The highlighted matches for the coming weekend around the top leagues in Europe.
FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP FINAL
Chelsea was scheduled to play Arsenal but they are out contesting for the FIFA Club World Cup.
February 12, 2021
Chelsea vs Palmeiras
Both teams are looking for their first Club World Cup title but unlike Chelsea, Palmeiras has not suffered a defeat in ca Club World Cup final.
FRENCH LIGUE 1
Paris St. Germain will kick off the round with Rennes.
Rennes is the only team that has beaten Paris St. Germain in the Ligue 1 this season.
PARIS ST. GERMAIN VS RENNES.
Rennes is a point away from 4th position but 19 points off a Paris St. Germain side that is looking for a victory to (at least) keep a 13-point lead in the title race.
It was a 2-0 victory for Rennes in the reverse fixture so the will be an added incentive for Paris St. Germain at home.
MONTPELLIER VS LILLE
Their title defense has not gone to plan but Lille will move a point ahead of Montpellier with a victory. Good news for Lille is that they won 2-1 in the reverse fixture. The bad news is that their last trip fo Montpellier was a 3-2 defeat.
LYON VS NICE
Lyon’s three-match winning streak was ended in Monaco in the last round. Progress for Lyon will be avoiding a successive defeat when they host a Nice side that is also coming to this game to make amends for a shock defeat against Clermont.
It was a 3-2 win for Nice after coming from a goal behind with two late goals.
ANGERS vs STRASBOURG
Strasbourg will join the 40-point list with a win here but it was Angers who won in the reverse fixture. The bright side is that the last time Strasbourg was away against Angers was ended in a 2-0 win for them.
CLERMONT VS SAINT-ETIENNE.
This might be one of the few matches Saint-Etienne has to gather some relegation battling points. Clermont and Saint-Etienne are both coming into the tie with a win.
It took two goals in the final added minutes to get Saint-Etienne from a goal down to a 3-2 win in the reverse fixture.
LENS vs BORDEAUX
Bordeaux has won 1 of their last 5 league matches with their recent three matches producing 18 goals; of which 3 was to their benefit.
A 6-0 defeat at Rennes, a thrilling 4-3 defeat to Strasbourg, and a 5-0 hammering against Reims.
Up next for Bordeaux is a Lens team that is looking for a result to stop their own losing streak. [2 in the league, 3 in all competitions]. The last meeting was a 3-2 win for Lens through a penalty in the deep into the final added minutes.
METZ vs MARSEILLE
Lyon beating Nice is the only way Marseille will remain in second place without a win against a Metz side in a relegation battle. It was a goalless draw in Marseille the last time they met.
MONACO vs LORIENT
Monaco’s ambition to qualify for a continental cup competition is growing with recent results. They take on a Lorient side that is in a relegation battle and desperate for some points.
Lorient won 1-0 in the reverse fixture so it is up to Monaco to settle the score.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
NORWICH CITY VS MANCHESTER CITY
Manchester City is on top of the pile in the Premier League with 60 points. They take on relegation zoned Norwich City.
It was a 5-0 win for Manchester City in their last meeting with Norwich but the last time they visited Norwich, they were on the losing end of a 3-2 score.
Chelsea was scheduled to play Arsenal but they are out contesting for the FIFA Club World Cup.
BURNLEY VS LIVERPOOL
Liverpool goes to Burnley for the win to help keep up the pace in the title race with Manchester United.
Burnley will need all the help to get up from the bottom of the table. It was a 2- 0 win for Liverpool in the reverse fixture.
LEICESTER CITY vs WEST HAM
From a narrow 1-0 win against Watford, West Ham will seek to make it a successive victory against a Leicester City that is trying to avoid successive defeats. Leicester City has 2 defeats and a draw from their last three league games.
West Ham was 4-1 winners in the reverse fixture.
MANCHESTER UNITED vs SOUTHAMPTON
Manchester United will hope to use home advantage to get a victory against an inspired Southampton side that comes to the game from a win against Tottenham. It was a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture.
TOTTENHAM VS WOLVES
After losing their lead on multiple occasions to lose at home to Southampton, Tottenham will host Wolves for the points to amend the defeat. There are two points between the teams in the standings but Tottenham has a game in hand on Wolves.
ITALIAN SERIE A
There could be a new team in pole position at the end of the round.
NAPOLI VS INTER MILAN.
The last round saw Inter Milan lose the Milan derby.
The price of the Milan derby defeat in the last round of games has made a victory against Napoli a necessity for Inter Milan to keep the top spot in the Serie A table.
