We’re nearly at the end of June now and the action just keeps rolling on! On the face of it, this weekend may seem a little calmer but there’s still games in most of the major leagues and there will be more coming in what looks like being a bumper July in the weeks to come.
Back to the present – here are the matches that matter over the next few days. And remember, you can set alerts for any of these fixtures by clicking the links to open the game in the app.
? Friday Night.
?? Today’s biggest game comes in Serie A, where league leaders Juventus host struggling Lecce.
The Italian giants answered a few critics by winning their first game back in the league last Monday, whilst tough results for the only sides who could stop them from winning a ninth straight title – Lazio (defeated by Atalanta) and Inter (held by Sassuolo) means they’re already sitting 4 points clear at the top.
?? In Spain, and for the second Friday in a row Sevilla feature in the main game. After holding Barca to a goalless draw last week, they’ve since drawn with Villarreal and slipped to fourth in the table – so a victory over tonight’s visitors, Real Valladolid would boast their hopes of a Champions League place.
??????? There’s a big game in the EFL Championship this evening as one of the league’s in-form sides, Brentford host West Bromwich Albion in one of the last games that will be played at the Bees’ beloved Griffin Park home. West Brom are top, albeit on goal difference but Brentford, currently sitting in 4th are the only side in the division to outscore them this season.
? Saturday
?? As the first major league to re-start, it’s sadly now time for us to big farewell to the Bundesliga as we reach the final round of games. There will be relegation play-offs to come but this will be the last chance to see most of these sides until next season.
Bayern and Leipzig are of course still involved in the Champions League whilst Wolfsburg, Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt all have the Europa League knock-out stages to look forward to in August.
On Saturday though – the most important games involve sides at the top and the bottom of the table.
At the top – three sides are fighting for two remaining Champions League spots. Leipzig are best positioned in 3rd but just 3 points separate them from Leverkusen in 5th, with Gladbach in between. Of the three, Leipzig are the only side set to play away as they go to Augsburg.
At the bottom we’re left with two sides fighting for another shot at staying up. Neither Werder Bremen or Fortuna Düsseldorf can get out of the relegation zone, with one guaranteed automatic relegation whilst the other will have to face a play-off against the side who finish 3rd in the 2. Bundesliga.
??????? There are only sporadic games in the Premier League this weekend as the FA Cup Quarter-Finals take top billing – the first of those comes on Saturday as Manchester United take on Norwich City.
?? In La Liga, Barcelona are in a neck-and-neck fight with Real Madrid – with the latter only leading the table due to their head-to-head record this season.
Next up for Barça is a trip to Galicia where they’ll meet an in-form Celta Vigo who have seemingly turned their season round since football’s return.
?? Saturday will also see the return of football to US soil, where the NWSL have gathered the elite woman’s sides to play a one-off tournament in Utah.
Run as something of a fore-runner to a similar tournament that the MLS have planned for Florida next month, this will be a real test of what’s currently possible in the States with all the sides staying, training and playing in a contained, Olympic-village style setting.
The first game features 2019 champions North Carolina Courage against Portland Thorns.
?? With the main players coming back to the pitch in the last month, you may be forgiven for forgetting about the Belarusian Premier League – the only European league who kept us going way back in the dark days of March! The season continues at pace and tomorrow there’s something of a clasico between the two sides who have dominated football in the republic for decades – BATE Borisov vs. Dinamo Minsk.
? Sunday
??????? We have the three remaining FA Cup Quarter-Finals to look forward to on Sunday, with a host of top teams in action.
?? Once again, Real Madrid play 24 hours after Barcelona, just to add to the cat and mouse feel of La Liga’s title race since the re-start.
?? The busiest of the major leagues will be Serie A on Sunday, where six games take place.
Perhaps the pick of those top and tail the day – with Milan playing Roma in the afternoon whilst Inter close proceedings with their trip to Parma.
?? Lastly, we’ll be holding out for a last minute surprise from our local club, Brann where in the early stages of the Eliteserien, crowds of 200 fans have been drawn out of a hat and allowed to attend games. We’re just waiting for that call!
Brann welcome Rosenborg to Bergen on Sunday and whilst it won’t look the same as the game last season, it would be great to be there.
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