Liverpool and Celtic have got the titles nearly wrapped up on both sides of the border at the start of March.
But Englaish and Scottish players around Europe have more to play for with Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Scott McTominay, Jordan Henderson and Conor Gallagher among the big names in contention for silverware. But former Portsmouth defender Christian Burgess, ex-Motherwell stopper Max Johnston and former Reading striker Daniel Namaso are also competing for titles this season.
It has been another week of headlines at FC Hollywood with the club’s 125th anniversary party, the withdrawal of Joshua Kimmich’s contract offer and Boris Becker joining the queue to attack Jamie Carragher. But the England captain is now close to writing a new story by winning his first title with Bayern Munich eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. And Vincent Kompany’s side also face reigning German champions Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League next week.
Kane scored 36 goals and provided eight assists in 32 Bundesliga matches last season but Bayern’s historic run of 11 consecutive titles still came to an end. This season the former Tottenham striker is set to finally win a trophy after again leading the Bundesliga scoring charts with 21 goals so far.
Of course there will still be bust-ups in the Bavarian capital. After Carragher claimed that Kompany has to beat Bayer Leverkusen and reach at least the Champions League semi-finals, Becker responded: “Jamie is NOT well informed at all.” Eric Dier has been used more as a sub this season and has made only six league starts.
The England star provided a sensational assist for Endrick in the midweek Copa del Rey win at Real Sociedad. But Bellingham will miss the next two games due to two separate suspensions - and get a break to prepare for the exciting La Liga title race and the club’s latest Champions League tilt.
An appeals committee did not accept Real Madrid’s defence that Bellingham said "**** off" rather than "**** you" and will miss the trip to Seville to face Real Betis on Sunday. Champions Real Madrid trail Barcelona only on goal difference with Atletico Madrid moving above them on Saturday, though Barca can regain top spot witjh a victory over Real Sociedad on Sunday afternoon.
Bellingham is also out of the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie against Atleti on Tuesday after collecting a third booking of the European campaign for a foul on Phil Foden in the win over Manchester City.
While his former club Manchester United are slipping down the Premier League, the Scotland midfielder will play a central role in the title battle with leaders Inter Milan in the Maradona Stadium on Saturday. McTominay has been an instant hit in Serie A where he runs more than 12kms a match on average and has scored six goals and made four assists.
Described by Gazzetta dello Sport as “one of the symbols of this new Napoli based on physicality and tactical nous”, he has been compared with Stevie Gerrard and former Azzurri favourite Marek Hamsik. His coach Antonio Conte loves him. And the former Chelsea and Tottenham boss will need the Scot’s leadership after following seven consecutive wins with three draws and shocking away defeat to Cesc Fabregas’ Como to lose first place.
And ex-Manchester United striker Joe Jordan said: “Napoli did really well signing McTominay and Manchester United did badly to sell him. A mistake that I can only explain by the confusion that has reigned in recent years at the club. I don’t know why they sold him. For sure, they made a mistake.” Fellow Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour has started only six league games since his transfer from Brighton.
The former England captain post-Liverpool career has not been dull. Henderson’s Ajax are five points clear at the top of the Eredivisie - after finishing fifth last season - and host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League last 16 next month.
But he was nearly sold in January when cash-strapped Ajax held talks with Monaco about signing their biggest earner with head coach Francesco Farioli briefing that he wanted to go. And Henderson, who was an open supporter of LGBTQ+ rights before signing for Saudi side Al-Ettifaq in July 2023, lectured the media on morality over reporting of the aborted transfer and clashed with a Dutch journalist during a press conference.
Henderson later told ESPN: “"Of course I am happy to stay. My plan was to stay here at least until the end of the season and then re-evaluate. A lot of things were taken out of context in the press. That was disrespectful, they were lies. Untruths were told about me as a person. I think it's bang out of order.”
Former Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom has been loaned out to Lille after playing 30 games in all competitions for Ajax this season and will qualify for a league winners’ medal.
The Barking-born defender’s career has taken him from Middlesbrough to Hartlepool to Peterborough to Portsmouth and now to the top of the Belgian Jupiler League at the age of 33. And he will face Henderson in a Low Countries derby in the Europa League next week.
Burgess won the League Two title with Portsmouth in 2016-17 and then the EFL Trophy in 2019 before signing for then second-division Union the following year. With a mix of other players signed from lower leagues around Europe, the Brussels-based club immediately won promotion to the top flight for the first time since 1972 and topped the table at the end of the regular season before finishing second in the playoffs.
Last season Union won their first Belgian Cup for 110 years and they have already qualified for Belgium's end-of-season championship play-offs. Even if they don't top the table in the regular season - and Genk currently occupy that spot - they have a chance to end the season as champions due to the unusual league set-up in the country.
The Chelsea academy graduate was reluctant to leave Stamford Bridge last summer but he has found a new home at the Metropolitano Stadium. He has scored only two goals for his new club - and the last back in September - but he has played a central role in Diego Simeone’s new side which has lost only once in the last 25 games.
Nicknamed the “Pitbull” for his ferocious work off the ball, Gallagher is playing in a deeper role in Spain where he can service the forward talents of Antoine Greizmann and Julian Alvarez. The midweek 4-4 Copa del Rey draw at Barcelona - thanks to a late equaliser from former Crystal Palace striker Alexander Sorloth - showed how much firepower the team now possesses.
Atletico face a blockbuster last-16 clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League and sit top La Liga - just two points clear of their neighbours after Saturday's results.
The Middlesbrough-born defender - the son of former Rangers and Sunderland winger Allan “Magic” Johnston - signed for Motherwell aged 12.
After winning the SFWA Young Player of the Year Award in 2023, he joined Sturm Graz and helped his new team win the title and end RB Salzburg’s 10-year domination of the Austrian Bundesliga. Arnold Schwarzenegger's hometown team can move three points clear at the top if they beat Red Ball Salzburg on Sunday, having finished 30th in the Champions League's new league phase.
Then known as Danny Loader, the striker played for Reading in the FA Cup against Manchester United in January 2019 before signing for Porto in August 2020. He has won one title and five other domestic trophies and Porto currently sit third six points behind traditional rivals Sporting and Benfica
In 2022, he announced he wished to be known professionally as Daniel Namaso. Born in Reading, Namaso was in the squad that won the U17 World Cup in 2017 and played in the 2019 Toulon tournament. Last month, he received FIFA clearance to switch to play for Cameroon.
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