The 7 most exciting teams to watch in Europe right now: Arsenal, Leverkusen…
Arsenal have clicked. They’ve morphed into a free-scoring monster of a football team that has the rest of the league extremely concerned.
The North Londoners might be the most exciting team in England right now, but there are teams all over Europe doing absolute madnesses, writing stories we’re going to be telling for a very long time.
Join us on a quick tour of the continent, taking a look at football’s best teams to watch right now.
Arsenal
The Gunners were misfiring for periods earlier in the season, but someone must’ve cleaned out those cannons recently because, Jesus Christ, they’re frightening at the minute.
Just out there blowing Premier League ships full of holes, sending top-tier, respectable football clubs down for a little sleep in Davy Jones’ locker.
Six against West Ham, five against Burnley, four against Newcastle — a little blip at Porto only makes them more exciting and less predictable.
Having no recognised striker in the starting eleven seems only to have added potency to Arsenal’s attacking threat, with four or five players taking up positions between the midfield and defensive lines at any given time.
A title push is very much on the cards.
READ: 10 outrageous stats that show how dominant Arsenal have been in 2024
Girona
We’re all rooting for them. El Leicester Ciudad. Girona may have fallen behind slightly in the title race recently, but it’s not over till it’s over, and the Blanquivermells won’t be throwing in the towel anytime soon.
Regardless of where the Liga title ends up, Girona look sure to take part in next year’s Champions League, and that’s still a massive achievement, even if they’re essentially owned by Man City.
Bayer Leverkusen
The thorn in Harry Kane’s side, Kane’s bane, Bayer Neverlosin’. Eleven games to go, eight points ahead of Bayern, and still unbeaten in the league.
Die Werkself are playing exciting, refreshing football, they’re scoring last-minute winners to keep the run alive, and they’ve got a 20-year-old legend-in-the-making in Florian Wirtz.
To say every game is a cup final for Leverkusen from here on out is cliched, so let’s go for something different — Xabi Alonso’s side are not going to get an opportunity like this presented to them again. Bayern won’t allow it.
Alonso is heavily touted to make a big return to Anfield next season, so this might be his and Leverkusen’s only shot at perfection. They’re desperate not to f*ck it up, and that makes for thrilling football. We’re witnessing history. Maybe.
The man of the moment all dressed up. Sehr, sehre gut.
Benfica
The red half of Lisbon is a football lover’s dream right now. Benfica have a team full of FM2024 wonderkids, with Marcos Leonardo leading the line, Joao Neves pulling strings in midfield, and Antonio Silva running the show at the back.
Pop those rising ballers into the cauldron that is the Estadio da Luz, mix in a returning Angel Di Maria, David Neres, Rapid Legs Rafa Silva, midfield general Florentino Luis, eye of newt, and wing of bat, and you’ve got a recipe for a potion that is setting the Primeira Liga ablaze right now, with only one loss and an awful lot of games involving red cards.
Box office.
PSV
Can we talk about the fact that it’s not just Leverkusen chasing an invincible season, right now? PSV are on exactly the same trajectory.
With Ajax faltering despite Jordan Henderson shifting a load of shirts, the Lampen are lighting up the Eredivisie this season, with a perfect blend of youth and experience.
Noa Lang, Johan Bakayoko, and ex-Dallas man Ricardo Pepi bring dynamism and excitement, whilst Luuk de Jong, Chucky Lozano, and Patrick van Aanholt have seen it all before.
Keep an eye out for Armel Bella-Kotchup making the most of his loan out in Eindhoven, too. A top-of-the-table clash with Feyenoord awaits. Don’t miss out on the PSV hype train.
Bologna
Bologna have one of the world’s most exciting young managers right now in Thiago Motta. The Rossoblu are currently in the Champions League places in Serie A, above the likes of Roma, Lazio, Atalanta, and reigning champs Napoli.
They’re so much fun to watch — we really can’t recommend them enough if you’re after freshening up your football feed.
Motta’s team have won their last five league games—a record only equalled by league leaders Inter—and boast exciting talents like Joshua Zirkzee and Scotland’s very own Lewis Ferguson. Highly recommended viewing.
Brest
Les Pirates (coolest nickname in football) are somehow second in Ligue Un behind—guess who—PSG, and there have been four red cards handed out in their last five games.
The best kind of chaos from some relatively unfamiliar faces. Tres excitant.
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