As the European season heads into November, we can start predicting who will be heading into the winter break at the top of their respective leagues, and who will be heading into the champions league last 16. Teams from the top 5 leagues in Europe will be hoping to insure a top spot in their league table, and a place in the knock out stages of the Champions league. With two more matches left in the champions league, and half a dozen league games left for each team, the race is on for this season’s major titles.
Competitive Spanish sides are expecting a 3-1 result in their champions league Assault.
According to LaLiga’s official website, the league table is showing FCBarcelona at the top of the table with 24 points from a 7-3-2 record. Sevilla in second place with 23 points from a 7-2-3 record; followed by Atletico Madrid in third with 23 points and a 6-5-1 record, but they are only behind on goal difference. The game that will probably define the winter champion in Spain, will be the match between first place FCBarcelona, and third place Atletico Madrid. Although, with the point differential being so small between the top six spots, anything can happen between now and December 22nd. The Spanish league is severely competitive this season, and it will definitely be a close race at the half way point of the 2018/2019 season. In the Champions League, according to the official UFFA website, Spanish teams are having successful results, FCBarcelona is the only team to qualify to the last 16, with two matches still to go. Real Madrid is second in their group, and despite their bad form, their new coach seems to have recuperated his teams spirit after a 0-5 win in match day 4. Atletico Madrid is tied for first with German team Borussia Dortmund in their group, and will either take first or second depending on who the last to matches left in the group stage. Unfortunately, not all Spanish teams in the Champions league will have an easy road into the last 16. Valencia CF is currently in third place in their group, and will have to play against Italian league leaders Juventus, and Manchester United in their last two group stage matches.
The Italian teams are all starving for European glory after years of being overshadowed.
According to ESPN, in Italy there is a clear favorite to head into the winter as league leader, and that is Juventus who has one of the best records in football (11-1-0). Undefeated, and six points clear of second place Napoli; Juve have demonstrated to be one of the best sides in Europe. Other Italian sides, like Napoli, Roma, and Inter Milan have shown top skill, and are a threat to any team in Europe. Their results in the Champions league are a clear representation of that fact, UEFA shows that both Juve and Roma are leading their respective highly competitive groups. Roma will fight for first in their group against a reinvigorated Spanish giant Real Madrid, and Juvetus is beating out both Valencia CF, and Manchester United. Both Napoli and Inter Milan have also shown resilience in their groups, currently placing in second in their highly competitive groups. Napoli is beating out PSG for second in their group, but this is also the tightest group in the tournament; anything can happen in the last two matches, and at least one top club (PSG, Napoli, and Liverpool) will be leaving the league early. Inter has also shown great football in their group, and have to only get a draw against English side Spurs to guaranty second place in their group, and a spot in their last sixteen.
My Prediction for Last 16
Group A:
- Dortmund
- Atletico Madrid
Group B:
- FC Barcelona
- FC Internazionale Milano
Group C:
- Napoli
- PSG
Group D:
- FC Porto
- FC Schalke 04
Group E:
- FC Bayern Munchen
- AFC Ajax
Group F:
- Manchester City
- Lyon
Group G:
- Real Madrid
- Roma
Group H:
- Juventus
- Manchester United FC
Sources
https://www.laliga.es/en/laliga-santander
https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2019/standings/
http://www.espn.com/soccer/standings/_/league/ita.1
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