Euro leagues round-up

Throughout the 2022 summer season and 2022/23 European domestic campaign, Playmaker have regularly had a brief look at all 54 European leagues, to check in and see how they are going.

As we head into the September international break, now is a very good time to take stock and have a quick look at what is happening across Europe…

ALBANIA | Kategoria Superiore

Reigning champions: Tirana

Current league leaders: Partizani Tirana

Top scorer: Redon Xhixha (Tirana) - 5

Summary: We are five games into the Albanian league campaign and there is a few surprise in the ten-team league table. Partizani Tirana sit at the top with four wins and a defeat in their opening five matches. Reigning champions Tirana have only won two of their opening five games, as they sit outside of the top three. Laci, Teuta Durres and Kukesi make up the bottom three with Teuta and Kukes the two winless teams in the league. 

ANDORRA | Primera Divisio

Reigning champions: Inter Club d’Escaldes

Current league leaders: Atletic Club d’Escaldes

Top scorer: Gerard Artigas (Inter Club d’Escaldes) & David Virgili (FC Santa Coloma) - 2

Summary: The Andorran top-flight only got underway at the start of September so we are only two games into the season. Atletic Club d’Escaldes sit at the top-of-the-table with two wins from two and they are the only side to have won both of their opening matches. Two teams, Ordino and Engordany, have lost their opening matches whilst reigning champions Inter Club have won one and drawn one. 

ARMENIA | Premier League

Reigning champions: Pyunik

Current league leaders: Alashkert

Top scorer: Bladimir Diaz (Alashkert) - 6

Summary: Alashkert reached the group stages of the UEFA Europa Conference League last season but struggled domestically. This time around, though, they sit at the top-of-the-table with five wins and three draws in their opening eight matches. Reigning champions Pyunik have had an indifferent start with four wins and three defeats. Noah sit at the bottom-of-the-table with just two points collected in their opening eight games. 

AUSTRIA | Bundesliga

Reigning champions: Red Bull Salzburg

Current league leaders: Red Bull Salzburg 

Top scorer: Marius Pink (Austria Klagenfurt) - 7

Summary: Despite another summer of upheaval, as is their want, Red Bull Salzburg sit at the top of the Bundesliga table and they have a four-point lead over LASK and Sturm Graz in the table. They have won seven, drawn one and lost one so far this season. Two teams have only won one game apiece so far this season and they sit joint-bottom level on points. Those ides are Ried, who have managed to score just four goals in nine games, and Rheindorf Altach. Rapid Vienna have struggled so far this season and they sit in the bottom-half of the table. 

AZERBAIJAN | Premier League

Reigning champions: Qarabag

Current league leaders: Qarabag

Top scorer: Musa Gurbanli (Qarabag) & Ramil Sheydaev (Qarabag) - 7

Summary: Qarabag have dominated Azeri football and as you can see by the above bullet points, they are doing so once again. They have won eight of the last nine Azeri league titles and they have won six out of six, sitting at the top-of-the-table. Neftchi Baku have won six and lost one of their seven games so far this season. Sumgayit and Shamakhi sit down towards the bottom end of the table as the only winless teams in the Premier League.

BELARUS | Premier League

Reigning champions: Shakhtyor Salihorsk

Current league leaders: Energetik-BGU

Top scorer: Bobur Abdikholikov (Energetik-BGU) - 20

Summary: Energetik-BGU were founded in 1996 and they are yet to win a serious first-team Belarusian honour in their history. They were promoted to the top-flight after a second-placed finish in 2018 and have finished in mid-table in the three seasons since then. The Belarusian top-flight is 21 games into a 30-game campaign and they sit a point clear of reigning champions Shakhtyor and giants Dinamo Minsk, as well as three clear of BATE Borisov. After qualifying for Europe last season, Dinamo Brest are in a genuine relegation battle alongside Vitebsk and bottom two Arsenal Dzyarzhynsk and Dnepr.

