The European football season is close to concluding, meaning plenty of our Aussies abroad are in the mix for titles, promotion, European qualification and unfortunately relegation.
From Aaron Mooy to Brad Jones and Mitchell Langerak and beyond, we take a look at our Australians throughout Europe.
Germany
Mathew Leckie (Ingolstadt)
Relegation from the Bundesliga beckons for Leckie, with Ingolstadt sitting 17th (second last) with four games to play. Ingolstadt are five points from safety, while 16th placed Augsburg (in the relegation play-off spot) are four points ahead too. After two straight losses it’s looking bleak, particularly with second-placed RB Leipzig next up but home games against out-of-sorts Schalke and Leverkusen are winnable.
Prediction: 17th, Relegation
Mitchell Langerak (Stuttgart)
Conversely, Langerak’s Stuttgart are on the cusp of promotion, sitting three points clear in the 2.Bundesliga with four games to play. The top two automatically go up, with third playing 16th from the Bundesliga in the play-off. Third-placed Hannover 96 are currently three points behind Stuttgart, with fourth-placed Union Berlin a further three points back. Stuttgart face Hannover in the penultimate round in a crucial clash.
Prediction: Champions, Promotion
Netherlands
Brad Jones (Feyenoord)
The 35-year-old perennial back-up keeper is on the verge of his greatest triumph, with Feyenoord one win away from the Dutch Eredivisie title. Feyenoord sits four points ahead of second-placed Ajax with two games to play. Third-placed PSV cannot catch Feyenoord. Feyenoord face 13th-placed Excelsior (away) and ninth-placed Heracles (home) in their final two games.
Prediction: Champions
Craig Goodwin & Kenny Dougall (Sparta Rotterdam)
Things are looking bleak for the Aussie duo across town at Sparta, currently sitting 16th (third last) with two games to go. Sparta are two points from safety, with 16th and 17th to enter into the relegation play-offs lottery. In the past three seasons, five of the six Eredivisie clubs in the play-offs have gone down in a bad sign. Sparta’s run of five straight defeats is a worry too. They play bottom club Go Ahead Eagles on the final day in a must-win.
Prediction: 16th, Relegation in play-offs
Stefan Mauk (NEC Nijmegen)
NEC are level on points with Sparta but below them in 17th on goal difference, however their form is alarming having lost their past seven games. Sitting two points from safety, with Roda JC in 15th, they face European hopefuls AZ and Heerenveen in their final two games and it’s hard to make a case for them to make up the difference. At best, they’ll want to find some form ahead of the play-offs.
Prediction: 17th, Relegation in play-offs
England
Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield)
Mooy’s Huddersfield clinched a spot in the Championship play-offs earlier this week so the next question is who will they play. Huddersfield are currently third so in the box seat, with four other clubs in contention for the other three spots, in Reading, Sheffield Wednesday, Fulham and Leeds United. Town play relegation threatened Birmingham City and midtable Cardiff in their final two games but may rest players.
Prediction: Lose play-off final, No promotion
Bailey Wright (Bristol City)
City have all but secured their status, sitting six points and goal difference from the drop zone with two games to play. Due to play wannabe champions Brighton and struggling Birmingham City in their final two fixtures.
Prediction: 18th, Survival
Jackson Irvine (Burton Albion)
Likewise, Irvine’s Brewers are level on points with Wright’s Bristol, but only behind them on goal difference, meaning they’re practically safe. Burton have midtable Barnsley and promotion hopefuls Reading to come.
Prediction: 17th, Survival
England
Massimo Luongo (QPR)
Luongo’s 19th-placed Rangers are one spot below both City and Albion, and also one point behind, meaning they’ve still got some work to do to secure their survival. Their run of six consecutive defeats is a worry, with games against 20th-placed Nottingham Forest and eighth-placed Norwich to play.
Prediction: 20th, Survival
Lower leagues
James Meredith’s Bradford City will compete in the League One play-offs, while Andy Rose’s Coventry City have been relegated. Chris Herd’s Gillingham sit one point above the drop zone with one game to play. Alex Cisak’s Leyton Orient have been relegated from League Two.
