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FIVE games to follow this weekend: El Clasico, Milan Derby, FA Cup semi-finals, 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

🇪🇸 LaLiga: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona

Ah, a game that needs little introduction, or context, but one that perhaps you weren’t aware was taking place this weekend. That’s right, at the end of a busy week of Champions League quarter-finals – which saw contrasting results for both sides – the two Spanish giants face off against each other on Sunday night.

Barcelona were humbled by PSG at home, eventually losing 6-4 on aggregate, while Madrid knocked out holders Manchester City, away from home, on penalties, having played on the back foot throughout the 120 minutes of the second leg – see this one-sided momentum chart for evidence.

Domestically speaking, this game has the potential to decide the title in LaLiga, although not mathematically, with five more rounds left to play. With a win, Madrid would extend their lead in the table to 11 points. Lose and Barcelona, who sit second, would narrow the gap to five points and questions would be asked about the mentality of Carlo Ancelotti’s side and whether the upcoming Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich could be a distraction!

Madrid are now unbeaten in 16 competitive games, and Barcelona were on a similar run up until Tuesday, going 13 games without defeat. In almost all metrics, Madrid better Barcelona on paper this season, from goals scored per game (2.2 to 2) to clean sheets (16 to 14), and Los Blancos have also come out on top in their two previous meetings this season.

A Vinícius Júnior hat-trick inspired them to a 4-1 victory in the final of the Super Copa in January, and Jude Bellingham’s second half brace turned a 1-0 deficit in to a 2-1 win in Barcelona back in October.

🇮🇹 Serie A: AC Milan vs. Inter

We’re happy to extend this weekend preview in order to include this battle between the two tenants at San Siro, in the Derby della Madonnina. And it’s no ordinary Milan Derby either, as unlike Madrid, Inter do have the opportunity to mathematically seal the Serie A title against their biggest rivals.

Simone Inzaghi’s Inter side are way out in front, 14 points clear of Milan, who sit second, and they will confirm what will be their 20th Italian league title with a win. If Milan manage to take points from the game, it will surely only delay the inevitable, but at least they won’t be the side who ‘gifted’ Inter the title.

And it’s especially a big deal due to the significance of a 20th league win in Italian football. When Inter do confirm the win, they’ll be entitled to add a second star to the badge on their shirts. Currently, only Inter, Milan, and Juventus wear stars on their shirts, each one signifying 10 Scudetto wins, and only Juve would have more stars than Inter, having lifted the trophy 36 times.

AC Milan suffered European heartbreak in the week, losing to Serie A rivals Roma in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, but they are currently unbeaten in seven domestic games, winning five times during that run. Inter’s run is more notable, their only blemish across 18 games played in 2024 was the penalty shootout defeat to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16.

And Inter can also boast of having won each of the last five derby games – September’s 5-1 thrashing being the latest in a sequence that also includes the epic Champions League semi-final last season, and a Super Coppa final in 2023.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 FA Cup: Manchester City vs. Chelsea

There has been some controversy around the FA Cup this week, the world’s oldest Cup competition, with the news that replays for games where the scores are level after 90 minutes are to be scrapped from the first round onwards, from next season. This has, traditionally, been one of the biggest facets of the competition, with numerous ‘Cupsets’ that have gone down in English football folklore having come after lower league sides have managed to hold a big team, then beat them in a return game that has not only generated prestige but much needed revenue for that club.

But putting that thorny issue to the side for a moment, this weekend sees the two, one leg, semi-finals in this year’s competition get decided at Wembley Stadium. In the first, played on Saturday, Manchester City must get over the disappointment of their midweek loss in the Champions League, as they prepare to come up against an in-form Chelsea side that are aiming to reach their second domestic cup final of the season.

The Blues are unbeaten since losing February’s Carabao Cup Final to Liverpool and they looked rampant in their 6-0 win over Everton on Monday night, with former-City player Cole Palmer scoring four of their goals.

City, of course, are one of the three sides involved in the Premier League title race, and due to their involvement here, they may well lose their current place at the top of the standings. That, combined with Champions League and FA Cup exits in the space of a week would be surely too much to bear for last season’s treble winners! And we’re sure Pep Guardiola will be demanding a reaction from his side of superstars.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 FA Cup: Coventry City vs. Manchester United

On Sunday, it’s time for one of those potential ‘Cupsets’ as Championship side Coventry City take on Premier League giants Manchester United in the other FA Cup semi-final, albeit a rather inconsistent version of the Manchester United side that has won this competition 12 times.

Coventry too, have FA Cup pedigree of their own, beating Spurs after extra-time to the lift the trophy back in 1987. The Sky Blues will be looking to evoke the heroes of that day, and may be reliant on their two in-form strikers – USMNT striker Haji Wright has 17 goals to his name this season, and Ellis Simms has 18, five of which have come in the Cup. They are, though, on a poor run in the league, with three defeats in their last four scuppering any outside chance of making the play-offs. That could, of course, only encourage them to go for it in a one-off game.