BELGIUM | Jupiler Pro League

Reigning champions: Club Brugge

©Getty / BSR Agency

Current league leaders: Royal Antwerp 

Top scorer: Vincent Janssen (Royal Antwerp) - 6

Summary: Last season, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise remarkably finished at the top of the regular season before losing in the playoffs to Club Brugge. Since then, they have lost manager Felice Mazzu to city rivals Anderlecht and some key players to their affiliate club Brighton. They have started the season slowly but so have Anderlecht. Club Brugge have been phenomenal in the UEFA Champions League with two wins against Bayer Leverkusen and Porto. However, they sit third behind Genk and runaway league leaders Antwerp. With Toby Alderweireld at the back and Vincent Janssen up top, Mark van Bommel has guided Antwerp to nine wins from nine and they sit at the top-of-the-table. Cercle Brugge have won one and they sit a point above bottom-of-the-table Zulte-Waregem down at the other end.

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA | Premier League

Reigning champions: Zrinjski Mostar

Current league leaders: Siroki Brijeg

Top scorer: Nemanja Bilbija (Zrinjski Mostar) & Ivan Ikic (Sarajevo) & Mirsad Ramic (Igman Konjic) - 5

Summary: Reigning champions Zrinjski have started their season in indifferent and fairly underwhelming fashion. In their eight games so far this season, they have managed just five victories and three draws so far this season. However, they have two games in hand on league leaders Siroki Brijeg, who sit just four points above Zrinjski with Zeljeznicar, Borac Banja Luka and Tuzla City all, once again, starting well. 

BULGARIA | First Professional League

Reigning champions: Ludogorets Razgrad

Current league leaders: Ludogorets Razgrad

Top scorer: Ivaylo Chochev (CSKA 1948) - 10

Summary: Despite having two games in hand on the majority of the division, Ludogorets have already risen to the top-of-the-table. They have won seven and drawn two of their opening nine matches and performed well in the UEFA Europa League, defeating Roma and challenging Betis. CSKA 1948, CSKA Sofia and Lokomotiv Plovdiv have all started well this season, too. Pirin and Spartak Varna have won just a game apiece with the latter adrift at the bottom. Botev Plovdiv, after qualifying for Europe last season, have managed just two wins in ten games and they are also struggling.

CROATIA | Hrvatska Nogometna Liga

Reigning champions: Dinamo Zagreb

Current league leaders: Dinamo Zagreb

Top scorer: Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb) & Marko Livaja (Hajduk Split) - 6

Summary: Dinamo Zagreb are the dominant force in Croatian football and they have been very dominant in the league once again. The capital city club sit at the top-of-the-table with nine wins and a draw in their ten matches so far this season. They are, astonishingly, 11 points clear already. Three teams have won just a game apiece and those three are Sibenik, Gorica and, remarkably, one of the big four: Rijeka. 

CYPRUS | First Division

Reigning champions: Apollon Limassol

Current league leaders: Pafos

Top scorer: Bruno Felipe (Omonia Nicosia) & Jairo (Pafos) & Casimir Ninga (Anorthosis Famagusta) - 3

Summary: The Cypriot top-flight is one of the more competitive top tiers across Europe. Pafos and Apollon Limassol sit joint-top on ten points with three wins and a draw in their opening four matches so far this season. Two teams, AEL Limassol and Olympiakos, are the only ones that are winless with just a point apiece so far. The giants, APOEL, Anorthosis, Omonia, have dropped a few points so far this season and they sit in mid-table. 

CZECH REPUBLIC | First League

Reigning champions: Viktoria Plzen

Current league leaders: Viktoria Plzen

Top scorer: Stanislav Tecl (Slavia Prague) - 8

Summary: Despite the dominance of the two Prague giants, Slavia and Sparta, in the last decade or so, Viktoria Plzen are turning the tide again. After eight matches so far this season, they sit at the top-of-the-table with seven victories and a draw. Bottom-of-the-table, Pardubice, have won one and lost eight of their opening nine games and they are already five points adrift of second-bottom. Slavia Prague have a three-point deficit to make up on Viktoria but the rest, Sparta Prague, Slovan Liberec, Bohemians, Brno and Hradec Kralove are all back on 14 points. 

