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FIVE games to follow this weekend: Man United vs. Liverpool, Rangers vs. Celtic, Copa del Rey Final, and more

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In this weekend preview we summarise the best five games to follow on your match feed. And make a couple of suggestions for matches that you may otherwise miss.

By Bill Biss

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Premier League: Manchester United vs. Liverpool

After a hectic midweek round of top flight action in England – reviewed here – we’re straight back to it for another full set of fixtures over the weekend. For Liverpool, that means a renewal of their old rivalry with fellow North West giants, Manchester United.

The game, at Old Trafford, takes place on Sunday, at a time when Liverpool’s current status as league leaders is likely to have changed again. This is due to both Man City and Arsenal playing their games on Saturday. City go to Palace while the Gunners head to Brighton for the evening kick-off.

In March, these two played out one of the most memorable FA Cup games of recent times – with Manchester United winning 4-3 after extra-time thanks to a last gasp winner from Amad Diallo that was clocked in at 120+1′.

Since then, United have dropped five points across two league games in similar fashion. First, they conceded a stoppage time equaliser in last weekend’s draw at Brentford, and then they conceded two stoppage time goals to turn a 3-2 lead in to a 4-3 defeat at Chelsea on Thursday.

Liverpool have perhaps had the easier fixtures, but they’ve beaten both Brighton and Sheffield United in their consequent games, with both coming at Fortress Anfield, where they haven’t been beaten in the league since October 2022.

🇪🇸 Copa del Rey: Athletic Club vs. Mallorca

LaLiga is on hold in Spain this weekend, with the calendar blanked out in favour of promoting the final of what is the 122nd edition of the Copa del Rey.

Taking place in Seville, Basque side Athletic Club face RCD Mallorca from the Balearic Islands on Saturday night. Two unlikely finalists you might think, with them sitting fifth and 15th in the league, but only if you don’t know your history!

Athletic Club haven’t won the Copa for 40 years but this is still their 40th appearance in the final, with only Barcelona have played in more (42). And while they haven’t won it since 1984, they have featured in six finals since then, with the latest being a 4-0 defeat to Barcelona back in 2021.

For manager Ernesto Valverde, who is in his third stint with the Bilbao side, a piece of silverware would really mark a significant moment in the club’s history, coming as it would on the back of a successful upturn in their fortunes this season.

On the other side of the coin, Mallorca will be playing in their first final since they lifted the trophy in 2003. Having spent a number of years outside the top flight, and even falling as far as the third tier in the intervening period, a trophy win would also be hugely important for them. And it should give them the impetus to secure their league status with only six points separating them and the drop zone as things stand.

🇮🇹 Serie A: Roma vs. Lazio

The Rome Derby, which takes place on Saturday comes at an interesting time for both clubs from Italy’s capital. Roma changed manager in January, and Lazio followed suit in March. So this will be the first chance both sets of fans will get to gauge each other at the beginning of their collective new eras.

Roma have been transformed by the return of former club captain and fan favourite, Daniele De Rossi. And likewise, he has seemingly been inspired by the challenge having failed to leave a lasting impression in his previous coaching role at SPAL. With their form having stagnated under José Mourinho, Roma have consequently won nine of De Rossi’s 14 games in charge, averaging 2.1 points per game. They now sit fifth in the Serie A table, five points down on the Champions League places (as it stands), and six points above their rivals, who sit seventh.

Former Croatia international Igor Tudor was chosen as the permanent replacement for Maurizio Sarri, who’s frustrations with Lazio’s board ultimately led to his resignation. Having finished as runners-up last season, Sarri was looking for some serious investment to build on that. That was not forthcoming, and the Biancocelesti have struggled for form.

