The Occasional Opinions Football World Preview and Predictions: 2023/24
I just hope that all the footballers have a nice time.
We’re back already?!?!?! Jesus Christ…
*Sticks the kettle on*
This summer has been… wild.
Transfer movements galore (with more outrageous deals coming just as I write this), an outstanding Women’s World Cup (which is still running), some brilliant football in leagues that run through the summertime (watch the League of Ireland, support Drogheda United, Yup the Drogs), ANOTHER Mbappé transfer saga (also still running). That doesn’t even half cover everything.
*Gets McVities Digestives out of the press, and Milk out of the fridge*
Now, all eyes turn to the start of the league seasons in each of the Top 5 European leagues. The Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga.
All the in the knows and tacticos on Twitter are rushing to get their predictions out there about the most minute of details across these leagues, so that they can reference them in the future if even the smallest prediction is proven correct, going slightly viral from the likes and gaining a couple of followers in the process.
I, unfortunately, am much like these cretins, as it seems to be one of the only ways to get an audience to pay attention to your writing nowadays.
If you can’t beat em’, join em’.
*Places teabag and 1 and a half teaspoons of sugar in large mug*
So join me as I try to predict the little and large details of the season ahead in the major European leagues. We’ll go league by league, asking all the questions that bare even slight importance.
Who’ll win? Who’ll get relegated? Who’ll bore us all to death and somehow stay up? Who’ll score the most goals? This is all just guesswork really. Educated guesswork, but guesswork nonetheless.
*Kettle clicks, pours water into mug, lets teabag sit for 5 seconds before taking out, healthy helping of milk poured in until the tea’s the colour of Winter Wheat (I already told you I’m a cretin, don’t critique my tea)*
Let’s get into this.
Bundesliga
Jude Bellingham may be gone, but Harry Kane has taken his place and allowed the natural order of things to continue, that Bayern should always pay for their rival’s best players and subsequently dominate the league. It doesn’t matter that they’re different people in different positions, they’re English, and they both cost upwards of £100m. It’s effectively the same thing.
After Dortmund bottled a league win on the final day of last season, and now that they’ve lost the likes of Bellingham and Gueirrero, don’t expect the Black and Yellows to be in tight contention this season. They have a squad filled to the brim with impressive young talent, and I’m sure they’ll be adding more by the end of the window, but as a group, they don’t seem ready to make that immediate push back at Bayern, especially with the major additions Die Roten have made this summer. Harry Kane and Kim Min Jae should be enough to keep Munich on top of the Bundesliga, but I expect a poor start to the season and a change of manager, as I have serious doubts about Tuchel’s ability to lead and keep a side like this happy.
Other than the constantly squabbling top two, there have been some dazzling movements throughout the rest of the league. Leipzig have signed Lois Openda and Benjamin Sesko, two young talents sure to blast in some scorching strikes across the coming season, as well as bringing Xavi Simons and Fabio Carvalho in on loan from PSG and Liverpool respectively. I expect this young Leipzig side to make some waves. Keep an eye on them. They could even pip Bayern to the title if they don’t fix their Tuchel shaped issues soon enough.
Union Berlin have managed to keep all of their top talents, so don’t be surprised to see them up in the mix for Europe again. Check up on Eintracht Frankfurt’s squad too. Some wonderful young additions in Hugo Larsson, Willian Pacho and Junior Ebimbe, as well as Robin Koch on loan from Leeds. That group has something for me this season.
My signing of the summer in the Bundesliga has been Victor Boniface from Union Saint Gilloise to Bayer Leverkusen. This guy’s a joke. Adding him to an already talented Leverkusen side along with Granit Xhaka and Alejandro Grimaldo, Fans are excited to see what he’s able to achieve this time around – with Alonso in the dugout, and a clutch of impressive kids led by the superb Florian Wirtz, they’re my dark horses for a league push.
