Which team in the top five UEFA leagues is better?

Based on the current (2024) competitive performance, European results, fierce competition in the league and financial strength, the English Premier League (Premier League) is widely regarded as the highest overall level and most competitive league, and the leading advantage is relatively obvious. The following is a specific analysis:

European match results: The Premier League shows dominant depth

European match points are far ahead: UEFA's league coefficient ranking (based on European match results in the past five years) is one of the most objective measurement criteria. The Premier League has long-term and significantly ahead of the other four leagues. This means that not only the top giants, but also the mid-to-highest Premier League teams (such as West Ham United, Aston Villa, Brighton) have also performed very strongly in European arenas (Champions League, Europa League, Europa League, and Europa League) and can often go far or even win the championship.

Champions League final regulars and champions: Premier League teams have been regulars in the Champions League finals in recent years and have won many championships (such as Manchester City in 2023, Chelsea in 2021, Liverpool in 2019). More importantly, there are many different Premier League teams that have the strength to reach the Champions League semi-finals and even the finals (such as Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool).

European Cup/European Union is highly competitive: Premier League mid-level teams are also very competitive in the UEFA Cup and European Union, and often win championships or enter the finals (such as West Ham United 2023 European Union Championship), which reflects the strength of the mid- and lower-level teams in the league.

The intensity of internal competition in the league: The Premier League can be called "hell mode"

The suspense of the championship: The Premier League is the most suspense of the championship among the five major leagues. Although Manchester City has strong dominance in recent years, Liverpool and Arsenal have posed extremely severe challenges to it, and Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham (even Newcastle and Villa) may also disrupt the situation at any time. There is no absolute "insurance" game.

Fight for four/six is ​​fierce: There are many teams competing for Champions League qualification (top four) and Europa League qualification (five and sixth place), and it is often not clear until the last few rounds. It is normal to involve 6-7 teams.

The middle and lower-level teams are strong: this is the most significant advantage in the Premier League. Thanks to the huge and relatively balanced broadcast share (the income of the bottom team is far higher than that of other league teams), Premier League relegation teams and newly promoted teams usually have a lineup of tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of euros, with stars gathered. Not only do they defend tenaciously and counterattack sharply, they can also often grab points from the giants (the so-called "unpopularity"), making every game full of variables. The statement that "there is no weak team in the Premier League" is a true portrayal.

Match rhythm and intensity of confrontation: The Premier League is unique

High speed, high confrontation: The Premier League game rhythm is generally faster than other leagues, and the players' sprint and high-intensity running distances rank first among the five major leagues. The physical confrontation is extremely fierce, the offense and defense conversion speed is amazing, and it requires extremely high physical, technical and psychological qualities of the players. This high intensity is the trend of modern football development and also makes Premier League games extremely enjoyable.

The tactical styles are diverse but high intensity runs through the whole process: whether the team plays ball-holding (such as Manchester City, Arsenal), presses at high pressure (such as Liverpool), strikes quickly or defends intensively, they must be executed under high speed and strong confrontation, and the fault tolerance rate is low.

Financial strength: Form a virtuous cycle

Huge and relatively balanced income: The value of the global broadcast contract in the Premier League is much higher than that of other leagues, and the distribution mechanism is relatively fair (although the champion gets a lot, the team at the bottom can also be assigned astronomical numbers). This ensures that almost all Premier League teams have strong financial resources to buy good players (including poaching top stars from the other four leagues), paying high salaries, building infrastructure and youth training.

Attract top talents: The strong financial resources have enabled the Premier League to gather the most top stars and excellent coaches in the world. Not only the giants, midfield teams can often attract players who can play in other leagues.

Characteristics and comparisons of other leagues:

La Liga:

Top doubles have high ceilings: Real Madrid and Barcelona are still the world's top clubs, with top stars (such as Bellingham, Vinicius) and a deep European heritage (Real Madrid and Champions League King). Their skill level and competition wisdom are extremely high.

