As the dust settles on the World Cup and domestic action resumes in Europe, there are plenty of loose threads to tie up between now and the end of the season. With interesting narratives across all corners of the continent, there are still plenty of teams in contention to win their respective league titles, with a few of Europe’s top leagues looking like they will go right down to the wire. With that in mind, read on as we look at four of the most exciting leagues around Europe, and see which title races are worth keeping an eye on.
Premier League
As far as Premier League action goes, the traditional title contenders in Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have been swept aside by the current leaders— Arsenal. It would be foolish to say that current holders Manchester City couldn’t retain the title for a third successive season under Pep Guardiola, especially with the goals of Erling Haaland, but Arsenal look inspired with Mikel Arteta at the helm, as they look for a first league title in almost 20 years. Newcastle are punching above their weight and while dreams of the league are certainly ambitious there’s still a good chance they can bring European football to St. James’ Park in some capacity.
Serie A
Things are certainly heating up in Italy with a fiercely competitive title race in Serie A. Napoli’s long unbeaten run came to an end and while they looked like runaway leaders before the World Cup started, their form seems to have hit a roadblock, while Juventus had quietly snuck under the radar thanks to their sturdy defence, keeping the most clean sheets in the league until their points deduction moved them down 10th. Reigning champions AC Milan are in third, while city rivals and 2021 champions Inter are still in the hunting pack after a solid start to the year.
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La Liga
It’s business as usual as far as the Spanish are concerned, with Barcelona and Real Madrid battling it out in the race for the La Liga crown, something those that bet on football online would expect. Xavi’s side look much improved domestically since their exit from the Champions League, losing just one game so far and shipping just six goals despite Gerard Pique retiring. Los Blancos are the reigning European champions but are struggling to reignite the spark that made them so successful at the start of Carlo Ancelotti’s second stint in charge, while those that bet on Premier League football will know his side will still be dangerous against Liverpool given their poor season. Nonetheless, both are pulling away from the chasing pack, with Real Sociedad third and Copa Del Ray champions Real Betis fourth.
Ligue 1
Despite the quality of the current Paris Saint-Germain side, there is still no guarantee that Christophe Galtier will win the league in his first year in the French capital. The former Nice boss has a side head and shoulders above the rest of Ligue 1 in terms of quality, with Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi smashing records for goalscoring and creativity, but gutsy underdogs RC Lens are determined to forge a title race. Currently six points behind in second, the Calais outfit beat PSG 3-1 on New Years Day and Franck Haise has an exciting side which includes highly-rated forward Lois Openda and former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba. Certainly a title race to watch intently.
