Action resumes this weekend across top leagues in Europe following the conclusion of the recent international break observed across the continent.
The drama and excitement of club football take centre stage over the weekend, and in no particular order, Afrosport brings you the top five matches to watch out for across Europe’s top leagues with the guarantee of keeping you at the edge of your seats.
Premier League: Liverpool vs Chelsea
Inarguably the star fixture of matchday eight in the Premier League, table-toppers Liverpool take on a rejuvenated Chelsea side led by Italian manager Enzo Maresca on Sunday, October 20.
This encounter, which is slated for the infamous Anfield, will see fourth-place Chelsea try to knock Arne Slot’s Liverpool off their perch. as the two sides are gearing up to meet each other for the 65th time in the Premier League era with the Reds having recorded 24 wins in this contest, while Chelsea have managed 21.
Liverpool’s only defeat this season was at home to Nottingham Forest, and the Reds will be wary of the threat posed by the West Londoners, whose player, Cole Palmer, and coach, Maresca, won the league’s Player of the Month and Manager of the Month awards for September, following their excellent result in the month under review.
The fixture promises to be tantalizing going by both teams’s recent run of form and is definitely going to be a treat for neutrals.
Serie A: Juventus vs Lazio
The top-four clash between Juventus and Lazio at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday, October 19, is one match to look out for this weekend as it sees two heavyweights lock horns in the highly-rated Italian Serie A.
Both sides have the same number of points (13) this season, with the Old Lady currently third in the standings and the Eagles a spot below in fourth place.
Juventus conceded a league goal for the first time when Cagliari scored late in their last fixture before the international break and might look vulnerable in defence following the absence of Gleison Bremer, who will be out of action for a while.
Meanwhile, Lazio look like they mean business this season, and with their current run of four straight wins in all competitions, the Rome-based club looks like they can get the job done, as a win for any side sees them gain ground on league leaders Napoli.
La Liga: Barcelona vs Sevilla
Free scoring La Liga table toppers, Barcelona, play host to a Sevilla side that have recorded an equal share of wins, draws, and defeats this season (3) at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Sunday.
Hansi Flick’s side have been lethal in front of goal this season, with Golden Boy award favourite Lamine Yamal leading the charge for the Catalan giants, who have won eight of their nine league matches and scored 28 goals along the way.
Sevilla, on the other hand, have been handed a breath of fresh air by Nigerian winger Chidera Ejuke, who was named the club’s Player of the Month for September.
Barcelona have won the last five meetings between these two clubs in La Liga, but 12th Sevilla seemed to have picked up some form as they are currently unbeaten in their last three league games.
Serie A: Roma vs Inter Milan
The Serie A serves up another tasty battle as reigning champions Inter Milan will head to the Stadio Olimpico to take on a Roma side that are still trying to find their footing after Ivan Juric replaced Danielle De Rossi in September.
The Giallorossi are currently unbeaten in Serie A under Juric, who has overseen two wins and a draw in their three games after his predecessor, De Rossi, failed to win any of his first four league outings this season.
Meanwhile, Inter under Simone Insaghi have continued to show why they are one of the best sides in Europe, and despite losing to city rivals Milan in the derby recently, they have bounced back with three straight wins in all competitions.
Recent history in the fixture, however, has not been kind to Roma, who have won just one of the last 14 league meetings (D6, L7) and were beaten 4-2 the last time these two sides met in February.
Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen vs Eintracht Frankfurt
This matchday seven Bundesliga fixture at the BayArena on Saturday, sees the defending champions Bayer Leverkusen play host to an Eintracht Frankfurt high in confidence.
It’s a battle between third and fifth place in the German top flight, and with Frankfurt still reeling from their pulsating 3-3 draw against Bayern Munich, which was engineered by Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush, the game promises to be a nail-biting encounter.
Leverkusen are on 11 points and will be looking to get back to winning ways following their disappointing 2-2 draw against newly promoted side, Holstein Kien. However, Die Werkself have had the upper hand in this tie, winning four of their last five meetings.