The middle and lower-stream teams have good skills but a gap in strength: La Liga mid and lower-stream teams are generally delicate in technology and have a good foundation in passing and control. However, due to the fiscal constraints (broadcasting revenue is far lower than that of the Premier League and the distribution is more uneven), their lineup depth and overall strength are significantly different from those of the mid- and lower-level teams in the Premier League, and it is difficult to continue to output in the European game. Within the league, Real Madrid and Barcelona still have strong dominance (Atle Madrid poses a challenge).

Bundesliga:

Bayern Munich stands out: Bayern is the absolute overlord of the Bundesliga (although Leverkusen broke 11 consecutive championships) and has world-class strength.

A few challengers & Highly viewing ability in the middle: Dortmund, Leipzig RB, Leverkusen and other teams have certain competitiveness, the league game style is open, there are many goals, and the viewing ability is strong. Excellent youth training system.

Inadequate overall competition: Bayern has too strong dominance and the suspense of the league championship has been lacking for a long time. The strength of mid- and lower-stream teams is hugely different from that of the Premier League, and the finances are subject to the "50+1" policy. The European game mainly relies on Bayern and a few teams to provide insufficient support.

Serie A:

Traditional giants in the recovery: Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus and other traditional giants are recovering, with good stars (such as Lautaro and Leo) and European competitiveness (Inter Milan reached the Champions League final in 2023). Naples, Atlanta and other teams also have outstanding performances from time to time.

High tactical literacy and strict defense: The Italian team has strong tactical discipline, strict defense organization, and good at fighting tough battles.

The rhythm is relatively slow, and the fiscal gap is large: the overall game rhythm and intensity of confrontation are lower than that of the Premier League. Mid- and lower-stream teams have generally had financial difficulties, and their overall strength is significantly different from that of the middle and lower-stream Premier League. Although there is competition within the league, the stability of the top teams is not as stable as that of the Premier League.

Ligue 1:

Paris Saint-Germain dominance: Paris relies on the Qatar consortium to have super paper strength (the end of the Mbappe era), but has strong domestic dominance (9 championships in 11 years).

Rookie Processing Factory: It is an incubation site for outstanding young players (such as Lille, Monaco, Rennes).

The overall level is lowest: Except for Paris, other teams generally lack competitiveness in European competitions, the competition within the league is low, and the overall level is significantly different from the other four major leagues. The broadcast revenue and influence are also the lowest.

Summary:

Premier League: The overall level is the highest, the competition is the most intense, and the depth is the thickest. From the top to the end of the list, the team has the smallest gap in strength, the most intense game, and the most dominant performance in the European competition (especially reflected in the competitiveness of multiple teams). Strong financial resources are the basis of all this.

La Liga: Top teams (Real Madrid, Barcelona) are still the top level in the world, but the gap between the middle and lower levels of the league and the Premier League is significant. The technology is delicate, but the overall strength and depth are not as good as the Premier League.

Bundesliga: Bayern is the world's top team, with a few teams competitive and open and beautiful games. However, Bayern has a serious monopoly, and the overall competition and mid- and lower-level strength of the league are insufficient.

Serie A: The traditional giants have recovered and have high tactical literacy. However, the pace of the game is relatively slow, with great financial constraints, and the gap between the overall strength and depth is obvious from the Premier League.

Ligue 1: Paris is the dominant player and is the cradle of new stars. The overall level is at the bottom of the five major leagues, and the European game is mainly supported by Paris.

Therefore, if you ask "what league team is a little higher", the answer is very clear: it is the Premier League. This is not only reflected in the number and quality of top teams (Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, etc.), but also in the average strength, fierce competition among the 20 teams in the entire league, and the strong competitiveness of the mid- and lower-stream teams in the European arena. The degree of "intraversion" and overall intensity of the Premier League are currently difficult to reach in the other four major leagues.