Football update: Motta's sacking at Juventus and title talks across top leagues

Key football storylines: Bayern nears Bundesliga glory, Juventus bets on Tudor, Barcelona leads La Liga race, and Liverpool mustn’t lose focus.

Tiago Motta was sacked at Juventus last week following a run of uninspiring results with Igor Tudor hired as an interim manager. (Photo credit: GOAL)

As the international break winds down and players begin to return to their respective clubs, we examine key talking points across major leagues.

Kane and Bayern are set to wrap things up

The Harry Kane curse is certainly going to become a thing of history soon with Bayern Munich going out of sight in the Bundesliga, and unless something catastrophic happens, Bayern should be champions in the coming weeks.

Kane left Tottenham in search of silverware, and after missing out on all trophies last season, their eight-point cushion over Bayer Leverkusen should be enough to see them over the line when they return to action this weekend.

Can Tudor do better at Juventus?

You won't feel sorry for Tiago Motta, who was shown the exit door at Juventus last week; it was a decision the Old Lady hierarchy should have taken long ago, but they can springboard from here with Igor Tudor stepping in as interim manager.

Juventus has underperformed too much for comfort, drawing games for fun and losing games they should be comfortably winning. The goal is to finish strong within Champions League qualification; will Tudor do it?

Is Barcelona the team to beat in La Liga?

The answer is yes, but the wavy movement on the log could see a different leader after just two game weeks, a good reason for Barcelona to keep things ticking at the top.

Barcelona fought back to beat Atletico Madrid before the break, a result which keeps Hansi Flick's side at the top on head-to-head; Real Madrid won't go away, but they also have it in them to slip up. Can Barcelona nick it in the end?

Liverpool must wake up

After crashing out of the FA Cup and the Champions League in quick succession, losing the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle must hurt Liverpool greatly, but they must get a grip now.

Contract talks and players' fitness are a big worry; however, they currently sit 12 points above Arsenal at the top and should have enough to win five games from their remaining nine. They cannot afford to slip up.