SPOTLIGHT ON FOOTBALL IN THE WORK WEEK:
Midweek football fixtures include league matches in the Premier League (England) and the Eredivisie (Netherlands), and one league game in La Liga (Spain).
There are semi-final cup clashes scheduled in the DFB-Pokal (Germany), Coupe de France (France), and Coppa Italia (Italy).
There is a full Eredivisie schedule, and PSV Eindhoven will look to recover from their first league defeat of the season with a win against Excelsior.
Granada and Valencia will face off on Thursday for the La Liga points, something Granada desperately needs to give them some hope of avoiding relegation.
Lazio got the better of Juventus in the weekend league fixture. The two sides will meet on Tuesday for their first leg match in the Coppa Italia semi-final. This time around, Juventus will be at home.
The other Coppa Italia match is in Florence between Fiorentina and Atalanta. Atalanta is coming off an away win over Napoli, while Fiorentina is coming off a home defeat to AC Milan.
Unless there is an upset, which cup football has a way of bringing with it, it will be Lyon and Paris St. Germain in the Coupe de France final at the expense of Valenciennes and Rennes, respectively. The expectation for Lyon to reach the final is much higher, especially considering Valenciennes is at the bottom of the Ligue 2 standings.
The tightness of the title race in the Premier League sets the stage for many intriguing matchups. “Chelsea vs. Manchester United” stands out as the marquee fixture due to recent history and the size of their fanbases. However, matches involving Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City should capture attention.
All three clubs have home games, with Manchester City facing the more challenging fixture on paper. They will host Aston Villa, a team positioned for a top 5 finish.
Arsenal and Liverpool will host clubs fighting relegation. Arsenal will face Luton Town at home, while Liverpool will take on Sheffield United.
Bayer Leverkusen, with one hand on the German League title, could secure another title by defeating Fortuna Dusseldorf in the DFB-Pokal semifinal. If they maintain their unbeaten streak this season and advance to the final, Leverkusen will face either Saarbrücken or Kaiserslautern. Both are teams not in the top flight, with Fortuna Dusseldorf in the second division and Saarbrucken in the third.
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Tuesday, April 2, 2024:
🏴 Newcastle United vs. Everton (premier league)
🏴 Nottingham Forest vs. Fulham (premier league)
🏴 Bournemouth vs. Crystal Palace (premier league)
🏴 Burnley vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers (premier league)
🏴 West Ham United vs. Tottenham (premier league)
🇳🇱 Vitesse vs. Sparta Rotterdam (eredivisie)
🇳🇱 Excelsior vs. PSV Eindhoven (eredivisie)
🇳🇱 Fortuna Sittard vs. NEC Nijmegen (eredivisie)
🇩🇪 Saarbrücken vs. Kaiserslautern (dfb-pokal semi final)
🇮🇹 Juventus vs. Lazio (coppa italia – semi final)
🇫🇷 Lyon vs. Valenciennes (coupe de france – semi final)
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Wednesday, April 3, 2024:
🏴 Arsenal vs. Luton Town (premier league)
🏴 Brentford vs. Brighton and Hove Albion (premier league)
🏴 Manchester City vs. Aston Villa (premier league)
🇳🇱 Heracles vs. AZ Alkmaar (eredivisie)
🇳🇱 Utrecht vs. PEC Zwolle (eredivisie)
🇳🇱 Heerenveen vs. Twente (eredivisie)
🇩🇪 Bayer Leverkusen vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf (dfb-pokal semi final)
🇮🇹 Fiorentina vs. Atalanta (coppa italia – semi final)
🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain vs. Rennes (coupe de france – semi final)
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Thursday, April 4, 2024:
🇪🇸 Granada vs. Valencia (la liga)
🏴 Liverpool vs. Sheffield United (premier league)
🏴 Chelsea vs. Manchester United (premier league)
🇳🇱 Volendam vs. Feyenoord (eredivisie)
🇳🇱 RKC Waalwijk vs. Almere City (eredivisie)
🇳🇱 Ajax vs. Go Ahead Eagles (eredivisie)
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