As usual, we’ve delved deep into the app to bring you a preview of all the essential, and non-essential football you need to know about over the coming weekend. If there’s a key match going on somewhere in the world, you’ll hear about it here first!
? Friday Night.
Tuck into our pick of tonight’s games, with action in most of Europe’s big leagues there must something here that whets your appetite.
?? Bundesliga leaders, Bayern München are perhaps the biggest draw of the night, with their game against SC Paderborn brought forward thanks to their Champions League commitments in the coming week.
They of course, play Chelsea in the Round of 16 but before that, they will hope for a somewhat easier ride at the Allianz Arena against the league’s bottom side.
Did you know… Bayern have scored 12 goals in the opening 15 minutes of Bundesliga games this season – a league high. Paderborn, on the other hand have let in 13 goals in the opening quarter of an hour, more than any other side.
?? Before that game kicks-off though, we’ve highlighted the game between Sivasspor (4th) and Alanyaspor (5th) in the Turkish top flight.
Sivasspor were top going into last week’s games but after a disastrous set of results, in a congested league table they slipped 3 places in a matter of days. They’ll look to get back on track at home tonight.
After interesting fixtures in Serie A, the English Championship and Ligue 1, amongst others, we think you should end your day with a derby!
?? The Clásico Paceńo is the clash between the two big sides in the Bolivian capital of La Paz and sees the country’s most decorated team, Bolívar take on their nearest rivals, The Strongest.
? Saturday
??????? After what’s felt like months where we’ve had to make do with one random Premier League fixture here and a token rearranged game there, the EPL finally returns to normal this weekend.
In reality, it’s been the shortest Winter Break on record but whatever!
Today starts at 100mph with a heated London derby at Stamford Bridge where Frank Lampard’s Chelsea host rivals Spurs, now managed of course by Chelsea hero of old, José Mourinho.
And there’s the prospect of an entertaining game in the late kick-off as Leicester City (3rd) take on Manchester City (2nd). We’re calling it the ‘Best of the Rest Derby’, a term we fully expect no one else to adopt!
?? Following his heroics in the week, Erling Braut Haaland has now scored on his debut for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal AND Champions League.
See how our favourite Norwegian wonderkid gets on back in the Bundesliga today as Dortmund travel to Werder Bremen, who find themselves in the thick of a relegation battle.
?? In La Liga, there may only be four games today but we think most of the interest, at least from outside observers will be on these fixtures this weekend.
Barcelona play Basque side, Eibar at Camp Nou looking to match, or better Real Madrid’s result when they travel east to Valencia, where they face Levante.
Just one point separates the two traditional giants and with a 10-point gap opened up on third placed, Getafe it looks like we have another head-to-head battle for the La Liga title. It would be boring, but both sides have shown unlikely vulnerabilities this season and you never know when one of them might slip up!
?? In Argentina, two of the countries grand old clubs meet in Buenos Aires as San Lorenzo welcome Racing Club whilst Diego Maradona’s struggling Gimnasia play away at Racing’s Avellaneda neighbours, Independiente.
Elsewhere, Juventus headline the day in Serie A – they are on their travels to SPAL whilst in Turkey, new league leaders Trabzonspor face Besiktas in the big game in the Super Lig.
? Sunday
??????? Today is a busy one for Arsenal Football Club as the men’s team play Everton in the Premier League, whilst the women’s side have a FA Cup Round of 16 game against Lewes FC, the only club side in the world to pay their men’s and women’s teams equally.
And with Arsenal (3rd) busy elsewhere, there’s something of a title decider back in the WSL as league leaders Manchester City play the unbeaten Chelsea (2nd).
?? The Serie A fixture list looks particularly top heavy today, with virtually all of the sides challenging for both the title, and the European places in action.
Lazio travel to Genoa at lunchtime, Atalanta need to follow their Champions League heroics with a strong showing back at their normal home ground when they face Sassuolo and Inter will look to get back to winning ways after last weekend’s defeat, at Lazio, when they take on Sampdoria.
?? The new J. League season starts this weekend, but you’ll have to wait until today to see how defending champions, Yokohama F. Marinos kick-start their title defence.
Ange Postecoglou’s side smashed Sydney FC 4-0 in the Asian Champions League during the week so they’ll be high on confidence going into their game against Gamba Osaka.
?? There’s also an intriguing day in store, in Switzerland as the Super League’s top four are all in action against each other.
The reinvigorated, St. Gallen lead the table and they play Young Boys (2nd) at a sold-out Kybunpark whilst FC Basel (3rd) look to keep in touch when they go up against Servette (4th).
?? Lastly, it’s the big one in Paraguay as the countries top two teams meet in the Superclásico. And everyone, absolutely everyone wants to see the recently reunited, veteran strike partnership of Roque Santa Cruz and Emmanuel Adebayor start together for the first time at Olimpia.
Well, apart from fans of arch-rivals Cerro Porteno!
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