Which clubs can become national champions soon?

By Klimentijs Konevs | Published: April 2, 2026, 10:30

The international football window is over, and now we can fully focus on the decisive stretch of the domestic seasons. Across Europe, leagues that follow the autumn-spring format are entering their final phase.

Some title races are already close to being decided, but we've picked out the leagues where the fight for first place is still very tight. Read on to see how these races could unfold, as we're also providing the latest odds for the potential champions.

The 22 matches of the main round-robin are done. The league got split, with the top six teams continuing to fight for the title in the Championship Group. Points are halved, so everything becomes much tighter. Each team has eight more matches to play, and the gap at the top is minimal. Sturm Graz, the reigning champions, are leading the table by just one point.

Sturm ended Salzburg's 10-year dominance in 2023/24 and have since gone on to win two consecutive titles. These two sides have already met three times this season. Sturm won once, while the other two games ended in draws. This includes their first match of the championship phase. Worth mentioning that Rapid Wien are also right there, just a point behind Sturm. The team is one of the most successful clubs in Austria, with 32 league titles won. However, they haven't lifted the trophy since 2008 and finished only 5th last season.

The odds slightly favour Salzburg to win the league at 2.62, with Sturm priced at 2.80. That's because their final head-to-head meeting will take place in Salzburg, and that game could ultimately decide this year's winner.

Belgian Pro League

After the points were halved ahead of the playoff stage, the title race in the Jupiler Pro League has turned into a two-horse battle. Royal Union Saint-Gilloise and Club Brugge are leading the table, with just one point between them. The gap to the rest is already significant, as much as 11 points down to sixth place.

Sint-Truidense V.V. sit third, three points behind Brugge. However, they've never won the league. In fact, their best-ever result was a second-place finish back in the 1965/66 season. So realistically, it comes down to Union and Brugge once again. These two have been going head-to-head for the title in recent years. Brugge won it in 2024, Union prevailed last season, and now we have another close battle.

They've met twice this season, with each team winning at home. Brugge have scored slightly more goals, but they've also conceded twice as many as Union. With two more direct meetings still to come, those games could decide everything, although bookmakers currently favour Union Saint-Gilloise at 1.90 to go back-to-back.

French Ligue 1

Paris Saint-Germain are leading Ligue 1, as per usual. However, Lens sit just one point behind. Third-placed Olympique de Marseille are already 10 points off Lens, so the title race is realistically between the top two. Lens are providing serious pressure, especially with PSG occasionally dropping points against weaker sides. PSG's focus may be slightly elsewhere right now, as they continue their Champions League campaign, after a dominant 8-2 win over Chelsea on aggregate.

The two top teams of the Ligue 1 have already met this season. The match ended in a 2-0 PSG win. Their second and very important meeting was originally scheduled for April 11. However, the Parisians have requested to postpone the match, as they wanted to better prepare for their UCL quarter-final against Liverpool. The permission was granted, despite Lens opposing the decision.

With the rescheduled clash now set for later in the season, it could become the defining moment in the title race. Much will depend on the squad form and priorities at that stage. Lens, who finished runners-up in 2022/23, are still chasing their first-ever Ligue 1 title, which adds even more motivation to this tight battle.

German Bundesliga

Bayern Munich seem to have everything under control in the Bundesliga. They are nine points clear of Borussia Dortmund. With only a handful of matchdays left, it's hard to see this lead slipping away. Bayern are also preparing for the UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, having comfortably beaten Atalanta 10-2 on aggregate in the previous round.

Because of the important European games coming up, Vincent Kompany could rotate the squad in league matches. It might lead to a few dropped points, but Bayern's remaining fixtures are against opponents that are unlikely to pose serious problems.

Even with some rotation, they are most likely to secure the title a few rounds before the end. The odds of them slipping up at this stage are priced at 1.00. Their closest challenger is all the way out at 151.00.

The Championship Group is now formed in the Super League, and only four teams are left in the title race. AEK Athens are currently leading the table, with Olympiacos just two points behind, and PAOK three points off top spot. Panathinaikos are just happy to be there, 8 points behind the 3rd place. The margins are minimal in the top 3, which sets up a very tight finish. AEK last won the title in the 2022/23 season, which was their 13th league triumph.

AEK are still involved in European competition, having recently beaten Celje in the UEFA Conference League, and now face Rayo Vallecano next. Those extra matches could affect their energy levels in the run-in. Olympiacos, on the other hand, are out of Europe and can fully focus on the league.

PAOK have already dropped points against mid-table Volos and also have a Greek Cup fixture coming up. Bookmakers have priced AEK at 2.37, Olympiacos at 2.50, and PAOK at 3.50.

