​With almost a month left in this calendar year and almost halfway through the 2023-2024 season, Betano has taken a look at Europe’s top leagues to see which teams have so far outperformed their conditions and taken the lead in their respective leagues. Will the revelations of the season continue in the same spirit until the end, or will they lose momentum and slide back into mediocrity?

Girona – La Liga. The team that played in “Segunda” three years ago

To date, the biggest surprise in European football is “Girona”. The team coached by Miguel Angel Sánchez Munoz “Michel” is in first place in La Liga after 13 matches played, with 34 points, after 11 wins, a draw and only one defeat. Girona are two points ahead of Real Madrid and four ahead of Barcelona, ​​the two biggest teams in Spanish football. In addition, Girona has the most wins in the first league (11), but also the best attack (31 goals scored). At the time of this analysis, Girona is coming off a streak of five consecutive victories, following a home defeat against Real Madrid (3-0). The lot of the Catalan team is worth 161 million euros, and the best scorer of the team is 26-year-old Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk, who scored 7 goals. Girona entered La Liga in 2022, and finished tenth last season, their best ever finish. Girona has quota 20.00 on Betano to win the championship, behind Real Madrid (1.85), FC Barcelona (2.60) and Atletico Madrid (8.00).

OGK Nice – League 1. Sensation of the Riviera

Full name Olympique Gymnaste Club de Nice, the team from the south of France are second in the French first league, remaining the only team unbeaten after 12 stages. Nice is only one point ahead of champions Paris Saint-Germain. Les Eglions have the best defense in Ligue 1, conceding just four goals. Even more interestingly, Nice have never led the domestic competition this season and haven’t conceded a goal in their last seven stages since their 3-2 success with PSG at the Parc des Princes. In the history of Nice, there are four French championship titles, but the last one was won in 1959. Since last returning to the elite of French football in 2002, Nice’s best end-of-season finish was third place in 2017. Nice are rated by Betano with the third chance to win the Ligue 1 title at odds of 20.00. The main favorite is PSG (1.07), followed by AS Monaco (15.00).

VfB Stuttgart – 1. Bundesliga. From agony to ecstasy in a matter of months

When it comes to Germany’s top flight, the balance of power is split between Bayern Munich and the rest of the world. VfB Stuttgart, on the opening day of the current season, also falls into the latter category. Die Roten are third in the league table with 11 games played, five points behind Bayern and seven behind leaders Leverkusen in yet another German league surprise. In Stuttgart’s case, the jump is huge, after the team finished 16th last season and had to draw with Hamburg to stay in the top flight. Even if he does not have the strength to enter the title race, Stuttgart has raised the level and can fight for one of the positions that will ensure his presence in the Champions League next season, a place he has not reached since 2010, when he lost in the 1/8 finals. Barcelona”. Since relegation to the 1. Bundesliga at the end of the 2019/20 season, Stuttgart has taken as much as 9th place in Germany’s top division. Stuttgart have won the German title five times, most recently in 2007 with Armin Wech on the bench.

Aston Villa – Premier League. In search of former glory

With seven Premier League titles, most recently in 1981, Aston Villa have been the surprise of the Premier League season. The team from Birmingham took the fifth place in the ranking after 12 stages, separating only three points from the first position of the champion Manchester City. The real tests for Aston Villa are yet to come, with the Lions facing top-four sides next term as well as Manchester United, a team looking for glory in the past.

Fiorentina – Serie A. Back in the top four

Twice champions of Italy, last in 1969, Fiorentina are looking to return to the top of the Serie A hierarchy. Finalists in the Conference League last season, the Viola have bid for a place in the top four at the end of the season. current domestic season. Fiorentina is in sixth place in the standings, three points away from the last step of the podium. The mood of the “white-violets” is positive, especially after the victory won on October 8 at the field of the champion “Napoli” (3:1). Ten years ago, Fiorentina finished in fourth place at the end of the season three times in a row, and the Viola group constantly played in the groups of the Champions League.

Bonus – Slask Wroclaw, unexpected leader of Poland

In the previous season, the “military” from Wroclaw saved themselves in extreme situations from relegation to the second league of Poland, finishing the championship in 15th place, one point ahead of Wisła Płock. The situation has changed radically in the current season, which is dominated by Słonsk Wrocław, the team that is in first place after 15 rounds and has the most wins in the Ekstraklasa (10). Wins for Słensk Wrocław this season include a 4-0 win over Legia Warsaw and a 3-1 win over Lech Poznań, two title contenders. In the history of Śląsk Wrocław won the Polish championship twice, in 1977 and 2012. On Betano Śląsk Wrocław share 4.50 to win the title in Poland, after Lech Poznan, Legia Warsaw and Raki, each with 4.00.