2021-22's surprise packages in La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga

With the regular Bundesliga season already over and the La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 campaigns drawing to a close, here is a look at five teams who have exceeded expectations this term...

Milan Serie A

This may be a controversial one to start with. Milan are still a club of great stature and finished runners-up in Serie A last term so would lifting the Scudetto really be considered a surprise?

Well, they were 20-1 to become champions at the start of the season and were 12 points off the pace in the 2020-21 season.

They also had a pretty modest transfer window last summer, losing Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, so it is fair to say Stefano Pioli has done a terrific job in only his second full season in charge.

Union Berlin Bundesliga

Making the top eight of the Bundesliga last season was quite a feat for Union Berlin but to have gone not one, not two but three steps further to finish fifth this campaign is a remarkable achievement.

It marked the club's highest finish in the German top flight and means they will be playing in the Europa League next season.

It came down to the final day, when they defeated Bochum 3-2 thanks to a brace from their standout player Taiwo Awoniyi, who managed a career-best 15 goals after joining from Liverpool last summer.

Freiburg Bundesliga

Another Bundesliga club to profit from the demises of Wolfsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach this season were Freiburg, who have also secured a spot in the Europa League group stage next term courtesy of their sixth-placed finish.

The Black Forest club still have the German Cup final against Leipzig to come this weekend but regardless of the result in that one, they can be proud of their 2021-22 season.

Vincenzo Grifo has been a key component once again, bagging 13 goals in all competitions, and Freiburg can definitely reflect on this campaign as one of the best in their history.

Strasbourg Ligue 1

Things could yet get better for Strasbourg, who are fifth in Ligue 1 but can still jump up to fourth and qualify for the Europa League on the final day of the season.

Alternatively, though, they could miss out on continental football altogether should they lose to Marseille and other results go against them on Saturday.

Nonetheless, a top-seven finish is guaranteed and few would have anticipated that after they were embroiled in a relegation battle in 2020-21.

Real Betis La Liga

Real Betis are on course to finish only one place higher than they did last term in La Liga but they make this list because they have looked a much better team than this time last year.

First and foremost, they finish this campaign with a trophy in the cabinet, having beaten Valencia in last month's Copa del Rey final, while they also progressed to the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Given they didn't make great waves in the summer transfer window, the Andalusians have gone beyond what many would have expected and now look a permanent fixture in the La Liga top six.

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