The season has progressed to the point where each team will have a clear idea of where their realistic targets for this campaign are.
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With the major European leagues approaching the business end of the season, supporters can expect to see fireworks light up the sky in the coming weeks. The season has progressed to the point where each team will have a clear idea of where their realistic targets for this campaign are. While some compete for glory, others fight to secure European tickets or avoid relegation. The picture at the top of the table is becoming clearer in some leagues, but not everywhere.
There are still a lot of games left to play, so anything is possible for the rest of the season. There are a few runaway leaders in each league, such as Napoli in Serie A and Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. However, in the majority of countries, the situation at the top is much closer than many would have predicted. The Premier League and Bundesliga are two such examples where it is difficult to predict which team will win the trophy. Let’s take a look at the five major European leagues and see which teams are favourites to win the league title.
The Premier League has lived up to its unpredictable nature, with a lot of unexpected teams sitting near the top end of the table. It is not what many expected to see at the start of season. Following Liverpool’s explosive end to last season and Manchester City’s purchase of star centre-forward Erling Haaland last summer, these two clubs were expected to dominate the league this campaign. However, it has not gone according to the plan for neither clubs. Man City are still close to the top, however, Liverpool have fallen too far behind the title contenders.
| Rank | Name | Matches | GD | Points |
| 1 | Arsenal | 26 | 34 | 63 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 26 | 41 | 58 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 25 | 6 | 49 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 26 | 10 | 45 |
To everyone’s surprise, it is Arsenal who are sitting at the top spot – something no one saw coming last summer. To the Gunners’ credit, they are full value for the lead at the top of the standings. When Arsenal were leading the pack at the start of the season, many predicted the Gunners to collapse after a certain point. Even with the World Cup break coming and going, Mikel Arteta’s side continued to get valuable points. They did endure a mini blip recently but Arsenal bounced back from that setback to hold on to the top spot in the table.
Read More – Champions League contenders: Who are the genuine challengers for the Champions League crown this season?
As things stand, Arsenal have 63 points from 26 games in the Premier League – five points more ahead of second placed and defending champions Manchester City. With 12 games left to be played in the league, anything can still happen. Man City have the experience of winning the league titles in recent past, something Arsenal do not have. However, if the Gunners can maintain this same resilience and never give up attitude, they could very end the season with the league crown.
Barcelona are slowly starting to run away with the La Liga title this season. The Catalan giants have built a massive lead of late, thanks to second-placed Real Madrid’s poor recent run. Carlo Ancelotti’s side are the defending champions in Spain and in Europe. They had a spectacular end to last season, which saw them win the Spanish top flight and the Champions League. However, the capital side have been struggling to replicate the 2021-22 season form into their current campaign.
| Rank | Name | Matches | GD | Points |
| 1 | Barcelona | 24 | 38 | 62 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 24 | 29 | 53 |
| 3 | Atletico Madrid | 24 | 19 | 45 |
| 4 | Real Sociedad | 24 | 9 | 44 |
This has allowed their rivals Barcelona to extend the lead at the top of the standings. There are still 14 matches left in the division, hence anything is yet possible. However, it would take a massive collapse for Barcelona to throw away the lead at the top, while Real have to win most of their remaining matches to capitalise on it. With only two victories to their name from their last five league matches, Real Madrid are second in the table with 53 points from 24 matches.
On the other hand, Barcelona are sitting nine points ahead of Madrid with 62 to their name from the same number of matches as them. Even the goal difference is vastly in favour of the Catalan giants, hence Real Madrid need nothing short of a miracle to defend their league crown. Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad complete the top four. Having played 24 matches each, third-placed Atletico have 45 points, while fourth-placed Sociedad have 44. With the top two teams running away with the league, the tight battle for the European places is one to watch out for.
