Top European Leagues: Where they Stand

Erling Haaland has fired Manchester City to within three points of another Premier League title. Oli SCARFF / AFP/File
Erling Haaland has fired Manchester City to within three points of another Premier League title. Oli SCARFF / AFP/File
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Top European Leagues: Where they Stand

Erling Haaland has fired Manchester City to within three points of another Premier League title. Oli SCARFF / AFP/File
Erling Haaland has fired Manchester City to within three points of another Premier League title. Oli SCARFF / AFP/File

Europe's top leagues are nearing the end of the season, with titles, places in Europe and safety from relegation up for grabs.

English Premier League

Title: Reigning champions Manchester City need three wins from their final four matches to be sure of holding off second-placed Arsenal. Pep Guardiola's side sit one point clear with a game in hand as they chase a fifth title in six seasons.

Europe: Newcastle and Manchester United occupy the two final Champions League places but have in-form Liverpool in hot pursuit. Jurgen Klopp's men are one point behind Man United and three adrift of the Magpies, but have played a game more. Tottenham, Brighton, Aston Villa and Brentford are fighting for the other European spots, said AFP.

Relegation: Bottom club Southampton are eight points from safety with three games left, but the next four clubs are separated by only three points. Two of Leeds, Leicester, Everton and Nottingham Forest will likely join the Saints in going down.

Spanish La Liga

Title: Barcelona can secure a first La Liga title since 2019 with four games to spare if they beat local rivals Espanyol on Sunday.

Europe: Second-placed Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have all but wrapped up places in next season's Champions League. Real Sociedad appear poised to join them, holding a seven-point lead over fifth-placed Villarreal with only five games remaining. There are just three points between seventh-placed Girona and 11th-placed Sevilla in the fight to reach the Europa Conference League.

Relegation: Elche have already been relegated. Second-bottom Espanyol are three points from safety, with six-time champions Valencia only out of the bottom three on head-to-head record ahead of Getafe. Real Valladolid, Cadiz and Almeria are all also in trouble.

Italian Serie A

Title: Napoli have already clinched their first Scudetto since 1990.

Europe: AC Milan sit two points behind fourth-placed city rivals Inter Milan with four matches left. Third-placed Lazio and second-placed Juventus, who could yet have a points deduction reinstated, can also still be caught in the race for the Champions League. Atalanta and Roma are both five points behind Inter.

Relegation: Sampdoria have already been relegated. Cremonese are six points from survival, with Spezia three behind 17th-placed Verona.

German Bundesliga

Title: Bayern Munich are just one point clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund heading into the last three matches of the season. The Bavarian giants are bidding for an 11th straight title

Europe: RB Leipzig sit third, one point ahead of fourth-placed Union Berlin and fifth-placed Freiburg. Bayer Leverkusen are two points clear of Wolfsburg in the fight to qualify for the Conference League.

Relegation: Hertha Berlin sit bottom, but only three points off the relegation play-off spot, occupied by Stuttgart. Bochum are 17th, behind Stuttgart on goal difference. A run of three wins in four games has taken Schalke two points away from the drop zone.

French Ligue 1

Title: Paris Saint-Germain appear set to win a record 11th Ligue 1 title despite a poor season. PSG sit six points clear of Lens with four games left.

Europe: Second-placed Lens are two points ahead of Marseille in the battle for automatic Champions League qualification. Fourth-placed Monaco appear likely to reach the Europa League, six points behind OM and five clear of fifth-placed Lille.

Relegation: Angers have been relegated. Four teams will go down in total as Ligue 1 changes from 20 to 18 clubs next season. Ajaccio and Troyes look destined for the drop, with one of Nantes, Auxerre, Brest and Strasbourg to join them.

Portuguese Primeira Liga

Title: Benfica are four points clear of title rivals Porto with three games to play.

Europe: Braga, five points behind Porto and four above fourth-placed Sporting Lisbon, are well-placed to secure a place in Champions League qualifying.

Relegation: The bottom three of Santa Clara, Pacos de Ferreira and Maritimo are all at least five points from guaranteed safety, fighting each other to go into the relegation play-off.

Dutch Eredivisie

Title: Feyenoord will lift their first title since 2017 and just their second this century with victory over Go Ahead Eagles this weekend. The Rotterdam giants are eight points ahead of PSV Eindhoven with three matches left.

Europe: PSV are five points ahead of Ajax in the race for the second Champions League spot. This season's Conference League semi-finalists AZ Alkmaar are just two points behind Ajax, chasing Europa League qualification.

Relegation: Cambuur and Groningen have been relegated. Excelsior, Emmen, Voldendam and Vitesse Arnhem are trying to avoid a relegation play-off.



