5 games to watch this weekend: Chelsea vs Arsenal and more
By Adam Stocker
Here are five of the best matches in Europe that you should watch this weekend.
With Serie A and La Liga seasons kicking off this weekend, there are a lot of reasons for fans to be excited. The season debuts of Lionel Messi and Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Serie A debut will build on the excitement of the start of the Premier League and Ligue 1 seasons last weekend. This weekend features games between top four clubs in Spain, two clubs that finished in the top five of Serie A last season and a clash between two big six clubs in the Premier League.
5. Chievo vs. Juventus — Saturday, Aug. 18, 12:00 p.m. ET ESPN+
Juventus won their seventh straight Serie A title last season. However, after failing to reach the Champions League final, the Black and Whites went out to strengthen their side this summer. Juventus signing five players, most notably Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar will make his Juve debut on Saturday against Chievo.
The biggest question is how will Massimiliano Allegri deploy his new players. Last season, Allegri used both a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1. In either formation, Ronaldo will operate in the middle. Juventus’ success this season will be determined by how well Ronaldo messes with his new teammates.
Ronaldo will form a partnership with Paulo Dybala, who scored 26 goals in all competitions. Dybala will operate on the wing in the 4-3-3 formation and will play behind Ronaldo as a secondary striker in the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Ronaldo is not the only player that Allegri has to integrate into his side. Emre Can will likely start in midfield alongside Miralem Pjanic and Blaise Matuidi. After a season with AC Milan, Leonardo Bonucci alongside Giorgio Chiellini in the back four. Joao Cancelo was signed to replaced Stephan Lichtsteiner.
In the heat of a relegation battle, Chievo fired Rolando Maran and replaced him with Lorenzo D’Anna. Under D’Anna, Chievo won their final three games of the season to avoid relegation and finish 13th. While not one of the bigger clubs in Serie A, Chievo have been a fixture in Serie A for 11 seasons and should avoid relegation again. Mariusz Stepinski closed the season on a high note last season, scoring four goals in his last nine games.
4. Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool — Monday, Aug. 20, 3:00 p.m. ET NBCSN
The second week of the Premier League seasons concludes with the only game of the week that features teams that both won their first game. Crystal Palace started slowly in their opening game against Fulham but got stronger as the game went on, winning 2-0. Liverpool started the season in dominating fashion, easily beating West Ham 4-0. The two teams meet at Selhurst Park on Monday.
Crystal Palace extended Wilfried Zaha’s contract midweek. By extending Zaha, Palace are ensuring their best player will be sticking around for a while. When Zaha plays, his speed and ability to beat defenders make him one of the most exciting players to watch in the Premier League. Zaha scored against Fulham and is the key to Palace’s success this season. When Zaha did not play last season, Palace did not win a single game.
Jurgen Klopp’s side looked to be in midseason form against West Ham. Everything was clicking for the Reds. After scoring 32 goals last season, Mohamed Salah scored in the opener and looks primed for another massive season. With defenses focusing more on Salah, Sadio Mane was allowed more space against West Ham. Mane made the Hammers pay, scoring twice. With the additions of Naby Keita and Alisson, Liverpool have solved many of their flaws and looked like a team that could win their first league title in over 25 years.
3. Lazio vs. Napoli — Saturday, Aug. 18, 2:30 p.m. ET ESPN+
In the biggest Serie A game of the opening weekend, Napoli travel to Rome to play Lazio. Last season, Napoli gave Juventus one of the tightest title races they have faced over the past seven seasons. Ultimately, the Little Donkeys finished four points behind Juve. Lazio finished fifth, missing out on Champions League after losing to Inter Milan in the final game of the season.
No team scored more goals in Serie A last season than Lazio’s 89. The Rome side were led by Ciro Immobile’s Serie A best 29 goals last season. Lazio should again be one of the best attacking teams in Italy after successfully holding onto Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, despite interest from the biggest clubs in the world. The midfield duo of Milinkovic-Savic and Luis Alberto drove play for Lazio, combining for 23 goals and 20 assists. However, the biggest question for Lazio this season will be their defense. Lazio allowed 49 goals last season, 10th most in the Serie A. After watching their best defender Stefan de Vrij, Lazio could be even worse defensively.
