The best action to follow this weekend

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Saturday

? The Final of the 141st edition of the English FA Cup takes centre-stage this weekend with Chelsea lining up against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium. The Reds are, of course, still hunting a possible quadruple whilst the Blues are looking to salvage something from what has been a chaotic season off the pitch.

The occasion also marks the 150th anniversary of the World’s oldest tournament and Chelsea would love to end their two-season run of losing in the final. A win for Thomas Tuchel’s side would be the ninth in their history but defeat would see Liverpool draw level with them on eight.

??????? Back in English league action, the three divisions below the Premier League are now in to the play-offs. And the day’s main focus will be the semi-final, first leg between Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest. Both are former top flight sides desperate to get back in the big time – Forest in particular having last been relegated way back in 1999.

?? We’ve reached the final round of the Bundesliga, with all 10 games kicking-off at the same time on Saturday afternoon. First, second and third may already be decided but we still have a two-way battle for the last Champions League place. And consequently, two other clubs waiting to see if they can earn a place in UEFA’s other major tournaments.

RB Leipzig are in the box seat and a point, away at Arminia, would be enough for them to take fourth. Freiburg go to Leverkusen (already guaranteed third) with the aim of at least maintaining their position in the Europa League spot. Union Berlin (home to Bochum) hold the Europa Conference League place but FC Köln (away at Stuttgart) will be looking to capitalise on any slip-ups above them.

For their part, champions Bayern travel to Wolfsburg whilst Borussia Dortmund end their campaign at home to Hertha.

?? It’s a similar story in France’s Ligue 1 where Marseille can claim the second automatic Champions League place with a win at Rennes in their penultimate game of the season.

L’OM currently hold a three point advantage over Monaco, who in turn, are in danger of being caught by the sides directly below them – Nice and Rennes. The team who finishes third will go in to the Champions League qualifiers, with the others dropping in to the Europa and Europa Conference Leagues.

Monaco play mid-table Brest. And Nice entertain Lille – coach Christophe Galtier’s former club. Unsettled champions PSG end with a trip to Montpellier.

? Saturday should also see the CAF Champions League’s record winners, Al Ahly, reach yet another final in the competition. Led by South African coach Pitso Mosimane – the Egyptian giants are four goals up going into the away leg of their semi-final at Algerian side ES Sétif.

Al Ahly have lifted the title in both of the last two years and they’ll relish the chance of an unprecedented hat-trick against the victors of the other semi-final between Petro Atlético and Wydad Casablanca.

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Sunday

?? The Champions League places are already decided in Serie A so it’s a good job we’ve still got a bonafide title-race to get excited about! With two games to go Milan lead arch-rivals and defending champions Inter by two points.

Inter – who lifted the Coppa Italia with a dramatic extra-time victory over Juventus, in midweek, therefore need to win their game against Cagliari to take the title to the final round. That might not be an easy task with their opponents looking to claw their way out of the relegation zone.

Milan‘s game against Atalanta comes earlier in the day so the Rossoneri will be going all out for the three points that’ll edge them closer to a first Scudetto since 2011.

??????? There’s also two games to play for the majority of sides in the Premier League. And plenty left to decide – the title, the fourth Champions League place, the other UEFA qualification spots plus the last of three relegation places.

Sunday is consequently a busy day with seven fixtures lined up. Manchester City can take a six point lead at the top should they beat West Ham – that would leave Liverpool playing catch-up with their penultimate game coming at Southampton on Tuesday.

The other key games come at fifth placed Spurs who face relegation-threatened Burnley. And then the matches that involve the other two sides battling to avoid the drop – Leeds host Brighton whilst Everton entertain Brentford.

? Staying in England, it’s also FA Cup Final weekend in the Women’s game. Chelsea take on Manchester City with the sides having just finished the WSL season in first and third place, respectively.

Chelsea then, are on for a double (or a triple of sorts – should their men’s team lift the trophy a day earlier). The same could be said for City as they also earned the League Cup title back in March.

