The early-season grades are in

Most leagues around the world are now in full swing, so let’s take a look at a few of them and rate the clubs that have been overachieving and the ones who have done the opposite. In the first of three parts, we’ll concentrate on Spain, England and Italy.

Spain

In my view, this is the strongest league in the world.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are perennial title Contenders, but every season the competition increases from around the nation. Deportivo La Coruna and Valencia have won the championship in the last three seasons and there are other clubs that can break Real and Barca's dynasty this year. If you ask me, it could be Celta Vigo.

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Overachiever: Real Sociedad. What a start this team has made to La Liga season! Four wins out of five matches and they currently own a share of first place -- an astounding feat considering last year they barely escaped relegation. With a new manager (Frenchman Raynald Denoueix) and an inspired Darko Kovacevic, this club has done very well and could finish in the top 10, but honestly they are not as good as their form indicates right now and will eventually fall back down from the clouds.

Underachiever: Athletic Bilbao. The club's Basques-only policy has always hurt its fortunes, but this season it is off to one of the worst starts ever. Injuries have played a part, but this side cannot afford to lose home games like it is doing now. Juup Heynckes needs to find a solution to the crisis hitting the club because zero points out of two home games will not do. They are barely above the relegation zone and could stay down there for a while unless guys like Julen Guerrero, Joseba Etxeberria and Ismael Urzaiz finally start playing like they are able to.

Surprise Package: Celta. There were a few candidates, like Malaga and Betis, but I have to choose Celta because, after all, they were not expected to lead almighty La Liga. Are they the real deal? I think so. I actually believe they will challenge for the title this year. Did you know that besides Real Madrid and Barcelona, only the Galicians of Vigo have been able to finish in the top seven for the past five years? Quite amazing. Not even Deportivo or Valencia can boast that.

The truth is that Victor Fernandez built a very solid side and now that he has left for Betis, Miguel A. Lotina has been able to keep the train going. With a mentor on the pitch like Alexander Mostovoi and a prolific striker like Catanha, this side has plenty of talent to remain stable throughout the season.

England

English league matches definitely have more pace than any other matches in the world. The frantic speed at which the games are played leaves little room for error, and even the most skilled players in the world take a while to adjust to the "tackle happy" defenders across the nation. Arsenal's French legion was incredibly efficient last season and has been on fire so far. They are the team to beat, although I think Liverpool will win the Premiership. They have been maturing and are now at their peak.

Overachiever: Birmingham. Picked by many to be the first team to go down, the Blues have adapted well to life in the Premiership. Their two biggest accomplishments have to be beating rivals Aston Villa 3-0 and drawing 2-2 with Liverpool at Anfield. Stern John has been playing well up front, and their defense has been surprisingly stable. Having said that, I still think they don't have the quality necessary to survive in the Premiership for long and expect them to struggle near the relegation zone down the stretch.

Underachiever: West Ham United. Can you believe that a team boasting names like Paolo Di Canio, Frederic Kanoute, Joe Cole and Jermain Defoe is in last place in the Premiership? Ridiculous. This team got off to a terrible start last season and managed to recuperate and finish seventh. They have done exactly the same thing to start the current campaign, but will there be a similar rebound later in the year? Honestly, I don't think so and I think manager Glenn Roeder has to go. He does not have the charisma to lead this side and has not shown the coaching abilities to get the Hammers out of the cellar. West Ham have lost to WBA and Birmingham at home! You can't have that.

Surprise Package: Middlesbrough. Remember when this club had Fabrizio Ravanelli, Juninho, Emerson and Branco and were still awful? They currently have a similar batch of talent, but Steve McClaren has been able to gel them into a successful unit. Massimo Maccarone is proving to be a great bargain at $10.5 million. Geremi has found new life now that he actually plays instead of sitting on the Real Madrid bench. Jonathan Greening is a solid midfielder. And at the back, they have the presence of Gareth Southgate and Uho Ehiogu. When Juninho comes back they will have an even better side. I expect them to finish in the top six.

Italy

Known for being a defensive-minded league, the Serie A still has some of the world's biggest talents on show. Of course most of them play for a handful of teams, but recently I have had the feeling that equilibrium is improving in the calcio. A couple of years ago, Atalanta had a great run and last season Chievo surpassed all expectations by challenging for the title with the traditional big boys.

Overachiever: Bologna. You know, on paper this team is really not that good. They still rely heavily on veteran Beppe Signori, who continues to defy time, and have a couple of other solid players like Argentine striker Julio Ricardo Cruz and Tomas Locatelli, but the real star is manager Francesco Guidolin. He has put together a solid unit that has a great work ethic. They are overachieving but that doesn't mean they will stop doing so. Over the past few seasons, they have played well and there are no indications of that happening. Just ask Roma, which they beat earlier this season.

Underachiever: Roma. To start the season with two losses to Bologna and Modena must have embarrassing for Fabio Capello. Yes, they have won a couple of games recently, but the have struggled to find their form. I think they rely too much on Francesco Totti and I also believe that this team would play better if he would use Marco Delvecchio, Vincenzo Montella and Gabriel Batistuta together sometimes. Capello insists on playing just one striker most of the time, and teams have figured out that if they stop Totti, they stop Roma.

Surprise Package: AC Milan. Give me a minute here. I know Milan were always supposed to be good with stars like Alessandro Nesta, Rui Costa, Rivaldo, Pippo Inzaghi among others in their lineup. But this good? Honestly I did not expect it. They are playing the best football in Europe right now, alongside Real Madrid and Arsenal. Carlo Ancelotti has been able to create a good balance in the side and it can only lead to success -- at home and abroad.

Pedro Pinto is an anchor for World Sport, the international sports show that airs on CNN International.

 

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