The Euro Preview: Bayern-BVB title race rages on and Barcelona’s big derby
The title race between Bayern and Dortmund takes centerstage, while the Barcelona derby between Barca and Espanyol will have Catalans captivated.
Bundesliga
After last weekend’s break for international duty, Europe’s domestic leagues resume and Bayern Munich hope to continue where they left off.
While the famed Bavarian club faltered in the Champions League, their domestic surge has allowed them to compete for another league title this season.
At the same time, Borussia Dortmund, in the driver’s seat for much of the season, need to stack up points any way they can in order to keep pace like they did two weeks ago in a 3-2 win against Hertha Berlin. The team have wasted several chances this month to pull away.
Both Bayern and BVB are tied for first with 60 points, although the defending champions have a superior goal difference. The sides meet each other on April 6 at the Allianz Arena in Munich in a game that could very well decide the title.
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Bayern will look to pile on more goals on matchday 27 when they take on 11th-place SC Freiburg on the road this Saturday, while BVB host seventh-place Wolfsburg at the same time.
In other games to watch in Germany this weekend: RB Leipzig, currently in third place, host 10th-place Hertha Berlin on Saturday. At the bottom of the table, 17th-place Hanover 96 host 15th-place Schalke on Sunday in a match that could help to decide which teams avoid the drop this spring.
La Liga
League leaders Barcelona will look to inch closer to the title this weekend with a victory at home against city rivals Espanyol.
The matchday 29 game, which will be played Saturday at the Nou Camp, will feature a Lionel Messi in exceptional form. The Argentine great is having a wonderful season and leads the scoring charts with 29 goals and 12 assists. He enters this match after another disappointing outing, a defeat to Venezuela, with his national team.
Espanyol are currently 13th and struggling this season after going just 1-3-1 in their last five league games. Barca, on the other hand, have won their last five and only lost twice this season.
It’s worth noting that the Catalan giants blanked Espanyol 4-0 when the sides met earlier this season with Messi scoring twice in that game.
In other games, second-place Atletico Madrid face fifth-place Alaves on Saturday, while third-place Real Madrid play the following day at home against last-place Huesca.
Atleti hold a narrow two-point lead over Real going into this weekend, giving Zinedine Zidane’s side the chance to slip into second place following what has been a disappointing season.
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Serie A
Italy’s top flight also returns for matchday 29 with Juventus continuing their victory tour after amassing a 15-point lead at the top of the table over second-place Napoli.
The Bianconeri, without Cristiano Ronaldo, who injured his hamstring while on international duty with Portugal, host Empoli on Saturday, while Napoli travel to Rome’s Stadio Olimpico for the always-tough road trip against Roma.
Italian police will be on extra alert in Rome for this one. Fan violence has marred this contest in the past since many Napoli fans will be making the short train ride north. Some of the most serious incidents involving Roma fans have taken place outside the stadium. A clash, like the one led to a Napoli fan’s death from a shooting before the 2014 Italian Cup final, will be on everyone’s mind.
Ciro Esposito died 50 days after he was shot by a Roma fan, resulting in a 16-year prison sentence for shooter Daniele De Santis.
That incident came before a match that didn’t even involve the Giallorossi, although Napoli’s 3-1 win over Fiorentina had been held in Rome. A similar skirmish last season during the Roma-Liverpool Champions League semifinal resulted in serious injury for an English supporter.
In the weekend’s other games to watch: Sampdoria host AC Milan on Saturday, while Lazio travel to Inter Milan the following day for what is expected to be another heated clash at the San Siro.