The criteria for this list involves any top-tier league, again outside of the 'Big Five', where there are at least three sides at the top separated by three points or fewer. Of course, the more teams in contention, the better!
Switzerland
We start with the Swiss Super League, which just might have the most intense race in all of Europe. It is almost as if no one wants to win this league, given how closely bunched everyone is.
The top five teams in this league are separated by just two points, with Lugano (31 points) leading Basel and Lausanne Sport (30 each) by one point. It gets even more fascinating, as below Luzern and Servette (29 each) are FC Zurich (27), Sion (26) and Sankt Gallen (25).
This is the second season under the league's current format, where the 12 sides face each other three times before entering a split. Just like Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Swiss Super League splits in half after 33 games, with the sides in the top half facing each other once more - just like the clubs in the bottom half.
Young Boys (23), who have won six of the last seven titles (including the last two), are struggling in eight spot. Yet, they are remarkably only eight points off the lead with 15 matches still to play.
Only five clubs have won the top flight this millennium, though with how things are looking, we could very well see a sixth. After all, Lugano have not prevailed since 1949; Lausanne Sport last lifted the title in 1965, while Luzern's only crown came in 1989.
The action returns in mid-January, with Lugano hosting Basel in a clash of the top two, while Lausanne welcome Luzern. It could be a decisive week in determining how this highly intriguing title race will go in Switzerland.
Greece
With how Greece's top four clubs were spending in the summer, it was inevitable that we would have a highly fascinating title race this term. Add that to a new format, and all of the ingredients are there.
Sixteen games into the 2024/25 season, Olympiacos (34), PAOK (33), Panathinaikos (32), and AEK Athens (31) are within three points of each other. They all have nine or 10 wins and two or three defeats, for the exception of Panathinaikos, their goal differences are all pretty close. There is basically nothing separating the quartet.
The 14 sides in the top flight face each other home and away, before splitting into three different groups. The Championship Playoffs contain the top four teams, who meet twice more. The same applies in the European Playoffs for sides fifth through eighth. Unlike the top four though, the European group have their regular season points halved. The bottom six enter the Relegation Playoffs, where all points are maintained from the regular season, and the teams meet each other twice more.
Only six different clubs have won the Greek title: The current top four, fifth place Aris, and AEL, who are currently in the second tier. Olympiacos are in search of their 48th championship, while the other five previous winners have a combined 41. However, the last three seasons have seen three different sides lift the trophy.
The 'Big Four' will see a lot of each other this term, as they are all in the same half of the draw for the Greek Cup. AEK and PAOK face each other in the quarter-finals, with Panathinaikos, should they eliminate Atromitos, set to meet Olympiakos. The winners of those ties face off in the semi-finals, making things even more intriguing.
The next round of play is the weekend of January 4th, with the biggest clash being PAOK's trip to Athens to battle Panathinaikos. Olympiakos will be on the road against Panetolikos, with AEK Athens facing strugglers Volos. There are still 16 rounds to go to crown the league's champions.
Andorra
Next is Andorra, the most obscene on this list. The league may be small in size - with just 10 teams partaking in the Primera Divisio - but it has been an incredible season so far.
It has never been this close, even if we are just 12 rounds in. Still, Only three points are the difference between leaders Inter Escaldes (25) and fifth place Atletic Escaldes (22). In between the two local rivals are Rangers, UE Santa Coloma, and FC Santa Coloma, all on 23 points.
Despite Andorra's very small size, there have been 10 different league champions in the 30 completed seasons, which is quite impressive. With the exception of FC Santa Coloma's 13 titles, no other side have more than three league crowns.
Remarkably, the league has seen three different winners in the last three seasons, with the last two campaigns ending with first-time victors. Record winners FCSC have not finished on top since the 2018/19 term, while Rangers' two wins came in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons.
Andorran football is in something of a change in recent years. Principat, Lusitanos, Encamp, and Sant Julia are no longer in the top flight, with some of those teams having dissolved. Even Engordany enjoyed three straight Europa League appearances between 2018/19 and 2020/21.
With 15 rounds to play - the 10 teams meet each other three times each - there is still so much to enjoy. Things do not return until the weekend of January 17th. The match of the round will undoubtedly be between UE Santa Coloma and Rangers, as the former, who are the defending champions, look to stretch their winning streak to six.
Romania
The Romanian Superliga is in the middle of what has been a back-and-forth thriller of a battle at the top. After 21 rounds of play, we have five teams split by just two points. Moreover, the team currently on top, Universitatea Cluj (37), have never even won the league before.
Also on 37 points are the holders and record champions FCSB (formerly known as Steaua Bucuresti), while Dinamo Bucuresti (36), CS Universitatea Craiova, and CFR Cluj (both 35) are also among those firmly in this title race. Unlike some of the other leagues in this list, virtually all of the numbers, namely wins, losses, goals for, and goals against, are fairly close. This might just be one for the ages.
Romanian football has had eight different winners in the last 18 years, under the league's current name, Liga 1. CFR Cluj (eight) and FCSB (four) have accounted for the majority of the wins though, the latter being the defending champions. The last three seasons have seen three different champions, which is a theme in this list.
The format has changed within the last few years. Currently, after the 16 teams face each other home and away, the league splits into two. The top six battle for the title, playing each other twice more, while the bottom 10 meet once more each to determine the relegation spots.
