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The Euro preview: El Clasico is here

By Michael Harshbarger

BARCELONA, SPAIN - APRIL 02: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Ivan Rakitic of Barcelona fc compete for the ball during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF at Camp Nou on April 2, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Helios de la Rubia/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - APRIL 02: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Ivan Rakitic of Barcelona fc compete for the ball during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF at Camp Nou on April 2, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Helios de la Rubia/Real Madrid via Getty Images) /
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El Clasico tops this week’s slate of European soccer matches. Let’s take a quick look around the Continent.

La Liga

Real Madrid vs. Barcelona may be the biggest rivalry in all of sports, let alone world soccer. Like most intense rivalries, form and record rarely play a role in predicting the outcome of an El Clasico clash.

However, the two clubs come into their Saturday matchup at Camp Nou (10:15 a.m. ET, beIN Sports) in slightly different moods. Per usual, the clubs are at the top of the table, but Real Madrid have opened up a six-point lead on Barca, winning their last seven league matches. Barcelona, on the other hand, have drawn in each of their last two La Liga games.

Additionally, Real are on a 32-game unbeaten streak, which is pretty good, I think. Barca have lost two league matches this season (the horror!). They do get to play host on Saturday, and Real Madrid will be without Gareth Bale, who recently underwent surgery on his ankle that will keep him sidelined up to four months. But, as stated above, you can pretty much throw all of that out the window.

The TV audience is expected to reach one billion viewers, the two best players in the world are squaring off and the La Liga title may very well be on the line; how could you not watch the latest iteration of El Clasico?

Next: 5 reasons Barcelona will win El Clasico

Shockingly enough, a whole slew of other matches will take place in Spain this weekend. Sevilla, who are actually tied on points with Barcelona, take on last place Granada. A slip up from Barca may allow them to bump up to second place.

Fourth-place Atletico Madrid have lost three out of their last six La Liga matches, but will expect two make it two wins in a row as they host 12th-place Espanyol. The win would keep them in the hunt for a Champions League spot.

Bundesliga

The Bundesliga is weird this season. An energy drink-fueled upstart, RB Leipzig, are at the top of the table, winning their last six league matches (they are also undefeated on the season). Everyone’s favorite powerhouse (the author has no evidence to support this assertion), Bayern Munich, trail Leipzig by three points and have lost one and drawn two in their last six. Three current Champions League participants — Borussias Dortmund and Monchengladbach along with Bayer Leverkusen — are out of the top six in the league table.

Bayern get the chance to make up ground on Friday as they travel to ninth-place Mainz (2:30 p.m. ET, FS1). RB Leipzig will look to continue their absurd run of form on Saturday, playing host to eighth-place Schalke (12:30 p.m. ET, FS2).

The match that will draw the most attention in our corner of the world will be Dortmund vs. Gladbach, also on Saturday (9:30 a.m. ET, FS1). Two of the most highly skilled USMNT players will be facing off: BVB’s Christian Pulisic and Gladbach’s Fabian Johnson. Pulisic, who continues to be linked to Liverpool, failed to see the pitch for the first time in a long time during Dortmund’s loss to Frankfurt last Saturday (maybe play the young American, huh Tuchel?). I would count on him playing, if not starting, on Saturday.

Serie A

Roma closed the gap on Juventus at the top of the Serie A table to four points last weekend. They beat Pescara 3-2 behind an Eden Dzeko brace while Juventus stumbled against Genoa, losing 3-1 on the road. Depending on this weekend’s results, as many as four different clubs could find themselves in second place come Monday.

Roma and AC Milan have 29 points; Lazio and Atalanta have 28. The latter are on a scorching run, winning their last six league matches on the bounce. Atalanta will need all of that momentum as they travel to Turin on Saturday to take on the the leaders (2:45 p.m. ET, beIN Sports).

The other big match in Serie A this weekend sees the aforementioned Roma and Lazio meeting in the Rome derby on Sunday. Roma will want desperately to hold onto second place; a win, even with all the congestion in that region of the table, will guarantee that (9:00 a.m. ET, beIN Sports).

Final Kick

The team line up of Lyon during the Ligue 1 match between FC Nantes and Olympique Lyonnais at Stade de la Beaujoire on November 30, 2016 in Nantes, France. (Photo by Eddy Lemaistre/Icon Sport ) (Photo by Eddy Lemaistre/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
The team line up of Lyon during the Ligue 1 match between FC Nantes and Olympique Lyonnais at Stade de la Beaujoire on November 30, 2016 in Nantes, France. (Photo by Eddy Lemaistre/Icon Sport ) (Photo by Eddy Lemaistre/Icon Sport via Getty Images) /

As most know, a terrible tragedy struck the soccer world this week when the plane carrying Brazilian soccer club Chapecoense to the Copa Sudamericana final crashed in Colombia. Of the 81 passengers only six survived.

Amid all the horror and despair, an overwhelming outpouring of support and love has come from all corners of the globe. Many of the European soccer leagues will be holding moments of silence at each of their matches this weekend. Some, including Portuguese giant Benfica, have indicated they will loan players to Chapecoense for free.

Edinson Cavani went as far as earning a yellow card: After scoring a penalty in PSG’s 2-0 win over Angers on Wednesday, the Argentine took off his jersey, revealing a T-shirt that featured the logo of Chapecoense across the front. The ref apologized for enforcing the rule.

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