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State of play in Europe: La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Eredivisie title races assessed

Barcelona players celebrate after Paco Alcacer scored during the Spanish League football match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club Bilbao at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on March 18, 2018
Image: Barcelona are nearing another La Liga title win, but who else is dominating in Europe?

Manchester City are closing in on the Premier League title, but who else is set for glory - and misery - in Europe's other top leagues?

As domestic football returns this weekend, we look at the battles for titles and European spots, as well as the scrap to avoid relegation...

La Liga - Barca on course

BARCELONA, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 12:  Lionel Messi of Barcelona celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the UEFA Champions League Group D match between FC Barcelona and Juventus at Camp Nou on September 12, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain.  (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Image: Lionel Messi is the top scorer in La Liga so far this season

Barcelona are 11 points clear at the top and on course to lift their 25th La Liga title. They are unbeaten in the league and are two games away from equalling Real Sociedad's record for the longest winning streak in Spain's top flight.

La Liga so far

Matches played 29
Games remaining 9
Top four Barcelona (75), Atletico Madrid (64), Real Madrid (60), Valencia (59)
Bottom three Las Palmas (21), Deportivo La Coruna (20), Malaga (14)
Top scorer Lionel Messi (25), Cristiano Ronaldo (22), Luis Suarez (21), Christian Stuani and Antoine Griezmann (17)

Atletico Madrid are Barca's closest challengers, four points ahead of Real Madrid, and a tantalising city derby looms on Sunday, April 8, live on Sky Sports. Real have not finished fourth since the 2003/2004 season.

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There could be a race on for the Europa League. Fifth and sixth guarantees a spot in the group stages and though Villarreal and Sevilla are in pole position, just four points separate the former with Girona and Real Betis.

At the other end, Malaga are bottom with only 14 points from 29 games.

Deportivo La Coruna and Las Palmas are also in the relegation zone and are seven and six points from safety respectively.

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Graham Hunter speaks with Guillem Balague on the latest Revista De La Liga about Barcelona's unbeaten run in La Liga, and whether an Invincible season is being talked about yet

Serie A - Two-horse race

Douglas Costa scored the only goal against Genoa as Juventus moved a point behind Serie A leaders Napoli
Image: Juventus are two points clear at the top of the Serie A table

Juventus are top of Serie A but Napoli are just two points behind. Napoli have not won the league since 1989 while Juventus have lifted the trophy in each of the last six seasons; will the race still be on by the time the sides meet on April 22?

Serie A so far

Matches played 29
Games remaining 9
Top four Juventus (75), Napoli (73), Roma (59), Inter Milan (55)
Bottom three Crotone (24), Verona (22), Benevento (10)
Top scorers Ciro Immobile (24), Mauro Icardi (22), Paolo Dybala, Fabio Quagliarella and Dries Mertens (17)

Rounding off the top four - and a place in next season's Champions League group stage - are Roma and Inter Milan, although Lazio and AC Milan are keeping the heat on Inter for fourth. Lazio are a point behind in fifth and currently occupy the spot for the Europa League group stages, while AC Milan - four points behind and having played a game less - would currently have to settle for a place in the second qualifying round.

Giacomo Bonaventura (L) of AC Milan celebrates his second goal with his team-mate Franck Kessie (R)
Image: AC Milan are pushing for a spot in Europe next season

Benevento have had a disappointing first season in Italy's top flight, with only three wins from 28 games after setting a record for the worst start to a season in any of Europe's top five leagues by losing their first 14 Serie A matches. Verona and Crotone are showing some fight at the bottom as they hope to survive relegation but SPAL, who are unbeaten in their last four league games, are keeping both teams in the bottom three. Chievo - ahead of SPAL due to the head-to-head record between the pair this campaign - are also in danger, though SPAL have played a game more than the relegation rivals above and below them.

Bundesliga - Bayern unstoppable?

Robert Lewandowski and David Alaba celebrate the late winner
Image: Bayern Munich are once again running away with the German league

Bayern Munich are heading to their sixth consecutive league title, although they missed the chance to secure it before the international break when they were beaten 1-0 by RB Leipzig. However, they remain 17 points clear of Schalke in second and can claim their latest crown with victory at home to third-placed Borussia Dortmund on March 31 if Schalke drop points to Freiburg on the same day.

