Football can often be predictable. The biggest clubs sweep up the silverware year after year, leaving little for the rest of the sides to battle over. One only needs to take a look at the final eight remaining teams in the UEFA Champions League, as well as the standings in the Premier League, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga, for proof of that.
But if one scratches beneath the surface, they will notice that the beautiful game does throw up a shocker now and again. That was on full display in the recent Carabao Cup final at Wembley where underdogs Newcastle United upset runaway league leaders Liverpool to claim their first major trophy in 70 years. As well as that, fellow English side Aston Villa have made it through to the quarterfinals of the Champions League despite featuring for the first time in over four decades.
But it isn’t just the Toon and the Villains that are making waves this term. Plenty of Europe’s biggest clubs are looking somewhat out of position in the current league standings, while some underdogs have risen to the fore.
Borussia Dortmund
It’s been a strange couple of years for Borussia Dortmund. In European action, they have shone brighter than they have done in a long time, reaching the UEFA Champions League final last season and through to the last eight once again this term. Domestically, however, they have floundered.
Last season, Die Schwarzgelben finished in fifth place, but their poor league displays were masked by their performances on the continental stage. This term, things have gone from bad to worse in the Bundesliga, and they are currently sitting down in 12th place. To put their woes into perspective, Dortmund are far closer to the relegation zone than they are to table-topping Bayern Munich, although they do have a 13-point buffer to the bottom three.
For BVB, their stars of yesteryear are long gone. Jadon Sancho shone in his return on loan last season but he has since moved on, while veteran center-back Mats Hummels left on a free transfer to AS Roma. Replacements such as Maximilian Beier and Felix Nmecha have failed to impress, while Karim Adeyemi continues to frustrate in front of goal.
New manager Niko Kovac has managed to revitalize their fortunes somewhat after the ill-fated run of the sacked Nuri Sahin, but sites that allow you to bet on sports think they could still have a testing end to the campaign. You can bet on sports at Bovada, and they currently price Dortmund as a 7/2 outsider to progress from their upcoming Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona. Meanwhile, the same site makes the German outfit a mighty 40/1 outsider to win the tournament outright, the longest odds of any of the eight remaining teams. Providing that those predictions are accurate, Dortmund will soon be playing for pride and hoping that the 2024/25 season concludes as soon as possible.
Nottingham Forest
Much of the talk in the Premier League over the last couple of years has been about the three-way battle for the title. At the start of last season, the popular At Odds podcast was debating whether either Liverpool or Arsenal could finally end Manchester City’s stranglehold on the English top flight. Their chatter may have come one year early, but The Blues’ era of dominance is finally over, and either the Reds or The Gunners will be crowned champions this season, with the former holding a mighty 12-point lead over the latter with just a handful of games remaining.
But perhaps the most surprising thing about the Premier League this season is that it isn’t Manchester City in third place behind the two title protagonists; it’s Nottingham Forest. Before the campaign started, the Tricky Trees were considered potential relegation candidates rather than Champions League hopefuls, but boy have they proved their doubters wrong. Blistering wingers Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga have been fed by playmaking ace Morgan Gibbs-White, while veteran striker Chris Wood has scored more goals in a single top-flight season than ever before.
The result? Astounding. Forest currently sit third in the Premier League and with the top five securing a spot in the Champions League next season, The East Midlands outfit will be fancying their chances. They currently sit seven points clear of sixth place Newcastle United, and they will be heartbroken if they slip up now with a return to the greatest competition in club football within touching distance.
Mainz
The likes of Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel have managed German side Mainz over the years, but neither of them took them to the heights of current manager Bo Henriksen. Die Nullfunfer are currently sitting in third place in the Bundesliga and a maiden appearance in the UEFA Champions League next term is within their grasp. They have already beaten fellow European contenders RB Leipzig, Stuttgart, and Eintracht Frankfurt, while they are just one of two teams to have handed table toppers Bayern Munich a league defeat this term.
Captain Jonathan Burkardt has been the star of the show. He has fired in 16 goals this season, a tally only bettered by Harry Kane and Patrik Schick. He will be aiming to bag a few more before the season is over and secure his side a spot in the top four for the first time.