Despite the strong season, Napoli made several changes over the summer. Manager Maurizio Sarri and midfielder Jorginho left for Chelsea. New manager Carlo Ancelotti will likely shift from a 4-3-3 to his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. Napoli scored the third most goals in Serie A last season and their attack should continue to be as good with Dries Mertens, Jose Callejon and Lorenzo Insigne returning. The biggest change under Ancelotti sees captain Marek Hamsik shift positions. After playing higher in a more attacking role, Hamsik will play deeper. The move should help extend the career of Hamsik, who began slowing down. Napoli are hoping the allows Hamsik to enjoy a late-career upswing like Andrea Pirlo did when he made a similar move.
2. Valencia vs. Atletico Madrid — Monday, Aug. 20, 2:00 p.m. ET BeIN Sports
In the penultimate game of La Liga’s opening weekend, Valencia host Atletico Madrid. A season ago, Valencia finished fourth with 73 points, six points behind second-place Atletico. Diego Simeone’s side kicked off their season on Wednesday, beating city rival Real Madrid 4-2 in the UEFA Super Cup.
Valencia made several moves over the summer looking to close the gap on Barcelona and the two Madrid teams. The Bats signed Kevin Gameiro from Atletico and Michy Batshuayi on loan from Chelsea, looking to improve their attack. After a strong half season with Borussia Dortmund, Batshuayi could enjoy a very successful season in Spain. After scoring 16 goals last season, Rodrigo will benefit from playing with Gameiro or Batshuayi.
Atletico are often forced to sell their best players in the summer. However, this summer, Atletico were buyers. The club signed Thomas Lemar, Rodri, Gelson Martins and Santiago Arias. All four players could see regular playing time this season. While not officially a signing, Atletico were able to hold onto French star Antoine Griezmann despite heavy speculation he might leave for Barcelona.
The addition of attacking players should also create more space and scoring opportunities for Diego Costa, who scored twice in Atletico’s win against Real Madrid. By holding onto Griezmann and playing their regular stingy defense under Simeone, Atletico give themselves a chance of winning La Liga.
1. Chelsea vs. Arsenal — Saturday, Aug. 18, 12:30 p.m. ET NBC
The second weekend of the Premier League season is highlighted by Chelsea and Arsenal. When two teams in the Premier League’s big six play, it is almost always the best game to watch. Chelsea won their first match under Maurizio Sarri, beating Huddersfield 3-0. Arsenal did not enjoy the same success in their first game under Unai Emery, losing 2-0 to Manchester City.
Chelsea did exactly what they were supposed to do against Huddersfield, looking sharp and picking up all three points. Saturday’s game against Arsenal will be the first big test for Sarri. The win is even more impressive considered that Eden Hazard did not start the game. If there was one negative to Chelsea’s season opener, it was the play of Alvaro Morata. The Spanish striker was criticized last season for struggling in his first season with the club. Chelsea are going to need Morata to play significantly better if they want to secure a top-four finish this season.
Facing Manchester City in their season opener was a less than ideal situation for Emery. City showed exactly why they ran away with the title last season. Emery returns the second week of the season looking for his first win in charge of the Gunners. The Spanish manager is considering making changes ahead of the game against Chelsea. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came out after the game telling the media he would be comfortable playing on the wing, allowing Alexandre Lacazette to start at striker.
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The adjustment should be considered by Emery. Aubameyang found success early in his tenure with Borussia Dortmund playing on the wing next to Robert Lewandowski. To make the change, Emery would likely have to switch to a 4-3-3 formation. Henrikh Mkhitaryan would play on the opposite wing, while Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, and Lucas Torreira would make up the midfield three. The new lineup would give Arsenal more attacking options and allow Ozil to play in his natural position.