Bayern Munich appear to have it all figured out. A five-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga table; a mere four goals conceded, coupled with a goal difference of +33. They sit top of their Champions League group and are practically assured of a place in the knockout round. Even on an individual level, where injuries have hampered superstars Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, FCB’s helped Robert Lewandowski to an astonishing 14 goals from 11 league appearances. Apart from one night in north London, everything has gone to plan this season for die Roten.

Yet despite their outward dominance, Bayern are caught in limbo. Pep Guardiola, the Barcelona mastermind who signed on to manage the team in 2013, sees his contract run out at the end of the season. And no one knows if the coach, who has already led his side to two Bundesliga titles and one German Cup, will remain at the club.

There are some who believe he should move on. Leading the league just isn’t enough for a club of Bayern’s stature, and a five-point lead over a resurgent Borussia Dortmund doesn’t feel nearly as comfortable as the 11-point cushion they maintained during much of last season. Losing that Champions League match to Arsenal, who’d yet to earn a point on the competition, was a wake up call. Despite another effervescent start, perhaps Bayern isn’t actually moving forward.

SEE MORE: Wolfsburg’s title-chasing dreams have met Bundesliga reality.

The team’s Bundesliga lead might be lessening, but Pep’s critics are grasping at shorter straws than they were last season, when pointing out the coach’s flaws felt justified. Because even while his team coasted to first, the lack of league competition made that title all but inevitable. Dortmund were atrocious for the first half of the season, Schalke were nowhere to be found, Bayer Leverkusen were settling into a new system, and Wolfsburg faded in the final third of the campaign. But even against weakened competition, Bayern was exposed as a side that, despite almost always dominating possession, at times appeared confused as to what to do with the ball. Their sheer talent pulled them through, but the critics had fuel. Many remained unconvinced about Pep’s tactics.

Those doubts were proved right in the Champions League. That tournament is where Guardiola has most needed to get it right, but, much like the previous season, where Bayern embarrassed themselves in a 5-0 aggregate loss to Real Madrid, the tactics failed again. Despite dominating possession against Barcelona in the first leg of the semifinal, Bayern couldn’t muster a single shot on target, and a late surge led by Lionel Messi led to a 3-0 victory. The Bavarians managed a victory in the second leg, but Pep’s return to a three-man backline intent on pressing forward sacrificed attention to defense. Neymar’s two goals meant Barcelona went through to the final.

We’re only a third of the way through the new season and months away from the Champions League final, but there’s much to suggest that this season, Pep has, indeed, got it right. The scorelines alone reflect Bayern’s unrivaled power: not just 4-0s past Köln and Stuttgart, not just a 5-0 against Hamburg, but 5-1s over both Dortmund and Wolfsburg, two of the best teams in the league. Not only are the goals flying in, but the shaky defense is tightening up. The solidarity at the back is surprising considering Pep keeps changing the lineup and making everyone guess as to what formation he’ll be using, but it’s likely the mystery helps unbalance the opposition.

What’s clear, though, is the way three players pursued by Pep have elevated Bayern’s play. Thiago Alcântara was Pep’s first acquisition, bought from Barcelona two years ago, and after a long injury layoff, the Spaniard is dictating the side’s possession and passing. Meanwhile, Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman, both brought in this summer, are the perfect complements to Lewandowski, providing the crosses necessary to notch all those goals.

The three could be considered the final pieces of a puzzle Guardiola’s been trying to build for years, but it’s still Pep’s mindset that keeps his side constantly chasing perfection. The manager encourages a little unrest in the dressing room in the belief that healthy competition helps keep his players at their best. Last year’s injury crisis didn’t allow his players to challenge each other, but if Guardiola keeps this year’s squad healthy and fighting for places, Bayern can be even more terrifying.

SEE MORE: The case of Pierre-Emerick Aubamayeng as the Bundesliga’s best striker.

Naysayers remain, of course. Naysayers will always remain. They’ll say Pep can’t get this team a Champions League trophy, and that’s the silverware that’s truly important. But the dramatic improvements Pep’s reinforcements have wrought, combined with the entire team’s enhanced understanding of his preferred tactics, suggests Bayern should do everything in their power to convince the manager to stay.

Meetings will be held during the Bundesliga winter break, meaning Pep and the club won’t yet hold that coveted Champions League trophy. Pep won’t decide based on whether he’s reclaimed that crown. But from what we know about him, the silverware is prioritized by his teams and their fans, not by the man himself. What Guardiola seeks is perfection, a perfection that won’t be found in a knockout tournament, where one mistake, a harsh penalty or an offside goal, can define a team’s future.

Perfection might not be achievable, but the challenge certainly is. For the remainder of this season, he’ll drive his team to be as close to flawless as possible, but after that? What Bayern wants is purely academic. This decision is down to Pep. He has seen this side dominate, he has seen his chosen players integrate, he has seen his possession play pay off. He won’t need to stick around to watch them clear the final hurdle. Not when there are new puzzles to solve.

Each start of Inter’s last few seasons has been greeted with talk of a revitalized side, one that could finally challenge for the scudetto. This year, sitting fourth but just two points back of Roma after 10 Serie A rounds, they’re looking even more likely to be successful.

But despite this proximity to the top, it’s clear Inter have quite a ways to go before they truly dominate again. The majority of the sides they’ve faced sit in the bottom half of the table. In their play, there’s a disconnect within the side, and it feels as though individual effort rather than solid team performances is responsible for their climb. A lack of creativity makes watching them painful, and perhaps most worrying of all, the nerazzurri have a manager who looks mired in the past.

SEE MORE: Juventus, Roma’s European ambitions could leave Serie A door open.

Roberto Mancini’s biggest problem just might be that he’s Roberto Mancini. You wouldn’t think that’s a flaw for a manager that once won back-to-back titles,* but times have changed since he last won the scudetto. And his failure to adapt to a changed Serie A may be what ultimately sends Mancini packing his bags once more.

*Technically Inter holds the 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08 titles; however, the 2006 scudetto was awarded after it was stripped from Juventus during the Calciopoli scandal.

Perhaps Inter’s statistics tell the story most succinctly. Inter have scored their greatest number of away goals in a 2-1 win at Carpi, their highest number of home goals in various 1-0 wins, and their greatest margin of victory has been one goal.

But that’s how Inter are these days: conservative, cautious, and too nervous about losing to actually pursue a win. In seven of their 10 games, the nerazzurri have entered halftime with the score 0-0. Maybe this sort of prudence is necessary; after all, Inter have struggled dramatically since winning the triple under José Mourinho in 2010.

The method of Inter’s wins should really come as no surprise to anyone who watched the side being assembled in the summer. Mancini has carefully orchestrated his team to do little more than grind out wins; or, failing that, leave with a point in their pockets. Gone is Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovačić, unquestionably the most creative player wearing a nerazzurri shirt before Mancini arrived. As if that weren’t enough, Brazilian playmaker Hernanes got shipped off on loan, to Juventus nonetheless – a sure sign Inter cared not a bit about firing up a creative spark. Instead, the midfield relies on muscle to get its point across, while the only players able to create anything at all play high up the pitch.

In fact, it feels like Mancini has split his squad, putting out seven defensive players and three attackers, with no one able to connect the dots. It’s no wonder, then, that this side struggles to score goals. There’s enough talent there: Mauro Icardi, Rodrigo Palacio, Stevan Jovetić, Adem Ljajić, Ivan Perišić — all should be able to put the ball in the back of the net. But with no one easing the transition from defense to attack, those goals aren’t coming.

SEE MORE: Expect a huge turnaround from Juventus; just don’t expect another scudetto.

To be fair, Mancini’s system is working. In 10 games, his team has scored just 10 goals, yet they’ve lost only one match. The table says they’re fourth, but they’re tied on points with Fiorentina (second) and Napoli (third) – and in Italy, where head-to-head points is the first tiebreaker, goal difference matters little. That’s perfect for Mancini.

But that’s assuming Inter can keep it up. This is how Mancini tends to operate – focusing on defense, pragmatically favoring a 1-0 win rather than emphasizing style. At one point, this was how all soccer was played on the peninsula, and coming away with a goalless draw was considered a point of pride. It worked the last time Mancini was at Inter, when his side notched 10 draws, eight of them finishing 0-0 or 1-1, yet won the 2007-08 title.

Just because it’s worked in the past doesn’t mean it will bring success this season. Italian soccer is moving on, displaying a wider variety of tactics and showcasing a fuller set of talents. These days, you’re far more likely to see an emphasis on possession or consistent pressing from a side than teams buckling down and hoping for a point. That means almost any team is capable of surprising with a goal, as Inter saw with newly-promoted Carpi. And when a team totally catches the nerazzurri off-guard, cutting them open right from the start, the result can be disastrous.

