Who got the easy start? First five games in England, Spain and Germany
Every club's opening five league games, hardest draw at the top. Find your team, then look at who they have to play.
Premier League
| First 5 games | Opponent avg. rating | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bournemouth | MCI(A) | EVE(H) | NEW(A) | BRE(H) | LIV(H) | +0.87 |
| 2 | Sunderland | IPS(A) | FUL(H) | BRE(A) | ARS(H) | MCI(A) | +0.81 |
| 3 | Coventry* | ARS(A) | HUL(H) | MCI(A) | BHA(H) | FOR(A) | +0.75 |
| 4 | Fulham | CHE(H) | SUN(A) | CRY(H) | LIV(A) | MUN(H) | +0.74 |
| 5 | Brighton | AVL(H) | CHE(A) | LEE(H) | COV(A) | ARS(H) | +0.71 |
| 6 | Hull* | MUN(H) | COV(A) | AVL(H) | CHE(A) | NEW(A) | +0.66 |
| 7 | Ipswich | SUN(H) | MUN(A) | LIV(H) | CRY(A) | EVE(A) | +0.65 |
| 8 | Tottenham | BRE(A) | NEW(H) | FOR(A) | EVE(H) | AVL(H) | +0.63 |
| 9 | Leeds | FOR(A) | BRE(H) | BHA(A) | NEW(H) | CRY(H) | +0.62 |
| 10 | Chelsea | FUL(A) | BHA(H) | ARS(A) | HUL(H) | BRE(A) | +0.62 |
| 11 | Brentford | TOT(H) | LEE(A) | SUN(H) | BOU(A) | CHE(H) | +0.61 |
| 12 | Aston Villa | BHA(A) | ARS(H) | HUL(A) | FOR(H) | TOT(A) | +0.60 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | EVE(A) | MCI(H) | FUL(A) | IPS(H) | LEE(A) | +0.59 |
| 14 | Nottingham Forest | LEE(H) | LIV(A) | TOT(H) | AVL(A) | COV(H) | +0.58 |
| 15 | Arsenal | COV(H) | AVL(A) | CHE(H) | SUN(A) | BHA(A) | +0.57 |
| 16 | Everton | CRY(H) | BOU(A) | MUN(H) | TOT(A) | IPS(H) | +0.55 |
| 17 | Newcastle | LIV(H) | TOT(A) | BOU(H) | LEE(A) | HUL(H) | +0.52 |
| 18 | Liverpool | NEW(A) | FOR(H) | IPS(A) | FUL(H) | BOU(A) | +0.50 |
| 19 | Manchester City | BOU(H) | CRY(A) | COV(H) | MUN(A) | SUN(H) | +0.47 |
| 20 | Manchester Utd | HUL(A) | IPS(H) | EVE(A) | MCI(H) | FUL(A) | +0.45 |
Easiest start: Manchester Utd (+0.45) — Hull away, Ipswich, Everton away. City and Liverpool are next softest, which is how it usually goes: none of the big three has to play itself.
Toughest: Bournemouth (+0.87) — Manchester City away on day one, Newcastle away, Liverpool at home, all inside five games. Sunderland are not far behind.
La Liga
| First 5 games | Opponent avg. rating | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rayo Vallecano | SEV(A) | ALA(H) | BAR(A) | SAN(H) | RMA(A) | +0.52 |
| 2 | Athletic Bilbao | SEV(H) | BAR(A) | CEL(A) | ATM(H) | ELC(H) | +0.50 |
| 3 | Real Sociedad | BET(A) | RMA(A) | ESP(H) | ELC(A) | ATM(H) | +0.47 |
| 4 | Valencia | CEL(H) | BET(H) | LAC(A) | BAR(H) | SEV(A) | +0.44 |
| 5 | Malaga* | ATM(A) | LAC(H) | RMA(A) | LEV(H) | CEL(A) | +0.43 |
| 6 | Real Betis | RSO(H) | VAL(A) | LEV(A) | RMA(H) | VIL(A) | +0.42 |
| 7 | Elche | LAC(A) | BAR(H) | SAN(A) | RSO(H) | ATH(A) | +0.41 |
| 8 | Espanyol | LEV(H) | RMA(H) | RSO(A) | SEV(H) | OSA(A) | +0.38 |
| 9 | Sevilla | RAY(H) | ATH(A) | ATM(H) | ESP(A) | VAL(H) | +0.38 |
| 10 | Levante | ESP(A) | OSA(A) | BET(H) | MAL(A) | BAR(H) | +0.32 |
