Deportivo resurgent, Inzaghi driving Palermo, Leicester in crisis, Dzeko lights up Schalke | OneFootball

Europe’s second tiers are tight, with Dzeko firing Schalke, Inzaghi chasing promotion with Palermo, and Deportivo resurgent while Leicester slide.

L'Équipe notes Coventry City lead the Championship on 65 points despite a four-defeat wobble between late December and late January, nine clear of third-placed Millwall.

Middlesbrough are second on 62 points, and 12 points split third to 16th. Leicester are 22nd after a six-point FFP penalty and seven without a win, one behind 21st-placed West Bromwich. Sheffield Wednesday are down on minus seven points.

In Spain, after 27 of 42 rounds, Racing Santander lead by a point from Castellón, with Almeria third. Deportivo La Coruña are fourth. Malaga are fifth, Las Palmas sixth.

Deportivo, champions in 2000, can dream of a return eight years after their last drop and five seasons in the third tier. Gijón could go up from eighth, but Valladolid are 19th with debts near €50m, and Zaragoza are bottom.

In Italy, Venezia, Monza and Frosinone contest the automatic spots, with Palermo fourth. The City Football Group club are unbeaten for three months, led by 17-goal Joel Pohjanpalo and coach Filippo Inzaghi.

Play-offs run to eighth. Bari are 19th and promoted Pescara 20th despite Marco Verratti joining the ownership and Lorenzo Insigne arriving in winter, seven points off the play-off place.

In Germany, Schalke 04 signed Edin Dzeko this winter. He has four goals and three assists in five games, and Schalke lead narrowly from Darmstadt, Elversberg, Paderborn and Hannover, with Hertha outside the top five.

Source: L'Équipe