DENMARK | Superliga

Reigning champions: Copenhagen

Current league leaders: Randers

Top scorer: Pep Biel (Copenhagen) & Viktor Claesson (Copenhagen) & Patrick Mortensen (Aarhus) - 6

Summary: Last season, FC Copenhagen finished at the top-of-the-table in the Superliga regular season and then ended up winning the league after the Championship round. Midtjylland were their closest challengers but none of the rest of the team came anywhere close with Silkeborg, Brondby, AaB and Randers all struggling last year. Randers have been very impressive this time around, though, and they sit a couple of points above Nordsjaelland. Lyngby are the only winless team in the league and they sit at the bottom-of-the-table. 

ENGLAND | Premier League

Reigning champions: Manchester City

Current league leaders: Arsenal

Top scorer: Erling Braut Haaland (Manchester City) - 11

Summary: Under the management of Mikel Arteta, Arsenal began their 2022/23 campaign with five successive victories and then recovered from a loss at Manchester United to comfortably defeat Brentford and they remain at the top-of-the-table. Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are chasing them, a point behind, with the north London derby happening next week. Leicester City are sitting at the bottom-of-the-table with Brendan Rodgers under serious pressure as The Foxes have collected just one point from their opening six matches. 

ESTONIA | Meistriliiga

Reigning champions: FCI Levadia

Current league leaders: Flora Tallinn

Top scorer: Zakaria Beglarishvili (FCI Levadia)

Summary: The two forces in Tallinn are once again challenging for the Estonian league title. In the 2021 campaign, FCI Levadia finished at the top-of-the-table just a point above Flora Tallinn, who had only lost one game in 32. Flora, this time around, are unbeaten in the league and they sit 13 points clear of their city rivals, who themselves are 13 points clear of Nomme Kalju. Vaprus sit at the bottom-of-the-table with just two wins in their 29 matches so far this season. There are seven games to go in the Meistriliiga. 

FAROE ISLANDS | Meistaradeildin

Reigning champions: Klaksvikar Itrottarfelag

Current league leaders: Klaksvikar Itrottarfelag

Top scorer: Solvi Vatnhamar (Vikingur Gota) - 18

Summary: With four games of the Faroese domestic season to go, KI have already been confirmed as the champions. In their 23 games so far this season, they have won 21 and drawn just two, scoring 60 goals and conceding just seven times. Vikingur have guaranteed UEFA Europa Conference League qualification whilst HB should soon join them. Skala sit nine points adrift of B68 Toftir in the relegation playoff place and they look set for automatic relegation. 

FINLAND | Veikkausliiga    

Reigning champions: HJK Helsinki

Current league leaders: HJK Helsinki

Top scorer: Lee Erwin (Haka) - 14

Summary: Reigning champions HJK Helsinki reached the group stages of the UEFA Europa League over the summer and they are going well domestically again. The Finnish champions sit at the top-of-the-table in the 2022 Championship round, five points clear of KuPS. HJK’s city rivals, HIFK, sit at the bottom-of-the-table and are set for automatic relegation with FC Lahti set for a relegation playoff. 

FRANCE | Ligue 1

©Getty / ANP

Reigning champions: Paris Saint-Germain

Current league leaders: Paris Saint-Germain

Top scorer: Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) & Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) - 7

Summary: Under the management of Christophe Galtier, with Sporting Director Luis Campos, Paris Saint-Germain have been exceptional this season in both Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League. The star-studded capital city club look more cohesive and clearer in their ideas this season and should/could be a serious force in Europe. Marseille are also performing well and remain unbeaten so far this season, following the surprise departure of Jorge Sampaoli in the summer. Strasbourg remain winless with five draws and three defeats with newly-promoted Ajaccio sitting bottom-of-the-table on four points. 

