Looking for some football to get interested in over the next couple of days? We got you. And while a lot of leagues take a break, there’s still plenty going on and we’ve trawled the Matches Tab to bring you the best games on offer!
? Your Friday Appetisers
Admittedly, today’s a quiet one but there are a couple of crackers out there.
?? No need for a Winter Break in Spain, so it’s as you were in La Liga and the weekend’s programme starts with two games tonight. Leganes could claw themselves out of the relegation zone with a win at a bang out of form, Valladolid. And two of Spain’s old grandees go head-to-head, with Sevilla hosting the only side, other than Barcelona or Real Madrid never be relegated from La Liga; Athletic Bilbao.
Did you know… Sevilla have won their last five home La Liga games against Athletic, without conceding a goal. The Andalusian side have never won six consecutive games against the same opponent whilst keeping a clean sheet in the history of the competition.
?? Elsewhere, the Coupe de France – one of the world’s oldest and all-encompassing cup competitions has reached the Round of 64. That means they’ve already whittled down the original 8000 plus amateur and professional sides from France AND all it’s overseas departments and territories to the 64 that remain!
The round kicks-off with a clash between Ligue 1 side, Bordeaux and second division Le Mans. Yep, they have a football team as well as the 24hr race!
? Saturday
Not a lot of league action on this weekend, with Cup competitions taking centre-stage in some of the headline grabbing countries we track in the app.
??????? In England, its FA Cup 3rd Round day, the stage at which the Premier League and Championship heavyweights join the party.
If you see these games listed with what looks like a strange kick-off time, don’t worry – we haven’t gone mad!
?? Turning our attention back to the Coupe de France, and away from our usual coverage of the top three divisions in France, it’s been great to learn about some of the teams who have made it this far, from lower down the pyramid.
For example, JS Saint-Pierroise – who face 2nd division side Niort come from outside France all together. They are based in Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean closer to both Madagascar and Mauritius than they are the mainland!
And researching the club crests, so we can bring them in to the app has thrown up some stonewall design classics – like 5th tier, ESM Gonfreville.
?? Lastly for Saturday, you know we like a derby – so how about the one between Espanyol and Barcelona. Albeit, the form guide makes this a rather unequal rivalry.
Did you know… Espanyol are winless in the their last 20 La Liga games against Barcelona, failing to score in 15 of them. They last won against the Blaugrana in the competition in February 2009.
? Sunday
??????? Speaking of rather bad records against your fiercest rivals, Everton fans won’t have been too happy to be drawn away across the city, against Liverpool in the FA Cup.
They last met in the league, exactly one month a go at Anfield and it was not a happy time for the Blues with Liverpool running out 5-2 winners. You can relive that one here. Or not, depending on your allegiance.
Here’s our pick of Sunday’s 3rd Round games.
?? And for our last tip this weekend, look no further than the battle between Greece’s big two AKA the Derby of the Eternal Enemies, or the Mother of All Derbies!
Olympiacos vs. Panathinaikos. ?
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