In recent years the Bundesliga title race has been more resemblant of a procession. This season, we appear set for a thrilling fight to the finish.
The meeting between the top two in German football’s top flight is the headline game of the weekend. Earlier on in the day there’s another cracker from the same division that’ll be vital in the showdown for the top four.
Elsewhere, there are high-profile clashes in Italy, Spain and an FA Cup semi-final to enjoy.
All kick-offs are in Eastern time. Enjoy your weekend and enjoy the games!
Bayer Leverkusen vs. RB Leipzig
Saturday, April 6, 9:30 a.m. ET, FS2, fuboTV, Sling Blue and PlayStation Vue (free trial)
While the biggest game of the Bundesliga season will come later in the day, this clash between Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig should whet the appetite.
A strong run of form in recent weeks have pushed Leipzig up into the division’s top three and suddenly there’s a five-point gap between themselves and Borussia Monchengladbach in fifth. Their 5-0 win last time out was arguably their best performance of the campaign, with Yussuf Poulsen on target with a hat-trick.
Leverkusen had done well to force themselves back into contention for the top four, although the form of Saturday’s opponents along with Eintracht Frankfurt—who have won five in a row—has left them in seventh, seven points off the top four. Bayer have lost their last two in the league.
Still, the BayArena is always a challenging venue to visit, as the home side have players like Julian Brandt, Kai Havertz and Kevin Volland who are capable of causing any opponent problems.
Juventus vs. AC Milan
Saturday, April 6, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN+ (7-day free trial)
Juventus’ Champions League charge will get back underway again next week when they face Ajax on Wednesday. AC Milan will be hoping they take their eye off the ball on Saturday.
The buildup to this game has been a challenge for the Bianconeri. Leonardo Bonucci sparked anger after the win over Cagliari in midweek, as he said Moise Kean was “50-50” to blame for the racist abuse he suffered throughout the game. The veteran defender has since apologized for the comments he made.
Kean has been in sensational form ahead of this fixture too and with the Champions League to come he will be hopeful of getting a chance from the start. He has netted seven in his last eight games for club and country; with a strong performance against Milan, he may force his way into contention for Ajax.
While Juventus are secure in top spot, Milan will still be nervously looking over their shoulder in the race for the top four; they’re in fourth ahead of this game, with Roma four points behind them. With the champions likely to rotate, this will be a chance for Gennaro Gattuso to earn a big result at the home of their historic rivals.
Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund
Saturday, April 6, 12:30 p.m. ET, FOX, fuboTV, Sling Blue and PlayStation Vue (free trial)
The German title race took another dramatic twist this weekend, meaning Bayern Munich go into this encounter trailing Borussia Dortmund by a couple of points.
Since the winter break, Bayern have been steadily making up ground on their rivals and recently moved ahead of Dortmund after drawing level on points due to a superior goal difference. However, a draw against Freiburg last weekend opened the door for Dortmund to put some daylight between them and their rivals.
They almost spurned the opportunity. For long spells there were left frustrated by Wolfsburg, who were the better side for long spells of the match. However, in the 90th minute Paco Alcacer rattled in a free-kick and then scored again three minutes later; it felt like a huge moment for Dortmund.
What would be even more significant for them is coming away from this with their lead intact or extended. Even with Bayern in inconsistent form at the moment, that’s likely to be a major challenge for the leaders at the Allianz Arena.
Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid
Saturday, April 6, 2:45 p.m. ET, beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, Sling Latino, Sling World Sports, Fanatiz and fuboTV (free trial)
Barcelona were involved in arguably the most thrilling game of the season on Tuesday, as they fought to a 4-4 draw at Villarreal. If Saturday’s clash with Atletico is half as exciting, it’ll be worth tuning in for.
The Blaugrana led 2-0 in midweek and then somehow found themselves 4-2 down against the relegation-threatened Yellow Submarine. But with 90 minutes on the clock, Lionel Messi slammed home a tremendous free-kick, only for Luis Suarez to score a stunning equaliser with the final kick of the game.
In the grand scheme of things, the point isn’t likely to mean much. Barcelona go into Saturday’s game with an eight-point lead over their opponents and i
t’s hard to see a deficit that significant filtering away at this stage of the campaign.
Atletico have showed some form coming into this game, with their 2-0 win against Girona on Tuesday a fine follow-up to the impressive 4-0 triumph over Alaves last weekend. It’s imperative they keep this winning run going if there is going to be any sort of title race in Spain in the remaining weeks of the term.
Wolves vs. Watford
Sunday, April 6, 11 a.m. ET, ESPN+ (7-day free trial)
Manchester City face Brighton & Hove Albion in the first FA Cup semi-final this weekend. Sunday’s, between Wolves and Watford, should be a much more interesting encounter.
Both teams are involved in a battle for seventh spot in the Premier League, having enjoyed excellent campaigns. However, getting to the final of this competition will be the priority for both, with the draw wide open following the elimination of a number of top-six teams.
Wolves will be bouncing into this game, as they produced a fine performance to beat Manchester United on Tuesday. Nuno Santo’s team has been able to lift their game on the big occasion this season and that arguably makes them narrow favourites for the match at Wembley.
Watford will be more than a match for the Midlands club, though. They have excelled under the guidance of manager Javi Gracia and have proven themselves to be a tactically versatile outfit.
from World Soccer Talk http://bit.ly/2KbgoOE
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