Twists, turns and more in Europe's most competitive title race

It's that time of the season where the end is in sight, no not in most European leagues that have only just started up but for the summer leagues. In Europe there are eleven leagues that play during the summer (Belarus, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden) and it's in these leagues that the finish line is in sight. For one league in particular it's been an extraordinary season at the top of the table.

That league is Finland's Veikkausliiga, which is Europe's most compelling title race this season. On Saturday 2nd placed IFK Mariehamn had the opportunity to claim top spot with a victory over SJK away from home. However it was last season's champions that claimed a 1-0 win to close within seven points off top spot themselves, SJK currently lie 7th in the table. Yes you read that right, SJK in 7th are seven points off top spot. It's been a fascinating season and one that really wasn't foreseen.

Last season saw HJK Helsinki, the country's most successful club, knocked off their perch by SJK from Seinäjoki, who claimed their first ever league title. However it probably was a little teaser of what was to come as the final day of the 2015 season saw three sides (SJK, RoPS Rovaniemi and HJK) tussle for the title. SJK went into that final day top and both RoPS and HJK needed them to drop points to have a chance of landing the title. In the end all three won their games which was enough for SJK. 

Previous to that 2015 success for SJK, the league was dominated by HJK who between 2009 and 2014 won every title on offer. So this latest bout of competitiveness has been very much unforeseen. What makes it even more astounding is HJK were Europa League group stage participants in 2014-15 so with all the money earned from that this really does add to the mystery of this insane season. 

HJK have been very inconsistent in 2016 which has opened the door to some sides that haven't tasted league glory in quite some time. In order of how the table reads aside from HJK these are when the contenders last tasted glory; IFK Mariehamn (never), RoPS (never), Ilves (1983), KuPS (1976), VPS (1948) and SJK (2015). So this season really is a fantastic opportunity for some of these clubs to seize the moment and end their title droughts. 

HJK only reclaimed top spot last week with a 2-0 win away at mid-table PS Kemi. Since that victory they have lost twice on the bounce. A 4-1 hammering by Lahti at home was followed by a 3-2 loss away at struggling Inter Turku which offered IFK Mariehamn that chance to reclaim top spot this weekend, which was spurned. The form teams are actually those catching up behind HJK and Mariehamn. Ilves are unbeaten in five, VPS likewise with draws being their problem in recent weeks. SJK have recovered from an absolute disaster of a start in which they were winless after the first month of the season and have since clawed themselves up into contention, just. 

HJK have also played a game more than all of the other six contenders. All the others play their games in hand before September is out which will have the capital side sitting nervously seeing what will unfold. They could however relinquish top spot again before those sides even play their games in hand as they host RoPS in a delicious looking clash on Wednesday when the next round of games will be played. At the same time IFK Mariehamn will host Inter Turku with the other four contenders face each other with VPS hosting SJK and KuPS facing Ilves. 
The league concludes on October 23rd by which time seven contenders will be whittled down somewhat but in the six rounds of games before that expect twists, turns and more in Europe's most competitive title race. 

Europa League group stage predictions

For the first time in five years there will be Irish interest in the Europa League group stages and for only the second time ever. It's a big deal, even if the side in question are direct trophy rivals for my own club. Dundalk make their group stage debut having dropped down from the champions league play-offs which saw them unable to get the better of Legia Warszawa. Victories over Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar of Iceland and BATE Borisov of Belarus gave them a guaranteed group stage place at least before doing battle with the Polish champions. 
Dundalk thus became only the second side from this island to reach the group stages. Shamrock Rovers, the most successful side here were the first to break the barrier after a dramatic extra-time victory over Partizan Belgrade in 2011. Rovers went on to lose all six group games in what was a very difficult group and Dundalk will be obviously hoping to better that performance. Dundalk however are in a tricky group make no mistake. Pitted against AZ Alkmaar from the Eredivisie in Holland, Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg and Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel-Aviv it offers it's own challenges. More on Dundalk's group later. 

