The 2024-25 season has entered the closing stages, with the battles for the major honors, European qualification, relegation and promotion heating up.
Here’s a roundup of what’s at stake and what could be decided this weekend in the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish LaLiga, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1.
This page will be updated through to the end of the European season.
Premier League
Last day: May 25
Title
Liverpool (82) were confirmed as champions on April 27 with four games to spare.
Champions League (5)
CONFIRMED
In 2025-26, the Premier League will have five teams in the Champions League due to the performance of its clubs in Europe this season, meaning the top five will qualify for the UCL.
Liverpool have already booked their place, with Arsenal (67) on the brink of sealing their spot. They need a maximum of three points to guarantee it.
Five teams are battling for the remaining three places with just three fixtures remaining. Manchester City (64), Newcastle United (63) and Chelsea (63) are holding them right now. Nottingham Forest (61) and Aston Villa (60) will try to fight their way into those key positions.
Man City will be expected to move a stop closer to the UCL by winning at rock-bottom Southampton on Saturday. Villa, meanwhile, have a tough trip to Bournemouth.
On Sunday, Newcastle and Chelsea meet at St. James’ Park so Forest, who host second-bottom Leicester City later that day, are guaranteed to make ground with a victory.
Chelsea must also head to Forest on the final day, which could be a winner-takes-all UCL showdown.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur play each other in the Europa League final on May 21. The winners will qualify for the Champions League, meaning the Premier League will have six teams in the Champions League and nine in Europe.
Europa League (2)
As it stands, sixth (Forest) will enter the Europa League by league position, and it will go to one of those teams in the Champions League section.
Sixth will be joined by the FA Cup winners, with Crystal Palace taking on Man City in the final on May 17 (stream live on ESPN+ in the U.S.).
If Palace, who are 12th, win the FA Cup, then there will be no knock-on effect to the league places; the Eagles will be in the Europa League.
If Man City win it and finish in the top six, the FA Cup’s Europa League place will go to seventh — most probably to last of the teams in the UCL race. However, if Bournemouth beat Villa they would move to within four points of seventh place, which could make it interesting.
If Chelsea win the Conference League — they are also in the final on May 28 — they are guaranteed at least a place in the Europa League, but will play in the Champions League if they finish in the top five. Their final position could also influence the allocation of European places.
2:11
Nicol: Man United did the hard work in the first leg vs. Athletic Club
The “ESPN FC” crew react to Manchester United advancing to the Europa League final after beating Athletic Club 4-1 at Old Trafford.
Conference League (1)
Newcastle are guaranteed at least a place in the Conference League playoff round, as they won the Carabao Cup. But if Newcastle finish in the top six, to play in the UCL or UEL, the Conference League place goes to seventh.
If the FA Cup winners and Newcastle finish in the top seven, the Conference League playoff-round place goes to eighth. AFC Bournemouth (53) are eighth, followed by Brentford (52), Brighton & Hove Albion (52) and Fulham (51), so there’s every reason for these four clubs to play as though the season is still alive.
All teams in the race for eighth play on Saturday. Bournemouth have that game against Villa, in-form Brentford go to relegated Ipswich, Brighton have a difficult game at Wolves and Fulham host Everton.
Relegation (3)
CONFIRMED
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18. Ipswich (35, 22)
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19. Leicester (35, 21)
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20. Southampton (35, 11)
Southampton (11). Leicester City (21) and Ipswich Town (22) have been relegated.
Leeds United and Burnley have been promoted back to the top flight from the Championship; another team will come up via the playoffs. Sheffield United, Sunderland, Coventry City and Bristol City have booked the playoff places, with the final taking place on May 24.
LaLiga
Last day: May 25
Title
There are four games left to play, and it’s a crucial weekend in the title race.
Barcelona (79) hold a four-point advantage over Real Madrid (75) with the two sides meeting at Barca’s temporary home, Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, on Sunday (stream live on ESPN+ at 10.15 a.m. ET) in what looks to be a must-win game for Los Blancos.
If Real Madrid can get the three points, a route to the title might open up with Barcelona to play Champions League-chasing Villarreal and Athletic Club in their final two matches.
Champions League (5)
CONFIRMED
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1. Barcelona (34, 79)
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2. Real Madrid (34, 75)
Like the Premier League, LaLiga will have five teams in the Champions League next season.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are both assured of being in the competition, while Atlético Madrid (67) are almost there with a maximum of 70 points required. Victory at home to Real Sociedad on Saturday gets them over the line.
Athletic Club (61) in fourth are favourites to qualify, though they have work to do.
It then looks likely to be a straight battle for the last UCL place between fifth-placed Villarreal (58) and Real Betis (57) in sixth.
Villarreal go to Girona on Saturday and can temporarily move up to fourth. On Sunday, Athletic Club are at home to Alavés and Betis host Osasuna.
– Stream all LaLiga games live on ESPN+ (US only)
1:30
Garcia: Arda Güler will become a key player for Real Madrid
Luis Garcia praises the performance of Arda Güler after the midfielder helped Real Madrid to victory over Celta Vigo in LaLiga.
