5 clubs that have surprised us this season

Valencia have had a scintillating start to the new season

With the halfway point of the season fast approaching, it is beginning to become clear which sides will be battling it out for glory in Europe's respective leagues this season. Of course, the usual suspects are all in the proximity of the title race, even if some, such as Real Madrid and Juventus, aren't quite where they might have wished to be.

However, as is always the case, there are a number of clubs who have made surprising progress this season.

Often these are teams who were tipped for mediocrity or perhaps even a long and gruelling relegation battle. Almost invariably, they were teams that little was really expected of at the start of the season.

Here are five of the most surprising sides around Europe's top leagues who are fighting it out at the top end of the table:

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#5 Valencia

Exactly a year ago, Valencia found themselves in grave danger of being relegated from La Liga. They sat 17th in the standings, only out of the relegation zone by virtue of their superior goal difference to Sporting Gijon.

They ultimately pulled themselves away from trouble, finish 15 points clear of the drop zone thanks to a strong conclusion to the season, yet no-one predicted the explosive form they would display at the start of this term.

With only 14 matches played in La Liga, they are second in the standings behind only Barcelona, leading clubs such as Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, who have both enjoyed title success in recent years. They have lost only one game and have scored a staggering 33 times.

Perhaps what is most impressive about Valencia’s surge is that Marcelino has led the charge without dramatically changing the squad. Less than €40 million was spent in the summer on players, but those men who have come in have shone.

It has been the use of the loan market that has been particularly effective, with Andreas Pereira shining after arriving on a temporary deal from Manchester United. Inter man Geoffrey Kondogbia has rediscovered his best level after a wretched spell in Italy and PSG attacker Goncalo Guedes has been perhaps their most outstanding player.

After drawing with Barcelona last week, the big question is: can they keep this level up?

#4 Burnley

Burnley have consistently hovered around the European places this season

By avoiding relegation from the Premier League last season, Burnley exceeded expectations for their first season back in the top flight. They did so relatively comfortably, finishing six points clear of 18th-placed Hull City, despite losing four of their last six matches and only winning twice after January 31.

Given this slow conclusion to the campaign, it was reasonable to expect Shaun Dyche’s men to struggle at the beginning of this season, yet the reverse is true.

Indeed, Burnley find themselves seventh in the standings, having spent the entirety of the campaign flirting with the European places. It has been achieved off the back of an amazing run of form away from home, with the stunning 3-2 victory over Chelsea on the opening day of the season setting the tone.

They have also played Tottenham and Liverpool on their travels and have drawn against both of those Champions League hopefuls.

This is a team with few obvious stars but a terrific ethic of teamwork and organisation. England international goalkeeper Tom Heaton has missed much of the season due to injury, while only Chris Wood (four) and Sam Vokes (three) have contributed significantly on the goal front.

Burnley’s early-season form has certainly been a surprise, but it would be an even greater shock if they were to maintain it until the end of the season.

#3 Inter Milan

FC Internazionale are on top of the Serie A

It speaks volumes about the recent history of Inter that their rise to the top of the Serie A table should be considered something of a surprise. The San Siro outfit, Champions League winners as recently as 2010 under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, have been in the doldrums in recent times, finishing a disappointing seventh last term under Frank de Boer and then Stefano Pioli.

Luciano Spalletti was appointed as their coach in early June and has transformed the fortunes of the team without spending especially lavishly. Borja Valero’s calmness in midfield has been impressive, while summer addition Milan Skriniar has shone at both ends of the field for the Nerazzurri.

However, perhaps the best move that Inter made in the summer was resisting overtures from Manchester United for Croatia international midfielder Ivan Perisic, who has scored seven times in only 15 league appearances.

Eclipsing him, however, has been Mauro Icardi, whose form at the vanguard of the attack has been virtually flawless. He has found the net 16 times in only 15 matches to surge his way to the top of Italy’s scoring charts.

Inter remain undefeated so far this season, having beaten Roma and neighbours AC Milan, while drawing with Napoli 0-0 away from home. Perhaps their biggest test of the campaign arrives on Saturday, though, they go to Juventus in what promised to be a huge match for the title race even this early in the season.

#2 Nantes

Claudio Ranieri

Claudio Ranieri arrived at Nantes in the summer having been sacked by Leicester months earlier, yet the Italian carried with him the title of Premier League champion, having spectacularly won the crown at the King Power Stadium.

When he arrived in France, he was offered a bold target: he was told to win the league.

It is true, Nantes had finished the previous season in spectacular form, yet they had also lost head coach Fabio Conceicao, who had moved to Porto in the summer after pledging his future to the Ligue 1 outfit by signing a new contract. By departing so swiftly, the left their plans in disarray.

Nantes’ transfer action took place almost exclusively towards the end of August, with Ranieri having been given only a brief time in which to assess his squad. Initially, the results were unspectacular, but having started with a focus on the defence, he has managed to lift them into the European race thanks to their organisation.

It is true, Nantes are not a particularly exciting side to watch, but they have been highly effective and Ranieri has started to adopt a more attacking attitude in recent weeks, in part thanks to the form of ungainly yet effective forward Emiliano Sala.

For all their pre-season torment, Nantes have completed nearly half the season and find themselves only three points back of second-placed Lyon. This promises to be another season to remember for Ranieri.

#1 Besiktas

Besiktas fans cheering their team on

When the Champions League draw for the last 16 is made on Monday, one of the surprise names among the first seeds will be Turkish champions Besiktas. And they thoroughly deserve to be among exclusive company like Manchester United, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, having excelled so far in Europe.

Having been placed in a group with more established European names such as Porto and Monaco, as well as the up-and-coming RB Leipzig, they might have faded, yet they went through the entire group stage campaign undefeated, conceding a mere five goals.

In striker Cenk Tosun, they boast a formidable offensive weapon, who already has four goals for the season, while the performances of Anderson Talisca in the midfield have also been excellent.

Meanwhile, while the support they receive at the Vodafone Arena is sure to catch the eye when one of Europe’s biggest sides visits in the early spring.

They may not be the best-known side in the draw, but anyone who has watched them this term will know that a trip to Turkey will be a formidable task.

Their domestic form, however, has suffered for this run and they currently find themselves fourth in the Super Lig – a position that they will wish to remedy over the winter months when there is no distraction of European football