Page 159 – The Pulse of Football

May

2021

This Weekend: Champions League Final and more!

The best action to follow this weekend

Saturday

? Probably the biggest game in club football anywhere in the world will take place at Porto’s Estádio do Dragão this evening, as Manchester City and Chelsea meet in the Champions League Final.

This, the 66th final in the record books will be the third all-English final, with the first coming as recently as 2008 when Manchester United defeated Chelsea on penalties in the Moscow rain.

City may have won the Premier League in three of the last four seasons but famously of course, this is the first time they’ve ever made it to the top European final whilst Chelsea have the collective memory of not only that loss in Russia, but also the triumph over Bayern München four years later. And as they were that season, Chelsea come in to this game as the underdogs.

Make sure you check your TV schedule in the app for a way to watch this one.

??????? Elsewhere, believe it or not there are still other crucial games being played around Europe. Not least in the UK, where Brentford face Swansea City in the so-called richest game in football, the Championship Play-Off Final.

With a place in the Premier League on offer, Brentford will be looking to overcome their record as the side to appear in the most play-offs, up and down the English league system without winning the decisive game (they’ve missed out nice times). Victory would mean the Bees return to the top flight for the first time since 1947 with Welsh club, Swansea looking to get back to the promised land where they have spent seven of the past 10 seasons.

?? There is also an important play-off game in Germany where the side who finishes third from bottom in the Bundesliga traditionally plays off against the team that finishes third in the 2. Bundesliga, hoping to save themselves from relegation. FC Köln have that task today, in fact their predicament is even worse as they lost the first-leg of this season’s play-off against Holstein Kiel, going down 1-0 at home in midweek. Today’s game is the all-important return leg.

Under the current format, the incumbent top flight team has only failed to maintain their top flight status three times since 2008, so the Billy Goats do at least have the weight of history on their side.

Sunday

?? As we edge towards a European summer that not only includes the Euros but also tournaments like the Copa America, Gold Cup and important World Cup qualifiers, you will start to see international friendlies being listed in the app.

For example, tomorrow sees the United States play against Switzerland in St. Gallen and the shots of the USMNT training in the alps ahead of the game have been lighting up social media this week.

?? Back in the CONCACAF region itself, the second leg of the Clausura final between Cruz Azul and Santos Laguna will conclude the current campaign in Mexico tomorrow evening.

Cruz Azul, who finished the regular season top of the league hold a narrow 1-0 lead over Santos after a nervy 90 minutes played out on Thursday night. If they can back that up on Sunday, they will win their ninth title in Liga MX.

?? And finally, this weekend marks the start of the 2021 Brasileirão, one of the biggest leagues in South America.

On Sunday, back-to-back Brazilian champions Flamengo start their latest title defence against Palmeiras, current holders of the Copa Libertadores, the continents’ biggest prize of all. Right up until last weekend both clubs were involved in their respective state championships so don’t expect them to come into this game cold.

Flamengo defeated Rio-rivals Fluminense to win the Campeonato Carioca but Palmerias suffered defeat at the hands of their old enemies São Paulo, in the equivalent final of the Paulista.

If you want to follow any of the games mentioned above, click on the relevant link and tap the bell icon to receive all the key match updates.

Or join us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to discuss all the important football going on this weekend!

May

2021

This Weekend: Final round drama in the Big 5 leagues

The best action to follow this weekend

Saturday

?? There can’t have been that many final weekends of the seasons where all five of Europe’s biggest leagues still had something to play for – let alone titles still to be decided, as is the case in La Liga and Ligue 1. Today, La Liga takes centre-stage with all the important games kicking-off at the same early time to avoid any clashes with the Eurovision Song Contest. Yes, really.

As you’ll know the title will go to one of the Madrid clubs with Atlético currently holding a two point advantage over Real Madrid and looking to lift the trophy for the first time since 2014. The job for both sides is complicated by the fact they play sides who have something to play for themselves, with Atleti’s opponents Real Valladolid involved in a four-way fight over the three relegation spots and Madrid facing Villarreal, who are desperate to sneak in to the European qualification places.

Turn your notifications on for these games, there will be drama. ?

?? In Germany, the title and Champions League places may already be sown up but at the bottom, there’s still the small matter of three teams battling over one automatic relegation spot, a place in the relegation play-off versus the team who finishes third in the 2.Bundesliga AND out-and-out safety.

FC Köln start in the relegation zone but perhaps have the advantage of playing Schalke 04 who are already down whilst Werder Bremen have to play Borussia Mönchengladbach. And Arminia, the side currently sitting above the drop zone need to get something at Stuttgart.

It might still be worth watching the game between champions Bayern München and Augsburg, if only for the usually raucous title celebrations.

??????? St. Johnstone are set to meet Hibernian in today’s Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park. This will be a special occasion for fans of both clubs, but plans to let in a heavily capped crowd of just 600 have been shelved due to current lockdown restrictions in Glasgow.

St. Johnstone return to the final for the first time since they won the competition in 2014 whilst Hibs are back looking to repeat their success of 2016. That famous game against Rangers ended the club’s 114-year (ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN!) wait for a final win.

??????? Elsewhere in the UK, some of the most important games of the season take place in the EFL Championship play-offs with the second legs of both semi-finals set for today. These games will ultimately decide who gets a shot at the third promotion spot to the Premier League and both ties are on currently on a knife-edge.

AFC Bournemouth travel to Brentford with a slim 1-0 lead whilst Swansea City will at least have home advantage when they defend the same one-goal advantage against Barnsley. Remember: Away Goals do not count in these games – a rarity in English football.

Sunday

?? Make sure you get some sleep after all that drama today, because there’s bound to be more in store tomorrow. And that’s most likely to come from France, where as mentioned above – the Ligue 1 title will be decided on the final day.

LOSC hold all the cards with their one point advantage but they do have to play away at Angers. PSG are best placed to take advantage should Lille slip up but their opponents, Stade Brestois will want to avoid dropping into the relegation play-off place so need points themselves. Finally, Monaco are waiting in the wings in the unlikely event of both Lille and PSG losing, as with a significant swing in goal difference they could steal the title.

?? Elsewhere, with the Serie A title already taken by Inter, all eyes will be on the race for the Champions League places. Atalanta currently sit in second and are assured of their spot amongst Europe’s elite but they will have a significant say in who’ll join them as they play third placed Milan.

Milan are level on points with Napoli, who travel to Hellas Verona. Wins for both would guarantee that Juventus (one point back in fifth) are the Italian giants to miss out but you would be a fool to write off the Old Lady just yet! A win at Bologna combined with the likelihood of at least Milan dropping points against such strong opposition will be all it takes for them to slide their way in.

??????? Matters are perhaps even more complicated in the Premier League with three sides fighting over two Champions League places, another three contesting the remaining Europa League spot and even Arsenal down in 9th eyeing up Europa Conference League qualification.

With that said, perhaps the key games to look out for are Chelsea’s trip to Aston Villa, Roy Hodgson overseeing his final match in charge of Crystal Palace at former club Liverpool, Leicester City vs. Spurs and Arsenal against Brighton.

?? Finally, if the maths needed to keep track of all those leagues is too much, there’s the simple winner-takes-all final of the Taça de Portugal to look forward to. Braga take on Benfica in the finale to what’s been an interesting season in Portugal with Benfica’s rivals Sporting shaking things up by winning the league.

If you want to follow any of the games mentioned above, click on the relevant link and tap the bell icon to receive all the key match updates.

Or join us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to discuss all the important football going on this weekend!