Minnows FC Heidenheim make their Bundesliga debut this season after dramatically stopping Hamburg from gaining promotion with a 99th minute winner in the 2. Bundesliga last season. It’s doubtful they’ll make a big splash, especially considering how they overperformed their xG in periods last season, but a nice story nonetheless.
Darmstadt are Making their first Bundesliga appearance since 2017. They narrowly missed out on the Bundesliga 2 title on the final day back in May, but after a fantastic season under Torsten Lieberknecht, they’ll definitely want to prove a point after a long absence from the top.
Both of these teams will hope for future in the top flight but to do so, they will need to bring VfB Stuttgart, Augsburg, 1. FC Köln and VfL Bochum down to maintain any dreams of survival.
Top 6 in order: Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Union Berlin.
Relegated: 1. FC Heidenheim, SV Darmstadt 98 Playoff: 1. FC Köln
Best signing: Victor Boniface, Bayer Leverkusen
Player to watch out for: Benjamin Sesko, RB Leipzig
First manager sacked/to leave: Thomas Tuchel, Bayern Munich
Serie A
Napoli won last season’s Scudetto in magnificent style, lead by the mastery of Victor Osimhen and the dancing feet of Kvicha Kvaratshkelia. Kim Min Jae made his way over to the Bundesliga to join the reigning German champions for €55m, but no matter, as Napoli have just signed an immensely talented young Brazilian called Natan to replace him. Occasional Opinions guarantees he’s going to be worth at least €30m by next summer.
The competition has gotten stronger this offseason though. AC Milan have put together a rotation of attacking and midfield pieces that many would have only been able to dream up in FIFA Career Mode up until recently, ridding themselves of the scourge that is Junior Messias and adding Yunus Musah, Samuel Chukwueze, Christian Pulisic, Noah Okafor, and Tijani Reijnders to add to what’s sure to be a blisteringly quick and talented squad.
On the other side of the San Siro, things aren’t going as well. Some nice additions in the form of Marcus Thuram and Davide Frattesi have been made, but they don’t outweigh the heavy losses they’ve had to deal with this summer. If you’re here for hot takes, I don’t think Inter will even make Europe next season. Nor will Juventus, unless they make some managerial changes.
Atalanta are going to score goals through Serie A’s returning hero, Gianluca Scamacca. Roma have been the kings of the Free Agent market again, adding Evan Ndicka, Rasmus Kristensen, and Houssem Aouar, and they look like they’ll be improving their defensive presence, with Nemanja Matic moving on and Leandro Paredes coming from PSG to replace him.
Keep an eye on Sassuolo, who have lost some key players for major money, but have also added some lovely talents for cheap. AC Monza, who I’ve written about in the past, have kept their big loanees and added a few more nice, experienced pieces. And finally, I can’t help but feel excited about Torino. Ivan Ilic friends, feast your eyes.
Top 6 in order: Napoli, AC Milan, Atalanta, Roma, Juventus, Torino.
Relegated: Salernitana, Frosinone, Empoli
Best signing: Samuel Chukwueze, AC Milan
Player to watch out for: Ivan Ilic, Torino
First manager sacked/to leave: Simone Inzaghi, Inter Milan
Ligue 1
Let’s start not with the teams, but with the league, as Ligue 1 has had a slight format change this season. The promotion and relegation system will revert back to a previous fromat, with to two teams being relegated from Ligue 1 and two promoted from Ligue 2, plus a newly introduced playoff between third from bottom in Ligue 1 and third in Ligue 2. Important to note when deciding on who might go down.
Back to the top of the table, and the constant PSG drama continues. Messi, gone to the MLS. Neymar, wants out again. Mbappé, wants out again. Both have been demoted to the “unwanted” squad. Plenty of additions, Milan Skriniar, Manuel Ugarte, Marco Asensio, Goncalo Ramos. There’s been a drop off in superstar talent, but that may be to the long-term benefit of the club. It’ll be interesting to see how Luis Enrique steps up or hides away in front of the city of lights.
