Football Weekend Fixtures Dec 6-9

Another weekend of interesting football in the top 5 leagues awaits us. The Manchester derby is the talk of the town in England, but in terms of title race implications it doesn’t get better than Inter taking on Roma and Lazio hosting Juve. Even at this early stage of the season, the fallout from these two fixtures could be significant. Borussia Monchengladbach have had a dream start to the season with relatively little pressure. Hosting a wounded Bayern puts them in the spotlight this weekend and we may find out if we have a genuine title contender in addition to the usual suspects in the Bundesliga. Finally, after some years of mediocrity, former title rivals Marseille and Bordeaux are looking better with each passing round. Their battle — between 2nd and 3rd no less, should be a treat in France. ⚽️

Midweek League Fixtures Dec 3-5

The weekend’s football had the most incredible denouement with Cagliari staying in 4th after a remarkable game against Sampdoria on Monday, when the Sardinians came back from 3-1 down in the 70th minute to win in stoppage time. That sets a high bar for the league fixtures this midweek. England and France continue their campaigns while the other leagues watch on.

There are some heavy fixtures as Amazon debuts live Premier League action in the UK. Top billing goes to Jose Mourinho returning to United with Spurs. 45 minutes later another high profile game kicks off with the Merseyside derby at Anfield. Some interesting games in France as well, where Marseille can lay strong claims to being the second best team if they can win away at 3rd place Angers. ⚽️

Football Weekend Fixtures Nov 29 - Dec 2

European football delivered another anthralling midweek, hence the domestic weekend has a lot to live up to. The biggest game of the weekend is undoubtedly Barcelona vs Atletico, even moreso because both haven’t played well at all despite their lofty positions in the league table. There’s also the Valencia derby between two extremely talented teams that are underperforming. In England we have all sorts of interesting matches, not all necessarily jostling for position, but also because of the pressure certain managers are under. Speaking of managers under pressure, how about Lucien Favre taking his beleagured Dortmund side to Hertha who will be managed for the first time by German hero Jurgen Klinsmann. Should make for a fascinating weekend! ⚽️

Football Weekend Fixtures Nov 22-25

When conceptualizing this entry earlier in the week I was going to celebrate the fact that club football would now be uninterrupted for the next four months. To top it off, we are welcomed back to the domestic scene with three clashes featuring teams with attacking mindsets taking on each other - Manchester City vs Chelsea, Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad and Atalanta vs Juventus. I am still looking forward to those three games in particular. However, events at Tottenham in midweek have left me in a bit of a daze. Hence, unsurprisingly West Ham vs Spurs — which I must say is an entertaining game anyways — now takes top billing. The “changed” Mourinho takes his new team to West Ham where Manuel Pellegrini is under increasing pressure. The “Old” Mourinho never hesitated for a second before insulting the Chilean veteran on various occassions. Will the “new” Mourinho relish delivering the coup de grâce for the Hammers boss?

Football Weekend Fixtures Nov 8-10

While nobody looks forward to the international break, at least we are going out with a bang as the weekend features some cracking fixtures. Its the biggest game of the Premier League as Liverpool welcome City in what could be a campaign defining clash featuring the two best managers in world football. Equally significant in Germany is Dortmund’s visit to Bayern for Der Klassiker, where there are so many questions to answer. These two fixtures alone would suffice, but we also have the Choc des Olympiques in France between two managers eager to make a statement, the most intense derby in Spain, some relegation six-pointers, a few derbies and Leicester host Arsenal in a game that can completely change the dynamic of the top four race in England. Enough said! ⚽️

Football Weekend Fixtures Nov 1-4

Its a weekend that has plenty of interesting fixtures if not outright big games. Sevilla host Atletico in a match between two teams that find goals hard to come by - one because they can’t finish chances, the other because they can’t create any. Roma and Napoli have been champions league regulars from Serie A, but the consistency of Atalanta means the stakes are just that much higher in this top 4 battle. Not many would have predicted Wolfsburg to be the last remaining unbeaten team in the Bundesliga, which makes their clash at Dortmund an acid test for both teams for differing reasons.

