IN ALL probability, there will be very few surprises at the end of the 2024-25 season; familiar names will claim the silverware, the wealthy clubs will emerge triumphant and the relegated will inevitably be the clubs with less money.
**Linfield** of Northern Ireland were the first European club to win their domestic league in 2024-25, but more most competitions, there is still a way to go. The next league to be decided could be the Serbian SuperLiga, which is dominated by **Red Star Belgrade** who have a 21-point lead with nine games to go. They need seven points at this stage to clinch another title. They are also unbeaten in the league. **Celtic**are also close to winning the Scottish Premiership. They are 13 points better off than Rangers with eight fixtures to go, so four wins will do it for Brendan Rodgers’ men.
**Paris Saint-Germain** could also clinch the title very soon and if they win and Marseille lose this weekend, it could be all over. They are currently 19 points clear at the top and OM can only get a total of 73 points, just five more than PSG currently have. Two wins will be enough for sure.
The big five leagues look very predictable; **Liverpool** are going to end Manchester City’s four-year run at the top of the Premier League and although the gap at the top is 12 points with nine games to go, it is perfectly feasible the final margin will be higher.
The La Liga title will inevitably go to **Barcelona**, Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid, although the deckchairs may change at the top of the table frequently before the next champion is decided. The Clásico on May 11 will be a decisive fixture although three more rounds of games will follow.
In Italy, Inter Milan or Napoli, with occasional threats from Atalanta, seems to have been the story. **Inter** have been goal hungry for most of the season, hitting five or more in a game on nine occasions. They are also in the semi-final of the Coppa Italia and the last eight of Champions League, so the odds are they will end the season with something to show for their efforts. Antonio Conte’s Napoli have had their moments and Atalanta have been exciting at times, but Inter seem more resilient. Milan have had a disappointing season and Juventus have struggled to win matches.
The Bundesliga has eight rounds remaining and **Bayern Munich** have a six point lead over champions Bayer Leverkusen. Interestingly, both contenders have five common opponents: Dortmund, St. Pauli, Mainz, Augsburg and Heidenheim. Bayern’s other games are against Borussia Mönchengladbach, RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim, while Leverkusen face Bochum, Union Berlin and Frieburg. On the face of it, they have slightly more comfortable fixtures than Bayern. The Bavarians may be favourites, but the Bundesliga is far from over.
The Dutch Eredivisie has seen a revived **Ajax** climb back to the top, pushing 2024 champions PSV into second spot. The two teams meet on March 30 in Eindhoven. Ajax’s previous game saw them draw 2-2 with AZ, which ended a 10-game winning streak. The other member of the big three, Feyenoord, are in fourth, one place below Utrecht. Both sides are way behind the top two.
In Portugal, **Sporting**, the reigning champions, are top with eight rounds to go. They have a three-point advantage over Benfica who have a game in hand. Sporting have a better goal difference and the two teams meet in the penultimate game of the campaign on May 11, so the Primeira Liga looks set for an exciting climax. Porto are nine points behind Sporting, so their chance of success has almost gone.
If a late-season surprise is to come, it could be in Germany, but the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese title races are quite tight. Sadly, there are no Leicester City-type stories but that doesn’t mean there is no excitement to come in the final weeks of the 2024-25 season.
Game of the People was founded in 2012 and is ranked among the 100 best football websites by various sources. The site consistently wins awards for its work, across a broad range of subjects. [View all posts by Neil Fredrik Jensen](https://gameofthepeople.com/author/georgefjord/)