It’s only happened once so far this season, when Fiorentina beat Inter 4-1. After Josip Iličić converted a penalty in the fourth minute, Inter had no choice but to chase the game. However, the viola, under Paulo Sousa, play a quick game that attempts to force opponents into making mistakes. Inter crumbled under such a challenge, conceding three goals by the 24th minute, then going down a man with an hour left. Mancini’s solution to Fiorentina’s dominance? Actually getting more defensive, having his side sit in their own half and hope for a chance to counter.

SEE MORE: Serie A has added some much-needed uncertainty at the top of its table.

That loss to Fiorentina is the only time Inter have faced one of Italy’s top six this season. Next they face Roma, Serie A leaders and lovers of a good goal fest. The giallorossi have scored in every match in every competition this season, and in nine of their 10 league games they’ve netted two or more. In other words, this ain’t your grandma’s Italian soccer, and it’s not a team Mancini has the tools to face. Roma have the advantage, and they’re likely to force Inter to come out of their shell. So while Inter patiently build up their attack, hoping to get that one goal over and done with, Roma will hit hard on the counter, using their speed to disrupt Mancini’s game plan.

Mancini’s yet to prove he has a fallback. There’s no Plan B. He has enough sheer talent in his side that they’ve been able to (mostly) cover for their one-note manager, but it would be foolish to expect that trend to continue. The other teams sitting top of the league all have managers that tend toward certain tactics — high pressure, quick tempo, keeping possession — but each has also shown the ability to adapt when the need arises. If Mancini doesn’t soon learn the art of transformation, he’ll be watching his side slide quickly down the table.

Serie A has changed. Roberto Mancini has not.

It’s a tale of two strikers. Born just 10 months apart, their careers overlapped for but a single season before destiny sent the elder on his way to something bigger and better. Each currently has 13 goals in the Bundesliga and 17 on the season. Each has scored a hat trick in European competition; for each that triple came the same week they posted at least three goals in a domestic game.

That’s where the similarities end. One is known for being a hard worker, for putting his head down and helping his side to victory. His Instagram reflects his dedication, showing photos of him taking charge on the pitch, celebrating with teammates, and in his downtime, hanging out with his wife.

The other does not shy from attention. He is a man who firmly believes that the more sparkle, the better, even wearing boots encrusted with thousands of crystals. He drives a gold Lamborghini, he loves pretending he’s a superhero, and he celebrates each goal with an acrobatic forward flip.

Would it be all that surprising to find that, by the end of the year, it’s the flashy, captivating, quirky goalscorer who has assumed the title of superstar?

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had long seemed to hold more promise than true talent. The son of former Gabon international Pierre Aubameyang, the younger Auba joined the AC Milan youth setup in 2007. He never made a senior appearance for the Italian side, however, instead being farmed out to various French sides. He ultimately moved to AS Saint-Étienne on a permanent deal, where he wore those crystal boots, first donned his Spiderman mask, and finished second only to Zlatan Ibrahimović in goals scored.

SEE MORE: Wolfsburg’s title-chasing dreams have descended into Bundesliga reality.

It looked as though those scoring talents weren’t going to translate to the Bundesliga, however. In the 2013-2014 season, his first with Borussia Dortmund, Aubameyang scored just 13 goals in 32 appearances, six less than the previous year. That season belonged to Robert Lewandowski, who scored 20 in his final year with BVB.

But despite back-to-back-to-back seasons in which he scored 20 goals or more, Lewandowski, too, was not seen as a true world-class striker. Even after he scored four goals against Real Madrid on his way to taking Dortmund to the 2013 Champions League final, even after Bayern Munich wooed him over to their side in 2014, Lewandowski was still often viewed more as the hardworking sort who knew how to benefit from the strength of the players behind him.

This season the critics are getting their comeuppance, but to be fair to the skeptics, it’s likely most had rarely seen either Aubameyang or Lewandowski playing to their true potential. A change in circumstance has allowed both to flourish this season.

Lewandowski has benefited greatly from circumstance. Sure, last season he scored 17 Bundesliga goals, but when your team scores 80, that’s kind of a drop in the bucket. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Alexander Meier scored 19, and no one’s arguing that he’s one of the best in the world. But Lewandowski’s on pace to double that tally this year. Why? He’s getting help.

SEE MORE: Time to consider Aubameyang among the world’s elite strikers.

Arjen Robben, who also knocked in 17 last season, missed nearly two months this season through injury. Franck Ribéry has been out since last spring. Both are the shooting type, more likely to cut inside and have a go at goal than to put in a cross. In their absence, new Bayern hotshot Douglas Costa is often on the wing, and he’s much more apt to float in a cross than shoot himself. When the young Kingsley Coman gets a start as well, as he did against both Mainz and Dinamo Zagreb, count on even more balls being delivered to the center. Lewandowski, pretty much the epitome of a classic No. 9, benefits from such generosity — he scored five in those two games. The forward himself also credits the play of Thomas Müller, saying the German international’s “second striker” role helps him to take on defenses.

As for Aubameyang, he’s benefiting from the general upheaval that surrounded his club last season. After Lewandowski left, Ciro Immobile was brought in to fill the center forward role, but the Italian never settled into Bundesliga life. So Aubameyang, previously used by Jürgen Klopp as a winger, was moved into the center. He didn’t flourish last year, but it’s safe to say that BVB did little to back him up, fighting as they were to move from the bottom of the table to the European positions. Still, he was one bright light in an otherwise black time.

Under new coach Thomas Tuchel, however, the light has grown brighter. Aubameyang remains up top, and under Tuchel’s guidance, he’s mastering the art of linking up with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marco Reus. He’s a player who has always relied on his speed — it’s said that he’s faster than Usain Bolt over 30 meters — but he’s now learning to control his frantic pace, knowing exactly where to move to finish his shot. The increased discipline is paying off: Aubameyang has scored in every Bundesliga match save for one, against Mainz, where he provided two assists.

SEE MORE: A functional Schalke could solve the Bundesliga’s Bayern problem.

It’s an unnecessary debate, the one that pits the hard-working Lewandowski against the flashier skills of Aubameyang. The Bundesliga certainly has room for two superstars. Yet you get the sense that Lewadowski will never truly assume such a mantle. He’ll get attention, and he’ll get his fair share of headlines, but it’s Aubameyang that’ll have the swagger. He’s the one pushing Dortmund back into the conversation, while Bayern need no such help. And the rumors of big-money transfer deals will have tongues wagging.

The pair may finish the year tied for the top of the goalscoring charts, but it’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang that has the star quality that just may have people believing he’s the better of the two.

The crowd at Volkswagen Arena on Jan. 30, 2015, must’ve felt a part of collective, orgasmic dream. A quick counterattack gave Kevin De Bruyne ample time to slot through to Bas Dost, who netted Wolfsburg’s first before five minutes were up. Dost doubled his side’s lead just before the break with a lovely volley from the edge of the box. By the time Juan Bernat had the visitors on the board, De Bruyne had scored his own, and a second from the Belgian capped off the Wolves’ triumph. Wolfsburg had just handed Bayern Munich their first meaningful Bundesliga defeat in over two years, the 4-1 loss the only one since Oct. 2012 that had not come after the Bavarians had wrapped up the league title.

After such a statement, Wolfsburg had reason to go into September’s first meeting between the teams with confidence, even more so after Daniel Caligiuri put them out front. Come halftime, though, Pep Guardiola put on Robert Lewandowski, and all hell broke loose. Within nine minutes, not only had the forward scored the fastest hat trick in Bundesliga history, but he’d put home five goals, an absolutely sensational performance that left Wolfsburg in tatters. This time, last season’s German Cup winners, runners up in the Bundesliga who’d claimed the German Supercup on penalties the month before, were on the wrong end of the embarrassing scoreline, heading home with a 5-1 loss.

SEE MORE: It’s time to consider Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang an elite striker.

Now the two sides are about to meet again, this time on Tuesday in the German Cup, with Wolfsburg looking like a decidedly less confident side. When drawn in August, this match didn’t seem so unbalanced, even with Bayern coming off a 5-0 victory over Hamburger SV. Wolfsburg had just beaten Eintracht Frankfurt in their first match of the Bundesliga season, and while nobody predicted a serious challenge to Bayern’s title run, Volkswagen’s cash was expected to ensure another confident campaign, perhaps even a deep run in the Champions League.

