A special midweek edition of our Premier League TOTW.
Round 31 of the Premier League was completed across the last 3 nights, with the obvious headline that these were the games in which Liverpool finally confirmed their title win.
⭐️ In terms of our ratings, it was actually a Manchester United player who outperformed everyone – Anthony Martial bagged a whopping 9.6 for his hat-trick against Sheffield United. He’s joined in our line-up by teammate Marcus Rashford, who set up two of those goals for Martial.
? He’s joined in our line-up by teammate Marcus Rashford, who set up two of those goals for Martial.
9️⃣ Perhaps unsurprisingly, Liverpool supply the most players from any team in our XI with Fabinho becoming the 3rd player to hit the dizzy heights of a rating in the 9s.
? Kasper Schmeichel is our goalkeeper – his penalty saving antics in Leicester’s draw against Brighton enough to earn him a FotMob rating of 8.2.
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If your team was one of the few sides who played over the weekend, or you’re just an avid student of the matches tab you’ll know this already – but football has re-started in Italy.
In Serie A, you’ll find one of the more intriguing title races set to be resolved in European football this season. And with a lot still to play for, the games will be coming thick and fast between now and the first weekend of August.
Juventus: The 8-time consecutive champions may well be leading the table once again but they’re not having it all their own way and since lockdown, the Old Lady have looked far from their fluent best – losing out on the Coppa Italia after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Napoli in the final just last week.
But with 12 games to go and all of them due to be played in just over a month, they will have the advantage of experience in winning all those titles and undoubtably what is the largest and most talented squad.
Lazio: The Roman side are Juve’s main rivals this season, thanks in part to the amazing goalscoring of talismanic striker, Ciro Immobile. He has 27 in 26 league matches so far and as good omens go – his rumoured new contract shows his true commitment to the club.
The remainder of Lazio’s run-in does look a little smoother than Juve’s and as long as they can keep within touching distance or even maintain the 1 point gap – the game between the two in Turin on Monday, 20th July will effectively be a title decider. That’s one to stick in your diary.
Inter: For their part and as Christian Eriksen was quick to point out after they played their game-in-hand over the weekend, Inter still see themselves as very much a part of this title race.
Thanks to goals from their dynamite front pair of Romulu Lukaku and Lautaro Martínez, Inter secured a 2-1 win over Sampdoria in their first game back, cutting their deficit on Lazio to 5 points.
Lukaku and Martínez, the latter already the number 1 target for transfer speculation ahead of the next transfer window have now scored 30 league goals between them.
There is a lot going on over the next few days; the first full weekend back in the Premier League, the return of Serie A, the penultimate round of the Bundesliga and more derbies than you will ever need in your life! Here’s our pick of the action this weekend.
? Friday Night.
??????? The Premier League may have actually started back on Wednesday, but those were games in hand outstanding from before the break in the season. Tonight sees the start of the first proper #ProjectRestart round of fixtures.
Since lockdown, Sevilla have enjoyed a derby victory over Betis but drew last time out against Levante whilst Barcelona, and Lionel Messi in particular have looked in ominous form in their first two games back. With a victory tonight, Barca would move 7 points clear in the table.
Elsewhere, two of the last leagues in Europe to return are thankfully coming out of the woodwork this evening.
?? We’ve now reached the second-to-last round of games in Germany’s Bundesliga and whilst top spot (Bayern München) and bottom place (Paderborn) are already sealed, pretty much everything else is still up for grabs!
And at the bottom, the 4 sides fighting over the last automatic relegation and the relegation play-off position all face each other. Werder Bremen are most at risk and in reality, the best they can now hope for is pipping Düsseldorf to 16th.
??????? The Premier League have staggered the four games scheduled for Saturday so you could in theory, never leave the comfort of your armchair. And with Bournemouth’s clash with Crystal Palace becoming the first top flight league fixture broadcast on state broadcaster, BBC 1 since 1992, it will likely become the most watched game in the UK since the dawn of the Premier League era!
?? In Italy, we’ve already seen the Coppa Italia come to a dramatic conclusion during the last few days but now it’s time for the bread and butter of Serie A.
Neither of the top two play until next week (Juventus, Lazio) so on Saturday, you’ll have to make do with the games between Torino and Parma or Hellas Verona vs. Cagliari.
?? Here's Nikola Maksimović hanging out of a taxi celebrating the Coppa Italia win with Napoli fans.
