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The 2022-23 season is underway in Europe and although it might be too early to call, some of the biggest clubs seem to be struggling to find their groove. Early season form can often be quite deceiving. Having a proper pre-season helps, but the intensity of the top five leagues can only truly be felt once the campaign kicks off.
We've also entered the business end of a riveting summer transfer window. Plenty of big stars have switched clubs over the past few months and while some teams have bolstered their ranks, others haven't fared as well.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five big teams which are most likely to struggle this season.
#5 RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig managed to finish fourth in the Bundesliga table last term. They also won their first ever DFB-Pokal and made it to the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League.
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They've roped in the likes of David Raum, Timo Werner and Xaver Schlager but it's no secret that they've a considerably weaker squad than they did two seasons ago. Some of the biggest stars to depart over the past couple of summers are Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konate and Marcel Sabitzer.
They were able to negotiate the transition in a decent manner last season but the early signs this term have been a little worrying. Leipzig were outplayed by Liverpool in their final pre-season friendly. The Bundesliga outfit lost 5-0 to the Merseysiders.
They were then beaten 5-3 by Bayern Munich in the DFL Supercup final. Domenico Tedesco's men have started the new Bundesliga campaign on the wrong foot as well, drawing both of their first two games against VfB Stuttgart (1-1) and FC Koln (2-2).
While they looked like the better side against Stuttgart, they weren't so convincing against FC Koln, who finished three places below them last term.
#4 Sevilla
Sevilla could be in for a testing season this time around after losing their first-choice centre-back pairing. Diego Carlos joined Aston Villa on a deal worth €31 million while Jules Kounde moved to Barcelona for €50 million.
The Andalusians haven't exactly re-invested that money in the transfer market. They've added centre-back Marcao from Galatasaray for a sum of €12 million. Isco has arrived on a free transfer and they've also signed Alex Telles from Manchester United on loan for the season.
Neither of those two are in great form and it remains to be seen whether or not they'll improve Julen Lopetegui's side.
Sevilla suffered a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal towards the end of July in a pre-season game. They were subsequently beaten 1-0 by Leicester City. So, the warning signs were already there. Lopetegui's men then fell to a 2-1 loss against Osasuna in their first league game of the 2022-23 season.
More than anything, the manner in which the game unfolded will worry Lopetegui. Osasuna, who finished 10th in La Liga last term, registered more shots and more shots on target against Sevilla and were deserving winners at the end of 90 minutes.
#3 Napoli
Napoli have got off to a decent start to their 2022-23 Serie A campaign. They beat Verona 5-2 in their first game of the season but Luciano Spalletti's men have a long season ahead of them.
Losing three of their biggest stars from recent years, namely Lorenzo Insigne, Kalidou Koulibaly and Dries Mertens, will affect them over the course of the season.
Insigne, with his consistency and individual brilliance, has been one of Napoli's biggest assets over the past several seasons. Koulibaly has also been a reliable presence at the back for them and is one of the best centre-backs in the world.
Although Mertens is past his prime, he is still a quality player on his day and his experience and goalscoring ability will be dearly missed. Mertens and Insigne made 41 goal contributions between them last season.
#2 Manchester United
The Erik ten Hag era has gotten off to a terrible start. After a promising set of performances in pre-season, Manchester United have suffered back-to-back losses in their first two Premier League matches of the season. They conceded a 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion in their season opener.
To make matters worse, they were left with their tails between their legs this past weekend by Brentford, who raced to a 4-0 lead as early as the 35th minute. The Red Devils somehow managed to avoid further embarrassment as the game ended 4-0 but it was a performance that outlined the lack of quality within the squad.
Manchester United haven't really addressed their real midfield concerns and are left to fend for themselves with Fred and Scott McTominay as their first-choice central midfielders. Harry Maguire's defensive abilities continue to be suspect and Marcus Rashford looks a shadow of the player he used to be two seasons ago.
Their attack is led by an unsettled Cristiano Ronaldo, who was desperately trying to engineer an exit from the club last summer. Ten Hag is yet to land his major transfer targets and Manchester United are an absolute shambles right now.
#1 Liverpool
In their defence, Liverpool have played some good football in the first two weeks of the new season. However, that hasn't translated into goals and that should be a major cause for concern for Jurgen Klopp due to two reasons.
Mohamed Salah was in the form of his life in the first half of the 2021-22 campaign. However, his form tailed off drastically in the second half of the season and his contributions dwindled considerably.
Secondly, Sadio Mane, who scored 23 goals and provided five assists last term, has left the club to join Bayern Munich.
Additionally, Liverpool's midfield are capable of doing a job but are a little short on creativity, particularly now that Thiago Alcantara has been sidelined with a hamstring injury. They broke the bank to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica (€75 million). But that's their only big signing of the summer.
They should have bolstered their midfield department. But it's not too late and they could yet make a push for a playmaker who can add some creativity in the middle of the park. For now, Liverpool are 12th in the Premier League table after settling for two successive draws in their first two games of the new season.
Liverpool had to come from behind to salvage a point in each of those two games. But the fact that those games were against arguably weaker sides like Fulham and Crystal Palace will cause worry lines to run all over the faces of the Anfield faithful.