Europa League (2)
As Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, the place for the cup transfers to the league — sixth and seventh will enter the Europa League. One place will go to Athletic Club, Villarreal or Real Betis in sixth, but there’s a close race for seventh.
Celta Vigo (46) hold seventh now, followed by Osasuna (44), Rayo Vallecano (44), Mallorca (44), Real Sociedad (43) and Valencia (42).
Rayo Vallecano can make a statement by picking up three points at struggling Las Palmas on Friday, before Celta Vigo host Sevilla, Mallorca are at home to Real Valladolid and Valencia take on Getafe on Saturday.
Real Sociedad face that tough trip to Atlético on Saturday, and on Sunday evening Osasuna face the away game at Betis.
Real Betis are in the Conference League final, with the competition earning a spot in the Europa League, but to impact the LaLiga allocation they would have to finish eighth or lower, which cannot happen.
Europa Conference League (1)
This will go to eighth place, held right now by Osasuna, with the same list of teams battling it out as noted in the Europa League section. There’s a small chance Getafe (39) or Espanyol (39) could push into contention.
Relegation (3)
CONFIRMED
Real Valladolid (16) are down, and it then seems to be a battle between four clubs for the final two places. Leganés (31) and Las Palmas (32) are trying to fight their way out of trouble with Alavés (35) in the most danger.
Las Palmas could put the pressure on by beating Rayo Vallecano on Friday, with Leganés (home to Espanyol) and Alavés (away to Athletic Club) playing on Sunday.
Sevilla (38) and Girona (38) probably have enough of a buffer to avoid a shock relegation — but Sevilla do host Las Palmas on Tuesday, so a defeat would change the picture a little. It’s also Leganés vs. Las Palmas on the penultimate weekend.
Elche look strong to take one of the two automatic promotion places from LaLiga2.
Levante, Racing Santander, Real Oviedo, Mirandés and Almería are fighting it out for second. A third team comes up through four-team playoffs.
Title
Bayern Munich (76) won the title on May 4 when Bayer Leverkusen (68) failed to win away to Freiburg.
– Stream all Bundesliga games live on ESPN+ (US only)
2:04
Has Bayer Leverkusen’s golden era come to an end?
Janusz Michallik believes Bayer Leverkusen’s most successful era has officially come to an end.
Champions League (4)
CONFIRMED
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1. Bayern Munich (32, 76)
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2. Bayer Leverkusen (32, 68)
Bayern and Leverkusen have already secured their places, leaving two to play for in the final two gameweeks.
Eintracht Frankfurt (56) are in a very strong position, needing a maximum of two points to secure UCL football. They host St. Pauli on Sunday, though the place could be confirmed on Saturday if Freiburg lose and RB Leipzig fail to win.
SC Freiburg (52) sit in fourth and go to relegation-threatened Holstein Kiel on Saturday.
Borussia Dortmund (51) are in-form but must go to Leverkusen on Sunday, and by then others may have climbed above them on Saturday. RB Leipzig (50) travel to Werder Bremen (47), who must win to keep any remote hopes alive. Mainz (48) also have only faint hope, and they make the trip to VfL Bochum.
Europa League (2)
Only fifth place (Dortmund as it stands) will be in this competition, with the same clubs listed above in contention.
For the second successive season, the final of the DFB Pokal (stream LIVE on May 24 on ESPN+, U.S. only) sees a Bundesliga club take on a lower-league side. Last season, Leverkusen beat then-2. Bundesliga strugglers Kaiserslautern.
This time VfB Stuttgart will play Arminia Bielefeld, who incredibly are in the third division. The winners of the final will qualify for the Europa League.
Stuttgart are in 10th on 44 points and won’t finish in the top six, so there will be no transfer of the place to the league if they win the cup. If Arminia Bielefeld, who are second in the 3. Liga, produce a shock win in the final, they are set to play in the Europa League as a second- or third-division club
Conference League (1)
Sixth place (now RB Leipzig) will enter the Conference League playoff round. This is a place Mainz and Bremen have a more realistic chance of fighting for.
There is no route into Europe for seventh or eighth as there was last season.
Relegation (2+1)
Two teams are relegated automatically, while third-bottom takes on third place in the 2. Bundesliga in a playoff.
It looks like a three-horse race for the relegation places, with TSG Hoffenheim (31) and St Pauli (31) five points clear with two matches to play.
VfL Bochum (22) are bottom and will be relegated if third-bottom 1. FC Heidenheim (26) win at Wolfsburg on Friday night.
If Heidenheim draw, Bochum must beat Mainz on Saturday to take it to the final day. If Heidenheim lose, a draw keeps Bochum interested. Bochum will be down if they lose.
Holstein Kiel (25) will hope to move above Heidenheim and finish in the playoff place, but face that tough fixture against Freiburg. Kiel could be relegated if Heidenheim win and they lose to Freiburg.
In 2. Bundesliga, Hamburg and FC Cologne are holding the top two places with SV 07 Elversberg in third and hoping to make a late challenge.
Hamburg will be promoted if they win at home to Ulm on Saturday. FC Cologne can confirm second if they pick up points and results for other teams go their way.
