When do the rest of Europe’s major league seasons end?
That’s a wrap! Another Premier League season has come and gone.
This one, though, will go down in history. An enthralling championship battle went all the way and, in the end, only a point separated Manchester City – who successfully retained their crown – and Liverpool.
In what has been a good season for English football, both of UEFA’s major club competitions will be contested by Premier League sides, and it just so happens, their competition was the first to end among Europe’s ‘big five’. Which raises the question, when do the other four major leagues call it a day?
La Liga
Final day: May 19
Champion: Barcelona
Relegated: Rayo Vallecano, Huesca and TBD
Barcelona secured back-to-back championships a few weeks ago. With one round of fixtures remaining, to be played this Saturday and Sunday, there still remains a battle for the last Champions League spot. Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will join Barca in next season’s competition.
Valencia, with 58 points accumulated, currently occupy the final spot, but remain ahead of Getafe only on goal-difference, whilst Sevilla are two points behind, waiting to pounce.
Elsewhere Rayo Vallecano and Huesca are down, meaning the battle for the last relegation spot comes down between Celta Vigo (40 points) and Girona (37), though the latter has a significantly worse goal difference, meaning that even a win and defeat for Celta Vigo may not be enough to retain their top-flight status.
Serie A
Final day: May 26
Champion: Juventus
Relegated: Frosinone, Chievo and TBD
An eighth successive Scudetto for Juventus was inevitable. So, attention moves to who’ll be playing Champions League football next season. Napoli will be there. As things stand, with two gameweeks remaining [making this league the last to shut], six teams – Atalanta (65 points), Inter Milan (63), AC Milan (62), AS Roma (62), Torino (60) and Lazio (58) – can realistically make it. Atalanta, this season’s surprise package, can secure an improbable berth with a minimum of one more win.
Meanwhile there’s an equally fascinating relegation battle. One of Parma, Bologna, Udinese, Genoa or Empoli (who currently sit in the danger zone) could be saying goodbye to top-flight Italian football.
Bundesliga
Final day: May 18
Champion: TBD
Relegated: Hannover 96, Nurnberg and TBD
It’s still up for grabs. Bayern Munich could have secured another championship last weekend but were held at RB Leipzig, giving victorious Borussia Dortmund a sliver of chance on the Bundesliga’s final day this Saturday. Lucien Favre’s men will need Eintracht Frankfurt to do them a favour in Munich whilst simultaneously beating Borussia Monchengladbach away from home.
Below them RB Leipzig will join them in next season’s Champions League; the final spot is being fought between Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt and Wolfsburg. Stuttgart, who sit in the bottom three, can still retain their top-flight status when they go into the Bundesliga relegation play offs, but Hannover 96 and Nurnberg are down.
Ligue 1
Final day: May 24
Champion: Paris Saint-Germain
Relegated: Guingamp, TBD and TBD
To no one’s surprise Paris Saint-Germain wrapped up another championship in France, although they stuttered across the finish line. Thomas Tuchel’s side were on cruise mode for much of the season. Lille, who a year ago looked destined to walk on the road to nowhere, join them in the 2019/20 Champions League, while Lyon currently hold the final place, knowing it’s theirs with another win.
Further down Monaco, who have struggled all season, could be demoted. The 2016/17 champions sit above the drop zone, but are level on points with Caen (33), while Dijon (31) sit just below them, and Bordeaux (38), Toulouse (38) as well as Amiens (35) are just above. It’s shaping up to be an interesting final two gameweeks.