On the surface, it doesn’t appear as though Wolfsburg have changed all that much. They sit fourth in the Bundesliga, while over in Europe they top their Champions League group. Dost is still scoring. Max Kruse, brought in from Borussia Mönchengladbach this summer, is settling in. Draxler is growing into that midfield hole, conducting play and taking plenty of chances.

Yet unlike last season, little is coming easy to this side. With De Bruyne having been lured to Manchester City, and Julian Draxler unable to fully fill the hole left behind, the goals that once came with relative ease now require persistence. Last season’s leaky defense was an endearing charm, but without the ability to knock in goals at will, such charm is fading, leaving behind surprising draws against Köln and Hannover. The first half of the Bayern loss shows this team still knows how to knock their opponents off-balance – the trouble is, they no longer seem to be able to recover when they themselves are disarmed.

Last season, Dost attracted plenty of attention, scoring 20 goals in all competitions, a number made all the more staggering considering he’d started just three Bundesliga matches before his impressive performance against Bayern. But as the then 25-year-old had never managed more than 12 in Germany, it was clear there was something else behind the numbers. De Bruyne, the pink-cheeked magician, was pulling all the strings in Wolfsburg’s midfield. Able to drop deep, run out wide, torment defenders and thread a perfect pass, De Bruyne was key to the way Dieter Hecking wanted his side to attack.

There’s no denying Wolfsburg were impressive last season, but the perception of them as an emerging power may benefited from their diminished competition. Borussia Dortmund spent the first half not competing for the title but rooted to the bottom of the table. Schalke 04 looked clueless under Roberto Di Matteo and struggled to even finish fifth. Even Bayer Leverkusen under Roger Schmidt was inconsistent enough to not trouble Wolfsburg. Yet even with those advantages, Wolfsburg’s form slipped, and they spent the end of the season fighting harder to keep Borussia Moenchengladbach from taking second than dislodging Bayern.

SEE MORE: A functional Schalke would solve the Bundesliga’s Bayern problem.

Enter this season. Gladbach took the Dortmund role, yet have fought back much quicker. BVB haven’t been perfect but strong enough to sit second. Schalke have done enough to earn third, even if their early ups and downs mean they may not remain in the top four. An impressively improved Hertha BSC might claim fourth from Wolfsburg, or a suddenly scoring Leverkusen may knock them down.

Even as Wolfsburg are keeping one eye on that competition at the top of the Bundesliga table, they’ve also got to watch their Champions League form. Group B, with Manchester United, PSV and CSKA Moscow, provided an easy draw, but should they move on to the next round, things are bound to get harder. Wolfsburg’s one tough European game, the loss to United, saw them draw the weekend before and lose their next Bundesliga match. What might happen in the case of a longer Champions League campaign?

What’s almost certain is that Volkswagen, embattled by scandal, won’t be stepping in to rescue them. This winter won’t see 30 million euros paid to Chelsea for the honor of fielding André Schürrle. It’s more likely that Wolfsburg won’t be able to resist offers for their own talents this winter. While the club has said Volkswagen won’t cut their budget, it’s difficult to imagine a company looking into any way to reduce costs would resist big bucks coming their way. Especially the sort of big bucks that a desperate Premier League club might pony up for, say, a forward that can score 20 goals in half a season. And if Volkswagen cuts back on Wolfsburg’s budget next season, even a top four finish this year won’t allow them to be competitive in the next. Rather than trying to patch up the leaks sprung from a De Bruyne-type absence, they’ll be trying to plug holes found all over the pitch.

So once again, we’re left mired in the Bundesliga’s biggest problem: there is simply no side that can continuously throw a wrench into Bayern’s total domination. That’s likely to be evident when the two sides meet Tuesday in the Cup, but it’s also going to be clear when the season ends with the Bavarians claiming the title 10 weeks early. Bayern Munich simply leave no room for error in league play, and as long as their competition is forced to part with their best players — or makes a wrong choice in their sporting director, or their manager’s tactics get figured out — it won’t be possible to disrupt the Bundesliga.

Following Schalke 04 can be bad for your health. Literally. In September 2011, after just six months as manager, Ralf Ragnick announced his immediate resignation, citing exhaustion as his reason for leaving the club. And no wonder: he’d fought to clean up the mess left from Felix Magath’s departure, but while Ragnick brought Schalke to the Champions League semifinals for the first time in their history, at home they’d finished the 2010-11 season in a disappointing 14th place.

Such a contradiction neatly encompasses Schalke, a club that just can’t have nice things. The 2000-01 season is burned in fans’ collective memory. An ecstatic crowd in Gelsenkirchen were celebrating not just victory on the final day but Schalke’s winning the title when the news rolled in that Bayern Munich had equalized in their finale. That single point meant the trophy went to Bayern, leaving Schalke without a Bundesliga title. Ironic, really, for a team that was Germany’s best in the 1930s and 40s (before the Bundesliga), even going six out of eight seasons unbeaten during that time.

So if Schalke fans are reluctant to be optimistic about their team’s strong start to the season, well, it’s hard to blame them. Currently, their side sits third, one point back of rivals Borussia Dortmund but 11 behind first-place Bayern. And with this weekend’s date pitting them against a suddenly lethal Borussia Mönchengladbach, followed by a DFB-Pokal encounter against the same side and a derby with Dortmund following close behind. Let’s just say it’s easy to imagine Schalke Schalke-ing this up.

It’s unfortunate, because the Bundesliga could really use another side that’s ready to spice things up. Recent history suggests the league goes in cycles: Bayern dominate, a challenger arises, and things get interesting for a year or two before the Bavarians obliterate the competition. Dortmund were tipped to be the side to break that pattern after winning back to back titles in 2010-11 and 2011-12, but last year they fell big time, and now Bayern’s 10-point advantage, combined with their recent 5-1 humiliation of BVB at the Allianz Arena, shows Dortmund aren’t quite ready to permanently disrupt the Bundesliga.

Beyond the field, it seems like Schalke have all the ingredients necessary to be that perennial big player in the Bundesliga. They’ve certainly got the fans, drawing more than a million last season and filling the Veltins Arena to 99 percent capacity. They’ve got the money, adding two Chinese companies to a sponsor list dominated by Gazprom to come in at 14th on Forbes’ team valuation list. And their history, combined with notable recent Champions League appearances, means they’ve got the name recognition (a 4-3 comeback against Real Madrid in Champions League last season didn’t send Schalke through, but it sure caught people’s attention).

SEE MORE: It’s time to top and appreciate the phenom that is Robert Lewandowski.

But as anyone who’s ever excitedly opened the oven door only to see their beautifully constructed cake has fallen knows, having the right ingredients isn’t always enough. Six years ago, this was a club with a high enough profile to keep Raúl from signing in the US or Qatar, while also tempting Klaas-Jan Huntelaar into the fold. Yet this summer, they couldn’t keep hold of one of their own, and the young and talented Julian Draxler went off to help the competition at Wolfsburg. Clearly, somewhere along the line, someone confused the baking powder with the baking soda, and Schalke have been suffering ever since.

A casual observer might believe that most of the blame lies with Schalke’s recent managers, six of which have paced the touchline since Magath left in 2011. But while Huub Stevens couldn’t keep the side on a steady course, and Jens Keller was simply uninspiring, and Roberto Di Matteo should’ve known his squad weren’t able to pull off the tactics he had implemented, the problem actually ran deeper. General manager Horst Heldt, brought in by Magath, was the man responsible not only for appointing these men to the bench, but for bringing in the players they had to work with.

SEE MORE: FOX goes all-in on the Bundesliga, moves eight games to network broadcast.

The news in Germany suggests Heldt is on his way out, with Schalke hoping to install Christian Heidel, with Mainz 05 for the past 25 years, in his place before the winter transfer window opens. The hope is that Schalke can continue moving away from the often uninspiring veterans favored by Heldt — and certainly steer away from troubling pickups like Kevin Prince-Boateng, who was suspended indefinitely last season — and focus on younger, more dynamic players. Schalke has a strong academy that’s produced the likes of Manuel Neuer and Mesut Özil, and the current team is lead by youth product Benedikt Höwedes, while 19-year-old Leroy Sané has been a joy to watch this season. Another highly touted Schalke product, Max Meyer, is finally benefiting from regular playing time. Bringing in a quality sporting director who can wisely use Schalke’s money to supplement these youngsters could well put the club on its way to being a consistent Bundesliga force.

Schalke doesn’t need to compete for trophies to survive, of course. Despite the disappointments of the past few years, fans continue to show up, even if it’s to show their frustration by refusing to applaud their side. But the league would certainly benefit from the increased competition.