In both playoffs, the points obtained in the regular season are halved. The top two sides at the end of the relegation playoffs meet, with the winner facing the third or fourth-place team from the title playoffs for the last European spot. That is as many as 41 matches.
Given the league's current format, plus the state of the top half of the table, we are in for a great second half of the campaign. Of the top five sides, only CFR Cluj and CS Universitatea Craiova are left in the Romanian Cup, now at the quarter-final stage. Plus, FCSB were the only side to make a league phase in Europe. That could make things interesting here.
The league's winter break concludes on January 17th, with the 22nd round of play to occur. The most notable match sees CS Universitatea Craiova welcome Dinamo Bucuresti. Universitatea Cluj and FCSB have home games versus Gloria Buzau and Hermannstadt respectively, while CFR Cluj play Botosani away. What further twist can we expect in this Liga 1 title bout?
North Macedonia
Next on this list is another league where it appears no one wants to take it by the scruff, and that is in North Macedonia. The 1. MFL currently has three teams tied at the top, with another just two points back, and another a further three points behind.
The trio currently on 37 points are Sileks, Shkendija, and Rabotnicki, with Gostivar two points behind on 35. Struga, who have won the last two titles, are even in this race, sitting on 32 points. Three of the five clubs have lost just once in the league this season through 18 games.
In the 32 years of top-flight football in North Macedonia, 10 different teams have lifted the trophy. Vardar Skopje are the record champions with 11, although they are currently in the relegation zone. No one else has more than four titles, though that could change should Shkendija or Rabotnicki finish on top. Of the quintet currently in the title race, only Gostivar have never won the title, finishing second two years ago.
The format in the 1. MFL is a simple one, with the 12 teams facing each other three times each for a 33-game season. The league's clubs have struggled in Europe of late, with none of Struga, Shkendija or Tikves able to progress from a European tie this summer.
However, this is not the first time that we have seen the North Macedonian top flight be so closely contested. Just last term, Struga claimed their second crown in a row by virtue of owning a better head-to-head than Shkendija. Shkupi ended up two points behind the pair as well, having conceded the fewest goals. So, in essence, the close title race here is just continuing on from last season.
Anyone eager to follow what goes on in this thriller of a title race will have to wait a little bit longer though. The winter break goes until mid-February. But, after that, there is immediately a big game as Gostivar and Struga face off, with the pair desperate to keep up with the trio above them. As for the top three, Silkes meet last season's cup winners Tikves, Shkendija face Vardar, while Rabotnicki play Shkupi away.
Albania
We wrap up this list with the Albanian Kategoria Superiore, where the top four sides are trading blows in what looks like a thrilling battle at the top of the league.
The top four sides in the 10-team division are split by just four points. Leading the way are Dinamo Tirana on 34 points, but Partizani Tirana (33), Vllaznia Shkoder (31), and defending champions Egnatia Rrogozhine (30) are hot on their heels. This is after 19 rounds of play, as the quartet were pitted against each other last time out.
Between Dinamo, Partizani, and Vllaznia, they account for 44 top-flight titles in Albania, while Egnatia won their maiden crown last term. The most successful club in the country are KF Tirana, with 26 league trophies. However, the side are currently eighth, fighting to maintain their top-flight status.
The league format is a simple one, where the 10 teams meet each other four times, twice at home and twice away. Starting last term, there was an extension of the league term, where the top four sides enter a playoff for the title and European places. A single-legged pair of semi-finals, third place playoff, and final take place at the national stadium in Tirana.
Last term saw Egnatia and Partizani finish level on 63 points, with the former ending up on top on head-to-head. Four points behind them were Vllaznia, while Dinamo finished sixth. It was the second season in a row where two teams finished level at the top, with Partizani and KF Tirana doing the same in 2022/23. Partizani won the head-to-head though, clinching their 17th and most recent title.
The 20th round of play is just around the corner. All five games will occur on January 11th. Dinamo face Bylis Ballsh, Egnatia host Laci, Partizani meet Skenderbeu Korce, who were the other participants in the playoffs last term, while Vllaznia battle KF Tirana. The other match sees Elbasani meet Teuta Durres. Could we see the top two (or even the top three/four) end level on points at the conclusion of the regular season again? It would be incredible, but at this point, hardly a surprise.
Honourable Mentions
A couple of honourable mentions to look at, starting with Portugal. The country's three most successful teams are locked in an intense battle, as Sporting (40), Porto (40), and Benfica (38) continue their pursuit of yet another domestic title.
Follow this intriguing Liga Portugal race on Flashscore.
Also, a very fun title race is emerging in Denmark, where FC Copenhagen and FC Midtjylland are tied on 33 points at the top. Randers (30), AGF Aarhus (28), and Brondby (27) are still lurking though, making things quite intriguing. Copenhagen and Midtjylland have won nine of the last 10 titles combined, but whether they will finish on top this time around is another matter.
Follow everything that happens in the Danish Superliga on Flashscore.
Finally, the Polish Ekstraklasa has gone from strength to strength. The top two sides, Lech Poznan (38) and Rakow Czestochowa (36), both failed to qualify for Europe last term. Yet, they are both ahead of the defending champions Jagiellonia Bialystok (35) and record winners Legia Warszawa (32). The last four seasons have seen each of the four mentioned teams end up on top. Who will do so this time around?
Keep tabs on this thrilling Ekstraklasa season on Flashscore.