Tudor took charge of his first match last weekend, and the new manager bounce was in full effect as Lazio beat Juventus 1-0, at the Olimpico. Tudor was then brought back down to earth on Tuesday, and by the same opposition! Juventus won 2-0 in what was the first leg of a semi-final in the Coppa Italia.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish Premiership: Rangers vs. Celtic

One game not to missed from your matchfeed on Sunday is the meeting between Glasgow’s Old Firm in Scotland. Here, we have one of the most intriguing title races we’ve had for years, with Rangers having been transformed by mid-season managerial appointment Philippe Clement, and Celtic faltering intermittently under the stewardship of the returning Brendan Rodgers.

That said, Celtic do currently lead the table, but they only have a one point advantage and have played a game more than their cross-town rivals. The latest setback for the Hoops came with defeat to Hearts in early March but they have won each of their league games since then, conceding just once in the process.

Rangers failed to capitalise on that rare Celtic slip-up as they too suffered defeat in the same round of games. That was only their second in the league since Clement was appointed back in October – the other being the last derby, which finished 2-1 win to Celtic at the end of December.

Since losing to Motherwell, in March, Rangers have beaten Hibs in both the Cup and the league, but were also knocked out of the Europa League by Benfica over two legs.

With the league split still to come, whoever comes out on top in Sunday’s game will likely take a significant advantage in to the final portion of the campaign.

🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Union Berlin vs. Bayer Leverkusen

With almost every other game in this week’s preview being a derby, a title decider, or both, we still wanted to point you in the direction of runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen. Their game against Union Berlin on Saturday is neither, but it at this point in the season, every game is virtually a final for Xabi Alonso’s side as they close in on what will be their first ever league title.

A treble isn’t out of the question either, as in the week, Leverkusen took their unbeaten run to 40 games as they thrashed Fortuna Düsseldorf to reach the actual final of the DFB Pokal. Plus there’s the quarter-final against West Ham in the Europa League to come.

With seven league games to go, Leverkusen hold a 13 point lead over Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga table. For their part, Union have recovered from a disastrous first half of the season and now sit 12th, 10 points clear of the automatic relegation places.

Plus two further suggestions from a little deeper in your match feed…

🇵🇹 Liga Portugal: Sporting vs. Benfica

If you think that this fixture has come up a lot recently, you would be right. The two Lisbon giants completed a two-legged semi-final in the Taça de Portugal on Tuesday night, with Sporting eventually triumphant 4-3 on aggregate following a 2-2 draw, at Benfica’s ground in the second leg.

But now, the two reunite in the league back at Sporting’s Estádio José Alvalade for an all-important top of the table clash on Saturday night. Just a point separates the two, with Sporting currently in pole position, and with a game in hand. Porto are a distant third so to all intents and purposes, this could well be the title decider.

Both have lost just twice in the league all season – one of Sporting’s came in the reverse derby fixture, with Benfica winning that one 2-1 back in November. Sporting have been scoring more freely, averaging 3 goals per game to Benfica’s 2.3 but it’s Benfica’s defence that’s been more resilient. They’ve conceded just 21 goals, five of which came in a single, miserable defeat at Porto, their other big rivals. Anything similar here, after the cup exit would be disastrous for their season.

🇺🇸 MLS: LAFC vs. LA Galaxy

In MLS, we’ve reached Matchday 8 in the 2024 season and that means that it’s time for the first edition of El Tráfico, the derby between Los Angeles FC and LA Galaxy. Despite the relative youngness of this particular rivalry, this is a game that is gaining notoriety, with animosity between the two sets of supporters, and some memorable, high-scoring clashes having taken place in recent seasons.

The Galaxy, historically, have held the slight upper hand in these meetings, and that’s despite LAFC’s dominance in the league’s Western Conference since they joined the league back in 2018. But on current form, it’s the Galaxy who have had the better start to the campaign – in fact, they lead the standings, and remain unbeaten with three wins and three draws. LAFC sit ninth having won two, drawn one, and lost three.

Last year, the four meetings between the sides across league and cup averaged four goals per game.

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 our new WhatsApp Channel for updates on all the important football going on this weekend!

