90 Minutes Plus

And then they were EIGHT!

As things get heated up in the UCL, the Italians have stolen the headlines. From the teams to the gaffers, it seems like Operation Resucitate Calcio in the Champions League this season. Also, as we countdown to the draws, Real Madrid seem to be the only side flying the Spain colors. Are they the team to beat (again) this season)

In the German Bundesliga, Bayern Munich (in 1st place) and SC Freiburg (in 5th place) are separated by just five points. These two sides, including the three sandwiched in-between are still technically alive in Europe. Add to that the 12 rounds of league games still to be played, and a lot can still happen in this race.

However, this does not take anything away from what has been interestingly tight race at the summit of Germany's premier club football league. So, why is this neck-to-neck tussle in Germany not as popular? Why is the 'most competitive' of Europe's top 5 leagues this season not being deservedly discussed as it should?

With the second-best offense and second-best defense in the league, Arsenal are cruising at the top of the Premier League table. As the second half of the season kicks off, the conversation has shifted to whether or not they can win a first Premier League title since 2004.

They've shown how strong they are as title contenders. But can they overcome these four hurdles on their way to being champions of England? 

Arsenal fans are on top of the world, no thanks to their fantastic form and their 8-point lead at the top of the table. They're now looking forward to their heavyweight clash against the only side that has defeated them in the league this season, Manchester United.

For the Gunners, it's all about getting their own pound of flesh. For the Red Devils, it's all about maintaining their unbeaten run - which suffered a dent at Selhurst Park.

There's also the little matter of the fixture between Manchester City and Tottenham.

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Here's one of world football's worst kept secrets: Juventus boasts the best defense in Europe's top five leagues.

That's better than Newcastle - the best defense in the Premier League with 11 goals conceded - and Bayern Munich - with 13 shipped in. It's even better than Lens' 11 goals conceded, which is the best (coincidentally) defense in the French Ligue 1.

They're back in the race to finish in the top four after spending a majority of the season so far outside of it. Theirs is one of the many stories that is endearing fans all over the world to the Serie A.

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Chelsea's first half performance had us thinking about why the Blues fans were skeptical about facing Man. City. Their second half display, however, proved that the fears were true.

On the other hand, champions Manchester City, showed the world why they're back-to-back Premier League champions, especially with Pep Guardiola's 2nd half subs and the general performance.

Thursday night was a tale about two different sides. But there are only a few things that separates both teams.

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Who wants to be second choice in their football club? Maybe former Liverpool super-sub, Divock Origi. But you won't find a lot of other players happy to be unsure of a starting berth in their clubs. With a World Cup tournament in the offing, players are looking for more playing time. And that's affecting a lot of other things.

In other news, Edouard Mendy has made a 'strange' comparison between Christian Benteke and Erling Haaland. Sets us up for a tasty Chelsea-Manchester City clash this season, not so?

The gap between the Serie A and the Premier League is widening. And one man is not only complaining about it, but shedding more light on the differences that most are not paying attention to.

On the other hand, the AC Milan chairman has highlighted some of the advantages of the Premier League.

Has the Premier League become 'uncatchable'? Is it about era, availability or star-power?

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