Football fans can look forward to an action-packed weekend starting from Friday, January 17 to Sunday, January 19 when their favourite teams will engage in another thrilling round of games in the race to become ultimate champions of their respective leagues.
In England, the pick of Premier League matches this coming weekend is undoubtedly the clash between league leaders Liverpool and struggling Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday evening. The tasty clash involving the top two most successful teams in the country will see them reigniting the North-West rivalry which dates back almost 126 years, with United leading with 88 wins compared to Liverpool’s 76.
Both teams had played out a one-all draw when they met back in October 2019 at Old Trafford, with Marcus Rashford putting United ahead before Adam Lallana pulled Liverpool level with five minutes left to play. A win for Liverpool in this encounter would take them closer to a first league title in 30 years, and Jurgen Klopp’s men will be relishing the challenge.
Other tasty clashes to look forward to in the Premier League include Manchester City’s showdown with Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, Watford vs Tottenham, West Ham vs Everton, as well as a potential thriller involving Newcastle United and Chelsea.
In the Spanish LaLiga, Real Madrid will aim to leapfrog Barcelona in the LaLiga table which resumes this weekend after taking a break to accommodate the Copa del Rey, with a clash against Sevilla at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday afternoon. This clash will give Zinedine Zidane’s team the chance to pull ahead of their archrivals who will begin life under new gaffer Quique Setién, following the sack of Ernesto Valverde.
In Italy, the pick of the litter is a game involving Napoli and Fiorentina at Stadio San Paulo on Saturday night, January 18. Napoli are still looking to find their feet under new manager Gennaro Gattuso, but football enthusiasts will be hoping for a repeat of the teams’ last Serie A meeting which was a seven-goal thriller. The Neapolitans ran out winners in the away game, thanks to goals from Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne (two) and Jose Callejon. La Viola’s goal scorers on the day included former Ghanaian international Kevin-Prince Boateng.
In the English Championship which is widely regarded as one of the most entertaining and unpredictable leagues around Europe, SuperSport viewers will enjoy a clash between Fulham and Middlesbrough at Craven Cottage on Friday night January 17, as well as the clash between Queens Park Rangers and Leeds United at Loftus Road early on Saturday afternoon.
Anthony Nlebem
