We’ve got a huge weekend of European football to come with several big match-ups taking place with a series of derbies and top clubs facing off.
Sports Pundit’s Game of the Weekend
Italian Serie A, Sunday 8.45pm (Central European Time)
Italy’s two genuine giants and true rivals face off at the Old Lady’s new Juventus Stadium in Sunday’s late kick-off. Indeed, it’s going to be quite the occasion in Turin.
The champions have started the season slowly, failing to win one of their first three games before defeating Cesena 1-0 last weekend. Juventus, with Andrea Pirlo - who arrived from Milan in the European summer - running the show, are sitting top of Serie A with Antonio Conte’s regime looking the goods. However, it is only early days and this is a game where we’ll find out where both clubs are really at.
English Premier League, Saturday 1.45pm (CET)
The Merseyside derby is always one special occasion but Liverpool’s renewed optimism under Kenny Dalglish makes this a fierce occasion for Everton, who’ll want to put one over their opponents who are just hanging on with the leaders.
The Reds, who had a season to forget last term, are currently fifth and fresh from a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton, while the Toffees have had their issues in recent times but on the field they’ve been solid and sit in midtable. David Moyes’ Everton are always a danger in this fixture but do they have the firepower to stun the resurgent Reds who are likely to have Steven Gerrard fit and firing?
Internazionale v Napoli
Italian Serie A, Saturday 8.45pm
This is another match-up of two of Italy’s current big guns, which will tell us alot about where both clubs actually are after indifferent starts to the season.
Napoli, who finished third last season, have continued their fine recent run with a good start to the season, sitting second so far, while they’ve juggled their European commitments successfully. Inter dismissed new boss Gian Piero Gasperini last week after an awful start to the campaign with Claudio Ranieri the new man at the helm. He’s the kind of boss who can get the club back on track but this won’t be easy, with Edinson Cavani set to fire.
English Premier League, Sunday 5pm (CET)
Back to England, we’ve got a huge North-East London derby on the horizon, when Harry Redknapp’s stellar Spurs take on Arsene Wenger’s misfiring Gunners.
Arsenal’s slow start to the campaign has been steadied in the past week, with a comfortable win over Swansea in the league followed by a hard-fought victory over Olympiacos in Europe. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is proving a bit of a star too, while Spurs also won in Europe in midweek, 3-1 over Irish club Shamrock Rovers. Tottenham, who lost their opening two EPL fixtures, have actually won three on the trot with Emmanuel Adebayor inspiring them to a 4-0 win over Liverpool recently. If he plays against Arsenal, anything can happen given his history with former clubs.
Paris Saint-Germain v Olympique Lyonnais
French Ligue 1, Sunday 9pm (CET)
Finally it’s to the French capital where Ligue 1’s current top two are set to meet in a huge game late on Sunday evening.
Big-spending PSG have shot out of the blocks this term with new signings Kevin Gameiro and Javier Pastore firing in plenty of goals, but it is Remi Garde’s Lyon who sit ahead of them on the table, with Bafetimbi Gomis in sensational form this term. PSG lost in Europe in midweek, while Lyon looked comfortable against Dinamo Zagreb and perhaps that’s a sign of things to come.