Action returns across the top European leagues this weekend following the conclusion of the recent round of matches in the international window, which cut across the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, and UEFA Nations League played across the globe.
Top European leagues will be the main attraction once again, with the best players in the world raring to deliver world-class football entertainment to the waiting audience.
Afrosport, however, highlights some of the top matches in the European leagues to look out for over the weekend, with the excitement and competitiveness guaranteed to put fans on the edge of their seats.
Returning home this weekend🩵🏡#AsahiSuperDry ⏱️ pic.twitter.com/MQAig3IiYa
— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 21, 2024
Premier League: Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur
The international break came just at the right time for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who lost four consecutive matches in all competitions for the first time under the Spaniard.
The Premier League champions have been riddled with injuries but cannot afford any further slip-ups, as failure to return to winning ways could mean they relinquish their title with an inspired Liverpool side lurking around.
Up next for City is Tottenham Hotspur, a fixture that has proven to be tricky for the Manchester club in recent times as Guardiola’s men have only won three of their last 10 Premier League meetings against Spurs, losing five times and drawing twice.
City, however, could take some respite in Spur’s abysmal away record with a visit to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday on the cards for the North London side. Ange Postecoglou’s side, who will be without Rodrigo Bentancur for seven domestic games, have won just two of their last 11 away games in the league.
Serie A: AC Milan vs Juventus
With a combined 55 Italian top-flight titles at their disposal, Saturday’s clash between AC Milan and Juventus at the iconic San Siro Stadium is without a doubt the biggest match in the Italian Serie A this weekend and one of the biggest across the top European leagues.
The meeting between two of Italy’s most storied teams has been in existence for over 120 years, with Juventus boasting the upper hand with 68 wins compared to Milan’s 53, and they have both settled for a draw 57 times in their 178 meetings in Serie A.
Milan sits seventh in the Serie A standings with 18 points from their opening 11 matches, one spot and one game behind Juventus (6th), who have yet to taste defeat in the league this season and have amassed 24 points.
The Rossoneri have experienced highs and lows under Fonseca this season, and a win against one of their old rivals will ease the burden on the Portuguese coach, while the Old Lady, who have been rubber tight in defense and have managed nine clean sheets in their opening 12 games, are gunning to become the first side since Roma in the 2013-14 season to keep 10 clean sheets in their first 13 league matches.
Juventus are without their talismanic forward Dusan Vlahovic, who is out injured alongside Arkadiusz Milik, who’s been out all season, so fans would be eager to see how Motta tinkers up front.
Premier League: Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest have experienced an unprecedented start to the 2024-25 season under Manager Nuno Espirito Santo, as they find themselves in the fifth spot in the Premier League, level on points (19) with Chelsea (3rd) and Arsenal (4th).
Forest narrowly avoided relegation in their last campaign, and now they find themselves in top four clashes against the English top-flight’s perennial heavyweights. A trip to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday to face the Gunners will present another significant challenge for them.
Nuno’s men have conceded the second fewest goals (10) in the Premier League this season, a record currently bettered by only Liverpool, and they will need all their guile and solidity if they are to withstand Arsenal’s attack in a match that promises all-round action.
Premier League: Ipswich Town vs Manchester United
All eyes will be on Portman Road, where Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim will be in charge of his first Manchester United game, with the Red Devils set to take on newcomers Ipswich Town on Sunday.
Amorim, renowned for his success at Sporting, replaced Dutchman Erik ten Hag last month, and with United buried in 13th place with 15 points after 11 Premier League matches, the victories need to start coming in if they are to salvage their season.
Ipswich, however, are four spots behind with seven fewer points, and this should readily be seen as a regular game, but Amorim’s arrival and Kieran McKenna’s ties to United as their former assistant coach make the tie one to pay attention to.
A win for the 13-time Premier League champions will be expected to help kickstart Amorim’s reign, while any other result will send the wolves out on the appointment of the 39-year-old.
🆚 Ipswich Town.
🏟️ Portman Road.
⏰ 16:30 GMT.🫡 We will be there.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/0eHCSDYmhE
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 21, 2024
Serie A: Napoli vs AS Roma
Claude Ranieri, Roma boss, will definitely be looking for a statement win in his first game back in charge of his hometown club, and what better way to announce your arrival than to beat the league leaders of one of the top European leagues?
The 73-year-old, however, will have his plate full as he leads an underperforming Roma side to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, where Antonio Conte and his Napoli team lie in wait.
The Giallorossi are languishing in 12th place with 13 points after 12 matches, and a win against Napoli, who sit top with 26 points, could provide the needed spark to turn their campaign around.
Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund vs SC Freiburg
2023-24 UEFA Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund are yet to replicate the form that saw them catch the world’s attention as one of the most exciting teams in the top European leagues last season with defeats in four of their last six games.
Currently under the tutelage of former midfielder Nuri Sahin, Dortmund, seventh in the Bundesliga standings, have suffered defeat in four of their 10 league games this season, having lost just seven in last season.
Dortmund have amassed 16 points and are currently witnessing their joint-worse Bundesliga season since Jurgen Klopp left in 2015. They will host high-flying Freiburg, who are fifth in the league standings, at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday, knowing that securing all three points is not negotiable.
Ligue 1: Reims vs Lyon
Another top clash in another top European league, Reims and Lyon will face off at the Stade Auguste-Delaune II on Saturday.
Lyon, who were recently handed provisional relegation to the second division, sits in fifth place in Ligue 1 with 18 points from 11 games, while Reims follow closely in seventh place with 17 points.
The two sides will clash in a potential battle for European places, and with Lyon unbeaten in their last six Ligue 1 matches, Reims will need to pull from their recent record against the visitors, as they are unbeaten in their last seven home games against Lyon.
