The best action to follow this weekend
Saturday
?? We start in Spain, where Barcelona’s failure to take advantage of their game in hand – losing at home to Granada on Thursday, has left La Liga’s title race looking incredibly tight with just five rounds to play.
Today, the attention is on Atlético and Real Madrid. Leaders Atleti visit Elche this afternoon meaning that Madrid will know whether they can leapfrog their rivals in to top spot by the time they kick off at home to Osasuna this evening.
?? Things aren’t quite as tight in Serie A, where Inter could seal their first Scudetto in 11 years should results go their way this weekend. Inter effectively need two more wins from their remaining five games but a win at bottom side Crotone today, combined with Atalanta dropping points at Sassuolo tomorrow would be enough for Antonio Conte’s side.
?? The heat is also on in Ligue 1, although matters won’t be decided just yet. The top two, currently separated by a single point both play today. Second placed PSG face Lens, on paper their toughest game in the run-in with the newly promoted side surpassing all expectations and sitting fifth in the table. Meanwhile Lille play Nice in the evening kick-off. Lille’s title bid is defying all the stats this season, for example they’ve scored 57 league goals despite having a team xG of 44.3. That means they’re vastly outperforming in relation to the chances they’re creating.
??????? In England, Manchester City’s situation is very similar to Inters’ in Serie A. Beat Crystal Palace in today’s early game and they’ll know that a favour from outgoing champions Liverpool against old rivals Manchester United tomorrow would hand the Premier League title to City.
Elsewhere, there’s a West London Derby for England’s other remaining representative in the Champions League as Chelsea take on near neighbours Fulham. The visitors will be desperate for a result as they currently sit seven points from safety with five to play.
?? There’s no Bundesliga action this weekend as the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal take precedence. The second of these takes place today with Borussia Dortmund playing 2.Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel. The lower league team have never played in the Bundesliga but they did knock out Bayern München earlier in this cup run!
?? South of the German border, its Cup Final day in Austria with LASK facing overwhelming favourites Salzburg. The Red Bull side have claimed seven of the last ten finals and this is just stage one of coach Jesse Marsch’s farewell as he looks odds on to complete another league and cup double before completing his move to Leipzig.
? If you fancy something a little more obscure, watch out for two South American derbies as the biggest games in both Ecuadorian and Paraguayn football take place tonight. Barcelona (not that one) meet Emelec in the Clásico del Astillero (Shipyard Derby) whilst Cerro Porteño face Olimpia in Asunción.
Sunday
??????? Tomorrow, as mentioned above we get to enjoy one of the Premier Leagues biggest matches, Manchester United vs. Liverpool. This meeting has the added benefit of effectively deciding the title in Manchester City’s favour, should United drop points.
And if you needed a reminder of how crazy this Premier League season started out before City came to the fore – just check out the biggest win and biggest defeats column in our Season so far guide for United and Liverpool!
?? In Italy, most of the attention will be on Atalanta’s game at Sassuolo as that too could decide the destination of the title if Inter win today.
As for Juventus, with their defence of the Scudetto effectively over, Andrea Pirlo’s side will be concentrating on retaining their customary place in the Champions League. They currently sit fourth but level on points Napoli above them and Milan below so any further slip-ups could prove costly. Tomorrow, Juventus start their run-in away at Udinese.
?? After Thursday’s slip – Barcelona will be looking to bounce back on the road at Valencia knowing that anything other than a win seriously dents their title chances. They’ll likely have to do it without the presence of coach Ronald Koeman in the dugout, with the Dutchman facing a touchline ban following his red card during that midweek defeat to Granada.
? Barcelona’s women’s side will also feature tomorrow as their host the second leg of their Women’s Champions League semi-final against PSG. That game is poised at 1-1 on aggregate. On the other side of the draw, Bayern will be defending a narrow 2-1 lead when they go to English league leaders Chelsea.
?? Ajax will wrap up their 35th and second consecutive Eredivisie title if they pick up a point against FC Emmen on Sunday afternoon. With the 2019/20 season abandoned at the height of the pandemic, this will be a chance to celebrate afresh following their win in the KNFB Cup last month.
??????? In Scotland, Rangers – already crowned champions face Old Firm rivals Celtic once again. This will be the fifth meeting between the two this season, with Rangers winning three of the previous four and the other ending in a 1-1 draw.
? And lastly, in Argentina a game with perhaps less notoriety than the Old Firm Derby but no less history and no less hatred between the two sides wraps up our weekend preview. And that’s the game between Rosario Central and Newell’s Old Boys, or the Scoundrels and the Lepers if we go by their chosen monikers for each other. Expect heat in this one.
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