The most surprising league positions in Europe this season | OneFootball

True footballing upsets are often saved for cup competition, with the cream usually rising to the top in league format.

Stronger squads – and often the most expensively assembled – usually come out on top over the course of a gruelling league campaign but it’s not always the case. This season there have been several shock seasons, with underdogs on the rise and giants wallowing down the tables.

Here are the most surprising league positions in Europe this season

Nottingham Forest (4th – Premier League)

Nottingham Forest are arguably the surprise package of the European season. Sure, Forest have flung plenty of cash at it in recent years but who hasn’t in the Premier League?

Forest finished 17th in the table last season with a points deduction adding to their issues. Among the pre-season relegation favourites again, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have instead emerged as European contenders. Forest are fourth in the Premier League and closing in on Champions League qualification. Not since the club’s glory days of back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980 have the Tricky Trees competed among Europe’s elite.

Nuno has lifted the level of his squad, with Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi among those who have excelled after being discarded by ‘bigger’ clubs. Forest have the third-best defensive record in the league and are almost there. For a younger generation of fans who have spent much of their time supporting the club in the Football League, this is dreamland.

Manchester United (14th – Premier League)

There were plenty who looked at Manchester United’s business last summer and entered the new season with optimism. Not for the first time, it hasn’t worked out as hoped. United lost two of their opening three games and have languished in the bottom half almost ever since.

Erik ten Hag was sacked in October and the arrival of Ruben Amorim has done little to improve their fortunes. With five games of the season still to go, the Red Devils are already guaranteed their lowest-ever Premier League points total. United are also on course to finish in the top-flight’s bottom half for the first time in 35 years.

This is a club whose net spend of £565.08m ranks behind only Chelsea across the last five seasons. Liverpool, league leaders, are eighth in the Premier League for net spend by comparison. Solving the club’s rash record with recruitment needs to be top of the list of priorities.

Tottenham Hotspur (16th – Premier League)

Last season, Ange Postecoglou started his Spurs tenure in dream fashion. The North Londoners topped the table after 10 games with the Australian accruing the most points by a manager in their first 10 games in the competition’s history.

The wheels have fallen off since.

Spurs slipped down the table to finish fifth and miss out on Champions League qualification, a slump that preceded this season’s unfortunate events.

Postecoglou’s side have been woeful for much of the campaign, losing 18 of their 33 games. Injuries decimated their squad at points of the season, but there has been little improvement since those returns. Spurs are set for their lowest league finish since the early nineties and – like Manchester United – all eggs are in the Europa League basket.

A failure to win that tournament could spell trouble for Postecoglou.

Mainz (6th – Bundesliga)

With just four games to go, Mainz are in contention for Champions League qualification. The German side’s highest-ever finish is fifth, while Die Nullfünfer have just two top-half finishes in the last eight attempts.

Having taken seven points from consecutive clashes with European rivals RB Leipzig, Borussia Monchengladbach and Freiburg, Mainz have ensured they remain right in the mix for Europe’s elite.

Bo Henriksen’s side are two points outside the top four and above Borussia Dortmund – Champions League finalists last season.

Girona (16th – La Liga)

Girona were one of last season’s success stories as the Catalan club ended the season third in La Liga. Michel’s men finished above Atletico Madrid to secure Champions League qualification but have felt the full force of their losses last summer.

Artem Dovbyk, who finished as La Liga’s top scorer, joined Roma, while Savinho, Aleix Garcia and Eric Garcia all left. As a result, Girona have struggled. They lost seven of their eight Champions League games and currently sit 16th in La Liga, just three points above the relegation places. Having not won in 11 league games, the threat of relegation looms.

AC Milan (9th – Serie A)

AC Milan are one of Europe’s grandest clubs but the Rossoneri have struggled to replicate past successes in recent years.

The seven-time European champions have just one title in the last 13 seasons and are currently on course for their lowest league finish in a decade. Milan are ninth in Serie A and nine points adrift of the Champions League places.

Success in the Coppa Italia could somewhat salvage their season, after beating arch-rivals Inter to reach the final.

Bologna (4th – Serie A)

Like Girona, Bologna exceeded expectations to secure Champions League qualification last season before their squad was decimated. Highly-rated coach Thiago Motta departed for Juventus, while key figures Joshua Zirkzee and Riccardo Calafiori transferred to the Premier League.

In came Vincenzo Italiano (a coach with perhaps the most Italian-sounding name, ever) and the 47-year-old has recovered from a shaky start to thrive. Bologna won just one of their opening eight games (drawing six) but have since found form to climb the table.

With five games to go, Bologna are fourth and chasing Champions League football again. I Rossoblù are above traditional powerhouses including Juventus, Roma, Lazio and AC Milan. They’ve also reached the Coppa Italia final for the first time in 51 years.

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