Five Huge Football Matches This Weekend 30/3 - 1/4

This weekend isn’t your typical weekend full of big match-ups but there’s some key clashes as the title races around Europe heat up.

Sports Pundit’s Game of the Weekend

Benfica v Sporting Braga

Portuguese Liga Sagres, Saturday 9.15pm (CET)

Rarely do we head to Portugal for the game of the weekend, but this one promises to be a beauty with plenty on the line in the enthralling Liga Sagres title race. It is actually a three-horse race in Portugal, unlike last term, with in-form Braga leading the way from Porto and Benfica but they are all separated by only two points with similar goal differences. Benfica have home advantage, where they’ve claimed 10 wins from 11 league games this term, but Braga have won 13 on the trot and are in stellar form.

Borussia Dortmund v VfB Stuttgart

German Bundesliga, Friday 8.30pm (CET)

The Bundesliga leaders remain five points ahead of Bayern Munich and can stretch that advantage to eight points with victory on Friday evening. Last weekend’s 6-1 crushing of Koln was an emphatic statement for BVB but they need to keep it up. Stuttgart, currently seventh, are a side in form, after a run of 13 points from a possible 15 lately.

FC Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao

Spanish La Liga, Saturday 9pm (CET)

Barcelona remain hot on the heels of Real Madrid in the La Liga title race but they must keep up the momentum with victory over the tricky Athletic Bilbao on Saturday night. While Real Madrid go to Osasuna this weekend, Barca take on a Bilbao side who have slipped down to 11th after a winless run in their past four games. These two sides drew 2-2 earlier in the campaign and that’s what makes this clash full of intrigue.

Newcastle v Liverpool

English Premier League, Sunday 1.30pm (CET)

Both these clubs have ambitions on qualifying for the Uefa Champions League although that is fast becoming a stretch. Newcastle are sixth with Liverpool in seventh, some eight points behind them. Papiss Cisse hit a double for the Magpies last weekend and he could become a key man in their run home. For the Reds, the pressure is mounting on Kenny Dalglish after last weekend’s dismal 2-1 home loss to Wigan.

Juventus v Napoli

Italian Serie A, Sunday 8.45pm (CET)

Unbeaten Juve play host to Napoli in Sunday’s late kickoff in Italy, with the Old Lady hoping to stay in touch with leaders AC Milan, who are four points ahead. Napoli, meanwhile, are in fourth and chasing a Uefa Champions League spot. Their recent form is good, unbeaten in their past nine Serie A games, and this game is also a preview of the upcoming Coppa Italia final.