GEORGIA | Erovnuli Liga

Reigning champions: Dinamo Batumi

Current league leaders: Dinamo Batumi

Top scorer: Flamarion (Dinamo Batumi) - 15

Summary: There are nine games of the Georgian Erovnuli Liga to go and reigning champions Dinamo Batumi sit at the top-of-the-table. They are just point clear, though, of capital city club Dinamo Tbilisi. There is a major battle going on for the top three and the European spots between Torpedo Kutaisi, Dila Gori and Samgurali Tsqaltubo. Locomotive Tbilisi are close to being automatically relegated. They have collected just six points from their 27 matches so far this season. 

GERMANY | Bundesliga

Reigning champions: Bayern Munich

Current league leaders: Union Berlin

Top scorer: Sheraldo Becker (Union Berlin) - 7

Summary: Manuel Neuer described Union Berlin as the toughest team they have played this season. Union’s remarkable story has continued this season and they sit at the top-of-the-table in the Bundesliga. They have won five and drawn two of their opening seven matches, sitting two clear of Borussia Dortmund. Reigning champions Bayern Munich sit outside of the top four with just three wins in their opening seven games. Two teams remain winless with Stuttgart drawing five of their opening seven but Bochum sit at the bottom-of-the-table, having collected just a point from their opening matches so far. 

GIBRALTAR | National League

Reigning champions: Lincoln Red Imps

Start date: 30th September 2022

GREECE | Super League

Reigning champions: Olympiakos

Current league leaders: Panathinaikos

Top scorer: Aitor Cantalapiedra (Panathinaikos) - 5

Summary: Panathinaikos sit at the top-of-the-table in the Greek Super League after an excellent start to the 2022/23 season. The capital city club have won five matches out of five and they have conceded just one goal on their impressive run. The two Thessaloniki clubs, PAOK and Aris, and AEK separate Panathinaikos from their rivals Olympiakos in fifth place. Four teams remain winless so far this season but Ionikos are sitting at the bottom-of-the-table with just one point collected in their opening five games. 

HUNGARY | Nemzeti Bajnoksag I

Reigning champions: Ferencvaros

Current league leaders: Ferencvaros

Top scorer: Driton Camaj (Kisvarda) & Eduvie Ikoba (Zalaegerszegi) & Adama Traore (Ferencvaros) & Barnabas Varga (Paksi) - 5

Summary: Despite having two games in hand on the majority of the division, due to their European commitments in qualifying in the summer, Ferencvaros sit at the top-of-the-table already. They have won six games out of six with new signing from Sheriff, Adama Traore, performing well. One team, Vasas, remain winless after eight matches but they sit level on points with Mezokovesd at the bottom end of the table. 

ICELAND | Urvalsdeild

2022 title winners: Vikingur Reykjavik 

Top scorer:  Nokkvi Peyr Porisson (Knattsprynufelag Akureyrar) - 17

IRELAND | League of Ireland

Reigning champions: Shamrock Rovers

Current league leaders: Shamrock Rovers

Top scorer: Aidan Keena (Sligo Rovers) - 15

Summary: Shamrock Rovers sit just one point clear in the League of Ireland table but that is almost a false telling of the League of Ireland tale. They have two games-in-hand on their closest challengers, Derry City, because of their European competition qualification commitments which saw them reach the group stages of the UEFA Europa Conference League. Finn Harps sit at the bottom-of-the-table with 18 points in 29 games, with UCD sitting a point above them down at the bottom end of the table. 

ITALY | Serie A

Reigning champions: Milan

Current league leaders: Napoli

Top scorer: Marko Arnautovic (Bologna) - 6

Summary: Napoli and Atalanta sit joint-top in the Serie A table with the two teams, under Luciano Spalletti and Gian Piero Gasperini, playing attractive and attacking football. Reigning champions AC Milan were challenging alongside Napoli but lost to the Neapolitans before the international break. Inter Milan have struggled with three defeats in their opening four matches but Juventus are the team that are the worst underperformers with just two wins in seven games. Two teams remain winless so far this season and they sit joint-bottom on two points. Those sides are newly-promoted Cremonese and struggling Sampdoria. 

