5 best matches to watch out for as club football returns
Yet another fortnight of international football has passed us by. There were plenty of exciting matchups between top footballing nations over the past several days. But as always, ardent fans of the sport can't wait to welcome club football back.
Our favourite clubs and players will be back in action this weekend and these are exciting times for followers of the beautiful game. Fixtures will come thick and fast in the lead-up to the holiday season, with the next international break being four months away.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five best matches to watch out for this weekend.
#5 Newcastle United vs Chelsea (Nov. 25)
Chelsea have had a tough fixture list to navigate in the early stages of the 2023-24 season. That will continue this Saturday as they travel to Tyneside to take on Newcastle United.
After a difficult start to the campaign, the Blues seem to be finally hitting their stride under Mauricio Pochettino.
The 4-4 draw against Manchester City in their latest outing was a fair reflection of their capabilities. Meanwhile, their opponents, Newcastle United, went into the international break on the back of successive defeats against Borussia Dortmund and Bournemouth.
The Toons have quite a few injury concerns and on current form, we are expecting to see Chelsea eke out an encouraging victory at St. James' Park.
#4 Atalanta vs Napoli (Nov. 25)
Napoli and Atalanta are currently fourth and fifth respectively in the Serie A table, separated by a single point. Atalanta can leapfrog Napoli and move to fourth in the table with a win when the two sides clash at the Gewiss Stadium on Saturday.
The Partenopei have won their last three Serie A matches against Atalanta. Both sides have picked up just one win in their last four matches across all competitions. As such, it's safe to say that neither side are at their best right now.
It's a high-profile Serie A clash that promises to be riveting. Although Atalanta have home advantage, it's worth noting that Napoli are yet to lose an away game in the league so far this term.
#3 PSG vs AS Monaco (Nov. 24)
Paris Saint-Germain climbed to the top of the Ligue 1 table with their 3-0 win over Reims right before the international break. Kylian Mbappe scored a brilliant hat-trick to help his side gain a point lead at the top of the league standings.
PSG are on a five-game winning streak in the league. AS Monaco's chances of upsetting the Parisians at the Parc des Princes will rest heavily on the involvement of Folarin Balogun and Takumi Minamino, who are set to return late after the international break.
But it's one of the most high-profile clashes that the Ligue 1 has to offer and this one should be an entertaining encounter.
#2 Juventus vs Inter Milan (Nov. 26)
The top two of Serie A, Juventus and Inter Milan, will lock horns this Sunday at the Allianz Stadium. Both the Nerazzurri and the Bianconeri have lost once each in the league so far this season. Inter Milan have won their last four Serie A games on the trot while Juventus' winning streak stretches over their last five matches.
Inter Milan have been in great form this new season but even then, getting a win against Juventus seems like a Herculean task right now. Massimiliano Allegri's plans have worked well so far for the Old Lady this term and they will be looking to make a statement this Sunday against the league leaders.
#1 Manchester City vs Liverpool (Nov. 25)
It's a fixture that has given us some classic football matches in recent times. Two of the Premier League's strongest teams will collide at the Etihad on Saturday. Manchester City are at the top of the table with 28 points and Liverpool are breathing down their neck with 27.
City have won the last two meetings between the two sides across all competitions but had lost three on the trot prior to that. Pep Guardiola's men played out a spectacular 4-4 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridg ahead of the international break while Liverpool thumped Brentford 3-0 at Anfield.
This one should be a ripper with some of the finest players in the Premier League flying around and a place at the top of the table at stake.