In The Mixer: Who are the teams to watch in 2025?
Before becoming a Sports Journalist for Free Super Tips, Aaron spent three years studying Sports Journalism at the University of Sunderland while taking in the Black Cats' 'glory years' under Martin O'Neill. Now back in Northern Ireland he turns niche stats into predictions for FST, while he's one of the few people on this island who is equally comfortable at Windsor Park and the Aviva.
Ahead of the New Year we’ve asked our experts to pick a standout team to watch in 2025. That wide brief has brought plenty of different takes, ranging from League Two to a Brazilian outsider for the summer’s Club World Cup.
Liverpool fans should take some comfort that their brilliant form and healthy Premier League lead made them too obvious a pick for any of our seven writers. However, they’ve instead given us some interesting outright angles heading into the New Year.
Will Maxwell
While Barcelona and Real Madrid were the early favourites for the La Liga crown, Atletico Madrid have slowly gone about their business to put themselves firmly in the title picture.
Diego Simeone’s men will start the new year at the summit of the Spanish top flight, with no side conceding fewer goals than their 12 so far.
With only one league defeat to their name, Atleti are proving to be a real thorn in the side of the El Classico clubs and their performances so far put them in a strong position for a first league title since 2021.
Aaron Rogan
For Athletic Bilbao, the New Year is set to bring the departure of star winger Nico Williams. Barcelona and Bayern Munich are pursuing the Spanish international, but he’s set for an incredible farewell tour before an expected summer exit.
Athletic are fourth in La Liga, closer to league leaders Atletico than fifth-placed Villarreal. They begin the year with a winnable Copa del Rey tie before heading to Saudi Arabia to face Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup.
The club also sit joint-top of the Europa League standings, with May’s final taking place at their San Mames Stadium. Before their summer upheaval, Athletic are set for a brilliant run-in.
Jack Ogalbe
They are hardly an unknown quantity but this could finally be the season that Atalanta maintain their domestic form and win their maiden Serie A title.
Last May’s Europa League triumph felt like a sea-change and they have taken that momentum into the current campaign.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side sit a point clear of champions Inter Milan after Marco Brescianini’s late goal rescued a draw at Lazio in their final game of 2024.
There appears to be newfound steel about La Dea and having also held Arsenal and pushed Real Madrid in the Champions League, domestic and continental silverware could be on the cards.
James Milton
Bologna had an understandably slow start to the season after losing impressive manager Thiago Motta to Juventus and selling key men Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee to Arsenal and Manchester United in the summer.
They have had a tough time in their maiden Champions League campaign, picking up just two points from six games despite a promising performance against Liverpool at Anfield, but are on the up in Serie A.
They had won six of their previous eight league matches before Monday’s home fixture against Verona, keeping five clean sheets, and Vincenzo Italiano’s men also let slip a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at Juve.
Aaron Ashley
Frank Lampard’s appointment as Coventry manager raised some eyebrows but he has inherited an extremely talented squad and it is not out of the equation that they can make a late dash for the Championship playoff places.
Since Lampard took charge, the Sky Blues have been performing exceptionally well on the shot data and his arrival has been getting the best out of exciting attacking talents Ephron Mason-Clark, Jack Rudoni and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto.
Once star striker Haji Wright returns from injury, there should be no excuses and this should be a squad challenging for promotion not labouring in the bottom half. And to Lampard’s credit, they have lost only two of his opening seven games in charge, so it could be onwards and upwards.
Aidan Perkins
Walsall have surged 12 points clear at the top of League Two and if they can maintain their excellent form in 2025 then surely promotion up to the third tier beckons.
The Saddlers have won their last six league games, have kept five consecutive clean sheets, and it’s no surprise to see they are the top-scorers in League Two with 41 goals from 22 games.
Walsall are also through to the last 16 of the EFL Trophy after they beat League One Reading in the last 32 so the new year looks very bright for Mat Sadler’s team.
Simon Barlow
The football world’s attention will be focused on the United States in the summer of 2025 when teams from all six FIFA confederations assemble there for the expanded Club World Cup.
Some of Europe’s biggest club sides have not made the cut and the current champions of England and Spain look vulnerable, so it presents a great opportunity for recent Copa Libertadores winners Botafogo to add more silverware.
Unlike the European challengers, the Brazilian champions will be slap bang in the middle of their season and the freshness of burgeoning talents like striker Igor Jesus, winger Luiz Henrique and dashing left-back Cuiabano, who is younger than he looks, could propel them to the prize.
Build better bets with our free betting tips, predictions and accumulators, every day.
More betting news:
View All Today’s Football Tips
Betting Academy: See our complete guide to football betting
Free Super Tips is the home of Free Football Tips. Make sure to take a look at our most popular betting tips, such as our Accumulator Tips and Both Teams To Score Tips.