KAZAKHSTAN | Premier League

Reigning champions: Tobol

Current league leaders: Aktobe

Top scorer: Pedro Eugenio (Astana) - 12

Summary: With just six games to go in the Kazakh Premier League, Aktobe sit at the top-of-the-table and they are five points clear of Astana. Reigning champions, Tobol, sit third in the table a couple of points further back from Astana. Makhtaaral sit at the bottom-of-the-table with just three victories in their 20 matches so far in the 2022/23 Premier League season. After qualifying for Europe last season, Kyzlyzhar have won just five games and sit in the bottom-half of the table.

LATVIA | Higher League

2022 title winners: Valmeira

Top scorer: Raimonds Krollis (Valmiera) – 19

LITHUANIA | A Lyga

Reigning champions: Zalgiris Vilnius

Current league leaders: Zalgiris Vilnius

Top scorer: Renan Oliveira (Zalgiris Vilnius) - 14

Summary: Due to Zalgiris Vilnius’ impressive run to the group stages of the UEFA Europa Conference League, they have five games in hand on second-place Hegelmann in the Lithuanian A Lyga. Despite having such a chunk of fixtures still to play, they still remain at the top-of-the-table with just one defeat all season helping to give them a seven-point lead at the top. Lietava remain winless after 29 matches and they sit at the bottom-of-the-table, already relegated. 

LUXEMBOURG | National Division

Reigning champions: F91 Dudelange

Current league leaders: F91 Dudelange

Top scorer: Rayan Philippe (Swift Hesperange) - 10

Summary: Reigning champions F91 Dudelange head into the 2022/23 Luxembourg National Division sitting at the top-of-the-table. They have won seven games out of seven and sit just above Swift Hesperange, who have collected 19 points from their seven games. One team remain winless so far this season and they are Victoria Rosport but they sit just above Hostert in the table, who have won just one of their opening seven games.

MALTA | Premier League

Reigning champions: Hibernians

Current league leaders: Birkirkara

Top scorer: Jefferson Assis (Gzira United) - 6

Summary: Maltese clubs performed quite well in European competition qualification this summer. Birkirkara, Hamrun Spartans, Gzira United and Hibernians all performed well, and Valletta have done in recent years. Birkirkara and Hamrum sit joint-top in the table with four wins out of four. Four teams remain winless so far this season but two clubs sit joint-bottom after four successive defeats and those sides are Santa Lucia and Pieta. 

MOLDOVA | Super Liga

Reigning champions: Sheriff Tiraspol

Current league leaders: Sheriff Tiraspol

Top scorer: Jibril Ibrahim (Sfantul Gheorge) - 5

Summary: Despite losing their manager and several key players, the dominant force in Moldova, Sheriff Tiraspol, have continued on their dominant way. They sit at the top-of-the-table in the Super Liga with five victories and three draws in their opening eight matches. One team is winless after eight games is Zimbru Chisinau but they still remain above a team in the table with Dinamo Auto sitting at the bottom-of-the-table after they had six points deducted ahead of the season. 

MONTENEGRO | First League

Reigning champions: Sutjeska Niksic

Current league leaders: Sutjeska Niksic

Top scorer: Stefan Denkovic (Decic) & Mendy Mamadou (Petrovac) - 5

Summary: Reigning champions Sutjeska Niksic have started the 2022/23 Montenegrin First League season extremely well. They sit at the top-of-the-table with five wins and two draws in their opening nine matches and they sit just above Decic and Buducnost Podgorica on goal difference. Only one team, Iskra, have won just one game so far this season and they sit at the bottom-of-the-table, despite qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League last season. 

NETHERLANDS | Eredivisie

©Ajax

Reigning champions: Ajax

Current league leaders: PSV Eindhoven

Top scorer: Cody Gakpo (PSV Eindhoven) - 8

Summary: It was a summer of upheaval at the two big clubs in the Netherlands with several players, and their managers, both departing at Ajax and PSV. However, with six wins and a draw each in their opening seven matches, they sit level on points at the top-of-the-table. No team remain winless but six sides have won just a game each so far. Ajax and PSV have scored a combined 50 goals this season, in just seven matches each. 

