The end of February and the beginning of March on the Old Continent means that the domestic national football leagues, as well as the UEFA competitions, are entering their most exciting stretches. For multiple reasons, the early spring brings about the best football of the season. It mostly has to deal with the title-deciding games and title races where a few teams are neck and neck and where every game matters. If you add to this the fact that the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League have a new format where the knockout phases are finally underway, the upcoming few weeks are going to bring a plethora of amazing performances.
At that same time, many different stories and narratives surround the teams, players, and leagues which is the main reason why this overview is important. Right here and now we take a look at some of the key moments and stories in European football as we speculate about potential champions and determine who has the best chances for a successful final stretch of the 2024/2025 season. All of this is crucial for the fans of sports betting on cryptobetter platforms as knowing what could happen can directly lead to larger payouts and more accurate wagering decisions.
Liverpool are Effectively Champions
Following another exceptional showing in the Premier League by the standings leader Liverpool and one more fumble by the second-place Arsenal, the title race is all but decided. The 2024/2025 title is basically in the hands of Arne Slot in his first season of the English giant. The Reds have led the league for the majority of the season, and now, 10 games before the end of the season, they can start celebrating. It is only a matter of moment and game in which they are the official champions, well before the end of the season. This will then give them ample opportunity to focus on winning other trophies they are still in contention for.
At the moment, they are an incredible 13 points clear of Arsenal, and 20 (!) points clear of the defending champion Manchester City who are in fourth. Mohamed Salah is leading the league in both goals with 25 and assists with 17 and is a clear favorite to win the Baloon d’Or, as well as numerous other individual honors and trophies waiting for him. With their winning mentality and being determined to always perform at the highest level, we should not expect them to slow down and instead keep scoring and winning until the season’s end. Already a historic run for them, and it can only get better as they enjoy their deserved guard of honor.
Juventus are Out of the Copa Italia
In an unprecedented situation in the Italian Cup, one of the favorites Juventus was eliminated after a 4:2 penalty shootout debacle by Empoli. Empoli, who will now face Bologna in the semi-final, are currently in the relegation zone in Serie A, which only adds insult to injury for Juve who were hoping to take the easier route to the final, considering the other semi-final pair is the Milano derby between AC Milan and FC Inter. After beating Emporli 4:1 on February 2 in the league, Juventus thought they would do it again.
However, a 1:1 draw after extra time proved fruitless since Dusan Vlahovic and Kenan Yidiz missed their penalties, meaning Empoli only needed 4 to advance to the semis. The 18th-placed team will face the 6th-placed Bologna and be the underdog, but they have some chances since it is a two-leg matchup. The first is on their ground on April 1, with the second in Bologna on April 23. It is an exciting development for both teams and the most success they have had in recent times. They should give it their all and it will be a great game to wager on.
An Exciting Title Race in La Liga
Whenever there is a tight race across the finish line in the Spanish Primera, it has to be the three big teams, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid. After taking a commanding lead and being a handful of points in front, Real fumbled and are now neck and neck with their two biggest rivals. Barca led the league for the longest stretch of the season and is currently in front, but a quick look at the standings shows how close it is.
Barcelona is first with 54 points and a +42 goal difference. Real is second, also with 54 points, and a +31 goal difference. Atletico is third with 53 points and +26 goal difference. Barca, while in front and with plenty of goals in hand, will still need to perform at the absolute highest level to remain in front as the two giants are breathing down their necks. It will be a very exciting final stretch of the season, especially the El Classico on May 11.
To make things even more interesting in Spanish football, Barca faces Atleti in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, and real in the UEFA CL round of 16! What a great set of circumstances for the fans of the sport, but not so much for Atletico. They drew the first Barca game 4:4 and have their CL Madrid derbies away on March 4 and at home on March 12. Then they host Barca on April 2 for the second leg of the Copa.
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