The weekend is finally with us and here is a look at some of the things to look out for across some major European leagues
Roma’s away form to get tested
AC Milan will host Roma this Friday at the San Siro in search of their first win of the season. Their defeat against Napoli showed elements of their attacking prowess but they will be facing a side who have a solid away record. Roma have kept clean sheets in five straight away games. However, the manner in which they conceded three goals at home against Atalanta earlier this week will be a cause for concern for the Giallorossi. Milan will be eager to pick up their first win of the season and they have a pretty good chance of success, going by the visitors’ performance on Monday.
Nice to finally find rhythm in front of goal
Nice brought in Patrick Vieira to take over the reins of management for the new season and the going has been tough so far. They have failed to win in the last three outings, but on top of their worries is the lack of goals. Mario Balotelli will be expected to line up against Lyon this Friday as he makes his highly anticipated return for the Eaglets. Perhaps he will provide them with the sharpness they have sorely lacked upfront as he has been more productive in front of goal since joining the side two seasons ago.
Stuttgart’s unbeaten home record to end
Bayern coach Niko Kovac will be out to maintain his 100% winning start to the new season against a Stuttgart side who are unbeaten at home since January. Stuttgart have built this record under coach Tayfun Korkut, and that strength stems from a strong back line. Unsurprisingly, Bayern also had the best away record in the league last season, winning 13 of their 17 matches. The difference in the strength of the two squads should play a significant part here and for that reason, we can expect the visitors to take the win.
Ronaldo to finally score
Juventus are yet to witness the best of Cristiano Ronaldo so far, but they have made a perfect start to the new season. They have won their last two fixtures and they will be chasing a win away to Parma this weekend. As expected Ronaldo is likely to receive a lot of attention from defenders who will not want to give him space. However, he has the ability to produce moments of magic as he has done for the entirety of his career. This could be the weekend that he finally makes his mark in the Italian top flight.
Bale’s time to shine
Meanwhile in Spain, Gareth Bale has been doing a good job filling the boots left by Ronaldo at Real Madrid. The former Tottenham player has seen his name on the scoresheet in his last two appearances for Los Blancos. Julen Lopetegui’s system is a perfect fit for him and he has been playing on the right side of the front three. This weekend will be another opportunity for him to increase his tally and he should not have a problem doing that against Leganes, just as he has done in his two previous starts against them.