The German teams keeping Bayern Munich off the pace, an Italian side looking to bounce back from cup final heartbreak and a Man City-linked club who are LaLiga’s entertainers… the surprise early season packages across Europe

As we head into the second international break of the season, it is the time that league tables across the continent start to take shape.

While it is not too late for teams who have made a poor start to bounce back, over the next few weeks we will start to get a real feel for who will be dreaming of glory and what other teams need to get stuck in for a long and grim relegation battle.

Over the first two months of the campaign, many of the pre-season favourites are battling it out at the top of their tables, but there have also been a few surprise packages who look capable of upsetting the odds.

For example, in Germany, it is quite frankly a shock not to see Bayern at the top of the tree, while despite PSG winning nine of the 11 Ligue 1 titles since being taken over by Qatar Sports Investments, it is Monaco and Nice who are the early season pacesetters in France.

In light of that, Mail Sport takes a look at some of the surprise packages from across Europe so far during this campaign. 

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Bundesliga

Despite having an elite manager in Thomas Tuchel and spending £100million on Harry Kane, it hasn’t been plane-sailing for Bayern Munich.

They find themselves behind both Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart after stunning starts from two sides who would not normally be associated with title battles .

Leverkusen – who have never won the German league – have gone from strength-to-strength under the highly-rated Xabi Alonso following a summer of recruitment that has gained plaudits across the continent.  

Nigerian striker Victor Boniface arrived from Union Saint-Gilloise and has already netted nine goals in 10 games in all competitions, while the arrivals of Alex Grimaldo, Jonas Hofmann, Granit Xhaka and Nathan Tella have helped fill the void left by Moussa Diaby’s departure to Aston Villa. 

Meanwhile, despite traditionally fighting in the upper echelons of German football, Stuttgart dropped to the Bundesliga 2 three seasons ago but Sebastian Hoeness has completely transformed the club. 

After finishing 16th last season, Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy – who only scored 14 goals in 2022-23 – has already netted 13 in just seven games this time around and has been key to their dream start.

Bayern and Borussia Dortmund are close in the chasing pack and it remains to be seen whether Leverkusen and Stuttgart can keep holding them off, but for now, they will make sure to enjoy the ride.

La Liga

While Real Madrid top LaLiga, with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid close on their tail, there is one surprise package making up the chasing pack. 

Girona have spent just three previous seasons in LaLiga in their history and a 10th place finish last year was a club record, but the Catalonian minnows remarkably find themselves in second – and just two points off Real.

Former Rayo Vallecano midfielder Michel was responsible for getting Girona promoted to LaLiga and after consolidating them, he is now leading them to an unlikely title charge.

Girona have a fascinating background given they were taken over by City Football Group in 2017, while their squad comprises some familiar names to English fans.

Former Tottenham and Fulham goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga is the club’s No 1, while Daley Blind and Eric Garcia have become staples of their defence.

While they did lose 3-0 at home to Real last month in a first major test of the campaign, they have had some memorable victories so far including a 5-3 win against Mallorca, along with away triumphs at Sevilla and Villareal.

Girona have gained plaudits for becoming Spain’s unlikely entertainers with their fearless, free-flowing football and the Gironistes would not have dreamed of a start like this in their wildest dreams. 

Serie A

Although last season’s champions Napoli have struggled to replicate their title-winning form and currently lie fifth, the top three in Serie A sees AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus setting the pace.

But just behind them are the nearly men of last season in Fiorentina, who finished as runners-up in both the Coppa Italia and UEFA Conference League.

Despite losing key men in Sofyan Amrabat, Arthur Cabral and Igor Julio, Vincenzo Italiano continues to work his magic at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

The Purples are currently sitting fourth in Serie A and secured an emphatic 3-1 away victory at Napoli last weekend as Italiano builds on last season’s impressive body of work.

Like several other surprise packages across the continent, Fiorentina have received plaudits for their sustainable and entertaining approach.

Their form, coupled with the problems Napoli and Roma are facing, means the Serie A side have built a solid foundation if they are to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 15 years.  

Ligue 1

All is not well at PSG. Despite a 3-1 victory at Rennes on Sunday that parachuted Luis Enrique’s side up to third, the Parisians have experienced their worst start of the Qatar Sports Investment era.

Their failings were badly exposed during a 4-1 thumping by Newcastle in the Champions League when despite having 73 per cent of possession, they were taken apart by Eddie Howe’s side.

The club has regularly spoken about a new long-term project this year which has seen superstars such as Lionel Messi and Neymar depart – along with experienced campaigners like Marco Veratti and Sergio Ramos – and a new emphasis on a younger, Parisien core.

But their struggles have created a void during the first few months of the campaign at the top of Ligue 1, with Nice and Monaco aptly filling in.

The Principality side have been driven on by the burgeoning attacking partnership of Wissam Ben Yedder and Folarin Balogun, while the Sir Jim Ratcliffe owned Nice remain unbeaten.

It seems inevitable that PSG will finally click into gear, but neither Monaco or Nice are in Europe this year which will ensure their squads aren’t overstretched.

Nice’s summer recruitment saw them shred experienced players such as Kasper Schmeichel, Ross Barkley and Aaron Ramsey in favour of younger stars and that has seen them ship a measly four goals in total, giving them a base to build their success on.

New addition Terem Moffi has a fascinating footballing background having been part of a football academy in Sussex before spells in Lithuania and Belgium. He has hit the ground running with three goals so far.

In the battle of the two early season pacesetters last month, Nice edged Monaco 1-0, but only after Balogun missed two penalties and another new addition Jeremie Boga scored an injury-time winner for the club based on the idyllic Cote d’Azur.

Eredivisie

A quick look up-and-down the Eredivisie table and there are surprises galore.

Last season’s champions Feyenoord sit fourth, despite a run of five successive wins, while PSV and AZ Alkmaar make up the top two, with the latter having only ever won two league titles in their history.

But the biggest shock is down in the relegation play-off places, with one of these positions occupied by Dutch giants and 36-time champions Ajax.

Maurie Stejin’s side are having a disastrous campaign, with just five points from six games and they are already 19 points behind table-toppers PSV.

The whole club has been consumed by crisis with a game against arch-rivals Feyenoord abandoned last month when they were 3-0 down after 56 minutes due to crowd trouble, before it was completed behind closed doors.

Ajax continued their implosion at the weekend with a 2-1 defeat to AZ and there is significant on-field and off-field chaos which a far cry from the three titles in four years they won under Erik ten Hag. 

Steijn remains in his role for the time being, but if their catastrophic campaign continues, it may not be for too much longer.