NORTH MACEDONIA | First Football League

Reigning champions: Shkupi

Current league leaders: Struga

Top scorer: Besart Ibraimi (Struga) - 6

Summary: It has been an unexpected but very impressive start to the North Macedonian top-flight season by Struga. They sit at the top-of-the-table with eight successive victories, scoring 18 goals and conceding just twice. Renova have been disqualified from the season so the bottom two sides are Pobeda and Skopje, who have won just one game each so far. Reigning champions Shkupi sit outside of the top three after seven games. 

NORTHERN IRELAND | Premiership

Reigning champions: Linfield

Current league leaders: Linfield

Top scorer: Matthew Shevlin (Glenavon) - 7

Summary: Glentoran sit at the top-of-the-table in the Northern Irish Premiership as one of just two teams that remain unbeaten so far this season. The other sides doing well are Cliftonville and Crusaders. Reigning champions Linfield, under the management of David Healy, have won three and lost two of their opening five games as they actually sit inside the bottom-half of the table. Two teams, Portadown and Dungannon Swifts, have suffered six defeats from six at the bottom end of the table. 

NORWAY | Eliteserien 

Reigning champions: Bodo/Glimt

Current league leaders: Molde

Top scorer: Amahl Pellegrino (Bodo/Glimt) - 19 

Summary: Kjetil Knutsen has delivered surprising back-to-back Eliteserien titles to Bodo/Glimt but this one was one rebuild too far and they currently sit outside the top three and the European spots. Lillestrom and Rosenborg are in the battle for the top three with Bodo, whilst Molde, under the impressive management of Erling Moe, are closing in on reclaiming the Norwegian title. Jerv and Kristiansund sit adrift in the bottom two and the automatic relegation places. Sandefjord and HamKam are in the battle against the promotion/relegation playoff place. 

POLAND | Ekstrakalasa

Reigning champions: Lech Poznan

Current league leaders: Legia Warsaw

Top scorer: David Alvarez (Wisla Plock) - 7

Summary: Reigning champions Lech Poznan have had an extremely difficult start to the 2022/23 Ekstraklasa season. They began with no wins in their opening four matches but have since won four and drawn one as they try to move into the top-half of the table. They are six points off current league leaders, Legia Warsaw, who have started with six wins, two draws and two defeats. Two teams sit down to the bottom of the table with just one win in their opening nine matches. Miedz Legnica and, surprisingly, Lechia Gdansk, are struggling on five points. 

PORTUGAL | Primeira Liga

Reigning champions: Porto

Current league leaders: Benfica

Top scorer: Simon Banza (Braga) & Mehdi Taremi (Porto) & Abdul-Aziz Yakubu (Rio Ave) - 5

Summary: Sergio Conceicao’s Porto have had to adapt and cope with lots of sales, again, as is their wantin the Primeira Liga. They have already dropped points in two matches and sit third in the table behind the electric and unbeaten duo of Braga and Benfica. Benfica have been outstanding across all competitions this season with former PSV boss Roger Schmidt establishing a clear and cohesive idea at the club. Ruben Amorim’s Sporting CP have struggled as they sit firmly in the middle-of-the-table. Two teams remain winless in the league, Pacos de Ferreira and Maritimo, with the latter having lost all seven of their games so far this season. 

ROMANIA | Liga I

Reigning champions: CFR Cluj

Current league leaders: Farul 

Top scorer: Andrea Compagno (FCSB) - 7

Summary: Reigning champions CFR Cluj head into this September international break sitting fourth in the table, below Hermannstadt, Rapid Bucharest and Farul. They are six points adrift of the league leaders, Farul. Only one team remains winless so far this season and that is Chindia Targoviste, who have drawn three and lost seven of their opening ten matches as they sit firmly at the bottom-of-the-table. 

