European Leagues: A Moment to Reflect on Europe's Other Major Leagues Part 2
By: Anthony Tazbaz
Image Credit: Miguel Mota Sousa
Welcome to part 2!
While we generally cover Europe's top five leagues, this is a continuation of reflecting and analyzing the first quarter of the season of Europe's other leagues, which deserve a mention and credit for producing some of Europe's top talent.
With part 1 having covered Belgium, Greece and the Netherlands, Part 2 will include top divisions in Portugal, Switzerland, and Türkiye.
Similar to Part 1, the assessment includes top performers, surprising disappointments, and current performances by clubs representing the league/country in UEFA competitions.
Portugal: Primeira Liga
As usual, the Primeira Liga is dominated by a trio of clubs, namely two from Lisbon — SL Benfica and Sporting CP — and FC Porto in the north of the country. This season's table demonstrates exactly that — Sporting leading the league with 22 points after eight matches played (7 wins, 1 draw). Sporting's local rivals Benfica trail by just one point, with seven wins and one loss. FC Porto is not too far behind with 19 points (6 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss).
After the top three, SC Braga and Vitoria Guimaraes stand the greatest chance at squeezing into a top three position. SC Braga, who finished third place last year and are competing in this year's Champions League with the likes of Napoli and Real Madrid, are only one win behind Porto, who are less than an hour's drive away.
Nearby Guimaraes is tied with Braga at 16 points, boasting an identical record of five wins, one draw, and one loss. Both clubs typically compete in the Europa League, with Braga's best performance coming in 2010-11 where they lost in the final to no other than Porto by a 1-0 score.
Portuguese clubs historically take UEFA competitions seriously, especially the Champions League. FC Porto famously won the 2004 title under José Mourinho after defeating AS Monaco in the final, highlighted by defeating global heavyweights such as Sir Alex Ferguson's star-studded Manchester United. This was the club's second title, with the first being won in 1986-87 after defeating Bayern Munich 2-1 in the final.
Benfica won two UCL titles and made it to five other finals. The Lisbon club also stands as the last Portuguese club to feature in a UEFA competition final during the 2012-13 Europa League, where they lost 2-1 against Chelsea in heart breaking fashion. Sporting, renowned for its player development, always remains a threat in the competition. Look no further than last year, where the Lisbon club defeated competition favourites Arsenal FC at the Emirates Stadium in stunning fashion.
The league winner automatically qualifies for the Champions League, whereas second place needs to go through the qualifiers to book its ticket. Third place plays in the Europa League qualifying, and the fourth-place club competes in the Conference League qualifiers. The Portuguese Cup winners also book a ticket to the Europa League.
Below are how Portuguese clubs currently fare in UEFA competitions:
Champions League:
SC Braga — 3rd place in Group C (3 points — 1 win, 1 loss)
SL Benfica — 4th place in Group D (0 points — 2 losses)
FC Porto — 2nd place in Group H (3 points — 1 win, 1 loss)
Europa League:
Sporting CP — 2nd place in Group D (3 points — 1 win, 1 loss)
Conference League:
N/A
Switzerland: Swiss Super League
Since the Swiss top division morphed into the Swiss Super League — a new format compared to the previous one under the Nationalliga — ahead of the 2003-04 season, the league was highlighted by one club holding a monopoly over the remainder of the clubs. First, it was FC Zürich from 2003-04 until 2008-09, then FC Basel from 2009-10 to 2016-17, and now BSC Young Boys from 2017-18 to 2022-23.
FC Zürich were the odd winners in 2021-22 and currently lead the league this season with 23 points from 11 games played (6 wins, 5 draws). Young Boys trail closely with 21 points from 10 games (6 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss).
It is worth noting that the Swiss Super League expanded to 12 clubs this season. This should improve competition and diversity, with more cities and fanbases represented in Switzerland's premier football league and more opponents for players to play and shine against. This season also includes two clubs from Lausanne for the first time: the experienced Lausanne Sport and debutants Stade Lausanne-Ouchy. Yverdon Sport is also making its debut in the Swiss Super League, who competed in the third division only three years ago.
FC Basel has been the greatest shock so far this season, who currently sit at the bottom of the table with only five points from 10 matches (1 win, 2 draws, 7 losses). Renowned for dominating Swiss football in the late 2000s to the mid-2010s and producing some of the best talent seen in the country, sitting in relegation with a quarter of the season passed, this does not bode well with supporters, who have clashed with players and staff on several occasions. A relegation in Basel would be as epic as the demotions of Saint-Etienne or Hamburg to the second division.
The league winner and the runners-up typically stand a chance to qualify for the Champions League, whereas third and fourth place compete in the Europa League qualifiers, and the Schweizer Pokal winner plays either in the Europa League or in the Conference League., depending on the rankings of Switzerland in the UEFA coefficient.
Below are how Swiss clubs currently fare in UEFA competitions:
Champions League:
BSC Young Boys — 3rd place in Group G (1 point — 1 draw, 1 loss)
Europa League:
Servette FC — 3rd place in Group A (0 points — 2 losses)
Conference League:
FC Lugano — 1st place in Group D (4 points — 1 win, 1 draw)
Türkiye: Süper Lig
Arguably the most underrated league in the world, the Turkish Süper Lig has so far not disappointed fans.
Fenerbahçe is taking not only Turkey, but Europe by storm. The Istanbul club posts a staggering record of nine wins in as many matches (27 points). Fenerbahçe remains the only club in major European leagues with a perfect record, both domestically and in European competitions (PSV Eindhoven is undefeated in domestic competitions but lost in Champions League).
However, Galatasaray trails not far behind with 25 points (8 wins, 1 draw). Both clubs conceded only five goals — by far the best in Turkey.
Both clubs also remain strong performers in Europe. Galatasaray — last year's defending Süper Lig champions — defeated Manchester United 3-2 at Old Trafford, marking the first time Galatasaray won on English soil. The club's first UCL match is also a worthy highlight; coming back from two goals down to ultimately draw 2-2.
Fenerbahçe won both matches in the Conference League and sit at the top of Group H with six points. Wins against Denmark's FC Nordsjaelland and Slovakia's Spartak Trnava — 3-1 at home and 2-1 away, respectively — put Fenerbahçe in prime position to earn the unofficial award of best performer in European club football.
While other Istanbul heavyweight Besiktas lies fourth in the Süper Lig table, Trabzonspor, Sivasspor, and Istanbul Basaksehir are the surprised disappointments. Although Trabzonsppor and Sivasspor sit mid-table in ninth and tenth place, respectively, Istanbul Basaksehir finds itself in a relegation battle as the club sits in 16th place with eight points from nine matches. These performances are uncharacteristic for perennial European competitors, especially Istanbul, who played in Champions League only three seasons ago.
With the the Süper Lig being a more prestigious league in comparison to the aforementioned leagues, the top two in the table proceed to the Champions League qualifiers, with the third-place club needing to go through the Europa League qualifiers. The fourth-place club enters the Conference League qualifiers. The Turkish Cup winner also earns a spot in the Europa League qualifiers.
Below are how Turkish clubs currently fare in UEFA competitions:
Champions League:
Galatasaray — 2nd place in Group A (4 points — 1 win, 1 draw)
Europa League:
N/A
Conference League:
Besiktas — 3rd place in Group D (1 point — 1 draw, 1 loss)
Fenerbahçe — 1st place in Group H (6 points — 2 wins)
