5 things to look forward to in Europe this week
With January drawing to a close, February kicks off another month of non-stop footballing action across Europe. With the Champions League only a couple of weeks away, teams are looking to settle the scores in their respective domestic competitions. The week’s action begins with the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, as Atletico Madrid take on Barcelona in a crunch tie.
The Premier League will make a return with Chelsea and Arsenal kicking things off this weekend, while Manchester United travel to champions, Leicester City on Sunday. There are big games in Germany, France and Italy as RB Leipzig play Dortmund, Monaco face Nice, and Juventus host Inter Milan. The week concludes with the second legs of the Cop del Rey.
#1 Chelsea host Arsenal to open the weekend’s action
Following an intense fixture schedule in mid-week, the Premier League teams will be in action once again on the weekend. Saturday kicks off with a thriller as Chelsea host London rivals, Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were comfortably beaten by Arsene Wenger’s side the last time the two teams met but followed that with a 13-game winning run.
Third-placed Gunners will be looking to do the double over Chelsea and thus reduce the gap at the top of the league.
Liverpool will also be in action on Saturday, when they visit Hull City, while Tottenham will face a visit from Middlesbrough. Sam Allardyce will play host to his former team Sunderland, as Crystal Palace and the Black Cats battle it out at the bottom of the table. Both Manchester clubs will be in action on Sunday, with the Citizens hosting Swansea City and Jose Mourinho’s side travelling to reigning champions, Leicester City.