Emma Haye’s Chelsea won this final last season with City triumphant the year before and with over 50,000 tickets sold for the game at Wembley, we should be in for a cracker.

?? In La Liga, Sunday’s biggest game comes between the sides sitting third and fourth in the table. Atlético Madrid locked down their place in next season’s Champions League with their midweek win at Elche but opponents Sevilla still need the points to secure their entry.

Sevilla’s arch-rivals Betis are the side lurking just below, looking for any chance to leapfrog them – starting with a positive result in their game against Granada.

Elsewhere, don’t expect champions Real Madrid to ease up ahead of their appearance in the Champions League Final when they take on Cadíz. Carlo Ancelotti’s men smashed six past Levante on Thursday evening and looked hungry for more! And finally, Barcelona can guarantee a runners-up finish by beating Getafe.

?? Lastly, this preview would be lost without mention of at least one major derby from off the beaten track. And this weekend it’s a big one with the final of the Bulgarian Cup coming between Levski Sofia and their cross-city nemeses CSKA Sofia. The latter are now led by Alan Pardew who infamously enjoyed a dance on the touchline during a similarly big final with Crystal Palace.

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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.

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The best action to follow this weekend

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Saturday

?? With the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 already settled – La Liga should be the next major title to fall in the European season. Real Madrid need just a point, against lowly Espanyol, to confirm what will be their 35th Spanish title.

As confirmation of their dominance this season – this will be the first time they’ve won the league with as many as four games to spare since 1990. And with the capital preparing for a wild night of celebration, the title would also be a significant landmark for coach Carlo Ancelotti. He will complete his set of league honours in all five of Europe’s top leagues.

Look out for some significant changes to his line-up though, as Ancelotti has one eye on the second leg of their Champions League semi-final – against Manchester City on Wednesday.

Elsewhere in La Liga, watch out for the derby between city rivals – Valencia and Levante. The visitors are deep in relegation trouble, six points from safety and will be fighting for anything they can get.

??????? It’s a busy day in the Premier League but with so little separating Man City and Liverpool points-wise – nothing will be decided this weekend. Both of England’s Champions League semi-finalists are in action on Saturday though – with Liverpool featuring in the early kick-off, against in-form Newcastle United.

For their part, City visit Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United later in the day. The home side are by no means free from relegation concerns, so that should be a competitive game. Amongst the four other fixtures scheduled – the ‘six-pointer’ between Watford and manager-less, but by no means rudderless Burnley, is the most crucial.

? Both semi-finals in the Women’s Champions League will be played to a conclusion on Saturday evening, albeit – one does already feel like it’s settled.

Wolfsburg need a miracle if they’re to overturn the 5-1 first leg deficit against reigning champions Barcelona. The Catalan side haven’t lost a game in the Spanish league, or the Champions League this season, scoring a grand total of 183 goals in the process.

The other tie, between fierce French rivals PSG and Lyon does however look like being a close-fought game. Lyon lead 3-2 but the Parisians will be confident of producing a result in front of their passionate fanbase.

?? With Bayern wrapping up their 10th straight Bundesliga title in Der Klassiker last weekend, Saturday is all about their beaten rivals, Dortmund securing second place. A point, at home against Bochum would be enough but you can guarantee boss Marco Rose will want to end the season on a high in this – the first of their three remaining games.

The Champions play away at Mainz, who sit mid-table and without a win in their last five. Chance then, for Robert Lewandowski to add to his 33 league goals this season?

?? It should be a historic day in Turkish football, as Trabzonspor look for the points they need to secure their first Süper Lig title since way back in 1984. And if nearest rivals Fenerbahçe drop points on Friday night, Trabzonspor’s result – at home against Antalyaspor would be academic, they’ll have already won it!

Should it go their way, in either scenario, you can prepare for your social media timelines to be full of ecstatic Trabzonspor supporters.

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Sunday

?? Napoli’s dip in form and Inter’s surprise midweek defeat to Bologna has left Milan with a two-point cushion at the top of Serie A. During the second half of the Serie A season, with the table being so congested – that constitutes a massive lead.

