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Chris Wright, writer to poke
With just a few matches left, the 2022-23 season is drawing to a close across European club football. There are still two or three rounds to go in most of the continent’s top leagues, and many clubs in England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France have concerns beyond just final league places with trophies, European qualification and relegation at stake.
Here’s a quick rundown of exactly what’s left to play in the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 at this late stage.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
Premier League
Title: Although nothing is official yet, Manchester City (85 points) are mainly elected after overtaking Arsenal (81) in recent weeks.
Pep Guardiola’s side will secure their third successive Premier League title if they beat 11th-placed Chelsea on Sunday. But they could even be crowned champions without having to kick the ball if Arsenal lose to 16th-placed Nottingham Forest on Saturday night.
Champions LeagueThree teams are vying for the two remaining Champions League qualification spots, four points behind Newcastle (69), Manchester United (66) and Liverpool (65) – although the Red Devils have played one game less than their rivals.
EuropeWith two Europa League qualification spots left, Liverpool are looking to clinch the fifth spot, with sixth-placed Brighton (58) now the only club capable of overtaking Jurgen Klopp’s side thanks to their game in hand. One of Man City and Man United will win the FA Cup Final, so sixth place will now go to the Europa League – read the permutations for that here – but that means Tottenham (57), Aston Villa (57) and Brentford (53) are still in contention for the UEFA Europa League Conference League (UECL).
In 15th place, West Ham (37) could book a place in the Europa League if they beat Fiorentina in the Champions League final.
exclusionThe fate of Southampton (24) at bottom has already been decided, but it remains to be seen which two from Leicester City (30), Leeds United (31), Everton (32) and Nottingham Forest (34) will join them in the bottom three come the season.
Bundesliga
TitleBayern Munich (68) and Borussia Dortmund (67) are involved in a dramatic race for the title of two horses as the Bundesliga championship looks set to go to the end. Two matches remain for both sides, with only one point separating them. Bayern will be champions this weekend if Dortmund win and lose.
Bayern vs. RB Leipzig, LIVE, May 20, 12.30pm ET
Dortmund vs Augsburg, Live Streaming, May 21, 11:30AM ET
Champions League: Falling below the top two, RB Leipzig (60) and Union Berlin (59) will hope to secure Champions League qualification. However, Freiburg (56) can still get ahead of the latter, who are three points behind with two games to go.
Europe: Freiburg is safe for the Europa League in fifth place, but Wolfsburg (49) is only ahead of seventh-placed Bayer Leverkusen thanks to its fractional superiority (plus 1) in goal difference. Eintracht Frankfurt (46) or Mainz (45) can do it too, but they are more likely to end up in the UECL. There is also a German Cup final equation between Leipzig and Eintracht. Sixth place in the Bundesliga in the Europa League will only be decided if Leipzig wins; Now it is UECL. Eintracht could finish outside the top six and qualify with a win.
exclusionNo teams from the Bundesliga have finished relegated yet, although the battle will be incredibly tight, with the six teams at the bottom of the table – Hertha Berlin (25), Stuttgart (29), Schalke (30), Bochum ( 31), Hoffenheim (32) and Augsburg (34) – they are all still in serious relegation danger. Even Werder Bremen, 35, is not safe yet. A reminder that the bottom two are slipping away, as the 16th-place finisher faces hopes of Bundesliga promotion in a play-off.
1:25
Fans and players get excited in Barcelona’s title parade
Barcelona celebrated the 2022/23 La Liga title with a city bus parade.
La Liga
Title: Barcelona (85) was named official La Liga champion for the first time in four years when it beat neighbors Espanyol 4-2 in the local derby last weekend.
Champions LeagueReal Madrid (71), Atletico Madrid (69) and Real Sociedad (62) occupy the rest of the top four in La Liga.
While both Madrid sides look relatively safe with four league games left, Real Sociedad will be watching their shoulder with Villarreal (57) and Real Betis (55) just within striking distance of them.
Europe: As mentioned, Villarreal and Betis will qualify for the Europa League as is, with Girona (48) still seven points away. Athletic Club, Osasuna and Sevilla (47) are next a further point off the top, although it is unlikely that any of them will enter the equation. They will fight for UECL instead. Sevilla face Roma in the Europa League final, so they can claim the UEFA Champions League if they win it.
exclusion: Adrift at the bottom, Elche (19) sank in early May. However, Espanyol (31) and Getafe (34) can still pull themselves out of the danger zone with a maximum of 12 points for the four-match competition. It can be said that the five clubs sat precariously above the dotted line are not completely safe yet, including Celta Vigo (39), Valencia (37), Almeria (36), Cadiz (35) and Valladolid (35).
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How will Inter attack line up against Manchester City in the Champions League final?
Alejandro Moreno and Craig Burley explain why Simone Inzaghi should start Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko in the Champions League final.
Serie A
Title: Naples (83) troubled for the first time scudetto In 33 years, things were wrapped up with a pivotal 1-1 draw with Udinese on 4 May.
Champions League: Despite a tumultuous campaign on and off the field, Juventus (69) still sit a distant second, with Inter Milan (66) and Lazio (65) making up the top four. There are three games to play, but Inter are in the Champions League final against Man City and could clinch a place by winning that.
Europe: Behind Lazio, fifth-placed Milan (61) is on its way to qualifying for the Europa League, but can still jump into the Champions League spots if results continue to go their way. Sixth gets a place in the UECL as it stands, with Roma (59) and Atalanta (58) vying for that spot. Roma have a path to the Champions League through the Europa League final, while eighth-placed Fiorentina have two shots to reach the Europa League by winning the Coppa Italia final (against Inter) or the UECL (against West Ham). If Inter wins the Italian Cup, the sixth will enter the Europa League, while the seventh will receive the UECL.
exclusionBottom line: Sampdoria (18) are relegated with four matches remaining, although the last two relegation spots in Serie A remain in flux. Cremonese (24) will need a miracle to save themselves, although Verona (30), Spezia (30) and Lecce (32) can still work things out as only two points separate the three sides.
French League 1
TitleParis Saint-Germain (81) is six points ahead of rival Lens (75) at the top of the standings, with three matches remaining. PSG could be champions on Sunday if Lens falter against Lorient. Third-placed Marseille (73′) will need to win the treble and hope PSG lose all three to stand a chance.
Champions League: With only three qualifying berths in Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain, Lens and Marseille look set to take the honors given the eight-point bay that opened up between Lome and fourth-placed Monaco (65).
Europe: Toulouse has already qualified for the Europa League by winning the French Cup. With five points between Monaco and fifth-placed Lille (60), it would take an impressive surrender from the former to see them slip out of the only remaining qualifying spot. But Lille needs to hold off Rennes (59) and Lyon (56) in the UECL.
exclusionLigue 1 will be reduced from 20 clubs to 18 clubs from the 2023-24 season, which means four will be relegated this season to facilitate the change.
Angers (14), Troyes (22) and Ajaccio (22) are already doomed, although with one point between Nantes (33) and Auxerre (34), it seems one of them will end up in contention for the fourth relegation spot as Brest (38) ) and Strasbourg (38) have a gap.
