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While the curtains are being readied to be drawn as the 2018/19 season comes to an end, the footballing fraternity is yet waiting to savour the last spoonful of excitement left in store. May signals the end of every campaign, be it domestic or European, thereby announcing a host of champions in different countries and the continent.
This season has made sure that football fans all over the globe have had a whale of time throughout the year, enjoying different competitions. Now, as we turn to what is the final fleck of this exhilarating campaign, let's have a glance at the top football clubs to find out which of the lot has beaten their counterparts to the first place.
#10 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid have made it to the top 10 list for the first time this season.
Diego Simeone and co, however, will not have much to showcase when the curtains are drawn over season 2018/19. Los Rojiblancos are placed second in the LaLiga which has already been won by Barcelona. They also have no domestic cup to target, which means they will be ending the season with just the UEFA Super Cup trophy that they won at the start of the season.
Atletico won five and lost one out of the six games they played in April. In the month, they played Espanyol, Sevilla and Levante; winning all of them is hardly necessary as the club has already secured a Champions League spot for the next season.
However, with a club like Atletico Madrid in question, it is not only about European qualification but the number of trophies that needs to be talked about. It remains to be seen if the Rojiblancos manage to lay hands on a major domestic or European accolade in the next season.
#9 Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund were downright sensational at the beginning of the 2018/19 campaign. However, a series of inconsistent performances since the start of 2019 has seen them lose the top spot of Bundesliga to Bayern Munich. Bayern now look likely to be in a strong position to defend their title.
The German outfit managed to win two games, losing the remaining two in April. Dortmund lost 5-0 to Bayern at the start of the month - a clash that could have swung the Bundesliga title in their favour had they won it. Furthermore, a 4-2 loss to Schalke dented their chances of winning the league.
In May, Lucien Favre's men will face Werder Bremen, Fortuna Dusseldorf and Borussia Monchengladbach. It remains to be seen if they manage to grab all the nine points and if the luck favours them this time.
#8 Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur managed to win four games out of the seven they played in April, losing the remaining three. However, the losses did little to hamper their chances of securing a top four finish and a Champions League spot for the next season.
Mauricio Pochettino deftly masterminded a quarterfinal victory over Manchester City in Europe, drawing praises from all over the globe. However, the Lillywhites are on the brink of missing out on their first ever UCL final after they succumbed to 1-0 defeat against Ajax at home.
Bournemouth, Ajax and Everton will be the three games the Londoners will have to play in May - the three games that could decide their fate in the Champions League both in this season as well as the next one. It will be interesting to see if Pochettino and co manage to achieve both the targets before the season ends.
#7 Paris Saint Germain
At the very start of the season, Paris Saint Germain were touted to dominate the French top-tier and make strides in Europe. However, the season has panned out far from their expectations.
While winning the Ligue 1 was always a staunch certainty for Les Parisiens, so were other domestic cups. However, their recent loss to Rennes in the French Cup final meant they will end the campaign with just two domestic trophies - far from fulfilling what was expected of them.
Nice, Angers, Dijon and Stade Reims are their upcoming games in the league. PSG have already been crowned champions of Ligue 1 with 84 points from 34 games. However, it remains to be seen if the club can do something noteworthy in Europe next season and provide adequate testaments to the team of giants they possess.
#6 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich have made it to the top of the Bundesliga in the nick of time and winning it may be the only salvation they can achieve after crashing out early in the UCL round of 16.
The Bavarians have the advantage of a two-point lead over arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund as they venture into the month of May. As for Niko Kovac, the Croatian now has a strong chance of ending his debut season as a coach with silverware.
While they take on the relegated Hannover 96 at the beginning of the month, the following clash against third-placed RB Leipzig will be a tough test to pass for the defending champions. Next, they will come up against Eintracht Frankfurt and a win could be recorded without much effort.
Bayern will also face Leipzig in the DFB Cup final, opening the possibility of notching a domestic double as the season draws to a close.
#5 Ajax
Ajax seems to be a team of Davids - hell-bent on taking on every Goliath they come across. The Eredivisie outfit stunned the footballing folks yet again with their exemplary performance against a mighty Juventus, dumping them out of the UCL.
Eric ten Hag's men are also locked in a close battle with PSV Eindhoven for the Dutch league title, holding the first place due to a better goal difference.
Their attacking manoeuvres have been lauded all over the world. They have netted 111 goals in the league, more than any other team in Europe, which speaks volumes about their ability to score with aplomb.
May will be a crucial month for Ajax as they look to book a final berth in the UCL, lift the Dutch Eredivisie title and win the KNVB Cup final. If they do win everything, no doubt it will be a lore to narrate for the coming ages.
#4 Juventus
With four Serie A games still in hand, Juventus have already clinched the league title for this season. The Bianconeri have continued their seemingly endless stranglehold in the Italian top-tier by winnning their 8th consecutive league title in the current decade.
In the 7 games they played in April, the Italian champions managed to grab 4 wins and 2 draws, while losing a game in the process.
However, Massimiliano Allegri and co were a huge disappointment in the Champions League. They failed to outsmart a young and dynamic Ajax side to book a place in the semi-finals, in spite of having a 2-1 advantage following the first leg. Guess Cristiano Ronaldo won't be too happy about it, would he?
The Old Lady will face Torino, Roma, Atlanata and Sampdoria in the month of May, officially wrapping up season 2018/19 with a domestic double.
#3 Liverpool
The fraternity at Anfield will be biting their nails as the Premier League steadily draws to a close. The fans know their team have given everything that takes to win the title and will be praying with every fibre of hope for Manchester City to drop a single point in the remaining two fixtures.
While Jurgen Klopp and co bank on Man City's possible failure, they will prepare to face Newcastle and Wolverhampton in the remaining fixtures. The home game to Wolves could especially prove crucial in their bid to lift the title.
On the European stage, Liverpool are just two clashes away from making it to the UEFA Champions League final for the second time in a row. They will gear up to face Barcelona over two legs in May - the month that will decide their fates in both domestic and European title races.
#2 Manchester City
Premier League table-toppers Manchester City have been involved in a fierce tug-of-war for the title with Liverpool. The Cityzens have shown noteworthy grit and consistency in the English top-tier which is why they have maintained a strong hold in the competition.
In total 8 games in April, Pep Guardiola and co won 7 games and lost one, successfully seeing off hurdles like Tottenham and Manchester United in their race for the title. However, the Spanish tactician was left dejected as his brave men tumbled out of the UCL to a rival English club for the second time in a row.
With only two PL games left to be played, City will hardly be challenged by Leicester City and Brighton as they look to win the EPL by just a point. Should they grab the league title, the FA Cup final against Watford will offer them a chance to cap off another trophy-laden season with a domestic treble.
#1 Barcelona
For all those who doubted the tactical nous of Ernesto Valverde, the Spanish tactician has shut them out by masterminding the LaLiga title for the second consecutive year. Barcelona are now the only team in Europe in contention for winning a treble, given their Copa del Rey final against Valencia and a UCL final on the cards.
In a month which saw Barca play eight games, Lionel Messi and his subordinates won six and drew two games. Both stalemates made little damage to their hopes of winning the league title. They also outclassed Manchester United to book a semi-final berth against Liverpool in the UCL, thereby entering the semi-final stage after three years.
With the league title already in the bag, the Blaugrana will now be shifting their entire might and focus on beating Liverpool to make it to the UCL finals, before locking antlers against Valencia for their fifth consecutive Copa del Rey title.