Right now, Bayern Munich’s having to shoulder the burden all by themselves, and the lack of challengers in the Bundesliga gives casual fans little reason to tune in. This season was meant to be more enticing, but Wolfsburg without Kevin De Bruyne have stalled, Bayer Leverkusen are nicknamed “Neverkusen” for a reason, and Gladbach fell flat on their faces. Dortmund are busy pulling themselves back together, but unless Bayern’s capitulation against Arsenal is emblematic of a deeper sickness (not likely), they’re still not going to be able to challenge for the title.

SEE MORE: Who were the champions the year you were born?

And as far as this season is concerned, Schalke won’t either. This year won’t be the great Bundesliga advertisment fans — and Fox! — had hoped for. But after more than five years of near-ineptitude, Schalke finally look to be wisening up. Ousting Heldt will mean they’re able to set the stage for next year, constructing the right team around the right manager. And who knows, with that stable foundation, Die Königsblauen may finally be able to capitalize on their history, creating a club that competes year in, year out.

Nothing, I mean nothing, in this Serie A season is going as planned. Fiorentina are currently at the top of the table, despite having just one or two players that a casual fan might recognize. Inter’s drab and dreary style has them fighting for the title, though that’s now an anomaly in a league more focused on getting forward. Even Chievo Verona, after years of boring us to death, is scoring with gusto. That makes the Flying Donkeys competitive, fighting for a European spot with other strange bedfellows, like Sassuolo and Atalanta. Meanwhile, Milan’s revival has sputtered once again, but even odder is the fact that Juventus sit just below the rossoneri, in 14th.

No one expects the Italian race to shake out this way. Juve may be closer to the drop than to the top, but the nine points separating them from Fiorentina is in no way insurmountable. Like second-place Roma, who overcame a less than stellar start to the season, Juventus can get themselves back into the scudetto race. Come Christmas, we could see the standings shift into more comprehensible form, in which Roma and Juve are fighting it out for the title, and Inter, Napoli, Fiorentina and Lazio are shooting for the bronze medal.

SEE MORE: Lazio’s progress report after seven games of the Serie A season.

Yet in order for either side to live up to their potential, something’s gotta give. Because the level of competition has risen this season, both Juventus and Roma will need to decide just how important a strong Champions League showing is for their club.

It would seem like Roma’s choice would be a simple one. Having not won the scudetto since 2001, and with just three titles to their name, a domestic triumph would send half of Rome into utter ecstasy. The Champions League may already be considered a wash: despite an encouraging draw in Barcelona, Roma fell 3-2 to BATE last round, leaving them last in their group. And with Juventus failing to dominate the way they have over the past three seasons, the giallorossi have a legitimate shot at glory there.

Yet while the title would bring local adoration, Roma’s ownership group are undoubtedly seeking more. Partially owned by Americans and with an American president at the helm, the club’s actions over the past few years — from bringing in big names to spending summers in the US — have made it clear they want their brand to extend past the peninsula. That means a Champions League presence. Having failed to progress past the group stage last season, the pressure is on head coach Rudi Garcia to cause more of a stir this time around.

It seemed like Roma were more prepared to do battle on two fronts this season. They brought in various forwards on loan and reinforced the defense with the likes of Lucas Digne and Antonio Rüdiger. Trouble is, they did nothing to pad the midfield. Miralem Pjanić is looking back to his best and Radja Nainggolan helps to mop up trouble, but they’ve yet to find a replacement for Kevin Strootman, who continues to be sidelined with left knee troubles. Injuries at the back, where they’ve still not brought in enough cover, have meant Daniele De Rossi is being forced back into defense to cover.

Roma still has an attack to be reckoned with, and having brought in a traditional No. 9 in Edin Džeko makes them more formidable. Their recent victories — 5-1 over Carpi, 4-2 over Palermo and 3-1 over Empoli — demonstrate that they’re coping with a weakened defense by relying on their offense. Trouble is, while that’ll work against the low-level Italian sides, they’re going to get caught out once they start dealing with stronger teams. Those differences will be more glaring if Garcia continues to depend on Gervinho and Mohamed Salah to carry the attack, as we know from experience that both start to fade as the season wears on.

Juventus, meanwhile, is likely to get stronger. Sami Khedira is finally back from injury, and as his performance against Sevilla showed, he’s the key to unlocking Paul Pogba’s world class talents. The 2-0 victory put Juve top of their Champions League group, making it even easier to imagine that this slow start to the season is just a blip on Juve’s way to a fifth straight title.

SEE MORE: Serie A’s added some much-needed uncertainty at the top of its table.

But despite their current standing atop Group D, the bianconeri, too, could benefit from making less of an effort in their midweek matches. This is a changed team, after all, struggling to cope without Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal. Much has been made of their midfield mess, and while putting Pogba and Khedira around a recovered Claudio Marchisio certainly has them looking better, it’s not a miracle cure, as evidenced by Pogba struggling once again in the goalless draw with Inter this past weekend.

Then there’s the danger in relying on Khedira to keep healthy, which is no mean feat for the fragile star. In recent years, this problem wouldn’t seem so great. After all, Juventus have plenty of midfield backup, and the likes of Mario Lemina, Stefano Sturaro, and even Simone Padoin would be able to cope with Italy’s lesser sides.

Those lesser sides have proved themselves a threat this season, though. Normally, after Juventus face Borussia Mönchengladbach midweek, they’d rotate against Atalanta, but this Atalanta side has three wins in four, which is more wins than Juve have recorded in Serie A thus far. Letting down their guard against fifth-placed Sassuolo also seems foolish, as would be sending a lesser squad out to face Torino, who’d love a second straight victory over their rivals.

Still, it’s unlikely Juventus will back away from a Champions League fight. After all, this is a side that made it to the final last year, and a club who believes a European Cup is well within their grasp. Instead, Massimiliano Allegri will continue to juggle his side, hoping to find enough magic combinations and formations to allow them to continue to compete in Europe while finding some teeth in the league.

Roma should be rushing in to fill the vacuum left by Juventus, but they’re likely to be tripped up as well, devoting too many resources to the Champions League and winding up spent when facing Serie A opponents. But while the situation may be frustrating for these two sides, it’s a thrill for other clubs. Smaller teams are getting a chance to shine, throwing a spotlight on their players and tactics. The likes of Lazio, Napoli and Fiorentina, all of whom have been hanging around the top five for the past few seasons, look to be legitimate challengers this year. And Inter, almost irrelevant for the last five years, are finally shoving their way back into the big-boys club.

While it may be unwise for Juventus and Roma to keep fighting on multiple fronts, the majority of those watching Serie A will be thrilled by such a decision. The league has become interesting once more.

For the past five years, Serie A’s been a bit of a bore. That’s not referring to the ultra-defensive, play-out-a-goalless-draw-rather-than-risk-losing-a-point perception of Italy that so many hang on to. No, the games have been fine, and high-scoring thrillers are playing out with surprising regularity. The trouble is, at the start of the season, pundits and fans alike crown Juventus the title winners, and no other team comes close to making a challenge. Juve goes on to win the scudetto.

Prior to kickoff in the 2015-16 season, Juventus lost three of their best players, yet they were still being tipped to win a fifth straight title. But they fell to Udinese in the first match. Meanwhile, Milan lost to Fiorentina, Napoli lost to Sassuolo and Roma could only draw with Verona. In need of someone, anyone, on which to hang their title hopes, analysts landed upon Inter, who’d managed a 1-0 victory over Atalanta, starting the season off right.

It wasn’t just the narrow victory — after all, a goal from Stevan Jovetić in injury time doesn’t exactly signify a rosy future — that had everyone jumping aboard the Inter train. What the nerazzurri had done over the summer played a significant part in boosting their credentials. The team was designed around the needs of Roberto Mancini, about to start his first full season since returning to the Inter bench. Out went the creativity of Mateo Kovačić and even Hernanes, but that mattered little. For a man that adores a 1-0 victory and focuses on defensive control, selling creative players didn’t count as a negative when sizing up the team. Instead, people saw the high price willing to be paid for Geoffrey Kondogbia. They saw Inter aggressively chase, and ultimately land, Ivan Perišić. The loans of Miranda, Jovetić, and Adem Ljajić were viewed as shrewd additions, and so by the time the transfer window shut, everyone believed that Inter had finally, truly, really revitalized themselves.

SEE MORE: Forget scudetto talk, Buffon tells Juventus.

The nerazzurri kept up appearances, at least for the first five rounds, when they grabbed a perfect 15 points. Mancini’s style may have been slammed in the press, but it was getting results. The players buckled down, found the goal, then sat back until they ground out the win. Even when things went wrong, as when newcomers Carpi surprisingly found an equalizer late in round two, Inter dug deep to score a last minute equalizer. It looked as though the club had finally gotten itself together and built something formidable, possibly even unstoppable.

