How the Title Race Is Shaping Up in Europe's Top Leagues

The Premier League title race is incredibly different to those we've seen before and the absence of Manchester United is the biggest factor behind this. Liverpool are also having a very different season to last and are real contenders for the title, although they face stiff competition from Manchester City and Chelsea.

Premier League

The Premier League title race is incredibly different to those we've seen before and the absence of Manchester United is the biggest factor behind this. Liverpool are also having a very different season to last and are real contenders for the title, although they face stiff competition from Manchester City and Chelsea.

The Blues top the table at the time of writing, but if Manchester City win their three games in hand, then they will overtake the leaders and be three points clear. Arsenal, on the other hand, appear to be drifting further and further away - their 6-0 humiliation against Chelsea certainly didn't help their cause. Unless Wenger pulls a miracle out of his long, caterpillar-like coat, it looks to be a three-horse race for the Premier League title.

The key men for each of the teams involved have to be Luis Suarez, Yaya Toure and Eden Hazard, simply due to their huge influence on the rest of the team and their ability to score or create goals. The absence of Sergio Aguero may prove costly for the Citizens, but Chelsea's lack of a prolific striker in general has already been an issue.

Verdict: Chelsea - Mourinho and their depth of squad will be the deciding factors.

La Liga

The top division in Spain isn't too different to the Premier League, but there is a lack of an outsider team like Arsenal. Atletico Madrid sit at the summit on goal difference, with Real Madrid hot on their tails. The El Clasico win last weekend for Barcelona, however, has given them a real chance to make up ground and it could now go down to the last day of the season where Barca play the league leaders. All three of these sides are incredibly strong and seem to be consistent, so if any of the sides slip up, it will almost certainly ruin their chances of taking home the trophy at the end of the season.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Diego Costa are the clear key men in each team's success and each has racked up over 20 goals this season. As mentioned, however, any mistake, regardless of where on the field it is made, could prove costly.

Verdict: Barcelona - Home tie against Atletico Madrid on the final day will put them top.

Bundesliga

This one has already been decided, with Bayern Munich 23 points clear of Borussia Dortmund and only eight games to go at the time of writing. Dortmund can technically still take home the title by one measly point, but it would mean them winning every remaining game whilst Bayern lose all of theirs. You're entitled to do as you wish, but I wouldn't recommend placing a bet.

For two seasons now, Bayern Munich have run away with the title and they don't appear to be letting up anytime soon, as their side is continually getting stronger whilst Dortmund appear to be losing some key players. Schalke are only one point behind the boys in yellow, but neither side can really compete with Munich, making it very difficult to get too excited about the Bundesliga in the near future.

The two top scorers are, as you would imagine, Bayern and Dortmund players (Mario Mandzukic and Robert Lewandowski), but really, as long as Bayern win against Hertha Berlin on Tuesday, they will win the title.

Verdict: Bayern Munich - Don't kid yourself, of course they're going to win it.

Serie A

Similarly to the Bundesliga, there is only one side who are likely to be crowned champions at the end of the season in Serie A and it is Juventus. They currently sit 14 points clear of Roma, who are 2nd, and although Roma have a game in hand, they almost certainly won't be knocking Juve off the top spot.

Juventus have only lost an astonishing one game this season, either reinforcing their strength or highlighting the lack of competition in Serie A, you decide. Over the years, AC and Inter Milan have both struggled to compete with Juventus and AC Milan are all the way down in 12th this season.

Carlos Tevez is joint top of the goal scoring leaderboard with 16 goals alongside Ciro Immobile of Torino, who sit in 10th place.

Verdict: Juventus - Simply too far ahead for Roma to catch up at this stage.

Ligue 1

Once again we see one team leading the league by a significant margin as Paris Saint Germain are 10 points clear and look to be defending their league title. Monaco could still catch up, but it seems unlikely. With the money they possess, however, Monaco could pose a threat to PSG in the near future.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani have scored the most goals, firing home 39 between them, far more than Monaco's Radamel Falcao, who has a measly nine to his name.

Verdict: Paris St Germain - Once again, too far ahead and have a far better strike force.

Overview

In comparing the different leagues in Europe, it is clear that those with the most money tend to do far better. It may seem obvious, but it is concerning as it is taking the competition out of football, particularly in those leagues where there is such a huge points difference at the top of the table.

The main thing is, however, that the Premier League is definitely the best league in the World, evident simply by how close and unpredictable the top of the table is. La Liga is also up there, but unfortunately, it is the same three teams we see every year.

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