Napoli will move two points above Inter Milan if they make home advantage count by picking up their 5th win in a row.
Inter Milan won 3-2 in the reverse fixture.
AC MILAN VS SAMPDORIA
Sampdoria needs the points to help fight their relegation battles.
AC Milan needs the points to chase a title.
A draw between Napoli and Inter Milan is ideal for AC Milan but whatever the result of the game might be, AC Milan must beat Sampdoria to enjoy the benefits.
A 4-0 win against Sassuolo in the last round was the first victory Sampdoria has had in 8 games that include 7 league games.
ATALANTA VS JUVENTUS
Should Atalanta get the bounce and repeat the outcome of the reverse fixture, they will move a point ahead of Juventus.
Juventus have gone 10 league matches unbeaten since they lost at home to Atalanta [1-0] on November 27, 2021.
A shock defeat to Cagliari in the last round has Atalanta trailing two points behind Juventus in the standings.
A win for Juventus will nullify the advantage Atalanta has with a game in hand.
LAZIO AND ROMA
Lazio and Roma have both accumulated 39 points from the 24 matches they’ve each played.
They were both kicked out of the Coppa Italia by the Milan clubs this week.
Which Rome club will find a result this weekend to help with their grief?
Lazio vs Bologna
Sassuolo vs Roma
GENOA vs SALERNITANA
19th vs 20th
Just like the two teams at the top of the table, the two at the bottom of the table will face each other this weekend.
Salernitana with a win will equal the points accumulated by Genoa.
There wouldn’t be a positional change regardless of the outcome.
SPANISH LA LIGA
VILLARREAL VS REAL MADRID
Real Madrid will keep or grow their 6- point lead in the Spanish La Liga title race with a win against Villarreal.
The reverse fixture ended as a goalless draw.
SEVILLA vs ELCHE
Since their Copa del Rey elimination [against Real Betis]
Sevilla has dropped six points from a possible nine. [Three draws in a row.]
A win against Elche feels like a requirement to keep the illusion of a title race.
Should there be a repeat of the outcome from the reverse fixture [1-1], Sevilla are staring at a fourth successive draw.
LEVANTE vs REAL BETIS
The expectation is that Real Betis will bounce back from their defeat to Villarreal with a win against bottom table Levante.
ESPANYOL vs BARCELONA
Barcelona will need the points from the Catalan derby to guarantee their stay in the top four. The points will help Barcelona build on the bright spots they’ve been showing in recent weeks. Winning a local derby a week after beating the defending champion (Atletico Madrid) will be a statement.
It was a 1-0 Barcelona win in the last meeting but a 2-2 draw the last time Barcelona played away.
ATLETICO MADRID VS GETAFE
Atletico Madrid in recent weeks has been knocked out of the Spanish Super Cup and from Copa del Rey.
Hammered a 4- 2 defeat in the last round against Barcelona.
Fallen 17 points from the top of the league and out of a champions league qualifying position.
They are in desperate need of a win against Getafe this weekend.
Luis Suarez’s goals were needed to avoid defeat the last time Atletico Madrid played Getafe. They will hope it won’t be as close this time around.
GERMAN BUNDESLIGA
BOCHUM VS BAYERN
Bayern Munich goes to Bochum for the points to maintain the 11 points they are enjoying at the top of the Bundesliga table.
The reverse fixture was a 7- 0 win for Bayern.
UNION BERLIN VS DORTMUND
The last time Dortmund played a team in the ‘top 4’ of the Bundesliga standings, they lost 5-2. This happened in the last round against Leverkusen.
Dortmund will be in Berlin for the points from a Union Berlin side that needs the points to stay in the top four.
LEVERKUSEN vs STUTTGART
Leverkusen will plan to build up to a four-game winning streak when they host relegation-zoned Stuttgart.
Freiburg, FC Koln, and RB Leipzig are all in position to finish the round in the ‘top 4’. Freiburg play host to Mainz, while RB Liepzig host FC Koln.
Freiburg vs Mainz
RB Leipzig vs FC Koln
PORTUGUESE PRIMEIRA LIGA
PORTO VS SPORTING (O Clássico)
Sporting CP needs a win at Porto to keep alive their objective of defending the league title.
Should Porto make home advantage count and win this fixture, they will open a 9-point lead at the top of the Portuguese Primeira Liga table.
The points were shared in the reverse fixture; with Luis Diaz scoring the equalizing goal in the 71st minute gatting Porto a point.
The last win in the Portuguese Clasico was a Sporting CP win in the League Cup semifinal, but the last league win was for Porto in July 2020.