On Sunday, Milan face seventh placed, and usually competitive Fiorentina at the San Siro, whist Inter travel to Udinese – where they haven’t lost since 2013.

Juventus, who now look nailed on for a Champions League spot, feature in the early kick-off against bottom-side, Venezia.

??????? There’s three games in the Premier League on Sunday, where Frank Lampard’s Everton can expect no favours from former-side Chelsea – where he’s a club legend, in their bid to avoid the drop.

Elsewhere, the storylines are all about the battle for European places. Spurs could move in to the top four, at least for a couple of hours ahead of Arsenal’s trip to West Ham later in the day. Antonio Conte’s side face Leicester at home, the team Steven Bergwijn scored two injury-time goals to defeat at the King Power back in January.

Europa League semi-finalists, West Ham have a place in the top six in their sights – something that would guarantee them another tilt at the same competition next season. For their opponents Arsenal, the focus is staying above their North London rivals with a win.

??????? In Scotland, the peculiarities of the split-season format mean that we have the third instalment of the Old Firm Derby to be played within the past month.

Celtic beat Rangers back on April 3, to take what looked like a decisive lead in the league table whilst Rangers got their revenge – overcoming their rivals, after extra-time in the semi-finals of the Cup on April 17. Now, Rangers must raise themselves again, forced to play this game in between the two legs of their Europa League semi-final against RB Leipzig!

?? Sunday’s one fixture of note in La Liga comes as Xavi’s Barcelona take on Mallorca at Camp Nou.

Barca’s fans won’t be happy with a repeat of last weekend’s home defeat to Rayo Vallecano – that result being the reason Real Madrid have been afforded the opportunity the win the league so early in the season.

?? Another European title is on the line this weekend, this time with Sunday’s showdown between FC Basel and FC Zürich in Switzerland. The Super League has been a duopoly, won only by Basel or Young Boys in each of the past 12 seasons.

Now, Zürich – who were the last (other) team to win the league back in 2009, have the chance to break that cycle. But only if they take three points, at nearest rivals FC Basel!

? Away from league action, there are a couple of Cup Finals to point you in the direction of.

In Austria, Salzburg could seal an eighth league and cup double in the last nine seasons – should they overcome SV Reid in the final of the ÖFB Cup. A win for Reid would therefore constitute a massive upset. The side only returned to the top flight last season and currently sit second from bottom, in the Relegation Group standings.

And in Norway, we have the delayed 2021 final of the Cupen. Normally played at the end of our season, which remember is a summer tournament, last year’s format had to be adjusted due to coronavirus restrictions. That means we have the spectacle of Bodø/Glimt – playing in their first final since 2003, against Molde – who last won it back in 2014.

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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!

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The best action to follow this weekend

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Saturday

?? Big nationwide rivalries don’t come much bigger than Der Klassiker, the battle for supremacy in German football between Bayern and Dortmund. And truth be told, since 2012, there also aren’t many as lopsided as this one.

Win on Saturday and Bayern will claim their 10th consecutive Bundesliga title and extend their record run of victories over Dortmund to eight (in all competitions). Should Dortmund pull off a surprise result however, they’d likely only delay the inevitable. A victory leaves them seven points behind with three games remaining.

But where there’s hope, there’s a way, as they say…unless perhaps you’re a student of the German game over the last decade.

?? In Spain, the Copa del Rey takes centre-stage on Saturday with the two of the country’s less-heralded sides competing in the 2022 Final.

That said, Real Betis and Valencia do have 10 Copa titles between them, and Valencia did win it as recently as 2019 but this is the only the second time in 14 years that one, or two of the big three – Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atlético, haven’t featured in the showpiece.

Betis come in to the game off the back of a midweek defeat to Elche as they compete for Champions League qualification in the league (they currently sit fifth) whilst Valencia have won just one of their last six and are very much mid-table in La Liga.

??????? There’s five Premier League games scheduled across the day, with perhaps the most crucial coming in the early kick-off at the Emirates. Arsenal vs. Manchester United may have decided the title in years gone by but this time, it’s all about catching Spurs and more specifically, the fourth Champions League qualification spot.

