The Turin Derby and the Basque Derby are part of the highlighted fixture for the weekend.
Frome Europe’s top 5 leagues, the title race is the tightest in Italy and looking non-existent in the French Ligue 1 and in the English Premier League.
SPANISH LA LIGA – Round 25
Real Madrid’s lead is cut down to 4 points in the last round after failing to win against Villarreal.
Feb 18.
Elche vs Rayo Vallecano
Feb 19.
Granada vs Villarreal
Osasun vs Atletico Madrid
Cadiz vs Getafe
Real Madrid vs Alaves
Feb 20.
Espanyol vs Sevilla
Valencia vs Barcelona
Real Betis vs Mallorca
Athletic Club vs Real Sociedad
Feb 21.
Celta Vigo vs Levante
REAL MADRID VS ALAVES
Alaves is coming to this game after winning their first league game in 12 matches through a narrow win against Valencia (7L 4D), but Real Madrid will host Alaves in an attempt to make up for the points dropped in their goalless draw with Villarreal.
ESPANYOL VS SEVILLA
REAL BETIS VS MALLORCA
To keep up with the pace of Real Madrid in the title race, both Seville clubs will search for a win from recently-promoted teams. Real Betis will host Mallorca and Sevilla will be away against Espanyol.
VALENCIA VS BARCELONA
OSASUNA VS ATLETICO MADRID
ATHLETIC CLUB VS REAL SOCIEDAD
Atletico Madrid is sandwiched between Barcelona and Real Sociedad in the current La Liga standings. Barcelona and Real Sociedad (both) have a game in hand. All three clubs will be playing away from home this weekend.
In the reverse leg for their weekend opponent, Atletico Madrid were 1-0 winners at home against Osasuna, Barcelona were 3-1 winners in Valencia, and it was a 1-1 draw in the Basque Derby for Real Sociedad.
OSASUNA VS ATLETICO MADRID
Atletico Madrid is not doing a good job at defending the league title. A ‘1-0’ defeat at home to bottom table Levante is a clear indication of how Atletico Madrid’s title defense season is going. An away win against Osasuna is mandatory for the team morale ahead of their Champions League ‘Round of 16’ tie against Manchester United.
Osasuna is coming to the game from a 3-0 win in Madrid (vs Rayo Vallecano)
BASQUE DERBY
Athletic Club vs Real Sociedad
Coming from a defeat against Mallorca and being 4 points behind Real Sociedad despite playing a game more, there is more than bragging rights on the line for Athletic Club in this fixture.
On the other hand, Real Sociedad is coming from a win against Granada and a derby win keeps them in contention for the Champions League qualifying spot.
ITALIAN SERIE A – Round 26
The Milan clubs are leading the race of the Italian Serie A after 25 rounds played. AC Milan only replaced Inter Milan at the top of the league in the last round of matches.
AC Milan will get a chance to stay top of the league by beating the team at the bottom (Salernitana).
Feb 18.
Juventus vs Torino
Feb 19.
Sampdoria vs Empoli
Roma vs Hellas Verona
Salernitana vs AC Milan
Feb 20.
Fiorentina vs Atalanta
Venezia vs Genoa
Inter Milan vs Sassuolo
Udinese vs Lazio
Feb 21
Cagliari vs Napoli
Bologna vs Spezia
JUVENTUS vs TORINO (Turin Derby)
Juventus is looking to go 12 league games unbeaten by hopefully using a Turin derby to pick up their 8th win within the streak.
A Turin derby win is also necessary for Juventus to guarantee they remain in the top four at the end of the round.
An updated derby win record is needed from Torino. Their most recent Turin Derby victory came in the Spring of 2015.
INTER MILAN VS SASSUOLO
A point in Naples lost Inter Milan the top spot in the standings. A win against Sassuolo is needed a lot more to boost morale after also suffering a 2-0 midweek first-leg ‘Round of 16’ defeat against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League.
Inter Milan has a game in hand that mathematically takes back to the top spot someday (even if it is not this weekend) as long as they keep up with neighbors at the top of the Serie A standings.
GERMAN BUNDESLIGA – Round 22
The gap at the top has been narrowed to 6 points after Bayern Munich’s shocking defeat against Bochum was matched with Dortmund’s win against Union Berlin.
Feb 18.
Mainz vs Leverkusen
Feb 19.
Arminia Bielefeld vs Union Berlin
Augsburg vs Freiburg
Stuttgart vs Bochum
Wolfsburg vs Hoffenheim
FC Koln vs Frankfurt
Feb 20.
Bayern Munich vs Greuther Furth
Dortmund vs Mönchengladbach
Hertha Berlin vs RB Leipzig
BAYERN MUNICH vs GREUTHER FURTH
Despite being the team at the bottom of the Bundesliga standings, Greuther Furth is coming from a victory (against Hertha Berlin), while Bayern Munich (the team at the top) comes to this game from a defeat to Bochum.
Bayern Munich will face another promoted side in Greurther Furth after losing in Bochum in the last round.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH
The last home game in the league for Dortmund ended in a humiliating 5-2 defeat (against Leverkusen).
To keep up with the pace of Bayern Munich at the top of the pile, Dortmund will need a positive result on their turf against a Monchengladbach coming to this tie from their first league win in four matches.
