Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Months after leading the Seagulls to their best-ever top-division finish — ninth place in 2021-22, just five points away from qualifying for European competition, with late-season wins over Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United — Potter’s team had started the new season brilliantly, beating United again and walloping Leicester City 5-2 on the way to fourth in the table. Chelsea were only three points behind them in sixth, but had just fired Champions League winner Thomas Tuchel after a disastrous start to this season’s European campaign.

Seoane’s issues came from instability within the structure of the team. He based his attacks on finding the quickest way to progress the ball to create scoring opportunities. However, if his team lost the ball while doing it, opponents would have a quick transition opportunity as Leverkusen weren’t structurally prepared in their counter-press and would end up dangerously exposed. This was also their problem last season, but their attack flourished to hide this weakness. This season, though, especially without the injured Florian Wirtz, they haven’t had the means to outscore their rivals like they once did.

Azmoun, 27, tore a muscle in his right calf while warming up for Bayer Leverkusen’s Champions League clash with Porto on Oct. 4 and has not featured since, with his Bundesliga club saying he was expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.

Union Berlin, which made a great start to the season in Germany and entered the 13th...

The Belgian club were usurped by Porto, who made sure of top spot with a 2-1 home win over Atletico Madrid.