Three teams should be solid for promotion. Playoffs for the rest?

Ajax, Anderlecht and Genoa would sit mid table or better in D1. They are 2 rating points or better above all the rest. Ajax lack a little depth; Anderlecht are full of depth but are perhaps a keeper away from greatness. Genoa are the midfield maestros.

This leaves the chasing pack feeding off the scraps.  WBA and PSG have a potent attack, with PSG also having a decent keeper, they could give the top 3 a run for their money.  Leverkusen and Liverpool are more balanced.  Southampton lack a decent keeper but should they find, one could finish way above 8th spot.  As for my side Augsburg, good upfront but the defence still lets us down a little.

Looks like 224 is needed to survive in D1 so really only the top 5 should aim for promotion without substantive improvement.

In the lower reaches relegation was set just under 221 last seasons.  Dnipro look even more detached than last season, I think it has to be the end of them now. Hertha has a good midfield and that should be enough. Udinese have very little threat up the front, while Hoffenheim are vulnerable at the back and Milan also lack a midfield threat.

Good cup run, AC Milan may be up for that but Anderlecht could do a rare D2 and cup double

Division 2 is around .3 rating points stronger than last season , which is perspective would men 3 players in most sides who were 89's are now 90s

  GK DEF MID ATT Top18 Ave ETOT Pre
Ajax 92.0 90.5 91.3 92.5 85.0 90.3 226.77 1
RSC Anderlecht 89.0 90.3 92.0 91.5 89.0 90.4 226.64 2
Genoa CFC 92.0 90.5 92.3 90.0 86.0 90.2 226.06 3
Bayer Leverkusen 89.0 90.5 90.6 90.0 86.0 89.2 224.38 4
West Bromwich Albion 89.0 89.5 89.8 92.0 87.0 89.5 224.32 5
Paris Saint-Germain 91.0 88.8 89.5 92.0 87.0 89.7 223.76 6
Liverpool 90.0 89.8 90.3 89.5 87.0 89.3 223.42 7
Southampton 87.0 89.5 90.3 90.0 86.0 88.6 223.06 8
FC AUGSBURG 89.0 88.5 89.8 90.5 87.0 89.0 222.55 9
Flamengo 88.0 89.8 89.3 89.5 86.0 88.5 222.26 10
Sporting CP 88.0 89.8 89.0 90.5 82.0 87.9 222.23 11
Werder Bremen 89.0 89.0 89.3 90.0 85.0 88.5 221.98 12
Stoke City 89.0 88.0 90.3 89.0 85.0 88.3 221.33 13
Manchester United 88.0 89.0 88.8 90.0 83.0 87.8 221.22 14
Dinamo Zagreb 89.0 88.3 89.3 89.5 86.0 88.4 221.18 15
Hertha BSC 89.0 87.3 90.0 89.5 86.0 88.4 220.98 16
AC Milan 89.0 88.5 88.8 88.5 87.0 88.4 220.45 17
Udinese Calcio 88.0 89.3 88.8 87.5 86.0 87.9 220.16 18
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 88.0 87.3 88.5 88.5 86.0 87.7 219.01 19
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 87.0 86.8 87.3 87.5 86.0 86.9 216.84 20