Elsewhere the group stages have a decent spread of team across the continent. However two regions are without teams in this season's group stage. Scandinavia have no teams competing with only FC København the last remaining Scandinavian side left in either European competition. The Balkans is the other area without a team with Dinamo Zagreb the last team standing in either competition. 
What we lack in Scandinavia and the Balkans we make up for in other areas. Cyprus' APOEL Nicosia return for the second successive season in the Europa League group stage, Israel have two sides competing, as do Azerbaijan and Romania. The Czechs have a trio of hopefuls alongside the same number of Turkish sides. Even Kazakhstan have a side competing with Astana having dropped down from the champions league qualifiers. It all makes for an interesting group stage. 

Group A

Believe it or not I'm actually having a tricky assignment predicting this group. Yes Manchester United should be getting through but it's balanced out with not exactly easy away games. United's strength in depth should be enough to nab one of the top two spots but the other one is very tricky. Feyenoord have the atmospheric De Kuip to get them over the line at home as do Fenerbahçe with the Şükrü Saracoğlu. Zorya Luhansk have an unknown element about them that could fall in their favour. I'm not exactly a Ukrainian football guru but playing games in Odessa as opposed to Luhansk might be the difference in them getting through or not. I'll plum for Fenerbahçe to join United in getting through here. 

1. Manchester United
2. Fenerbahçe
3. Feyenoord
4. Zorya Luhansk

Group B

I like the look of this group. The Greek-Cypriot clashes do give it a spicy flavor which is tasty and qualification doesn't look beyond any of the teams. Olympiacos will no doubt be favorites to at least get through and they should do. APOEL have the warm conditions to their advantage but do face a chilling trip to Astana in November. Astana themselves will be travelling quite a lot which is a factor. Young Boys will be a tricky side to overcome. I'm going to side with APOEL here.

1. Olympiacos
2. APOEL Nicosia
3. Astana
4. Young Boys

Group C

Again another tricky group to predict. A decent grouping of sides that you could make a case for all to get through. Anderlecht's European record compared to their excellent domestic record have been a constant let down. Saint-Étienne I do think will get through. Playing in front of France's most passionate fans they will be a tough nut to break. Mainz have a small European sample size to go off of but I do think they'll be close in this group. The wildcard in this group is Qəbələ. The Azeri side are making their second ever group appearance after last season and will be a tricky opponent especially at home. I can see them coming very close this time but I'll play it safe and go with Anderlecht to join Saint-Étienne. 

1. Saint-Étienne
2. Anderlecht
3. Qəbələ
4. Mainz

Group D

Here we are. Irish eyes will be (well the should be) glued to this group. Dundalk being honest are up against it but that could be their advantage. No fear, no expectation. I'll go on record and say they will at least get a point, how much remains the joy of this competition, unfortunately for them I can't see them getting through. Zenit have quality dripping through the squad and should be favorites to top this group. AZ Alkmaar were a disaster in the group last season finishing 4th and I do think they'll miss out with Maccabi Tel-Aviv nabbing that second spot behind Zenit. The Israelis have lost their free scoring Eran Zahavi but do have a decent attacking threat about them. 

1. Zenit St Petersburg
2. Maccabi Tel-Aviv
3. AZ Alkmaar
4. Dundalk

Group E

Roma surely can't muck up this group. I would be amazed if they didn't get through. Joining them is where it gets tricky to predict. Astra Giurgiu were resolute in overcoming West Ham to get here and look fairly good in keeping teams out on that evidence. Austria Wien are a side that have a very decent shot at getting through. Currently 4th in the concertina at the top of the Austrian league do they have enough to get the better of Viktoria Plzeň. Czechs sides have began to improve in Europe after a doldrum period and I'm inclined to side on their side in this case. 

1. Roma
2. Viktoria Plzeň
3. Austria Wien
4. Astra Giurgiu

Group F

One team in particular I'll be following in this group and no prizes for guessing are our conquerors in the third qualifying round, Genk. Genk were a class or two above City in July/August and I'll be keeping an eye on their progress here for sure. Athletic Bilbao should be getting through without too much trouble. Sassuolo are in their debut European campaign so it's hard to see how much of a challenge they will otherwise have been had they been a seasoned Italian side in Europe. Rapid Wien have a passionate home support which will be their strength. I'm going to be bold here and go for Genk to join Athletic Bilbao in the next round, why not, it'll look better for City. 