Inter’s story is familiar, practically inescapable. Much of it even parallels what’s happening in England this season. There was little reason to anticipate that champions Chelsea would fail to defend their title, particularly in such a spectacular manner, yet there they are, sitting 15th, same as Juventus. Manchester City’s evisceration of the Blues in the second week started tongues wagging about their return to the winners’ podium, and their four straight wins, with no goals conceded, had many declaring the race all but over. A loss to West Ham was mostly shrugged away, but this week’s 4-1 defeat at Tottenham — exactly the same scoreline by which Inter fell to Fiorentina this weekend — put United on top of the table and left everyone wondering who, exactly, is going to claim that Premier League title.

Another great play by @Acffiorentina to pile more agony on @Inter! #InterFiorentina #SerieA http://t.co/cgrqxPD98I

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) September 27, 2015

Why, though, do we even need to elevate a team before the season has even kicked off, to carve their names on the trophy before five rounds have passed? It could be that we like simplification: this is the team that will win, these are the reasons why, and here’s how the other teams fall short. Or it may be that drama plays a part: if one squad is tipped for glory and fails to live up to that standard, there’s much more of a thrill when another team edges into the race. And we shouldn’t underestimate the human desire to be right: picking the champions earns fans bragging rights, increases respect for analysts and writers, and it just might earn you a bit of money in those places where sports betting is legal.

SEE MORE: Kalinic hat trick stuns title hopefuls Inter.

But this desire to single out a favorite causes other sides to be overlooked. The big names get the attention, while the sides that haven’t seen success in decades aren’t just dismissed but waved away with a condescending hand. In England, that’d be West Ham, who are attracting attention for their third place standing and their wins at City, Arsenal and Liverpool, but whose smart spending and intelligent appointment of Slaven Bilić still has them viewed as little more than a side that can disrupt the teams actually competing for the top four.

Fiorentina, meanwhile, are currently top of the Serie A table, yet barely anyone gave them a glance before they beat Inter. Considering they haven’t occupied the top spot since 1999 and haven’t lifted the scudetto since 1968-69, the viola aren’t viewed as a threat. But if people were paying attention, they would have noticed the club’s been restructuring itself more smartly than Roma or Napoli, and definitely more intelligently than Milan. They’ve even made wiser moves than Juventus and Inter.

After Vincenzo Montella got the sack in June after speaking out about a contract dispute, Fiorentina wooed Paulo Sousa, a tactician who’d impressed while leading Basel to the Swiss title last season. Still, with Mario Gómez off to Turkey, Mohamed Salah refusing to sign a permanent deal, and Giuseppe Rossi seemingly permanently broken, few expected much.

Yet Fiorentina have made the right choices at the right times. Sousa looks exactly the right coach to follow Montella, building from the base his Italian predecessor established in his three seasons, but enhancing it with greater steel in the midfield. He’s compacted Montella’s signature free-flowing style to make the viola more difficult to break down. Despite spending less than €25 million over the summer (barely more than what was received from Atlético Madrid for departing defender Stefan Savić) and regularly fielding many of the same starters we saw last season, this feels like a squad transformed. Nikola Kalinić certainly made an impression on Sunday with his hat trick, but he’s vital to the attack even when not scoring goals, with great off-the-ball movement and use of space. His partnership has helped to make Josip Iličić, a man all viola fans wanted to never again see in purple, a sudden hero in Florence.

SEE MORE: Local boy Insigne shining after Napoli’s Italian turn.

Sure, Fiorentina are benefiting both from an easy start to the season and the relative collapse of the boys that have dominated Serie A, but the viola still look like a team ready to stay in this conversation. And that should thrill calcio lovers, even those who feel their club should be claiming the title. Things may have been simpler when everyone could point to Juve for the title, and having scudetto discussions are likely to require more brainpower this season, but it’s so much more fun to have multiple teams playing well, especially when they’re using different styles and displaying various tactics. The league is a joy to watch and to talk about once more, particularly now that Inter’s repetitive 1-0 victories have been put to the test.

Forget predictions and projections. A title race is exactly what Serie A needs.

It was an improbable header from the tiny forward, but it wasn’t disbelief that made Lorenzo Insigne burst into tears after heading in an equalizer early last season against Torino. For weeks, the then-23 year old had been enduring taunts in that same stadium, from hometown supporters who had turned on the local boy. Napoli had already failed to make the Champions League group stage and had won just two of their five games – in a season in which Rafa Benítez was meant to be leading them on a title challenge. Insigne, with his tricky flashes of brilliance that often faded into nothingness, had become a convenient scapegoat for fans in Naples.

Those tears looked long forgotten on Sunday night, when Insigne pounced on a loose ball to send in the third goal of what would eventually be a 5-0 rout of Lazio. The crowd roared its approval as he raced over to celebrate near the corner flag. Insigne returned their affection by flashing his now-customary (don’t tell Gareth Bale) heart sign around the San Paolo.

Insigne may not have been crying, but Napoli fans would be forgiven if tears filled their eyes. Born in Naples and bred in the Napoli system, Insigne drew attention while at Foggia under Zdeněk Zeman and was part of the famous Pescara side that got themselves promoted to Serie A by scoring, scoring and more scoring. His 14 goals and 18 assists in that 2011-2012 season saw him brought back to Napoli, where expectations were high for the local wonderkid.

Perhaps they were too high. Insigne has all the trickery needed to catch the eye, and the pace necessary to constantly hassle the opposition. But Walter Mazzarri’s inherent distrust of youth kept him from being a regular starter, and he was never able to flourish in Rafa’s system. A significant injury that kept him out for five months last season also hurt his cause. It was looking more and more likely that Napoli would lose yet another of their sons before he’d grown into the star so many convinced themselves he was destined to become.

But then came Napoli’s revolution. Or, perhaps more accurately, their counter-revolution. When owner Aurelio De Laurentiis brought in Benítez, his goal was to put the side back on the world map, elevating it to a status it hadn’t occupied since the days of Diego Maradona. But that dream died quickly, and when Rafa left, De Laurentiis sent Napoli right back to its roots.

When asked why he brought in Maurizio Sarri to lead his team, rather than going after, say, Jürgen Klopp — a name that could keep Napoli relevant outside Italy — De Laurentiis was honest, saying such figures had no interest in Europa League play. Those discussions prompted an abrupt turn. Napoli would be led by an Italian, a man born in Naples, a man that pulled himself up by coaching in the country’s lowest levels, a man who knew what calcio meant.

SEE MORE: Why Roma can’t let themselves be distracted by Europe.

The club has yet to be truly Italianized under Sarri, with Mirko Valdifiori the only Italian brought on this summer, although Elseid Hysaj and Allan both have Serie A experience. And at first glance, there’s nothing typically “Italian” about the way Napoli play. While Sarri might be a bit more conservative than Rafa, he’s certainly not advocating a traditional style that takes the club back to the days of catenaccio.

That’s the old view of Italian football, however. Calcio has been moving toward a more possession-based, fluid style for years, resulting in 1024 goals last season, the highest tally for Europe’s top five leagues. Sarri is what the Italians want in a coach: a man willing to play engaging football, but tactically astute enough to know when to shift away from his preferred style and get a result. It’s not yet working perfectly at Napoli, but during the times it does come together, it’s obvious Napoli’s return to their Italian roots was exactly what the team needed.

And no player seems to be benefiting from the shift more than Lorenzo Insigne – the Italian, the Neapolitan, the local boy. He may have had just one goal and one assist in that 5-0 thrubbing of Lazio, but he seemed to have a hand in nearly every shot Napoli made. Running up the left, cutting inside, holding off players nearly twice his size with a flash of fancy footwork – he was doing it all and making it look easy. Sarri’s shift from Benitez’s 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-3-3 benefits Insigne, letting him have full freedom of the left flank as creator Marek Hamšík stays further back, taking on more of the burden of conducting the play. And while before he looked too reliant on pace, often outrunning his brain, Insigne seems to be thinking more and more, able to position himself perfectly, whether for the shot or simply to draw out defenders.

After years of waiting, Insigne finally looks to be coming into his own. And while Napoli fans may not have much to look forward to this season — it’s unlikely they’ll challenge for the title, or even make a deep run in the Europa League — they at least get to take some joy from Insigne. His play demonstrates that this inward turn, this embracing of what’s close to home, of what is both traditionally and recently Italian, will ultimately benefit this team. Plus, he’s an absolute delight to watch.

For now, Napoli fans are just fine with that.