RUSSIA | Premier League

Reigning champions: Zenit Saint-Petersburg

Current league leaders: Zenit Saint-Petersburg

Top scorer: Christian Noboa (Sochi) & Quincy Promes (Spartak Moscow) & Eduard Spertsyan (Krasnodar) - 8

Summary: Under the management of Sergei Semak, Zenit Saint-Petersburg have dominated the Russian Premier League for a long time and they are unbeaten so far this season with eight wins and two draws. That start to the season means that they are four points clear of Rostov. Ural Yekaterinburg and Torpedo Moscow sit in the bottom two and the automatic relegation places with four points collected in their ten points so far this season. 

SAN MARINO | Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio

Reigning champions: La Fiorita

Current league leaders: Pennarossa

Top scorer: Mohamed Ben Kacem (Pennarossa) - 5

Summary: We are three weeks into the Sammarinese league season with three teams that have won three from three so far. Those three are reigning champions La Fiorita, last season’s relatively strong Pennarossa and, remarkably, Cosmos, who finished at the bottom-of-the-table in the 2021/22 campaign. Tre Penne have won two from two and have a game-in-hand. Fiorentino have lost two from two with San Giovanni and Faetano sharing bottom spot with three defeats from three. 

SCOTLAND | Premiership

Reigning champions: Celtic

Current league leaders: Celtic

Top scorer: Liel Abada (Celtic) & Antonio Colak (Rangers) & Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic) - 6

Summary: Despite a shock 2-0 loss away to Saint Mirren in their most recent outing last weekend, Celtic remain firmly at the top of the Premiership table after six successive wins to kick off the season. Ange Postecoglu’s Bhoys are leading Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers by two points. Only one team remain winless in the Premiership so far this season after seven games and they are last year’s UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round qualifiers Dundee United, who have collected just two points in their opening seven matches. 

SERBIA | Super Liga

Reigning champions: Red Star Belgrade

Current league leaders: Red Star Belgrade

Top scorer: Muhammed Badamosi (Cukaricki) & Nikola Stulic (Radnicki Nis) - 9

Summary: Red Star Belgrade have, once again, been exceptional in their opening ten matches in the 2022/23 SuperLiga campaign. The capital city club sit at the top-of-the-table after eight wins and two draws so far this season. Their city rivals, Partizan, have won their last three as they creep up the table but Red Star’s closest rivals are Cukaricki, whom they have a game-in-hand on. One team remain winless so far this season and that is bottom-of-the-table Radnik Surdulica. 

SLOVAKIA | SuperLiga

Reigning champions: Slovan Bratislava

Current league leaders: Slovan Bratislava

Top scorer: Nikola Krstovic (Dunajska Streda) - 6

Summary: The dominant force in Slovakian football is Slovan Bratislava and the reigning champions are once again dominant this time around. The capital city club have suffered just one defeat in their opening ten games and they sit three points clear of Podbrezova, who are unbeaten in the SuperLiga table but have drawn five of their opening ten games. 

SLOVENIA | PrvaLiga

Reigning champions: Maribor

Current league leaders: Olimpija Ljubljana 

Top scorer: Mirlind Daku (Mura) & Andrej Kotnik (Koper) & Mustafa Nukic (Olimpija Ljubljana) - 6

Summary: Over the summer, Olimpija Ljubljana controversially sacked Robert Prosinecki and this decision was criticised by the club’s supporters. They appointed former Liverpool winger Albert Riera. Since then, though, they have been extremely impressive with nine wins and a defeat in their opening ten matches as they sit at the top-of-the-table. Tabor Sezana sit at the bottom-of-the-table with only one win in their opening ten games. Maribor have struggled with just four wins in ten games. 

