It’s time for our regular guide to the key football action coming up over the weekend only this week, we find ourselves in a strange kind of limbo. We’re between seasons in most of Europe’s top leagues but competition elsewhere is in full flow whilst in some places, the dust is still settling on what remains of last season. ?
Lukily, here at FotMob we can help you keep track of it all!
? Friday Night
?? PSG were originally scheduled to return to domestic action this week but they have successfully managed to rearrange their opening game of the new Ligue 1 season. Instead, it’s up to the league’s other Champions League success story to headline the fixture list with Lyon, semi-finalists in UEFA’s finals tournament beginning their season at home to Dijon.
?? In MLS, there’s another edition of the Canadian Classique to look forward to with the derby between Montreal Impact and Toronto FC scheduled for Friday night.
The last meeting between them was a 7-goal thriller won by Toronto back in July with young striker Ayo Akinola becoming the first player to ever score a hat-trick in the fixture.
?? South of the border, there’s an interesting fixture in the USL Championship with Group F leaders Pittsburgh Riverhounds going to 2nd placed, Hartford Athletic. The home side are developing a link with Premier League club Southampton – with the English side’s former defender, Radhi Jaïdi currently coaching the team and players being made available for loan to the US.
? Saturday
??????? (Semi)Competitive football returns for two of England’s biggest sides tomorrow, with the Community Shield acting as the traditional season opening. As such, it’s never been seen as more than a glorified friendly with the sides even sharing the trophy in the advent of a draw up until relatively recently. But it’s still a great chance to watch FA Cup winners Arsenal take on last season’s Premier League Champions, Liverpool and try and predict how both will fare when the new season begins next month!
? Staying in English football and in the kind of quirk we need to get used to this coming season, there are games being played in the first round of the Carabao Cup. Ordinarily only the final of this competition, England’s third most important would take place over a weekend, but hey, this is 2020!
There are four games on Saturday, including Stevenage, who only stayed in the EFL due to Macclesfield receiving a late points deduction hosting League One side Portsmouth.
?? The delayed 2020 Brasileirão is now 5 rounds in and Vasco da Gama are one of only 4 unbeaten teams left in the 20-team division. The Rio club take on city rivals Fluminense at the Maracanã, spiritual home of Brazilian football.
? Sunday
? On Sunday, UEFA’s final mini-tournament for the 2019/20 season comes to an end in Bilbao with the final of the Women’s Champions League. For the fourth time in the history of the competition and the third time since 2016, the game will be contested by German champions Wolfsburg and perennial winners, Lyon.
Lyon have lifted the trophy in each of the last four seasons so they will be start as favourites but their German opposition will more determined than ever to end their long reign at the top.
?? Silverware is also on the line in Greece where they’ve finally found an opportunity to hold the Cup Final. And for AEK Athens, it’s a chance to avenge the three consecutive final defeats they’ve suffered in the last few years! This time, the omens may be there for them as the game is a repeat of the 2016 final, which they actually won as AEK Athens are set to face current league champions Olympiacos.
?? Sunday also sees a Cup Final in Switzerland as arguably the country’s most famous teams, FC Basel and Young Boys contest the 95th running of the competition. Amazingly and despite their recent dominance in the league, the latter have only won 6 titles in that long history to their rival’s 13.
?? In Australia, the Grand Final will decide the outcome of the 15th A-League season. Melbourne City are in their first ever final but they’ll face a stiff test against reigning champions, Sydney FC.
A win for Sydney would give them the out-and-out lead in terms of titles, taking them above rivals Melbourne Victory with five.
?? And we couldn’t finish this article without mentioning a massive derby game from South America. We always like to highlight these and this time, it’s Sunday’s Superclásico in Paraguay where the country’s two bonafide giant clubs, Cerro Porteño and Olimpia meet in the Apertura.
If you want to follow any of the games mentioned above, click on the relevant link and tap the bell icon to receive all the key match updates.
Or join us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to discuss all the important football going on this weekend!