It took just a few minutes before social media began talking about it, before media outlets began writing their stories, leading off with Germany’s former “it” coach, Jürgen Klopp, rather than focusing last year’s next big thing, a man who was now was trying to give back his job.

On Sunday night, Lucien Favre handed in his resignation. The Swiss was the Bundesliga’s longest-serving coach, having been at Borussia Mönchengladbach for the past four and a half years. Last season, Favre led his side to the Champions League group stage for this first time since the competition’s founding, but on Tuesday, Gladbach opened that tournament with a 3-0 loss to Sevilla. The Foals followed that up with a 1-0 loss at local rivals Köln, completing an unseemly run of five straight losses to open the season, a team’s worst Bundesliga start in 34 years.

SEE MORE: Bundesliga, gameweek five: Favre falls on his sword.

Yes, not just the worst start for Gladbach, but the worst start since Nürnberg’s 1981-82 season. Nürnberg ultimately survived, but it sure wasn’t comfortable for Der Club, who finished just three points out of the relegation playoff spot. The comparisons likely reminded Favre that when he came on board in February 2011, Gladbach were rock bottom, and only a playoff victory kept them in the top division.

Despite the horrific start, Favre’s resignation was a surprise; such a surprise, in fact, that Gladbach refused to accept it, with sporting director Max Eberl quoted as saying, “Just as we were before, we’re convinced that Lucien is the ideal coach for Borussia and together with him we would have got through what’s currently a very difficult period.”

Favre stood firm, however: “I no longer feel that I’m the right coach for the club. The time has come and it’s the best decision for the club and the team to make a change.”

Cynics might argue that Gladbach were ready to let Favre go, but his timing could’ve been better. While the Foals form might only loosely be described as “football,” they still need to play four games in 11 days. With Augsburg up on Wednesday and Manchester City coming to town the next week, there’s little time to think about a replacement, much less bring one in and give him time to get the team playing well. Might as well stick with the devil you know.

Crowded schedule aside, there’s reason to believe Gladbach were set to wait out what they might view as a mere blip in Favre’s otherwise outstanding record. Sure, six straight losses, 15 goals conceded, a measly two goals scored … none of that sounds like a blip, but there’s the wider view. Favre saved the club from relegation and took them up to fourth the very next season. He weathered a few setbacks to have them playing in the Europa League last season and then secured that elusive third place finish. He did it all in style, too, gathering up Eberl’s bargain-buys and getting them to play attractive soccer, hitting their opponents hard with swift counter attacks.

That Gladbach had people falling under their spell, particularly last season, when Klopp’s Dortmund fell to pieces, leaving an opening for lovers of hipster coaches and fun soccer. But while Gladbach’s rise may have coincided with Dortmund’s collapse and Schalke’s continued slide into obscurity, the squad’s talents were real. They swept aside Bayern in Munich, rattled an upstart Wolfsburg and ensured Bayer Leverkusen wouldn’t take third with a dominant win. Three wins over Germany’s other top sides, and not a goal conceded.

SEE MORE: Why Thomas Mueller is the most underrated player of his generation.

No wonder, then, that the club’s board didn’t want to accept Favre’s resignation. That dominance must’ve looked like the true Gladbach, whereas the current side seems like an imposter.

Reality, though, suggests Gladbach’s true level lies somewhere in between. It was always going to be difficult (although few thought it would be quite this tough) to recover from the double loss of Max Kruse and Christoph Kramer. While injuries to defenders Martin Stranzl and Álvaro Domínguez haven’t helped, it was Kramer, now back at parent club Bayer Leverkusen, who was the screen shielding a defense that’s looking more fragile by the minute. The loss of Kruse to Wolfsburg, meanwhile, left a hole in the attack that’s yet to be patched up. Again an the injury, this one to Patrick Herrmann, has done Gladbach no favors, but neither has the addition of Josip Drmić’s yet-to-be-realized potential, nor the shifting of Thorgan Hazard around the pitch. The loss of these two key players managed to destabilize a squad that last season managed to disrupt other sides with their cohesion.

Gladbach’s desire for sustained success is also being thwarted by the all-around improvement seen in the league this season. Dortmund, of course, have come back with a vengeance, swatting aside Gladbach 4-0 in their first game and now topping the table with five wins in five. Wolfsburg haven’t lost, despite letting Kevin De Bruyne go, and Schalke has somehow remembered how to win. New additions Ingolstadt and Darmstadt are managing to get points, while even the likes of Köln and Mainz look solid.

When a side that’s meant to be aiming for the top four starts off the season with five straight losses, most wouldn’t be surprised if the team and the coach part ways. But given the factors at play here — key players leaving, injuries, other sides strengthening — it’s also fair for Gladbach feel a little bit betrayed at Favre walking away. Herrmann and Domínguez are due back shortly, Drmić needs patience, the likes of Lars Stindl and Nico Schulz should be given time to settle in. Given Favre’s reputation as an intelligent tactician, he should’ve been able to find a way to put these pieces together and create a winning side, even if it took a few more matches.

Instead, he’s walking away, a move that recalls his departure from Hertha BSC after six straight defeats at the start of the 2009-10 season. Hertha may have been the ones to pull the plug, but they were caught without a replacement, and the side were ultimately relegated after finishing fourth the year before.

Could the same fate be in store for Gladbach? Despite the excited rumors, Klopp will not swoop in to rescue the club. For now, it’s Gladbach’s U-23 coach, André Schubert, who’ll lead the senior side through their midweek match against Augsburg, and possibly through their date with Manchester City at the end of September. With no compelling candidates thought to be in the mix, it’s hard to see Gladbach doing more than struggling toward mid-table safety.

The last time Roma met Europe’s defending champions, things didn’t go so well. Last season, Bayern Munich cracked open the side and left the giallorossi a broken, empty shell, too humiliated to even cry. After that 7-1 loss, Roma picked up just one more point in the Champions League group stage, booking their place in the Europa League thanks only to the fact that their -6 goal difference was better than CSKA Moscow’s -7.

Even more worrying than Roma’s European capitulation was the side never again looking ready to challenge for the Serie A title. In a year that many thought Juventus would finally be dethroned, the only team prepared to make a run at the scudetto were finished by the 10th week of the season.

A year later, and Roma are once again in the title conversation. After an opening day draw with Hellas Verona, the giallorossi went on to beat Juventus, further raising expectations. Last weekend, they picked up all three points again, this time against newly promoted Frosinone.

TUESDAY’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Juve upsets City | United falls in Holland | Ronaldo leads Madrid | PSG cruise past Malmo

Now, one year after that humbling from Bayern, Roma are once again set to host the holders of the Champions League trophy. Barcelona come to the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, fresh off a win at Atlético Madrid, their third in three games. Now Roma must do whatever they can to stop the visitors, ensuring another European humiliation doesn’t derail a promising season.

Or … must they? So many clubs consider the Champions League the be-all, end-all of competitions, the tournament in which they must succeed in order to prove their worth. But as the gap between the rich and the poor widens in domestic leagues, so to does it widen within Europe. The four most valuable squads playing this season — Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Chelsea — are also the sides who most recently lifted the trophy. Barcelona’s squad is worth €657.5 million to Roma’s €258.6 million, and although Daniele De Rossi may be the highest paid player in Italy, his €6.5 million salary pales in comparison to Lionel Messi’s €37 million.

The deck is stacked, and any attempt to blow down this house of cards would not only be foolish but quite possibly fatal. It could well result in yet another forfeiture of the scudetto, a trophy Roma haven’t touched since 2000-01. Rather than attempt to conquer Europe, Roma should save its best for Serie A.

Some might argue that this is a foolish approach. After all, the side’s next opponents in the league are Sampdoria, followed by newly promoted Carpi, before a Champions League visit to BATE Borisov. They’re all winnable matches, even if Rudi Garcia isn’t fielding his best team.

But the Roma manager should learn from last season’s mistakes. It wasn’t until mid-October that his side started tripping up; it took until January for the malaise to really set in. The giallorossi were left with no European progress, no domestic title, not even a Coppa Italia. And while both the faces of the squad and the competitive sides in Serie A have changed, Roma’s basic style has not.

That’s why it’s so dangerous for Roma to try and make a big splash in the Champions League. Roma are a team that can derail Juventus, not they’re in no position to challenge the rest of Europe’s elite. Even this win early this season over the bianconeri exposed weaknesses that will surely be exploited, particularly by tough opponents. Despite attempts to shore up the back line this summer, defense remains an issue, so much so that Garcia needed to use De Rossi at center back rather than midfield. And when Roma tire, their constant pressure eases off, enabling the other side to get into space and find better chances.