This microblog however is not dedicated just to the cream of the crop - there’s plenty of intrigue in the bottom halves of leagues as well. Two cities that consider themselves rivals in every aspect of life are Dusseldorf and Cologne. Fans of both teams have had to wait 23 years to face each other in the Bundesliga, which only adds to the tension of a relegation six-pointer. This Rhineland rivalry however, may pale in comparison to the first ever Berlin derby in the Bundesliga. Union hosting Hertha is likely to have one of the best atmospheres of the season, with the newly promoted underdogs waiting eagerly to face their more established neighbours. I for one, can’t wait for this spectacle!

Midweek League Fixtures Oct 29-31

Its an interesting midweek on the continent. While England, France and Germany have cup action, there are important rounds of league fixtures in both Italy and Spain. Top billing goes to Valencia vs Sevilla and Napoli vs Atalanta. With both games being played simultaneously, its time for some split screen action on Wednesday! ⚽️

Football Weekend Fixtures Oct 25-27

There is a gaping hole in the fixture calendar this week after the postponement of El Clasico. Some things are bigger than sport after all. Nevertheless, there is plenty to look forward to this weekend. Liverpool and Spurs face off for the first time since the Champions League final. The top 9 are separated by only 2 points in Germany, which naturally makes for some interesting games, but none more important than the Revierderby. Finally, while we won’t have El Clasico to look forward to, there is at least Le Classique, the biggest game in France. With the clocks changing in Europe this weekend, all Sunday fixtures are an hour later. ⚽️

Football Weekend Fixtures Oct 18-21

United vs Liverpool after the international break - don’t get your hopes too high. In the Borussia battle, can Gladbach make a real statement of intent? Atletico and Valencia face off with both teams needing a real kickstart to their season. Not much else to really get excited about this weekend.

Football Weekend Fixtures Oct 4-6

If the domestic action is half as good as what we witnessed in European competition this week, we are in for one hell of a football weekend. First takes on second in three leagues across the continent. With the greatest respect to Granada and Angers — who both deserve credit for being 2nd in La Liga and Ligue 1 respectively, the top of the table clash that everyone is looking forward to is the Derby d’Italia, when Antonio Conte’s Inter welcome Maurizio Sarri’s Juve. Plenty of other interesting games highlighted in blue including tricky visitors to Anfield and the Camp Nou. Final word goes to Sassuolo’s owner Giorgio Squinzi, who passed away on Wednesday. He was a true patron of the club, taking them from Serie C2 to mainstays in Serie A. As a mark of respect, Sassuolo’s game away to Brescia was postponed. ⚽️

Football Weekend Fixtures Sep 27-30

An interesting week of midweek football only serves to whet the appetitie for the upcoming weekend. The biggest game is undoubtedly the Madrid derby featuring two teams that are yet to find the truest versions of themselves this season. There’s also United vs Arsenal, which even now, with its fading sense of history is a game that always enthralls. Finally, a word for Real Sociedad, who are playing some scintillating football at the moment. Their game at Sevilla — who had a Lopetegui-sized meltdown at Eibar — has the potential of being one of the most interesting games of the weekend. As always, big game in red, interesting in blue and all times EST. ⚽️

Midweek League Fixtures September 24-26

It’s the first domestic midweek of the season. While England’s best play second string teams in the EFL Cup and the stars of the Bundesliga take a rest, there are some significant league games in France, Italy and Spain. As always, interesting games in blue, big games in red and all times EST.

Top 5 Leagues Weekend Fixtures September 20 - September 23

After an exciting first week in Europe, its time for teams to knuckle down for another weekend of domestic football. Highlights include the Milan derby, Chelsea vs Liverpool, Julen Lopategui’s table-topping Sevilla welcoming the team that defined his six worst months as a manager, as well as the small matter of Lyon vs PSG in France. As usual, big games in red, interesting games in blue and all times EST.