1.  Athletic Bilbao
2. Genk
3. Sassuolo
4. Rapid Wien

Group G

A tasty looking group this. Celta de Vigo have began the season in disasterous form with three defeats from three, they have lost Nolito who at times last season was unplayable and could be the first Spanish side to exit Europe this season. Ajax well dumped out of the champions league by Rostov shows they are not in the finest of health. Panathinaikos like most Greek sides whose name is not Olympiacos have no money and Standard Liége well they had the utterly bizarre play-off system domestically to thank for them being in Europe in the first place. All sides have problems so makes for a really interesting battle. Ajax I think will go through alongside Panathinaikos but this group will be tight and don't be surprised to see Celta get through. 

1. Ajax
2. Panathinaikos
3. Celta de Vigo
4. Standard Liége

Group H

Playing away from Donetsk isn't ideal for Shakhtar but they have pedigree in this competition. The final winners of the UEFA cup and semi-finalists last season they are a side you just can't bet against in this group. Again a tricky group to predict given that Braga have started quite well in the league and Gent were among the last 16 in the champions league last season. Konyaspor are making their debut in European competition this season having finished an impressive 3rd domestically last season. I'll go with Braga to join Shakhtar in getting through.

1. Shakhtar Donetsk
2. Sporting Braga
3. Gent
4. Konyaspor

Group I

A very difficult group to predict. Schalke will be favorites to get through and I'd expect them to. Salzburg have in the past been ruthless in groups and have gone through on numerous occasions so will be a tough team to shift. Krasnodar were in the last 32 o this competition last season and won't be a pushover. Nice likewise will fancy their chances in this group. They have started quite well in Ligue 1 and should they carry that form over they have to be considered. I'll stick my neck out and go with Nice and Schalke here. 

1. Schalke
2. Nice
3. Salzburg
4. Krasnodar

Group J

Fiorentina will top this group without too much difficulty I think. The other three will be an interest fight for that second spot. Slovan Liberec are a side that could pose a threat to the more fancied PAOK. The Greeks will be my favorite to get through this group but it could very well be a close run thing. With the experience of the past few years under their belts Azeri side Qarabağ can't be dismissed from the discussion either. 

1. Fiorentina
2. PAOK
3. Qarabağ
4. Slovan Liberec

Group K

The trend of tricky groups continues here with three teams on a similar level and one potential wildcard team. Inter Milan obviously being the biggest name in the group and one would imagine should be getting through. I'm not so confident about the second team to go through. Southampton have in recent years punched above their weight and under a new manager this season are not the same side of those years. Sparta Praha obviously had a very impressive run in this competition last season. Hapoel Be'er Sheva have shown to be strong at home and are a banana skin in this group. I'll stick my neck out and side with Sparta to get through. 

1. Inter Milan
2. Sparta Praha
3. Southampton
4. Hapoel Be'er Sheva

Group L

I would be fairly confident that Villarreal will coast this group. Semi-finalists last season they have much more quality than their group rivals. Steaua București have their own off the pitch problems but were fairly outclassed by Manchester City in the champions league. FC Zürich are actually the only non top division side in the competition having suffered relegation last season but won the Swiss cup. Turkish side Osmanlıspor are in only their second ever European campaign and did overcome FC Midtjylland in the play-offs. I actually think the Turks have a really good chance here so I'll go with them to get through. 

1. Villarreal
2. Osmanlıspor
3. Steaua București
4. FC Zürich

Champions League group stage predictions

The champions league group stage kicks off tomorrow with a few notable absentees as well as a few returning faces and two new teams making their bow in this competition.
The first new team is FC Rostov from Russia. Agonizingly close to a first ever domestic league title last spring they had the consolation prize of a place in the qualifiers to get over the disappointment. Victories over Anderlecht and Ajax have seen them make it to the group stage in their first ever season in the champions league/European cup. Their reward is a difficult group with Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid and PSV Eindhoven. More on that group later.
The second is obviously the defending English champions Leicester City. This being the first time they will be playing in the champions league/European cup.