These flaws were even more apparent in the match against Frosinone, the league’s bottom side. A shaky defensive display was capped by an obvious handball from fullback Lucas Digne; had the penalty been given, the result may have been 1-1 rather than 2-0. And with playmaker Miralem Pjanić out for three weeks and Belgian international Radja Nainggolan on the bench, the midfield could not cope with Frosinone’s pressing and struggled to turn the match in their favor.

Nainggolan found himself a substitute thanks to two straight games with Belgium, but it’s that fatigue that makes Roma most vulnerable. Edin Džeko, too, looked out of sorts, unable to threaten, and was pulled in favor of Nainggolan shortly before the hour mark. Gervinho looks a shadow of the player that lit up Serie A when he arrived in 2013. Then there’s Francesco Totti, who turns 39 this week and is finally starting to show his age. With the captain ineffectual and Pjanić unable to step into the trequartista role, Roma are already looking less threatening.

All in all, the side Roma have assembled is one constructed to dominate Serie A, but put the likes to Edin Džeko, Mohammed Salah and Iago Falque against the likes of Barcelona and Roma are likely to be found out. While the attack has enough pace and skill to breakdown most defenses, when the tables are turned and the pressure builds on the giallorossi, the team moves slowly, looking devoid of ideas, as it did against Frosinone. Just imagine, then, that side going up against Barça, who’ll barely let them breathe. The Roma defense isn’t going to be able to hold off Barcelona all night, so they’ll be left desperately hoping for the opportunity to get in the game with a quick counterattack.

SEE MORE: Why Juve fans should (or should not) be worried about their team’s start.

There are just two games against Barcelona, so Roma could give it their all and come away with a ticket to the Round of 16. But as the games continue, the central midfield – consisting of the aging De Rossi and Seydou Keita, as well as Kevin Strootman, who sadly may never really play the sport again — will find themselves worn down more and more, further exposing the defense. As the forewards’ pace and energy drops off, the points will drop as well. By midseason, Roma could again find themselves out of the running for the scudetto.

Everyone loves a good underdog, but the giallorossi simply haven’t set themselves up to be that sort of challenger in Europe. But with Juventus’s early season slipups and only Inter looking like they might represent a serious threat, the time is right for Roma to concentrate on a domestic trophy.

“Disappointing.” “Frustrating.” “Dire.” Not words that would recommend the Derby della Madonnina, yet the writers keep trying. Perhaps it’s nostalgia that keeps us telling everyone to tune into this showcase feature between Inter and Milan – we long for the days that featured not just a plethora of goals, but those good ol’ games filled with frenetic energy and steely determination, with sneaky elbows and multiple sendings-off, with Inter’s Marco Materazzi donning a mask of Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi simply to ruffle a few more feathers.

Yes, it’s been difficult for us writers over the past few years. As the fortunes of both Inter and Milan fell, so too did the displays on the field. The teams’ most recent meeting back in April resulted in a dreary goalless draw, the first time a goal hadn’t been scored in over a decade. There were a plethora of fouls, to be sure, but even then the players’ hearts just didn’t seem to be in them. Both sides looked like they were waiting for better days to return.

So, too, are we writers, if only so we can stop predicting the renaissance of the Milan sides in season previews. But surely this time the tides have turned. Surely this weekend is the weekend we see a decent Derby once more. Surely this year is the year both Inter and Milan challenge for Italy’s top three.

Milan, who won the scudetto in 2010-11 yet finished 10th last season, has given us reason to think they’re finally serious about returning to the top of the food chain. Rather than appoint yet another inexperienced rossoneri icon to the bench, the club followed up the short tenures of Clarence Seedorf and Filippo Inzaghi by bringing in Siniša Mihajlović, who’d steered a disciplined Sampdoria side away from relegation in 2014 and into seventh  last season.

Discipline was something sorely lacking in last season’s Milan side, who seemed to fall apart with every set piece. But investment, too, was missing, with the club sniffing around for the cheapest available players rather than seeking out talents to fill the squad’s holes.

But this summer, Milan’s reported to have spent €100 million, including an astonishing €25 million for young defender Alessio Romagnoli, €30 million for Carlos Bacca and the 20 goals he scored for Sevilla last season, and €20 million for central midfielder Andrea Bertolacci. Trouble is, Milan seem to be spending without considering just what issues need to be resolved.

SEE MORE: Why Juve fans should (or, shout not) be worried about their team’s start?

Luiz Adriano and Mario Balotelli were brought in as well, making the rossoneri look decidedly top-heavy. Meanwhile, talented as he might be, Romagnoli can’t prop up the defense all on his own. Bertolacci has looked unworthy of his high price thus far, and picking up Juraj Kucka, more a workhorse than a true creator, leaves Milan still lacking balance in the center of the pitch.

It feels as though Milan spent money simply because it was there, rather than formulating a concrete plan to help the club return to its glory days. Rivals Inter, on the other hand, spent their summer landing targets specifically geared toward creating a team that can challenge for the scudetto.

Watching Inter over their first two games, both narrow victories, it’s easy to be skeptical about their title chances. Milan went for the shine with their summer spending, while Inter forked over the cash for Geoffrey Kondogbia, a defensive midfielder bought from Monaco for an eye-watering €30 million. Meanwhile, Mateo Kovačić, by far the most creative player in the nerazzurri side, went to Real Madrid, and Inter let their last scrap of imagination go when Hernanes moved to Juventus.

SEE MORE: beIN to send Ray Hudson to select Serie A matches this season.

That, however, is how Roberto Mancini operates. Premier League fans may shudder to remember Mancini’s first season in charge at Manchester City, when more often than not the team tortuously ground out its results, and even though the Citizens recorded some impressive blowouts when winning the title in 2011-12, that was more of a result of the collection of world-class talent in the side than it was a considered decision by Mancini to encourage a free-flowing attack.

It’s reasonable to wonder, then, how new additions Stevan Jovetić and Adem Ljajić might hope to display the same sort of numbers they saw when playing together at Fiorentina, considering that when with the viola, a surplus of creativity lay behind them. Jovetić has already scored all three of Inter’s goals, but the attack looks ponderous, and it remains to be seen whether success will come when not playing Carpi or Atalanta, the former freshly promoted and the latter having narrowly escaped relegation last season.

This Sunday’s Milan Derby, then, is Inter’s first chance to really show that they’re prepared to make a title challenge. Milan may not still be world-beaters, but their fresh influx of talent makes them a more formidable opponent. It may be only the third week of the season, but if Inter fail to win, suddenly everyone starts wondering if the problems plaguing the club since José Mourinho walked away after the treble-winning 2010 season have really been resolved.

Which at least means we writers don’t have to fabricate reasons to encourage people to watch this match – no more insisting the “passion on the pitch” is enough. This early meeting of the Milan clubs gives us a chance to judge whether Mancini’s new-look Inter is really in the title conversation, while also seeing if the skepticism over Milan’s big money talent is warranted.

And yeah, there probably will still be cards. There’s even a chance that the likes of Philippe Mexes and Felipe Melo might end up being sent off without even seeing the pitch, which would at least be a laugh, if once again a writer’s prediction of a meaningful Derby della Madonnina fails to come true.

As per usual, we head into this weekend’s match between Juventus and Chievo Verona with one side dominating the top of the standings, the other perilously close to the relegation spots. Except this time it’s Chievo that’s firmly out in front, while Juventus are at the bottom, surrounded by Serie A’s freshly-promoted sides. This is more than the table being turned upside down; it’s as though the entire world has tilted on its axis.

Or at least, that’s how some supporters are feeling. But even the normally hyperbolic Italian press failed to bury the bianconeri after their loss to Roma in the last round. Mention was made of the fact that it was Juventus’s worst start since 1912, but the majority of the daily sports journals merely noted that Juve were still planning to use the final days of the transfer market to bring in a few more signings.

SEE MORE: Two red cards cost Juventus against Roma.

The papers were stating the obvious. Over the summer, Juventus had lost Carlos Tevez, their top goalscorer over the last two seasons; Andrea Pirlo, their midfield maestro; and Arturo Vidal, who provided much needed grit in the center of the pitch. While most felt that newcomers Mario Mandžukić, Italian international Simone Zaza and Argentine wonderkid Paulo Dybala could compensate for the loss of Tevez, the midfield situation looked worrying, particularly when Sami Khedira got injured before he’d played a competitive game for his new team.

Sure enough, it was the midfield that caused Juventus problems right from the start. Roberto Pereyra and Simone Padoin both looked to be in over their heads against Udinese, and despite the latter’s obvious lack of quality, he again started in the center of the pitch against Roma. He and Stefano Sturaro were unable to cope with Roma’s constant pressure, and when Juventus did have possession, the lack of proper distribution meant the attack would often break down before it properly began.

