Title Watch Update

By: Laurie | May 5th, 2008

A couple of titles were settled this weekend, and a couple of challenges got more complicated. Here’s what the Title Watch looks like after this weekend’s games:

Italy: Serie A
In an odd turn of events, AS Roma were AC Milan’s biggest fans this weekend as Milan dispatched cross-town rivals Inter, 2-1. Roma beat Sampdoria 3-0, cutting Inter’s lead to 3 points with two games yet to play. This means that Roma still has a shot, and that Inter will have to wait at least one more week before clinching the title.

Germany: Bundesliga
Bayern Munich are the Bundesliga champions. They took their twentieth title in a rather uninspiring fashion, with a nil-nil draw against VfL Wolfsburg. But why do more when that’s all you need? They now have an unbeatable ten-point lead over Werder Bremen, finishing a season of Bundesliga domination.

They’re saving the party until after their final game on May 17, perhaps hoping to put their inauspicious exit from the UEFA Cup a little further behind them before breaking out the champagne.

France: Ligue 1
There are now two matches left to play in Ligue 1. Olympique Lyonnais could have wrapped it up this weekend with a win combined with a Bordeaux loss, but things didn’t go according to the OL plan. They got a 0-0 draw at Nice, and Bordeaux won 2-1 against Marseille. Now Lyon are looking vulnerable with a minuscule two-point lead. Will Lyon get their seventh in a row, or will Bordeaux creep in and snatch the title?

England: Premier League
Manchester United and Chelsea both won their games, which means they’re still level on points. And United still have the advantage on goal difference. Now it will all come down to the games this weekend, when ManU takes on Wigan and Chelsea takes on Bolton (without Anelka.)

Turkey: Super Lig
Galatasaray beat Sivasspor 5-3 over the weekend, making Galatasaray the favorites to win the Turkish Super Lig with one game to go. Sivassport could have made a strong challenge with the win, but now Fenerbahçe is the only other club within striking distance. Fenerbahçe kept their hopes alive with a 3-2 win against Genclerbirligi, but all Galatasaray needs next week is a point and the title is theirs.

Spain: Primera Liga
Real Madrid got the job done this weekend with a 2-1 victory over Osasuna, despite the ejection of defender Fabio Cannavaro early in the game. Osasuna scored first with a penalty, but Real fought back in the last minutes with goals by Arjen Robben and Gonzalo Higuain. And Real wins La Liga for the thirty-first time.

Scotland: Premier League
And in the oddity that is the SPL, Celtic beat Motherwell 2-1 this weekend, while Rangers were held to a nil-nil draw by Hibernian. This means that Celtic move seven points clear. But that really doesn’t mean anything, because Rangers still have three games in hand. Celtic have two games left to go, but Rangers have five. So anything can happen.