Shifting Sands at the Top: New Leaders Emerge in Serie A, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga
MILAN, ITALY – December 10, 2023 – A dramatic weekend of football across Europe’s top five leagues has resulted in a reshuffling of the leadership in three of them. Milan, Lens, and Bayern Munich all ascended to the top of their respective tables after Week 13 & 14 fixtures.
Serie A: Milan claimed the top spot in Serie A after a 1-0 victory over Lazio, courtesy of a goal from Rafael Leão. Napoli also secured a 1-0 away win against Roma, with Turkish international Zeki Çelik playing the full 90 minutes.Inter, featuring Hakan Çalhanoğlu for the entirety of the match, won 2-0 away at Pisa. Juventus defeated Cagliari 2-1, with Kenan Yıldız scoring for the Old Lady, while Semih Kılıçsoy entered the game in the 81st minute.After 13 weeks, Milan and Napoli are tied on 28 points, with Milan leading on goal difference. Inter and Roma trail closely with 27 points each.
Ligue 1: Lens seized the Ligue 1 leadership after a 2-1 away win at Angers, fueled by goals from Florian Thauvin, marking their fourth consecutive victory. paris Saint-Germain suffered their first defeat in eight weeks, losing 1-0 to Monaco, and subsequently relinquished the top position.Marseille dropped points with a 2-2 draw against Toulouse. Lille secured a 1-0 away win against Le Havre, with Berke Özer in goal. Lens now leads with 31 points, followed by PSG (30), Marseille (29), and Lille (26) after 14 weeks.
Premier League: Arsenal maintained their lead in the Premier League with a 1-1 draw against Chelsea,featuring goals from Trevoh Chalobah and Mikel Merino. Manchester City defeated Leeds United 3-2, and Aston Villa beat Wolverhampton 1-0.Ferdi Kadıoğlu played 90 minutes for Brighton in their 2-0 away win against Nottingham Forest. Enes Ünal appeared in the final 10 minutes for Bournemouth in a 3-2 loss to Sunderland. Liverpool ended a two-game losing streak with a 2-0 away victory over West Ham United. After 13 weeks, Arsenal leads with 30 points, followed by Manchester City (25), Chelsea and Aston Villa (24 each).
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich solidified their position at the summit of the Bundesliga with a 3-1 win over St.Pauli,with goals from raphael Guerreiro,Luis Diaz,and Nicolas Jackson. Leipzig drew 0-0 away to Borussia Mönchengladbach, dropping points for the second time in three weeks. Borussia Dortmund defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 away in the standout match of the week. Cenk Özkacar played 74 minutes for Cologne in a 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen, and Ozan Kabak entered the game in the 72nd minute as Hoffenheim defeated Augsburg 3-0.Bayern Munich leads with 34 points after 12 weeks, followed by Leipzig (26) and Borussia Dortmund (25).
