'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
What makes this season more exciting than any of the previous seasons of league football? It's the fact that underdog teams have been outperforming some of the most prominent and powerful squads in Europe. Just yesterday, Belgian First Division team Club Brugge thrashed a Thierry Henry led Monaco 4-0, while Serbian outfit Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) humiliated Liverpool 2-0 at home.
In the recent decade, teams such as Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus have been dominating their respective leagues with barely any competition. This season, however, Borussia Dortmund lead the Bundesliga table with Bayern at third, while Inter and Napoli are tied for second in the Serie A.
Although some of the clubs mentioned in this article may not end up with any silverware, they are still on course to exceed all expectations. Without further ado, let's take a look at 5 of these such clubs that are performing above expectations this season.
#5 RCD Espanyol
FC Barcelona is the most prominent club to represent Catalonia, but local rivals RCD Espanyol are slowly making a name for themselves. The lesser-known Catalan club currently sits second in the Spanish first division table due to some incredibly impressive performances.
Los Periquitos lost their star forward, Gerard Moreno, to Villareal this summer, but reinvested their profits in acquiring Borja Iglesias from Celta and making the loan deal of Sergi Darder from Lyon permanent.
While Iglesias has been a revelation for the club, fellow countryman Mario Hermoso has been a rock in defence. Him, along with David López, have done well to secure victories for Espanyol, and as a result, are being scouted by some of the best clubs right now. Hermoso has even been targeted by Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur according to MARCA.
Manager Rubi has been doing a wonderful job with the squad, as the team has only lost 2 out of their 11 league encounters and have a win percentage of 54.5%. If they continue to perform, Espanyol could be looking at European competition next season.
#4 Lille OSC
Just last season, Lille OSC were battling it out to survive relegation from the French first division. Five months later and the are comfortably sitting joint second, six points behind league leaders Paris Saint-Germain. Part of the reason for this change in fortune is the acquisition of new head coach Christophe Galtier.
The former Saint-Etiene tactician brought in Jonathan Ikone, Zeki Çelik, and Loïc Rémy for a combined fee of €8.9m (Transfermarkt) and reinforced his squad with four free transfers, including Portuguese center-back José Fonte.
Forwards Nicolas Pépé and Jonathan Bamba have been racking in the goals for Les Douges, with the former already bagging 8 goals and 5 assists in 12 league matches alone. Pépé has emerged as a target for Arsenal, Chelsea, and Bayern alike as a result of his performances this season.
Galtier and co. will be hoping to continue this fine run of form into the second half of the season as they look to cement a Champions League spot for next year. Before they do so, however, they have a strong task ahead of them. Lille OSC is on the verge of a Coupe de Ligue knockout after Strasbourg took the lead in the first leg. Can Galtier mastermind a famous victory in the second leg?
#3 AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth has been on fire! The Cherries have scored 10 goals in their last 5 matches, including 4 against Javi Gracia's Hornets and 3 against newly promoted side Fulham. One of the reasons for this incredible form lies in the recent performances of their dynamic front duo. Callum Wilson and Joshua King keep scoring goals and the fans can't get enough of it.
Scottish winger Ryan Fraser and Welsh youngster David Brooks have been sensational on the wings, while Jefferson Lerma has done well to control Bournemouth's midfield. The Colombian, along with Diego Rico, are the only major signings the club made this season, but they've already outperformed their form last season.
They currently sit in sixth place, three points away from 5th place Arsenal while tied on points with 7th place Manchester United. Although they are on fire this season, some of the biggest clubs in England are circling their current stars. Both Chelsea and Tottenham look to prize Wilson away from the Vitality Stadium in January, and Eddie Howe should do whatever it takes to retain the core of his squad.
#2 SC Braga
Portuguese domestic football is known for their "Big Three". Sporting CP, SL Benfica, and FC Porto have dominated the league in the most recent decades and never looked like stopping. It comes as a surprise then that SC Braga finds themselves second on the league table. The 2012-13 Taça de Portugal winners have not lost a single league match this season and command a win percentage of 66.7%.
Dyego Sousa, their frontman, has scored 7 goals and assisted three more in 9 league appearances. He also has 3 goals in 2 Taça matches and is quickly gaining recognition across Europe. Ricardo Horta is another player in good form recently, with 4 goals and 2 assists in his 9 Liga NOS matches.
Abel Ferreira, the former Sporting defender, has done wonders for Braga ever since his interim post became permanent in 2017, and will be looking to take the small Minhoian club to the biggest stage in the world - the Champions League.
#1 Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund can without a doubt be called the most exciting team to watch this season. Lucien Favre's men have put in some impressive performances, reversing 1-0 and 2-0 deficits in stunning fashion.
The Swiss boss brought in Barça reject Paco Alcacer on loan along with Abdou Diallo, Thomas Delaney, Axel Witsel, and Marius Wolf for a combined fee of €73m. Moroccan prodigy Achraf Hakimi also made his way into Die Schwarzgelben for this season.
Paco Alcácer has been on fire, converting 100% of his shots on target. The Spaniard has even gone on to replace Diego Costa and Rodrigo in the Spanish national team. Captain Marco Reus has seemed to regain his form again, with 6 goals and 3 assists in 10 Bundesliga appearances.
The most exciting aspect of this Borrusia team, however, is the impeccable rise of Jadon Sancho. The U17 World Cup winner has been ruthless on the right wing, scoring 4 goals and assisting 6 in his 10 Bundesliga appearances. Sancho currently leads the list of most assists in the top 5 leagues this season.