| 11 | Villarreal | SAN(A) | ATM(A) | ALA(A) | LAC(H) | BET(H) | +0.27 |
| 12 | Alaves | GET(H) | RAY(A) | VIL(H) | OSA(H) | SAN(A) | +0.24 |
| 13 | Atletico Madrid | MAL(H) | VIL(H) | SEV(A) | ATH(A) | RSO(A) | +0.23 |
| 14 | Barcelona | ELC(A) | ATH(H) | RAY(H) | VAL(A) | LEV(A) | +0.23 |
| 15 | Santander* | VIL(H) | GET(A) | ELC(H) | RAY(A) | ALA(H) | +0.22 |
| 16 | Osasuna | CEL(A) | LEV(H) | GET(H) | ALA(A) | ESP(H) | +0.19 |
| 17 | Getafe | ALA(A) | SAN(H) | OSA(A) | CEL(H) | LAC(H) | +0.19 |
| 18 | Celta Vigo | OSA(H) | VAL(A) | ATH(H) | GET(A) | MAL(H) | +0.16 |
| 19 | Real Madrid | ESP(A) | RSO(H) | MAL(H) | BET(A) | RAY(H) | +0.15 |
| 20 | La Coruna* | ELC(H) | MAL(A) | VAL(H) | VIL(A) | GET(A) | +0.10 |
Easiest start: La Coruña (+0.10), then Real Madrid (+0.15), whose opening five misses Barcelona and Atlético entirely.
Toughest: Rayo Vallecano (+0.52) — Barcelona away and Real Madrid away in the first five weeks.
Bundesliga
| First 5 games | Opponent avg. rating | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stuttgart | BAY(A) | KOL(H) | HOF(A) | DOR(H) | PAD(A) | +0.44 |
| 2 | Paderborn* | M05(A) | SCF(H) | DOR(A) | HOF(H) | VFB(H) | +0.42 |
| 3 | Augsburg | S04(H) | SGE(A) | B04(H) | SVW(A) | BAY(H) | +0.41 |
| 4 | Hamburg | DOR(A) | M05(H) | RBL(A) | KOL(H) | HOF(A) | +0.39 |
| 5 | Elversberg* | B04(H) | BMG(A) | BAY(H) | S04(A) | UNB(A) | +0.37 |
| 6 | Union Berlin | SGE(H) | B04(A) | S04(H) | BAY(A) | ELV(H) | +0.32 |
| 7 | Werder Bremen | SCF(A) | RBL(H) | KOL(A) | AUG(H) | DOR(A) | +0.31 |
| 8 | FC Koln | HOF(H) | VFB(A) | SVW(H) | HSV(A) | BMG(H) | +0.23 |
| 9 | Schalke 04 | AUG(A) | BAY(H) | UNB(A) | ELV(H) | SCF(A) | +0.22 |
| 10 | Hoffenheim | KOL(A) | DOR(H) | VFB(H) | PAD(A) | HSV(H) | +0.20 |
| 11 | Ein Frankfurt | UNB(A) | AUG(H) | M05(A) | SCF(H) | RBL(A) | +0.19 |
| 12 | Dortmund | HSV(H) | HOF(A) | PAD(H) | VFB(A) | SVW(H) | +0.17 |
| 13 | RB Leipzig | BMG(H) | SVW(A) | HSV(H) | B04(A) | SGE(H) | +0.16 |
| 14 | M'gladbach | RBL(A) | ELV(H) | SCF(A) | M05(H) | KOL(A) | +0.13 |
| 15 | Mainz | PAD(H) | HSV(A) | SGE(H) | BMG(A) | B04(H) | +0.10 |
| 16 | Leverkusen | ELV(A) | UNB(H) | AUG(A) | RBL(H) | M05(A) | +0.09 |
| 17 | Bayern Munich | VFB(H) | S04(A) | ELV(A) | UNB(H) | AUG(A) | +0.06 |
| 18 | Freiburg | SVW(H) | PAD(A) | BMG(H) | SGE(A) | S04(H) | +0.03 |
Easiest start: Freiburg (+0.03), a nose ahead of Bayern (+0.06) — the one club that never has to play Bayern.
Toughest: Stuttgart (+0.44), who open away at Bayern. Promoted Paderborn are second.
Notes
Higher is harder: the number beside each club is the average rating of its five opponents. A rating is a club's attack plus defence as the betting market prices it, so it says nothing about home advantage, fixture congestion or injuries — and five games is a small sample. Clubs marked with an asterisk have not played yet in the current window, so their rating rests on opening lines alone. How the ratings work.