5 games to watch: Serie A takes center stage
By Adam Stocker
Here are five of the best matches around Europe this weekend, highlighted by three Serie A games between teams at the top of the table.
Most weekends, all five of the big leagues in Europe offer a game worth watching. This weekend is the rare exception. The top teams in La Liga, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga are all playing teams near the bottom of the table. Serie A, however, offers an incredible trio of games, with six of the top seven teams facing off against each other. This weekend very well could determine which teams qualify for the Champions League and which teams have to settle for the Europa League.
5. Tottenham vs. Watford — Wednesday, Jan. 30, 3 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Gold)
The Premier League takes the weekend off because of the FA Cup, but will have midweek games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Third-place Tottenham host seventh-place Watford at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday.
Despite the teams being four spots apart in the table, the teams are 18 points apart. However, Watford could pull off the upset for the second time this season on Wednesday. The Hornets beat Spurs 2-1 in the fourth game of the season. Spurs are dealing with several injuries, most notably to Harry Kane and Dele Alli, who are both expected to be out until March. With Heung-min Son away from the club on national team duty, Tottenham have limited options up front. Fernando Llorente could get his second straight start, while Lucas Moura will play a much bigger role for Spurs. Watford are unbeaten over their last four games and have picked up 13 points over their last eight games. While the Hornets have picked points, they have a neutral goal differential.
4. Liverpool vs. Leicester — Wednesday, Jan. 30, 3:00 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Last weekend, Liverpool and Leicester both played exciting 4-3 games. Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 4-3, while Leicester lost 4-3 against Wolves. On Wednesday, the two clubs meet at Anfield. Liverpool’s win last weekend helped them maintain their four-point lead over Manchester City in the title race. Mohamed Salah scored twice against Palace, giving him a Premier League best 16 goals this season. The Egyptian superstar will again be the focal point of the Reds attack on Wednesday. Leicester have lost two straight games and five of their last eight games to drop to eighth in the table. Claude Puel’s side will look to snap that streak on Wednesday but will need big performances from Harry Maguire and Jamie Vardy. Maguire is Leicester’s best defender and will have to have a good game against Liverpool’s attack. Vardy leads the club with seven goals this season and will have to find the back of the net if the Foxes are going to steal points at Anfield.
3. Atalanta vs. Roma — Sunday, Jan. 27, 9:00 a.m. ET (ESPNews)
One of the most entertaining Serie A games in the early part of the season was a 3-3 draw between Atalanta and Roma at Stadio Olimpico. Emiliano Rigoni scored twice for Atalanta, while Javier Pastore scored a goal and added an assist.
Roma have stormed up the table over the past few weeks, winning four of five games, moving from 10th to fifth. Prior to the winning streak, rumors were flying that Eusebio Di Francesco would be fired following the next Roma loss. The decision to not fire Di Francesco has paid off as he has righted the ship. The capital club enter the weekend one point behind Milan for the final Champions League spot. Stephan El Shaarawy and Aleksandar Kolarov have both played great this season. El Shaarawy leads the club with six goals, while Kolarov is not playing like a 33-year-old full-back, scoring five goals this season.
Atalanta were awful in their first eight games of the season, picking up only six points. The Goddess dropped as low as 17th in the table before rallying. Atalanta have won two straight and have 13 points in their last six games to move up to seventh in the table, only three points behind Milan. Duvan Zapata is one of the main reasons that Atalanta have turned their season around. The Colombian striker scored only one goal in his first 13 games of the season but has scored an incredible 13 goals over his last seven games. Zapata is having a career year and is tied for the Serie A lead with 14 goals.
2. AC Milan vs. Napoli — Saturday, Jan. 26, 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
AC Milan and Napoli have been linked indirectly in the transfer market over the past week and a half. Milan sent striker and leading scorer Gonzalo Higuain to Chelsea, where he is reunited with his former Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri. With Higuain gone, Milan signed Genoa Krzysztof Piatek, who scored 13 goals in the first half of the season. Piatek will likely make his first appearance for Milan on Saturday as they host Napoli at the San Siro.
Milan are fourth in the table but have Roma, Lazio and Atalanta right behind them in the race for the final Champions League spot. The Red and Blacks have picked up 12 points over their last seven games. Spanish winger Suso has been incredible this season, scoring five goals and adding eight assists. Suso will lead the attack against Napoli.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team are nine points behind Juventus in the title race. With the exception of last year and this season, a team as good as Napoli would be crowned champions. Napoli, unfortunately, have to play against the most dominant Juventus team in the club’s history. They have won six of seven games between the front two of Arkadiusz Milik and Dries Mertens. Milik and Mertens have combined for 19 goals and eight assists this season.
1. Lazio vs. Juventus — Sunday, Jan. 27, 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
At the Stadio Olimpico this weekend, it’s sixth place Lazio hosting first-place Juventus. Lazio are two points back of AC Milan for fourth in the table. The pressure is starting to build on Simone Inzaghi, with his team picking up 11 points in their last nine games. Had Lazio not settled for draws in five of their last nine games, they could had a commanding lead in the race for the final Champions League spot. Instead, they’re in danger of falling further behind in the top four race. Inzaghi will rely on Ciro Immobile to convert chances against Juventus. Immobile leads the club with 11 goals this season.
Juventus have not lost in Serie A this season, picking up 56 of a possible 60 points. Despite dropping only four points, Juve are only nine points ahead of Napoli. Juventus were expected to be good and again win the title after signing Cristiano Ronaldo. However, no one expected them to be this dominant. Juventus are attempting to be one greatest Serie A teams in history and potentially go the entire season without losing. If Juventus are going to go undefeated, they will need Ronaldo to continue scoring. The Portuguese superstar is tied for the Serie A lead with 14 goals.