For their part, Manchester United come in to the match without a win in four, with their last victory being the dramatic 4-3 thriller against Liverpool in the last round of the Cup. Seventh in the Premier League table, this competition is probably what United boss Erik ten Hag is also concentrating his efforts on as he fights to protect his diminishing reputation with the club’s new owners.

🇫🇷 Ligue 1: PSG vs. Lyon

The Ligue 1 title is another among Europe’s big five that is all but decided. And PSG can take another step closer to extending their own record as the most decorated French club if they can overcome Lyon in Paris on Sunday night.

The game comes roughly 24 hours after the two club’s women’s sides meet in the semi-finals of the Champions League on Saturday, a game that on paper, looks like being a much closer affair.

That might be doing Lyon’s men’s side something of an injustice, though, as they have been much improved since the turn of the year. After a disastrous start to the campaign, when even the talk of relegation had been seriously considered by pundits, the promotion of manager Pierre Sage from within the club, in November, appears to have steadied the ship. They’re unbeaten in five games in the league, winning four of those, and are now up to sixth in the table.

Lyon have also made it to the final of the Coupe de France, where they will face PSG again in May. So this weekend’s match is something of a taster for that.

At present, PSG will be on a high following the 4-1 hammering of Barcelona in Barcelona on Tuesday night, and they currently hold a 10-point advantage in the Ligue 1 table with only six games left to play. They are averaging 2.3 goals per game in the league this season while conceding just 0.9 goals per game and as you may expect, Kylian Mbappé leads the goalscoring charts with 24 goals to his name (an astonishing 41 in all competitions).

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

🇺🇸 MLS: LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes

The first Cali Clásico of the season, California’s older MLS Derby, takes place on Sunday evening as Western Conference leaders LA Galaxy welcome San Jose to Carson City. With four wins from their opening eight games, the Galaxy are already two points clear in the standings and are also the top scorers. The Earthquakes, however, have just one win and seven defeats to their name, having also shipped 20 goals, a record that leaves them bottom of the entire league.

🇧🇷 Brasileirão: Palmeiras vs. Flamengo

Also on Sunday, we thought we’d point you in the direction of an early season big hitter in the Brazilian top flight. Palmeiras and Flamengo have shared six of the last seven titles (and four of the last five Copa Libertadores titles) and they meet in São Paulo on just the third weekend of the 2024 campaign.

So far, Flamengo, who finished a distant fourth to Palmeiras’ title winning side last season, have won both their games so far, both by a 2-1 scoreline whereas the Verdão won their opening game but then lost their home opener against Internacional during the week.

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 our Social channels for updates on all the important football going on this weekend – search @FotMob on x, @fotmobapp everywhere else!

Images from IMAGO

FIVE games to follow this weekend: El Clasico, Milan Derby, FA Cup semi-finals, 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

🇪🇸 LaLiga: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona

Ah, a game that needs little introduction, or context, but one that perhaps you weren’t aware was taking place this weekend. That’s right, at the end of a busy week of Champions League quarter-finals – which saw contrasting results for both sides – the two Spanish giants face off against each other on Sunday night.

Barcelona were humbled by PSG at home, eventually losing 6-4 on aggregate, while Madrid knocked out holders Manchester City, away from home, on penalties, having played on the back foot throughout the 120 minutes of the second leg – see this one-sided momentum chart for evidence.

Domestically speaking, this game has the potential to decide the title in LaLiga, although not mathematically, with five more rounds left to play. With a win, Madrid would extend their lead in the table to 11 points. Lose and Barcelona, who sit second, would narrow the gap to five points and questions would be asked about the mentality of Carlo Ancelotti’s side and whether the upcoming Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich could be a distraction!

Madrid are now unbeaten in 16 competitive games, and Barcelona were on a similar run up until Tuesday, going 13 games without defeat. In almost all metrics, Madrid better Barcelona on paper this season, from goals scored per game (2.2 to 2) to clean sheets (16 to 14), and Los Blancos have also come out on top in their two previous meetings this season.

A Vinícius Júnior hat-trick inspired them to a 4-1 victory in the final of the Super Copa in January, and Jude Bellingham’s second half brace turned a 1-0 deficit in to a 2-1 win in Barcelona back in October.

🇮🇹 Serie A: AC Milan vs. Inter

We’re happy to extend this weekend preview in order to include this battle between the two tenants at San Siro, in the Derby della Madonnina. And it’s no ordinary Milan Derby either, as unlike Madrid, Inter do have the opportunity to mathematically seal the Serie A title against their biggest rivals.

Simone Inzaghi’s Inter side are way out in front, 14 points clear of Milan, who sit second, and they will confirm what will be their 20th Italian league title with a win. If Milan manage to take points from the game, it will surely only delay the inevitable, but at least they won’t be the side who ‘gifted’ Inter the title.

And it’s especially a big deal due to the significance of a 20th league win in Italian football. When Inter do confirm the win, they’ll be entitled to add a second star to the badge on their shirts. Currently, only Inter, Milan, and Juventus wear stars on their shirts, each one signifying 10 Scudetto wins, and only Juve would have more stars than Inter, having lifted the trophy 36 times.

