There’s plenty of European football to look forward to this weekend, so here’s a selection of games not to be missed from Copa del Rey Final, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and more.
Copa del Rey Final
There’s no La Liga action this weekend, with all eyes on Saturday’s Copa del Rey Final.
Barcelona have appeared in seven of the last ten Copa del Rey Finals, while only two of the 15 finals since 2008 have not featured any of Barça, Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid.
Well, this is the case once again this year, as it is Athletic Club Bilbao and Mallorca who will go head-to-head at Estadio de La Cartuja on Saturday night.
Athletic are 23-times winners of this competition, although it’s now four-decades since their most-recent triumph in this competition.
Since, the Lions have been beaten finalists in six occasions, defeated by Atlético Madrid in 1985, Real Sociedad in 2020 and Barcelona in 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2021.
This time, for the first time since their glory years in the ‘80s, the Basque giants kick off a Copa Final as favourites, having already dumped out both Barça and Atleti in the previous two rounds.
In La Liga, Ernesto Valverde’s team were beaten 2-0 at the Bernabéu a week ago, but this is only their third defeat in 20, with Athletic fifth, seeking to end their decade-long exile from the Champions League.
In their illustrious history, Athletic Club have picked up 34 major honours but, in the last 40 years, all their supporters have had to celebrate is a pair of Supercopa de España trophies, claimed in 2015 and 2021.
So, make no mistake about it, victory in this final would be the biggest moment in the club’s modern history.
The same can be said of Mallorca, who do travel to Seville as underdogs, but are capable of an upset.
After overcoming four lower division sides, los Bermellones dumped out Girona in the quarter-finals, before overcoming Real Sociedad on penalties in the semis, with Sergi Darder converting the decisive spot-kick.
Javier Aguirre’s team really focussed on the Copa del Rey and this had a detrimental effect on their league form, although they have won three of their last four at Son Moix, climbing away from danger and up to 15th.
This is only Mallorca’s fourth appearance in a Copa Final, beaten by Atleti in ‘91 and Barça in ‘98, before triumphing 3-0 against Recreativo de Huelva in the 2003 final, with Samuel Eto’o the scorer of a brace.
Earlier this season, Athletic and Mallorca played out a goalless draw in the Balearic Islands before, as recently as 2 February, Valverde’s team smashed Aguirre’s side 4-0 in the reverse fixture at San Mamés.
Thus, while we don’t expect it to be that comfortable again, we’re backing Athletic to leave La Cartuja with the trophy.
Athletic Club Bilbao to win
1st selection
Both teams to score NO
2nd selection
Gorka Guruzeta to score anytime
3rd selection
At 4/1, a £10 bet would return £50
Copa del Rey Final Bet Builder
Serie A
The undisputed headline act of this weekend’s Serie A action comes on Saturday night as the Derby della Capitale takes centre stage.
Hosts Roma kick off in fifth, which could be enough to secure a Champions League return, although they cannot rest on their laurels, with Atalanta breathing down their necks.
Since taking over as interim manager, Daniele De Rossi has lost only one of his ten Serie A matches, winning seven, albeit I Giallorossi were held to an underwhelming goalless draw by Lecce on April Fools’ Day.
Visitors Lazio meantime beat Juventus in, what was, Igor Tudor’s first game in charge a week ago, with Adam Marušić the scorer of a 93rd minute winner in that one.
I Biancocelesti have therefore climbed back into seventh, seeking to secure an eighth successive season of European football, but we’re still backing Roma to prevail in this hotly-contested derby.
Elsewhere, on Sunday night, Massimiliano Allegri remains a man under pressure, given that his Juventus team have won only one of their last nine Serie A fixtures, in relegation-esque form since mid-January.
Some of the pressure was alleviated slightly by Tuesday’s 2-0 Coppa Italia semi-final first leg win over Lazio, but la Vecchia Signora need points to avoid sliding out of the Champions League spot.
Juve still have to play Milan, Bologna, and Roma, so this weekend’s clash with Fiorentina, who are also chasing European qualification, feels must win.
Speaking of Bologna, having won eight of their last nine, Thiago Motta’s team remarkably remain fourth, hence why I Rossoblù are firm favourites to beat relegation-threatened Frosinone in Sunday’s early kick off.
A.C. Milan are likely to swat aside Lecce at San Siro on Saturday, while Napoli, currently down in eighth, could very easily slip-up once again when they take on Monza at Stadio Brianteo.
Lastly, on Monday night, Internazionale Milano are already 14 points clear at the top, so are widely expected to move three points closer to the Scudetto by swatting aside struggling Udinese at Stadio Friuli.
Under 2.5 goals
Roma vs Lazio
Under 2.5 goals
Juventus vs Fiorentina
AC Milan to win
AC Milan vs Lecce
Internazionale Milano half time/full time
Udinese vs Internazionale Milano
Bologna to win
Frosinone vs Bologna
At 15/1, a £10 bet would return £161.07
Serie A acca of the week
Bundesliga
With seven games remaining, Bayer Leverkusen are 13 points clear at the top, therefore requiring only nine more points to be crowned champions for the first time ever.
On Wednesday night, Xabi Alonso’s side smashed Fortuna Düsseldorf 4-0 to reach the DFB-Pokal Final, where they’ll take on another second-tier team Kaiserslautern on 25 May at Olympiastadion.
Given that die Schwarzroten are also through to the Europa League quarter-finals, set to face West Ham on Thursday, they are on course for a treble, unbeaten across all competitions 40 matches into this campaign.
