It is actually unusual to be able to claim that at this point in the season various ÖFB legionnaires can calculate chances of winning the championship title.
In the past decade, this privilege was mostly reserved for David Alaba with FC Bayern Munich.
The record champion welcomes two teams from the top trio Union Berlin with Christopher Trimmel in a showdown on Sunday (Sunday, 5:30 p.m. in the LIVE ticker).
But the red-white-red representatives on and off the pitch at SC Freiburg, RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt can now speculate with the championship trophy.
But it is not only in Germany that ÖFB legionnaires have ambitions to become champions; numerous red-white-red kickers across Europe still have more or less legitimate hopes.
LAOLA1 evaluates the title chances of the ÖFB legionnaires in question in the following three categories: excellent chances, realistic chances, outsider chances.
DEUTSCHLAND:
Trimmel calls for Bayern with Union
Foto: © getty
Realistic chances:
UNION BERLIN: Christopher Trimmel, goalkeeper coach Michael Gspurning, assistant coach Markus Hoffmann
SC FREIBURG: Michael Gregoritsch, Philipp Lienhart
RB LEIPZIG: Konrad Laimer, Xaver Schlager
EINTRACHT FRANKFURT: Coach Oliver Glasner, assistant coach Michael Angerschmid, assistant coach Ronald Brunmayr
Three clubs tied at the top, the top six within five points – and that’s before Matchday 22.
You have to be of a certain age to remember such excitement in the German Bundesliga. At that time, sometime before this eternally long dominance of permanent champion FC Bayern Munich, the pulse in the German title fight sometimes remained relatively high for a relatively long time.
It is gratifying that various Austrians can still speculate about winning the German championship.
As long as Bayern have good prospects in the draw, no other team can be said to have “excellent” chances.
But realistic? Why not? Of course you don’t have to believe that Union will crown this dream season with the fairytale happy ending par excellence. But those who are tied at the top of the table with FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund at this point in the season naturally have a chance in theory.
On Sunday Christopher Trimmel and the two red-white-red assistant coaches Michael Gspurning and Markus Hoffmann will face the ultimate showdown in Munich at Bayern.
Of course you don’t have to believe that Michael Gregoritsch and Philipp Lienhart, who are lying in wait with SC Freiburg three points behind the top trio, will succeed in making the big hit. But can it really be ruled out?
RB Leipzig messed up the start pretty badly, but things are going so well under Marco Rose that in fifth place the gap to the leaders is only four points. Who knows how Xaver Schlager and Konrad Laimer would have done with a better start to the season.
Eintracht Frankfurt, with coach Oliver Glasner and his assistants Michael Angerschmid and Ronald Brunmayr, is also anything but behind with a deficit of five points. The trend-setting guest performance in Leipzig follows on Saturday.
If, despite all the tension, the “Star of the South” should bring the championship trophy to Munich again, an Austrian would also have his share. Marcel Sabitzer played 15 Bundesliga games for the record champions in 2022/23 before he went on loan to Manchester United.
By the way: The six current top teams in Germany are all in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup and will also eliminate each other there in a direct duel (Frankfurt-Union, Leipzig-Dortmund, Bayern-Freiburg). So there is also a chance for the title in this competition for the ÖFB legionnaires mentioned.
The other leagues with Austrians in the title race follow below the table of the German Bundesliga:
SPAIN:
Outsider Chances:
REAL MADRID: david praises
David Alaba has already collected 32 titles in his illustrious career, including eleven championship titles with FC Bayern Munich (10) and Real Madrid (1).
Does it work with the personal “Mission 33”?
In the league, the gap to arch-rivals FC Barcelona is already eight points. This can of course be caught up on, but as of now the category “outsider opportunities” is most likely to apply.
If it doesn’t work out, Alaba would be left empty-handed in the championship for the first time since 2012 – he was 19 years old at the time.
For the sake of completeness: title number 33 could of course also be conquered in the Champions League or in the Copa del Rey – in the latter, the Clasico awaits against FC Barcelona in the semi-finals.
ENGLAND:
Sabitzer would have to hope that the competition would slip up
Foto: © getty
Outsider Chances:
MANCHESTER UNITED: Marcel Sabitzer
Five points behind leaders Arsenal, who have also played a game in hand. Two points behind the “Gunners” is also lurking local rivals Manchester City.
There is no question: the trump cards in the Premier League title race lie with the competition. But they have to play their cards first.
It would undoubtedly be a personal dream for Marcel Sabitzer if he were to win the English championship with Manchester United a year after winning the title with FC Bayern Munich.
By the way, the Styrian could conquer his first “precious metal” with Man United in the final of the League Cup against Newcastle on Sunday.
