It’s the final weekend of domestic action in 2018 in some countries, while in others, it’s just the first round of holiday fixtures. I’ll be keeping a keen eye on these cracking games.
Reaction to a truly fantastic round of 16 draw in the Champions League. Some ties have the sense of immense history, while others have sheer unpredictability. I analyze how the teams stack up against each other, look at the mental and tactical battles, all, while somehow trying to pick the winners.
With European action done and dusted for the year, it’s time for a hectic period of domestic football starting with this weekend. I’ll be keeping an eye on these games.
The halfway point of the domestic season is creeping on us. Another round of cracking games to take us there including these ones on the weekend.
After some defining fixtures in Europe midweek, its time for another absorbing weekend of domestic football in Europe’s top 5 leagues. Here are the games I am going to follow keenly.
With the last international break of the year out of the way, we can finally focus on four months of non-stop domestic football. In the eyes of many, this is where the season actually starts. The stakes get higher and the pretenders are separated from the contenders. This coming weekend already provides us with some early markers to set the tone for the rest of the season. Can’t wait to watch these matches.
The domestic calendar breaks for international football for the last time after this weekend, but what a weekend it is! Der Klassiker and the Manchester Derby capture the imagination, but there are all sorts of tantalizing games for football fans to enjoy. Here are my picks.
Another weekend of exciting football is on our doorstep. Here are my games to watch this weekend, including two top-of-the-table clashes in France featuring Lille and Montpellier. Who saw that coming?
It goes without saying that El Clasico will be foremost in the minds of football fans this weekend and I am no different. That being said, there are a lot of other interesting matches to look forward to as well. These are my picks for games to keep an eye on.
The Nations League is undeniably growing on me, but the feeling of club football returning after a two-week hiatus simply can’t be beaten. Some big games to welcome us back from the international break, with these in particular capturing my attention.
Fans of German football are excited. There is anticipation for a long overdue Bundesliga title race. Borussia Dortmund’s four-point lead over Bayern Munich gives everyone a semblance of hope. The leaders are playing sumptuous football while the champions are in a rut. Looking at various aspects, Wasim assesses Dortmund’s title challenge this season.
One almost resents the disruption caused by mid season international football, but this last weekend before the break serves up some tasty fixtures. I am looking forward to these games in particular.
The opportunity to top La Liga was on offer in the latest iteration of the Madrid Derby, but chances created on the pitch were few and far between. Wasim wonders how Real and Atletico can both incorporate some x-factor in their attacking play, while also praising the contributions of both goalkeepers for maintaining solidity when the stakes are high.
A fixture that has traditionally been known for its attritional qualities flipped the script as Chelsea and Liverpool played out a high-quality and entertaining draw at Stamford Bridge. Wasim effuses praise for both Maurizio Sarri and Jurgen Klopp, while also suggesting ideas that either manager could have implemented to change the game.
The battle between Italy’s top two lived up to the hype, much like recent encounters between Juventus and Napoli. The battles were interesting to watch, including Allegri vs Ancelotti and Napoli’s attack vs Juve’s defence. Wasim also assesses whether Ronaldo lived up to the occasion in the Bianconeri’s biggest test of the domestic campaign so far.
The Rome Derby had its usual share of excitement and talking points. Wasim Parkar looks back on Roma’s 3-1 win and analyzes where the game was won and lost. Lorenzo Pellegrini certainly had his best game of the season, but could it be that a lot of the players on display have yet to reach their best levels this season?
This is a weekend that speaks for itself. Some really big games, amongst which are #ROMLAZ #JUVNAP #CHELIV & #RMAATL.
Analysis on Sevilla’s fantastic 3-0 win over Real Madrid at the Sanchez Pizjuan. Kudos to Pablo Machin, Ever Banega and Andre Silva. Questions for Lopategui in the wake of Isco’s absence. #SevillaRealMadrid #SEVRMA
Nothing better than some midweek domestic cup and league games to keep the football juices flowing. I’ll be keeping a keen eye on these fixtures.
After the first matchdays of the Champions League and Europa League, it’s time to look ahead to these interesting games this weekend.
Fans are inundated with new football podcasts every season. I tried to do one myself, but it was an arduous task, especially since I live in a culture where football isn’t mainstream. So, I am trying something new - a football microcast. More spontaneous, regular and bite sized analysis of the beautiful game. It’s going to be an amazing ride!
It’s time for another weekend of awesome European football. For different reasons, these are the games I am looking forward to.
Another football weekend is almost here. This time I am looking forward to 15 games. That’s correct — 15. In chronological order, these are the games.
After all the buildup and hype, Inter promptly started their Serie A season with a 1-0 loss away to Sassuolo. I get the pre-season optimism about Inter. It is Luciano Spalletti’s second season in charge, they are back in the Champions League and they’ve made some excellent signings to boot.
There’s also the fact that with both Milan clubs, there is a strong sense of nostalgia amongst their fans. This nostalgia and yearning for success is also prevalent in the media, which then collectively jumps on a narrative to promote the idea that success is around the corner. To an extent, this is understandable. Writing about Juve winning 10 successive Italian titles is boring after all.
However, the desire for a challenge at the top and promoting the chances of success at a historical club shouldn’t come at the expense of obvious football logic. Yes, this is Spalletti’s second season in charge, but Spalletti has never won Serie A. Yes, the likes of Nainggolan, Politano, Keita Balde and others are exciting signings, but do they have league-winning experience or pedigree? There seems to be a collective failure to recall that Inter scraped into the Champions League on the last day of last season. Surely the jump from finishing fourth by the tiniest of margins to challenging for the league is a bit premature.
Like many others, I too want Inter, and for that matter - Milan, to compete for honours. But let’s realize they are still a work in progress, and fighting a campaign on dual fronts with many players who will have their first taste of Champions League action won’t be easy.
In the mean, can we have some appreciation for Napoli and Roma? After all, these two clubs ran Juve really close in the past three years, racking up record points totals for teams finishing second. This past weekend, they had tricky assignments away from home and came away with three points despite not playing so well. Conventional wisdom would rightly dictate Juve have no peers in Italy. Yet if we are looking for some challengers, lets look at the two clubs that have done it recently on a consistent basis rather than the glorious history books. Let’s enjoy Napoli and Roma a little more, shall we?
Amongst the many exciting signings that Milan made last summer, I thought Andre Silva was one player who didn’t get his fair share of opportunities. Neither Vincenzo Montella nor Gennaro Gattuso trusted Silva to start games. This, despite the fact that Silva had an exceptional scoring record for Milan when starting in the Europa League, as well as some crucial game-winning goals when coming off the bench in the second half of last season’s campaign.
I’d like to think that someone in the upper echelons at Milan saw something in Silva, because wisely the Rossoneri have only loaned, in stead of selling of him to Sevilla. To me, it came as no surprise to see Silva hit the ground running in Spain, opening his campaign with a hat trick in Sevilla’s opening day demolition away to Rayo Vallecano. Supported by a midfield that understood his intelligent runs and a manager who trusts him, the young Portuguese played with a confidence and swagger that was missing last season.
As many football fans and journalists suffer from recency bias, it has been forgotten how proven a talent Silva was at Porto. I for one, am looking forward to seeing him playing regularly at Sevilla and becoming an even more refined player as the season goes on.