THE TITLE RACE: Crowning of League Champions
It is the business end of major league seasons across the world and SuperSport.com takes a comprehensive look at the state of affairs in the Betway Premiership, the Premier League in England, LaLiga and Serie A.
As the respective leagues head to a potentially dramatic conclusion, here is a comprehensive look at the state of affairs:
Betway Premiership (South Africa)
When can Mamelodi Sundowns secure the league title?: Orlando Pirates’ 2-1 win over Sundowns at Soccer City on 16 March reduced the gap to the defending champions to 15 points but if the Buccaneers win the four matches they have in hand, then the gap will be only three points.
That means that the title race could go all the way down to the wire and be decided on the last day of the season when both are away from home. Sundowns finish their campaign at Chippa United while Pirates’ last league fixture is against AmaZulu.
Earliest title clinched in Premier Soccer League history: Over the last two seasons, Sundowns have set a new record for clinching the title with the most number of games to spare. They did so with six games to go in 2023 and again last year when they took a record-extending seventh title in a row.
Biggest title-winning margin: Also last season Sundowns set a new mark for the widest gap between the team finishing first in the league and their runners-up.
The 23-point margin between Sundowns (73 points) and Orlando Pirates (50) easily beat the previous record of 16 set in 2022 when Sundowns finished comfortably ahead of Cape Town City. It was then equalled the next year when the rampant Brazilians ended way ahead of runners-up Pirates.
Last-day drama: The last time a South African title campaign ended in last day dramatics came in the Covid season of 2019/20 when Kaizer Chiefs blew their lead and Sundowns snuck in to take the title.
Chiefs had been nine points clear midway through the campaign but dropped precious points in the bio-bubble in Gauteng, which was staged after a break of several months as the country was in lockdown.
Chiefs were still odds-on to win as they went to the final day with a superior goal difference over Sundowns. Victory over Baroka at Milpark would seal the title but they let a first half lead slip and were held to a 1-1 draw.
Meanwhile, a hattrick from Lebogang Maboe saw Sundowns beat Black Leopards at the same time and take the title by two points.
Historical trends: In the PSL era, instances of last day drama have been few and far between. In 2005, Chiefs and Pirates were level on points but Chiefs with a superior goal difference. They were away in their last match against Bloemfontein Celtic while Pirates hosted Umtata Bucks.
A helicopter waited with the trophy in Kroonstad, halfway between the two venues, before taking it to the Free State capital where Collins Mbesuma’s two goals ensured Chiefs were champions.
In 2011, Ajax Cape Town had a two point lead and were set to win a first championship but a horror Hans Vonk error saw them held by Maritzburg, allowing Pirates to win on goal difference after they beat Lamontville Golden Arrows the same time.
Potential challengers: Pirates will be hoping Sundowns, who have lost three league games now this season, stumble further. The champions have bogey team Stellenbosch next in the league and must also travel to cape Town City, who took four points off them last season.
But Pirates’ schedule is no easy road either, with only two more home games left against Magesi and TS Galaxy and tough trips to Polokwane City, SuperSport United and another derny against Chiefs.
Premier League (England)
When can Liverpool win the title?: Arsenal’s victory on Sunday over Chelsea reduced Liverpool’s lead to 12 points with nine games each left to play.
It means that Liverpool need a minimum of five more wins to make sure of their first title since 2020 but that is only if Arsenal stay on a winning track. Any slip up from Mikel Arteta’s men will make Liverpool’s task easier.
The earliest scenario of a Liverpool title is as follows: Their next league game is on April 2 when they face Everton at Anfield. If they win the Merseyside derby and then take another three points next away to Fulham, they could win the title on April 12 — the day before they play West Ham United at Anfield — if Arsenal were to lose all four of their upcoming fixtures and the teams behind them, including Nottingham Forest and Manchester City, slip up too.
Closest challengers: Arsenal need to keep a razor sharp focus on the Premier League title if they are to stand any chance of overhauling Liverpool but, unlike the Reds, they now have the very real, and possibly welcomed, distraction of the Champions League.
Arsenal are in the quarterfinals against Real Madrid and will know they have every chance of winning a trophy that has long eluded them. But battling away on two fronts might prove too tough for the Gunners, especially given they have struggled with a major injury crisis and do not have any recognised strikers to bank on.
Liverpool’s history: It took an astonishing 30 years and 58 days between Liverpool’s 18th title in 1990 and the 19th championship that Jurgen Klopp brought them in 2000. No wonder when the German departed Anfield at the end of last season, he was hailed as one of the club legends.
