All of the major European leagues have now concluded their 2019/20 seasons and it is fair to say that the big guns have dominated proceedings once again.
France, Italy and Germany all produced familiar champions, while the title battles in Spain and Portugal were also dominated by the usual suspects.
Things were less clear in the Netherlands, with four teams still in with a genuine chance of lifting the trophy when the season was cancelled. Read on as we review the season just gone.
PSG Romp Home to Another Title
Ligue 1 has become one of the most predictable competitions in Europe in recent years, with Paris Saint-Germain’s financial clout allowing them to blow their rivals out of the water.
That proved to be the case once again this season, as PSG easily claimed the French title for the seventh time in the last eight seasons, with the most Ligue 1 news focusing on Neymar and Mbappe’s future rather than anything on the pitch.
Marseille and Rennes finished second and third respectively, but they were never seriously in contention to challenge for the championship.
PSG are still in this season’s Champions League, although they could have their work cut out against free-scoring Atalanta in the quarter-finals.
Madrid and Barca Dominate in Spain
Barcelona came up short in their bid to win a hat-trick of league titles, with perennial rivals Real Madrid powering clear on the run-in.
Zinedine Zidane’s side were functional rather than spectacular throughout the campaign, but that was enough to see off a Barca team who were hampered by inconsistency.
Lionel Messi cut a frustrated figure during the season and made the La Liga news headlines for all the wrong reasons, as many of his illustrious teammates failed miserably to live up to their lofty reputations and backroom bickering between the club and Messi overshadowed their league performances.
Barca still look best placed of the two Spanish giants to progress in the Champions League, although their route to the final is a tough one.
Juventus Edge Home in Serie A
A 2-0 victory over Sampdoria handed Juventus their ninth Serie A title in a row, but their success wasn’t one that will live long in the memory.
Defeats in their final two matches meant Juve claimed top spot by just a point from Inter Milan, with Atalanta and Lazio another four points adrift of that pair.
Maurizio Sarri’s side posted the worst statistics from the club’s last nine title-winning seasons, with their 83-point tally their lowest in the last decade. The current Serie A news predicts a departure for Sarri with Conte to return.
Juve also dropped 21 points from winning positions, further highlighting that the famed ‘Sarri-ball’ tactic might not be all it’s cracked up to be.
Bayern Enjoy Another One-Horse Race in Germany
The Bundesliga is another competition that has been easy to predict in recent years and that proved to be the case again this time around.
Bayern Munich finished 13 points ahead of Borussia Dortmund to claim the title for an eighth successive year.
Their 1-0 victory in Dortmund towards the end of May ended the title race as a contest and left the other teams playing for second place.
Dortmund eventually won that battle with RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach close behind, but they will all have to step things up if they’re to knock Bayern off their perch next term.
Reigning Dutch Champions Left Frustrated
Ajax’s hopes of winning the Eredivisie for the third time in a row were scuppered after league bosses decided to call an early halt to the season.
The reigning champions did have a fight on their hands at that time, with AZ Alkmaar, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven all in with a chance of challenging.
Ajax and Alkmaar can console themselves with the fact they will participate in the Champions League next season, providing both can safely navigate the qualification stage.
A frustrating element of the early curtailment of the season was the decision not to relegate clubs from the Eredivisie, leaving the top Eerste Divisie teams feeling rather aggrieved.
Porto Leave Benfica Trailing in Portugal
Porto were relentless after the restart of the Primeira Liga, taking full advantage of Benfica’s inconsistencies to claim their 29th title in style.
They went on to complete the double, defeating Benfica 2-1 in the final of the Taca de Portugal despite playing over half of the game with 10 men.
Luis Diaz was sent-off after 38 minutes, but two goals after the break by centre-back Chancel Mbemba but Porto in control.
Carlos Vinicius converted a late penalty for Benfica, but that proved to be nothing more than a consolation as Porto held on for a deserved victory.
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