As the world of men’s club soccer goes on pause due to the international break, let’s check out how the standings in some of Europe’s most popular leagues!
Premier League: Liverpool clears, Man City has surprise losses and Forest aims for European Competition
This English Premier League (EPL) season has brought a surprising shake-up in terms of standings; for one, Liverpool F.C. has had a strong start to the title race, holding five points over the second-ranked team, Manchester City F.C., while also resting at the top of the new UEFA Champions League (UCL) table. Pep Guardiola’s Man City, on the other hand, had a difficult few weeks leading up to the international break, with losses to A.F.C Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. As the transfer window creeps closer, Man City will be looking to bolster up their ranks due to injuries to important players like Rodri, Jérémy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne.
Moreover, bitter London rivals Chelsea F.C. and Arsenal F.C. are currently tied with 19 points each and equal records of 5-4-2. The top five is rounded out with Nottingham Forest F.C., which has had an outstanding season so far, as players like Chris Wood and Murillo have shone. We’re looking forward to seeing how the January transfer window plays out in the EPL as clubs start feeling the title pressure across domestic and international competition.
Keep an eye out for the following games once the EPL returns:
Arsenal vs. Nottingham Forest on Nov. 23 at 10:00 a.m. EST.
This fixture will be an exciting game as the fourth and fifth-place teams in the EPL go head-to-head at the Emirates Stadium in London.
Liverpool vs. Manchester City on Dec. 1 at 11:00 a.m. EST.
This game at Anfield Stadium will be an exciting preview into the rest of the season, as Liverpool seek to reinforce their lead and Man City chases to close the gap. A star-studded lineup on both sides, watch out for Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Savinho facing off against the likes of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz.
Serie A: crowded at the top
The Italian League is perhaps the most exciting race this season, courtesy of the fact that only 2 points separate the first- and sixth-place teams. Napoli is currently first with 26 points, followed by four teams with 25 points (Atalanta, Fiorentina, Inter Milan and Lazio), with Juventus closing out the top six with 24 points. Nothing is guaranteed; to have six teams performing so well and a tight race for the Scudetto heading into December is quite exciting. The January transfer window also has the opportunity to shake things up a bit as certain clubs may seek to gather reinforcements for the next stage of the season.
Keep an eye out for the following games once Serie A returns:
The Derby del Sole (Napoli vs Roma) on Nov. 24 at 12:00 p.m. EST
Although Roma is currently 13th in the standings, this lineup has historically produced incredibly interesting clashes, and this one will surely not disappoint as Roma travels to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples.
Fiorentina vs. Inter Milan on Dec. 1 at 12:00 p.m. EST
The third-place team in the league will face defending champions Inter Milan in a clash that could seriously shake up the title fight for the Scudetto.
La Liga: Barcelona stumble but hold firm over Real Madrid
The Blaugrana have had an inspiring start to the season in both national and European competitions, holding a six-point lead over rivals Real Madrid after a thrilling 4–0 win at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. However, Hansi Flick’s team fell 0–1 to Real Sociedad in their last game before the break, as starboy Lamine Yamal sat out with an injury and Robert Lewandowski saw his goal disallowed. Real Madrid will be seeking to capitalize on this and thin out Barcelona’s lead as they return to competition in late November.
Elsewhere on the table, there are also some interesting stories. Girona F.C., last season’s underdog story, sits in tenth with an equal number of losses and wins, partly due to a string of injuries that has swept through the club. CA Osasuna, on the other hand, are currently fifth in the table, well within Europa League Classification due to their invigorating initial third of the season.
Keep an eye out for the following game once La Liga returns:
The Derbi Vasco (Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Sociedad) on Nov. 24 at 3:00 p.m. EST
This game brings together the two most famous teams in the Basque Country. This year’s lineup is intriguing as it brings together an Athletic Bilbao team that is defending a Copa del Rey title and has amazing players like brothers Iñaki and Nico Williams against a Real Sociedad team that recently beat league-leader Barcelona and boasts a strong first team with the likes of Martín Zubimendi and Takefusa Kubo.
Bundesliga: Bayern is back, Leverkusen is fourth and Dortmund faces injury crisis
Bavarian heavyweights Bayern Munich roared back with a vengeance this season after losing the Bundesliga for the first time in over a decade last season. A breath-taking goal by youngster Jamal Musiala helped them past FC St. Pauli.
Last season’s champions — Bayer 04 Leverkusen — are now only at fourth. After losing their first domestic game in over a year, Xabi Alonso’s men have had a good start to the season, although the team has dropped some crucial points in draws against VfL Bochum 1848, VfB Stuttgart, SV Werder Bremen and Holstein Kiel. Conversely, Borussia Dortmund, runners-up in last season’s UCL, have had a difficult start to the season due to several high-profile injuries that thinned out manager Nuri Şahin’s squad. It appears that, at the moment, this situation could ease up after the international break.
Keep an eye out for the following games once the Bundesliga returns:
Union Berlin vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Nov. 30 at 9:30 a.m. EST
The fourth- and sixth-place teams in the Bundesliga will face off as Alonso’s team seeks to climb in the championship rankings.
Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund on Nov. 30 at 12:30 p.m. EST
Der Klassiker’s first iteration will also take place on matchday twelve as the Bavarians travel to Signal Iduna Park.