But, when you’ve already waited over 100 days to pick up one of the last 2 remaining wins you need to secure a first title in 30 years, what’s another couple of days!?
Everton fans will be hoping to delay the inevitable, and break the hoo-doo that surrounds this fixture. They last beat the other team on Merseyside way back in 2010.
??????? After a lot of fuss, both Everton and Liverpool will be able to play their remaining Premier League games at their respective homes across Stanley Park – including the potential title deciding derby on Sunday 21 June. ?https://t.co/9UIXa4Dfa3pic.twitter.com/xtw7y4Duqr
With the EPL finally set to return to the app in under 24 hours time, we thought we’d recap where each club stands and what we’ve got to look forward to during the hectic finale to the season. #ProjectRestart is well and truly upon us and there are 92 games to be played before the end of July!
And all 92 will have all the coverage you’d expect from your favourite live scores app.
Recap: It’s been almost the perfect season for Jürgen Klopp’s side, but hey – who apart from Watford fans will remember that one blot on the copy book if Liverpool go on to win the remainder of their games… something that looks a distinct possibility! On a seemingly endless pursuit of all-time records for points, wins, goals and every other stat worth mentioning – Liverpool will guarantee a first title in 30 years with just 2 more victories.
Best Performer on FotMob: With 9 squad players averaging a rating over 7 out of 10, Liverpool’s dominance in the league sees their players well represented in a lot of our stats. Sadio Mané is performing best of all, with an average score of ⭐️7.65.
Main Objective: After over 100 days without a game, to get the title won as quickly as possible. If that’s at the home of arch-rivals Everton on Sunday, well that might just be even sweeter.
It doesn't take long to wash your hands ??
In 20 seconds, you can enjoy Sadio Mane's 50th @premierleague goal for the Reds not once, not twice, but three times (plus an additional knee slide celeb ?) ⚡️
Recap: 25 points down on Liverpool and having lost more games than in the last two seasons combined, it’s not been a stella title defence from City – but typically, any side managed by Pep Guardiola is capable of pulling off the exceptional and a treble of the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Champions League remains on the cards.
Best Performer on FotMob: Kevin De Bruyne isn’t just the best rated player at City, he’s the best rated player anywhere in the Premier League according to our stats! His league-leading 16 assists and 8 goals have contributed to his overall rating of ⭐️7.93.
Key Fixture: We’ve already mentioned the game against Liverpool that could see them left fighting for dignity against the newly crowned champions, so let’s focus instead on tomorrow’s home game against Arsenal!
Main Objective: To win every competition they still can. And if it comes to it, delay Liverpool’s coronation when they meet them in 3 weeks time.
Recap: Having enjoyed a campaign where they’ve clearly been the best of the rest, Leicester will be looking to wrap that up by securing Champions League qualification with a minimum of fuss. They may also be comfortable enough to take a tilt at the FA Cup.
Best Performer on FotMob: One of England’s most exciting talents, James Maddison has been involved in a lot of Leicester’s best work this season, earning himself a rating of ⭐️7.38.
Main Objective: Secure just their second appearance in Europe’s main event and help Jamie Vardy win the Golden Boot. He has 19 league goals this season and his next will be his 100th in the Premier league.
Recap: Frank Lampard’s first season in charge has been extremely positive – on course for a top four finish and still involved in the FA Cup and Champions League, albeit 3-0 down in their tie against German Champions Bayern.
Best Performer on FotMob: Lampard’s focus on young players has been widely reported this season, but it’s old timer Willian leading the way in the stats! The 31-year-old is averaging a score of ⭐️ 7.29 per game.
Main Objective: Chelsea may need to be pragmatic and concentrate on finishing the Premier League as strongly as possible, ignoring any dreams of a crazy comeback against what will be a well rested Bayern Munich side, whenever the Champions League resumes.
Recap: Ole Gunnar Solskjær appears to have steadied a ship that was looking frustratingly inconsistent at the start of the season, and when we went in to lock-down – they were the league’s form side, unbeaten in 11 straight league and cup games. Champions League qualification is well within their grasp.
Best Performer on FotMob: Man of the moment if you follow political news in England, let alone the sports pages – Marcus Rashford, now recovered from injury has been United’s best rated player, scoring at ⭐️7.43.
