After months of absence, it looks like football is finally coming home. Many associations around the world have announced the return of football. The Bundesliga and La Liga are already back, and the restart of the Premier League (June 19) and Serie A (June 20) are right around the corner. Fans have a lot to look forward to. With so many options and free time for many, especially during the quarantine, what league deserves your attention for the end of the season? In other words, what is Europe’s best football league to watch right now, according to categories like the showmanship, quality of players and closeness in the title race? Of course, Ligue 1 will not be included in this debate as it’s been cancelled for the rest of the season.
What is the Best League to Watch Following the Return of Football?
Showmanship
The first criterion used to figure out the best league to watch has to be the overall excitement of its games. Football is entertainment, after all, meaning it has to be entertaining. There could be many ways and statistics to measure the showmanship of a league. In this case, the stats will consist of the number of shots, number of shots per game, number of goals and number of goals per game (as of June 13th).
Bundesliga
For the Bundesliga, 7,384 shots have been recorded, with the record champions Bayern being on top with 567 attempts, reaching the target 281 times. However, due to the earlier restart in Germany, the league has played more games than in England, Italy or Spain, and therefore has had more time to record shots. Besides, the German top flight is composed of 18 teams, as opposed to the traditional 20. That is why we turn to shots per 90 minutes next, to even the playing field. Those 18 clubs average 13.36 attempts per game this year in that department.
Although the number of shots can be a good indication of how interesting a game has been, they are not what makes fans get up from their seats and cheer. For that, we have to take a closer look at goals. The ball found the back of the net 891 times so far this season, partly thanks to top-scorer Robert Lewandowski’s phenomenal 30 goals in only 28 games. Once again we turn to goals per game to get a better understanding of that number. Once again on average, 3.2 goals are scored per game in Germany in the 2019-2020 season.
La Liga
Spanish football as a reputation for being slower and more relying on passing. At first glance, those stereotypes seem to check out, considering that La Liga’s top shooter is Lionel Messi, with 55 attempts. In comparison, Bayern’s main man has had more than double the attempts (129). This results in a total of 6,204 shots in La Liga, which is significantly less than in Germany. The different style of play also affects the number of shots per game, which is averaging around 11.49 for La Liga teams. Consequently, 704 goals have been scored so far, at a rate of 2.53 per game.
Serie A
The Italians are known for their defensive approach and their tactical style of play. However, the 7,290 total shots at a rate of 14.44 per 90 recorded this season would say otherwise, topping the Bundesliga and La Liga in shots per game. Lead by Ciro Immobile and his 27 goals so far, the league has managed 746 goals, meaning 2.91 goals per game. Not so defensive after all.
Premier League
The Premier League has always been synonymous with excitement, thanks to memorable moments, goals and title races. Yet, do numbers back that up? Statistically speaking, yes. Similarly to the Serie A, the English first-division provided 7,259 shots. Per game, each team averaged 12.61 shots before the break. In terms of goals, the Premier League ranks second out of the four leagues, with 784 goals at a rate of 2.72 per 90.
What do these numbers tell us? In terms of pure action, the Bundesliga, on paper, is on top. It’s in first position for nearly all the categories, apart from shots per game. It’s also the only league to reach more than three goals a game on average.
Quality of Players
Football is not only statistics, as the brilliance of some players, like Zinedine Zidane or Andrés Iniesta, cannot be measured by them. This is why the overall quality of the players in the league is a factor. Although this is very subjective, it has to be said that the Premier League and La Liga surpass the Bundesliga and Serie A. Even if there are incredible footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Paolo Dybala, Ciro Immobile, Robert Lewandowski, Jadon Sancho, Erling Haaland, Kai Havertz and so many more, the cream rises to the top. Those players are nearly all in the top four, or even worse in the top two. It’s been seven years since a German side won the Champions League, and ten years for the Serie A.
It is difficult to say what league has the best squads between La Liga and the Premier League. The very top players in the world play often play in Spain. That results in a Spanish team winning the Champions League nearly every year. There was however a shift last season when all four finalists for the Champions League and Europa League were from England.
In addition, since the return of football, results have been harder to predict, as the home advantage doesn’t have the same effect as before, making every game that much more interesting.
Closeness in the Title Race
An exciting part of every season is the title race. Sadly for neutral fans, Europe’s top five leagues are less and less a competition every year. Dynasties are ruling their respective countries, like Juventus in Italy or Bayern in Germany. Before the break, it was fairly tight in the Bundesliga, but since the return of football, Bayern has been running away with it and already has one hand on the trophy. In England, there never was a title race in 2019-2020, as Liverpool sore over its competition, currently 25 points ahead of second-place Manchester City.
It is still all to play for in Italy and Spain. Juventus is heavily contested by an overachieving Lazio squad. A single point separates the two teams, with 12 games left to play. In La Liga, the eternal battle between Barcelona and Real Madrid is closer than ever, resulting in only two points splitting the two giants of world football.
With the return of football as this very strange campaign comes to an end, there is something for every football fan. Looking for action? Look no further than the Bundesliga. For the disciples of the beautiful game, the maestros in Spain or the nearly invincible Liverpool will be sure to captivate you. For a photo finish title race, the Serie A might just be tailor-made for you.
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