A home win would put Arsenal above their London rivals whilst a victory for Ralf Rangnick’s under-pressure squad would leave all three sides level on 57 points.

Spurs do have the chance to remedy all that by winning their own game later in the day – they play away at Brentford, who appear to revel in causing an upset since their promotion to the top flight. There will also be an emotional reunion with former player Christian Eriksen.

In the battle for the title itself, Manchester City can extend their one-point lead at the top of the table, should they beat Watford at home. And in games featuring sides still fighting against relegation, Aston Villa go to Leicester City and Norwich City entertain Newcastle United.

?? The Serie A title race remains on a knife-edge with the top three separated by four points going in to a weekend where most sides have five games to play.

Inter, who sit second have the opportunity to move above rivals Milan on goal difference, if they can overcome former manager José Mourinho and his current club Roma, on Saturday evening. The Nerazzurri also have the advantage of having played a game less than the sides around them.

?? There was a full midweek round of games in Ligue 1 where the key result – a comeback win for Marseille at home to Nantes ensured that PSG had to put the title-winning champagne on ice and re-focus on their Saturday fixture against Lens.

A win at the Parc des Princes will give PSG their 10th league title, regardless of results elsewhere and perhaps grant Mauricio Pochettino a little more time at the helm after a difficult season on and off the pitch.

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Sunday

??????? The Merseyside Derby dominates proceedings on Sunday as Liverpool look to reign in Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table and Everton search for all the points they can get in the battle to avoid the drop.

Burnley’s win over Southampton on Thursday night leaves Everton perilously close to the relegation zone so for the Blue half of the city, a repeat of the 2-0 win they enjoyed at Anfield last season would be very much welcomed. Anyone who watched Liverpool take Manchester United apart on Tuesday night however, might just fear for Frank Lampard’s defence.

Amongst the day’s other games, Chelsea will look to return to winning ways against London rivals West Ham and Brighton meet Southampton on the South Coast.

?? In Serie A on Sunday, the Milan vs. Rome double is completed as Milan go to Lazio 24 hours after Inter’s clash with Roma.

Prior to Milan’s 3-0 defeat to Inter in Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final, the current leaders hadn’t conceded a goal in six games but you can expect Lazio’s Ciro Immobile, the league’s top scorer to test that record. The day’s other key fixture comes as Napoli go to Empoli hoping to keep themselves within touching distance of the Milan club’s above them.

?? There’s just one game in La Liga this weekend, and that is essentially the one game in hand that Barcelona have on the rest of the teams battling it out to finish second behind Real Madrid.

Xavi’s side picked up a vital win at Real Sociedad on Thursday night, meaning they are now unbeaten in 13 away games – their best run since 2019. But on Sunday, they’re back at Camp Nou, scene of recent calamities against Eintracht Frankfurt and Cadíz, to face mid-table Rayo Vallecano.

? The second of this season’s Women’s Champions League semi-finals takes place on Sunday, and that’s the battle between France’s two dominant clubs – Lyon and PSG.

Domestically, PSG managed to end Lyon’s 14-year run of league title wins last season but Lyon have fought back this year, beating their rivals 6-1 in November and boasting a healthy 5-point lead in the current standings. But at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League last season, PSG did knock out Lyon, the competition’s record winners so this tie remains in the balance!

? With FotMob based in Norway we always like to preach the gospel of Nordic football so we’ll end this week by pointing you in the direction of two massive games taking place here, and in Sweden.

Until the recent emergence and dominance of the Europa Conference League-bothering Bodø/Glimt, Rosenborg and Molde were the Eliteserien’s two biggest sides. They meet, in what is just the league’s fourth round of games, at Rosenborg on Sunday.

In Sweden, there’s also an early season clash between fierce Stockholm rivals AIK and Djurgården, which is often sited as the region’s most intense Derby fixture.

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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!

Cover Image from IMAGO

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.

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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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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!

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