Main Objective: Champions League qualification and some sort of national recognition for the amazing work carried out by the selfless Marcus Rashford during the UK’s pandemic lockdown.
Recap: By the time Wolves complete their fixtures on 26 July, their 2019/20 season will have spanned a full calendar year! And they’ll still have the Europa League to play. That’s an epic season by anyone’s standards but such is the price of success and they could easily go one better by finishing in the Premier League top 6.
Best Performer on FotMob: Adama Traoré has been at the heart of much of Wolves’ best football this season – with 4 player of the match awards contributing to his overall average rating of ⭐️7.34.
Recap: Yep – Sheffield United are 7th in the Premier League! Their return to the top flight must have their fans in dreamland (our English member of staff remembers his side beating them in the League One play-offs not so long ago!). With away form that has seen them lose only to Liverpool and City they’re serious contenders for Europe.
Best Performer on FotMob: John Fleck, the midfielder who has been with them on their rise through the leagues has enjoyed a fairytale first season at this level. 5 goals sees them as the Blades’ joint top scorer and he’s bringing home an average of ⭐️7.03 every game.
Main Objective: Anything they go on to achieve now has got to be seen a massive overachievement but fans will be thirsting for a first taste of European football since the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1994.
Recap: After Mauricio Pochettino’s era at the club came to an end in November, José Mourinho’s return to the Premier League was highly anticipated. As it happens, it’s taken some time for the real Spurs to show themselves but their season could still go either way. Qualify for Europe or languish in mid-table, or worse.
Best Performer on FotMob: Heung-min Son has been back in the Korea Republic completing his military service during the lockdown on English football – proving there’s not much he can’t turn his hand to. He currently has an average of ⭐️7.16 for the season.
Main Objective: There’s always the pressure to finish above Arsenal but Spurs fans will be hoping the side gels for Mourinho and they mark the end of the season with qualification for Europe.
Recap: Despite still finding themselves as close to the bottom 3 as the top 3 points-wise, there’s renewed optimism around Arsenal since the arrival of Mikel Arteta as manager in December. There’s still the chance to win the FA Cup and with an unlikely late charge, they could secure Champions League qualification.
Best Performer on FotMob: Somehow, the supposed flop signing of the season, Nicolas Pépé heads up our best rated Arsenal players – averaging ⭐️7.07. He’s ahead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang by 0.7!
Main Objective: Besides the usual aim of finishing above Spurs, Arsenal will be looking to secure that outside bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Recap: Since Christmas, the Clarets have quietly averted a crisis and going into the break they were unbeaten in seven. That run saw them rise steadily up the table and puts them in good stead to obtain their highest finish in the Premier League era.
Best Performer on FotMob: Ashley Westwood has personified that sense of going under the radar, putting in a string of strong performances to earn a rating of ⭐️6.89.
Main Objective: Keep the unbeaten record going and ultimately match, or even better their finish in the 2017/18 season that saw them qualify for the Europa League.
Recap: To the relief of a fanbase used to their fare share of drama, Roy Hodgson’s men have averted earlier fears of a relegation battle and their record of 10 wins, 9 draws and 10 defeats sees them with almost the perfect record for mid-table obscurity! Their last 3 games all resulted in victories, meaning they were on they best streak since 2018 as we went into lockdown.
Best Performer on FotMob: Before he spent his time taking down some of England’s biggest racist agitators on social media, Patrick van Aanholt was already having an impressive season – notching up an average rating of ⭐️6.80 including 3 player of the match awards.
Main Objective: Having already taken points off the likes of Manchester United and City this season, Palace could look at bruising a few more egos during the run-in.
Recap: After the deflation of Marco Silva’s tenure as manager was ended back in December, the expected bounce from appointing a manager with the calibre of Carlo Ancelotti perhaps hasn’t come through to the extent that Everton fans will have wanted. But it there’s a coach who can sort the wheat from the chaff, it’s the 3-time Champions League winner.
Best Performer on FotMob: Brazilian forward Richarlison hasn’t scored as many goals as homegrown striker come good, Dominic Calvert-Lewin but he is outscoring him in the app – with a rating of ⭐️7.04 to 6.81.
Main Objective: To delay the inevitable by picking up their first derby victory in a decade. Particularly crucial should Arsenal beat City and set Liverpool up for a possible title win at Goodison Park.
