It’s that time of the week again where we run through a selection of the most exciting matches from Europe’s top leagues taking place this weekend and offer our best bets and value picks.
Tottenham v West Ham (Sunday)
Tottenham continues their push for a top-four finish when they host London rivals West Ham who seeks to solidify their spot in the top six. Spurs have had a mixed bag of results lately, but will be confident of picking up three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium where they thumped Everton 5-0 there last time out. West Ham, however, will fancy themselves having won the last two league meetings against the north Londoners.
Leicester City v Brentford (Sunday)
Leicester City will be looking to return to winning ways when they host Brentford on Sunday. The Foxes slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal in the Premier League last time out that snapped their two-match winning streak. Their opponents Brentford have started to find their feet and put in some impressive displays, winning back-to-back games against Norwich and Burnley. The Bees will be in good spirits given their recent form, but Brendan Rodgers’ side will pose a much tougher test.
Middlesbrough v Chelsea (Saturday)
Chelsea travels to the Riverside Stadium to take on giant-killers Middlesbrough . Chris Wilder’s men eliminated Manchester United and Tottenham to get to this stage, showing they have what it takes to upset the Premier League’s elite. As for Chelsea, despite their current issues, have been excellent on the pitch, recently booking their place in the last eight of the Champions League.
Cadiz v Villarreal (Sunday)
Villarreal travels to the Nuevo Mirandilla to face Cadiz on Sunday looking to keep the pressure on the sides ahead of them as they chase down a spot in the top six. Unai Emery’s side are currently seventh in the league table, two points behind sixth-placed Real Sociedad. Cadiz, meanwhile, finds themselves in the thick of a relegation scrap and have won just once at home this season from 14 matches.
Real Madrid v Barcelona (Sunday)
Real Madrid will host Barcelona in El Clasico in the much-anticipated showdown of La Liga Santander on Sunday. Unlike previous times, this fixture isn’t a title decider. Los Blancos have a huge 15-point lead over their arch-rivals as they chase a 35th La Liga crown. The Blaugrana, meanwhile, are looking to solidify their chances of a top-four finish. But with home advantage and a five-game winning streak over the Catalan club, Madrid are strong favourites.
Hertha Berlin v Hoffenheim (Saturday)
Hertha Berlin entertains Hoffenheim in the capital, hoping to turn around the horrid five-game losing streak that has them deeply embattled in a fight against relegation. Hoffenheim, on the other hand, will continue their quest for UEFA Champions League qualification and are odds on favourites to claim maximum points after winning four consecutive matches and sharing the spoils in a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich last time out.
Cagliari v AC Milan (Saturday)
Cagliari will be aiming to avoid defeat when the Rossoneri come to town which could see them end the same week in the relegation zone. Chances don’t bode well for the home team who come off losses to Lazio and Spezia, failing to score in both matches. AC Milan, meanwhile, remains atop the summit of the Serie A standings after back-to-back 1-0 wins over Napoli and Empoli.
Inter Milan v Fiorentina (Saturday)
Inter Milan dropped points in a 1-1 draw at Torino last weekend and the Nerazzurri will be looking to return to winning ways when they host Fiorentina on Sunday. Simone Inzaghi’s side will be confident of picking up three points against the Viola who they’ve beaten four times in a row and have only scored six goals in six matches across all competitions since the departure of Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic to Juventus.
Nantes v Lille (Saturday)
Nantes had a fantastic four-game unbeaten streak snapped after being edged 1-0 away at Troyes. The hosts will feel gutted knowing they claimed maximum points over Paris Saint-Germain just a few weeks earlier. The champions of France, Lille, will be more fatigued after they took on UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea on Wednesday.
Monaco v PSG (Sunday)
Paris Saint-Germain travels to the Stade Louis II to face Monaco on Sunday in the standout fixture in Ligue 1. Mauricio Pochettino’s men have a huge 15-point lead in the league table and come into this tie-off a thumping 3-0 win over Bordeaux. Monaco have been inconsistent in recent weeks, beating in-form Marseille but tasting defeats against the likes of Reims and Strasbourg.