With a handful of games remaining, the 2022-23 season is drawing to a close across European club football. England and Germany finished up this weekend, with Spain, Italy and France all having one weekend to decide league placings, European qualification and relegation.
Here’s a quick roundup of exactly what has been decided in the English Premier League and the German Bundesliga, and what is left to play for in the Spanish LaLiga, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1 at this late stage.
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Premier League
Title: Manchester City (89 points) were crowned champions on May 20 when Arsenal (84) lost at Nottingham Forest.
Champions League: Arsenal had already booked their return to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) for the first time in 2016-17, and on Monday they were joined by Newcastle United (71) who themselves will be in Europe’s premier club competition for the first time in 21 years. Manchester United (75) sealed the final spot with a win over Chelsea on May 25.
Europa League: Liverpool (67) finished fifth and took the UEFA Europa League (UEL) qualification berth on offer. With both cup winners finishing in the top four, the UEL place for the FA Cup winners transfers to the league, and Brighton & Hove Albion (62) securing a first-ever European campaign.
West Ham United will also qualify for the Europa League if they beat Fiorentina in the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL).
Europa Conference League: With Man United winning the Carabao Cup, this place also moves over the league. Aston Villa (61) claimed it with a win at home to Leeds, ahead of Tottenham Hotspur (60) and Brentford (59).
Relegation: Bottom club Southampton (25) had their fate sealed some time again, they were joined on the final day by Leeds United (31) and Leicester City (34), who beat West Ham but go down as Everton (36) won at home to Bournemouth.
Bayern lifts Meisterschale after winning Bundesliga title
Bayern celebrates their 11th straight Bundesliga title by raising the Meisterschale.
Bundesliga
Title: Bayern Munich (71, +54) pipped Borussia Dortmund (71, +39) on goal difference on the final day. With 89 minutes gone, Dortmund were losing 2-1 to Mainz and Bayern were drawing 1-1 with Cologne, meaning the title was headed to Dortmund. Then Jamal Musiala scored to take the title to Bayern instead and Dortmund’s last-minute goal meant nothing.
Champions League: Along with Dortmund and Bayern, RB Leipzig (66, +23) were already assured of qualification. Union Berlin (62, + 13) beat Werder Bremen to pick up fourth place ahead of SC Freiburg (59, +7), who were beaten by seventh-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.
Europa League: Freiburg took the Europa League spot allocated to the league, with the second place associated with the German Cup. If RB Leipzig win the final, sixth in the Bundesliga (Bayer Leverkusen) will get the UEL place; if Frankfurt lift the trophy, they will go into the UEL.
Europa Conference League: As it stands, Bayer Leverkusen (50, +8) will go into the UECL after finishing sixth, but will jump to Europa League if Leipzig win the German Cup. If that happens, seventh placed Frankfurt will qualify for the UECL (50, +6).
Relegation: Hertha Berlin (29, -27) were the first club to be relegated. The other automatic berth fell to Schalke 04 (31, -36) after they lost to Leipzig 4-2. VfB Stuttgart (33 -12) drop into the relegation playoff against third-place in the 2.Bundesliga (currently Hamburg.)
LaLiga
Title: Barcelona (88, +51) were formally anointed LaLiga champions for the first time in four years when they beat neighbours Espanyol 4-2 in the local derby earlier this month.
Champions League: Real Madrid (77, +39) and Atletico Madrid (76, +37) join Barca in the UCL. The fourth spot goes to Real Sociedad (68, +15), who lost to Atletico on Sunday, but Villarreal’s defeat to Rayo Vallecano the same day ended their challenge for the top four.
However, Sevilla face Roma in the Europa League final, so they could claim Champions League football if they win it.
Europa League: Villarreal (63, +19) and Real Betis (59, +5) have secured the two UEL places.
Europa Conference League: Five clubs could yet end up in seventh. Osasuna (50, -6), Athletic Club (50, +4), Girona (49, +4), Rayo Vallecano (49, -5), Sevilla (49, -6). On the final day, it’s Osasuna vs. Girona, Real Madrid v Athletic, Mallorca v Rayo Vallecano and Real Sociedad v Sevilla.
If Sevilla win the UEL and finish seventh, LaLiga will have no team in the UECL. If Sevilla win the UEL and finish eighth or lower, LaLiga will have eight teams in Europe (five in the UCL.)
Relegation: Adrift at the bottom, Elche (21, -38) were relegated in early May, and on Sunday they were joined by Espanyol (36, -17). Amazingly, six teams — separated by two points — could still fill the final relegation place: Real Valladolid (39, -30), Celta Vigo (40, -11), Almeria (40, -16), Valencia (41, -3), Getafe (41, -11) and Cadiz (41, -23) are all still in danger.
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Serie A
Title: Napoli (86, +47) cantered to their first Scudetto in 33 years when wrapping things up with a pivotal 1-1 draw against Udinese on May 4.
Champions League: With Juventus docked 10 points for false accounting in the club’s transfer dealings, the UCL race is not quite as intense as it was and was in fact decided this weekend. Internazionale (69, +28) have enjoyed a hot run of form and secured a spot in next season’s competition, Lazio (68, +27) also booked their passage. AC Milan (67, +19) completed the set with a win at Juve on Sunday.
Europa League and Europa Conference League: The three places will go to Atalanta (61, +15), AS Roma (60, +11) and Juve (59, +23). Whichever teams finish in fifth and sixth will go into the UEL, with seventh into the UECL. No other team is in contention.
Roma (6th) could seal Champions League football if they win the Europa League final against Sevilla, which would give Italy five teams in the UCL and Serie A would forfeit a place in the UEL or UECL, whichever Roma qualify for domestically.
Relegation: Bottom club Sampdoria (19, -45) were relegated with four games left to play, closely followed by Cremonese (24, -34). Spezia (31, -30) and Hellas Verona (31, -26) will battle it out to avoid the last relegation place, and if they finish level on points a playoff will be held at a neutral venue to decide who goes down. Spezia are away to Roma, and Verona go to AC Milan on the final day.
Ligue 1
Title: Paris Saint-Germain (85, +51) fended off Lens (81, +37) and clinched the Ligue 1 title with a game to spare. PSG settled for a 1-1 draw to Strasbourg, which was enough to secure the trophy. Lionel Messi‘s goal for PSG in that game was his 496th career league goal in Europe, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo‘s scoring record for Europe’s top five leagues. (See our Messi milestone tracker for more.)
Champions League: PSG will be seeded, with Lens taking the second automatic group-stage spot. Marseille (73, +28) will enter the UCL in the third qualifying round.
Europa League and Europa Conference League: Toulouse have already qualified by winning the Coupe de France. That means fourth will be in the UEL, and fifth in the UECL. Lille (66, +21), Stade Rennais (65, +29), AS Monaco (65, +13) are battling it out, and two of these three clubs will get European football, and the third will miss out completely. Lyon (62, +20) have a mathematical chance but a far inferior goal difference to Stade Rennais.
Relegation: Ligue 1 is to be reduced from 20 clubs down to 18 from the 2023-24 season, meaning that four will be relegated this season in order to facilitate the change. Angers (15, -48), Ajaccio (23, -49) and Troyes (23, -35) are already doomed. The final place is between two clubs, with Nantes (33, -19) and AJ Auxerre (35, -26) hoping to avoid the slide into Ligue 2.