Bundesliga so far

Matches played 27
Games remaining 7
Top four Bayern (66), Schalke (49), Dortmund (48), Eintracht Frankfurt (45)
Bottom three Mainz (25), FC Koln (20), Hamburger SV (18)
Top scorers Robert Lewandowski (23), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nils Petersen (13), Alfred Finnbogason, Timo Werner and Michael Gregoritsch (11)

Just six points separate second and sixth. Schalke are a point ahead of third-placed Dortmund while Eintracht Frankfurt currently occupy the final Champions League group stage place. Bayer Leverkusen are just a point behind in fifth spot - which would currently see them in the Europa League group stages - but are also being chased themselves by RB Leipzig in sixth.

Ademola Lookman of Leipzig, Naby Keita of Leipzig and Kevin Kampl of Leipzig celebrate
Image: RB Leipzig have had another strong season in the Bundesliga

Down at the bottom, Cologne and Hamburg are the teams in the relegation zone, occupying 17th and 18th respectively with just two points between them. Cologne are five points adrift of Mainz, who are the current occupants of the relegation play-off spot in 16th. But this is only by goal difference as Wolfsburg are also on 25 points and in danger of being involved in another play-off tie with the third-place team from Bundesliga 2, having failed to win any of their last seven games.

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Eredivisie - PSV in pole position

during the Dutch Eredivisie match between PSV Eindhoven and VVV Venlo held at Philips Stadion on March 17, 2018 in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Image: PSV are currently top of the Eredivisie, but will they hold off Ajax?

PSV Eindhoven are seven points clear of rivals Ajax, who have not won the league title since the 2013/14 season and look set to miss out again. AZ Alkmaar, currently five points behind Ajax in third, are on course for the Europa League second qualifying round.

Eredivisie so far

Matches played 28
Games remaining 6
Top three PSV Eindhoven (71), Ajax (64), AZ Alkmaar (59)
Bottom three Sparta Rotterdam (21), Roda JC Kerk (20), FC Twente (19)
Top scorers Hirving Lozano and Fran Sol (14), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (13),

It is then a two-legged play-off between the teams in fourth to seventh position - currently Feyenoord, Utrecht, Vitesse and PEC Zwolle - for a place in the Europa League qualifying rounds, although ADO Den Haag could sneak into the final spot with just one point separating them and PEC Zwolle. The winners of each semi-final will then proceed to a final game for the European spot.

Feyenoord's Robin van Persie celebrates
Image: Feyenoord are on course for a spot in the European play-offs

Just two points separate the bottom three, with FC Twente at the foot of the table and Roda JC and Sparta Rotterdam braced for relegation play-offs against teams from the second tier.

Ligue 1 - No Neymar, no problem

Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian forward Neymar celebrates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Tr
Image: Neymar's absence does not seem to have affected PSG over the last month

PSG are 17 points clear at the top of the table, even after losing Neymar to injury at the end of February. Unai Emery's side could all but clinch the title when they face defending champions Monaco on April 15.

Ligue 1 so far

Matches played 31
Games remaining 7
Top five PSG (83), Monaco (66), Marseille (59), Lyon (57), Rennes (45)
Bottom three Troyes (29), Lille (28), Metz (21)
Top scorers Edinson Cavani (24), Neymar (19), Radamel Falcao (17)

Monaco, currently leading third-placed Marseille by seven points, look set to finish the season in second and join PSG in next season's Champions League group stage. But it is a much closer race between Marseille and Lyon in fourth with just two points separating the sides and the difference between a place in the Champions League qualifying third round and the Europa League group stages next season.

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Memphis Depay's 90th-minute header helped Lyon beat Marseille 3-2 in Ligue 1 recently. Pictures courtesy of beIN Sport

Metz look in danger of being automatically relegated to Ligue 2 but Lille, seven points ahead, are in a much tighter battle to avoid the drop. While they currently occupy the final automatic relegation spot, they are just one behind Troyes in 18th place, who would be put into a two-legged play-off against a side from Ligue 2 for the chance to play in France's top flight next term.

Troyes also trail Toulouse by just a point, who are currently outside the bottom three, with Amiens and Strasbourg also in danger of being pulled into the bottom three.

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