There’s plenty of European football to look forward to this weekend, so here’s a selection of games not to be missed from La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1.
La Liga
The most interesting aspect of this La Liga weekend is how the three clubs currently in the middle of their Champions League quarter-finals will react, with upset potential a-plenty across Saturday.
The biggest game of the day is the early kick off, with Atlético Madrid taking on Girona in a key clash in the race for top four places.
By beating Real Betis a fortnight ago, Girona mathematically qualified for UEFA competition for the first time in the club’s history, now seeking to make sure this comes in the Champions League.
Blanquivermells though have lost each of their last four away games, while hosts Atleti have won 21 of 23 matches at the Metropolitano in all competitions this season.
Diego Simeone’s side could reach this season’s Champions League Final, but are in danger of not featuring in next season’s competition, sat fourth, just two points clear of Athletic Club Bilbao, thereby needing points.
Elsewhere, league-leaders Real Madrid will be hoping to prepare for Wednesday’s trip to Manchester by extending their unbeaten La Liga streak to 25 when they take on Mallorca at Son Moix.
Should los Blancos slip-up, Barcelona can close the gap at the top when they take on Cádiz at Estadio Ramón de Carranza in the day’s late kick off.
Over on Sunday, after winning their first major silverware for 40 years, Athletic Club Bilbao will be hoping to continue their Champions League push when inconsistent Villarreal visit San Mamés.
Valencia only avoided relegation by two points last season, but are now sat in a European spot, with Rubén Baraja’s team next in action on Monday night, seeking to continue their impressive form at Osasuna.
Atlético Madrid to win
Atlético Madrid vs Girona
Barcelona to win
Cádiz vs Barcelona
Real Madrid to win
RCD Mallorca vs Real Madrid
Over 2.5 goals
Athletic Club Bilbao vs Villarreal
Real Sociedad to win and both teams to score NO
Real Sociedad vs Almería
At 21/1 a £10 bet would return £218.16!
La Liga acca of the week
Serie A
The biggest fixture on the Serie A calendar this weekend is the Derby della Mole, even if this is one of the most one-sided derbies in all of world football.
Juventus have won 22 of their last 27 meetings with Torino, with Il Toro’s sole victory over their city rivals in 29 years coming in 2015.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side claimed a much-needed 1-0 win over Fiorentina last Sunday, just their second victory in ten, easing la Vecchia Signora’s concerns that they’d slip out of the top four places entirely.
Torino meantime are on the cusp of the European spots, so can Ivan Jurić’s side spring a surprise at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino on Saturday evening? Probably not.
Elsewhere, Internazionale Milano can move one step closer to wrapping up the Scudetto by beating Cagliari at San Siro, hoping to be crowned champions in next weekend’s Derby della Madonnina.
Roma beat AC Milan 1-0 in the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday night, leaving I Giallorossi in a great position to get through to the last four, ahead of the rematch at the Olimpico next mid-week.
On Sunday, I Rossoneri travel to Sassuolo while, later in the day, Daniele De Rossi’s side visit Udinese, with both likely to claim victory against struggling opposition.
Napoli hauled themselves back into the European conversation by beating Monza last Sunday, but Francesco Calzona’s team need to keep on winning when they welcome Frosinone to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Bologna, currently fourth, were held to a disappointing goalless draw by the aforementioned Frosinone last time out but.
Having won eight out of nine beforehand, I Rossoblù are firm favourites to beat Monza at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, as Thiago Motta’s team seek to gatecrash the Champions League against all odds.
Lastly, fresh from hammering Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Thursday, Atalanta need Serie A points to make sure they’re back in Europe next season, welcoming Hellas Verona to Bergamo on Monday night.
Internazionale Milano half time/full time
Internazionale Milano vs Cagliari
Over 2.5 goals
Sassuolo vs AC Milan
Napoli to win
Napoli vs Frosinone
Atalanta to win
Atalanta vs Hellas Verona
Under 2.5 goals
Torino vs Juventus
Bologna to win
Bologna vs Monza
Lazio to win
Lazio vs Salernitana
At 16/1 a £10 bet would return £165.02!
