Cagliari vs Benevento — Home win
Bologna vs Udinese — Draw
Lazio vs Fiorentina — Draw
Crotone vs Roma — Away win
Sampdoria vs Inter — Away win
Atalanta vs Parma — Home win
Torino vs Verona — Home win
Sassuolo vs Genoa — Draw
Napoli vs Spezia — Home win
Milan vs Juve — Draw
Season so far — 48/109
The new year gets underway with football’s continuous story being told as Serie A and the Bundesliga come back from their “breaks”.
Friday
United vs Villa — 2 of the most in-form teams in the league
Saturday
Spurs vs Leeds — Mourinho vs Bielsa
Betis vs Sevilla — Seville derby
Hertha vs Schalke — Big pressure on the big strugglers
Real vs Celta — Stuttering champs against the most in-form team in Spain
Sunday
Atalanta vs Sassuolo — 2 inspiring unconventional overperformers
Chelsea vs City — Big stakes in a big 6 clash
Monday
Southampton vs Liverpool — Two clubs linked to each other, rather stifled
Inter vs Crotone — Home win
Fiorentina vs Bologna — Home win
Parma vs Torino — Away win
Roma vs Sampdoria — Home win
Atalanta vs Sassuolo — Draw
Genoa vs Lazio — Home win
Cagliari vs Napoli — Draw
Spezia vs Verona — Draw
Benevento vs Milan — Away win
Juve vs Udinese — Home win
Season so far — 43/99
Arminia vs Gladbach – Away win
Cologne vs Augsburg — Home win
Hoffenheim vs Freiburg — Draw
Werder vs Union — Draw
Frankfurt vs Leverkusen — Away win
Hertha vs Schalke — Draw
Stuttgart vs Leipzig — Draw
Dortmund vs Wolfsburg — Draw
Bayern vs Mainz — Home win
Season so far — 28/81
Villarreal vs Levante — Home win
Betis vs Sevilla — Draw
Getafe vs Valladolid — Home win
Real vs Celta — Draw
Athletic vs Elche — Draw
Alaves vs Atletico — Away win
Eibar vs Granada — Home win
La Real vs Osasuna — Home win
Huesca vs Barca — Home win
Valencia vs Cadiz — Home win
Season so far — 45/100
Everton vs West Ham — Home win
United vs Villa — Draw
Spurs vs Leeds — Home win
Palace vs Sheffield Utd — Home win
Brighton vs Wolves — Home win
West Brom vs Arsenal — Away win
Burnley vs Fulham — Draw
Newcastle vs Leicester — Away win
Chelsea vs City — Draw
Southampton vs Liverpool — Away win
Season so far — 41/107
Sevilla vs Villarreal — Home win
Barca vs Eibar — Home win
Levante vs Betis — Home win
Cadiz vs Valladolid — Draw
Granada vs Valencia — Home win
Atletico vs Getafe — Home win
Celta vs Huesca — Home win
Elche vs Real — Away win
Athletic vs La Real — Away win
Osasuna vs Alaves — Home win
Season so far — 38/90
More holiday football to look to forward to this week, with some La Liga to go along with EPL.
Chelsea vs Villa — On the same points, but the visitors with two games in hand
Everton vs City — Carlo vs Pep, unexpected defensive resurgence for both
Sevilla vs Villarreal — Emery history and rivals for 4th
United vs Wolves — Red Devils haven’t won a PL game against Nuno
Athletic vs La Real — The biggest Basque derby
Palace vs Leicester — Away win
Chelsea vs Villa — Draw
Everton vs City — Draw
Brighton vs Arsenal — Away win
Southampton vs West Ham — Home win
West Brom vs Leeds — Home win
Burnley vs Sheffield Utd — Home win
United vs Wolves — Away win
Spurs vs Fulham — Home win
Newcastle vs Liverpool — Away win
Season so far — 38/99
It’s only the Premier League this weekend as they begin their traditional festive programme. These are the games that are interesting this weekend.
