The 2024/25 season of the European top five leagues has seen significant developments as of the morning of January 20th, Beijing time. The Bundesliga and Ligue 1 have both completed their 18th round, La Liga is nearing completion with only one match left in the 20th round, Serie A has reached the 21st round, and the Premier League has progressed to the 22nd round.
Bundesliga Standings
The Bundesliga schedule has passed the halfway mark, with Bayern Munich securing a narrow home victory over Wolfsburg, maintaining a 4-point lead at the top of the table. However, Bayern's advantage is not substantial, leaving the title race open to change. Tottenham Hotspur's pursuit of their first championship remains uncertain.
Bayer Leverkusen has been on an impressive run recently, winning all 12 matches across competitions, including eight consecutive league victories. This resurgence has brought back memories of last season's invincible team, increasing the pressure on Bayern's title ambitions.
Borussia Dortmund, a traditional powerhouse, has had a mediocre season so far, suffering a defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in the latest round. They currently sit in tenth place with 25 points. Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart have both performed well this season, surpassing RB Leipzig to occupy the top four positions.
Ligue 1 Standings
Since the departure of stars like Kylian Mbappé and Neymar from Ligue 1, the league's overall attention has significantly decreased. Despite this, Paris Saint-Germain continues to dominate, accumulating 46 points after the 18th round, leading second-placed Marseille by a comfortable 9-point margin, making the title race seem almost decided early.
Marseille, with 37 points, holds the second position, 5 points ahead of third-placed Lille. The top two spots appear relatively stable, though the gap to Paris is considerable. Lille, Monaco, Nice, and Lyon occupy the third to sixth positions, maintaining the status quo of Ligue 1.
La Liga Standings
The top spot in La Liga has changed hands once again, with Real Madrid securing a decisive victory over Las Palmas to overtake Atlético Madrid and reclaim the league lead. This season, the combined performance of the top three teams in La Liga has been less than stellar, allowing Real Madrid to ascend to the top, largely due to the underperformance of Atlético Madrid and Barcelona. However, Real Madrid's lead is slim, with only 2 points separating them from Atlético, indicating that their position at the top is not secure.
Barcelona started the season strongly, previously holding a 6-point lead over Real Madrid. However, their recent win rate in the league has been low, resulting in a 7-point deficit to Real Madrid. Despite this, Barcelona can still take pride in their achievements this season, including a 4-goal victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of El Clásico and a 5-2 triumph in the Supercopa de España final.
Other teams, such as Atlético Madrid, have struggled to maintain consistency, losing the top spot after a defeat to Leganés. Girona has performed reasonably well this season, maintaining stability in the league despite the demands of the UEFA Champions League schedule. RCD Espanyol, upon their return to La Liga, continue to struggle, currently sitting third from bottom with 19 points and fighting for survival, likely to be relegated back to the Segunda División.
Serie A Standings
The Serie A schedule this season has been somewhat chaotic, appearing even more disorganized than the Premier League's, with several postponed matches yet to be rescheduled. Inter Milan, with one fewer match played, are only 3 points behind leaders Napoli; a victory in their postponed match could see them reclaim the top spot.
Napoli has been in impressive form recently, securing six consecutive victories to lead the standings. However, their position at the top is not entirely secure. Atalanta, who had previously led for several rounds, has now fallen 7 points behind after drawing three and losing one of their last four matches.
Lazio currently occupies fourth place but only leads fifth-placed Juventus by 2 points, leaving the top-four race undecided. AC Milan and AS Roma have both underperformed, finding themselves outside the European competition spots. Bologna, participating in the UEFA Champions League this season, has shown similar results in both the Champions League and the league to Girona in La Liga, currently ranking seventh, above both Milan and Roma.
Premier League Standings
The Premier League continues without a winter break, advancing rapidly in its schedule. Liverpool, with one match in hand, leads second-placed Arsenal by 6 points, putting them in a strong position in the title race. However, Liverpool faces additional pressure with the League Cup, FA Cup, and postponed matches to contend with. Fortunately, their place in the top eight of the UEFA Champions League is secure, allowing them to focus on the Premier League in the coming weeks.
Arsenal and Chelsea were not far off the top earlier in the season, but critical slip-ups have widened the gap between them and the leaders. Nottingham Forest has shown great strength this season, no longer fighting relegation and with a chance to compete for a Champions League spot.
Manchester City appears to be recovering, showing an upward trend in recent times. While they may not challenge for the title, securing a top-four finish should not be problematic. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have become fellow strugglers this season, with their overall performance being quite poor. Despite the appointment of a new manager, Manchester United has yet to solve its problems, losing 3 points at home to Brighton & Hove Albion. The question remains: where exactly does Manchester United's problem lie?