With Europe’s football season on the verge of commencing in the coming weeks, we thought that it would be an opportune time to take a look at the biggest battles within each of the top five leagues across the continent.
Naturally, there will be some rivalries that are more obvious than others, however there will be football fans that will be tuning into certain competitions for the very first time and may not quite know who the main title contenders are.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at each of Europe’s top leagues, and highlight the biggest battles that will likely be had over the course of the upcoming season – even if the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar takes place during the winter months…
The main contenders for Europe’s five top leagues
Premier League
With the vast majority of football fans watching the Premier League closely, many will already know that the race is going to be between Manchester City and Liverpool. Both sides are so far ahead of others in the league at the moment that the matches between these two will likely be among the most-watched around the world when they appear on the fixture list.
City have added Erling Haaland, while Liverpool have tried to match them by adding their own firepower in the form of Darwin Nunez. With these two exceptional strikers in the league, the one that outscores the other could have a huge say in whether the title ends up at the Etihad Stadium or Anfield.
La Liga
When you think of La Liga, the El Clasico between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona will immediately be thought of, with both of these teams likely to continue to challenge for the title and Sports Bookies like Vwin try to predict the winner. You could potentially add Atletico Madrid to the mix, but it is likely the other two will be the main contenders.
Real are the current champions and will be looking to defend their crown following the arrivals of Antonio Rudiger and Aurélien Tchouaméni, while FC Barcelona will want to mount a better challenge this year after acquiring individuals such as Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski having all joined the club at the Nou Camp.
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga has been dominated by FC Bayern Munich for what seems like an eternity, but with the departure of Robert Lewandowski, has that led to a potential opening for another team to challenge them? Perhaps, but perhaps not.
Borussia Dortmund would have to be considered the main challengers, but with Erling Haaland having departed them and Sebastien Haller going through a personal health battle, it could be a tough year for BVB.
Additionally, FC Bayern have added stars such as Sadio Mane, Ryan Gravenberch, Matthijs de Ligt, and Mathys Tel to their squad, thus further strengthening Julian Nagelsmann’s options and perhaps the dominance of the Bundesliga title.
Serie A
Perhaps the most interesting of each of the major European leagues, Italy’s Serie A could potentially be won by one of three teams: AC Milan, Inter, or Juventus.
AC Milan are the current champions and they continue to work on building their squad further, with attacking options appearing to be the order of business. They have also managed to keep the core of their title-winning squad together, too.
Inter will want to challenge their arch-rivals and will feel confident that they can now they have Romelu Lukaku back in the side. If they can get the same production from the Belgium before his return to Chelsea last season, then the Nerrazzuri will feel happy about their chances.
Nonetheless, it would be wise not to count out Juventus, either. Massimiliano Allegri’s side may have lost a number of talented players, including Giorgio Chiellini, Álvaro Morata, Federico Bernardeschi, Matthijs de Ligt, and Paulo Dybala, they have added talented stars such as Ángel Di María, Gleison Bremer, and Paul Pogba to their line up.
Ligue 1
When thinking of Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain are always thought of as the main contenders, and the 22/23 season is unlikely to see the dominance experienced change.
Of course, Lille had managed to win in the 2020/21 season, but their title-winning manager – Christophe Galtier – is now the manager for the Parisians. Additionally, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, and Hugo Ekitike have each been signed, thus further strengthening the squad that already boasts Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar Jr…
Read: How can the new signings Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez help Manchester United?
