I Predicted the Table of Every European League 2026/27 (PT. 2)
Part II — Going Deeper
The Big Five are done. Now we're heading into the leagues where European football gets a little less predictable.
Part I covered the biggest leagues in European football.
Now we're going deeper.
The Netherlands. Portugal. Belgium. Turkey. Scotland. Austria.
These leagues don't have the financial scale of the Premier League or the global reach of La Liga, but they're some of the most important competitions in European football. They produce players, develop clubs, create European competition contenders and, occasionally, give us title races that nobody saw coming.
And that's exactly what I'm looking for.
I'm not going to spend thousands of words on every club this time around. Instead, we're moving faster: predicted tables, title races, clubs worth watching, players worth knowing and the bold predictions that could make me look very smart—or very stupid.
Let's get into it.
Eredivisie
My Prediction
Position | Club |
1 | Feyenoord |
2 | PSV |
3 | AZ |
4 | FC Twente |
5 | Ajax |
6 | NEC Nijmegen |
7 | Utrecht |
8 | Heerenveen |
9 | Groningen |
10 | Sparta Rotterdam |
11 | Go Ahead Eagles |
12 | Excelsior |
13 | Telstar |
14 | Fortuna Sittard |
15 | PEC Zwolle |
16 | ADO Den Haag |
17 | Cambuur |
18 | Willem II |
Feyenoord Take the Crown
I'm going with Feyenoord.
PSV are my runners-up, while AZ and Twente complete my top four.
The biggest surprise is Ajax in fifth.
That's an enormous drop for one of the most recognizable clubs in Dutch football, but I don't think Ajax are quite ready to return to their position as the dominant force of the Eredivisie.
Feyenoord, meanwhile, have the opportunity to take advantage of that instability.
Team to Watch
NEC Nijmegen
Sixth is an ambitious prediction, but NEC are one of the clubs I think could surprise people.
Player to Watch
Anis Hadj Moussa, Feyenoord
The kind of attacking player who can turn a close title race into a championship-winning one.
My Boldest Take
Ajax finish fifth.
That's probably going to age terribly.
Primeira Liga
My Prediction
Position | Club |
1 | Benfica |
2 | Sporting CP |
3 | Porto |
4 | Braga |
5 | Vitória Guimarães |
6 | Famalicão |
7 | Santa Clara |
8 | Estoril |
9 | Gil Vicente |
10 | Arouca |
11 | Marítimo |
12 | Alverca |
13 | Nacional |
14 | Estrela Amadora |
15 | Rio Ave |
16 | Académico de Viseu |
17 | Casa Pia |
18 | Moreirense |
Benfica Return to the Top
Portugal's title race is usually dominated by three clubs.
Benfica.
Sporting.
Porto.
I'm backing Benfica to finish first, with Sporting second and Porto third.
Braga finish fourth, while Vitória Guimarães take fifth.
It's not a particularly revolutionary top of the table—but sometimes the most interesting part of a prediction is figuring out which giant falls short.
This time, that's Porto.
Team to Watch
Famalicão
Sixth feels ambitious, but they're a club capable of punching above their weight.
Player to Watch
Issa Doumbia, Sporting CP
One of the young Portuguese talents worth keeping an eye on as the season develops. Helping Venezia promote back to the Serie A in his previous campaign with 16 goal contributions in 38 fixtures with the Italian side.
My Boldest Take
Porto finish third.
For a club accustomed to competing for the title, that's a disappointing season.
Belgian Pro League
My Prediction
Position | Club |
1 | Club Brugge |
2 | Union Saint-Gilloise |
3 | Genk |
4 | Anderlecht |
5 | Gent |
6 | Sporting Charleroi |
7 | Sint-Truiden |
8 | Cercle Brugge |
9 | Royal Antwerp |
10 | Westerlo |
11 | Standard Liège |
12 | Zulte Waregem |
13 | SK Beveren |
14 | KV Mechelen |
15 | OH Leuven |
16 | Lommel |
17 | RAAL La Louvière |
18 | Kortrijk |
Club Brugge Win Again
Club Brugge are my Belgian champions.
Union Saint-Gilloise finish second, with Genk and Anderlecht completing the top four.
Belgium is one of the most interesting leagues in Europe because the title race can shift quickly. Clubs regularly lose important players to bigger leagues, meaning recruitment and development are critical.
That's why I'm backing Club Brugge.
Team to Watch
Union Saint-Gilloise
They've established themselves as a genuine force rather than a temporary surprise.
Player to Watch
Mamadou Diakhon, Club Brugge
A promising player with the ability to make the difference in a tight title race.
My Boldest Take
Anderlecht finish fourth.
One of Belgium's traditional giants still has work to do before returning to the top.