??????? After a lot of fuss, both Everton and Liverpool will be able to play their remaining Premier League games at their respective homes across Stanley Park – including the potential title deciding derby on Sunday 21 June. ?https://t.co/9UIXa4Dfa3pic.twitter.com/xtw7y4Duqr
Recap: The story of Newcastle’s season has come mainly away from the pitch as the possible sale of the club to new Saudi owners has both inspired a fanbase dreaming of future success and upset the Premier League powers that be. On the pitch, a recent (well, pre-lockdown) upturn in form has seen Steve Bruce safely navigate the club away from any relegation fears.
Best Performer on FotMob: The Magpies most consistent player this season, and on his day – capable of providing flashes of genius is midfielder Jonjo Shelvey. He’s averaging ⭐️7.24 for 2019/20.
Key Fixture: Newcastle haven’t scored twice in a home game all season, so changing that in one of the two upcoming matches they play at St. James Park would reward the fans! They face Sheffield United at the weekend, and then Aston Villa in midweek.
Main Objective: To get a final decision on the takeover and let the fans enjoy a transfer window of speculation about buying up some of the world’s best footballing talent!
Recap: The club’s form since the infamous 9-0 defeat at home to Leicester back in October has been unrecognisable, particularly away from home where they have excelled at beating the sides around them – often the key to staying in the Premier League. The Saints will re-start 7 points clear of the relegation zone.
Best Performer on FotMob: Dead-ball specialist James Ward-Prowse has proved there is a lot more to his game this season and he stands out with an average rating of ⭐️7.03.
Main Objective: The club gave coach, Ralph Hasenhüttl a new four year contract earlier this month so once safety is guaranteed the club can really look forward to next season.
Recap: Although they top the current bottom six, Brighton will feel their position in the Premier League is precarious – perhaps why they’ve been one of the most vocal critics of the rush back to football. Without a win in 2020, this is crunch-time for the Seagulls.
Best Performer on FotMob: Davy Pröpper has been pulling the strings in midfield and in a side low on big star names, the Dutchman is averaging a rating of ⭐️6.96.
Key Fixture: At the turn of the month, Brighton face a run of games against Manchester City, Norwich City and Liverpool – and they’ll feel that game against the bottom side is a must-win.
Main Objective: Pick up as many points early on to relieve the pressure and ensure they beat the teams below them.
Recap: Level with the two sides directly below them in the table, these are troubling time for David Moyes in his second stint at West Ham. Having won just once in 9 games prior to the break, they should at least have had the chance to re-group ahead of a what will be a massive run-in.
Best Performer on FotMob: Brazilian wideman, Felipe Anderson may frustrate on occasion, but when he’s been on form this season – as his club leading average of ⭐️7.06 shows, he is crucial to the side.
Recap: Being the only side to beat Liverpool all season (to date) will count for nothing if the Hornets can’t pull themselves away from the relegation zone. Nigel Pearson took over at the club in November but they remain level on points with Bournemouth, the side below the dreaded red line.
Best Performer on FotMob: Watford’s midfield pairing of Abdoulaye Doucouré and Etienne Capoue have matched each other’s performances this season, with them both averaging ⭐️6.78 a game!
Main Objective: Goalscoring has been the main problem this season but with Troy Deeney and Ismaïla Sarr both now fit, they’ll be hoping that goals from them will see them safe.
Recap: From the dizzy heights of September when the Cherries went 3rd to now sitting 3rd bottom and in a relegation dogfight, it’s been a tough season. But, with the lengthy lay-off allowing a host of long-term absentees to recover from injury things could be looking up.
Best Performer on FotMob: Diego Rico may be a surprise name but the full-back has been rating solidly at an average of ⭐️6.82.
Recap: It’s been a tough return to the top flight for Dean Smith’s Villa side and away from their unexpected and ultimately unsuccessful run to the Carabao Cup Final, their league form has been a little bleak.
Best Performer on FotMob: Jack Grealish has proved himself this season – at least in terms of his on-pitch achievements. His rating of ⭐️7.44 and the fact that he leads the way in terms of goals and assists at the club really sets him out as a leader.
Key Fixture: Another side set to endure a tough run-in, tomorrow’s first game against Sheffield United could set the tone. It’s their game-in-hand and with only 2 points separating them from safety – they could move as high as 16th with a win.
Main Objective: Survival is paramount to the ambitions and financial security of the club.
