What's the state of play in Europe's major leagues?
It's tight at the top in Spain; there are surprise leaders in Germany; Juve, PSG and Ajax all lead the way
Wednesday 20 November 2019 17:32, UK
What's the state of play in Europe's major leagues? Sky Sports has all the details as the action kicks off again after the international break...
There are surprise leaders in Germany, runaway leaders in France and the Netherlands, and titanic tussles in Spain and Italy.
Here we take a closer look at the state of play in La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and the Eredivisie….
La Liga: It's tight at the top
La Liga's title race is starting to take shape with Barcelona and Real Madrid locked together at the top of the table. Barca currently lead the way but only on goal difference to Real, with both teams amassing 25 points from their opening 12 games.
However, Spain's big two, who do have a game in hand on the rest because of the rearranged Clasico on December 18 at the Nou Camp, are not having things all their own way this season.
It's congested at the top with just six points separating Barca and Real at the top and Osasuna in 10th. There are only two points separating the top five with Atletico Madrid and Sevilla leading the chasing pack. They are just one point behind the top two, while Real Sociedad are a further point back in fifth.
At the other end, Celta Vigo, Espanyol, who secured a seventh-placed finish last season, and Leganes occupy the relegation places.
Serie A: Juve, Inter go head-to-head
Can anyone stop Juventus from securing a ninth straight Serie A?
If anyone is going to spoil the party it will be Antonio Conte's Inter Milan, who are attempting to win the title for the first time since 2010. They are currently hot on the heels of Maurizio Sarri's Juventus, who lead the way by a solitary point.
Since Juve's 2-1 win against Inter at the San Siro back in October, the two teams have been going stride for stride, picking up four wins from their last five Serie A games.
With Lazio and Cagliari, who are third and fourth respectively, a further seven points back, expect the battle of the top two to continue into the new year.
Juve's closest challengers last season were Napoli but Carlo Ancelotti's side find themselves off the pace down in seventh, while AC Milan's recent struggles have continued so far this season.
Sampdoria, SPAL and Brescia currently find themselves in the relegation places.
Bundesliga: A surprise name at the top
There's an unfamiliar look to the top of the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach leading the way. Marco Rose's side have played some exciting football so far this season to move four points clear of RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich.
RB Leipzig have also been excellent form under the guidance of highly-rated coach Julian Nagelsmann. Since a surprising defeat at Freiburg at the end of last month, Leipzig have 20 goals in four matches in all competitions, including eight in a club-record 8-0 win over Mainz in the Bundeslga.
Meanwhile, Bayern, who are looking to win an eighth successive title, parted ways with Niko Kovac following a poor run of league form, including a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt - the club's heaviest in the Bundesliga in 10 years.
Assistant coach Hansi Flick will take charge of Bayern until at least the winter break after winning both of his games in charge, including a 4-0 thrashing of Borussia Dortmund in the final game before the international break.
Despite Bayern's struggles in the league, Robert Lewandowski, who has 16 goals to his name so far this season, became the first player in history to score in 11 consecutive Bundesliga matches following his double against Dortmund. He will be a key figure for Flick in the weeks ahead as Bayern look to mount a challenge for silverware.
Freiburg, who are currently fourth, are the surprise package of the season so far, beating Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and Frankfurt along the way. They also managed a draw with Borussia Dortmund, who are sixth after an inconsistent start to the season.
Lucien Favre's side will be looking to repeat the form which saw them beat league leaders Monchengladbach to bounce back from their big defeat in Der Klassiker.
At the other end of the table, Mainz, Koln and Paderborn occupy the relegation places.
Ligue 1: PSG march on
PSG's grip on the Ligue 1 title doesn't appear to be loosening despite three defeats already this season. Thomas Tuchel's side have already racked up an eight-point lead over second-placed Marseille as they attempt to win a third straight La Liga title and their seventh in eight seasons.
Marseille, under the guidance of former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas, are leading the pack after a 2-1 win against rivals Lyon - their first against Lyon since 2014 - just before the international break, and they closely followed surprise package Angers, who finished 13th last season.
St Etienne were in the relegation zone at the start of October but since replacing Ghislain Printant with former Southampton and Leicester boss Claude Puel, they have enjoyed a resurgence which has seen them rise to fourth in the table.
Things are not quite going so well for Lyon, who replaced Sylvinho with Rudi Garcia after just 141 days of the Brazilian's reign. The former Arsenal full-back left the club in their lowest league position after nine games since 1995-96. Things have improved slightly under Garcia with wins over Metz and Toulouse helping them rise to 14th.
Eredivisie: Advantage Ajax
It's advantage Ajax after 13 games with Erik ten Hag's side six points clear of AZ Alkmaar at the top of the standings.
Unbeaten in the league so far this season, the defending champions have scored 43 goals, racking up 11 wins and two draws as they look to secure back-to-back titles for the first time since 2014.
Last season's Champions League semi-finalists are currently on a run of seven straight wins, scoring 23 goals and conceding just three in the process.
Meanwhile, PSV, who finished three points behind Ajax last season, find themselves 11 points adrift of the top after a difficult start to the campaign, but striker Donyell Malen, who they signed from Arsenal back in 2017, is currently the division's top goalscorer.
