Top 7 games to watch out for during the international break
After four weeks of insane club football action, its time for the players to return to international duty once again. Unlike most other international breaks, this is going to be a triple-header for many sides, meaning several teams will be playing as many as three games this time around.
There are some mouth-watering friendlies in midweek, followed by equally enticing games in the UEFA Nations League and the World Cup qualifiers.
Here are the best seven best games to keep an eye out for.
#7 England vs Wales (International friendly, 7th October)
This is one of the oldest fixtures in world football and also one of the sports' best rivalries, but the neighbouring British sides have met only five times in the 21st century. The latest clash also marks the first meeting between England and Wales since the Euro 2016 group encounter in France which the former won 2-1.
Played in Wembley, the upcoming 'Battle of Britain' is low on stakes, as it's only an international friendly. To water it down further, several first-team stars from both sides will be missing in action. Nevertheless, there's pride on the line, so expect a hard-fought encounter.
#6 Portugal vs Spain (International friendly, 7th October)
Another 'derby', Portugal and Spain, the winners of the last two editions of the European championships, lock horns in an enticing friendly in Lisbon. This also marks the first game between the Iberian nations since the 3-3 thriller in the World Cup in 2018, though this one might be low on drama.
Both teams have a Nations League double-header coming up after this clash, so they maybe tempted to err on the side of caution. Several top stars from both sides are likely to be benched, including Cristiano Ronaldo, who struck a hat-trick in that epic World Cup encounter in Russia in 2018.
#5 Uruguay vs Chile (World Cup qualifier, 8th Oct)
Over in South America, the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup kicks off this week, and our pick of the first round is an intriguing tie between traditional powerhouses Uruguay and Chile. Even though the Celeste leads the all-time record with 45 wins and just 19 defeats, the Reds have proved to be a thorn in their flesh in recent ties.
They've won three of the last six encounters between the two sides, but all at home. Having failed to qualify for the World Cup last time, Chile will be hoping for a better run this time around. They will look to get least a point against Oscar Tabarez's side, who are set to be bolstered by the return of Luis Suarez.