Serie A
Last day: May 25
Title
The tight title race between Internazionale (74) and Napoli (77) continues with three rounds of games to be played.
Both teams play on Sunday against midtable opposition, with Inter at Torino and Napoli hosting Genoa.
If the two teams finish on the same points there will be a one-legged playoff, hosted by the club with the best goal difference, to decide the Scudetto.
Champions League (4)
CONFIRMED
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1. Napoli (35, 77)
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2. Inter Milan (35, 74)
Napoli and Inter have sealed their places, but the fight for the last spots is intense with a maximum of 73 points required.
With three games to go, Atalanta (68) look strong in third with Juventus (63) in fourth, but there’s a chasing pack: AS Roma (63), Lazio (63), Bologna (62) and, as outsiders, Fiorentina (59).
Bologna go to AC Milan on Friday (a dress rehearsal for the Coppa Italia final) and can apply some pressure with a win.
On Saturday, there’s a huge UCL showdown between Lazio and Juve. It could be win or bust for Lazio, as they must travel to Inter next weekend.
And on Monday, there’s another vital head-to-head fixture as Atalanta host Roma.
By the end of this weekend, the UCL race could look a lot clearer. Or maybe Fiorentina will win at Venezia on Sunday, other results will go their way and they’re back in it.
If Inter win the Champions League there will be no impact on the Serie A places.
1:27
Inter or PSG: Which team is favourite to win the Champions League?
Stewart Robson and Alejandro Moreno preview the Champions League final between PSG and Inter Milan.
Europa League (2)
Fifth place (Roma as it stands) will play in the Europa League, which will also be a battle between the clubs listed above.
The Coppa Italia final sees Bologna play AC Milan on May 14 — 11 days before the league season finishes. Milan (57) are ninth and struggling to qualify for Europe, five points behind seventh; winning the Coppa Italia could be their best hope.
Sixth place (now Lazio) in the league will earn a Europa League place if Bologna win the final and finish in the top five.
Conference League (1)
At present this goes to sixth (Lazio), subject to whether Bologna win the Coppa Italia and where they finish.
If Bologna lift the trophy and finish top six, seventh (Bologna) will be in the Conference League playoff round spot. If so, that actually gives AC Milan an outside chance if they can bridge the five-point gap.
Relegation (3)
CONFIRMED
Monza (15) were relegated last month after they lost 2-0 at Juventus.
It’s a fierce battle for the last two spots between Empoli (25), Venezia (26) and Lecce (27).
On Saturday, Empoli are at home to Parma and can climb out of the drop zone with a win. On Sunday, Venezia face Fiorentina and Lecce go to Hellas Verona.
In Serie B, Sassuolo and Pisa have been promoted. One of six clubs will also come up through the end-of-season playoffs. Spezia, Cremonese and Juve Stabia have booked their places with two rounds to play.
Ligue 1
Last day: May 17
Title
Paris Saint-Germain (78) secured the title with ease on April 5.
If PSG win the Champions League there will be no impact on the Ligue 1 places.
Champions League (3+1)
France gets three automatic places, with fourth place entering the UCL in the third qualifying round.
CONFIRMED
It’s a very, very close battle in France, with six clubs in realistic contention to play in the Champions League along with PSG. There are just two rounds of games remaining.
Marseille (59) and AS Monaco (58) sit in the League Phase spots, with Nice (57) in the qualifying round place.
The trio are being hunted down by Lille (57) after they beat PSG on Saturday, plus Strasbourg (57) and Lyon (54).
All nine matches are being played simultaneously on Saturday evening, with the gameweek headlined by Lyon’s trip to Monaco in a huge UCL head-to-head clash, and it’s must-win for OL.
Marseille are at Le Havre knowing a win might get them over the line, depending on other results. Nice travel to Stade Rennais, Lille go to Brest and in-form Strasbourg are away to Angers.
Europa League (2)
Fifth place (Lille now) will be in the Europa League.
However, if PSG win the Coupe de France final on May 24, the UEL place will pass to sixth (that’s Strasbourg at the moment). PSG play Stade de Reims, who are 13th and will not finish in a domestic European place. If Reims win the cup, they will be in the Europa League.
Conference League (1)
At present, this goes to sixth (Strasbourg) and is a battle between the clubs listed in the Champions League section.
If PSG take the Coupe de France, seventh will be in the Conference League playoff round — a position held by Lyon.
Relegation (2+1)
CONFIRMED
Montpellier (16) are already relegated, leaving one automatic and one playoff spot to be decided.
Saint-Etienne (27) are second bottom and appear doomed. They will definitely be relegated if they lose at Stade de Reims, who are six points ahead of them but with a far superior goal difference.
It’s very tight for the playoff place. Le Havre AC (31) occupy it now, and they face a very difficult home match against Marseille.
Le Havre will hope to drag one of Nantes (32, away to Auxerre), Angers (33, home to Strasbourg) or Reims (33) into the 16th place.
Lorient and Paris FC have secured promotion from Ligue 2, with Metz playing third bottom in a relegation/promotion playoff.
