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Games away from home are never easy. A number of factors could decide the result for a team from distance travelled to the intimidating atmosphere at their opponents' home stadium.
However, some teams in Europe have looked forward to such trips this season and their form in the league proves it. Here are five teams from Europe's top five leagues who have been in stupendous from away from home.
Note: Based on results as of 24 November
#5 AS Roma (Serie A)
AS Roma, perennial underachievers in the league, are currently five points behind league leaders Napoli but they do have a game in hand after their away fixture at Sampdoria was postponed due to a severe weather alert.
In all, they have played 12 games, winning 10 times and losing twice. They are yet to play out a draw. But away from home they have won all their matches so far (5 games).
They first beat Atalanta 1-0 before thrashing Benevento 4-0. A 2-0 win at the san Siro against AC Milan followed before they then beat Torino 1-0. Their last away fixture saw the Giallorossi beat Firoentina 4-2 in spite of the Viola drawing level twice after Roma had taken the lead.
Aleksandar Kolarov has been one of their most crucial players with the full-back netting the winner in both the 1-0 wins over Atalanta and Torino.
The Serbian international had signed from Manchester City for €5m this summer and what will make Roma fans even happier is the fact that he played for arch-rivals Lazio for three seasons before his move to England.
#4 Chelsea (Premier League)
Antonio Conte has now discovered just how difficult it is for an English club to compete on two fronts in a season - the Premier League and Champions League. Last season he had only the league to focus on and won it at a canter but this season has seen him struggle to mount a challenge as defending champions.
The Blues are currently third in the league after 12 games - nine points off the top of the table. Surprisingly, they have a better record away from home than at home.
Stamford Bridge is no longer a fortress with two teams having already come away with all three points. Burnley shocked the defending champions with a 3-2 win while Manchester City also won 1-0.
However, away from home and the watchful gaze of club owner Roman Abramovich, Chelsea have won five and lost one in six games to come away with 15 points.
They first beat league challengers Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Wembley, beat Leicester City 2-1, and hammered Stoke City 4-0. But the one game they should have won was lost when Crystal Palace won their first game of the season against Conte's side.
But with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth and 4-0 win over West Bromwich Albion, Chelsea look to be back on track for a title challenge.
#3 Napoli (Serie A)
The Serie A table has quite a different complexion than we have been used to in recent seasons. Juventus have started poorly before but, this season, it does feel like their dominance in Italy is coming to an end.
The table-toppers in Serie A are Napoli - the club that has mounted title challenges in the past before fading away in the second half of the season. But they look a different side this season.
The Partenopei are yet to lose in Serie A. In 13 games, they have won 11 times and drawn twice. Away from home, they have six wins and a draw.
In fact, they had won their first six away games before drawing a blank against Chievo. They scored thrice against Verona and Bologna (3-1 and 3-0 wins).
Then came the monumental game where they thrashed Lazio 4-1 after going 1-0 down. A stirring second-half comeback saw them score all four goals in the last 35 minutes. That was followed by wins against SPAL, Roma and Genoa.
Napoli are well-placed to win Serie A and coach Maurizio Sarri has prioritised the league, sacrificing the Champions League in the process. But the fans at San Paolo would not begrudge him for doing so as they look to win their first league title since 1990.
#2 Barcelona (La Liga)
Just before the La Liga season got underway, Barcelona were in a crisis. They had been battered 5-1 on aggregate by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup, they had lost Neymar to PSG in a world-record transfer, and their club board was under immense pressure following their failure to land Philippe Coutinho and Jean Michael Seri.
But new coach Ernesto Valverde not only steadied the ship but also set them on a journey that has seen the Catalan club yet to lose a single game all season in the league and Champions League.
They are top of La Liga 11 wins and a draw in 12 games. Although they are one of three clubs yet to lose in the league (the other two being Valencia and Atletico Madrid, they have dominated their opponents, scoring 33 goals and conceding just 4 - both league highs.
Away from home, they have 5 wins and a draw. They beat Alaves (2-0), Getafe (2-1), Girona (3-0), Valverde's former club Athletic Bilbao (2-0), and Leganes (3-0). The only blight in their otherwise perfect record was the draw against Atletico Madrid where Luis Suarez scored the equaliser in the 82nd minute.
Their next few away fixtures could be the toughest yet, though. They face second-placed Valencia and Villarreal before the Clasico against Real Madrid. If they can get past these teams unscathed, the La Liga title is surely theirs.
#1 Manchester City (Premier League)
After one season in the Premier League where he was given time to adapt, Pep Guardiola has done his homework and stormed into an 8-point lead after just 12 games. Manchester City are top of the league with 34 points out of a possible 36.
Such has been their dominance in England that their only draw came at the Etihad against Everton. The Citizens have won all their away fixtures in the league so far - scoring 16 goals and conceding only 3.
Away from home, they beat Brighton and Hove Albion (2-0), Bournemouth (2-1) with a 97th-minute winner, thrashed Watford (6-0), Chelsea (1-0) thanks to former Blues midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, West Bromwich Albion (3-2), and Leicester City (2-0).
Among the top five leagues in Europe, City have the best away record.
Guardiola's next big game away from home is his old nemesis - Jose Mourinho. The Manchester derby is scheduled for 10 December and the result could eventually decide where the trophy goes this season.