This season sees Bulgarians Ludogorets Razgrad return after their debut season two years ago. Turkish champions Beşiktaş are back for the first time since 2009-10. Celtic are making their first group stage appearance in three seasons. Portuguese side Sporting Clube de Portugal return after a gap of two seasons, Club Brugge are making their return for the first time since 2005-06, FC København return, three seasons after their last group stage appearance and of course this season sees Poland represented in the group stage for the first time since 1995-96 by Legia Warszawa who make their return this season. 

A notable fact about this season's competition is the absence of any Greek teams in the group stage. Perennial champions Olympiacos were eliminated at the third qualifying round by Israeli side Hapoel Be'er Sheva and last season's runners-up PAOK exited at the hands of Ajax at the same stage. For the first time since 1996-97, Greece won't be hosting any group stage games. 

Group A

A very easy group to predict. PSG to top the group, Arsenal to get through in 2nd and Basel to take the Europa league place, but will push Arsenal all the way. 

1. PSG
2. Arsenal
3. Basel
4. Ludogorets Razgrad

Group B

A slightly tricky group to call. I can see Napoli getting through but joining them is the challenge. I'd probably side with Benfica ahead of Dynamo Kyiv but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Ukrainians edge through. 

1. Napoli
2. Benfica
3. Dynamo Kyiv
4. Beşiktaş

Group C

This group will end how it was drawn. I can't see Gladbach getting the better of the top two seeds in this group. Much less so Celtic who I think will end up bottom of the group with maybe one or two points. 

1. Barcelona
2. Mancheser City
3. Borussia Mönchengladbach
4. Celtic

Group D

Another very predictable group. It'll end as it was drawn. The only interesting aspect will be, can Rostov nip that third place? I was impresed with PSV last season and think they'll do enough to claim third. 

1. Bayern Munich
2. Atlético Madrid
3. PSV Eindhoven
4. FC Rostov

Group E

Now this is a group that is hard to predict. All four teams seem to be close together in ability which makes it tricky to predict. Monaco have started the season well domestically as have CSKA Moskva. Leverkusen after two Bundesliga games have one win and one loss so not a lot came be written about that. Tottenham currently sit 4th in England, unbeaten so going by that they will be tricky opponents for their group rivals. I'm going to go with Monaco and Tottenham to get through, just. Leverkusen to be pushed into third. 

1. Monaco
2. Tottenham
3. Bayer Leverkusen
4. CSKA Moskva

Group F

A dull group in which Real Madrid and Dortmund will easily qualify. I fully expect Sporting Clube de Portugal to secure third place with ease as well. 

1. Real Madrid
2. Borussia Dortmund
3. Sporting CP
4. Legia Warszawa

Group G

Leicester can count their lucky stars they got such a manageable group. Porto are not in the greatest of nick these days while both Club Brugge and FC København are only just back in the group stage after a few years away. Leicester and Porto to get through with the Danes to get third place. 

1. Porto
2. Leicester City
3. FC København
4. Club Brugge

Group H

A tough group to predict despite the presence of Juventus. I still think Juve will get through but I would have my doubts as to how easy they will secure qualification. There is a temptation to say Sevilla third place so they can go for another Europa league tilt but I actually think they will just about squeeze through. I'm writing off Dinamo Zagreb with confidence given past experiences and Lyon will push for qualification to the very end. 

1. Juventus
2. Sevilla
3. Lyon
4. Dinamo Zagreb

Hopes and thoughts

Obviously my main hope for this season's competition is that someone outside of the usual cartel of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich wins the tournament, however it's unlikely, very unlikely. Outside of that I don't see Atlético repeating last year's run to the final, Juventus could be a decent bet for a semi-final place given their summer activity and Manchester City with Pep will go deep into the competition. 

My shout for biggest underachiever in this competition will be PSG. A lot look at them as a "dark horse" but given the cash they have splashed over the years they have underachieved massively. At this moment I can see them falling in the last 16. 

I'll be interested to see how Legia Warszawa cope with their group. I get the feeling they'll lose all six games. They showed they were probably a level above Irish champions Dundalk so I'll be keeping an eye on their fortunes for sure. 

Everyone will be looking out for Leicester to see if they can take Europe by the same storm they took England last year. I think they'll get through but the last 16 will be as far as they get. 

