Liverpool, Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich, Atalanta, and PSG have been crowned as winter champions after closing out the year. Now, they will aim to maintain their dominance in the second half of the season.
As 2024 comes to an end, the winter champions have been decided in Europe’s major long-season format leagues: England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France. While some results were expected, there were a few surprises along the way.
Liverpool Dominates the Premier League’s First Half
In England’s ever-competitive Premier League, Liverpool’s position as winter champion came as no surprise. With 45 points from 14 wins, 3 draws, and just 1 loss, the Reds hold a 6-point lead over second-place Arsenal.
Nottingham Forest made an unexpected appearance in the top three with 37 points, followed by Chelsea in fourth with 35 points, and Newcastle in fifth with 32 points.
Atlético Madrid Surprises in LaLiga
In Spain, Atlético Madrid delivered the biggest surprise by snatching the top spot from Barcelona, who had dominated most of the first half of the season. Atlético claimed the winter champion title with 41 points, one point ahead of Real Madrid.
Barcelona dropped to third place with 38 points and an additional match played compared to their rivals. Athletic Bilbao secured fourth place with 36 points, while Villarreal rounded out the top five with 30 points.
Bayern Munich Regains Bundesliga Supremacy
In Germany, Bayern Munich returned to the top of the Bundesliga after losing the title for the first time in 11 consecutive seasons to Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern now leads the league as winter champions with 36 points, though only 15 matches have been played, leaving two games to complete the first half of the season.
Leverkusen trails in second with 32 points, aiming to defend their title, while Frankfurt is third, also with 32 points. RB Leipzig and Mainz 05 occupy the fourth and fifth spots with 27 and 25 points, respectively.
Atalanta and Napoli Share Serie A Crown
In Italy, a unique situation has unfolded with two teams sharing the winter championship. Atalanta and Napoli both finished the year with 41 points, though Atalanta leads on goal difference. Close behind, Inter sits in third with 40 points.
Lazio is fourth with 35 points, and Fiorentina rounds out the top five with 32 points. Serie A is just one match away from reaching the halfway point of its season.
PSG Reigns Supreme in Ligue 1
Finally, in France, Paris Saint-Germain continues its dominance, topping Ligue 1 with 40 points from 16 matches, holding a 10-point lead over second-place Marseille, who have played one game fewer. Monaco is in third with 30 points, albeit with an extra match compared to Marseille.
LOSC Lille sits in fourth with 27 points, while Olympique Lyon is fifth with 25 points. Like Serie A, Ligue 1 is also one match away from hitting the halfway mark.
