Five Must-See Football Matches This Weekend

>It is time for another weekend of European club football with games in Manchester, Milan, Hamburg and Glasgow grabbing the attention as we look ahead.

Sports Pundit’s Game of the Weekend

Manchester City v Arsenal English Premier League’‘Sunday, 5pm (Central European Time)’’

What a time for Emmanuel Adebayor to hit a hat-trick. Three days out from a meeting with former employers Arsenal, who he infamously infuriated last season when after scoring a goal for Manchester City opted to run the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Gunners fans.

Indeed, there’s no doubt Adebayor will have set himself for this match. And Man City boss Roberto Mancini won’t mind that as the EPL’s big spenders continue to present a genuine title challenge up in second.

Arsenal continue to contend towards the top despite their relative lack of riches but with Cesc Fabregas back from injury in midweek against Shakhtar Donetsk, they’ll be able to do more than contend here. This should be a wonderful, drama-packed contest.

Hamburg SV v Bayern Munich> German Bundesliga’‘Friday, 8.30pm (CET)’’

German champions Bayern may have started the new Bundesliga campaign slowly but boss Louis van Gaal believes victory in this game can put them back in the title race. Hamburg, on the other hand, are flying after last weekend’s 1-0 win at Mainz and they now sit fifth.

Bayern, though, are still denied the services of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Daniel van Buyten, Mark van Bommel and Miroslav Klose due to injury, but welcome back Ivica Olic on his return to Hamburg, which will undoubtedly be a wonderful occasion in north-west Germany on Friday evening.

>

Celtic v Rangers Scottish Premier League’‘Sunday, 1.45pm (CET)’’

The SPL will enjoy its first Old Firm derby for the season this weekend and incredibly both sides enter the match with 100 per cent records. So they’re both in fine domestic form, but something’s got to give here.

Rangers’ form in the Champions League suggests they’ll go in full of confidence, especially with [[Rangers:Kenny Miller]]> firing in 11 goals in the league. The Gers have banged in 10 goals in four SPL away games this term, but travelling to Celtic is always a major challenge and anything can happen in Old Firm derbies.

Internazionale v Sampdoria> Italian Serie A’‘Sunday, 8.45pm (CET)’’

Undoubtedly this is one of the game’s of the weekend, and one of the more intriguing Serie A encounters so far this campaign as champions Inter play host to last season’s fourth-placed getters Sampdoria in Sunday’s late kick-off in Italy.

Samuel Eto’o has been in wonderful form this term and Inter’s first-half form against Tottenham midweek suggests they’ll be feeling good in attack, but their second-half collapse will worry the defence. And Sampdoria possess the dangerous Antonio Cassano which could suggest an upset.

>

Napoli v AC Milan Italian Serie A’‘Monday, 8.45pm (CET)’’

Fourth-placed Napoli entertain second-placed AC Milan in Monday’s Serie A match. Both sides faced giants in Europe midweek, Napoli held to a goalless home draw with Liverpool while Milan lost to Real Madrid.

Domestically these sides are faring a lot better with Edinson Cavani’s goalscoring form for Napoli a key to their bright form. The Partenopei are one of the highest scoring sides in Serie A this term but they’ve also shipped too many goals and that’s a worry against a Milan side boasting the likes of Robinho, Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexandre Pato.