Juventus had already realized they had a problem, one that the recovery of Claudio Marchisio in and of itself wouldn’t solve — that much was obvious from the loan of Juan Cuadrado from Chelsea. But the Roma game made it clear Cuadrado wouldn’t be enough, and in came Mario Lemina and Hernanes, both signed on deadline day. Along with Khedira, who should return at the beginning of September, Juve have four new midfielders to replace the two that got away.

SEE MORE: Hernanes completes move from Inter Milan to Juventus.

Quantity over quality, perhaps. There’s nothing truly world class about this assemblage of players (except Paul Pogba, who the bianconeri did manage to hold on to), a fact that’s all the more surprising considering Juventus used to have one of the best midfields in the world. But what’s hoped for is that they’ll come together as a unit. Khedira will do well at screening the defense, a necessity given it looked vulnerable at times last season. Pogba and Marchisio, who’s once again fit, will be able to get forward more freely now that they don’t need to protect Pirlo. Cuadrado adds both speed and versatility, which will help as Juventus adjust tactics and search for ways to break down teams. Hernanes, meanwhile, is meant to be the lynchpin, the trequartista, the one tying everything together and providing opportunities for the forwards.

In theory, this midfield should work out fine, shielding the still mostly excellent defense, helping to ensure Gigi Buffon doesn’t need to make too many amazing saves, and efficiently funneling the ball to a strikeforce that should be able to score handily. In practice, it means relying on a healthy Khedira, on Pogba not letting his form slip, on Hernanes seeing age 30 as a chance to get back to his best. Taking such a gamble might be dangerous.

“Our season starts this week,” said Max Allegri, consigning the losses to Roma and Udinese to the dark annals of history. If only it were that simple. Over the past four seasons, the closest Juventus have come to being challenged for the title was in 2011-12, when they beat Milan by a mere four points. For the past two years, second-placed Roma finished 17 points back, presenting no real obstacle for the rampant bianconeri.

SEE MORE: Chelsea bust Cuadrado makes loan move to Juve.

This season looks like it’ll be different. While Roma looked as though they’d yet to come back from summer vacation in their first outing, a listless 1-1 draw with Hellas Verona, the victory over Juventus made it clear the giallorossi are tired of finishing runners-up. Their defense, which featured midfielders Daniele De Rossi and Alessandro Florenzi against Juventus, may still be lacking, but their relentless attack is likely to make up for it. Then there’s Inter, who’ve somehow managed to grind out wins in their first two games despite having absolutely no creativity in the side. They’ve spent an impressive amount adding attackers, however, and while it won’t be pretty, they’re going to be in the title conversation.

Even those teams not included as serious scudetto challengers look poised to take points from Juventus. Torino’s strike force, which includes Maxi Lopez, Amauri, and Fabio Quagliarella, seems laughable, but Giampiero Ventura continues to demonstrate that he knows what he’s doing,. His side’s collective control allowed them to come back to beat Fiorentina, 3-1, last time out. Chievo are unlikely to sustain their fantastic start, but they finally look poised to not simply sit back and grind out a tie, and if Alberto Paloschi has finally found consistency in front of goal they’ll stay dangerous. Sassuolo remain unfazed by big sides, Palermo look surprisingly disciplined, and Sampdoria may be just fine without Siniša Mihajlović on the sidelines.

SEE MORE: Italy’s richest clubs have a new way of screwing over the rest of Serie A.

Many of these sides made life difficult for the champions last season, yet the bianconeri still strolled to the title. But this season, Juventus might not be able to afford letting her guard down. If Inter keeps grinding out wins against the smaller teams, if Roma continues with the sort of energy they found against Juventus, we could see a real title race for the first time in four years. Worry over the first two results was probably premature, but if the midfield doesn’t click into place against Chievo, there could be legitimate cause for concern.

There are certain Serie A clubs that try very, very hard to not sell their star players to Italy’s biggest clubs. Juventus, of course, with her four-year title streak, is the team others least want to help, but selling to Inter or AC Milan is also to be avoided. And so the peninsula’s brightest move elsewhere, from Edinson Cavani at Paris Saint-Germain to Stevan Jovetic at Manchester City, to Ciro Immobile joining Borussia Dortmund and Juan Cuadrado landing at Chelsea.

Obviously there are other factors at play. When Cavani left, no one in Serie A had the €63 million necessary to meet his release clause. Immobile’s best chance of Champions League play would be at Dortmund. And what player could resist the chance at fighting for the title with one of the Premier League’s best teams?

It is the money that plays the ultimate deciding factor in the quest for Serie A gold. While Juventus, interested in both Jovetic and Cuadrado, could have easily afforded both, there’s no way Italy’s champions would’ve paid the sort of wages the Premier League’s richest can afford. Jovetic’s €6.6 million per year at City would have made him the highest earner in Serie A, just edging out Daniele De Rossi’s €6.5 million at Roma. Cuadrado comes in just behind, making around €6.25 million at Chelsea, far surpassing Carlos Tevez, Juve’s highest earner, who made €4.5 million per year in 2014-15.

And it’s the money that, in the end, brings the players back to Serie A. Back to the clubs their foes wanted to keep the stars away from, at prices that now make these players ridiculous bargains.

SEE MORE: ESPN FC to deliver expansive Transfer Deadline Day coverage on Tuesday.

Serie A players have often failed to shine away from Italy. At Fiorentina, head coach Vincenzo Montella specifically used formations that highlighted Jovetić, but at Manchester City, he was expected to simply slot into the side. Same for Cuadrado, who was given plenty of freedom with the viola, but rarely thrown a glance at Chelsea. In his 13 appearances — four of them as a starter — Cuadrado never even assisted on a goal, much less scored one, so after half a season, it was time to go. Jovetic fared slightly better, with 30 appearances and eight goals after two years at City, but he never came close to hassling opponents the way he had in Italy.

Trouble is, the likes of Chelsea and City have trouble getting rid of this sort of dead weight, because few other sides want to pay those sorts of salaries, especially to players seen as Premier League failures. So these rich clubs, needing to make room for newer, shinier acquisitions, strike deals with Serie A clubs. And the big Serie A clubs profit.

Inter, still a big club but no longer a rich one, already spent an astonishing €30 million buying Geoffrey Kondogbia from Monaco. So the deal with Manchester City works perfectly. It’s a compulsory loan-to-buy, which pretty much means Inter pay just €3 million up front, then shell out at least €12 million, more if the team does well, next season. So while Fiorentina may have received that initial €30 million two years ago, they’re now going to have to face what they tried so hard to avoid – a Big Three team enhanced at the viola expense.

Jovetic has already made his mark, scoring at the death to give Inter all three points against Atalanta in Round 1. That €3 million spent this season could very well be what takes Inter to Champions League play next year, and although it means they’ll pay City a little bit more, it’ll pale in comparison to the €40 million received for making the group stages.

But that’s nothing compared to the aid Juventus, Italy’s richest club, is being given by Chelsea. The bianconeri were once Cuadrado’s biggest suitors, and now they’ve finally landed their man. Except rather than have to pay €25 million or more, Cuadrado’s theirs for just €1.8 million this season. Considering this is a transition year for Juventus, in which the side will need to revamp their style to make up for the losses of Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal, it’s a perfect arrangement for the champions. And if it works out, Juventus can pony up the funds next season, when they haven’t already shelled out €32 million for Paulo Dybala or €19 million for Mario Mandzukic.

This is a wonderful arrangement for Inter, and Juventus, and even Milan, who get to try their luck with Mario Balotelli once more, without actually paying for him to return. It’s obviously benefiting the Premier League clubs, who will at least get some sort of cash from these failed investments, and more importantly, they’ll gain an open spot on the roster.

SEE MORE: Latest summer transfer window deals.

But for the Fiorentinas of the league, who’ve been falling just short of Champions League soccer for the past few seasons, it’s pretty much a disaster. While many say having the Milan clubs return to their great heights will benefit Serie A, teams like Fiorentina, and Napoli, and Lazio, and even Sampdoria and Torino, aren’t eager to go back to the status quo. Roma, neither suffering nor benefiting from these arrangements, can’t be thrilled either. These teams want to see the league made competitive by putting new names into the European races, not through a return to the unshiftable Big Three.

It might be a long game these other teams are playing, bringing in new managers, emphasizing tactics, trying out new formations. It requires a balance of selling, careful buying and yes, keeping the big teams from stealing their stars. But now that the richest clubs in the world are actually assisting the big names in assembling better squads, Serie A’s smaller names must feel like they’ll never make more than a fleeting impression.