Győr are currently leading the NB I table. Ferencvárosi, the reigning champions, are just three points behind, although they still have a game in hand against Puskás Akadémia. The rest of the league has already completed Matchday 27. Debrecen are further back, sitting eight points off the top, which makes this a two-team race for now.

Győr are chasing their first title since 2013, and the 3-point lead is not making it easier. For the last seven years, Ferencvárosi have dominated Hungarian football. It feels like only a matter of time before they take control again, especially now that they are out of the UEFA Europa League.

A key moment of the season is coming soon, because Ferencvárosi will face Győr twice in a row: first in the league, then in the Hungarian Cup just three days later. Despite being second, Ferencvárosi are still favourites at 1.80, with Győr at 2.20 and Debrecen at 17.00.

Italian Serie A

Inter Milan are currently six points clear at the top of Serie A, but their position is not as comfortable as it looks. Their recent form has been shaky, with no wins in their last four matches across all competitions. They also lost to their main rivals, AC Milan, in March.

Milan are now back in the race, with Napoli just one point behind them and on a four-game winning streak. Both teams are picking up form at the perfect time. If Inter keep struggling, the gap could close very quickly. Even so, bookmakers still strongly back Inter at 1.20, with Milan at 6.50 and Napoli at 8.00. Based on recent results, though, the title race looks more open than the odds suggest.

Dutch Eredivisie

There are just six matchdays left in the Eredivisie, and the title race is decided. PSV Eindhoven, who have already won the league two years in a row, are on course to make it three. They're sitting comfortably at the top with a 15-point advantage.

Feyenoord, who last won the title in the 2022/23 season, have been in decent form, losing only two of their last eight league matches. However, the gap is simply too big at this stage, and their chances of catching PSV look almost impossible. Bookmakers reflect that by focusing on the race for second place instead. Feyenoord are priced at 1.25 to finish as runners-up. NEC Nijmegen, who are three points behind Feyenoord, sit at 5.50.

The Ekstraklasa title race is one of the tightest in Europe right now, with eight matchdays still to play. Just five points separate first and fifth place, which keeps several teams in the fight. Lech Poznań are currently leading the table, three points ahead of Zagłębie Lubin, while Jagiellonia Białystok are also just three points off the top.

With no European or cup distractions for the main contenders, all focus is on the league run-in. Eight games is still a long stretch in such a close race. Bookmakers slightly favour Lech at 2.75, with Jagiellonia at 4.00 and Zagłębie Lubin at 6.00.

Liga Portugal

Liga Portugal is played over 34 matchdays, and most teams have already completed Round 27. Porto are leading the title race with a solid seven-point gap over both Sporting and Benfica, who are level behind them.

Bookmakers are confident that Porto will go all the way, pricing them at just 1.12 to win the title. Sporting are at 7.00, while Benfica are even further out at 11.00. Porto haven't lost a league game in the last two months and keep picking up points regularly. If that run continues, the title race could be wrapped up well before the final matchday.

Scottish Premiership

Celtic have had a tough season and dropped points, allowing others to step in. The big surprise are Hearts, who are currently leading the table with a three-point advantage over Rangers. It's a rare situation, because the last time a team outside Celtic or Rangers won the title was back in 1985. Hearts themselves haven't lifted the trophy since 1960.

There are just two matches left before the league splits into the top six and bottom six, after which teams will play five more games within their group. If Hearts manage to hold on, it would be a historic title. This will break the long-standing dominance of the Glasgow clubs. Bookmakers currently back Hearts at 2.37, with Rangers close behind at 2.50 and Celtic at 3.50.

Spanish La Liga

Barcelona have managed to extend their lead at the top of La Liga and are now four points clear of Real Madrid. Villarreal sit third, but are already 15 points behind. Barcelona have also secured their place in next season's Champions League, which gives them a bit more stability heading into the final stretch.

Both clubs are still involved in Europe. Barcelona are facing Atlético Madrid, and Real Madrid are taking on Bayern Munich in the UCL quarter-finals. They will also meet in a head-to-head league clash in May, which could play a huge role in deciding the title. With nine matchdays left, the team that exits the Champions League earlier could gain an edge by focusing fully on the remainder of the domestic season. Bookmakers favour Barcelona at 1.20, while Real Madrid are priced at 4.33.

Turkish Super Lig

Galatasaray are leading the Super Lig table once again, with Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor sitting four points behind. Over the last three seasons, the title race has been mainly between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, with the Lions coming out on top each time and Fener finishing as runners-up.

Worth mentioning that Galatasaray are the only team in the top three who are yet to play their 27th match. With a total of 34 matchdays in the league, a win in that game would give them a comfortable seven-point lead heading into the final stretch. At that point, it would be very difficult to catch them. Bookmakers already see it that way, pricing Galatasaray at 1.11 to win the title, while Fenerbahçe are at 7.00.

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