It’s that time of the week again where we run through a selection of the most exciting matches from Europe’s top leagues taking place this weekend and offer our best bets and value picks.
Southampton v Arsenal (Saturday)
Arsenal’s bid to secure a Champions League spot for next season will be tested again when they clash with Southampton at St. Mary’s Stadium on Saturday. Mikel Arteta’s side are coming off a two-game losing streak, while the Saints welcome back talisman Armando Broja as they look to bounce back from a demoralizing defeat to Chelsea.
Chelsea v Crystal Palace (Sunday)
After exiting the Champions League, Chelsea’s only chance of winning more silverware this season is the FA Cup, and Thomas Tuchel’s side will be confident of booking a place in the final when they face Crystal Palace on Sunday. Patrick Vieira’s side won’t have talisman Conor Gallagher available for the game due to being unable to face his parent club. The Blues will seek their 10th straight win over the Eagles.
Getafe v Villarreal (Sartuday)
Champions League high-flyers Villarreal travel to face Getafe in La Liga action on Saturday. Unai Emery’s men will be high on confidence after downing Bayern Munich and will seek their sixth straight win over the Azulones. Meanwhile, the hosts are looking to bounce back from their recent defeat against Real Madrid.
Barcelona v Cadiz (Monday)
Barcelona are back in La Liga action on Monday as they welcome Cadiz to the Camp Nou. The Catalans have racked up seven wins in a row and will be confident of seeing off the relegation-threatened side who come off a 2-1 home defeat against Real Betis. The sides played to a goalless draw earlier this campaign when Barca were still struggling under Ronald Koeman.
Dortmund v Wolfsburg (Saturday)
After suffering three consecutive defeats in the Bundesliga, Wolfsburg claimed maximum points against Arminia Bielefeld last weekend, but are still a shadow of the team that qualified for the Champions League last season. On the other hand, the hosts Borussia Dortmund returned to winning ways against Stuttgart and are odds-on favourites to claim their eighth straight victory over Wolfsburg.
Leverkusen v RB Leipzig (Sunday)
Bayer Leverkusen will have the upper hand of being on home soil for this clash and not playing in midweek, while RB Leipzig travelled to Bergamo to lock horns with Atalanta on Thursday night. Before the Atalanta clash, RB Leipzig claimed six straight wins on their travels across all competitions, while Leverkusen have been just as formidable at the Bay Arena.
Lazio v Torino (Saturday)
Lazio, under the tutelage of Maurizio Sarri, are currently in scintillating form and hot on the heels of Roma to qualify for European football next season. The Eagles are flying high, winning four times in their past five clashes, while Torino are relatively safe in midtable but come into the clash with just one win over newly-promoted Salernitana from their last 10 league matches.
Juventus v Bologna (Saturday)
Juventus will be aiming to extend the gap between themselves and Jose Mourinho’s fifth-placed Roma when Bologna makes the trip to Turin. The Old Lady have won five of their last six Serie A matches, only falling to title-chasing Inter Milan. Meanwhile, Bologna ended a five-match winless spell with a 2-0 victory over Sampdoria thanks to a Marko Arnautovic double. Three of the last four meetings between these opponents have ended 2-0 to Juve.
PSG v Marseille (Sunday)
Marseille will be looking to take the scalp of log leaders Paris Saint-Germain in the headline fixture of Ligue 1 this weekend. Florian Thauvin scored the solitary goal in Marseille’s last visit to the Parc des Princes, Dimitri Payet got the assist for the visitors and a brawl ensued with seven red cards shown in total. During PSG’s last five matches, over 2.5 goals have been scored.
FC Porto v Portimonense (Saturday)
Runaway Portuguese Liga leaders FC Porto will be seeking to maintain their winning form when they face Portimonense on Saturday. Sergio Conceicao’s side have racked up five wins in a row as they attempt to reclaim their crown. Portimonense, on the other hand, have endured a nightmarish season and currently finds itself in a relegation scramble.