Recap: It’s been a chastising campaign for the side who were promoted as Champions from the EFL at the end of 2018/19. They re-start 6 points from safety so could still escape an instant relegation, but it will need everything they can muster – particularly at home.
Best Performer on FotMob: Emiliano Buendía was a relative unknown at the start of the season but 7 assists and a string of impressive performances have marked out the Argentine for a great future in English football. He’s averaging ⭐️6.97 according to our stats.
Do you remember what a big football weekend used to look like before the pandemic? Action from multiple major leagues all happening at the same time in different parts of the world. Choice over what game to watch or stream if you couldn’t get to a game yourself. Well, reminisce no more as that’s exactly what we’ve got to look forward to over the next couple of days! And here’s our pick of the matches you need to get excited about.
? Friday Night.
?? Italy, one of the grand old footballing countries affected most by COVID-19 is finally returning to some sort of normality and tonight, that includes – for the first time, some top level sport. With the start of Serie A still a week or so away, we get to enjoy the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia instead.
Today, it’s the second leg of Juventus versus Milan. This shouldn’t be a cagy affair either as the tie stands at 1-1 after the first leg was played way back in February and there’s no chance of extra-time. In the unlikely event of the scores being level on aggregate (including away goals) after 90 minutes, the game will go straight to penalties.
?? We’re on Day 2 of an epic, month-long run of daily matches in La Liga as Spain’s top flight gets it’s season played to a conclusion in double quick time! And we previewed tonight’s Valencia Derby in our usual haphazard fashion on twitter, albeit we were slightly distracted by the bat that appears on both club’s badges.
?? Two games coming up in La Liga today – one is the battle of the Gs, Granada ? Getafe and the other is a proper derby – the Derbi Valenciano!
?? There is of course, the regular Friday night game in the Bundesliga. And this week, that includes RB Leipzig – the team who appear to be stalling a little in their quest for the runners-up spot. After conceding an injury time equaliser against bottom side, Paderborn last week, Leipzig now travel to Hoffenheim who are also on the hunt for European football next season.
?? It’s another bumper day in the Bundesliga tomorrow – six games and more than one attractive looking fixture. Champions-elect Bayern face the resurgent Borussia Mönchengladbach, who with 5 rounds to play are battling for the last Champions League qualification spot.
?? Napoli will host Inter in the second Coppa Italia semi-final on Saturday night and if there was ever a home crowd more determined to watch their side despite being locked out, it could be worth watching this game just for the shots of Neapolitans seeking out bizarre vantage points to catch a glimpse of the action! Napoli have a one goal advantage from the first leg.
?? We haven’t forgotten about the leagues that helped see us through the lean times during lockdown and in the K League there’s a clash between top and bottom that should be worth keeping an eye on. Defending champions and current leaders, Jeonbuk play Incheon United, winless and with just 2 goals to their name so far this season.
?? Come to watch a 41-year-old striker scoring comfortably in the K League…
…Stay for Lee Dong-gook and his Jeonbuk teammates taking the knee.?
?? Here in Norway, we have to wait until Tuesday for the start of our delayed 2020 season but next door in Sweden, their league – the Allsvensken gets underway on Sunday.
Djurgården are champions and they begin their title defence at Sirius. They won the 2019 season in very dramatic circumstances, with three sides all in the running on the final day! Over the course of a dramatic afternoon, Djurgården went from leading the table by 3 points at kick-off to going 2-0 down and down to 3rd by half-time! With some favourable changes to scores elsewhere, they recovered to draw and seal the championship by a point!
?? Djurgården win their first title in 14 years, and their away fans take over the joint for some #absolutescenes at Norrköping.
2-0 down at half-time, they clawed it back to 2-2 and win a final-day, 3-way title race by a single point. ???https://t.co/rRLHh0iTIf
?? Our last tip of the weekend comes from Austria where the season is now split between the Championship and relegation groups. There’s been a bit of a soap opera going on in the top half of the table with the pre-lockdown leaders, LASK deducted points for breaking rules on team training during the break. All 11 other Bundesliga clubs reported them jointly having illicitly gained surveillance footage of the breaches.
Time for our regular Friday run through the games that you should be looking out for over the next few days, including the big names, the derby clashes and maybe a couple of developing stories you might not have heard about.
? Friday Night.
