Do you remember what a big football weekend used to look like before the pandemic? Action from multiple major leagues all happening at the same time in different parts of the world. Choice over what game to watch or stream if you couldn’t get to a game yourself. Well, reminisce no more as that’s exactly what we’ve got to look forward to over the next couple of days! And here’s our pick of the matches you need to get excited about.
? Friday Night.
?? Italy, one of the grand old footballing countries affected most by COVID-19 is finally returning to some sort of normality and tonight, that includes – for the first time, some top level sport. With the start of Serie A still a week or so away, we get to enjoy the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia instead.
Today, it’s the second leg of Juventus versus Milan. This shouldn’t be a cagy affair either as the tie stands at 1-1 after the first leg was played way back in February and there’s no chance of extra-time. In the unlikely event of the scores being level on aggregate (including away goals) after 90 minutes, the game will go straight to penalties.
?? We’re on Day 2 of an epic, month-long run of daily matches in La Liga as Spain’s top flight gets it’s season played to a conclusion in double quick time! And we previewed tonight’s Valencia Derby in our usual haphazard fashion on twitter, albeit we were slightly distracted by the bat that appears on both club’s badges.
?? There is of course, the regular Friday night game in the Bundesliga. And this week, that includes RB Leipzig – the team who appear to be stalling a little in their quest for the runners-up spot. After conceding an injury time equaliser against bottom side, Paderborn last week, Leipzig now travel to Hoffenheim who are also on the hunt for European football next season.
?? Turkey’s Süper Lig is one of the last of Europe’s larger leagues to return, but they do get going this evening. Current leaders albeit only on goal difference, Trabzonspor go to Göztepe hoping to steal a march on the rest of the title challengers playing over the weekend.
? Saturday
?? It’s another bumper day in the Bundesliga tomorrow – six games and more than one attractive looking fixture. Champions-elect Bayern face the resurgent Borussia Mönchengladbach, who with 5 rounds to play are battling for the last Champions League qualification spot.
Meanwhile, Runners-Up elect (sorry Leipzig fans!) Borussia Dortmund make the short trip south to face Fortuna Düsseldorf.
?? There’s a real treat in store for La Liga fans on Saturday as Barcelona take the field for the first time since early March! With a 2 point lead over Madrid, Barça re-start their season in the Balearic Islands where they’ll play Mallorca.
There are also 3 other fixtures taking place!
?? Napoli will host Inter in the second Coppa Italia semi-final on Saturday night and if there was ever a home crowd more determined to watch their side despite being locked out, it could be worth watching this game just for the shots of Neapolitans seeking out bizarre vantage points to catch a glimpse of the action! Napoli have a one goal advantage from the first leg.
?? We haven’t forgotten about the leagues that helped see us through the lean times during lockdown and in the K League there’s a clash between top and bottom that should be worth keeping an eye on. Defending champions and current leaders, Jeonbuk play Incheon United, winless and with just 2 goals to their name so far this season.
? Sunday
?? Sunday is looking a little tasty in La Liga with all three games offering intrigue. We’ll have one eye on Martin Ødegaard’s Real Sociedad as they play Osasuna but the main event will no doubt be the return of Real Madrid 24 hours after Barcelona play their first game. Can Zidane’s side keep this season a two-horse race? We’ll see how Madrid shape up when they welcome Eibar to the Bernabéu.
?? Here in Norway, we have to wait until Tuesday for the start of our delayed 2020 season but next door in Sweden, their league – the Allsvensken gets underway on Sunday.
Djurgården are champions and they begin their title defence at Sirius. They won the 2019 season in very dramatic circumstances, with three sides all in the running on the final day! Over the course of a dramatic afternoon, Djurgården went from leading the table by 3 points at kick-off to going 2-0 down and down to 3rd by half-time! With some favourable changes to scores elsewhere, they recovered to draw and seal the championship by a point!
?? Our last tip of the weekend comes from Austria where the season is now split between the Championship and relegation groups. There’s been a bit of a soap opera going on in the top half of the table with the pre-lockdown leaders, LASK deducted points for breaking rules on team training during the break. All 11 other Bundesliga clubs reported them jointly having illicitly gained surveillance footage of the breaches.
That has left perennial league winners Salzburg in pole position for an 8th straight title and on Sunday, the two sides meet each other at the Red Bull Arena.
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