Did you see who Linfield and Crusaders got in the Scottish challenge cup..?

Yes as the title says Linfield and Crusaders yesterday finally learned of their opponents in the Scottish challenge cup. Yes the Scottish challenge cup. Belfast duo Linfield and Crusaders will be making their bow this season in the competition that was revamped to stoke renewed interest. However it doesn't stop there, joining them will be Welsh pair Bala Town and The New Saints. The addition of the four non-Scottish sides adds a novelty factor to this seasons' competition. The inclusion got approval from UEFA which could be the start of cross-border cup competitions dotting up around Europe.

The competition however does not feature the Premiership sides and so as a result last season's winners Rangers will not be able to defend their title. Underage teams from the Premiership sides however have been invited to take part, which have all been knocked out at this stage.
Three rounds have been played so far, all of which have been broken into northern and southern sections. The fourth round will be the first to see the non-Scottish sides take part and was drawn to prevent the Belfast clubs from facing their Welsh counterparts.

• Bala Town v Alloa Athletic
• Forfar Athletic v The New Saints
• Crusaders v Livingston
• Queen of the South v Linfield

Linfield will face an away trip to Dumfries to face Queen of the South in a trip that is about 100km longer than their longest domestic trip. Crusaders host Livingston which cuts the travelling aspect out for the Belfast team but for Livingston it's a trip that is around 20km longer than their longest domestic trip. 

The Welsh sides were always going to be travelling quite a distance. Bala have been spared an away trip with them hosting an Alloa team that will be making a 481km journey south. The New Saints however will be travelling 558km north to face Forfar Athletic. 

Irish sides in future?

I must admit I was intrigued about this when it first emerged that Northern Irish and Welsh sides would be invited to play in this season's competition. It did of course get me thinking of, should this experiment go well, why not include two teams of the Republic of Ireland. If they continued down this road then the two representatives from here would be Dundalk and Cork City. A couple of issues would need to be ironed out of course such as fixture congestion which has become an issue now with Dundalk's European adventure continuing into the autumn. Prize money would also be a deciding factor to see if it would be a worthwhile adventure. The calendar is also a big factor. The Scottish, Welsh and Irish leagues are all winter leagues with the league here a summer one. That could also present a challenge in trying to fit in games. 

From a fan perspective I would be more than willing to take part in this competition. The chance to face Hibernian at Easter Road would be an interesting match up. However there would be as much chance of that happening as a City away trip to say Peterhead or Elgin City. Either way I'm in favor of City giving it a go. 

However there is skepticism in me about the Northern Irish sides in particular. For years we had a cross-border cup competition called the Setanta cup which pitted northern sides against the southern teams here in Ireland. The competition began to dive into farce when in 2014 both Linfield and Cliftonville withdrew from the tournament citing lack of prize money as a factor for the withdrawal. Then the following year the clubs from the north voiced concerns over the schedule. The tournament was cancelled when agreements couldn't be made as to when to play it and to date it hasn't returned. Despite numerous format changes the competition with the exception of the first few years didn't really capture the imagination. I would be interested to see if the Irish league sides take to this competition given they weren't that keen on travelling south yet are open for travelling to Scotland. 

First time for everything

The week just gone I completed a first. A first that was so obviously glaring in my records that it needed to be done and well I decided a few weeks ago to press ahead with it.
What is it you ask? well this past week was my first time ever in...Scotland. Yes I had never been to Scotland. Been to Iceland, Slovakia, Finland and even Romania but never been to Scotland. It was Edinburgh to be precise, a city that never really jumped out at me on the map in the past to be honest.
A trip to there would've happened in late June early July had Cork City been paired with Hearts in the Europa league so it was with hindsight a possible sign.

Edinburgh this season has three teams competing in the professional leagues. The usual two of Hearts and Hibs being joined this season by Edinburgh City, who earned promotion after beating East Stirling last season. With three teams it means at least one game on any given weekend in the city. The weekend I was there, there was a choice of two, Hibernian faced Greenock Morton in the championship and Edinburgh City hosted Berwick Rangers in League 2. A little under a mile between the two grounds.

