The best action to follow this weekend
Saturday
With many leagues on their winter break or otherwise inactive as we start 2022, consider this a curtailed look ahead at what’s coming up over the next two days.
??????? In England, and at the time of writing there are three games scheduled to survive the current wave of coronavirus cases sweeping through the league.
Game of the day probably comes in the early kick-off as leaders Manchester City travel to Arsenal. Both clubs have enjoyed a successful festive period with the Gunners up to fourth in the table and City now looking to extend their 10-match winning streak.
Elsewhere, Watford will look to snap their run of five defeats at home to relatively near-neighbours Tottenham Hotspur. And finally, West Ham make the short trip to play fellow Londoners, Crystal Palace.
? Also set to take place on Saturday is the second leg of the final in the heavily delayed 2020 AFF Suzuki Cup, currently being held in Singapore. The tournament is usually biannual and determines the champions of Southeast Asia.
Thailand’s War Elephants will be thinking they’ve already got one hand on the trophy after a comprehensive 4-0 win in the first leg, but could Indonesia pull off one of the biggest shocks of 2022, on the very first day of the year!?
Sunday
??????? In theory, there’s five Premier League games due to take place on Sunday, including the heavyweight clash between two former Dortmund managers, Thomas Tuchel and Jürgen Klopp.
Chelsea take on Liverpool at Stamford Bridge having dropped points in four of their last six league games, a period in which Tuchel has been without a number of key players. Klopp has faced similar issues at Liverpool and indeed the Reds are without a win since facing Newcastle in mid-December.
Also on the slate for Sunday are games involving seven of the sides who find themselves in the bottom half of the table. The worst placed of those, Newcastle United (19th) go to Southampton whilst Leeds United (16th) and Burnley (18th) play each other.
?? In Spain, La Liga officials announced that there have been 138 positive coronavirus cases reported ahead of the league’s return to action following the Christmas break. Nevertheless, all of the weekend’s games are supposedly going ahead.
Leaders Real Madrid visit Getafe without guaranteed starters like Thibaut Courtois and Vinícius Júnior whilst defending champions Atlético Madrid must play this season’s surprise package Rayo Vallecano without coach Diego Simeone in the dugout.
Barcelona have had 10 positive cases over the festive period but will still fulfil their fixture at Mallorca.
?? The Coupe de France has reached the Round of 32 and as is befitting of a competition so grand in terms of scale (over 7000 teams take part), 10 sides from amateur levels of the French game are still involved.
One of them, the fifth tier US Chauvigny even face the might of Marseille. And Stade Reims (15th in Ligue 1) make the unfamiliar trip to Thaon, another side from the regionalised fifth tier. Also worth following will be AS Monaco’s game at 2012 finalists Quevilly, currently making their way back through the divisions having dropped to the fourth division as part of a merger.
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Cover Image from IMAGO