AC Milan suffered European heartbreak in the week, losing to Serie A rivals Roma in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, but they are currently unbeaten in seven domestic games, winning five times during that run. Inter’s run is more notable, their only blemish across 18 games played in 2024 was the penalty shootout defeat to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16.

And Inter can also boast of having won each of the last five derby games – September’s 5-1 thrashing being the latest in a sequence that also includes the epic Champions League semi-final last season, and a Super Coppa final in 2023.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 FA Cup: Manchester City vs. Chelsea

There has been some controversy around the FA Cup this week, the world’s oldest Cup competition, with the news that replays for games where the scores are level after 90 minutes are to be scrapped from the first round onwards, from next season. This has, traditionally, been one of the biggest facets of the competition, with numerous ‘Cupsets’ that have gone down in English football folklore having come after lower league sides have managed to hold a big team, then beat them in a return game that has not only generated prestige but much needed revenue for that club.

But putting that thorny issue to the side for a moment, this weekend sees the two, one leg, semi-finals in this year’s competition get decided at Wembley Stadium. In the first, played on Saturday, Manchester City must get over the disappointment of their midweek loss in the Champions League, as they prepare to come up against an in-form Chelsea side that are aiming to reach their second domestic cup final of the season.

The Blues are unbeaten since losing February’s Carabao Cup Final to Liverpool and they looked rampant in their 6-0 win over Everton on Monday night, with former-City player Cole Palmer scoring four of their goals.

City, of course, are one of the three sides involved in the Premier League title race, and due to their involvement here, they may well lose their current place at the top of the standings. That, combined with Champions League and FA Cup exits in the space of a week would be surely too much to bear for last season’s treble winners! And we’re sure Pep Guardiola will be demanding a reaction from his side of superstars.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 FA Cup: Coventry City vs. Manchester United

On Sunday, it’s time for one of those potential ‘Cupsets’ as Championship side Coventry City take on Premier League giants Manchester United in the other FA Cup semi-final, albeit a rather inconsistent version of the Manchester United side that has won this competition 12 times.

Coventry too, have FA Cup pedigree of their own, beating Spurs after extra-time to the lift the trophy back in 1987. The Sky Blues will be looking to evoke the heroes of that day, and may be reliant on their two in-form strikers – USMNT striker Haji Wright has 17 goals to his name this season, and Ellis Simms has 18, five of which have come in the Cup. They are, though, on a poor run in the league, with three defeats in their last four scuppering any outside chance of making the play-offs. That could, of course, only encourage them to go for it in a one-off game.

For their part, Manchester United come in to the match without a win in four, with their last victory being the dramatic 4-3 thriller against Liverpool in the last round of the Cup. Seventh in the Premier League table, this competition is probably what United boss Erik ten Hag is also concentrating his efforts on as he fights to protect his diminishing reputation with the club’s new owners.

🇫🇷 Ligue 1: PSG vs. Lyon

The Ligue 1 title is another among Europe’s big five that is all but decided. And PSG can take another step closer to extending their own record as the most decorated French club if they can overcome Lyon in Paris on Sunday night.

The game comes roughly 24 hours after the two club’s women’s sides meet in the semi-finals of the Champions League on Saturday, a game that on paper, looks like being a much closer affair.

That might be doing Lyon’s men’s side something of an injustice, though, as they have been much improved since the turn of the year. After a disastrous start to the campaign, when even the talk of relegation had been seriously considered by pundits, the promotion of manager Pierre Sage from within the club, in November, appears to have steadied the ship. They’re unbeaten in five games in the league, winning four of those, and are now up to sixth in the table.

Lyon have also made it to the final of the Coupe de France, where they will face PSG again in May. So this weekend’s match is something of a taster for that.

At present, PSG will be on a high following the 4-1 hammering of Barcelona in Barcelona on Tuesday night, and they currently hold a 10-point advantage in the Ligue 1 table with only six games left to play. They are averaging 2.3 goals per game in the league this season while conceding just 0.9 goals per game and as you may expect, Kylian Mbappé leads the goalscoring charts with 24 goals to his name (an astonishing 41 in all competitions).

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

🇺🇸 MLS: LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes

The first Cali Clásico of the season, California’s older MLS Derby, takes place on Sunday evening as Western Conference leaders LA Galaxy welcome San Jose to Carson City. With four wins from their opening eight games, the Galaxy are already two points clear in the standings and are also the top scorers. The Earthquakes, however, have just one win and seven defeats to their name, having also shipped 20 goals, a record that leaves them bottom of the entire league.

🇧🇷 Brasileirão: Palmeiras vs. Flamengo

Also on Sunday, we thought we’d point you in the direction of an early season big hitter in the Brazilian top flight. Palmeiras and Flamengo have shared six of the last seven titles (and four of the last five Copa Libertadores titles) and they meet in São Paulo on just the third weekend of the 2024 campaign.

So far, Flamengo, who finished a distant fourth to Palmeiras’ title winning side last season, have won both their games so far, both by a 2-1 scoreline whereas the Verdão won their opening game but then lost their home opener against Internacional during the week.

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 our Social channels for updates on all the important football going on this weekend – search @FotMob on x, @fotmobapp everywhere else!

Images from IMAGO