League races heat up with a sprinkle of the FA Cup!
FA Cup Semi-Final
Leicester vs. Southampton
Leicester beat Man United 3-1 in the last round to book a place at Wembley while Southampton dispatched Bournemouth 0-3. Since then Leicester have lost both their games in the league while Southampton have won 1 and lost 1. Leicester are looking to bounce back and with the team getting dragged into a top four race, reaching a final would be a boost to morale. Southampton have had an inconsistent season and have nothing to lose going into this game. An interesting one but I think Leicester will go through.
Premier League MW 32
Everton vs. Tottenham
8th vs. 7th a point separating the two teams. Everton and Spurs have fallen away from the top four race in recent weeks but aren’t totally out of the race for Europe yet. It’s an interesting game and one would think the loser of this one will have to say goodbye to the top 5. Ancelotti for Mourinho is a battle between two legendary managers as well. Everton haven’t won in four though while Spurs have dropped points in their last two. Both teams need a win. Everton won the reverse fixture 0-1.
Newcastle vs. West Ham
Newcastle sit 17th and finally managed to win last weekend as they take on West Ham who sit 4th in the table and are looking to move into 3rd. West Ham are in great form and I can only see the Hammers winning this game. Newcastle would need to be very good to beat this West Ham team at the moment. Newcastle won the reverse fixture 0-2.
Wolverhampton vs. Sheffield United
Wolves sit 12th and ended a winless run last weekend as they take on Sheffield United who sit bottom and have lost their last four. It’s a game of no real consequence but Wolves really should be beating this Sheffield United side. If Sheffield United lose this game it would confirm their relegation this season. Wolves won the reverse fixture 0-2.
Arsenal vs. Fulham
London derby time as Arsenal take on Fulham. Arsenal sit 9th in the table as they look to secure a top 10 finish while Fulham sit 18th 6 points from safety. Fulham have lost their last 4 while Arsenal aren’t in great form either. Fulham need to return to winning ways soon if they want to stand any chance of staying in the Premier League and beating Arsenal would be that first step. Arsenal won the reverse fixture 0-3.
Man United vs. Burnley
2nd placed United are flying high as they take on 16th placed Burnley have 1 win in their last 5 games. United have been far from convincing in their games though and you always feel there is a chance for an upset. Burnley will be solid but I don’t think an upset is on the cards. United won the reverse fixture 1-0.
Leeds vs. Liverpool
Leeds have won their last 3 including a big win against City last weekend as they sit 10th and take on Liverpool who sit 6th. The top four is now Klopp’s sole focus this season but Leeds will give them a good fight in this game. Liverpool seem to score goals away from home though and while this might be a high scoring game Liverpool should win. Liverpool won the reverse fixture 4-3.
La Liga MW 33
Real Sociedad take on Sevilla, Atletico welcome Eibar, Villarreal travel to Levante and Real Madrid travel to Getafe. With Barcelona preoccupied with the Copa Del Rey final this is a good opportunity for the Madrid teams to gain distance on Messi and co. Atletico are looking shaky while Madrid are playing with confidence. The top four race is done and dusted but the title race continues.
Copa Del Rey Final
Bilbao take on Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey final. Bilbao have made a habit on reaching finals and winning them in recent seasons while Barcelona have had a great 2021 and are looking to continue that with a trophy. With the title race still on for Barcelona this could be an added boost of morale for them. A tough final though.
Serie A MW 31
Milan welcome Genoa, Juventus travel to Atalanta, Lazio take on Benevento, Roma travel to Torino, and Inter travel to Napoli. Inter are firmly in the driving seat as the rest look to secure top four. It’s a big weekend in terms of the places below Inter and Milan could gain an advantage if they win their game.
Bundesliga MW 29
Leipzig take on Hoffenheim, Bayern travel to Wolfsburg, Monchengladbach take on Frankfurt, Leverkusen take on Koln, and Dortmund welcome Werder Bremen. Bayern sit 5 points clear at the top of the table and having been knocked out of the Champions League their sole focus now is the title. They face a tough game against Wolfsburg though and Leipzig will be ready to pounce. Dortmund meanwhile are looking to secure a top four finish but are 7 points adrift at the moment. An interesting weekend in Germany.
Ligue 1 MW 33
Lille welcome Montpellier, PSG welcome St.Etienne, Monaco travel to Bordeaux, and Lyon travel to Nantes. Perhaps the most entertaining title race along with La Liga this season as Lille are ahead in this four horse race. With no head to head game this weekend it will be interesting to see whether any team slips up in this race for the title.
Park The Bus 