Back in the league, Bayer travel to Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Saturday and, despite Union Berlin’s recent upturn in form, victory for die Werkself seems a formality.
At the same time, Bayern Munich will be in action at Voith-Arena, up against top-flight debutants Heidenheim who’ve surprised everyone this season, comfortably mid-table, never in any danger of going down.
For Thomas Tuchel’s team, last weekend’s dismal 2-0 defeat in der Klassiker was the final nail in the coffin of their Meisterschale hopes, so Bayern need to show a reaction, ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Arsenal.
Later on Saturday, third takes on fourth, with both Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart seeking to enhance their Champions League aspirations by claiming victory at Westfalenstadion.
Whoever slips-up, because at least one of them will, could have RB Leipzig breathing down their necks, although there are absolutely no guarantees that Marco Rose’s side will beat Freiburg at Mooswaldstadion.
Turning our attention to the relegation battle, the bottom four all go head-to-head at the same time on Saturday.
Of the quartet, VfL Bochum are the only side content with where they are, sat fourth bottom, six points clear of danger.
Thus, should die Unabsteigbaren defeat Köln at RheinEnergieStadion, they’d be more-or-less safe, while, on the flip side, victory for die Geißböcke would reignite this relegation scrap.
Meantime, if Mainz or Darmstadt have any chance of automatic survival, because third bottom is a play-off spot, both really require a victory, with die Nullfünfer favourites to make home advantage count.
Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals
Borussia Dortmund vs VfB Stuttgart
Bayer Leverkusen to win and over 2.5 goals
Union Berlin vs Bayer Leverkusen
Bayern Munich to win and over 2.5 goals
Heidenheim vs Bayern Munich
Both teams to score
Freiburg vs RB Leipzig
Eintracht Frankfurt to win
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Werder Bremen
Mainz to win
Mainz vs Darmstadt
At 22/1 a £10 bet would return £232.11!
Bundesliga acca of the week
Ligue 1
The race for European qualification once again dominates the Ligue 1 weekend, with two direct rivals in that regard going head-to-head on Friday night.
LOSC Lille currently occupy the last Champions League spot, with Paulo Fonseca’s side unbeaten in ten home matches, after overcoming fierce rivals Lens in last Friday’s Derby du Nord.
Olympique de Marseille meanwhile travel to Stade Pierre-Mauroy having lost each of their last three, with Jean-Louis Gasset’s side beaten in le Classique last Sunday, hence why Lille are favourites to win this one.
Elsewhere, the story of the season are Brest, who’ve never finished higher than eighth in the top-flight, but currently sit second, on course for Champions League football, ahead of a visit from second-bottom Metz.
Monaco and Stade Rennais are two more teams involved in the battle for European qualification, and they clash at Stade Louis II on Sunday evening.
League-leaders Paris Saint-Germain booked their spot in the Coupe de France Final on Wednesday night, set to take on Olympique Lyonnais in Villeneuve-d’Ascq on 25 May.
Les Rouges-et-Bleus are on course for yet another domestic clean-sweep, sat 12 points clear at the top of the table, likely to swat Clermont Foot aside on Saturday, ahead to Wednesday’s clash with Barcelona.
Lastly, Nice have only won one of their last eight, losing five of them, so can Francesco Farioli’s team address their slide down the table against Reims at Stade Auguste-Delaune?
Paris Saint-Germain half time/full time and over 2.5 goals
Paris Saint-Germain vs Clermont Foot
Lille to win
LOSC Lille vs Olympique de Marseille
Brest to win
Stade Brestois vs Metz
Over 2.5 goals
Monaco vs Stade Rennais
Lens to win
Lens vs Le Havre
At 13/1 a £10 bet would return £141.59
Ligue 1 acca of the week
Anything else?
Top of the table derby de Lisboa
Lastly, a quick word on the Primeira Liga title race, as Lisbon’s two great rivals go head-to-head.
As recently as Tuesday, the pair drew 2-2 in the Taça de Portugal semi-final second leg, a result that was enough to see Sporting reach the final, having won the home tie 2-1 last month.
It’s also advantage Sporting in the title race, sat one point above their fierce rivals and with a game in hand, this a trip to Famalicão they’ll be widely-expected to win.
Rúben Amorim’s team are in amazing form right now, yielding 37 points from the last 39 available, claiming victory in all 13 home league games so far, scoring 46 goals and conceding only ten.
Summer signing Viktor Gyökeres has accumulated a frankly ridiculous 36 goals and 15 assists in just 41 appearances for the Leões, bagging seven in their last four Primeira Liga home games.
Thus, one feels that if champions Benfica are going to retain their title, this Derby de Lisboa is must win.
Roger Schmidt’s team have lost only one league fixtures since the opening weekend, but this was an embarrassing one, demolished 5-0 by Porto a month ago, their joint-biggest O Clássico defeat of all-time.
As Águias did win the reverse fixture in November, doing so in dramatic circumstances to say the least, with João Neves equalising in the 94th minute, before Casper Tengstedt popped up with a 97th minute winner.
This time at Estádio José Alvalade, everything suggests Sporting will take a gigantic step towards the title with victory on Saturday night.
Sporting Clube de Portugal to win
1st selection
Both teams to score
2nd selection
Viktor Gyökeres to score anytime
3rd selection
At 9/2, a £10 bet would return £55
Primeira Liga Bet Builder
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