Matches to look out for

The winter break in Italy finished on Thursday, it finished last weekend in Spain and never really happened in Portugal.

Now Germany and France return to round off the six major European leagues as the 2021/22 season gears up for its second-half. For this weekend, though, England are on their FA Cup third round break so we are down to five. 

This is a look at the potentially standout matches from across Europe this weekend.

BUNDESLIGA

Bayern Munich vs Borussia Monchengladbach | Friday at 7.30pm (UK time) 

Bayern Munich return to action after a pleasant winter break which saw them sitting comfortably at the top-of-the-table. Julian Nagelsmann’s side have been extremely impressive, with the odd kamikaze performance thrown in, so far this season.

©Getty / MARTIN ROSE

Borussia Monchengladbach have been disappointing throughout the campaign under the management of Adi Hutter. The underperformance of Marcus Thuram and Breel Embolo has been stark, up-front. Despite that, Gladbach did manage to defeat Bayern 5-0 in the Pokal a few months ago so they will be hoping to cause the Bavarians some defensive issues.

LA LIGA

Villarreal vs Atletico Madrid | Sunday at 8pm (UK time)

Villarreal returned to action after their winter break with a 5-0 hammering of Levante in a Valencian derby last weekend. Unai Emery’s were exceptional and The Yellow Submarine will be looking at a genuinely unlikely tilt at the top four and UEFA Champions League spots.

Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid come into this on the back of a comfortable 2-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano last week as they look to recover from four successive defeats at the bottom end of 2021. Atleti are the reigning champions but they have endured a difficult campaign whereby a battle for just a top four finish looks like their best chances of success in the second-half of the campaign.

LIGUE 1

Olympique Lyonnais vs Paris Saint-Germain | Sunday at 7.45pm (UK time)

This is one of the biggest rivalries in France and has its own significance this season. Peter Bosz has often been criticised for a tactical approach that is too attacking and too open, with very little focus on actual results. Whilst Lyon have been entertaining this season, that theme has once again continued as they sit in mid-table.

PSG sit comfortably at the top-of-the-table with a hefty lead as they look to regain their Ligue 1 crown from Lille. However, Mauricio Pochettino’s side are yet to play well in, and this probably isn’t an exaggeration, a single league game so far this season. The visitors’ lack the intensity and pressure that a Poch side usually possesses but this is a good game to get kick-started in. 

PRIMEIRA LIGA

Estoril vs Porto | Saturday at 6pm (UK time)

Bruno Pinheiro took over as Estoril manager at the start of the 2020/21 campaign. Pinheiro led his new club to an immediate and impressive promotion. Now, almost identically emulating the spell of Marco Silva a decade ago, he has them pushing for the European spots at the half-way stage.

Porto will be fearing the sale of Luis Diaz with Liverpool rumoured to be closing in on the Colombian. Aside from that, Sergio Conciecao’s side have been extremely strong and they sit at the top-of-the—table, above reigning champions Sporting on goal difference, having gone unbeaten in their opening 16 matches. 

SERIE A

Inter Milan vs Lazio | Sunday at 7.45pm (UK time)

©Getty / DeFodi Images

On a day in which Jose Mourinho’s Roma face Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus, it takes something special to beat it for ‘pick of the day’ and Inter vs Lazio should just eclipse it. Simone Inzaghi faces his former club, the club he left in the summer, with his Inter Milan side sitting at the top-of-the-table after a relentless couple of months whereby the Nerazzurri have been free-flowing, free-scoring and collecting wins at will.

Lazio have been as entertaining, but slightly less effective. Maurizio Sarri’s side sit down towards the middle-of-the-table after their 3-3 draw with Empoli on Thursday. The visitors have been involved in some thrillers as ‘Sarri-ball’ gets executed at its most extreme – at both ends of the pitch.