Serie A acca of the week
Bundesliga
We may still be in the first half of April, but it could be Bundesliga coronation weekend in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Bayer Leverkusen, having won nine league games on the spin, sit 16 points clear at the top with just 18 points yet to play for, still on course for a treble having not lost any of their 42 matches in all competitions.
So, should Xabi Alonso’s side beat Werder Bremen at BayArena on Sunday, die Werkself will pick up the very first Meisterschale of their entire history, doing so, remarkably, with five games to spare.
Of course, die Schwarzroten could be champions 24 hours earlier, if Bayern Munich are beaten by Köln at Allianz Arena.
Even though Thomas Tuchel’s team have suffered back-to-back Bundesliga defeats, and may be distracted by Wednesday’s second leg with Arsenal, a victory for second-bottom die Geißböcke seems very unlikely.
Elsewhere, Stuttgart are now level on points with Bayern, seeking to enhance their Champions League aspirations when Eintracht Frankfurt, also in the hunt for Europe, visit Neckarstadion on Saturday evening.
Borussia Dortmund slipped out of the top four places last weekend, meaning die Schwarzgelben are under enormous pressure to beat struggling Borussia Mönchengladbach away from home.
RB Leipzig, the current tenants of that coveted fourth spot, are likely to beat Wolfsburg at Red Bull Arena.
Lastly, in the relegation battle, Mainz will climb out of the bottom three for the first time since August, should die Nullfünfer beat Hoffenheim at home and Bochum are beaten by Heidenheim simultaneously.
Bayer Leverkusen to win and over 2.5 goals
Bayer Leverkusen vs Werder Bremen
Bayern Munich to win and over 3.5 goals
Bayern Munich vs Köln
Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals
Borussia Mönchengladbach vs Borussia Dortmund
Stuttgart to win
Stuttgart vs Eintracht Frankfurt
RB Leipzig to win
RB Leipzig vs Wolfsburg
At 10/1, a £10 bet would return £105.84
Bundesliga acca of the week
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 is offering a reduced fixture schedule of just six matches this weekend.
That’s because the games involving France’s three remaining European representatives are all off, giving those teams extra preparation time ahead of their respective second legs.
Lorient vs Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco vs Lille and Olympique Marseille vs Nice have all been pushed back to 24 April, presenting others with the chance to climb the table.
Stade Brestois have never finished higher than eighth in their top-flight history, but are currently second, on course for one of the most unexpected Champions League qualifications in modern times.
Eric Roy’s side, who’ve lost just one of their last 17, travel to Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday night, knowing another win would leave them a probably unassailable 12 points clear of fifth.
Lyon though also need the points, currently down in tenth, two points adrift the European spots, desperate to climb into the top seven, otherwise they’ll be reliant on beating PSG in the Coupe de France Final to secure any European football, which is far from ideal.
Pierre Sage’s side have won seven of their last nine in Ligue 1, and will fancy their chances of a win over Brest.
Elsewhere in the European race, Lens are aiming to close the gap on fierce rivals Lille by beating Metz on Friday night, while les Grenats require points as they battle against the drop.
24 hours later, Stade Rennais, currently ninth, are running out of time to haul themselves into a European position, as Julien Stéphan’s side welcome Toulouse to Roazhon Park.
Le Havre and Nantes, the two teams occupying the final two safety positions, go head-to-head at Stade Océane.
Straight after on Sunday, rock bottom Clermont Foot know they simply have to beat Montpellier at Stade Gabriel-Montpied, given that they’re now five points below the relegation play-off spot.
Olympique Lyonnais to win
Olympique Lyonnais vs Stade Brestois
Lens to win
Metz vs Lens
Rennes to win
Stade Rennais vs Toulouse
Both teams to score
Strasbourg vs Stade de Reims
Under 2.5 goals
Le Havre vs Nantes
At 18/1, a £10 bet would return £194.81
Ligue 1 acca of the week
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