3 fixtures you can't miss this weekend

This week’s piece picks out three fixtures across three of Europe’s top leagues: Atletico Madrid v Barcelona, Verona v Napoli, and Newcastle United v Manchester City.

Atletico Madrid v Barcelona (Saturday, 19:00 UK time)

This is surely the biggest game of the weekend. Diego Simeone’s work at Atletico Madrid continues to astound. Moving on from winning the Copa del Rey last season, his side is level with Barcelona on points (49) heading into this huge fixture, while they also boast the league’s best defence, having conceded just 11 goals in 19 games. Barcelona, meanwhile, have the league’s best attack, scoring 52 goals, one more than third-placed Real Madrid.

The Catalans are undefeated in eight games in all competitions against their upcoming opponents, but Simeone’s men, in the form they’re in-especially Diego Costa up front, who has scored 19 goals, one less than league-leader Cristiano Ronaldo-will be confident of pulling off an upset on home turf.

Verona v Napoli (Sunday, 14:00 UK time)

The newly-promoted side has taken Serie A by storm, sitting in fifth place heading into this game, seven points off the final Champions League qualifying spot, which Napoli hold. Rafael Benitez’ side are undefeated against Verona in their last seven matches in all competitions, but this is a very different, much-improved, Verona side, one that has the second-best home record this season – winning eight and losing once in nine games at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi. If Napoli want a victory on their turf, they’d better come prepared to battle hard for it.

Newcastle United v Manchester City (Sunday, 14:05 UK time)

It’s eighth versus second in this game. Alan Pardew’s men found form after a sluggish start to the season, but have lost their last three games in all competitions – all by one-goal margins. Having lost just twice at home in 10 league games so far this season, however, they’ll fancy their chances against a City side that, though in immaculate form and fresh off of a 6-0 pounding of West Ham United in the Capital One Cup, haven’t had the best of results on the road, winning just four times. Three of those wins have come in their last four games, but those victories came against struggling sides.

A victory would take City top of the league, albeit briefly, with Arsenal set to play the next day. Still, Pellegrini’s men, who have scored the most goals in the league (57), will be raring to go and confident of a sixth straight league win. Having failed to keep a clean sheet in their last three games, the Toon had better beware.