Outside of the usual big story in town, the teams of Ligue 1 have done really well with recruitment for the most part this season.
RC Lens have lost some big names. Openda and Fofana propelled them to a Champions League place last season, and they’ll be seriously missed. But don’t write them off just yet. That money has been reinvested in some serious young talents. Andy Diouf will be a big name amongst your local Twitter tacticos within a season, as will newly capped Colombia youngster Óscar Cortés. I don’t think they’ll reach the same levels this season, but a European place could be on the cards in some form.
Marseille looked set to mount a strong title challenge last season but suffered a dip in form to eventually end the campaign in third place. They have shuffled their pack this summer and manager Marcelino now looks to have a stronger squad at his disposal. Marseille have paid sizeable fees to sign Iliman Ndiaye, Ismaila Sarr and Renan Lodi, while Ruslan Malinovskyi is another noteworthy arrival. Midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia should prove to be a shrewd acquisition from Atletico Madrid, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has a point to prove after flopping at Chelsea. While challenging PSG for the title will likely be too much to ask, Marseille look a good bet to finish as runners-up behind the reigning champions.
Monaco dropped out of the top three last season and have seen influential defender Axel Disasi sign for Premier League giants Chelsea. However, Mohammed Salisu should prove to be a useful replacement, while the addition of goalkeeper Philipp Kohn further strengthens their defensive unit. Monaco were the second-highest scorers behind PSG in Ligue 1 last season and should make a strong bid to secure one of the Champions League qualification spots.
Nice could force their way into contention after splashing the cash on forwards Terem Moffi and Jeremie Boga this summer, and looking like they may hold on to Khephren Thuram. Morgan Sanson has also joined the club on loan from Aston Villa and will be eager to make an impression after spending last season with Strasbourg.
Top 6 in order: Paris Saint Germain, Marseille, Monaco, OGC Nice, Rennes, RC Lens.
Relegated: Metz, Nantes Playoff: Le Havre
Best signing: Terem Moffi, OGC Nice
Player to watch out for: Andy Diouf, RC Lens
First manager sacked/to leave: Paulo Fonseca, Lille (I see him moving to a bigger job)
La Liga
It comes as no surprise that Real Madrid and Barcelona are the top contenders expected to vie for the La Liga title in the upcoming season. Xavi’s impressive feat of winning the league by a substantial 10-point margin last year may be repeated, as I lean toward giving the Blaugrana the advantage.
Real Madrid has bid farewell to Karim Benzema, and though they have acquired Jude Bellingham as a cornerstone to build upon and boast sufficient talent, the recent major ACL tears of stars Thibaut Courtois and Éder Militão, plus Real’s lack of an out-and-out striker to go to when the chips are down, don’t fill me with an ounce of confidence.
The trajectory of Atlético Madrid hinges on whether we consider the initial or latter half of the previous season. At the outset, Atlético faced a tumultuous period, notably marked by their ignominious exit at the bottom of the group stage in the Champions League. However, a transformation occurred thereafter. Coach Diego Simeone reverted to fundamentals, rediscovered the team’s distinctive identity, established a functional system, and ushered out those who weren’t fully committed. They’ve only gotten better since last season, and it’s entirely possible a third crown under Simeone could be on the cards. Expect more spending if they can move on Félix too.
Real Sociedad may be able to throw their hat in the ring too as they strive to build on last season’s impressive fourth-place finish. It has been a relatively quiet summer for the club in the transfer market, with right-back Hamari Traore and forward Andre Silva their only noteworthy additions to date. Midfielder David Silva’s retirement after injury in pre-season is a blow, leaving La Real needing to find someone who can pull the strings in the attacking areas, but we should see more from the likes of Oyarzabal and Sadiq following their injury problems last term.