They won the Covid title in emphatic fashion by 18 points from Manchester City and clinch the title with seven games to spare, which was new Premier League record. They amassed 99 points, one less than the record of 100 set by City in 2018, but equalled the record for the most victories in a Premier League season (32).
Title-winning scenarios: The Premier League title race looks a procession for Liverpool given their a comfortable lead and hopes that there could be a title decider when the two sides play each other at the start of May does not feasible. Instead, unless Liverpool collapse dramatically, they are more likely to get a guard of honour from their title challengers.
Past collapses: Two seasons ago, Arsenal had an eight-point lead over rivals Manchester City with six weeks left of the 2022-23 season but they capitulated in the closing weeks. With six matches remaining in the 2011-12 season, Manchester City found themselves eight points behind neighbours Manchester United.
However, City won all of their last six matches - including a 1-0 win against United - to win the league on goal difference. Two minutes into injury time in their final match of the season, losing 2-1 at home to QPR and with United beating Sunderland, City's Edin Dzeko scored a 92nd-minute equaliser before Sergio Aguero's famous winner in the fourth minute of added time turned Manchester sky blue.
Tight race between Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid: There are four points separating the top three after Barcelona beat Atletico 4-2 away on Sunday to return to the top of the table on goal difference only from Real Madrid. Atletico drop back after a miserable week in which they also bowed out of the Champions League at the hands of their neighbours.
Barcelona have 11 games remaining while the two Madrid clubs have 10. That includes an ‘El Classico’ in Barcelona when they host Real on May 11. Given form and the fixture list, the Catalans look to have a slight edge in the title race.
Head-to-head encounters: Atletico and Real have met four times this season, with two 1-1 draws in LaLiga action and then the Champions League last-16 tie which Real took on post-match penalties after a 2-2 aggregate draw. Barca’s win over Atletico away at the Metropolitano on Sunday was revenge for losing 21-1 at home to Atleti days before Christmas. The two must still play the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal after a 4-4 draw in Barcelona in the first leg.
Barca have beaten Real twice this season, 4-0 in the league in October and 5-2 in the Super Cup in Saudi Arabia in mid-January. But their next meeting is likely to be the most important.
Past title battles: The last three LaLiga seasons have seen a large margin of success for the champions with a 10-point winning margin for Real in the previous campaign and 13 points in 2022, and Barcelona taking the 2023 title by 10 points.
But when Atletico last won the Spanish crown in 2021 it was a tight knit affair between the ‘big three’. Similarly, in 2017 when Real edged Barcelona and also matched their record of scoring in every single league match of the season.
Dark horses: Last season, the hegemony of Spanish football was threatened by the emergence of Girona, profiting from their Abu Dhabi connections and partnership with Manchester City.
The provincial outfit were ahead at the halfway stage of the campaign but faded in the final straight to finish 14 points adrift of champions Real. But they did end in third place and won themselves a Champions League berth.
This season has reverted back to type with the dominance of the established powerhouse trio, although fourth placed Atletico Bilbao could yet cause a surprise or two, especially as they go away to Real next month and finish the season at home to Barcelona.
Three-horse race: Inter Milan struck a massive blow to their hopes of retaining the Scudetto with their 2-0 win over Atalanta on Sunday, taking advantage of Napoli’s draw at relegation-haunted Venezia.
It means Inter are now on 64 points, Napoli on 61 and Atalanta on 58. All have nine game left. All three clubs avoid each other in the final straight and have potentially smooth run-ins to the end of the season. Inter could go on and win all their remaining games.
Key fixtures remaining: Inter’s four remaining away games are at Parma, Bologna, Torino and Como. Bologna present the potential of an upset but have won five of 25 past home games against Inter. Napoli have Bologna away next month in a match that could further derail their prospects. Atalanta could yet stage a final charge with an away fixture at AC Milan the only serious obstacle for them.
Napoli’s title aspirations: Champions two season ago, Napoli made a horror defence to their title last season as they finished 10th and had a fall out with top striker Victor Osimhen. But the arrival of Antonio Conte as coach revived their fortunes but they need to get back to winning ways after five draws in their last seven league matches.
Atalanta’s rise: Europa League winners last season, Atalanta are coming to the end of an era with veteran coach Gian Piero Gasperini and a host of key players set to leave at the end of the season, so this will be their last chance for a first ever Serie A title. Losing at home to Inter on Sunday night, however, is a major dent to those aspirations.
Inter’s dominance: Inter’s dominance this season mirrors the ways they powered their way to success last season. They have had their detractors but every time their competence is questioned, they seem to come up with the goods.