MAINZ vs LEVERKUSEN
Leverkusen will tag along with the top two teams if they can make it five wins in a row but doing a league double against Mainz. The reverse fixture ended in a narrow 1-0 win at home.
ON 34 POINTS: RB LEIPZIG, HOFFENHEIM, FREIBURG, and UNION BERLIN. All four teams will be playing away from home.
Hertha Berlin vs RB Leipzig
Wolfsburg vs Hoffenheim
Augsburg vs Freiburg
Arminia Bielefeld vs Union Berlin
FRENCH LIGUE 1 – Round 25
Feb 18.
Lille vs Metz
Feb 19.
Lens vs Lyon
Nantes vs Paris St. Germain
Feb 20.
Nice vs Angers
Lorient vs Montpellier
Reims vs Brest
Rennes vs Troyes
Saint-Etienne vs Strasbourg
Bordeaux vs Monaco
Marseille vs Clermont Foot
Saint-Etienne came from a goal down to win consecutively in the league for the second time this season, while Bordeaux dropped to the bottom to replace Saint-Etienne following a 3-2 defeat to Lens.
This weekend, Bordeaux will need to make home advantage count against a Monaco side that is coming to this fixture from dropping points against Lorient.
Nice and Strasbourg are the two teams that will need a win to guarantee their positions in the ‘top four’ of the French Ligue 1.
Nice will be hosting Angers while Strasbourg will be away against a Saint-Etienne side that is looking for their third win in a row to help their fight to avoid relegation.
The league leaders (Paris St. Germain) will be in Nantes. Marseille (2nd) will be at home against Clermont Foot. Both Paris St. Germain and Marseille were the winners in the reverse fixture.
Two points separate the team in 5th position and the team in 10th.
From those 6 teams, the leading three teams (Rennes, Monaco, and Lyon) are tied on 37 points.
PREMIER LEAGUE – Round 26
The English Premier League this weekend is the reverse fixture of the opening round of the season.
Feb 19.
West Ham vs Newcastle
Arsenal vs Brentford
Aston Villa vs Watford
Brighton vs Burnley
Crystal Palace vs Chelsea
Liverpool vs Norwich
Southampton vs Everton
Manchester City vs Tottenham
Feb 20.
Leeds United vs Manchester United
Wolves vs Leicester City
A defeat against Wolves was Tottenham’s third straight defeat in the league; back-to-back home defeat.
Does Tottenham have it in them to do a league double against Manchester City and avoid a fourth straight league defeat?
MANCHESTER CITY VS TOTTENHAM
While Manchester City is 9 points clear at the top of the standings, their opening game of the Premier League season was a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham.
Manchester City will welcome a Tottenham side that is staring at a fourth
straight defeat in the league.
Will a cornered Tottenham fight with their all to get something from this tie?
ARSENAL MUST LOOK TO MAKE UP FOR THEIR 2-0 DEFEAT TO BRENTFORD.
The season-opening match of the season was between Brentford and Arsenal. It was Brentford’s first Premier League match, and it ended up being their first Premier League win. As things stand, Brentford’s is six league matches without a victory (5 defeats and a draw).
Arsenal had to skip the last round because their opponent (Chelsea) was busy winning the FIFA Club World Cup title. Arsenal has one win all year in all competitions so a win here will be more than just returning favor for their defeat to Brentford.
An inspired Southampton side followed up their win at Tottenham with a point at Old Trafford. What will Southampton do against Everton? Southampton lost the reverse fixture 3-1.
Leeds United must get the win to make up for the points dropped in the 5-1 trashing at Old Trafford.
Burnley needs a win against Brighton to make up for the narrow 2-1 defeat.
Aston Villa should be in a position to return the favor against Watford.
Another 3-0 win (against Crystal Palace) for Chelsea will be a statement for the newly-crowned World Champions.
WOLVES VS LEICESTER CITY
Leicester City is yet to win a league game this year.
Can Wolves return the favor for their 1-0 defeat to Leicester City in the opening round?
WEST HAM VS NEWCASTLE
Kieran Trippier scored in successive games for Newcastle to win their third straight game in the league. What is installed for Newcastle against West Ham?
Can the new and improved Newcastle United get back the points they dropped in a 4-2 defeat to West Ham?
LIVERPOOL WILL LIKELY DO A LEAGUE DOUBLE AGAINST NORWICH CITY.
LIVERPOOL VS NORWICH
Tough luck for Norwich City to go from playing Manchester City to playing Liverpool the following round.
It is expected that Liverpool will make it another Anfield win to keep up with Manchester City. They’ve already beaten Norwich in the league and in the League Cup. It was a 3-0 Liverpool win on both occasions.
Results from the opening round {Matchday One}
August 13, 2021
Brentford 2-0 Arsenal
August 14, 2021
Manchester United 5-1 Leeds United
Burnley 1- 2 Brighton
Chelsea 3-0 Crystal Palace
Everton 3-1 Southampton
Leicester City 1-0 Wolves
Watford 3-2 Aston Villa
Norwich 0-3 Liverpool
August 15, 2021
Newcastle 2-4 West Ham
Tottenham 1-0 Manchester City