In the end I plumed for Hibernian v Greenock Morton. Easter Road has seen some major development over the years and today it is an impressive ground with four large stands surrounding the pitch. The game itself was pretty much all Hibernian. Morton did fashion one or two forays forward but Hibernian without being overly impressive were simply too good for their opponents. Going into the game Hibernian were on a 100% winning start with three from three. Hibs took the lead just before the half hour and from there on it was a formality with a second goal arriving just before half time when a cross was nodded home by Grant Holt ahead of Morton keeper Derek Gaston. Throughout the first half there was an older gentleman behind us providing his own commentary of events happening on the pitch. Hibs' Andrew Shinnie being the target. "Oh he's feckin shiite" before Shinnie plays a lovely ball out to Fraser Fyvie, "Terrific player" followed by Shinnie being dispossessed "ohhhh useless". This fan also revealed he would be leaving should Hibs score a third "game is shite and boring" was his statement.

The second half began much like the first half ended with Hibs probing for goals. The third goal arrived not long into the half when Jason Cummings headed home from close range. Hibs were home and hosed and that fan was on his way home as a result. Morton keeper Gaston appeared for much of the second half to be carrying an injury with his goal kicks in particular seemingly being struck gingerly. He was taken off and replaced by Andrew McNeil and one of his first tasks was picking the ball out of the net when Hibs added a fourth goal. This goal was the pick of the bunch as it featured an absolute beauty of a cross from Cummings and it was headed on wonderfully by Brian Graham, who had come on earlier in the half. 4-0 and all rosy in Easter Road. The attendance was announced as just over 14,500 which was a fairly decent turn out for what is the second tier in Scotland. 350 were announced as the number of travelling fans from Greenock, which to be honest looked more
like 150 but the majority of them stayed on despite their side being outclassed.

The victory allowed Hibs to go clear at the top of the championship table. Morton being a point above the relegation play-off in 8th.
The previous night myself and a friend took a trip over to Meadowbank stadium where Edinburgh City play their home games. A lovely little stadium despite the running track but the sight of Arthur's Seat in the background adding an element of beauty to the place. The ground holds 5,000 seats in the impressive stand.

Monday we visited the home of Hearts or Heart of Midlothian to give them their full name. Tynecastle stadium is located West of the city center about fifteen minutes away on the bus. We didn't manage to get into the ground itself but checked out their club shop which had an old school football which was fairly cool looking. Also a Hearts CD which was mad. Also can I just add that they had the current away shirt in plenty of stock. Well mother of Jesus it was quite a standout shirt. Think yellow and pink horizontal stripes with a white collar and you have the shirt.

I will be back to the city again soon and will be aiming to take in a derby game at some stage too, if Hibs can finally get out of the championship this year it might be a more regular occurrence.

My La Liga 2016-17 preview

Well with it being August already (did it really go that quick) its time to preview another upcoming La Liga season. A fascinating summer of movement on and off the pitch around the league has us fans looking forward to a variety of things about this upcoming season. Will Real Madrid end their title drought of four years?, will Barcelona reign supreme yet again?, can Atlético nip in ahead once more?, can there be another challenger?, will little Leganés stay up? a lot of questions and more.

The title race:

We are accustomed at this stage to the same duo of Barcelona and Real Madrid fighting it out for the title. Atlético have crept up onto the scene in the past few years to make it interesting. Expect the same three to tussle it out for the title. 

Barcelona have added a bit of depth with the likes of Lucas Digne, Denis Suárez and Samuel Umtiti to the squad that won the league last year. I'd expect them to in all honesty win it again as Real Madrid haven't strengthened the squad. Only Álvaro Morata has arrived with the others being loan returns.
However I do think Atlético Madrid will finished above Real Madrid. I don't think Atlético will win the league with the elusive champions league title probably being the number one aim for Simeone. They have added good depth and will challenge for the title but I have my doubts as to them winning it, although if they do then fantastic!,

European Places:

 Villarreal were the team to claim the coveted 4th place last term. They had a superb season in which they also reached the semi-finals of the Europa league however they have lost a couple of decent players in Denis Suárez and Samu García. Also manager Marcelino departed last week and to add further agony, Roberto Soldado is facing a lengthy spell on the injury table. I don't expect the yellow submarine to repeat their 4th place finish.

