The best matches to follow this weekend
Friday
🇪🇸 Earlier this week, LaLiga became the third major league to return after the World Cup and Christmas break, following hot on the heels of the Premier League, and Ligue 1. And tonight, we get the prospect of European Champions Real Madrid playing away at Real Valladolid, owned – of course – by Ronaldo, a former Galáctico. Carlo Ancelotti’s side will be eager to get back to it after an indifferent run of form that saw them win just two of their last five competitive games before the break. And a win would take them above Barcelona, at least temporarily.
🏴 The games are coming thick and fast in England now, with two fixtures opening the weekend round this evening, and another game week starting as early as Monday night! In fact, Liverpool feature twice – playing Leicester at home on Friday before heading to Brentford on Monday. No time for New Year’s celebrations in between, you’d imagine.
Liverpool were made to work at Aston Villa on Boxing Day before eventually prevailing with a 3-1 win that saw Mo Salah both score and assist to continue his recent good form. For their part, Leicester were comfortably beaten by Eddie Howe’s Newcastle, who are unbeaten since late August.
Friday’s other fixture sees West Ham take on fellow Londoners, Brentford. The Hammers held their own, for a half, against Arsenal on Monday night but went down to a 3-1 defeat while the Bees threw away a 2-0 lead to draw against comeback specialists, Tottenham Hotspur.
Saturday
🏴 Six fixtures see out the Premier League year on New Year’s Eve – starting with Manchester United’s trip to Wolves, and ending with league leaders Arsenal, who play at Brighton in the evening kick-off. The Seagulls have become something of a bogey side for Mikel Arteta with Brighton unbeaten in the last three meetings – including back-to-back wins at the Emirates in both the recent Carabao Cup tie, and in the League last season.
In between those two headline games, Everton are staring down the barrel of an away fixture against Manchester City, the league’s most prolific attack. And Leeds United are the next side in line to test the meanest defence in the league as Newcastle look to extend their unbeaten run to 12 games.
🇪🇸 LaLiga also saves some top class entertainment for the last day of the year with Barcelona facing city rivals Espanyol. This can be classed as one of those one-sided rivalries – FotMob records show just three Espanyol victories in the time that the app has been running – and league form this season suggests Barcelona should win this one with ease (see graphic). But that’s not what Derby Days are about: Could the first game back after an extended break, and with Robert Lewandowski unavailable through suspension, be the best possible time to play your most hated neighbours?
Real Sociedad slipped to fourth following results earlier in the week but the Basque side will have the chance to move back in to the top three should they beat Osasuna (8th) in another of Saturday’s fixtures.
Sunday
🇫🇷 The top two clash in Ligue 1 on New Year’s Day as unbeaten PSG head north to face Lens. Okay, so there’s a seven point gap between them but for their part, Lens have only lost once all season – the derby against Lille – and both sides have conceded just 10 goals across sixteen rounds.
PSG needed a 96th minute penalty from Kylian Mbappé, the king of late drama, to ensure they kicked off the restart with a win over Strasbourg while Lens drew a blank against Nice on Thursday night.
🏴 2023’s first Premier League action comes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs take on Aston Villa in an afternoon kick-off. The two meetings between the sides last season resulted in Spurs wins but with Villa beginning to show an identity under Unai Emery, that run of victories could be in doubt.
That is swiftly followed by Chelsea’s trip to Nottingham Forest. The Blues picked up their first win in six league games when they beat Bournemouth on Boxing Day while Forest’s tendency to give up chances saw them concede three at Old Trafford – a defeat that leaves them rooted in the relegation zone.
Monday
🏴 The first Old Firm Derby of 2023 takes place at lunchtime on Monday afternoon with second placed Rangers hosting league leaders Celtic. This clash, between perhaps the world’s bitterest rivals, comes early in the tenure of new Rangers coach Michael Beale who has enjoyed an unbeaten start in the three games already played since the league’s re-start. Celtic too, have won all three of their games, scoring 10 goals in the process, to maintain their nine point lead in the table.
To cut that deficit, Rangers would need to banish thoughts of the 4-0 defeat they suffered at Celtic Park back in September.
🏴 As previously mentioned, the next round of Premier League action begins on Monday evening as Liverpool and Brentford face off in what will be the third games each side has played in the space of a week.
And down in the English Championship, the league’s runaway top two feature among the day’s seven fixtures with Burnley travelling to Swansea City and Sheffield United visiting QPR.
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Cover Image from IMAGO