The Euro Preview: Can clubs survive their Champions League hangover?

Several clubs are coming off tough Champions League games. Can they survive the congested schedule heading into another busy weekend of league action?

Serie A

With Juventus eight points ahead over second-place Napoli, the Bianconeri have a commanding lead going into this weekend. Juventus have proved difficult to beat and with enough depth to compete domestically and in the Champions League. Juve, 2-1 losers to Young Boys on Wednesday but winners of Group H nonetheless, play the Turin derby on Saturday against sixth-place Torino. While a derby is always tricky, Juventus have dominated this one for quite a while. There’s no reason to think this team, with Cristiano Ronaldo in excellent form, can’t grab another three points on matchday 16.

The Partenopei, on the other hand, are coming off a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Tuesday in the Champions League. Napoli travel to 13th-place Cagliari on Sunday in a must-win match if they hope to siphon points from their rivals. The loss against Liverpool dumped Napoli into the Europa League once again, proving those games will be more of a nuisance come spring than something Carlo Ancelotti’s men are looking forward to.

“We need to accept the verdict, we are so sorry. We had the chances to go through but we didn’t do anything different from the expectations. We were close and we are embittered now. But we’ll take this disappointment to Europa League even though it’s less important than the Champions League,” Ancelotti told reporters after the defeat.

Inter Milan, who are in third, failed miserably in the Champions League, drawing PSV Eindhoven 1-1 and also failing to advance to the knockout stage. The Nerazzurri face off against always-tricky Udinese, who have seen a slump in form this season and are languishing in 17th place, at home on Saturday. For Inter, it has been an inconsistent season. A defeat this weekend would only help to bolster the argument even further that Inter don’t have what it takes to succeed.

“The Europa League? We have to face that with the same mentality as always, trying to commit less errors and trying to behave like a team at our level,” Inter Milan manager Luciano Spalletti told reporters. “That means managing the ball, letting our opponents run and wait for the right moment. The season remains the same, we have to continue in the same way that we started it, keeping the tension high in order to get the results that we want right away. This reaction will tell if we have matured or not.”

La Liga

League leaders Barcelona rested Lionel Messi midweek against Tottenham in the Champions League, but expect him to come out roaring on Sunday on the road against Levante. Against Tottenham, Ousmane Dembele scored for Barca once again, although he has been the talk of transfer rumors and recently showed up two hours late to training.

“Dembele scored a goal in which he made the most of the space and was cold blooded in finishing it,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde told reporters after the Tottenham match. “But we are a team and we all pull for the same goal for the team. We always want to win and such internal affairs will be dealt with in the dressing room.”

Real Madrid, meanwhile, have struggled in La Liga and a 3-0 thumping against CSKA Moscow on Wednesday in the Champions League was a further indication of how much trouble this club now find themselves in. The months following Ronaldo’s departure have been difficult for Los Blancos.

Although they’re currently in fourth place in La Liga (and only five points off the pace despite five losses in 15 games), Real won Group G in their quest to win a fourth consecutive Champions League crown, appearing to withstand the recent spate of humiliating defeats. They will be looking to rebound on Saturday against 19th-place Rayo Vallecano.

In other games to watch: Sevilla, who are tied for second place with Atletico Madrid, plays Sunday at home against ninth-place Girona. Atletico Madrid, coming off a scoreless draw against Club Brugge, play the previous day at 12th-place Valladolid.

Bundesliga

Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munch and Schalke all advanced to the knockout stage of the Champions League — and all three are doing very differently in Germany’s top flight.

First-place Dortmund, coming off a 2-0 victory against Monaco, take on eighth-place Werder Bremen at home on Saturday in a clash between American stars Christian Pulisic and Josh Sargent. BVB manager Lucien Favre will also restore a host of first-team regulars to the lineup after resting them at Monaco, with Marco Reus, Thomas Delaney, Axel Witsel and Jadon Sancho all returning.

Bayern, meanwhile, topped their Champions League group after a thrilling 3-3 draw against Ajax. The league, however, has been a different matter this season. Bayern are currently in third place and nine points off the pace. Bayern play on Saturday at 17th-place Hannover, a game they must win to keep up with BVB.

Finally, Schalke may be through to the last 16 in the Champions League, but has been a Jekyll and Hyde club when it comes to the league. The team, outsiders to succeed in Europe, play Saturday at 14th-place Augsburg in a key game when it comes to the relegation battle.

Schalke are currently 14th and just a point ahead of Augsburg.