Sevilla finally back in the top 4?
source: getty

That honor goes to Sevilla who I think will finally get their noses into the top four. Last season Sevilla were a disaster away from home with no win at all in the league. If they can produce even decent away form with their excellent home form then they are as strong a candidate for the 4th place as any. Yes they have lost a few key players but as per usual they seem to get by fairly well and the new signings have added depth.

Valencia with no European football could be one to watch. Two seasons ago without any European football, they finished 4th and they could go close to that this season. They have lost André Gomes who was very good for them at times last season, plus Gary Neville isn't around, no disprect Gary but you were a disaster.

Athletic Bilbao for the past few seasons have been a fixture in this bracket. I expect this season to be no different. No major departures with the exception of the retirment of Carlos Gurpegi and Ibai Gómez off to Alavés. Laporte is still around, Williams and of course evergreen Aritz Aduriz also.

Real Sociedad if they can get some sort of consistency could get into the hunt. After the sacking of David Moyes last winter, things got a little more settled under Enrique Sacristán. With a full pre-season with the players he could get them marching up to possibly a European place.

Mid-Table safety or obscurity 

Celta de Vigo started superbly last season and that was the foundation for their return to European competition. However they have lost possibly their best player in Nolito. With the pressure of more fixtures they might struggle to replicate last season's 6th place finish.

Staying in Galicia, Deportivo La Coruna were at one stage threatening a European battle, but they faded badly and ended well down the table. A glance at that table shows their problem. Relegated Rayo and Getafe won more games, what kept Depor up was their La Liga record haul of eighteen draws. The draws kept them up but prevented them from a much better season. Their hopes lie with Lucas Pérez staying which is still not certain.

Rubén Castro = Real Betis
source: twitter

Real Betis were newly promoted and achieved their objective of staying well clear of trouble last season. The objective now will be for them to push a bit higher in the league. I maintain that Real Betis are a massive club and that they shouldn't be this low down but never know. Rubén Castro surely can't keep his scoring records going ?

Málaga were defensively a solid team last year. Thirty five goals conceded was just one more than Real Madrid but the lack of a clinical goalscorer saw the Andalucians finish outside the European places. Javi Gracía however has departed for Rubin Kazan which means Juande Ramos, remember him, is back in La Liga, interesting times.

One of the more certain aspects of La Liga is Espanyol being in this bracket. Too good to be sucked into a relegation threat but not having enough to push for Europe. 13th last season more of the same. A few interesting signings such as José Reyes as well as Quique Sánchez Fores coming in as coach. 

The relegation battle

By far the most entertaining aspect of La Liga is the relegation dog fight. Always going down to the wire and expect something similar with probably six or seven sides fighting for their lives. I have a soft spot for a few of these sides so there will be no win win in terms of who I would want to go down but here we go. 

Valerón won't be around
source: worldfootball.net

Firstly is Las Palmas. Sadly, Juan Carlos Valerón has retired from professional football so there won't be the thrill of watching him pick eye of the needle passes. They are however a terrific side to watch going by last season. A few interesting signings have added a bit more quality and they should be safe and yes I want them to stay up, being the islanders and all that.

Sporting Gijón stayed up on the final day last season and it may take another late saving mission to keep them up. They have lost Alen Halilovic and top scorer Antonio Sanabria but something about them is saying "we'll be grand without them". I'll go with that hunch.

Newly promoted sides are usually pretty dreadful (Córdoba 14-15) or half decent (Real Betis 15-16) so I think Alavés will be half decent. They won the Segunda last season and I for one am thrilled with their return to La Liga for the first time since 2005-06. A small compact stadium that will be the difference in staying up. Plus it's hard to hate a team that has Gaizka Toquero as their striker. 

Osasuna are back people !
source: marca.com

A massive welcome back is due to Osasuna too. I will admit I did fear they would be missing from La Liga for quite some time when they went down in 13-14 but they are back and hopefully will be sticking around. An unexpected promotion via the play-off left them with a little under two months to scramble a team good enough to stay up and the signing of Oriol Riera could do the trick. He was their top scorer in that relegation season.

