Some undefeated titles up for grabs and a surprise.

• We all know about Manchester United from England. Well, the Red Devil's performances haven't been the stuff of legend this year, but their is something to be said: they haven't lost a single game thus far. Yeah, they've drawn quite a few matches they should have won, but the even tone with which they have faced all-comers seems to be paying off because they have flown up the table to be tied at the top with Chelsea. United will be taking Blackburn Rovers on this weekend in a game which should keep their no-defeats record in tact. In Slovenia there is another team which has an unbeaten record as well: NK Maribor. The club, led by Darko Milanič have had a record breaking start to this season, going 18 matches without a loss. Maribor have recently drawn their last two matches but for the most part their performances have been rather convincing, only in the last weeks has the team's dedication slipped, in the last moments in some cases. The team actually sit six points clear of the second-place side and have their hopes realistically set on becoming champions for a ninth time. Maribor's next game, against 8th place ND Triglav should be a chance to further their lead. In another Eastern European nation, Romania, FC Timişoara amassed a record similar to that of Manchester United: having tied half of their matches and won the other half, they have clawed their way to just shy of the league apex. Their next match however could feasibly be their undoing: they face fierce competition in FC Dinamo Bucureşti and, while the team have alot of hunger for a first time trophy, Dinamo may have too much for Timişoara to handle. In the part of Iberia known as Portugal meanwhile, FC Porto reign undefeated. They haven't lost in 20 games and four competitions. Yes history would be with their next opponents, Sporting Lisbon, but recent history definitely favors Porto. They have already defeated last year's champions SL Benfica so Sporting shouldn't be too much of a problem. But who knows, at home to the Lisboa club, anything may happen. Across the border in Spain there are other undefeated parties: Real Madrid have only tied two of  their first 12 matches, the other results are all wins. Can they continue this run against their most feared rivals FC Barcelona? That depends not only on the respective performances of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo but also on the team strength. Denmark and Bulgaria are two other nations that have undefeated title clashes: in Bulgaria PSFC Chernomorets Burgas will be taking on fellow undefeated side PFC Litex Lovech who may actually provide a bit of history: never before have two teams (excluding teams from Sofia) both been undefeated past the break. This clash may be the end of the history as Litex  top the standings with ten wins and four draws from 14 matches. Chernomorets have had a Manchester United-like season thus far, drawing and winning an even amount of games. The Danes have their own fun:  FC København have won 14 of their 17 matches thus far  this season. FCK is also 16 points ahead of second-place side Odense BK. København's next match, against Randers FC may be harder than expected. The last time the two sides met, FCK could only edge their opponents. It'll be interesting to see how the two fare this weekend. Finally, with the league already done,  Norwegian champions Rosenborg BK should definitely also be mentioned: they won without losing a single match!
• The other story that this post will deal with is Independiente and Goias will combat one another in the Copa Sudamericana final. Independiente, of Argentina, defeated the holders from Ecuador Liga de Quito after a very fierce game. Goias, a team from Brazil, knocked out powerhouse Palmeiras to reach the final. It's set to be a very interesting two-legged match which will decide the club champions of South America.