Note: This article was a bit stale, but the technologically challenged editor forgot to push the post button. Apologies.
It’s only 4 rounds until the mid point of the season, but no one club is running away with the race. The top eleven are only 6 points apart. Still, by reading the tea leaves (form charts) you can see some patterns appear. Let’s check in teams that have excelled…and the rest of them.
Scorching: Real Betis is hot. No, Real Betis is searing. They have put together 5 wins in a row and moved themselves from 12th to 6th! They currently have the largest goal differential in the league. They’re going to need this momentum because Villarreal and RB_Liepzig are ahead of the break. Can they stay in playoff form?
Hard to beat: Shaktar_Donetsk and RB_Leipzig have 13 and 12 points respectively. They continue to stay in the top six. They’ve only had 3 losses between them and have their clubs running all full cylinders.
I See Comebacks: Lens earned 11 points, Real Sociedad earned 10. Lens move up 4 places, Sociedad 1 place, but move out of the cellar to something close respectability. Lens have three tough matches coming, Salzburg has the Red Bull Derby with Leipzig and Marseilles. Real Sociedad has a very favorable set of fixtures into the mid-point. Expect them to make some noise.
Ups and Downs: FC Porto, Marseilles, and Union Berlin scored 9 points. Marseilles slipped out of the top 6, but Porto hung right in there and Berlin moved up 3 spots. Porto and Marseilles will meet in the next three rounds, but when they aren’t playing themselves tjey will have weaker opponents
Hanging In There: The seven and six points winners are staying off the bottom. Ajax, Rennes, PSV, Atalanta did not have a great six rounds, but only PSV is near the bottom.
Very Wobbly: Frankfurt, Schalke, and Lyon are struggling. Only 4 of 5 points for these clubs. Schalke has settled on the bottom. Eintracht Frankfurt is trending down. Lyon has fallen from 10th to 17th and has to finish with a flurry to back back out of the bottom 5.
Lost the Script?: These two are puzzlers. Valencia was at the top of the table, but only registered three points in the last 6 rounds and dropped to 4th. They’ve got 2 tough matches and two easier ones ahead. Ah Benfica, woe is you. Only 2 points and a drop from 6th place to 15th. Time to right the ship!
We’ll stop by at season mid-point and see if we can pick the top 6 at the end of the season. Until then…..
Words: 425
It’s only 4 rounds until the mid point of the season, but no one club is running away with the race. The top eleven are only 6 points apart. Still, by reading the tea leaves (form charts) you can see some patterns appear. Let’s check in teams that have excelled…and the rest of them.
Scorching: Real Betis is hot. No, Real Betis is searing. They have put together 5 wins in a row and moved themselves from 12th to 6th! They currently have the largest goal differential in the league. They’re going to need this momentum because Villarreal and RB_Liepzig are ahead of the break. Can they stay in playoff form?
Hard to beat: Shaktar_Donetsk and RB_Leipzig have 13 and 12 points respectively. They continue to stay in the top six. They’ve only had 3 losses between them and have their clubs running all full cylinders.
I See Comebacks: Lens earned 11 points, Real Sociedad earned 10. Lens move up 4 places, Sociedad 1 place, but move out of the cellar to something close respectability. Lens have three tough matches coming, Salzburg has the Red Bull Derby with Leipzig and Marseilles. Real Sociedad has a very favorable set of fixtures into the mid-point. Expect them to make some noise.
Ups and Downs: FC Porto, Marseilles, and Union Berlin scored 9 points. Marseilles slipped out of the top 6, but Porto hung right in there and Berlin moved up 3 spots. Porto and Marseilles will meet in the next three rounds, but when they aren’t playing themselves tjey will have weaker opponents
Hanging In There: The seven and six points winners are staying off the bottom. Ajax, Rennes, PSV, Atalanta did not have a great six rounds, but only PSV is near the bottom.
Very Wobbly: Frankfurt, Schalke, and Lyon are struggling. Only 4 of 5 points for these clubs. Schalke has settled on the bottom. Eintracht Frankfurt is trending down. Lyon has fallen from 10th to 17th and has to finish with a flurry to back back out of the bottom 5.
Lost the Script?: These two are puzzlers. Valencia was at the top of the table, but only registered three points in the last 6 rounds and dropped to 4th. They’ve got 2 tough matches and two easier ones ahead. Ah Benfica, woe is you. Only 2 points and a drop from 6th place to 15th. Time to right the ship!
We’ll stop by at season mid-point and see if we can pick the top 6 at the end of the season. Until then…..
Words: 425
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