Leicester’s questionable approach

I felt quite underwhelmed by Leicester’s visit to Old Trafford. Leicester to me, seem like a team who despite their obvious quality still haven’t developed a strut that you associate with Brendan Rodgers’ teams. Similar to their performance away at Stamford Bridge, the Foxes played the first half in an unnecessarily inhibited manner, almost as if they didn’t genuinely believe they should be favourites at Old Trafford. They improved drastically in the second half, but unlike Chelsea, United didn’t lose their defensive shape. Even though the visitors switched play and kept possession in dangerous areas, they ultimately looked quite toothless in the final third. For a manager that prides himself on taking risks, the game must have left a lot to be desired for Rodgers. ⚽️

Top 5 Leagues Weekend Fixtures September 13 - September 16

Thankfully the first international break of the season is out of the way. With the European transfer window also now shut, there is a sense that the season properly begins here. Germany is where its happening this weekend, as the four Champions League representatives face off. The rest of the leagues have some interesting games as well, but the Bundesliga takes the cake. As usual, red for the big games, blue for the interesting and all times EST. ⚽️

Top 5 Leagues Weekend Fixtures August 30 - September 1

Just as you feel the season is beginning to develop the smallest hint of rhythm, the first international break of the campaign comes along. Nevertheless, there is a cracking weekend of football to look forward to and here are all the fixtures of the top five leagues. As usual, the interesting games have blue text, while the big games are in red text. All times EST. ⚽️

Top 5 Leagues Weekend Fixtures August 23-27

98 teams across the top 5 leagues. That was the basis of this site. Starting today, I am introducing a new feature that actually incorporates all 98 teams. This isn’t an earth-shattering idea by any stretch. It’s in fact pretty simple. A list of all the matches taking place in the top 5 leagues on any weekend in one place. That’s it!

I plan to publish this table every week at the very latest by Thursday night Eastern Standard Time. In addition to all the fixtures, I have highlighted the big game of the round in every league with red text, while also marking the most intriguing fixtures with blue text. Since I live in the Greater Toronto Area, all fixture times are EST.

With the Bundesliga and La Liga set to get underway this weekend, we have action from four domestic leagues to look forward to. Here are the games I am going to be keenly following.

1. Athletic vs Barca
2. Everton vs Watford
3. City vs Spurs
4. Gladbach vs Schalke
5. Valencia vs La Real
6. Frankfurt vs Hoffenheim
7. Chelsea vs Leicester
8. Espanyol vs Sevilla
9. Rennes vs PSG
10. Wolves vs United

On Fekir to Betis

Nabil Fekir’s move to Real Betis for a relative pittance has caught many by surprise. One summer on from a failed transfer to Liverpool, the talented Frenchman will look to continue the fine traditions of recent attacking midfielders at the Benito Villamarin. Betis fans have been spoilt by the likes of Dani Ceballos, Fabian Ruiz and Giovanni Lo Celso in recent seasons. In Fekir they might yet get to see a player better than all of the previous incumbents. It is a signing that captures the imagination. At his best Fekir can lift a whole team with him. With a technically strong midfield behind him, Fekir will enjoy having a lot of the ball. The question is are Betis going to boost their attack with some speed merchants to make the best use of Fekir’s qualities? Either way, this is bound to be an interesting ride and it certainly adds an x-factor to La Liga outside the big three at the top of the league.

New Managers in Europe's Top 5 Leagues

Time has flown and the new European football season is almost upon us. It has been a relatively quiet transfer window this summer, but I for one, am looking forward to seeing new faces in the dugout and the impact they are going to have on their clubs. These are the new managers taking charge of their clubs for the upcoming season in Europe’s top five leagues.

England

Brighton - Graham Potter

Chelsea - Frank Lampard

Newcastle - Steve Bruce

France

Brest - Olivier Dall’Oglio

Lyon - Sylvinho

Saint-Etienne - Ghislain Printant

Marseille - Andre Villas-Boas

Amiens - Luka Elsner

Dijon - Stephane Jobard

Germany

Hoffenheim - Alfred Schreuder

RB Leipzig - Julian Nagelsmann

Wolfsburg - Oliver Glasner

Schalke - David Wagner

Borussia Monchengladbach - Marco Rose

Hertha Berlin - Ante Covic

Cologne - Achim Beierlorzer

Italy

Roma - Paulo Fonseca

Juventus - Maurizio Sarri

Milan - Marco Giampaolo

Inter - Antonio Conte

Sampdoria - Eusebio Di Franceso

Genoa - Aurelio Andreazzoli

Hellas Verona - Ivan Juric

Spain

Real Betis - Rubi

Alaves - Asier Garitano

Sevilla - Julen Lopetegui

Espanyol - David Gallego

As the season nears its climax there is a growing sense that the crucial races in Europe’s top 5 leagues are going right down to the wire. It may well end up being the case that the last weekend will be decisive, but with the pressure on and margin for error reducing, some races could end sooner than expected. Here are the crucial games I will be following this weekend.