Granada I do fear for. They stayed up miraculously in 14-15 and stayed up last season in the final few weeks. I have a feeling this will be the season they go down, partly because Youssef El-Arabi has departed, their main source of goals.

They would've went down in 14-15 had Elche not been demoted but I think it will catch up to them this season. Eibar have amazed a lot with their stint in the top flight. 14th last season they managed to keep away from the relegation zone but with other teams strengthening this probably will be the year they go down.

It was very much a shock promotion from Leganés. The side hailing from a satellite town just outside Madrid have it all to do really. As it turned out we missed out on the mighty Madrid derby with Getafe going down last season but I think it would be quite a story if Leganés can upset the odds and my prediction in staying up. They have signed a couple of decent players and probably the best known player is Rubén Pérez formally of Atlético, Granada and Betis. 

Hopes:

My hopes for the season will not be clichéd asking for goals and excellent refereeing decisions (in this league, you am I kidding). My biggest hope for the season would be for somehow a fourth contender for the title. It's unlikely but not beyond the realms. At least a fourth contender in contention into the new year. Please! . Also for Osasuna, Las Palmas and Alavés to stay up. Atlético to give the champions league another good go. Real Sociedad to be consistent, seriously no mucking about. 

My Prediction:

1. Barcelona
2. Atlético Madrid
3. Real Madrid
4. Sevilla 
5. Valencia
6. Athletic Bilbao
7. Villarreal
8. Real Sociedad
9. Celta de Vigo
10. Real Betis
11. Málaga
12. Deportivo La Coruna 
13. Espanyol
14. Las Palmas
15. Sporting Gijón
16. Deportivo Alavés 
17. Osasuna
18. Granada 
19. Eibar
20. Leganés

The run ends with Genk

Cork City's Europa league run of three rounds ended on Thursday against a superior KRC Genk side. Six weeks of an adventure that will hopefully be used as a platform for even bigger success in the coming years.
The first leg last week in Belgium saw City play superbly well. A lapse in concentration allowed Genk to score but the game was very competitive throughout. On another night City may have left Belgium with an away goal, or two had Seani Maguire managed to convert one of the two guilt edged chances in the second half.

The second leg at home was well over after ten minutes. The lack of an away goal after the first leg was always going to make this task a very difficult one to overcome. In any case when the impressive Leon Bailly's low cross found the unmarked run of Thomas Buffel it was curtains. The former Rangers, Feyenoord and Cercle Brugge man finished superbly. City needed three goals to progress and that wasn't going to happen.
Just before half-time a corner from Alejandro Pozuelo found the unmarked Sébastien Dewaest and his powerful header beat McNulty. 2-0 to the Belgians and City now needed four to progress, game over.

The fear was that the second half was going to be rout but credit to the City players that they did not let that happen. In fact it was a pretty good second half display. Steven Beattie was shifted to right back, Gearoid Morrisey was sacrificed at half-time and City went at Genk for the second half, for pride more than anything else.
A lovely free-kick was curled into the box just after the hour mark, Alan Bennett rose highest to plant his header past Marco Bizot and the cheer from the stand was like we had scored the winner. 2-1 three more to progress. It was a tiny glimmer but realistically we already knew it was curtains. City pushed for more but a word on Genk was they managed the game superbly. A joy to watch at times it was a reminder of the standard that is needed to progress at this stage of the competition.

In stoppage time City gave away a blatant penalty and the chance for Genk to put a bit of gloss on the tie. Neeskens Kebano stepped up and crashed his penalty off the crossbar in the last kick of the tie and City's involvement in this season's Europa league.

The Genk away support was superb as well and were applauded by their players at the full time whistle. About 200-300 of them made the trip over and they certainly made themselves heard and seen with some pyro at the start of the game.

As it turned out the draw for the play-off round pitted Genk with a trip to Lokomotiva Zagreb for a shot at the group stage. Had City made it to the play-offs it was one of the Greek trio of Olympiacos, PAOK and Panathinaikos that I would've wanted.
In any case till next year Europe, but do kind of wish Budućnost had converted a couple of those penalties in the last round.