SPAIN | La Liga

Reigning champions: Real Madrid

Current league leaders: Real Madrid

Top scorer: Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) - 8

Summary: Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid sit at the top-of-the-table in La Liga with six wins out of six after their Madrid derby victory away to Atletico last weekend. Los Blancos have been uncertain in some games but their mentality is like no other with six wins and no clean sheets highlighting an underlying issue. Barca have been much-improved under Xavi and will be frustrated that their goalless draw at home to Rayo on the opening day is their only blemish so far this season. Elche sit at the bottom-of-the-table with just one point collected, whilst the likes of Betis and Athletic, as well as Osasuna, have all impressed. 

SWEDEN | Allsvenskan

Reigning champions: Malmo

Current league leaders: Djurgardens

Top scorer: Alexander Jeremejeff (Hacken) - 21

Summary: The Swedish Allsvenskan has been one of the more entertaining and enjoyably competitive domestic leagues in Europe over recent years. The league leaders have changed several times. Milos Milojevic replaced Jon Dahl Tomasson last winter and he has struggled to emulate Tomasson’s success as they sit outside of the top three and the European spots. Djurgarden remain at the top-of-the-table, a point clear of Hacken and five clear of Hammarby. GIF Sundsvall seem certainties for relegation with Helsingborg and Degerfors battling to see who fill finish in the promotion/relegation playoff. 

SWITZERLAND | Super League

Reigning champions: Zurich

Current league leaders: Young Boys

Top scorer: Cedric Itten (Young Boys) – 5

Summary: Last season, Zurich finished as champions of Switzerland for the first time in over a decade. However, in the 2022/23 campaign, they have badly struggled with just two points collected in their opening eight matches and they sit level on points with bottom-of-the-table Winterthur, who were promoted last season. Young Boys have returned to the top-of-the-table with 17 points collected from their eight games, level with Servette. Basel have, once again, struggled with too many draws despite poaching the aforementioned Winterthur’s coach that led them to their promotion last season, Alexander Frei. 

TURKEY | Super Lig

©Besiktas

Reigning champions: Trabzonspor

Current league leaders: Adana Demirspor

Top scorer: Enner Valencia (Fenerbahce) - 7

Summary: The Istanbul giants, Galatasaray, Besiktas and Fenerbahce, all struggled to varying degrees last season but they have started the 2022/23 Super Lig campaign a lot better. All three sit inside the top six of the table after managerial changes in the summer. The league leaders though, above Galatasaray on goal difference, are the ambitious Adana Demirspor, who were only promoted from the second-tier in 2021. Istanbul Baseksehir and Konyaspor are also enjoying impressive seasons again with reigning champions Trabzonspor currently seventh, three points off the top. Three teams remain winless so far and they are last season’s cup winners Sivasspor, newly-promoted Umraniyespor and 2022’s worst team Hatayspor. 

UKRAINE | Premier League

Reigning champions: Shakhtar Donetsk

Current league leaders: Kolos Kovalivka

Top scorer: Denes Bezborodko (Kolos Kovalivka) & Talles (Rukh Vynnyky) - 3

Summary: Last season was ended early with 2020/21’s standings being maintained due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The war-torn country has kicked off its 2022/23 Premier League campaign in Ukraine with European teams playing their games in neighbouring Poland. Kolos sit at the top-of-the-table, level on points with Shakhtar, who, despite losing lots of key players this season, have started well domestically and in the UEFA Champions League. Dnipro-1 have started with three wins from three but Dynamo Kyiv have won just one of their opening three games. Five teams remain winless, Inhulets, Chornomorets Odesa, Lviv, Kryvbas and Vorskla Poltava, but all of the teams have collected at least a point so far. 

WALES | Premier League

Reigning champions: The New Saints

Current league leaders: The New Saints

Top scorer: Sam Jones (Cardiff Metropolitan University) - 6

Summary: Predictably, The New Saints sit top-of-the-table in the Cymru Premier. They are the only unbeaten team in the league with five wins and a draw so far this season. They have opened up a four-point gap on closest challengers Caernarfon Town, Penybont and Cardiff Met. Only one team remain winless so far this season and that one team, Broughton, have suffered six defeats out of six as they languish at the bottom-of-the-table.