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#4 Valencia (La Liga)
Marcelino is a very competent coach and so when he took over at Valencia in the summer, the expectation was that, if given time to work, he would steadily improve a side who had finished 12th in each of the previous two campaigns.
But the former Villarreal coach has done much more than that. Los Che currently sit third in La Liga, ahead of Real Madrid and with a 5-point lead over Sevilla in fifth.
A run of 8 consecutive victories from mid-September through to mid-November, in which they scored twice or more in every match, provided the basis for their surprisingly good season to date.
Marcelino has drawn an excellent output from forwards Simone Zaza and Rodrigo. Portuguese winger Goncalo Guedes has been unstoppable at times while Dani Parejo has rediscovered his form alongside Geoffrey Kondogbia in midfield.
Although there is still room for improvement, there are signs of strong relationships being formed in defence.
A run of three defeats in four matches prior to the festive break leaves work to be done in the New Year, though. But after a first half of the campaign that has defied expectations, Valencia still look on course to secure a return to the Champions League come the end of the season.