Real Betis finished sixth last season but should climb above Villarreal this time around if everything falls into place. Manager Manuel Pellegrini is a shrewd operator and has added some genuine quality to his squad without breaking the bank this summer. Sergio Canales is their most high-profile sale during the transfer window, but his exit should be well covered by the addition of Isco, Ayoze Perez and Alex Collado. Big fan of Rodri Sanchez too.
At the other end of the table, Almeria narrowly avoided relegation last season and will likely be battling against the drop this time around.
Cadiz could also struggle after losing some key players, while all three newly promoted clubs face difficult campaigns.
Las Palmas are many peoples favourites to go straight back down, but I really like what they’re working with. Keep a close eye on Jonathan Vieira, who is a magician on the ball. Alberto Moleiro is a multi-talented maestro out wide and in the middle too, and I expect him to make a big move up the football food chain after this season. Their home ground in Gran Canaria is a fortress too, so expect them to take a few bigger scalps with a rabid crowd behind them.
Top 6 in order: Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Real Betís, Real Sociedad, Sevilla.
Relegated: Cadiz, Granada, Alaves
Best signing: Isco, Real Betís
Player to watch out for: Alberto Moleiro, Las Palmas
First manager sacked/to leave: Rubén Baraja, Valencia
Premier League
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side head into the new campaign chasing their fourth successive league title, and they will be tough to stop in their quest to achieve the feat.
Arsenal will fancy their chances of toppling Man City after splashing the cash this summer, but I still don’t see them being capable of challenging the top dogs. There’s a serious lack of… I believe the technical term is “Cojones”, in this Arsenal side. They lack leadership, and that hasn’t improved this summer. In fact, it’s only dropped off further with the loss of Granit Xhaka. I expect Manchester United to be in the mix and finish above Arsenal in 2nd, with their superior leadership qualities proving to be the difference.
Liverpool and Chelsea are bidding to put disappointing seasons behind them having done some solid business during the summer, but Liverpool are suffering from a serious lack of recruitment in the areas where it’s really needed, at CB and DM. I think this may come back to bite them at a key point in the season. I have every confidence in their attacking ability, but defensively?
Chelsea are just suffering all over the pitch, despite throwing money at everything. Pochettino will be capable of calming the storm, but don’t expect the West Londoners to be challenging for a top 4 place.
Brighton have lost some big names this season, but the young additions they continue to make while keeping their leaders in the team is endlessly impressive. Despite those losses, I only see Brighton improving this year. Expect them to make a real push in Europe, and possibly even make it into the Champions League places!
Aston Villa have been tipped by many to do a Newcastle and propel themselves up into a Champions League position this season, but I don’t see the vision. Villa were one of the worst perfroming teams in the league aerially last season, and adding new CB Pau Torres to the mix, an excellent progressive defender, but a horrendous player under the high-ball, can only spell disaster for them this season. I think they’ll start off horribly and Unai Emery may be the first to lose his job.
Plenty of sides will be nervously looking over their shoulders all season long. New boys Burnley are the most talented, but will their style of play translate well in promtion? Sheffield United have lost their talisman in Iliman Ndiaye, and for some reason decided to sell Sander Berge to relegation rivals Burnley, so likely will go straight back down. Luton Town are the favourites to finish bottom of the pile, but I believe their home form and the intelligent low-cost signings they’ve made this window will just about keep them up.
West Ham, despite everything, look too talented to fail massively, and with Everton, I can’t help but trust Sean Dyche. With the lack of investment, the loss of Julien Lopetegui off the pitch, as well as Ruben Neves on it, the Molineux looks like it’ll be a depressing place for home fans to watch football this season. That last place for relegation is really up for grabs, and I’m struggling to figure out who might end up there.
Top 6 in order: Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Brighton, Newcastle
Relegated: Wolves, Sheffield United, Burnley
Best signing: Anthony Elanga, Nottingham Forest
Player to watch out for: Chiedozie Ogbene, Luton Town
First manager sacked: Unai Emery, Aston Villa