Matches

Weekend Bangers: Titles and relegations on the line.

By Toud Lalker

Posted on May 19, 2023

WEEKEND BANGERS

The past weekend saw Barcelona secure the La Liga title in Spain, while Feyenoord clinched the Eredivisie title in the Netherlands.

Manchester City, Paris St Germain, and Benfica are on the verge of becoming league champions this weekend with a win.

The German Bundesliga title race remains tight with just two rounds to go and a point between first and second. Bayern Munich would secure the title with a win if Borussia Dortmund is beaten in Augsburg.

Premier League:

Manchester City now holds a four-point lead in the title race with a game in hand. Their next win in the league will make them champions.

An Everton’s win against Wolves adds pressure on both Leicester City and Leeds United to secure victories in their own matches in order to avoid relegation.

Leicester City is chasing survival.
Newcastle United is chasing Champions League qualification.
The two teams meet in Newcastle to contest for valuable league points.

After securing a place in the final of the Champions League, Manchester City has the opportunity to clinch the league title in front of their home supporters when they face Chelsea. There is even a possibility that they might already be crowned champions by the time they step onto the field. In their recent encounters, Manchester City emerged victorious with a 4-0 win in the FA Cup and a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture.

Nottingham Forest is on the verge of securing safety and can take a step closer when they host Arsenal. Arsenal will be looking to bounce back from their previous round’s disappointing performance, where they conceded three goals at home against Brighton. They will aim to make amends with an away victory against Nottingham Forest. In the reverse fixture, Arsenal won convincingly with a 5-0 scoreline, but they suffered a 1-0 defeat on their last visit to Nottingham Forest. If Arsenal loses, it will result in Manchester City becoming the league champions once again.

Leicester City finds themselves in a battle for survival as they aim to secure their position in the league. Their next challenge comes in the form of an away match against Newcastle United, who are actively pursuing Champions League qualification.
For Leicester City, a victory in Newcastle is crucial as they cannot afford to drop points that might jeopardize their chances of remaining in the league. On the other hand, Newcastle United will be equally motivated to secure the win, as it would significantly enhance their prospects of qualifying for the prestigious Champions League.

While mathematically possible, it is highly improbable for West Ham to be relegated. West Ham can secure their Premier League status for the upcoming season with a home win against Leeds United. A victory for West Ham will deal a significant blow to Leeds United’s fight to avoid relegation. The reverse fixture between the two teams ended in a 2-2 draw.

A win would be crucial for Everton this weekend as they are currently just outside the relegation zone. They will be hoping to secure points in their match against Wolves, which will help them in their battle to avoid relegation.

May 20.
Tottenham Hotspur [ vs. ] Brentford
Bournemouth [ vs. ] Manchester United
Liverpool [ vs. ] Aston Villa
Wolverhampton Wanderers [ vs. ] Everton
Fulham [ vs. ] Crystal Palace
Nottingham Forest [ vs. ] Arsenal

May 21.
West Ham United [ vs. ] Leeds United
Brighton & Hove Albion [ vs. ] Southampton
Manchester City [ vs. ] Chelsea

May 22.
Newcastle United [ vs. ] Leicester City

German Bundesliga:

Bayern Munich and Dortmund maintained their one-point difference in the title race by securing victories.

Bayern Munich’s remaining two league games are as follows:
May 20: Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig
May 27: FC Koln vs Bayern Munich

Borussia Dortmund’s remaining two league games are as follows:
May 21: Augsburg vs Borussia Dortmund
May 27: Dortmund vs Mainz.

RB LEIPZIG, UNION BERLIN, AND FREIBURG ARE VYING FOR THE TWO REMAINING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION SPOTS IN THE LEAGUE.

With Bayern Munich and Dortmund securing two Champions League qualification spots in the league standings, Freiburg, RB Leipzig, and Union Berlin have two more rounds to compete for the remaining spots.

While Bayern Munich chase the points to win the league title, RB Leipzig will be chasing them to secure Champions League football.
RB Leipzig will be more relaxed if Freiburg fails to get a win against Wolfsburg in the opening match of the round.

A Freiburg defeat to Wolfsbug in the opening match will virtually end the race for Champions League football qualification. RB Leipzig and Union Berlin will become the other two teams to represent Bundesliga with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

Werder Bremen is a point from safety and will look for results at home against FC Koln. The reverse meeting was a 7-1 win for FC Koln.

