5 teams who have disappointed in Europe so far

With the winter break in many European leagues fast approaching, the season has already started to take shape. It is clear which sides will be fighting for glory at the end of the campaign and it is equally evident the ones who have failed to live up to what was expected of them.

These are no always teams that have fallen away to the foot of the standings; often they are floating around the top of the table but have allowed their title rivals to gain a jump on them that jeopardises their chances of glory without necessarily ruining them.

Each season, there are clubs that fall into this category of varying levels, from those who have failed to build on promising summer transfer campaigns to those who have lost their momentum from the previous year.

With this in mind, here are five of Europe’s biggest disappointments so far:

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#5 Everton

Everton were tipped for big things at the start of the season. Although the arrival of Wayne Rooney from Manchester United was greeted with some scepticism, it was a very positive sign of intent that Ronald Koeman’s side wanted to push for a Champions League place, and their other arrivals, such as Gylfi Sigurdsson, seemed to suggest that they would be equipped to at least push for the top six.

Fast forward only four months and Koeman already finds himself out of a job, while the Goodison Park side are only one bad result away from potentially falling into the relegation zone. And don’t even think about their European campaign: they were one of the first teams to be eliminated from the Europa League, failing to win any of their opening four matches in the process.

With 15 Premier League goals, they have found the net more than anyone else outside the top eight heading into the weekend with the exception of Leicester. It is at the other end of the park that things have fallen apart. Only West Ham have conceded more than their 24.

Managerless and, apparently, directionless, what promised to be a memorable season for the blue half of Liverpool is quickly turning into something of a nightmare. They have the potential to turn things around, but they cannot get their next appointment wrong.

#4 Monaco

Monaco were torn apart by Rasenballsport Leipzig

Monaco may lie second in Ligue 1 as the halfway stage of the season rapidly approaches, but it is on the European scene that Leonardo Jardim’s side have really served to disappoint this season. With five matches of the Champions League played, they are not only out, but have been so far off the pace that they will not even take part in the Europa League after the winter break.

Wednesday’s 4-1 destruction at home by RB Leipzig was a chastening defeat and shows how far Monaco have fallen from the team that reached the semi-finals in such explosive fashion last season.

Unsurprisingly, it is a defeat that has not been taken well in France, where their European campaign has been described widely as a “fiasco”.

“We made individual mistakes. That's why we've been knocked out,” Polish centre-back Kamil Glik said.

“It's not just because players left in the close season, even if that explains a lot of it because we lost five starters. We can't look for excuses and now we have to focus on the league to ensure that we're back in the UEFA Champions League next season.”

Regardless of the players who have left the principality over the last six months, Jardim’s side should be much, much better than the fare they have produced so far this season, when only Radamel Falcao and Rony Lopes have hit an acceptable level.

#3 Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund started well but have petered out in the last two months

Over the best part of a decade, football fans have gradually become accustomed to Borussia Dortmund at least threatening Bayern Munich’s dominance in Germany. Of course, since Jurgen Klopp departed, things have become more complicated at Signal Iduna Park, culminating in the exit of Thomas Tuchel last summer after a disappointing campaign.

BVB finished a distant third last time around and expected to be more competitive when they appointed Peter Bosz, the man who led Ajax to the Europa League final last term, to the helm.

Things, however, have only gotten increasingly worse. Nearly a third of the way through the campaign, Dortmund find themselves fifth in the national pecking order and are already nine points back of Bayern Munich, who themselves have sacked one coach after an unacceptable start to the season by their standards.

Worse, Dortmund are already out of the Champions League and face a battle even to be in the Europa League after Christmas. It is unbecoming of a club that has grown to expect more.

After the 2-1 midweek loss against Tottenham, in which they led 1-0, the coach said: “You could see after the 1-1 that we are lacking confidence.

“In the first half we played well. We were well-organised and created chances. After the equaliser, we couldn't carry on, though.”

Meanwhile, team captain Marcel Schmelzer agreed: “I wouldn't say that we are lacking leaders on the field or do not have the necessary stamina. Right now, it is all down to confidence for us.”

Unless BVB find some self-belief soon, their season will be all but over.

#2 AC Milan

AC Milan's star-studded team has flattered to deceive

This was meant to be the year that AC Milan finally became serious about challenging for the Serie A title once again. After not winning the crown since 2011, the only major title they have claimed in the last decade, the San Siro outfit have endured a lengthy spell of mediocrity.

When they splashed out around €175 million on new signings this summer, including Leonardo Bonucci from Juventus (€42m) and Andre Silva from Porto (€38m), expectation levels rose dramatically.

Vincenzo Montella’s side have been unable to match those hopes. Indeed, they are as much in the wilderness domestically as they have been in recent years. From 13 matches, they have lost six already, and they already find themselves with a seven-point gap to the top six, with the three clubs immediately above them all having played a game less, too.

At least they have been going well in the Europa League, relatively speaking, although two scoreless draws against AEK Athens did little to quicken the pulse and a 3-2 home win over Croatian outfit Rijeka was much too close for comfort.

Perhaps it would be worth remembering that many of the players signed by the Rossoneri in the summer are still young and are to reach their potential, so it is premature to write them off. However, there can be little doubt that there was much more expected of them than the mediocre fare they have so often shown this term.

#1 Real Madrid

Real Madrid are yet to hit the right notes this season

As one of the biggest clubs in the world, the standards that Real Madrid are held to are like few others. The defending Spanish and European champions have made a disappointing start to the season, underlined by the poor domestic form of their strikers.

Indeed, of the 98 clubs in Europe’s major leagues, only the forwards of Serie A minnows Benevento, who have yet to even pick up a point yet, have a poorer scoring record than Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo this season – a quite incredible statistic. Remarkably, this is the worst start for two forwards in the club’s long and illustrious history.

The contributions of Marco Asensio and Isco have kept them going to some extent in the league, but Zinedine Zidane’s men have allowed Barcelona to race into a 10-point lead, and while they will feel that can still be bridged, it is an alarming deficit to have to chase.

Valencia are also ahead of Los Blancos, while Atletico Madrid, themselves considered to have endured a testing start, only trail their neighbours on goal difference.

Things have been equally testing in Europe, where a defeat to Tottenham means that the likelihood is that they will finish their group in second, thereby opening up the possibility of meeting a club like Manchester United, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain in the spring.

Nothing is over for the Bernabeu men yet, but their lives are very, very complicated now.