1. Athletic vs Alaves
2. Spurs vs West Ham
3. Dortmund vs Schalke
4. Southampton vs Bournemouth
5. Watford vs Wolves
6. Inter vs Juve
7. Rennes vs PSG
8. Leicester vs Arsenal
9. Lille vs Nimes
10. Hoffenheim vs Wolfsburg
11. Sociedad vs Getafe
12. United vs Chelsea
13. Sampdoria vs Lazio
14. Torino vs Milan

Thankfully the last international break of the season is out of the way and we can focus purely on club football for what should be a riveting end to the European season. This weekend sees some significant games and I will be keenly following these.

1. Hoffenheim vs Leverkusen
2. Rennes vs Lyon
3. Dortmund vs Wolfsburg
4. Leicester vs Bournemouth
5. United vs Watford
6. Barcelona vs Espanyol
7. West Ham vs Everton
8. Leipzig vs Hertha
9. Sampdoria vs Milan
10. Alaves vs Atletico
11. Strasbourg vs Guingamp
12. Fiorentina vs Torino
13. Roma vs Napoli
14. Sevilla vs Valencia
15. Liverpool vs Spurs
16. Inter vs Lazio

The impending international break seems inopportune for all football fans just as the season is heating up towards an exciting conclusion. Neverthless, this weekend has a good mix of cup and league action to look forward to, with these games in particular having a lot at stake.

1. Watford vs Palace
2. Schalke vs Leipzig
3. Hertha vs Dortmund
4. Wolves vs United
5. Leverkusen vs Werder
6. Lyon vs Montpellier
7. Everton vs Chelsea
8. Valencia vs Getafe
9. Milan vs Inter
10. Betis vs Barca
11. PSG vs Marseille

There is a feeling of after the lord mayor’s show with this weekend’s football considering events in the Champions League. Nevertheless, there are some crackers to look forward to.

1. Alaves vs Eibar
2. Bayern vs Wolfsburg
3. Strasbourg vs Lyon
4. City vs Watford
5. Sampdoria vs Atalanta
6. St Etienne vs Lille
7. Chelsea vs Wolves
8. Arsenal vs United
9. Levante vs Villarreal
10. Sevilla vs Sociedad
11. Fiorentina vs Lazio
12. Marseille vs Nice

The Europa League Round of 16

After two exceptionally dramatic nights of Champions League action it feels difficult to get excited by the Europa League, even though we have now reached the last 16 of the competition. This is the reality of the football calendar we live with now. There is barely a moment to let the action sink in before the next game is in front of us. In that spirit, some quick thoughts looking ahead to the Europa League round of 16.

1. Benfica have the look of dark horses in this competition. The Portuguese giants were runners up in 2013 and 2014, suffering heartbreak in close finals to Chelsea and Sevilla respectively. While Dinamo Zagreb are not to be trifled with, Benfica are riding the crest of a wave under new manager Bruno Lage having climbed to the top of Primeira Liga for the first time this season after a fantastic win away to Porto. Before the English teams started taking the Europa League seriously as a route to the Champions League, it was the Portuguese teams that gave Spanish dominance a run for the money. Benfica look primed to do so again this season.

2. Many consider it their competition. Winning a trophy five times earns you the right to have an aura and sense of destiny. But I don’t recall ever seeing a Sevilla side at this stage of the competition running on fumes. Looking like they were nailed on for Champions League qualification from La Liga for half the season, Sevilla’s form has tailed off dramatically as they now sit six points behind a remarkable Getafe side in fourth. Having played almost 50 games already this season, surely Pablo Machin will have to prioritize between two fronts. A home win against Slavia Prague in the first leg is an absolute must. Can their favourite competition reignite Sevilla’s spark?