FRANCE:
Outsider Chances:
RC LENS: Kevin Dance
Eight points behind the French industry leader PSG, with Marseille and Monaco in between.
It’s a shame that Kevin Danso and Co. blew up a much better starting position with a period of weakness at the end of January/beginning of February (only two points from four games). Especially in this competition you can hardly afford to fall over.
Of course, the big coup for the northern French cannot be ruled out mathematically.
NETHERLANDS:
Grillitsch hopes for the championship title
Foto: © getty
Realistic chances:
FEYENOORD ROTTERDAM: Gernot Trauner
AJAX AMSTERDAM: Florian Grillitsch
Outsider Chances:
PSV EINDHOVEN: Phillip Mwene
Neither the currently injured Feyenoord legionnaire Gernot Trauner nor Ajax Austrian Florian Grillitsch have any titles on their resumes.
It is quite likely that this will change, at least in terms of championship for one of the two. Feyenoord leads the Eredivisie three points ahead of Ajax.
However, one cannot speak of a duel, because with a deficit of six points, Phillipp Mwene has not lost sight of the title with PSV. In between, AZ Alkmaar, a club without red-white-red participation, is in third place.
TURKEY:
Excellent Opportunities:
GALATASARAY ISTANBUL: Yusuf Demir
One game more, but still nine points ahead: Galatasaray have achieved an excellent starting position compared to pursuers Fenerbahce.
Demir has been involved in this haul in five Süper Lig appearances so far. If Galatasaray gets the lead across the finish line, it would be the first title in the young career of the 19-year-old ex-Rapidler.
SLOVENIA:
Excellent Opportunities:
OLYMPIA LJUBLJANA: Pascal Estrada, Mateo Karamatic
Olimpija Ljubljana lost the duel with NK Maribor last weekend 2-0, but the capital city still rank comfortably 13 points ahead of the closest pursuer NK Celje.
The two young ÖFB central defenders Pascal Estrada (20) and Mateo Karamatic (21) can slowly deal with the topic of celebrating the championship.
Should something actually go wrong, Maribor, along with Celje, is also a candidate to inherit the title. However, the two ÖFB legionnaires Marko Bozic and Arnel Jakupovic are already 14 points behind with their employer.
GREECE:
Can Cican Stankovic celebrate another trophy?
Photo: © GEPA
Realistic chances:
AEK ATHENS: Cican Stankovic
Outsider Chances:
PAOK THESSALONIKI: Stefan Schwab, Thomas Murg
After playing in the first six rounds as a goalkeeper, Cican Stankovic is now a substitute at AEK Athens, but even as a substitute you can become a champion.
The second is four points behind leader Panathinaikos, and they have played one game less.
Stefan Schwab and Thomas Murg, who rarely played, can only expect outsider chances in fourth place with a deficit of seven points, but even those have already been used.
SERBIA:
Excellent Opportunities:
RED STAR BELGRADE: Aleksandar Dragovic
Red Star is eleven points ahead of local rivals Partizan. It is hard to imagine that the defending champions can still take this point cushion.
Dragovic was in vain willing to change in the winter, but the eighth championship title of his career would not be such a bad consolation.
SLOVAKIA:
Realistic chances:
DUNAJSKA STREDA: Ahmet Muhamedbegovic
Slovan Bratislava 43 points, Dunajska Streda 42 – everything in Slovakia is headed towards a duel for the title.
So Ahmet Muhamedbegovic can also calculate his chances for the championship. The central defender with a St.Pölten past has played 15 games this season.
CYPRUS:
Outsider Chances:
ARIS LIMASSOL: Daniel Sikorski
PAFOS FC: Daniel Antosh
Two defeats and a draw in five games – since ÖFB goalkeeper Daniel Antosch was demoted to the bench at FC Pafos, things haven’t been going quite so well.
Accordingly, the fourth is now six points behind leader AEK Larnaca and five on second-placed APOEL Nicosia.
Meanwhile, Daniel Sikorski and Aris Limassol have also overtaken FC Pafos. The legionnaire warhorse rarely plays (six league appearances), but was in the matchday squad as an iron reserve in every round. Five points are missing from the top of the table.
further: In Croatia, Dinamo Zagreb lead the table by eight points. Robert Ljubicic decided against a career in the ÖFB team over the course of the season, but a possible championship title for the Viennese is definitely worth mentioning.
Should the capital city still make a mistake, Hajduk Split with ÖFB legionnaires Lukas Grgic and Ivan Lucic is the first contender for the dust-off.
The annual championships for 2022 have already been decided. Mario Pavelic not only defended the championship title with Zalgiris Vilnius, but even won the double in Lithuania.
VIDEO – Alaba and Kroos in free-kick practice:
