Mainz, Strasbourg and eight European minnows with a shot at Champions League qualification - and the giant clubs set to miss out

Let's begin in Germany, where at the time of writing, fourth place in the Bundesliga is occupied by minnows Mainz. What's the natural evolution of a club from a carnival-mad town who rose to top-flight prominence under Jurgen Klopp and experienced similar highs with Thomas Tuchel? That's right, it's to challenge for a Champions League position with a manager whose most notable playing experience came in League Two at Kidderminster Harriers!...

Danish coach Bo Henriksen is working wonders in the Rhineland. He oversaw a summer transfer window of €6.5m spend having walked into the job midway through last season with Mainz on the verge of relegation. He ensured that little over 12 months on they are mixing it with the Bundesliga big boys, headed by the free-scoring exploits of Germany international Jonathan Burkardt.

The job isn't done for Mainz just yet - they're only two points ahead of Borussia Monchengladbach in the table, though a not-so-distant three behind Eintracht Frankfurt in third. They were also dealt a hefty blow this past weekend by fallen giants Borussia Dortmund, currently outside the Bundesliga's top half altogether less than a year removed from reaching the Champions League final.

BVB's top brass have replaced Nuri Sahin with a far more experienced and successful coach in Niko Kovac, while a gap of seven points to the top four is hardly insurmountable, even if time to save their season is running out.

Poor Bologna were picked apart by European giants after qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since the days of the European Cup last summer. Nevertheless, they've shown the likes of sacked Juventus manager Thiago Motta, questionable Manchester United signing Joshua Zirkzee and the perennially injured Riccardo Calafiori that the grass isn't always greener.

The Rossoblu haven't let their early elimination from Europe's top table derail their bid to return to it. In fact, they've only grown in strength as the season has progressed, going from a run of one win in eight to open the Serie A campaign to five wins on the spin and only one loss in 2025. Bologna's competency may give them the edge in the race for fourth, having already leapfrogged crisis club Juve - who fired Motta and replaced him with Igor Tudor over the international break - into the Champions League spots.

But the Bianconeri are not the only Serie A side who need to take a long, hard look at themselves in the mirror. The most notorious underachievers this year are AC Milan, wallowing all the way down in ninth as one of two top-half teams not to break the 50-point barrier yet this season. Above the Rossoneri, only seven points are between third-place Atalanta and Fiorentina in eighth, with rivals Roma and Lazio the others in the mix.

There are plenty of questions over how Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Todd Boehly run their respective football clubs in England, though over in France they appear to be having far more success. Eleven rounds of fixtures remain in the Ligue 1 season, and both Nice and Strasbourg are in with a shout of reaching the Champions League.

Ratcliffe's Nice are hot on the heels of two local rivals, three points off Monaco in second and two behind Marseille in third, while they are level with Lille. Boehly's Strasbourg, managed by Wayne Rooney's former assistant Liam Rosenior, are a further point back in sixth, with Lyon one point behind them.

Manchester United's link to Nice is pretty tenuous with Ratcliffe desperately seeking to downplay his fondness for his club on the French Riviera, though Chelsea have had a significant influence on Strasbourg's season, as loanees Djordje Petrovic and Andrey Santos - who has even been named captain on occasion - have been among their star players.

Problems may arise again if Nice qualify for the same European competition as United or Strasbourg as Chelsea, but that's a worry for a later day. Their fans should enjoy the ride and see where the campaign takes them.

Record scratch, freeze frame. Yep, that's Antony teaming up with Isco to lead Real Betis' Champions League charge. You're probably wondering how they got into this situation...

It's been a Football Manager challenge brought to life at the Benito Villamarin, where ex-Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has found a home with Los Verdiblancos. Prior to their mid-season rejuvenation, Isco had already cemented his status as a folk hero for heading across the city following a high-profile fallout at rivals Sevilla. Combined with the power of £85m Manchester United flop Antony, together anything seems possible.

Betis have won six on the spin, including memorable home victories against Real Madrid and Sevilla, to propel themselves into sixth place, level on points with Villarreal directly above them. La Liga are set to earn an extra Champions League spot, meaning even though Betis are six points back from Athletic Club in fourth, qualification could prove a little easier than first thought.

Over at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Sevilla are experiencing a rarity, watching on in anguish as their noisy neighbours soar up the standings. The perennial Europa League winners are mired in 11th and completely out of sorts both on and off the field. Who said it wasn't easy being green?

It shouldn't be a surprise that a club named after its country and capital city are one of the most successful in their homeland. Yet Austria Vienna's 24 league titles and record 27 domestic cups haven't been enough to make them a regular in the Champions League, largely thanks to Salzburg's buyout by Red Bull two decades ago.

A rare down season in Salzburg - one which led to the premature departure of former Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders as manager - has left the door ajar to Austria Vienna this time around, with Stephan Helm's side top of the standings with nine rounds of championship play-off games to go. Reigning champions Sturm Graz had been in first heading into the season split, but they're now feeling the aftershock of ex-Arsenal forward Mika Biereth's move to Monaco.

There's a fairy tale in motion in the cathedral city of Utrecht. Cancer survivor Sebastien Haller is back, and he's helping the club he made his name for march towards the Champions League for the first time in their history.

The Ivorian has played up front with a number of different strike partners since his January return, including budding United States star Paxten Aaronson, and though he only has one goal to his name in that time, his experience and selfless style have been to the benefit of Utrecht.

Veteran Dutch coach Ron Jans has them third in the Eredivisie, two points ahead of Robin van Persie's Feyenoord - reeling from last summer's loss of Arne Slot to Liverpool - in the Eredivisie's final Champions League spot. Even if their season falls off a cliff from here, Utrecht are assured of a spot in the Conference League at the very least, ensuring they will return to continental football for the first time since 2019-20.

Servette's season began with an agonising Conference League exit to clear favourites Chelsea in the play-off round, pushing the Blues to the limit in their first weeks under Enzo Maresca. Since then, the Geneva side have gone on a tear and are on the verge of their first title in the 21st century.

Basel's stranglehold on the Swiss Super League is over and there is far more parity at the top of the table, even if Mohamed Salah's former side are only two points adrift in second. The final weeks of the season will make for fantastic viewing with Servette leading the way, but only six points separate them from Zurich in sixth with the championship play-offs on the horizon.

In fourth place are Champions League semi-regulars Young Boys, themselves sandwiched between Luzern and Lugano, who have minimal European experience between them. Tasty.

Sure, Genk aren't as inexperienced or obscure when it comes to continental football as some of the other names on this list, but a team nicknamed 'The Smurfs' playing in a city of around 66,000 people are worth a mention, right? Hell, factor in the nostalgic 'Soccer AM' gimmick of the 'Genk Bus' and we have ourselves a cult club.

The modern-day side are four points ahead of Club Brugge atop the table following one round of championship play-off fixtures, with the champagne on ice for their fifth league title. Even if Genk fall off, they have a comfortable security blanket in the Champions League spots as they are six points in front of Union Saint-Gilloise.

Belgium's biggest disappointment remains Anderlecht, who have not played in Europe's premier club competition since 2017. The Brussels club are into the final of the Belgian Cup and are throwing a farewell tour for the retiring Jan Vertonghen to end the season on less of a sour note, at least.