Keep these fixtures safe in your planner
August 24, 2018
Bayern Munich vs Hoffenheim – 2018/19 German Bundesliga opener. The defending champions will have the opportunity at their home to pick up the first 3 points available in the season. Can Hoffenheim steal the headlines and stop Bayern from a good start?
Lyon vs Strasbourg – Lyon needs to bounce back from a shocking defeat to Reims, while Strasbourg will be looking forward to continuing their undefeated start to the season.
August 25, 2018
Wolfsburg – Schalke 04 – Is Schalke going to be a better title contender in the Bundesliga? Is Wolfsburg doing to avoid falling into another relegation-battle this season?
Arsenal vs West Ham United – London derby. Two of the three London based clubs that remain winless and pointless in the league after the opening two rounds have a chance to get some points on the league table.
Juventus vs Lazio – top team clash in Serie A. Despite a shaky start, Juventus did the typical and found the win in a Serie A match in the opening match of the season against Chievo Verona. Now the defending champions will be playing their first home match of the season with their new acquisition Cristiano Ronaldo. Fans of Juventus will be looking for the team to continue with another victory over a Lazio side that is coming from an opening round home defeat to Napoli. Lazio only missed out on a ‘top four’ finish because of their ‘head-to-head’ record with Inter Milan. This could be the early test Juventus might need.
Benfica vs Sporting CP – (Lisbon Derby) a Portuguese classic – Two wins out of two matches, 5 goals scored and 2 conceded. Benfica and Sporting CP will be playing the Lisbon Derby with identical records in the league standings. The last three league meetings between the two have ended in a draw.
Napoli vs AC Milan – AC Milan finally gets to kick off 2018/19 Serie A with no other than last season’s second best team in the league.
Riems and Nimes
Both newly-promoted Reims and Nimes will be playing away for their third round match in the 2018/19 French Ligue 1. Both teams have had winning starts to the season, and have done so by beating a team that finished in the ‘Top 4’ of the 2017/18 final standings. How long can these newly-promoted sides go before suffering a Ligue 1 defeat?
August 26, 2018
Borussia Dortmund vs RB Leipzig – both sides have tried their best in recent years to challenge Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title. Fans are expecting a better season from these two sides than what they had in the previous one. Even though Borussia Dortmund will have the backing from the home supporters, their last Bundesliga home fixture against RB Leipzig ended in a ‘3-2’ defeat.
Sevilla vs Villarreal – Villarreal was the closest to the top four and Sevilla was the top four team closest to the bottom 16. Villarreal needs a win after opening their season at home in a ‘2-1’ defeat to Real Sociedad.
Sevilla coming into the match on a high. 4-1 away victory, new striker Andre Silva scoring a hat-trick, and backing of home supporters.
Inter Milan vs Torino – both teams are looking for a victory after defeat in the opening round, especially Inter Milan; a team picked as one of the pre-tournament title favorites.
August 27, 2018
Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur – These are two league favorites to be part of the top four finish in the final standings, dropping points this early in the season is never the right way to start a title race that gives very little room for error.
Manchester United is in desperate need to avoid dropping points in the league after their defeat to Huddersfield Town, while Tottenham Hotspur has had a perfect start by winning both of their opening matches.
