Europe's Biggest Under-Achieving Clubs Including PSV, Spurs and AC Milan
After a week's absence due to the recent international break, we're back with our latest update of the biggest under-achieving sides around Europe at the moment.
Another weekend of football has thrown some incredible results and matches our way, with plenty of big sides still struggling to fulfil their usual levels of potential this season.
Last time out, we had Manchester City in our bottom four—their 6-0 hammering of Spurs, and the tight nature of the top of the Premier League ensures they escape our latest list.
Hamburger SV are also no longer present after an overdue win, which means we have two new names to introduce.
8. Manchester United, English Premier League
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The topsy-turvy nature of the Premier League at present has conspired to replace one Manchester team with another.
While City beat top-four rivals Spurs 6-0, United let a lead at Cardiff slip late on in the game, eventually drawing 2-2 and slipping back down to eighth place in the table.
Of course, they remain just three points off second so all is far from lost, but the constant repositioning of the top half of the table ensures a new Premier League side features almost every week in our list!
7. Bordeaux, French Ligue 1
2 of 8Bordeaux couldn't get back to winning ways last time out, but they at least rose one place in our rankings after claiming a point away to Stade Rennais.
Having finished seventh last season in Ligue 1, Bordeaux will be hoping for at least the same again, but need a big improvement over the middle third of the season to challenge that high. They are currently 12th after their 1-1 draw on Saturday.
They play Ajaccio next up.
6. Feyenoord, Dutch Eredivisie
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Into Holland now with a new name to our list—that of Feyenoord who have been on a fairly wretched run of form.
They have now won just once in their last five games, with the latest being a hugely disappointing 1-0 defeat at RKC Waalwijk, having conceded the goal in the last minute of the game.
RKC were joint-bottom at the start of play with only two wins to their name before the victory over Feyenoord. The defeat leaves the title-hopefuls down in seventh place, six points off top spot.
They play PSV at the weekend.
5. PSV, Dutch Eredivisie
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...which brings us nicely to our next side.
If Feyenoord's form is poor, it's nothing to PSV's; they have won just two of their last 11 league games, have lost three of the last five and only just managed a home draw against Heerenveen at the weekend with a 90th-minute equaliser after the away team had played 75 minutes with 10 men.
PSV sit eighth in the Eredivisie, and their battle with Feyenoord will have extra significance for both teams right now given their form.
4. Spurs, English Premier League
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Spurs' battering at the hands of Manchester City has generated plenty of headlines, but there really shouldn't be any question over Andre Villas-Boas' future just because of that one game.
Tottenham remain just four points off second place despite sitting ninth in the Premier League right now, having taken just one point from a possible nine of late.
A big game against Manchester United at home at the weekend could easily kick-start their season if they get a positive result.
Of course, with United similarly up-and-down at times, the loser will start to fall behind a bit in the race for the top four.
3. Valencia, Spanish La Liga
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Valencia continued their poor season with a 2-1 defeat at newcomers Elche in La Liga at the weekend.
Having come from a goal down to draw level with less than 20 minutes to play, Los Che's frail defence failed to hold out once again and Elche won the game with six minutes to go.
That's just one win in five now for Valencia, who have slipped down the table to 11th position, with their points tally showing them twice as close to the relegation zone as to the Champions League places.
They play Osasuna at home at the weekend and must surely be identifying this game as the one to restart their challenge toward the top end of the league.
With Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid both to face in their other games before the Christmas break, it could be a long winter ahead otherwise.
2. AC Milan, Italian Serie A
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AC Milan are arguably the biggest club in the most trouble this season.
Domestically they have been nothing short of woeful, winning just three of their 13 league games in Serie A.
Their form took another poor turn at the weekend as, despite taking the lead inside four minutes against Genoa at home, they quickly conceded an equaliser and failed to find a winner—even with Genoa playing with 10 men for close to an hour.
That result leaves them 13th in Serie A, already a huge 20 points off the league leaders, with a must-win game away to bottom-club Catania next in line.
1. Real Betis, Spanish La Liga
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When a team is underperforming and struggling at the bottom of the league table, a derby match can often bring out the best in them suddenly.
Fair to say, that wasn't the case for Betis at the weekend, who conceded a goal to Sevilla inside two minutes, ended the game with 10 men and were on the wrong end of a 4-0 drubbing.
Betis have lost four of their last five and are three points adrift at the bottom now and look set for a long, difficult campaign. Just two wins all season has come as a real shock after a fine season in 2012-13.
Next up is an all-important clash against Rayo Vallecano, the team placed just one above them in La Liga.
