Relegation Battles - Update

As you know we have been watching the relegation battles across England, Italy, & Germany. Here is an update on what has changed in those battles.

In English Premier League both Bolton & Fulham are now safe from the drop. In the Championship Sheffield United & Doncaster Rovers were both relegated, so the relegation battle in the English 2nd tier is over. In League One Plymouth were relegated. In League Two Stockport were relegated, leaving the battle for the last relegation place between Lincoln City & Barnet.

In Italy Fiorentina & Genoa are safe from the drop in Serie A. There were no changes in Serie B. Though Reggina could achieve safety if they win their suspended match against Albinoleffe. Albinoleffe were leading 1-0 in the 1st half when the match was suspended.

In die Bundesliga Freiburg are safe from the drop. FC Inglostadt 04 & SC Paderborn 07 are also safe from the drop in die 2 Bundesliga.

Lots of big matches remaining, especially in the football leagues in England with only one match left in their season. This weekend is also the big match between Cologne & Frankfurt in die Bundesliga.

Relegation Battles - Italy

As Sunday signals the arrival of May and the last month of club football in most European leagues, lets focus in on the relegation battles raging all over the place. I am putting up one post for each country. This post is about Italy.

First up the Serie A.

In the Serie A the bottom three sides are relegated to the Serie B.

Teams involved in the relegation battle (I am using any team that is not mathematically safe)

Bold indicates a Six Point match against a fellow relegation candidate.

Italics indicate a local derby.

Bari are already relegated to Serie B.

Fiorentina 46, 4: Udinese, @Inter, Bologna, @Brescia

Genoa 45, -1: @Napoli, Sampdoria, @Lazio, Cesena

Cagliari 44, 0: @Catania, Cesena, @Milan, Parma

Bologna 40p, -12: @Milan, Parma, @Fiorentina, Bari

Chievo Verona 39p, -3: Lecce, @Juventus, Udinese, @Palermo

Parma 38p, -11: Palermo, @Bologna, Juventus, @Cagliari

Cesena 37p, -13: Inter, @Cagliari, Brescia, @Genoa

Catania 37p, -14: Cagliari, @Brescia, Roma, @Inter

Sampdoria 35p, -12: Brescia, @Genoa, Palermo, @Roma

Lecce 35p, -20: @Chievo, Napoli, @Bari, @Lazio

Brescia 30p, -16: @Sampdoria, Catania, @Cesena, Fiorentina

Brescia have an excellent opportunity to climb out the bottom with all of their six pointers. Of Course the biggest one is next against Sampdoria. I think that Brescia will just edge Sampdoria and that away win will give them the confidence to find the points and escape the drop. I think that Lecce will join Bari in Serie B next season. Also making the drop out of the top flight I have Ottawa's Sister City club Catania.

Serie B.

In the Serie B the bottom three sides are relegated to the Lega Pro Prima Divisione. The 18th & 19th place sides play a playoff to determine who is the fourth team relegated. Note the playoff doesn't occur if the 18th place team is 5 or more points above the 19th place team.

Teams involved in the relegation battle (I am using any team that is not mathematically safe)

Bold indicates a Six Point match against a fellow relegation candidate.

Reggina 53p, +4: @Albinoleffe, Varese, @Grosseto, Ascoli, @Sassuolo

Torino 52p, +1: Piacenza, @Siena, Triestina, @Empoli, Padova

Padova 49p, +9: @Varese, Ascoli, @Sassuolo, Livorno, @Torino

Empoli 49p, +5: @Sassuolo, Albinoleffe, @Portosummaga, Torino, @Vicenza

US Pescara 49p, -2: @Portosummaga, Livorno, @Vicenza, Novara, @Cittadella

Vicenza 49p, -6: Crotone, @Frosinone, US Pescara, @Triestina, Empoli

Livorno 47p, 0: Atalanta, @US Pescara, Piacenza, @Padova, Frosinone

Crotone 47p, -3: @Vicenza, Novara, @Cittadella, Grosseto, @Portosummaga

Modena 47p, -5: @Cittadella, Grosseto, @Varese, Portosummaga, @Novara

Grosseto 45p, -8: Triestina, @Modena, Reggina, @Crotone, Atalanta

Cittadella 43p, -5: Modena, @Triestina, Crotone, @Atalanta, US Pescara

Albinoleffe 43p, -9: Reggina, @Empoli, Atalanta, @Piacenza, Siena

Sassuolo 42p, -5: Empoli, @Piacenza, Padova, @Frosinone, Reggina

Piacenza 42p, -10: @Torino, Sassuolo, @Livorno, Albinoleffe, @Varese

Ascoli 40p, -8: Frosinone, @Padova, Siena, @Reggina, Triestina

Portosummaga 40p, -16: US Pescara, @Atalanta, Empoli, @Modena, Crotone

Triestina 37p, -16: @Grosseto, Cittadella, @Torino, Vicenza, @Ascoli

Frosinone 35p, -17: @Ascoli, Vicenza, @Novara, Sassuolo, @Livorno

With so many games left & teams involved anything could happen here. That said I am clearly wading into the unknown, but armed with the information available, here are my four teams that make the drop: Portosummaga, Triestina, Frosinone, & Albinoleffe