Leicester vs United — 2nd vs 3rd
Villa vs Palace — Grealish, Zaha, Eze
Arsenal vs Chelsea — London derby, Arteta vs Lamps after FA Cup final
Liverpool vs West Brom — Supposedly tricky because Allardyce won at Anfield in 2017
Wolves vs Spurs — Nuno vs Jose in a fixture that has delivered in the last two years
Leicester vs United — Draw
Fulham vs Southampton — Away win
Villa vs Palace — Away win
Arsenal vs Chelsea — Home win
City vs Newcastle — Home win
Sheffield Utd vs Everton — Away win
Leeds vs Burnley — Home win
West Ham vs Brighton — Draw
Liverpool vs West Brom — Home win
Wolves vs Spurs — Draw
Season so far — 31/89
The Bundesliga played its last action on the weekend before a small break and the Southern European leagues follow suit this midweek. These are the games I am interested in.
Tuesday
Valencia vs Sevilla — Big rivalry, always fighting to be the best of the rest.
La Real vs Atletico — Tough test for league leaders at team in third.
Wednesday
Verona vs Inter — Tricky game for Conte’s men at a team who raise their game for the best.
Real vs Granada — In-form champions welcome in-form overachievers.
Milan vs Lazio — Always a big clash featuring some mercurial players in form.
Montpellier vs Lille — Sixth welcomes first as two of France’s most stylish teams meet.
Crotone vs Parma — Home win
Juve vs Fiorentina — Home win
Verona vs Inter — Draw
Bologna vs Atalanta — Away win
Milan vs Lazio — Draw
Sampdoria vs Sassuolo — Draw
Napoli vs Torino — Home win
Udinese vs Benevento — Draw
Roma vs Cagliari — Home win
Spezia vs Genoa — Home win
Season so far — 41/89
Rennes vs Metz — Home win
Lens vs Brest — Draw
Bordeaux vs Reims — Home win
Nice vs Lorient — Home win
Nimes vs Dijon — Draw
Lyon vs Nantes — Home win
Monaco vs St Etienne — Draw
Montpellier vs Lille — Draw
PSG vs Strasbourg — Home win
Angers vs Marseille — Away win
Season so far — 36/87
Elche vs Osasuna — Away win
Valencia vs Sevilla — Home win
La Real vs Atletico — Draw
Huesca vs Levante — Home win
Valladolid vs Barca — Draw
Villarreal vs Athletic — Draw
Getafe vs Celta — Home win
Real vs Granada — Home win
Betis vs Cadiz — Home win
Alaves vs Eibar — Home win
Season so far — 34/80
Edin Terzic may have been given the temporary reigns to the dugout at BVB on the basis of being able to connect to the emotion of the club, but all the fire and brimstone in the world can’t compensate for a defensive structure that has serious weaknesses, including individual components like Burki, Akanji and whisper it, Hummels. Thought has to take precedence over emotion if Dortmund genuinely want to get on the right track again.
Here comes another interested weekend of football in the top 5 leagues.
Friday
Union vs Dortmund — Doesn’t get easier for Terzic’s Dortmund at Kopenick.
Saturday
Southampton vs City — Ralph vs Pep with the Austrian higher than the Catalonian.
Barca vs Valencia — Struggling big clubs relying on youth for optimism.
Everton vs Arsenal — Carlo and Mikel meet one year from their appointments.
Leverkusen vs Bayern — Top two clash, with attacks in supreme form.
Sunday
Sassuolo vs Milan — Tough test for the leaders at 6th place hosts.
Spurs vs Leicester — 2nd vs 4th, Jose vs Rodgers, several players in good form.
United vs Leeds — We’ve waited a long time for this historic rivalry.
Atalanta vs Roma — Key game in battle for top 4 spots.
West Brom vs Villa — Big Sam’s return in a derby.
Lazio vs Napoli — Another big game in battle for top 4 spots.
Lille vs PSG — Top two clash with Lille looking the real deal.
Monday
Chelsea vs West Ham — London derby with sides only separated by 1 point.