Süper Lig
My Prediction
Position | Club |
1 | Galatasaray |
2 | Fenerbahçe |
3 | Beşiktaş |
4 | Başakşehir |
5 | Trabzonspor |
6 | Samsunspor |
7 | Göztepe |
8 | Çaykur Rizespor |
9 | Çorum FK |
10 | Amer Sportif |
11 | Alanyaspor |
12 | Konyaspor |
13 | Kasımpaşa |
14 | Gençlerbirliği |
15 | Erzurumspor |
16 | Kocaelispor |
17 | Gaziantep FK |
18 | Eyüpspor |
Galatasaray Stay on Top
I'm backing Galatasaray to win the Süper Lig.
Fenerbahçe finish second, Beşiktaş third and Başakşehir fourth.
The Istanbul giants remain the center of Turkish football, but the league is becoming increasingly competitive beneath them.
Trabzonspor finish fifth, while Samsunspor and Göztepe continue to establish themselves as clubs worth watching.
Team to Watch
Samsunspor
Sixth is my prediction, but their ceiling could be even higher.
Player to Watch
Victor Osimhen, Galatasaray
If he can stay healthy and maintain his level, he's capable of deciding the title race almost by himself.
My Boldest Take
Beşiktaş finish third ahead of Trabzonspor.
Scottish Premiership
My Prediction
Position | Club |
1 | Celtic |
2 | Rangers |
3 | Hearts |
4 | Hibernian |
5 | Motherwell |
6 | St Mirren |
7 | Dundee United |
8 | Kilmarnock |
9 | Falkirk |
10 | Aberdeen |
11 | Dundee |
12 | St Johnstone |
1-6: Championship group, 7-12: Relegation group
Celtic Remain Champions
Scottish football has one question that usually dominates everything else:
Celtic or Rangers?
I'm going Celtic.
Rangers finish second, but Hearts are my surprise team in third.
The battle outside the Old Firm is where I think the league gets particularly interesting this season.
Team to Watch
Hearts
Third place would be an excellent season and would put them firmly into the European conversation.
Player to Watch
Benjamin Nygren, Celtic
A player I'm interested in seeing develop within Celtic's attack.
My Boldest Take
Hearts finish third and comfortably separate themselves from the rest of the league.
Austrian Bundesliga
My Prediction
Position | Club |
1 | Rapid Wien |
2 | LASK |
3 | Sturm Graz |
4 | RB Salzburg |
5 | Wolfsberger AC |
6 | Austria Wien |
7 | Ried |
8 | Grazer AK |
9 | Altach |
10 | Hartberg |
11 | Austria Lustenau |
12 | WSG Tirol |
1-6: Championship group, 7-12: Relegation group
Rapid Wien Shock Salzburg
Here's another prediction I'm particularly interested in.
I'm putting Rapid Wien first.
RB Salzburg finish fourth.
Yes, fourth.
Salzburg have been one of the defining clubs of Austrian football for years, but I'm predicting a significant shift this season.
Rapid Wien are my pick to take advantage.
LASK finish second and Sturm Graz third.
Team to Watch
Wolfsberger AC
Fifth is my prediction, but they could be one of the teams capable of climbing higher.
Player to Watch
Petter Nosakhare Dahl, Rapid Wien
If Rapid are going to win the league, they'll need players like Dahl to produce consistently.
My Boldest Take
RB Salzburg finish fourth.
For a club that has dominated Austrian football for years, that would be a major disappointment.
Six Leagues Down. Plenty More to Go.
The Big Five gave us the obvious giants.
These six gave us something different.
Feyenoord trying to take the Netherlands away from PSV.
Benfica attempting to reclaim Portugal.
Club Brugge leading Belgium.
Galatasaray ruling Turkey.
Celtic remaining the Scottish standard.
And Rapid Wien potentially knocking Salzburg off their throne.
And we're still nowhere near finished.
There are dozens of European leagues left.
Some have massive clubs.
Some have historic rivalries.
Some have emerging footballing powers.
And some are competitions that most people outside their own country probably couldn't name three clubs from.
Those are exactly the leagues I want to explore next.
Because the deeper we go into European football, the more unpredictable these predictions become.
Part III will take us even further.
Poland. Czechia. Switzerland. Greece. Croatia. Romania. Denmark. And more.
Theron Norrington
Founder & Editor, OffTheRecord
Independent journalism exploring the stories that shape sport, culture, and the world beyond the headlines.
Photo Credits
Photos: Eredivisie, Liga Portugal, Belgian Pro League, Turkish Süper Lig, Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), Austrian Football Bundesliga, UEFA, Getty Images, Associated Press, Reuters, AFP, and credited photographers where applicable.
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