Inter Milan have been the most surprising and perplexing team in Serie A, a combination that puts them at top spot going into the Christmas break. But can they hold onto it and win the league?

There's a school of thought that a team must be structurally balanced, and fairly symmetrical to have consistent success, both at home in the UEFA Champions League. But that's not always true.

In an MLS Cup final the margins for error are smaller, the expression is cagier and the tempo is higher. The battle for who lifts the cup is one of matchups, or groupings of players, pinned against each other.

Mauricio Pochettino and Tottenham are putting together a stylistically interesting Premier League season, a harmony between efficiency and reactive dynamism.

Group B is at a deadlock in the UEFA Champions League. With Manchester United, PSV, Wolfsburg and CSKA all tied with three points and a zero goal differential, it’s difficult to pick these teams apart.