By AFP
Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Liverpool are all in action
With title races intensifying and relegation battles heating up as Europe’s top leagues approach their halfway point, Gulf News dives into the key storylines shaping this weekend’s action.
Premier League
Premier League leaders Liverpool kick off the weekend’s action on Saturday afternoon with a Merseyside Derby clash against Everton. The Reds will be eager to return to winning ways after their thrilling 3-3 draw against Newcastle United on Wednesday night. Arne Slot’s men are well aware of the pressure from Arsenal and Chelsea, who face Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur respectively, and will be ready to pounce if Liverpool drop points for a second time this week.
Meanwhile, last season’s champions Manchester City ended their seven-game winless streak in emphatic fashion with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the Etihad. Despite sitting nine points adrift of Liverpool, Pep Guardiola’s side are notoriously dangerous in the second half of the season, often stringing together double-digit winning runs when it matters most. On Saturday, they’ll host a Crystal Palace side buoyed by their first away win of the season, secured midweek at Ipswich Town.
Elsewhere, Manchester United will look to bounce back quickly from their defeat to Arsenal as manager Ruben Amorim continues to instill his new philosophy at Old Trafford. The Red Devils host Nottingham Forest, providing an opportunity to steady the ship and regain momentum.
The gameweek concludes on Monday evening with a high-stakes clash between West Ham and Wolves. Both managers, Julen Lopetegui and Gary O’Neil, find themselves under intense scrutiny, and defeat for either side could mark the end of their tenure.
La Liga
Having endured a shaky run of form with two losses, a draw and just one win in their last five matches, Barcelona desperately needed a victory to avoid their promising start to the season unravelling.
They delivered in style with a resounding 5-1 triumph over Mallorca on Tuesday. Now, the Blaugrana will aim to carry that momentum into Saturday’s trip to Real Betis. Barcelona boast an imperious record at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, where they haven’t lost since March 2008.
To make matters worse for Betis, they are winless in their last four matches and have suffered more defeats against Barcelona (85) than against any other club in their history.
Barcelona
Barcelona are hoping to extend their advantage at the top of La Liga
Real Madrid, meanwhile, are eager to close the gap on their arch-rivals after a disappointing loss to Athletic Club on Wednesday. They now face a Girona side clawing their way back up the La Liga standings after a slow start to the season and adjusting to the demands of European competition.
However, Girona’s spirits will have taken a hit after their shock midweek Copa del Rey exit on penalties to fourth-tier Logroñés. Hosting the reigning champions on Saturday, Girona will hope to extend their unbeaten run to five matches.
At the other end of the table, bottom-side Valladolid travel to Las Palmas with the knowledge that they’ll remain in the bottom three regardless of Saturday’s result. Winless in five straight league outings, Valladolid will look to draw inspiration from their midweek Copa del Rey victory over Real Ávila as they chase only their second away win of the season.
Serie A
Atalanta are in scintillating form, unbeaten in 13 matches across all competitions and riding a streak of eight consecutive wins. This impressive run has firmly established them as genuine contenders for their first-ever Serie A title, with La Dea sitting just one point behind leaders Napoli.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side will aim to extend their unbeaten streak on Friday evening when they host AC Milan. The Rossoneri, meanwhile, are searching for just their third away win of the season. To halt Atalanta’s winning run, Milan will need to tighten up defensively. The title-chasing hosts boast a league-best 36 goals this season, having scored two or more in 11 of their 14 league matches, including all six of their home games.
Elsewhere, leaders Napoli visit fifth-placed Lazio for the second time this week after meeting in the Coppa Italia on Thursday. Marco Baroni’s side triumphed in that encounter, and another victory on Saturday would bring them within a point of Gli Azzurri.
Inter Milan and Fiorentina, who share 28 points with Lazio, host Parma and Cagliari, respectively. Both sides are eager to strengthen their title bids after their league clash last weekend was abandoned under distressing circumstances. Fiorentina’s Edoardo Bove collapsed on the pitch during the match and was rushed to the hospital. The 22-year-old has since been moved out of intensive care and into a coronary care unit as he continues his recovery.
Bundesliga
After last week’s draw against Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker, Bayern Munich head into the latest round of Bundesliga action on the back of a midweek cup defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, which ended their eight-game unbeaten streak in all competitions.
Despite boasting the best defensive home record in Europe’s top five leagues—conceding just one league goal at the Allianz Arena—Bundesliga leaders Bayern face a potential banana skin against Heidenheim. The visitors have lost their last four matches across all competitions, yet Bayern’s recent meetings with them have been far from straightforward. In their last three encounters, Bayern have conceded nine goals, including a 3-2 loss in April.
Meanwhile, second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, fresh off a commanding 4-0 win over Heidenheim last week, host Augsburg at Deutsche Bank Park. The Eagles are on a four-game winning streak and could achieve five consecutive victories for the first time since February 2021.
At the bottom of the table, Bochum remain winless after 12 matches, with just two points to their name. Unfortunately for them, history doesn’t favour a breakthrough this weekend against Werder Bremen. Die Werderaner are unbeaten at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion since 1999 (W7, D4) and have suffered just one defeat in their last 22 meetings with Bochum (W16, D5).