Images from IMAGO

FIVE games to follow this weekend: Man United vs. Liverpool, Rangers vs. Celtic, Copa del Rey Final, and more

In this weekend preview we summarise the best five games to follow on your match feed. And make a couple of suggestions for matches that you may otherwise miss.

By Bill Biss

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Premier League: Manchester United vs. Liverpool

After a hectic midweek round of top flight action in England – reviewed here – we’re straight back to it for another full set of fixtures over the weekend. For Liverpool, that means a renewal of their old rivalry with fellow North West giants, Manchester United.

The game, at Old Trafford, takes place on Sunday, at a time when Liverpool’s current status as league leaders is likely to have changed again. This is due to both Man City and Arsenal playing their games on Saturday. City go to Palace while the Gunners head to Brighton for the evening kick-off.

In March, these two played out one of the most memorable FA Cup games of recent times – with Manchester United winning 4-3 after extra-time thanks to a last gasp winner from Amad Diallo that was clocked in at 120+1′.

Since then, United have dropped five points across two league games in similar fashion. First, they conceded a stoppage time equaliser in last weekend’s draw at Brentford, and then they conceded two stoppage time goals to turn a 3-2 lead in to a 4-3 defeat at Chelsea on Thursday.

Liverpool have perhaps had the easier fixtures, but they’ve beaten both Brighton and Sheffield United in their consequent games, with both coming at Fortress Anfield, where they haven’t been beaten in the league since October 2022.

🇪🇸 Copa del Rey: Athletic Club vs. Mallorca

LaLiga is on hold in Spain this weekend, with the calendar blanked out in favour of promoting the final of what is the 122nd edition of the Copa del Rey.

Taking place in Seville, Basque side Athletic Club face RCD Mallorca from the Balearic Islands on Saturday night. Two unlikely finalists you might think, with them sitting fifth and 15th in the league, but only if you don’t know your history!

Athletic Club haven’t won the Copa for 40 years but this is still their 40th appearance in the final, with only Barcelona have played in more (42). And while they haven’t won it since 1984, they have featured in six finals since then, with the latest being a 4-0 defeat to Barcelona back in 2021.

For manager Ernesto Valverde, who is in his third stint with the Bilbao side, a piece of silverware would really mark a significant moment in the club’s history, coming as it would on the back of a successful upturn in their fortunes this season.

On the other side of the coin, Mallorca will be playing in their first final since they lifted the trophy in 2003. Having spent a number of years outside the top flight, and even falling as far as the third tier in the intervening period, a trophy win would also be hugely important for them. And it should give them the impetus to secure their league status with only six points separating them and the drop zone as things stand.

🇮🇹 Serie A: Roma vs. Lazio

The Rome Derby, which takes place on Saturday comes at an interesting time for both clubs from Italy’s capital. Roma changed manager in January, and Lazio followed suit in March. So this will be the first chance both sets of fans will get to gauge each other at the beginning of their collective new eras.

Roma have been transformed by the return of former club captain and fan favourite, Daniele De Rossi. And likewise, he has seemingly been inspired by the challenge having failed to leave a lasting impression in his previous coaching role at SPAL. With their form having stagnated under José Mourinho, Roma have consequently won nine of De Rossi’s 14 games in charge, averaging 2.1 points per game. They now sit fifth in the Serie A table, five points down on the Champions League places (as it stands), and six points above their rivals, who sit seventh.

Former Croatia international Igor Tudor was chosen as the permanent replacement for Maurizio Sarri, who’s frustrations with Lazio’s board ultimately led to his resignation. Having finished as runners-up last season, Sarri was looking for some serious investment to build on that. That was not forthcoming, and the Biancocelesti have struggled for form.