Augsburg is running from relegation while Dortmund is in the running for the league title.
Both teams are equally desperate to come out of the tie with the maximum points.
Dortmund were 4-3 winners in the reverse fixture but dropped two points in a ‘1-1’ draw on their last trip to Augsburg.

Hoffenheim is trying to run from relegation, while Union Berlin is trying to run to Champions League qualification. It is a must win for both teams but Hoffenheim is the more desperate side.

Hertha Berlin is on the brink of relegation. A defeat against Bochum will eliminate them.
Bochum needs the win to help their escape from relegation threat. It is a must win game for two teams that are facing relegation.

Schalke will host Frankfurt for the points to help their relegation battle.
Frankfurt were ‘3-0’ winners in the reverse fixture but Schalke managed a ‘4-3’ win when they hosted them.

May 19.
Freiburg [ vs. ] Wolfsburg

May 20.
Hertha Berlin [ vs. ] Bochum
Hoffenheim [ vs. ] Union Berlin
Schalke [ vs. ] Eintracht Frankfurt
Werder Bremen [ vs. ] FC Köln
Bayern Munich [ vs. ] RB Leipzig

May 21.
Mainz [ vs. ] Stuttgart
Augsburg [ vs. ] Borussia Dortmund
Bayer Leverkusen [ vs. ] Borussia Mönchengladbach

Spanish La Liga:

Barcelona became league champions with four games to spare.

Real Sociedad, being chased by Villarreal and Real Betis for their Champions League qualification spot, dropped two points in a 2-2 draw with Girona.

Villarreal hosted Athletic Club and secured a convincing 5-1 victory, moving five points closer in the race for Champions League qualification as things stand.

Sevilla continued their strong form with back-to-back league games scoring three goals and securing a win. After their 3-2 victory against Espanyol, they followed it up with a 3-0 away win against Valladolid.

Real Betis kept their Champions League qualification hopes alive with a win against Rayo Vallecano.

Barcelona will play their first game as newly-crowned champions at home against a Real Sociedad side vying for points to secure Champions League qualification.
Historically, Barcelona has been the better side in this matchup, so Real Sociedad will need to put in a strong effort to avoid leaving empty-handed.

Villarreal and Real Betis are the two teams chasing Real Sociedad for fourth place. Real Betis will be involved in the Seville derby with Sevilla, while Villarreal will be in Girona.

In terms of relegation, there are currently two spots available, and mathematically, nine teams are still in danger. However, as things stand, seven teams will need to resolve their situations this weekend to help their battles: Celta Vigo, Valencia, Almería, Cádiz, Valladolid, Getafe, and Espanyol.

Rayo Vallecano is just one point away from safety. Espanyol must secure a win against Rayo Vallecano to extend their fight for survival in La Liga.

Valladolid and Cádiz are both fighting against relegation with equal points (35), and Getafe is right behind them in the relegation zone with 34 points. Both teams will be looking for a positive result to avoid falling into the relegation zone when they face each other.

Getafe will aim to take advantage of the results between Valladolid and Cádiz by securing a victory against relegated Elche. A win for Getafe would move them out of the relegation zone, regardless of the outcome in the other fixture. Elche, on the other hand, is playing without pressure after their relegation and even managed a win against Atlético Madrid in the last round.

Mallorca can secure safety with a win, while Almería will aim to avoid defeat to aid their fight against relegation.

Valencia will host Real Madrid, seeking points to help escape the threat of relegation. Real Madrid, on the other hand, will look for a positive result to recover from their midweek thrashing by Manchester City in the Champions League.

May 19.
Cádiz [ vs. ] Valladolid

May 20.
Girona [ vs. ] Villarreal
Athletic Club [ vs. ] Celta Vigo
Almería [ vs. ] Mallorca
Getafe [ vs. ] Elche
Barcelona [ vs. ] Real Sociedad

May 21.
Rayo Vallecano [ vs. ] Espanyol
Atlético Madrid [ vs. ] Osasuna
Valencia [ vs. ] Real Madrid
Sevilla [ vs. ] Real Betis

French Ligue 1:

There are three rounds left to go.
Paris St. Germain moved closer to clinching the league title, needing just one more win to secure the championship.

Lens and Marseille continue to compete for second place and direct qualification to the Champions League.
Monaco’s Champions League qualification is slim, but they can get a win to boost their odds.

