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It's been an enticing few weeks of club football in Europe's major leagues. The Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 are a handful of games into the 2021-22 season. But the title race in each of the five divisions has already gathered steam.
Last weekend alone produced quite a few upsets, as a few big sides in these leagues endured defeats. Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, all lost in their respective leagues last weekend.
However, there are still a few teams across Europe's top five leagues who're still unbeaten. On that note, here are the six such teams who are yet to lose a league game this season:
#6 Freiburg (Bundesliga)
The Bundesliga has mostly been a one-horse race for the better part of the last decade. But the new season has offered quite a few surprises. While holders Bayern Munich are leading the pack once again, their lead at the top is very slim. Four team, including Freiburg, are breathing right down Bayern's necks.
With four wins and three draws, Freiburg are in fourth place in the league table. But Christian Streich's side are the only unbeaten team in the division.
It's one of Freiburg's best-ever starts to a season. They have managed to go so long without defeat since the start of the campaign for the first time since the 2004-05 campaign. That season, the Breisgau-Brasilianer surprisingly ended up being relegated. However, they'll hope for a much better outcome this time.
#5 Villarreal (La Liga)
Going into last weekend, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla and Villarreal were the only unbeaten teams in the La Liga. But the El Clasico rivals fell to limp defeats, while Atletico also succumbed to Granada.
That makes the Yellow Submarine the sole unbeaten La Liga team going into the international break. However, their record in the division isn't so impressive. With only two wins from their opening seven top-flight games, Unai Emery's side are languishing in 11th place in the points table.
Villarreal are only the second team in La Liga history to have secured five draws after seven games in a season. Real Sociedad have done so twice - 1968-69 and 1970-71.
#4 Liverpool (Premier League)
Liverpool produced one of the worst Premier League title defences in recent memory last season when they finished a staggering 17 points behind champions Manchester City.
But they look determined to reclaim the crown. With four wins and three draws from their opening seven games, the Reds are second in the league table, trailing only Champions League holders Chelsea. Liverpool are the only unbeaten team in the English top flight this season.
Their unbeaten run came under threat from Manchester City on Sunday. But Jurgen Klopp's side held forced a share of the spoils in a pulsating 2-2 stalemate in Anfield. That extended their undefeated streak in all competitions to 19 games since their 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in April.
Liverpool haven't lost a league game since going down 1-0 to Fulham at home in March. Their 17-game unbeaten streak is their longest since the 2019-20 season, when they went without defeat for 27 games.
#3 Inter Milan (Serie A)
As far as defending champions go, Inter Milan have done a good job thus far. After ending Juventus' dominance last season, they've got their 2021-22 campaign off to a bright start, with five wins from seven games.
They lost some of the key pillars of their Scudetto triumph, such as Romelu Lukaku, Achraf Hakimi and manager Antonio Conte. All of them left the club in the summer. But the Nerazzurri have fared well, remaining unbeaten in the league thus far.
Part of their brilliant run is down to shrewd acquisitions like Edin Dzeko, Hakan Calhanoglu and Joaquin Correa to bolster their attack. New manager Simone Inzaghi has also been tactically astute, retaining his predecessor's approach while maintaining a strong team unity.
With 17 points in the bag, Inter Milan are only behind table-toppers Napoli and AC Milan in the Serie A table. This is the longest Inter have gone without a defeat since the start of a league campaign since 2017-18 season, when they went 16 games unbeaten.
#2 AC Milan (Serie A)
Inter Milan's title victory last season ended Juventus' near-decade-long Serie A dominance. The 2021-22 campaign seems to be more competitive, with AC Milan also off to a flyer along with the Nerazzurri.
Continuing from where they left off in May, the Rossoneri have been among the most impressive teams in the division. They have won six of their opening seven league games. They are in second place in the league standings.
Having accumulated 19 points thus far, it's Milan's best start to a domestic campaign since 2003-04, when they went on to win the Scudetto.
It's also the second consecutive year Milan have gone without defeat in their opening seven league game. Their streak ended at 16 last season. Milan would hope for a longer one this campaign.
#1 Napoli (Serie A)
One team that has quietly impressed the most and surpassed expectations is Napoli, who've won all their seven league games this season.
PSG were on an eight-game winning run in Ligue 1. But defeat to Rennes on Sunday ended their run. That leaves the Partenopei as the only side in Europe's top five leagues with a 100% record.
Spearheaded by the peerless Victor Osimhen, Napoli are in red-hot form right now. They've taken apart every side on their way, including Juventus, whom they beat 2-1 on matchday two.
With Gennaro Gattuso leaving after failing to take Napoli to the Champions League, Luciano Spaletti has come in to steer the team back to the competition. Thus far, he has made a fabulous start.
The Naples outfit have not only been menacing in attack, but have also been solid in defence, conceding only three goals. It's the fewest in Serie A and the joint-lowest in Europe's major leagues; Chelsea, Manchester City and Villarreal have also conceded thrice.