The Italian league has also continued to be unpredictable at the top. With heavyweights Juventus falling well short of expectations and the Milan clubs unable to meet the required standings, there is new leader at the top. Napoli have been simply sensational in the league so far. They have been the runaway leaders in Serie A, as other teams have struggled to keep up pace with them. They have also carried that form into the Champions League and have been a massive threat for anyone who comes against them.
| Rank | Name | Matches | GD | Points |
| 1 | Napoli | 25 | 42 | 65 |
| 2 | Inter | 26 | 18 | 50 |
| 3 | Lazio | 25 | 22 | 48 |
| 4 | Roma | 25 | 11 | 47 |
Overall, Napoli have 65 points from 25 games to sit atop the Serie A table. They have a 15-point lead over second-placed Inter Milan in the standings. Barring a monumental collapse from Napoli, it is safe to say that the Serie A title is all but clinched. However, the last thing Napoli would want at this stage of the season is complacency, as they would like to maintain this supremacy at the top of the table.
With the title battle more or less wrapped up, the real fight is for the European places. Only three points separate second-placed Inter Milan and fifth-placed AC Milan. Inter are on 50 points, while third-placed Lazio are on 48 points. Fourth-placed Roma and Milan have 47 points each. Since very little is separating each side, a few good results for one team or a few bad outcomes could help a team move up or down quickly in the table.
Bundesliga has been thoroughly dominated by Bayern Munich in recent past. The German giants won their record-extending 10th successive league title last season. With the superior squad quality and depth they have at their disposal, Bayern were expected to dominate the league once again this campaign. However, it has not gone according to the plan for the Bavarians so far. They might still be at the top spot, but only goal difference separates them from second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
| Rank | Name | Matches | GD | Points |
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 23 | 44 | 49 |
| 2 | Borussia Dortmund | 23 | 19 | 49 |
| 3 | Union Berlin | 23 | 8 | 44 |
| 4 | RB Leipzig | 23 | 17 | 42 |
The mere fact that Bayern have not already run away with the top spot at this point in the season speaks volumes about the other German teams in the division. It is not only Dortmund but Union Berlin have also been terrific so far in the league. As things stand, Bayern Munich are just about topping the table with 49 points from 23 games, while Borussia Dortmund are sitting second with the same number of points but with a much-inferior goal difference. Union Berlin are five points behind them in the standings at the third spot.
Not many expected the Bundesliga title race to be so close this season. However, it can all change quickly. With several games left to be played, anything is still possible in the league. RB Leipzig is also not far away from the title contenders, as they are placed fourth with 42 points from the same number of matches as the rest. SC Freiburg are level on points with Leipzig but are sitting at the fifth spot due to their goal difference. Three points behind them is sixth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt. It goes without saying that Bundesliga supporters can expect to witness an exciting end to the current season.
The French top division is fast becoming another Bundesliga. Paris Saint-Germain’s recent domination at the top of the table has been difficult for other clubs to match. It has been the case once again in Ligue 1 this season. PSG have been simply unstoppable in their league and have a comfortable cushion at the top of the standings. Even though there are still many games left to be played in the division, it seems unlikely that any other club will be able to get close to them at the top of the standings.
| Rank | Name | Matches | GD | Points |
| 1 | Paris Saint-Germain | 26 | 41 | 63 |
| 2 | Marseille | 26 | 24 | 55 |
| 3 | Monaco | 26 | 19 | 51 |
| 4 | Lens | 26 | 19 | 51 |
Paris Saint-Germain have 63 points from 26 games at the top of the table to enjoy an eight-point cushion over second-placed Marseille. It would require a monumental effort from Marseille to overthrow a PSG side that has Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar playing as their front three. Now that PSG are knocked out of the Champions League once again in the round of 16, the focus would primarily turn to Ligue 1 for the French giants for the rest of the season.
The real fight in Ligue 1 will be for the European places. At this moment, Marseille seem to be sitting in a comfortable position behind league leaders PSG. Monaco are third with 51 points from 26 games, which is the same as fourth-placed Lens. With very little to separate the two clubs, both sides will be confident of getting back the third spot. Further behind are Rennes, Lille and Nice, who are placed in fifth, sixth and seventh spot with not much to separate them. It will be interesting to see who gets into Europe among these clubs.