?? Just one game in Germany tonight, but it should be a cracker. Freiburg, who sit 8th and have overachieved this season host Borussia Mönchengladbach. Die Fohlen, with their attacking brand of football led by the likes of French duo, Marcus Thuram and Alassane Pléa are on the hunt for their first spot in the Champions League since 2016 and could go 3rd with a win.
?? A number of additional leagues return to the app this weekend, but one in particular are doing things a little differently. None of your behind closed doors chat in Bulgaria, where the Efbet Clubs have been allowed to sell tickets for 30% of their grounds – meaning that at least some fans will get to see tonight’s game between the top two sides in the country – Levski Sofia vs. Ludogorets.
And if this week’s Cup Final in Hungary is anything to go by, the spectacle of fans actually being at a game in 2020 is going to be a strange one!
?? How alien does this look at the moment!?
Around 10,000 fans were allowed in to watch the finals of the Magyar Kupa in Hungary tonight.
Budapest Honvéd won their 8th cup after a 2-1 win over relative minnows, Mezőkövesd. ?pic.twitter.com/FN5TxfXboI
?? With the rest of Europe’s top 4 leagues all due back in action within a fortnight, this weekend is the ideal opportunity to enjoy the best of what the Bundesliga has to offer… before you get distracted!
The top 3 are all in action on Saturday, and Bayern and Dortmund in particular are up against in-form opposition.
?? There’s just one game in Portugal’s top division on Saturday, but it might be worth keeping an eye on. The league returned in midweek, but no-one seemed to tell the goalkeepers as league leaders Porto suffered defeat after conceding an embarrassing goal before Benfica and Sporting endured similar errors as they both drew.
?? A big game in Estonia too, where the top two sides also meet. Nõmme Kalju are the only side to break the stranglehold that traditional giants, Flora and Levadia have had on the Meistriliiga since the country’s independence – and in the early stages of this season, they could just be at it again. On Sunday, Kalju host Flora with just one point separating them after 5 rounds.
?? Estonia's Meistriliiga returned to action today and Kalju's Kaarel Usta gave us a very topical goal celebration.
When we checked earlier in the week and had final confirmation that so many leagues were returning to the app over the next few days, we got a little bit excited! Yes, we might still be waiting for re-starts in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A but there’s plenty of stories out there and important games to follow – here’s our pick of the weekend’s action.
? Time for a midweek scroll through the app to see what's coming up this weekend…
SO. MUCH. FOOTBALL. IS. BACK.
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?? There’s just one headline game in the Bundesliga with Freiburg hosting Bayer Leverkusen, one of the sides who are very much in the hunt for a place in next season’s Champions League.
Leverkusen were unbeaten in 12 games going into the midweek round but a chastising 4-1 home defeat to Wolfsburg should see them looking to bounce back tonight. They sit 4th, a whopping 15 points above Freiburg in 8th.
?? Silverware is on the line in Austria! After 77 days without a competitive game in the country, they’re kickstarting a return to football with the final of the ÖFB Cup.
And it should be an interesting contest between Red Bull Salzburg and 2nd division side, Austria Lustenau. On one side you have the giants Salzburg, who’ve won the last 6 league titles in a row and 6 of the last 8 Cups to boot – on the other, you have a side who last reached the top flight in the mid-1990s. They couldn’t win it could they!?
?? As first games back after months of lockdown, scheduling the Cup Final for today is a power move by Austria!
And the final provides a great story: Perennial champions and winners of 6 of the last 8 Cups vs. 2nd tier minnows who’ve never won a major honour. ? pic.twitter.com/mrBoJsUmH2
?? There could also be a trophy won elsewhere this evening, as the SuperLiga season re-starts in Serbia.
Red Star Belgrade, or Crvena zvezda were 11 points clear at the top of the table when football stopped but as the season has now been curtailed and they will not be splitting for the traditional Championship and Relegation groups, there are instead just 4 rounds left to play.
Don’t forget that we also have coverage for the German second tier, 2. Bundesliga and the Fraeun-Bundesliga but if it’s a real title race you’re after, you could do worse than follow the return of the 3. Liga, where action starts on Saturday.
?? Bayern might have the Bundesliga sewn up, Arminia have a 5 point lead in 2. Bundesliga but if you head down to the German 3rd tier, you'll find a title race with a little bit of excitement!
The 3 Liga returns tomorrow and 11 teams are separated by just 8 points at the top. pic.twitter.com/ogSaAP1kGW
?? The Polish Ekstraklasa is amongst a host of Eastern European leagues back in the app this weekend and there too, they have scheduled a juicy looking game between two of the country’s biggest clubs.
