This is not really a comparison of the relative qualities of each league, but more a kind of odd observation. I was looking at both league tables the other day, and noticed how similar they were in a lot of ways (yes, I know the season isn't finished yet). Both leagues had two big teams who engaged in a rather tight duel for the title Another big team wound up by themselves in the no-mans' land of third, with a comfortable buffer each side One big team had a nightmare season and found themselves only just hanging onto a EL spot Relegation slots were all essentially settled with several rounds to go You could maybe add to that that the teams who qualified for Europe from 4th down all had fairly uninspiring seasons in spite of their success. But that's a generalisation I don't feel comfortable applying without more knowledge of the teams involved. Anyway, what does it mean? I kind of feel like it made the season less enjoyable. Contrary to what I might have thought previously, the big teams underperforming actually seemed to make for a worse season overall, because the other teams were picking up points without having to produce anything particularly spectacular. I felt no real particular inspiration from the successes of Villa or Napoli this year. As Milan and Arsenal fell away as challengers I also lost a lot of interest in the title race, as the permutations of results became far more straightforward. The absence of relegation battles going right down to the wire was also a bit disappointing, as they're also a big draw for me late in the season when the top of the table is sorting itself out. Maybe I'm overanalysing? Whatever the reason, combined with Barca/Madrid's decimation of the competition in La Liga, I ended up being more drawn to what was going on in the Bundesliga than anything else after Christmas. Here's hoping that the pack stays a bit closer next year, in all the big leagues. Or at least, a few teams pick up their act and make the title run more than a two-horse race in the last quarter.
I don't follow EPL that closely, but I know that in Italy this means that the talent seems to be more evenly spread out. That's why teams like Napoli, Sampdoria and Palermo are beating the top teams. It's not exactly a top heavy league in terms of overall talent.
Yeah I had noticed this too. In addition the race for the final CL spot is similar in both leagues. Plus yesterday both leagues had a similar game where a team was in an awkward position where if they won they would be helping their big rivals in the title race (Liverpool could've helped Man United and Lazio could've done Roma a big favour).
1) Not true in Arsenals case in fact they need at least a draw in the last game of the season if Spurs beat City on wednesday to secure 3rd. 2) The final relegation spot in the EPL was decided today on a last minute goal.....and there is all of ONE game left....
Though mathematically correct, Hull needed to score a monumental number of goals in their final two games to overtake West Ham on GD, so they were essentially down in the previous game.
While the mathematics were yet to be sorted, both these things were essentially predetermined a couple of weeks ago. Spurs weren't entertaining the idea of third even after they beat Arsenal, and WH have already celebrated their escape.
Disappointing 2 points dropped by Hull City today. If only they held on I would have fancied them to topple Liverpool by a dozen goals on the weekend and then all that would stand between Hull and another season in the top flight would be a double-digit loss by West Ham. Missed opportunity for sure. And its the same in Italy. Mathematically, with two games left, Atalanta can still reach safety and Milan can still drop to 4th. Milan are stumbling to the finish line exactly like Arsenal.
Will they though? I mean, we're looking at the difference between playing one playoff round in which Arsenal would likely be seeded and automatically starting in the group. At best it would be a bit disappointing and a dent to the pride given that it would be Spurs above them. In terms of CL qualification, it'd simply be a nuisance, that's all. On the other hand, I think Spurs would love third place. While you'd still expect them to get through the playoff, it would hold more pressure for them because it's one more obstacle between them and finally reaching the Champions League proper. However, given how tight it is between them and Citeh, I share Boca's view that they'll be mentally more focussed on just clinching fourth, with anything else being a bonus.