5 games to watch: Battle of the Borussias
By Adam Stocker
Here are five of the best matches around Europe this weekend, highlighted by the top two teams in the Bundesliga playing on Friday.
The top leagues in Europe are nearing the midway point in their seasons. In some leagues, the title picture is a clear race between two or three teams but other teams are not as clear. The race for spots in the Champions League and Europa League spots look like they will do down to the wire across the major leagues. This season, almost every week there is a new club in the top four in the big five leagues. This weekend, the Bundesliga lays claim to the two best games of the weekend, as four of the top five clubs meet in their final game before the winter break. While the Premier League, Ligue 1 and Serie A, all offer an interest between clubs battling for a Champions League or Europa League spot.
5. Montpellier vs. Lyon — Saturday, Dec. 22, 3 p.m. ET (BeIN Sports)
Lyon and Montpellier going into the weekend in third and four place. Montpellier are two points behind Lyon but have a game in hand. On Saturday, the two clubs will jockey for position in the Ligue 1 table and the race for a Champions League spot.
The Ligue 1 season has been disrupted over recent weeks due to protesting in France. Montpellier lost to second place Lille in their last game but that was way back on Dec. 4. Andy Delort and Gaetan Laborde have each scored seven goals this season and will lead the front line for Montpellier. Unlike Montpellier, Lyon were able to play last weekend, beating Monaco 3-0. Lyon have one a young and talented roster, led by Nabil Fekir, who forms a strong midfield with Tanguy Ndombele and Houssem Aouar.
4. Juventus vs. Roma — Saturday, Dec. 22, 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Roma manager Eusebio Di Francesco has been on the hot seat for the entire season. Di Francesco was able to avoid getting fired for another week after beating Genoa 3-2. However, the performance was underwhelming. On Saturday, Roma go to the Allianz Stadium to play Juventus. A loss against the best team in Serie A could be the final nail in Di Francesco’s tenure at Roma. Juventus are unbeaten this season after beating city rivals Torino 1-0. Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 11th goal of the season against Torino and has the second most goal in Serie A. Juventus will look to continue their unbeaten streak on Saturday, try to increase
3. Everton vs. Tottenham — Sunday, Dec. 23, 11:00 a.m. ET (NBCSN)
The best game this week in the Premier League features Everton and Tottenham. The Toffees are in a tight race for a Europa League spot with Manchester United and Wolves. Marco Silva has had a strong first season at Goodison Park but his team was easily beaten 3-1 by Manchester City last week. Everton will look to bounce back against Tottenham on Sunday. Spurs are third in the Premier League but trail Liverpool by six points. Mauricio Pochettino’s team won their third straight game, beating Burnley 1-0 last weekend. Tottenham could catch Liverpool or Manchester City at the top of the table but they cannot afford to drop points. Harry Kane will lead the attack for Spurs, leading the club with nine goals this season.
2. Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Bayern Munich — Saturday, Dec. 22, 12:30 p.m. ET (FS2)
Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich developed some bad blood at the end of last season after Bayern hired then Eintracht manager Niko Kovac to be their manager. Frankfurt were vocal about how did not like the way that Bayern went about hiring Kovac. The two clubs would go on to playing in the DFB Pokal at the end of the season, with Eintracht shocking Bayern.
This season, Kovac has had a rocky tenure with Bayern, but have improved lately, winning four straight. Bayern are third in the Bundesliga, six points behind Borussia Dortmund after beating RB Leipzig 1-0 on Wednesday. Frankfurt got off to an awful start this season, picking up only four points in their first five games. In their last 11 games, EIntract have picked up 23 points. On Wednesday, Eintracht drew 2-2 with Mainz, with Luka Jovic scoring both goals. Jovic turns 21 on Sunday and is tied for the Bundesliga lead with 12 goals this season. The Serbian international joined Frankfurt last season on loan from Benfica but Eintracht will likely try to make his move permanent at the end of the season. Jovic and Sebastian Haller have been incredible in the front two for Eintracht, scoring 21 goals.
1. Borussia Dortmund vs. Borussia Monchengladbach — Friday, Dec. 21, 2:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
The two top teams in the Bundesliga this season are Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach. On Friday, the two clubs meet in the Borussen derby. This weekend is the final set of games in the first half of the season. Friday’s game could really make the title race interesting when the season resumes following the winter break.
Dortmund hold a six-point lead over Gladbach and Bayern Munich after losing their first game of the season to Fortuna Dusseldorf. If Dortmund lose again, their lead would be down to three points and the pressure would be on. Former Gladbach manager Lucien Favre has been great in his first season with Dortmund. However, Favre will have to make changes to his back four with center-backs Dan-Axel Zagadou and Manuel Akanji are unlikely to play. Up front, Paco Alcacer, Marco Reus, and Jadon Sancho have been incredible leading the attack. The trio have combined for 27 goals and 16 assists this season and will be leaned on for goals on Friday.
The Foals defeated Nurnberg 2-0 on Tuesday, giving them seven points in their last three games. Dieter Hecking’s team have been perfect at home this season but have struggled in their away games. Monchengladbach have picked up only nine points in their eight away games. The Foals success this season has been because of their attack that has scored 35 times. If not for Alcacer, Alassane Plea would be considered one of the best signings this season. Plea has scored nine goals, tied with Thorgan Hazard for the team lead. The duo will look to find holes in Dortmund’s injured defense.