Recovering Kompany Returns to Bayern Training Center

Bayern Munich's Belgian head coach Vincent Kompany waves as he arrives for the friendly football match between Bayern Munich and Olympique Lyon in Munich, southern Germany, on August 2, 2025. (AFP)
Bayern Munich's Belgian head coach Vincent Kompany waves as he arrives for the friendly football match between Bayern Munich and Olympique Lyon in Munich, southern Germany, on August 2, 2025. (AFP)
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Recovering Kompany Returns to Bayern Training Center

Bayern Munich's Belgian head coach Vincent Kompany waves as he arrives for the friendly football match between Bayern Munich and Olympique Lyon in Munich, southern Germany, on August 2, 2025. (AFP)
Bayern Munich's Belgian head coach Vincent Kompany waves as he arrives for the friendly football match between Bayern Munich and Olympique Lyon in Munich, southern Germany, on August 2, 2025. (AFP)

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany has returned to the club's training center as he continues his recovery from meningeal irritation, the Bundesliga champions said Tuesday.

The Belgian was rushed to hospital after collapsing on the training pitch in Munich last month, before being diagnosed with the illness.

"Vincent Kompany is on the road to recovery and has been back at the training ground at Sabener Strasse since the start of the week," Bayern said in a brief statement.

"Kompany was under medical care recently, with assistant coach Aaron Danks filling in."

The club also said Kompany was receiving treatment for a shoulder injury at the training center.

Bayern said after his collapse that the 40-year-old would return to take back head coaching duties from Danks in a "matter of weeks, not days".

The Bavarians' next match is not until November 20, against Cologne, due to the international break.

Kompany was visibly sick and walked with a limp during Bayern's 6-1 home win over RB Leipzig in mid-October.

He was in doubt for their home Champions League clash with Arsenal four days later, but took to the dugout for the 2-2 draw, two days before his training-pitch collapse.


FIA Chief Says Qatar, Abu Dhabi GPs to Go Ahead

Lando Norris at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December 2025. (Reuters)
Lando Norris at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December 2025. (Reuters)
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FIA Chief Says Qatar, Abu Dhabi GPs to Go Ahead

Lando Norris at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December 2025. (Reuters)
Lando Norris at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December 2025. (Reuters)

The final races of the Formula One season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will go ahead as planned despite tensions in the Middle East, the president of motorsports' governing body Mohammed Ben Sulayem said on Tuesday.

The last two grands prix of the year are scheduled for November 29 in Qatar and December 6 in Abu Dhabi.

The Saudi Arabia Grand Prix earlier this year was scrapped following the outbreak of the United States and Israel's war with Iran, while the Bahrain race was delayed and moved to Malaysia.

"We are ready for Qatar and Abu Dhabi," FIA chief Ben Sulayem said on social media.

"We are fully prepared and committed to delivering two outstanding grands prix weekends and a spectacular conclusion to the Formula One world championship.

"We look forward to welcoming drivers, teams and fans to two iconic circuits for an unforgettable finish to the season. See you on the grid."

Ben Sulayem's comments echo those made by F1 boss Stefano Domenicali last month.

One of the options discussed was moving the Emirati race to Imola in Italy if the Middle Eastern races could not go ahead, but F1 told media on Tuesday the Italian track had been told to stand down.

"We cannot let Imola wait indefinitely. Therefore, we have informed them today that we will not require them at the end of the season," an F1 official source said.

"Travel advice still allows travel, travel insurance is valid, events are taking place (for example MotoGP last weekend in Qatar) and business has returned to a normal level in both countries," the F1 source added.

Italian youngster Kimi Antonelli has already wrapped up the drivers' world championship title, while his Mercedes team secured the constructors' crown last weekend in Sao Paulo.


England Hand First Call-up to Bournemouth Defender Hill

Premier League - AFC Bournemouth vs Leeds United - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - October 31, 2026 AFC Bournemouth's James Hill celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Premier League - AFC Bournemouth vs Leeds United - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - October 31, 2026 AFC Bournemouth's James Hill celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
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England Hand First Call-up to Bournemouth Defender Hill

Premier League - AFC Bournemouth vs Leeds United - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - October 31, 2026 AFC Bournemouth's James Hill celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Premier League - AFC Bournemouth vs Leeds United - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - October 31, 2026 AFC Bournemouth's James Hill celebrates after the match. (Reuters)

England have called up uncapped Bournemouth defender James Hill for their Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain.

Hill has been added to Thomas Tuchel's squad after center-backs Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa were ruled out of Thursday's clash with Croatia at Wembley.

Guehi withdrew with an injury suffered in Manchester City's Premier League defeat at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Newcastle defender Dan Burn was called up on Monday, while Arsenal star Konsa will not be fit to face Slaven Bilic's side at Wembley as he is following his own fitness program.

Konsa is expected to be fit for Sunday's game against world champions Spain in Madrid.

The unheralded Hill has enjoyed a rapid rise this season, playing 15 times for Bournemouth to catch Tuchel's eye.

Hill will be fighting for a spot in England's central defense along with Burn, Jarell Quansah and Jarrad Branthwaite.

"Bournemouth defender James Hill has received his first call-up to the England squad," a Football Association statement said on Tuesday.

"The 24-year-old, who represented his nation at under-20 and under-21 level, has joined England ahead of the forthcoming Nations League fixtures.

"Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa will not be in contention for Croatia at Wembley on Thursday as he continues to follow his own program but will return to full training later this week before Sunday's trip to Spain."