Metz vs Lens — Away win
Marseille vs Reims — Home win
Nice vs Lyon — Draw
Brest vs Montpellier — Home win
Dijon vs Monaco — Away win
Strasbourg vs Bordeaux — Home win
Nantes vs Angers — Home win
St Etienne vs Nimes — Home win
Lorient vs Rennes — Away win
Lille vs PSG — Draw
Season so far — 33/77
Fiorentina vs Verona — Home win
Sampdoria vs Crotone — Draw
Parma vs Juve — Draw
Torino vs Bologna — Home win
Cagliari vs Udinese — Draw
Benevento vs Genoa — Home win
Sassuolo vs Milan — Home win
Inter vs Spezia — Home win
Atalanta vs Roma — Home win
Lazio vs Napoli — Away win
Season so far — 37/79
Palace vs Liverpool — Away win
Southampton vs City — Away win
Everton vs Arsenal — Draw
Newcastle vs Fulham — Away win
Brighton vs Sheffield Utd — Home win
Spurs vs Leicester — Home win
United vs Leeds — Away win
West Brom vs Villa — Home win
Burnley vs Wolves — Draw
Chelsea vs West Ham — Draw
Season so far — 29/79
Athletic vs Huesca — Draw
Atletico vs Elche — Home win
Barca vs Valencia — Draw
Levante vs La Real — Away win
Osasuna vs Villarreal — Draw
Sevilla vs Valladolid — Home win
Celta vs Alaves — Home win
Granada vs Betis — Draw
Cadiz vs Getafe — Home win
Eibar vs Real — Away win
Season so far — 30/70
Union vs Dortmund — Away win
Gladbach vs Hoffenheim — Draw
Schalke vs Arminia — Draw
Mainz vs Werder — Draw
Leipzig vs Cologne — Home win
Augsburg vs Frankfurt — Away win
Leverkusen vs Bayern — Home win
Freiburg vs Hertha — Draw
Wolfsburg vs Stuttgart — Draw
Season so far — 27/72
End of continental competition so time for some midweek rest, right? Wrong says the football calendar! On and on the relentless machine goes. Here’s what I am looking forward to this midweek.
Tuesday
Wolves vs Chelsea — Nuno needs some answers and Lampard does too.
Stuttgart vs Union — Battle of the thoroughly surprising and entertaining overachievers.
Werder vs Dortmund — First BVB game post-Favre, at a venue they are hit and miss at best.
Real vs Athletic — Will Zidane’s men revert to type after winning three big games?
Wednesday
Juve vs Atalanta — Has been a great game for three seasons now. But what about Papu?
Arsenal vs Southampton — One squad is clearly better, One manager is clearly better. Who will prevail?
Leicester vs Everton — Rodgers vs Ancelotti, with both sides getting their groove back.
Bayern vs Wolfsburg — Tired champions welcome undefeated resolute visitors.
Hoffenheim vs Leipzig — Nagelsmann derby between Germany’s two most hated clubs.
Fulham vs Brighton — Relegation battle with the host playing better football than the visitors.
Liverpool vs Spurs — Top 2, Klopp vs Jose, Kane, Son, Salah and uhm… Curtis Jones.
Barca vs La Real — Sociedad somehow still top La Liga, can they prove it at a weak Barca?
Rennes vs Marseille — Champions League busts with a chance to state domestic intent.
Montpellier 3 Metz 1
Reims 1 Nantes 1
Dijon 0 Lille 2
Nimes 1 Nice 1
Angers 2 Strasbourg 1
PSG 3 Lorient 1
Bordeaux 1 St Etienne 0
Lyon 3 Brest 1
Monaco 3 Lens 2
Rennes 1 Marseille 2
Season so far — 31/67
Frankfurt 2 Gladbach 1
Stuttgart 3 Union 1
Werder 2 Dortmund 2
Hertha 2 Mainz 0
Schalke 1 Freiburg 1
Hoffenheim 1 Leipzig 2
Bayern 1 Wolfsburg 1
Arminia 1 Augsburg 1
Cologne 2 Leverkusen 2
Season so far — 26/63