The best action to follow this weekend
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Saturday
??????? You wait for one possibly Premier League season defining clash between Manchester City and Liverpool to come along and then you get an FA Cup semi-final between the same two sides just one week later! And this time, the beauty is that we’ll get a definitive result on the day! The league’s top two played out a very entertaining 2-2 draw at the Etihad last Sunday but we’ll have to wait to see what effect midweek’s events in the Champions League have on the pair when they meet again at Wembley.
Meanwhile back in the Premier League, there are four fixtures to look out for, including Manchester United‘s home game against struggling Norwich and Arsenal’s road-trip to Southampton.
??????? It’s a similar story in the Scottish Cup where again, just seven days after Hearts soundly beat Edinburgh rivals Hibernian 3-1 in the league, the pair meet again at the semi-final stage of what is, the world’s second oldest Cup competition. In fact, this game is just part one of two massive Scottish Derbies in the Cup this weekend.
?? There’s also a clash between major rivals in Ligue 1 as the Derby du Nord takes place between outgoing champions Lille and near-neighbours Lens. This will be their third meeting of the season, with Lens coming out on top in both the earlier league fixture and January’s R32 tie in the Coupe de France.
A single point separates the two, with Lille in seventh and Lens sitting eighth as both hunt down a European qualification spot.
?? You might be picking up on the weekend’s themes here but yes, the Bundesliga also provides Derby-day entertainment as Borussia Mönchengladbach and Rhineland rivals FC Köln clash at the Borussia Park.
Elsewhere, Dortmund play Wolfsburg, a side they’ve beaten in 12 of their last 13 meetings with the other game in a run that dates back to 2015 ending in a draw.
?? It’s a relatively quiet day in Serie A, if you ignore the fact that the title race is one of the most intriguing battles currently ongoing anywhere in football. Juventus are the only side from the top four in action, at home to Bologna.
At the time of writing, it’s a top four divided by six points but with leaders Milan and second-placed Inter both playing their fixtures on Friday night that could have stretched to nine by the time Juve kick-off.
Sunday
??????? Part two of the Derby drama in the Scottish Cup that we trailed earlier comes up on Sunday with the Old Firm switching hostilities from Parkhead or Ibrox to the relative neutrality of Glasgow’s other major stadium and the home of Scottish football, Hampden Park. The sides last met earlier this month with Celtic’s away win extending their lead in the league table to six points.
But after the high of Rangers’ qualification for the semi-finals of the Europa League, following their defeat of Braga on Thursday evening, could they be in the mood to turn the tide back home?
??????? In the second FA Cup semi-final, Chelsea must recover from their dramatic Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid in time to face recent form side Crystal Palace.
Patrick Vieira’s men might have lost to Leicester City in the Premier League last week but that was their first defeat in eight, a run that dates back to February, when they were beaten by Chelsea, at their Selhurst Park home.
Speaking of the Premier League, there’s two fixtures in England’s top flight on Sunday; Newcastle United vs. Leicester and the all-claret and blue clash between West Ham and Burnley.
?? Two of the Netherland’s biggest sides, and in fact the Eredivisie’s current top two are set to contest the 104th final of the KNVB Cup. Yes, PSV Eindhoven and Ajax must put aside their 3-point battle in the league to fight over the country’s other major honour.
And no doubt there will be a lot of eyes on Erik ten Hag as he not only looks to defend Ajax’s title in this competition but also add to his legacy at the club before his (all but confirmed) departure for Manchester United.
?? The Ligue 1 weekend is all building up to Le Classique on Sunday, the final showdown between PSG and Marseille scheduled to take place this season. France’s big two may be back leading the way in the table but don’t let that fool you in to thinking this is a title decider as PSG hold a 12-point lead over their southern rivals.
Having said that, with six rounds to play after this weekend, a win for Mauricio Pochettino’s side would put them just two wins away from what would be the club’s 10th league title in their 51-year history.
?? In Portugal, it’s time for another of the World’s most famous club matches, the Derby de Lisboa. Benfica make the short trip across the capital to face Sporting just days after their impressive but ultimately unsuccessful run in the Champions League came to an end at Liverpool.
Sporting have won the club’s previous two meetings during this campaign and overall, have lost just two of their games in the Liga Portugal but any hopes of defending the title won last season have been overshadowed somewhat by FC Porto going the whole season unbeaten! Consequently, Sporting are second in the table, six points back from Porto but nine points clear of third-placed Benfica.
?? As if all of the above wasn’t enough to whet your appetite for the weekend’s football, we’ll end this preview by highlighting the clash between Sevilla and Real Madrid in La Liga. For so long the nearest thing Madrid have had in terms of title rivals this season, at least until Barcelona’s recent resurgence, Sevilla still sit third but 12 points down on their opponents.
However, combine their impressive home run and the fact they have the best defensive record in the division and Sevilla will certainly be a stiff test for Benzema and co.
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Cover Image from IMAGO