So, with some leagues already running and the rest basically starting on Friday. Here we go:
Bundesliga: First match on August 16th
2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 winner: FC Bayern München
In all fairness, Bayern's transfer window has been a bit suspect due to potential internal conflicts between Hoeneß and Rummenigge, with sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic wedged in-between. Bayern has the problem of being not attractive enough to top-tier talents anymore, and their squad has thinned out quite a bit with Robben, Ribery, Hummels, James and Rafinha all gone. They have signed Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard, while Ivan Perisic has been loaned out from Inter as a so-called "Notnagel"-solution. On the other hand, Dortmund has invested quite a bit in Hummels, Schulz, Thorgan Hazard and Julian Brandt.
Also, Berlin will finally have a city derby after Union Berlin got promoted as the 56th club to play in the Bundesliga, while Paderborn's wild rollercoaster up and down the leagues has them now playing their 2nd Bundesliga season:
They apparently also were the last non-Bayern/BVB/Leipzig team to top the table after the end of a matchday. It was all downhill from there:
So, will it be close this time, after Dortmund spectacularly blew an 8(?) point lead in the final weeks of the last season?
Bookies suggest... uh, actually, no:
Odds: Bayern 1.25, Dortmund 5, Leipzig 21, Leverkusen 34, Rest lol
Ligue 1: First match on August 16th
2017-18, 2018-19 winner: Paris St. Germain
Yeah, PSG will win this. If they don't, lol PSG. The most interesting thing will be how they will blow their CL campaign this time around. Also, there's still some Neymar drama possible, he has been suspended from training.
Odds: PSG 1.08, Lyon 15, Marseille/Lille 41, St. Etienne/Monaco 51, Rest lol
La Liga: First match on August 16th
2017-18, 2018-19 winner: FC Barcelona
According to bookies this will be the closest title race of the big four non-EPL leagues. TBH I'm not quite sure about that, given Real's 3-7 thrashing by Atlético in the pre
-season friendly Mickey Mouse stigous International Champions Cup. Real has struggled in the league for quote some time, with only two titles in the last 11 years. We'll see what happens.
Odds: Barca 1.61, Real 2.62, Atletico 13, Rest lol
Serie A: First matches on August 24th
2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 winner: Juventus FC
Having won their 8th consecutive and 35th Italian championship overall, Juve unsurprisingly is the bookie favorite to win another Scudetto. Napoli and Inter are expected to be the closest competitors (the closest anyone got was Roma in 16/17 and Napoli in 17/18, trailing bny 4 points each.) Apparently Mario Balotelli has also signed for newly promoted Brescia Calcio, so there might be some - excuse me - dark horse for the Golden Boot. Ronaldo scored 21 goals in this first Italian league season (5 of them pens) and was only 4th in the overall league scorer table.
Bet365 Odds: Juventus 1.44, Inter 6, Napoli 7, AC Milan 26, Roma 41, Rest lol.
Eredivisie: First match on August 16th
For an actually interesting title race, one has to look to the Netherlands, where there have been three champions in the past three seasons! After Feyenoord won in 16-17 and PSV in 17-18, it was Ajax turn to take the Dutch champion title - and they are current bookie favorites to repeat this, although not by much:
Odds: Ajax 1.73, PSV 2.5, Feyenoord/Alkmaar/Utrecht 34.
Süper Lig: First match on August 16th
The Turkish title race last season was pretty intense, with the top 4 seperated by just six points in the final standings:
Bookies expect more of the same this season, with four Istanbul clubs ahead:
Odds: Galatasaray 2.61, Besiktas 3.00, Fenerbahce 4.00, Basaksehir 11.00, Trabzonspor 21.00.
Primeira Liga: Has already started last week. The same as usual, a close race between Porto (2.62) and Benfica (1.80), with Sporting (10) and Braga (17) lurking in the distance.
Russian Premier League: The Russians top the DUtch diversity by having four champions in the past four seasons (CSKA, Spartak, Lokomotiv and Zenit), with Zenit in the lead after the first five matchdays and also the bookie favorite with quite a bunch of teams with outside chances. (Zenit 1.33, CSKA 7.00, Lokomotiv Moscow 9.00, Krasnodar 11.00, Spartak 13.00)
Scottish "Premier"ship: LOL. More like a shipwreck. Shame Marty isn't around anymore. Celtic 1.44, Rangers 3.25, Rest even bigger LOL than the two others.