Ajax win the league and the stats.

+5VA pushed the Ajax team from playoff team to champions. A great performance from Moenchengladbach saw them come in 3^rd with a +8VA, in the stats they just lead the other promoted team Liverpool who on +2 VA came 2^nd in the league. Highest VA goes to Lyon on +10 , they just missed out on the playoff spots.  Big shouts outs to Bremen on +8 VA who climbed well safe of relegation, +6 Chievo who came 20^th.

In a similar way to D3 two of the most underperforming teams Napoli and Celtic on -4VA and -6VA got into the playoff but were dumped out by Lokomotiv and Liverpool in the Semi-finals. Palace on -11VA were rightly relegated , isn’t hard to look beyond the keeper with them as 87 rated keepers are freely available.  Fenerbache will also be disappointed to be relegated on -6 VA where as Dynamo Moscow must count themselves lucky to avoid it.

Overall a middling level of variation +/- 4 per team, I again did slightly better than the A.I.  The A.I. correctly worked out Palace would finish much lower than I thought but did less well on the majority of the lower ranked teams, which does seem to be a theme.

Two playoff finalists lead the stats.

Perhaps it is not a surprise that the two playoff finalists are the two most over performing teams. Galatasaray +11VA and relegation candidate lead the stats just beating +6 VA St Etienne in 2^nd spot. My own Sevilla come 3^rd in the stats, the only automatically promoted team to over perform. While tied on PVA with WBA the superior VA gives us the edge into 3^rd. Having said that WBA and Genoa did what they must in 1^st and 2^nd and should do well in D2.  Dnipro have to get a shout out on +3VA avoiding relegation just.

In reality no one did really badly. Hoffenheim failed to make the playoff when they should and hence are the lowest in the stats, just above Sampdoria who also will look to better next year.   Montpellier’s -5VA dropped them into the relegation zone along with Partizan. 2 of the 4 predicted teams were relegated and no one outside the lowest 6 teams escaped which is food for thought.   

The variation in D3 was very similar to D1, less than +/- 3 positions per team, I did slightly better on 56 pts out vs 58pts the A.I failed to spot the mild under-performing teams as well as I did.

Espanyol +14VA +5PVA the stats winners.

Some big winners and some big not winners in D2.  Espanyol were a potential relegation team at the start of the season but true grit, good management and transfers pushed them to promotion.  Playoff team Wolfsburg had +10 VA and could have gained promotion over Espanyol had they slipped up. Internacional came 2^nd in the league and 3^rd in the stats. Other great over preforming teams were Augsburg on +10 VA, Everton on +6 and Atletico Madrid on +5.  Arsenal did all they could and won the league.

At the wrong end. Flamengo who should have been promoted slipped to 12^th and -9VA and the worse PVA,  Liege on -11 VA managed to get relegated with a great squad with Malaga on -8 VA suffering the same fate.  Anderlecht can also count themselves lucky on -7 VA to stay up.

There was a much bigger variation in D2.  My total was 102 and the AI 100. The A.I was generally more optimistic about the over performing teams but not pessimistic enough with the underperforming teams.

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Chelsea well deserved champions and leaders in the stats.

Usual reminder. At the start of the year, I calculated the ratings in the 4 main positions, Top18 and Average. This is plugged in a magic formula and finishing position calculated. This is used to work out the Positional value added, which is based on the value added and finishing position.

Chelsea finished a position higher than expected and overcame their closest opposition.  Barcelona in 2^nd spot in the league and the stats, also showed distinct improvement this season, with Leicester in 3^rd place also showing that a new boss can continue the good form.

Highest value added goes to Hertha predicted 11^th they came 6^th and get a slightly higher value added than Sporting who came 5^th. CSKA had the only other largish VA on +4 avoiding relegation.

Biggest underperformance, probably this goes down to Dortmund who slumped to 7^th spot, but could also be with Juventus on -7 VA or Inter on -5 VA and relegation.

3 of the predicted relegation teams went down.

How did the A.I. do. From 20 teams my total variation for 58 and the A.I. 60, so I did slightly better. The A.I. did get 2 teams spot on but I got more than half the teams within +/- 2 positions.

The title is settled, the playoff race is anything but, and a few managers are already checking whether their contracts contain a severance package.

With just two matches remaining in the Division 5 season, the campaign is entering its final days. While Valencia have already wrapped up the championship, several important battles remain unresolved as clubs prepare for the final six points on offer.

Valencia Crowned Champions

The title race is over.

Valencia CF are mathematically confirmed Division 5 champions after opening up a 13-point lead at the top with only six points left to play for. It has been a dominant campaign from start to finish, built on a combination of attacking quality and defensive discipline.

Their record of 26 wins from 36 matches, alongside 93 goals scored and a league-best goal difference of +59, leaves little room for argument. They have simply been the best side in the division.

With promotion already secured and the trophy effectively polished and waiting, Valencia can approach the final two fixtures knowing the job has been completed.

Marseille And Athletic Club Secure Promotion

The automatic promotion places have also been decided.

Olympique Marseille's 71 points and Athletic Club's 68 points mean both clubs are guaranteed to finish inside the top three and will join Valencia in Division 4 next season.

Marseille's consistency has been the foundation of their success. Twenty wins and eleven draws have ensured they remained among the leading contenders throughout the campaign.

Athletic Club's route has been slightly different. Their season has contained more highs and lows than their rivals, but 22 victories have provided enough points to secure promotion with games to spare.

The only remaining question is who finishes second and who settles for third.

Four Teams, Three Places

While the automatic promotion spots are settled, the playoff race remains alive.

Santos FC currently occupy fourth place on 60 points and have arguably been the division's form side in recent weeks, winning five of their last six matches. Their late surge has put them in a strong position to secure a playoff berth.

Rubin Kazan sit level on 60 points, while Villarreal CF are sixth on 59.

AZ Alkmaar currently hold seventh place on 58 points, but their position is far from secure. Shakhtar Donetsk are level on points and PSV remain only two points behind on 56. Torino with an outside chance sit on 54.

With seven clubs separated by just six points and only four playoff places available, the final week promises to be one of the most competitive periods of the season.

One good result could be enough to secure a playoff place. One bad result could end a promotion dream.

Mid-Table Security

Celta Vigo, Girondins Bordeaux, Lazio and Olympiacos all appear destined for mid-table finishes.

Their seasons have produced moments of quality, but not quite enough consistency to challenge for promotion. With little left to play for in terms of league position, pride and finishing as strongly as possible become the primary objectives.

The Fight To Avoid The Sack

With no relegation in Division 5, the battle at the bottom still bears consequence.

The managers finishing in the bottom three positions will lose their jobs at the end of the season, creating a nervous finish for several clubs.

Sassuolo currently occupy 18th place on 33 points. They sit 18 points clear of 19th and only 4 behind Atalanta.

That leaves FC Twente and Stuttgart already condemned to bottom-three finishes, with Twente collecting only 15 points and Stuttgart enduring a miserable campaign that has yielded just 11.

The final dismissal spot is effectively a battle between Atalanta BC, Club Brugge and Spartak Moskva.

Spartak currently hold a five-point cushion over Atalanta and appear to have done enough to preserve their manager's position. Club Brugge sit four points clear of danger and remain favourites to survive.

Atalanta, however, remain vulnerable. Sitting on 37 points with only six available, they need a strong finish to avoid ending the season in the bottom three and facing an uncomfortable conversation with the board.

Two matches remain.

For some clubs, they are little more than a formality.

For others, they will define the entire season.