A mid-season review of the German and French title races

At the time of writing, we have just passed the halfway point of this ridiculous season of football.

In the Premier League alone, there have been goals galore, upsets, miraculous performances, and drastic drop-offs from all teams in England’s top division. 

United are fighting for the title for the first time in almost a decade, Sheffield United are going to rival Derby County for the lowest points tally in the league’s history, and teams like Aston Villa, Southampton, and Everton are all fighting for European places. It’s fair to say it’s been a hectic campaign. 

But how is it looking elsewhere? 

I’m going to have a glance outside of England and look around the other top leagues on the European continent to see how their title races are looking at this stage of the season, and whether there’s anything worth watching out for over the next few months.

Ligue Un 

I figured I would start with the league closest to home with France’s top flight, where, as we’ve all probably come to expect, PSG top the standings once again. However, it is closer than we may have predicted.

With Pochettino at the helm, PSG has reclaimed their spot at the top, but Lille are level on points with them, and Lyon is just two behind.

Both teams have played some great football this term, scoring 35 and 39 goals respectively, whilst boasting a strong pair of defences as well, meaning PSG are going to have to work harder than usual to get this one over the line.

Monaco and Rennes aren’t too far off the top either, though their aim will likely just be Champions League qualification barring a major loss of form from the top three. 

I would expect PSG to win it, but it’s going to be a tight one. Hopefully, Lille and Lyon will keep up their form and push them right to the end.

Bundesliga

Much like in France, it’s same old, same old for Germany’s premier division. 

Bayern sits top of the standings with a four-point lead over closest challengers, RB Leipzig, at the time of writing, but they have looked fragile at times this season, as examined here. 

Dortmund has endured a rough campaign, sacking manager Lucien Favre early on, and their patchy form has remained since then. 

Leverkusen, despite losing Kai Havertz to Chelsea in the summer, look strong as ever, and are certainly in a strong position to claim a Champions League spot, even if they fall short in the title race.

The battle for the European places is turning out to be more enthralling than the title race currently, with Dortmund, Wolfsburg, Union Berlin, Monchengladbach, and Eintracht Frankfurt all separated by just two points. 

All in all, Bayern will probably squeak another league title into their trophy cabinet, but the Bundesliga is always worth a watch for the talent and style of play on show. Plus, teams currently in the race for Europe could finish anywhere between third and tenth, so it’s definitely going to be an intense run-in. 

There is definitely still a lot to play for, and lots of points still to be won and lost in the coming months, so hopefully, we’ll be treated to some more drama as the title races heat up across Europe.