With regards to relegation, there is still one spot left to be filled after Ajaccio and Troyes joined Angers in the relegation zone. The remaining relegation spot will be filled by either Nantes, Auxerre, Brest, or Strasbourg.

Auxerre will face Paris St. Germain, who are just one win away from securing the league championship. This poses a challenge for Auxerre, who are in need of points to move away from the relegation zone.

Relegation-zoned Nantes will be hosting Montpellier and hoping for a positive result, while also hoping that Paris St. Germain will help their cause by defeating Auxerre.

Strasbourg and Brest are both under the threat of relegation. Strasbourg has the advantage of playing against relegated Troyes, while Brest will be facing Clermont Foot as the host.

Lens is aiming for direct qualification to the Champions League group stage, but Marseille is also in pursuit. Lens will seek three points in their match against Lorient, while Marseille will face Lille.

Monaco, Lille, and Rennes are targeting qualification for continental cup competitions such as the Europa League and the Conference League.

May 19.
Lyon [ vs. ] Monaco

May 20.
Nantes [ vs. ] Montpellier
Lille [ vs. ] Marseille

May 21.
Ajaccio [ vs. ] Rennes
Troyes [ vs. ] Strasbourg
Brest [ vs. ] Clermont
Nice [ vs. ] Toulouse
Reims [ vs. ] Angers
Lorient [ vs. ] Lens
Auxerre [ vs. ] Paris Saint-Germain

Italian Serie A:

Cremonese is one defeat away from being relegated.
Salernitana is one point away from safety.

Napoli’s title win leaves three spots for Champions League qualification through the league, with six teams in contention: Juventus, Lazio, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Atalanta, and Roma. Each of the six clubs has a maximum of 9 points remaining.

Napoli, the newly crowned champions, suffered an away defeat against Monza in their first game after clinching the title. They will return to their home stadium to face an in-form Inter Milan team, who are riding high after securing a place in the Champions League final. While Napoli doesn’t necessarily need a win, Inter Milan is eager for a victory as it would bring them closer to a top-four finish.

AC Milan will be hosting Sampdoria, a team that has been relegated. Roma, on the other hand, will face Salernitana, who only need a point to secure safety from relegation. Atalanta will host Hellas Verona, a team in the relegation zone.

AC Milan and Roma will both need to win to put pressure on Lazio in the race for Champions League qualification. Roma, who has gone five league games without a win (including two defeats), will face Salernitana, a team fighting to escape the threat of relegation.

After their semifinal exit in the Champions League, AC Milan needs a victory to keep the pressure on Lazio in the quest for a Champions League spot. They must secure maximum points from their match against relegated Sampdoria.

A draw for Juventus will guarantee a top-four finish, while a draw for Empoli will ensure their safety from relegation. The two teams will face each other as Empoli hosts Juventus.

Lazio will be playing away against Udinese, a team with little left to play for. Lazio has dropped points in four of their last five league matches, putting pressure on them to secure wins to maintain their top-four position. They currently have a four-point gap between them and fifth place, and they will aim to maintain that in the next two rounds.

The battle for safety is tight, with only two points separating Lecce, Spezia, and relegation-zoned Hellas Verona. Hellas Verona faces a challenging task as they travel to Bergamo to play against Atalanta, a strong team. Meanwhile, Spezia and Lecce will go head-to-head in a match where both teams will be aiming to secure points and distance themselves from the relegation zone.

Cremonese is in a must-win situation this weekend as they seek to improve on their slim chance to secure safety.

Salernitana, on the other hand, would likely secure safety with a point against Roma.

May 19.
Sassuolo [ vs. ] Monza

May 20.
Cremonese [ vs. ] Bologna
Atalanta [ vs. ] Hellas Verona
AC Milan [ vs. ] Sampdoria

May 21.
Lecce [ vs. ] Spezia
Torino [ vs. ] Fiorentina
Napoli [ vs. ] Inter Milan
Udinese [ vs. ] Lazio

May 22.
Roma [ vs. ] Salernitana
Empoli [ vs. ] Juventus

PRIMEIRA LIGA

May 21.

SPORTING CP VS BENFICA

Benfica has the opportunity to secure their 38th league title, marking their first championship win in three years. Depending on the result of Porto’s match against Famalicao on Saturday, Benfica could potentially be crowned champions even before their own match on Sunday.

Regardless of the timing, a victory for Benfica against Sporting CP in Lisbon will guarantee them the title. In their previous visit, Benfica emerged as 2-0 winners.

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