European league football returns: 5 games to watch this weekend

After what feels like an eternity, football across major European leagues will resume this weekend. Following an extended international break, club rivalries will be renewed, and there are some blockbuster matches awaiting fans.

Fans in Germany will witness a local derby, and a top-of-the-table clash will take place in the Netherlands. Manchester City will also be in focus against their big rivals in England. So, let’s get down to it and have a look at the five games that you must watch this weekend as European league football returns.

Manchester United vs. Tottenham

Fans of Manchester United and Tottenham will be right to feel that their respective clubs should be competing much higher up the table. But the story for the last few seasons has been different despite big changes. Both clubs have found themselves mired in the lower half of the table in recent years, and it required a managerial change at both teams to turn their fortunes around last season.

Ahead of the new season, a sense of optimism was brimming among both sets of fans, with the clubs having spent well in the summer. But United lie 12th, with a solitary win to their name, and Spurs are rooted at the foot of the league table with just two points.

This makes their clash at Old Trafford on Saturday evening all the more crucial. Michael Carrick’s men were held by Fulham last time out, and he will hope his side can make the most of playing against an underconfident and beleaguered Tottenham side.

Roberto De Zerbi has failed to win over many sceptics despite saving the club from relegation last season. The vast outlay in the summer raised expectations at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but a 3-2 defeat at home to Aston Villa before the international break has only soured the mood.

Another defeat at Old Trafford could pose serious questions around De Zerbi’s tenure at Tottenham. The players will have to rally and ensure they come out of the game with some pride and hopefully points.

Feyenoord vs. AZ Alkmaar

Eredivisie has delivered quite a fascinating start to the season. With the focus on the Big 3, it is AZ Alkmaar who have stolen the spotlight. De Kaasboeren sit at the top of the league table after seven games, having picked up 19 points.

Lee-Roy Echteld has got his side playing exciting football, and it has raised hopes of a promising campaign after last season’s seventh-place finish. On Saturday, they will face a Feyenoord side that has been rampant lately.

The Rotterdam side thrashed FC Utrecht 5-0 in their last game and beat PEC Zwolle 7-0 in the game before that. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team has notched up 17 points so far and are second in the table. The clash at De Kuip promises to be thrilling, and the home side will believe they can go top of the table.

Alkmaar will need to show that their early season form is no fluke, and a positive result on Saturday will reinforce the belief that they could pose a serious threat to the usual contenders.

Real Madrid vs. Villarreal

While historically the game between Real Madrid and Villarreal doesn’t carry any added baggage, their meeting this weekend in La Liga is significant for both sides. Los Blancos come into this game languishing in the fourth spot and having been beaten by local rivals Atletico in their last outing.

The form of Vinicius Junior is concerning, and the new-look defence hasn’t been the force they were expected to be, with only one clean sheet so far. The team has suffered two defeats already and are six points behind rivals Barcelona, who sit at the top. Yes, Jose Mourinho has his work cut out for him.

On Saturday, they will play a Villarreal side that has bounced back from a poor start to the season. They have won their last two games by the same scoreline of 3-1, having picked up only two points from their opening five matches. This has propelled the Yellow Submarine to ninth place.

Inigo Perez knows that a visit to the Santiago Bernabeu is as daunting as it comes, but he will back his side to trouble the Real Madrid side still looking to get in the groove. The international break would have given Mourinho time to assess the situation better, but there is a danger that his players could be caught napping by Villarreal.

A defeat for Madrid could further increase the gap between them and Barca, and with the season’s first El Clásico just two weeks away, it won’t be the ideal preparation.

FC Koln vs. Borussia Monchengladbach

The Rhine derby will take centre stage in the Bundesliga this weekend. Rivals FC Koln and Borussia Monchengladbach will face each other at RheinEnergieSTADION on Sunday, and fireworks are expected.

In recent years, the match has delivered on expectations, with nine of the last 10 derbies producing three or more goals. In fact, their last four clashes have had a similar outcome. Each side has won the home fixture by a scoreline of 3-1, and there have been two 3-3 draws.

The game on Sunday will also have a lot more at stake than just bragging rights. Both sides have been blighted by poor form, and defeat for either side could prolong the sombre mood. The Billy Goats have registered just one point on the board since their opening day win and are in the 13th spot.

Gladbach, meanwhile, are at the bottom of the table with no wins from four games. The first three defeats led to the sacking of head coach Eugen Polanski, with the team conceding 12 goals and scoring only three during this time. Alexander Blessin has been appointed as the new coach, and Sunday’s Rhine derby will be his first game in charge of The Foals.

While it is too early to say that this game would be a relegation six-pointer, defeat will make the fans of either feel they could be in for a long season. Koln will have the chance to pile on the misery for their rivals, while Gladbach will hope for the new manager bounce under Blessin to get them on the points table.

Liverpool vs. Manchester City

On Sunday, Manchester City will compete for the first time since an independent commission found them guilty of 114 financial charges. These charges cover the period from 2009-10 to 2017-18.

The aftermath of this news, which broke just around the international break, has led to fans of other clubs demanding strict punishments ranging from stripping them of their honours won in that period to relegating them from the Premier League.

City fans, in many ways, have been defiant and will be prepared to face the slander coming their way when they visit other Premier League sides for the remainder of the season. City’s first game after this verdict is ironically against Liverpool, the club that the Blues frequently competed for honours during this time.

It would be an understatement to say that The Kop will give Enzo Maresca and his players more than an earful when they make the trip to Merseyside. After a slow start, The Reds are slowly beginning to find their groove under new manager Andoni Iraola. They have notched up seven points from their last three games to sit sixth in the table.

For Liverpool fans, there is still concern about how the team will adapt to Iraola’s methods and the form of certain players must improve if they are to challenge at the top. Manchester City, on the other hand, have had a 100% win record under Maresca, who is filling the gigantic shoes of club legend Pep Guardiola.

The 5-3 win over Sunderland was a departure from the controlled style of play The Cityzens have exhibited under the former Chelsea manager, having conceded only two goals in four prior games. But the win ensured that City stay at the top of the league table with 15 points from five games.

Liverpool will be backed by a vociferous crowd at Anfield; the question is whether the men on the pitch will rise to the occasion. This might be the most fascinating game of the entire weekend across Europe.

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