Get updated on the top five European football leagues in a flash. Statistics based, curated by experience.
English Premier League
It looks a lot like another championship for Manchester United – cruising at the #1 spot, unbeaten at home, 20 wins in 33 games and 70 goals for. Chelsea and Arsenal (with 66 goals scored) keep up the pace within almost safe distance but are probably really just competing each other for the silverware. Placed four and five are Manchester City and Tottenham. Below them Liverpool struggle while the Europa League qualification slip away.
The bottom five teams are fighting to avoid the three relegation spots. Currently rock bottom Wolverhampton have more games left to play than their competitors and could actually escape relegation. Blackpool (69 goals against) and West Ham are quite likely playing in the next best league next season.
You can safely bet your money Chelsea beats West Ham on Saturday while Wolverhampton vs Fulham will be unpredictable and decisive for the relegation situation. Likely draws include the latter as well as Sunderland vs Wigan.
Spanish Primera Division
Real Madrid just won the Copa del Rey by a Mourinho-style defensive tactic. But it sure looks like Barcelona is slowly, safely taking home the Spanish championship: they have won 27 and lost just one of their 32 games so far, scoring 86 goals while conceding only 17 and recording 16 clean sheets. Who can beat stats like that? Real Madrid have impressed too (24 wins, 73 goals for) but are now 8 points behind with 6 rounds to go.
Valencia are third and looking to secure that position, the bronze medal and Champions League spot that comes with it although they haven't shaken off Villarreal entirely. Atletic Bilbao, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid and perhaps Espanyol are competing for the final two Europa League spots given for finishing 5th and 6th.
Almeira are in deep trouble at the last spot of the league table. As are Hercules but still with some hope of escaping relegation. Zaragoza, Malaga (62 goals against) and Osasuna are struggling around the relegation zone cut-off.
You can safely bet your money Barcelona beats Osasuna on Saturday while Valencia vs Real Madrid the same evening and Sevilla vs Villarreal on Sunday will be unpredictable and decisive. Likely draws include Hercules vs Deportivo la Coruna (11 draws).
Italian Serie A
The top of the Italian league is a tight race with AC Milan (only 4 games lost and only 23 goals against) in the leading position. Not too far behind them are Napoli (with an impressive 16 clean sheets just like AC Milan) and Inter. 4th and 5th places will be taken by Lazio and Udinese in either order while Roma and Juventus fight over the 6th place and final Europa League qualification ticket.
Bari (20 games lost) has been placed hopelessly last for some time and will relegate. It also looks bleak for Brescia. Just above them but below the relegation line is, surprisingly, Sampdoria – but Cesena are still within their reach, as are Lecce (56 goals against) and no. 15 Parma.
You can expect Udinese to beat Parma and Juventus to beat Catania on Saturday while the clash between no. 3 Inter and no. 4 Lazio will be unpredictable and decisive. Likely draws include no. 9 Cagliari vs no. 10 Fiorentina (13 draws).
German Bundesliga
Dortmund is only four points away from mathematically securing the championship. Considering their 21 wins, only 3 games lost, just 18 goals against and 13 clean sheets so far on top of the 8 point lead to no. 2 Bayer Leverkusen why wouldn't they? No. 3 and 4 and likely to finish there are every season's favourite, Bayern München (66 goals scored), and Hannover 96. Currently it looks like Mainz 05 will take the last ticket to Europa league but FC Nürnberg and perhaps even Hamburger SV could go past them.
Mönchengladbach (18 lost, 64 goals against) will relegate as will most likely Wolfsburg (11 draws) and St. Pauli (17 lost). Something doesn't entirely compute here: VfL Wolfsburg has a squad value around 120 million € which should be enough for at least a top 10 position. Well, the fat lady didn't sing yet and no. 12 to no. 15 - FC Köln, Kaiserslautern, VfB Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt shouldn't feel safe yet.
You can safely bet your money no. 1 Dortmund will travel away to beat no. 18 and last Mönchengladbach while VfB Stuttgart (fighting to stay above relegation danger) vs Hamburger SV (in turn firing their last shots at possible Europa League qualification) and FC Nürnberg vs Mainz 05 (Europa League qualification mano-a-mano) will be unpredictable and decisive.
French Ligue 1
Less is settled in France but Lille (only 4 games lost, 53 goals for) and Marseille (only 5 games lost) are racing for the gold medal, it seems. Three teams are almost level around the bronze medal and two Europa Leage qualification spots: Lyon (52 goals for), Paris SG and Rennes (15 clean sheets).
Rock bottom Arles (only 1 match won! 20 lost, only 16 goals scored and 58 goals against) will relegate. As will Lens, probably. The final ticket down will go to Caen or Monaco, perhaps even teams currently placed even higher.
Draw occurrence in French Ligue 1 is extremely high. Candidates this Easter: Bordeaux vs St Etienne, Monaco vs Rennes and Lorient vs Lille on Sunday.
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