Tudor took charge of his first match last weekend, and the new manager bounce was in full effect as Lazio beat Juventus 1-0, at the Olimpico. Tudor was then brought back down to earth on Tuesday, and by the same opposition! Juventus won 2-0 in what was the first leg of a semi-final in the Coppa Italia.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish Premiership: Rangers vs. Celtic

One game not to missed from your matchfeed on Sunday is the meeting between Glasgow’s Old Firm in Scotland. Here, we have one of the most intriguing title races we’ve had for years, with Rangers having been transformed by mid-season managerial appointment Philippe Clement, and Celtic faltering intermittently under the stewardship of the returning Brendan Rodgers.

That said, Celtic do currently lead the table, but they only have a one point advantage and have played a game more than their cross-town rivals. The latest setback for the Hoops came with defeat to Hearts in early March but they have won each of their league games since then, conceding just once in the process.

Rangers failed to capitalise on that rare Celtic slip-up as they too suffered defeat in the same round of games. That was only their second in the league since Clement was appointed back in October – the other being the last derby, which finished 2-1 win to Celtic at the end of December.

Since losing to Motherwell, in March, Rangers have beaten Hibs in both the Cup and the league, but were also knocked out of the Europa League by Benfica over two legs.

With the league split still to come, whoever comes out on top in Sunday’s game will likely take a significant advantage in to the final portion of the campaign.

🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Union Berlin vs. Bayer Leverkusen

With almost every other game in this week’s preview being a derby, a title decider, or both, we still wanted to point you in the direction of runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen. Their game against Union Berlin on Saturday is neither, but it at this point in the season, every game is virtually a final for Xabi Alonso’s side as they close in on what will be their first ever league title.

A treble isn’t out of the question either, as in the week, Leverkusen took their unbeaten run to 40 games as they thrashed Fortuna Düsseldorf to reach the actual final of the DFB Pokal. Plus there’s the quarter-final against West Ham in the Europa League to come.

With seven league games to go, Leverkusen hold a 13 point lead over Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga table. For their part, Union have recovered from a disastrous first half of the season and now sit 12th, 10 points clear of the automatic relegation places.

Plus two further suggestions from a little deeper in your match feed…

🇵🇹 Liga Portugal: Sporting vs. Benfica

If you think that this fixture has come up a lot recently, you would be right. The two Lisbon giants completed a two-legged semi-final in the Taça de Portugal on Tuesday night, with Sporting eventually triumphant 4-3 on aggregate following a 2-2 draw, at Benfica’s ground in the second leg.

But now, the two reunite in the league back at Sporting’s Estádio José Alvalade for an all-important top of the table clash on Saturday night. Just a point separates the two, with Sporting currently in pole position, and with a game in hand. Porto are a distant third so to all intents and purposes, this could well be the title decider.

Both have lost just twice in the league all season – one of Sporting’s came in the reverse derby fixture, with Benfica winning that one 2-1 back in November. Sporting have been scoring more freely, averaging 3 goals per game to Benfica’s 2.3 but it’s Benfica’s defence that’s been more resilient. They’ve conceded just 21 goals, five of which came in a single, miserable defeat at Porto, their other big rivals. Anything similar here, after the cup exit would be disastrous for their season.

🇺🇸 MLS: LAFC vs. LA Galaxy

In MLS, we’ve reached Matchday 8 in the 2024 season and that means that it’s time for the first edition of El Tráfico, the derby between Los Angeles FC and LA Galaxy. Despite the relative youngness of this particular rivalry, this is a game that is gaining notoriety, with animosity between the two sets of supporters, and some memorable, high-scoring clashes having taken place in recent seasons.

The Galaxy, historically, have held the slight upper hand in these meetings, and that’s despite LAFC’s dominance in the league’s Western Conference since they joined the league back in 2018. But on current form, it’s the Galaxy who have had the better start to the campaign – in fact, they lead the standings, and remain unbeaten with three wins and three draws. LAFC sit ninth having won two, drawn one, and lost three.

Last year, the four meetings between the sides across league and cup averaged four goals per game.

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 our new WhatsApp Channel for updates on all the important football going on this weekend!

Images from IMAGO