Red-Hot Rivalries: This Weekend’s Unmissable Football Fixtures
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Arsenal vs. Chelsea - Emirates Stadium
Super Sunday in the Premier League kicks off with the London Derby, as Chelsea make the hour-long trip north to the Emirates Stadium to face cross-town rivals Arsenal. This is a crucial match in the race for Champions League qualification, with just 11 points currently separating the team in second place from the side in ninth.
Arsenal have only lost one of their last nine Premier League matches against Chelsea (W6 D2 L1)!
The Gunners have fallen 15 points behind league leaders Liverpool following three matches without victory, while the Blues moved back into the top four after back-to-back wins against Southampton and Leicester. A win for the visitors will see them cut the deficit to the hosts to just three points with nine games left to play in the season.
Check out our Arsenal vs. Chelsea prediction!
Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona - Riyadh Air Metropolitano
The undisputed box-office fixture from La Liga this weekend will come from the Metropolitano on Sunday, when Atletico Madrid takes on Barcelona in a top-of-the-table clash. The title race in the Spanish top flight is sizzling this season, with Blaugrana and Los Blancos locked level on 57 points, while Los Rojiblancos are just one point behind them on 56.
Atletico Madrid are unbeaten in their last 14 home games in La Liga this season (W10 D4 L0)!
However, Diego Simeone’s are entering this match off the back of disappointment, having bowed out of the Champions League at this venue in midweek when they were beaten on penalties by Los Merengues. These two sides played out a thrilling 4-4 draw in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final less than three weeks ago, and most are expecting another close encounter in this one.
Check out our Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona prediction!
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Olympique Marseille - Parc des Princes
Over in the French capital, we have another battle of the heavyweights on Sunday, with Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain playing host to second-placed Marseille. Les Parisiens will be in fine spirits coming into the match, having overcome Liverpool in the Champions League last 16 in midweek. A victory here will see them pull 19 points clear of the chasing pack at the summit of the league standings.
PSG have won their last six matches against Marseille without conceding a single goal!
We will also be treated to seeing the two top-scorers in the French top flight go head-to-head in this encounter. Ousmane Dembele currently leads the way in the race for the Golden Boot with 20 league goals this season, while former Manchester United attacker Mason Greenwood is having a stellar season, currently on 15 goals, one more than Lille’s talisman Jonathan David.
Check out our PSG vs. Marseille prediction!
Atalanta vs. Inter Milan - Gewiss Stadium
The lead in the Serie A could change hands this weekend when Atalanta and Inter Milan lock horns in Bergamo. I Nerazzurri lead the league standings by just a single point above Napoli, while La Dea are just three points off the top spot after 28 games. If Gli Azzurri lose or draw at Venezia and Atalanta win this match, the latter will go top owing to a better goal difference.
In the last 15 matches between Atalanta and Inter Milan in Bergamo, both sides have won four games (D7) and scored 21 goals apiece!
Inter have avoided defeat in their last 12 Serie A matches against La Dea - a record run in this fixture - and they won each of the last five such encounters, outscoring their opponent 16-5. However, Atalanta have kept clean sheets in each of their last five league games and have only suffered defeat once in their last 23 top-flight matches.
Check out our Atalanta vs. Inter Milan prediction!
RB Leipzig vs. Borussia Dortmund - Red Bull Arena
The standout fixture on Saturday comes from the Bundesliga, where RB Leipzig welcomes Borussia Dortmund to the Red Bull Arena for a headline-grabbing matchup. Both these sides have endured underwhelming league campaigns to date, but with the top half of the league table still tightly compact, three points for either team could create a significant shake-up in the standings.
With six points from his first five league games in charge, Niko Kovac has made the worst start of any BVB coach since Jurgen Rober back in 2007!
Indeed, the Die Schwarzgelben have been doing it tough this season, currently sitting in 10th place, seven points off the top four, having only managed 10 wins this term. However, the visitors will be feeling a bit better about themselves heading into the contest after securing their place in the Champions League last eight by beating Lille 3-2 on aggregate on Wednesday night.
Check out our Leipzig vs. Dortmund prediction!
You can take a look at the latest football predictions and keep up to the minute with the football live scores right here on SportyTrader throughout this weekend’s action!
