Europe’s elite – The stats behind the best performing teams in the top 5 leagues this season

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Leverkusen top ppg 

As the club season comes towards its conclusion for the top European leagues, the time comes to reflect on what has been a dramatic and thrilling campaign. The Premier League title race will go right to the wire between Manchester City and Arsenal. Bayer Leverkusen have made history in Germany, winning their first ever Bundesliga, and until now, remaining unbeaten in all competitions. Real Madrid wrestled the La Liga title back from Barcelona, whilst PSG made it ten Ligue 1 titles in the last 12 seasons. In Italy, Inter Milan claimed the Serie A title with almost 20 points separating themselves and second place. But who comes out on top when we compare teams across the top divisions?

We all know who are historically the strongest sides in the continent’s top divisions, but which teams have stood out this campaign? Here at Transfermarkt, we have compiled the key stats from the top five leagues this season to try and help determine who has been the best club side in Europe this campaign. We have compared the top teams when it comes to league points per game, goals scored per game and goals conceded per game, and there are some surprise names included.

As you can see in the graphic below when we assess the best points per game record in the top five leagues it’s no surprise that Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen come out on top with a remarkable record of 2.64 ppg. The German side haven’t lost a single league game, and are currently only four points short of the all-time Bundesliga points record with a game to go. In second place in this category is the Spanish champions Real Madrid, who have registered 2.58 ppg on their way to their 36th La Liga title.

Serie A champions Inter Milan come in third with 2.56 ppg, before we see the Premier League title challengers in fourth and fifth respectively – Man City with 2.38 ppg and Arsenal 2.32 ppg. Whichever of those teams doesn’t win the league will most probably claim the highest ppg in Europe’s top five leagues not to win the title. French champions PSG are sixth with 2.21 ppg, and completing the top 10 are Bayern Munich in seventh (2.18ppg) Barcelona in eighth (2.17ppg) Liverpool in ninth (2.14ppg) and finally Stuttgart in tenth (2.12ppg).

When it comes to the best record for goals scored, it’s actually a team who won’t be champions who lead the way in Bayern Munich. The Bavarian giants boast an impressive goalscoring record in the Bundesliga of 2.79 goals scored per game (gspg) leaving them way out on top. The addition of Harry Kane has certainly helped in that regard with the Englishmen scoring 36 league goals this campaign. In second place is the Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen with 2.64 gspg. Their free-flowing football has led to Alonso’s side being a constant goal threat and scoring in 32 of their 33 league games this season. Third goes to Premier League leaders Man City with 2.51 gspg, just ahead of Arsenal in fourth with the Gunners boasting 2.41 gspg.

In joint fifth is Ligue 1 Champions PSG and Serie A winners Inter Milan –  both with 2.39 gspg. They’re followed by La Liga winners Real Madrid with 2.31 gspg. Then come RB Leipzig and Liverpool tied in eighth place with 2.27 gspg, and then completing the top 10 is another Bundesliga side – the fourth in the top 10 – in Stuttgart with 2.24 gspg. So we’ve been through the best attacking sides, but who is the most solid at the back?

As can be identified above, Inter Milan are the defensive kings of Europe this season. The Italian giants have conceded just 0.53 goals per game (gcpg) in Serie A this season. Their defensive record has seen them cruise towards the title, and made centre-half Alessandro Bastoni one of the most sought after commodities in European football. The second best defence goes to Real Madrid with a record of just 0.61 gcpg. In third is Bayer Leverkusen with 0.70 gcpg, putting them in the top three for all three categories of ppg, gspg, and gcpg.

Fourth goes to Bologna with 0.75 gcpg, just beating fifth placed Arsenal who have a record of 0.76 gcpg. Then come Juventus with 0.78 gcpg in sixth, followed by Nice in seventh with 0.82 gcpg. Completing the top 10 is Torino and Man City in joint eighth (0.89gcpg) and Lille in tenth (0.97gcpg). In the top 10 for fewest goals conceded includes four Serie A teams supporting the stereotype of Italian sides being very tactical and defensively astute.