By Ralph El Tawil | Staff Writer
The Season Unfolding of the Top 5 European Football Leagues:
The 2021/22 football season is entering its last stage with less than 10 games to be played across Europe’s top 5 leagues. The competition is fierce in most of the countries for the title, Champions league and Europa league qualifying spots.
English Premier League:
Dominating the hierarchy of European football, the English Premier League is providing us with a fierce competition for the title and the Champions League qualifying spots. Manchester City and Liverpool are neck and neck for the title with a busy schedule between the league, the Champions League and the FA Cup. Arguably, the most in form clubs in Europe this season, are battling on multiple fronts aiming at the treble of the aforementioned competitions. While Chelsea sits comfortably in third place in the league, the last Champions League qualifying spot race is pure entertainment. Arsenal, Manchester United, WestHam, and Tottenham are competing for the spot with all four teams having no other competition to focus on but the league.
Italian Serie A:
The most delivering season in terms of entertainment during the past decade is this Serie A season. Four teams are competing for the title: AC Milan, the resurgent giant is gaining back its spot in the limelight of European football after having a great last season and leading the race to this year’s title. Napoli, are sitting second for the moment and are proving that their team has become a constant competitive one locally and in Europe. Inter Milan, the team that ended Juventus’ hegemony over the Serie A were crowned champions last year and are pushing for a back-to-back title. Juventus, with a bad start after Ronaldo’s departure, pulled back into the race and are today serious contenders for the title. While Roma, Atalanta and Lazio are competing for a Europa League spot.
German Bundesliga:
The Bundesliga this year is home to a classic title race between Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund. With a Bayern side under the hands of the German coaching prodigy, the 34 years old Julian Nagelsmann, and a tough Dortmund side that gained Erling Haaland back from injury, the title race is still on. Nagelsmann’s side is competing in the Champions League while Dortmund are full throttle for the league. Interesting enough is the 3rd ,4th place CL qualifying spots race locked between four teams: Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim and a new face in the advanced standings of the league, Freiburg.
Spanish La Liga:
The title race in Spain is less competitive than the English, Italian and German leagues. Real Madrid is firmly grasping to its top spot with Carlo Ancelotti’s cruising for the title with Sevilla, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid filling the top 4 CL qualifying spots. Real Madrid’s in form squad renders the mission difficult for Sevilla and the resuscitated Barcelona squad under Xavi to challenge for the title as the Catalan team aims to guarantee its qualifying spot in the league and focus on clinching the Europa League title with a relatively easy pathway. Atletico Madrid, sitting in 4th have had bad times under Simeone this season and serious rumours circulated in Madrid about the possibility of sacking him after 11 years at the club.
French Ligue 1:
The French league, and after the unexpected triumph of Lille in the last season, has not provided us a fierce title race this season with Paris Saint Germain cruising easily towards the title. The Parisian side’s hopes for this year were much higher than just winning the domestic title especially with a star-studded side that is invincible on paper. Teams like Monaco, Lille, Lyon are questionably far from the top spots while Marseille under Sampaoli is the closest among Stade Rennais and Nice to book the second and only CL qualifying spot. Interestingly enough is the most probable relegation of Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne, two formerly competitive clubs.