?? Borussia Dortmund are probably the biggest side in the world playing on Sunday, but they’ll be hoping for a little less attention from the media and a routine win to ease their shattered confidence. Dortmund will be playing the Bundesliga’s bottom-side, Paderborn.
After that midweek defeat to Bayern in what was being tipped to be their best change of challenging their rivals for the title in recent years, manager Lucian Favre must be worried about his job security.
?? There will be another massive Eastern European Derby in the Ukraine on Sunday where the league, already split into Championship and Relegation groups serves up the fixture between Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv. Having won every title between them since 1992, this really is a case of the Big 2.
With the return of so many leagues to the app that you now actually have to scroll down the matches tab in order to see them all, we thought we’d bring back our normal guide to what games you need to watch out for over the coming days.
It’s a unique rivalry this one, with the clubs divided by international border for much of the last century – Hertha in the West, Union behind the Berlin Wall in East Germany.
Before German reunification, fans of both clubs took great delight in a subversive friendship across the divide, with ‘Hertha and Union – One Nation’ being a regular chant. Now the game has more of your traditional derby feel with both sides keen to take the spoils.
If you’ve got some time on your hands, here’s the full fascinating story of the Berlin Derby, from Copa 90.
?? There are some early kick-offs in other leagues around the world today, with perhaps the most interesting game coming up in the Faroes. Early season pacesetters, NSÍ make the short trip across the island they share to visit Víkingur. And whatever the outcome, you can guarantee that the scenery will look fantastic.
?? A lot to love about the Faroese league… landscapes, fans allowed at the games, cars lined up opposite the pitch, goals galore… the lot.
This is NSI rounding off a win today, which takes them top on goals scored.
We’ve got league and cup football from EIGHT countries coming up tomorrow. You probably don’t realise how happy that makes us… and there’s a whole lot more coming back before the end of next week as well!
?? The main event on Saturday again comes in the Bundesliga where the fixture list serves up treat after treat.
Amongst the regular kick-offs, there’s a chance to see whether Borussia Dortmund and their in-form array of young talent can keep the pressure up on rivals Bayern at the top of the table. Dortmund travel to Wolfsburg, who sit someway off the pace but still the best of the rest down in 6th.
At the same time, perhaps the two most exciting teams in the division – in terms of attacking football go head-to-head with Borussia Mönchengladbach facing off against Bayer Leverkusen. Both sides enjoyed big away wins on their return to action last weekend, Gladbach turning over Frankfurt 3-1 whilst Leverkusen went one better, beating Werder Bremen 4-1.
Should Bayern slip up, it will only put more importance on a certain fixture coming up next Tuesday. Yep, it’s Der Klassiker – Dortmund vs. Bayern. ?
?? There are three games in Belarus tomorrow, but perhaps the most intriguing is between 3rd and 6th, Isloch and Energetik. The away side, essentially a student side representing the biggest state university in the country can beat anyone on their day, but Isloch should prove a stern test. Should the football not live up to the billing though, there’s always Isloch’s now world famous accordion player keeping the rhythm from the stands!
Yes, the Bundesliga is back. And okay, the K league has been pretty great. And the Faroes has been a surprise bonus…
But this video of FK Isloch fans in Belarus pretty much sums up football during this period.
?? South Korea’s K League has been enjoying its fair share of the footballing spotlight in recent weeks, and with good reason as one of Asia’s biggest leagues has certainly caught the imagination on its return to action.
?? There’s another big game in the former Soviet republic on Sunday as the Final of the Belarusian Cup is due to take place.
BATE Borisov, who lost their 13-year stranglehold on the league title to Dynamo Brest last season have a shot at revenge here. The two have actually already met this week, with the out-of-form Dynamo taking something of a pummelling. But with silverware on the line, it could all be different at the weekend.
?? The fixture list for Sunday in the 2. Bundesliga, Germany’s second division seems as good a reason as any to remind you that we carry full stats, player ratings and all the usual FotMob hallmarks you would expect for a top league.
There’s two games in particular to look forward to here. Fallen giants Hamburg, who are enduring just their second ever season outside of the Bundesliga look to shore up their claim to a promotion spot with a top of the table clash against runaway leaders Arminia Bielefeld.
