Top point scorers from Europe’s ‘Big Five’ currently outside their leagues Champions League spots

The 10 teams on this list are the unlucky folk as of now. They are the top point scorers from Europe's 'Big Five' leagues who currently sit outside their leagues Champions League spots.

Here we have listed the top 10 teams from Europe's 'Big Five' leagues who are currently outside their leagues' Champions League spots.

 

Monaco - 62 points 

Monaco from the French Ligue 1 is first up on this list. They are possibly the unluckiest team on this list, as they are in fourth place in the league.

In the other leagues, that would be a Champions League spot as they are usually the top four. But in the French league, it is only the top three who get it.

There is hope for them yet, though. They are on equal points with third place Rennes, only behind by a big margin in goal difference. They are also three points off of second, so the dream of Champions League is still alive.

 

Tottenham - 61 points 

Tottenham are embroiled in a fiery multi-team battle for a Champions League spot in the English Premier League. At times this season, they have been in the top four, but as of writing, they are just outside it in fifth place.

They are only two points behind Arsenal in fourth and five points behind Chelsea in third. They have a superior goal difference to Arsenal, so should that come into play, they would have the upper hand.

Ideally, Spurs would need to win their remaining four games and hope Arsenal - or even Chelsea - slip up somewhere, and they'd get it.

For a full rundown of the Champions League battle in the Premier League, check out our article from yesterday: How the battle for Champions League football is looking. 

 

Nice - 60 points 

Another French team next. The battle for the places in Ligue 1 is incredibly close coming into the home stretch of the season.

Nice find themselves in fifth, two points behind Monaco and Rennes, five behind Marseille, but crucially, three points ahead of sixth place Strasbourg.

That small gap gives them some breathing room to concentrate on giving their all to catch the two ahead.

They do have a lesser goal difference than Monaco, though. They have a +15 GD to Monaco's +22. Not ideal if it comes down to that.

 

Roma - 59 points 

Two Italian teams are up next, with Roma coming ahead of the other. The Serie A and Spanish La Liga do their tiebreakers differently to the most known 'whoever has the higher goal difference'.

In the Serie A, it is figured by the two teams' head-to-head record. If it is still even, then it goes to goal difference in the head-to-head games. If it is STILL even, then it goes to overall goal difference. There's more, but just check it out here. It also includes all the rules for the other teams.

This is important, as Roma and Lazio are on equal points. Lazio have a superior goal difference, so in the other leagues bar La Liga, they would be ahead. But not in Italy.

Roma come out on top in their head-to-head with Lazio. They lost the first game 3-2, but then won the second 3-0. So while it is tied at a game a piece, Roma has the better goal difference between the two, five goals to Lazio's three.

 

Lazio - 59 points 

 

As mentioned, Lazio is only behind Roma because of their goals in their head-to-head. So no matter what, if the two sides finish on equal points, Lazio will lose out.

But there is no worry of possibly losing out on the Champions League to them for that because neither side can make it this year.

They are 10 points behind Juventus, and with only three games left to go, the maximum points they can get is nine.

 

Real Betis - 58 points 

Real Betis have had a strong year so far, but might find themselves coming up just short of a Champions League spot.

Currently in fifth, they are three points behind Atletico Madrid in fourth. They have an equal goal difference, but that wouldn't matter if they were matching Atletico for points.

As mentioned before, the Spanish La Liga decides its tiebreakers with head-to-heads, just like in the Serie A. And unfortunately for Betis, they lost both their games to Atletico.

So if they want to get ahead, they'd have to ideally win their remaining four games and hope Atletico slips up twice.

 

Manchester United - 58 points 

Manchester United is another team, like Spurs, who are fighting the battle for Champions League in the Premier League. But things aren't looking too bright for the Red Devils.

Only five matchdays ago, they were in fourth. But some bad results have dropped them down to sixth place. They are three points behind Spurs, so that's problem number one.

The second is that even if they do catch and match them for points, Tottenham have a far superior goal difference. +5 for United to Spurs' +20.

But the biggest problem in United's campaign for Champions League football next year is the fact that they only have two games left to play this season, while every team ahead of them has four.

 

Strasbourg - 57 points 

Should Strasbourg find themselves finishing in the sixth place they currently occupy, it will be their highest league position finish since the 1979/80 season.

They are mathematically still in with a shout of Champions League football. They are three points behind nice in fifth, and five points behind Monaco and Rennes.

But they probably won't mind their sixth-place finish, as that would see them in the Europa Conference League next season. A huge acheivemnt considering they went into financial liquidation and were dropped down to the fifth tier of French football a little over 10 years ago.

 

Real Sociedad - 56 points 

Real Sociedad looks to be the Spanish La Liga's best of the rest team. Should they finish in sixth, where they are now, then the last three seasons will have seen them finish in a Europa League spot each time. 

They are five points behind Atletico, so a Champions League finish is mathematically still achievable, but unlikely. 

 

Fiorentina - 56 points 

Fiorentina is another team that has the Serie A's backwards tiebreaker system to thank for their higher league position.

Currently in seventh place, they have a place in the ECL next season over Atalanta, despite having the same points and a lower GD, because they beat Atalanta in both their matchups this season.