3. There are two ties pitting Spanish and Russian clubs against each other - Zenit St Petersburg vs Villarreal and Valencia vs FC Krasnodar. History would suggest backing the La Liga sides, but the Russian teams aren’t to be underestimated. Zenit are former winners themselves, while Krasnodar upset Bayer Leverkusen in the last round. Meanwhile Villarreal are in serious danger of relegation, and though Valencia have picked up their form dramatically since the middle of January, they had an exhausting February. It’s also worth noting that Zenit and Krasnodar are currently first and second in the Russian Premier League. It is understandable that Russia’s best may struggle against the best teams in the Champions League, but it is another matter altogether when they take on sides not at the very top of the big leagues. These two ties promise a lot of intrigue.

4. Chelsea have had a long season with plenty of ups and downs. In addition to being involved in a tussle for Champions League qualification, Maurizio Sarri’s men have also had significant runs in cups. Can Chelsea keep up their motivation for the Europa League? Sarri has rotated heavily in this competition and might well be tempted to do so when facing Dynamo Kiev. Alternatively, there is the prospect of killing the tie in the first leg at home. The answer probably depends on what Sarri’s priorities are. Unlike other managers Sarri isn’t afraid to commit to one competition at the expense of another. Last season he made no bones of the fact that Serie A was the number one priority for Napoli, as they limply exited both, the Champions League and Europa League. He could do the same with the Blues, or he could assess that the risk-reward permutations are different this time around and take the competition seriously.

5. Speaking of Napoli, Carlo Ancelotti has taken a completely different approach from his predecessor when it comes to this competition. He has said it is a priority for Napoli and I think this is the right approach. In fact, I would go as far to say that anything less than a run to the semifinals would constitute a poor season for Napoli on the whole. They really have nothing left to fight for in the league and a continental deep run would be an important addition to the legacy of a team that has won the admiration of many neutrals in recent seasons. That being said, Salzburg are no mugs. The list of teams that have fallen prey to them in the Europa League since last season include Borussia Dortmund, Lazio, RB Leipzig and many others. Only an extra time goal stopped them from making the finals last year. This is an intelligently coached team with dangerous players. If Napoli take their eye off the ball, they can certainly be punished.

6. Eintracht Frankfurt vs Inter. Two former winners and two teams that are an absolute guarantee of drama - the good kind for Frankfurt, less so for Inter! Looking at it objectively, it’s hard to deny that Inter are a more well-rounded team than Frankfurt. They also have a manager who is vastly more experienced in European competition. But logic and Inter don’t go hand in hand. Since January, Inter have lost against Cagliari, Bologna, Torino and drawn against Chievo. If those teams can beat Inter, then a Frankfurt side that have scored six goals in two games against each of Shakhtar Donetsk, Lazio and Marseille certainly can. Expect the best atmosphere of the round in Frankfurt for the first leg. For an Inter team that almost wears fickle as a badge of honour, it could be a nightmare tie. Spalletti needs to find a way to keep his players inspired.

7. The final word goes to Rennes vs Arsenal. When Rennes were drawn against Betis in the last round I thought it would be the end of their European adventure. The feeling was amplified after a first leg at home when they let a 3-1 lead slip to a late 3-3 draw. Momentum seemed lost, but on the back of an inspired Hatem Ben Arfa, they won 3-1 at Betis. Excitement for this game in France has reached unprecedented levels for a Europa League game. Ligue Un agreed to postpone Rennes' game on the weekend so they could be well prepared for Arsenal’s visit, while ticket applications crossed more than 100,000 even before the club put tickets for sale. These are two attacking teams with defensive deficiencies that are clearly there to be exploited. However, the biggest attraction for me in this game is watching Mesut Ozil and Hatem Ben Arfa on the pitch at the same time. Two non-conformists who move at their own rhythm and can light up a game with a sudden moment of magic. My only hope is that they both deliver and entertain their fans and neutrals alike.