France, Italy and Germany One Horse Races? Perhaps not!

[Mr Popodopolous]

This due to Covid? Maybe the effect of no fans in grounds!

PSG lose again. 

4th loss of season and down to 3rd tbh. At home to Lyon, prior at home to Marseille, at Monaco and some other side whose name escapes me.

Will be 4th if Marseille win game in hand, perhaps 5-6 sides who all might have ambitions.

Germany. Borussia Dortmund seem to be collapsing domestically but Leipzig right behind Bayern who are- wait what, 2nd? Bayer Leverkusen top by a point or two.

Italy. A resurgent AC Milan top with 27 pts from 11 games. Juventus 23 pts, down in 4th! Lucky to be that high too in some ways, awarded a 3-0 default win vs Napoli when the latter didn't show, but the reason they didn't show was because the Health Authorities in Naples stopped them travelling due to Covid.

However Napoli had to forfeit 3-0 and docked one point in addition.

8 points separate Lazio in 9th, to AC Milan who are top. 27 to 19.

Is the lack of fans causing the unpredictability here and there?

[MC RISK77]

Don’t forget that real sociedad are also currently top of la liga, with Barcelona all the way down in 8th.

You could well be right that it is down to the pandemic and no fans as that is my initial thought. Not sure it will stay that way however, Bayern are the best team in the world currently and I think they will run away with the league. PSG can put a run together that can leave everyone behind. 

However I think we could see new winners in Spain and Italy this year, Inter look good to me and I like conte as a manager. In Spain Barca and Real look like they are both in some sort of transition which could open up an opportunity for someone else.

Interesting watch though in all those leagues currently,

[BigTone]

10 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

This due to Covid? Maybe the effect of no fans in grounds!

PSG lose again. 

4th loss of season and down to 3rd tbh. At home to Lyon, prior at home to Marseille, at Monaco and some other side whose name escapes me.

Will be 4th if Marseille win game in hand, perhaps 5-6 sides who all might have ambitions.

Germany. Borussia Dortmund seem to be collapsing domestically but Leipzig right behind Bayern who are- wait what, 2nd? Bayer Leverkusen top by a point or two.

Italy. A resurgent AC Milan top with 27 pts from 11 games. Juventus 23 pts, down in 4th! Lucky to be that high too in some ways, awarded a 3-0 default win vs Napoli when the latter didn't show, but the reason they didn't show was because the Health Authorities in Naples stopped them travelling due to Covid.

However Napoli had to forfeit 3-0 and docked one point in addition.

8 points separate Lazio in 9th, to AC Milan who are top. 27 to 19.

Is the lack of fans causing the unpredictability here and there?

I have often pondered that question myself.

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Yep, still early days of course. Bayern and PSG could easily pull away as you say.

Still Bayern have looked a bit ropey domestically well by their standards, and PSG well 4 losses already makes me wonder.

Barcelona 9 pts off Atletico, Real also 3 back with a game more played. Both worse GD...that could be interesting for sure, Atletico winning would also potentially be a shock.

Juventus possibly in transition a bit under Pirlo. Think they've underachieved in Europe a bit in recent years, maybe that's their main goal. Conte in general does seem to have a patchy record in European competition.

They went out in group stage in 2013/14, that was definitely an underachievement as they added Llorente and Tevez to a defensive unit of: Buffon, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini. Nice little range in central midfield of Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal and a nice rising star named Paul Pogba.  Most of that GK, Defence and midfield were at their peak too.

Wingbacks and back up strikers were perfectly serviceable. Lichsteiner good, Quagriella and Vucinic up front had talent, Asamoah in mid 2010's pretty competent wingback I'd suggest, Ogbonna and Caceres good squad players. Giovinco also had some spark from in and around attacking midfield.

Inter just have the League to focus on as they went out in the Group stage and finished bottom. Compare their squad to Atalanta who play a similar shape, ie back 3 and Inter's is more expensive and renowned/hyped by far. Inter and Conte underachieving in Europe again. Inter 2 group stage exits, Atalanta quarter finals and (at worst) last 16.

[Mr Popodopolous]

5 hours ago, BigTone said:

I have often pondered that question myself.

 

My mate who dips in and out of football said to me back in August that he thought that, and he was talking about here, that those big clubs with big fanbases would be hit by lack of fans in the grounds. Didn't think Liverpool would have it all their  own way eg.

I wasn't so sure but Man Utd and Arsenal, these two have modest home form, Sheffield United have quite noisy fans, could be a factor. Leeds too. Think Leicester have a worse home record thus year than last.

Our League, look at the bottom. Derby, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday all strongly supported, all struggling quite a bit.

[Baba Yaga]

I read earlier an interesting stat that the team currently 1st in the 5 major divisions are all in the Europa League. (Spurs, Leverkusen, Lille, Sociedad, Milan)

PSG were 5pts clear at the top of France a few weeks ago. Thought the title race was finished there already but they have dipped in the games since.

Leverkusen's 1st and 3rd goals here are definitely worth a watch...

 

[BigTone]

4 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

My mate who dips in and out of football said to me back in August that he thought that, and he was talking about here, that those big clubs with big fanbases would be hit by lack of fans in the grounds. Didn't think Liverpool would have it all their  own way eg.

I wasn't so sure but Man Utd and Arsenal, these two have modest home form, Sheffield United have quite noisy fans, could be a factor. Leeds too. Think Leicester have a worse home record thus year than last.

Our League, look at the bottom. Derby, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday all strongly supported, all struggling quite a bit.

There certainly seems to be some substance to the theory.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Little update on this.

Man City eventually won the PL and indeed the top 4 were the same but in a different order. Bayern eventually won in Germany.

The other countries though, saw some changes...

1. Italy- Juventus failed to win. Inter Milan won it and even better would have been had Juventus given what a driver they were of the Super League missed top 4 entirely, but sadly Napoli slipped up at the last and they got 4th place.
2. France- Lille won it! Monaco were also in the title race theoretically until final day, PSG came 2nd. Lyon were also pushing until the final few weeks.
3. Spain- Atletico win it. They only just got over the line, almost blew it- had a Covid outbreak, Tripper got banned for 10 games due to some betting charges. However the monopoly of the Big 2 was broken and more interestingly, Sevilla were in and around the title race until the last few weeks. Atletico were 10 pts clear in January/February time, or 7 pts with 2 games in hand- something daft but stumbled and yet when it looked like they were flagging, they put a run together again to edge out Real Madrid.

Closer to home, Leicester and West Ham 5th and 6th- nice to see.

Suppose my question is, is this just reflecting a Covid season, combined with the Condensed nature of last season finishing and this one beginning about a month to 6 weeks apart depending on where in Europe- or will we see unpredictability or less predictability at least moving forward?

[22A]

Elsewhere TNS have not walked away with the Welsh league this year.

Conversely, in Northern Ireland, Linfield and to a lesser extent, Glentorran have come out of recent doldrums to battle it at the top.