Around Europe
Tomi Juric (Luzern)
Fourth-placed Luzern are likely to qualify for the Europa League, with cup results meaning the top five sides in the Swiss Super League will qualify. Luzern sits 10 points clear of sixth-placed Grasshoppers with seven games to play. Conversely, they’re 10 points behind second-placed Young Boys in the Champions League spots.
Prediction: Fourth, Europa League qualification
Mat Ryan (Genk)
Ryan’s Genk are leading their group in the Belgian Europa League play-offs by five points with five games to play. It’s a convoluted system, but if Genk top their group they’ll face a play-off to qualify for a final play-off which will decide if they make Europe. Ryan is only on loan, so more importantly his parent club Valencia are midtable and safe in Spain’s La Liga.
Prediction: Lose Europa League play-off final, No Europe
Denmark
Mustafa Amini & Chris Ikonomidis (AGF)
The Danish Superliga is at a convoluted stage with AGF in the relegation round, which consists of two groups of four clubs, with the bottom two in each group headed for the relegation play-offs. At this stage AGF appear destined for those play-offs. AGF sits bottom of their group, four points from safety with two games to play. There’s hope of survival in the play-offs but one Superliga club will definitely go down, while two others will play off against First Division opponents.
Prediction: Win third round relegation play-off, Survival
Awer Mabil & Brent McGrath (Esbjerg)
Esbjerg have already been condemned to the relegation play-offs where it’s hard to see them surviving, although their second-half season form has lifted. They have the lowest points tally of any of the Superliga clubs, with Mabil likely to be key to any hopes of staying up.
Prediction: Lose second round relegation play-off, Relegation
Around Europe
Jimmy Jeggo (Sturm Graz)
Jeggo’s side are in a fight to qualify for the Europa League, sitting third on the table with six games to play. Leaders Red Bull Salzburg are practically champions already, but second and third qualify for the Europa League. Second-placed Austria Wien are two points ahead of Sturm Graz, who are level on points with fourth-placed Rheindorf Altach. No one else is in the running. Next up Sturm Graz face Austria Wien.
Prediction: Third, Europa League qualification
Luke Wilkshire (Dinamo)
The former Socceroo’s Russian club have been promoted to the Premier League, sitting 23 points clear of third spot with five games to play in the FNL second division. Dinamo should be champions too, sitting 10 points clear of second-placed Tosno.
Prediction: Champions, Promotion
Nikita Rukavytsya (Maccabi Haifa)
Unlikely to qualify for the Europa League in Israel despite qualifying for the championship round. Maccabi Haifa sits sixth, some six points behind Beitar Jerusalem in third spot, the final Europa League place, with four games to play.
Predictions: Sixth, No Europe
Golgol Mebrahtu (Mlada Boleslav)
Fourth-placed Mlada will be determined to clinch an Europa League spot having lost their Czech Cup semi-final in midweek. Third and fourth claim Europa League places in the Czech Republic, with the top two - well ahead of Mlada - qualifying for the Champions League. Mlada is two points behind third-placed Sparta Prague and two points ahead of fifth-placed Teplice witih five games to play.
Prediction: Fourth, Europa League qualification
Scotland
Tom Rogic (Celtic)
The Hoops are already Scottish Premier League champions and won the League Cup, so have qualified for the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round. All that’s left to win is the Scottish Cup where they’ll face Aberdeen on Saturday 27 May.
Prediction: Will win the treble
Scott McDonald (Mothewell)
Relegation is a real possibility for McDonald’s men, currently sitting 10th, two points above the relegation play-off spot (currently occupied by Dundee) with five games to play. Last-placed Inverness Caledonian Thistle are a further five points back and appear destined for automatic relegation.
Prediction: Ninth, Survival
Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle)
Europa League qualification is possible but unlikely, despite reaching the SPL top six after 33 rounds. Sixth-placed Partick sit eight points outside the European spots with five games to play.
Prediction: Sixth, No Europe
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