The Madrid derby and Ajax v PSV take centre stage in this weekend’s European football fixtures. Here are Things to look out for in European football: February 1-2. Bet on football here.
Madrid derby
Real Madrid take on cross-town rivals Atletico in La Liga’s biggest fixture this weekend. Zinedine Zidane’s side are top of the league following their unbeaten run which stretches all the way back to October. Los Blancos are three points clear and can end Atletico’s quest for the title with a win. Meanwhile, Atletico are fifth in the table but are really struggling in front of goal. They have scored just 22 league goals in 21 La Liga games this season but have the second-best defence this season with just 14 goals conceded. Real have the best defence with 13 conceded. The first leg of this clash ended in a goalless draw failing to live up to the hype. In the last six matches between these two, both have a win each meaning this should be a pulsating affair. However, Zidane’s men will want to win to tighten their grip at the top of La Liga.
Robert Moreno to get first league win as Monaco boss?
Since being appointed as Monaco boss towards the end of December last year, Robert Moreno has taken charge of six games. In those six games in all competitions, the stats read; won two, drawn one and lost three. Two of those losses have come in Ligue 1. The Spaniard will be looking to register his first league win as a coach when they visit Nimes Olympique this weekend. Moreover, they’ll need to start winning now or risk being dragged into the relegation fight much like the season. They sit 13th with 29 points in the table. Their away form in Ligue 1 makes grim reading. In their last 21 away games, they have won just three.
Erling Haaland to strike again?
Borussia Dortmund’s excellent start to the second half of the season has seen their Bundesliga title hopes resuscitated. They’ve registered two wins with an aggregate of 10-4. Five of those goals were scored by their new striker 19-year-old Erling Haaland, who, despite just seeing just 57 minutes of football, has been spectacular. He scored a hat-trick on the debut where he came on as a substitute, then came on in the 65th minute against Cologne where he scored twice in the last 15 minutes. Dortmund welcome Union Berlin on Saturday looking to avenge a first-leg loss. With Haaland on their side, they should be too hot to handle for Union.
Juventus, RB Leipzig and Barcelona to bounce back
Juventus and RB Leipzig both remain top of their respective leagues, while Barcelona were leapfrogged by arch-rivals Real Madrid who moved three points clear last week. Juventus were stunned by an out-of-form Napoli who beat them 2-1 meaning the Bianconeri are just three points clear of Inter Milan. A home win over Fiorentina shouldn’t be difficult to get this weekend. Leipzig’s impressive run of form was halted by Eintracht Frankfurt who beat them 2-0. They host title hopefuls Borussia Monchengladbach, a team they’ve beaten them in five of their last six meetings. Quique Setien suffered his first defeat as Barcelona boss against Valencia to drop into second place. They play Levante on Sunday at the Camp Nou looking to make it ten home wins in 11 games.
Clash of Holland’s most successful sides: Ajax v PSV
The Netherlands’ most successful teams, Ajax and PSV go head-to-head in a highly anticipated showdown on Sunday in the Eredivisie. On any other day, this match would normally be between two teams fighting for the league title. This season, that is not the case. Ajax are top of the table with 47 points while PSV are fifth with 36 points. Still, the history and rivalry between these two sides mean whenever they clash, it never fails to disappoint.