘watchability’ rankings – and they’ve delved deep into the statistics to come up with the answer.

Using a weighted index comprising shots and goals (36%), pressure and intensity (25%), entertaining big matches (15%), verticality (9%), tension (7%), quality (6%) and switches of play (2%), ESPN have crunched the numbers to identify the sides you should be sure to watch before the end of the season.

Below, we’ve taken a look at their top 20 sides who play the ‘beautiful game’ in the most entertaining fashion.

20. Empoli (8.6/10)

19. Atletico Madrid (8.6)

18. Real Madrid (8.6)

17. AC Milan (8.6)

16. Inter Milan (8.7)

15. FC Cologne (8.7)

14. Manchester City (8.9)

13. Atalanta (9.0)

12. RB Leipzig (9.0)

11. Bayer Leverkusen (9.0)

10. TSG Hoffenheim (9.1)

9. Paris Saint-Germain (9.1)

8. Lyon (9.2)

7. Sassuolo (9.3)

6. Hellas Verona (9.4)

5. Barcelona (9.5)

La Blaugrana wouldn’t have been a top five prospect under previous coach Ronald Koeman, but the appointment of club legend Xavi has revitalised Barca to a degree that few could have anticipated.

A haul of 25 goals in their past eight league games speaks to their attacking resurgence.

4. Borussia Dortmund (9.5)

Injuries might have robbed them of the likes of Erling Haaland and Giovanni Reyna for significant periods this season, but Dortmund