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- The Assist: Der Klassiker and the leaning tower of Pisa
The Assist: Der Klassiker and the leaning tower of Pisa
Plus the Premier League run-in, Rome Derby, and Wrexham spoilers
Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund
There’s no time for recriminations and soul searching for Germany’s big two after their respective disappointments in the Champions League this week, with Der Klassiker taking place in Munich on Saturday evening.
Bayern look assured of retaking the title they lost to Bayer Leverkusen last season. They may trail Inter following the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal, but Vincent Kompany’s side remain in dominant form on the domestic front. Die Roten have lost just one of 13 games played since the league returned from the winter break and currently enjoy a six point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.
In contrast, Dortmund have had a season to forget. They sit sixth, a whopping 27 points behind Bayern — but crucially, only five points off fourth place and Champions League qualification.
The Black and Yellows have often kept their best performances for European football this year but Wednesday’s bruising 4-0 defeat in Barcelona may have knocked the stuffing out of them.
A win here, against their greatest rivals, would restore much-needed confidence in the run-in for Niko Kovač’s side. And have the added benefit of stalling Bayern’s title charge.
If there’s any solace to be taken for Dortmund, they did win the corresponding fixture at Bayern last season, but that was their only Klassiker win in the last 12 played in the league.
Liverpool vs. West Ham
Liverpool remain 11 points clear in England’s Premier League, almost home and dry in Arne Slot’s first season in charge. Going in to the weekend, the Reds are four wins away from breaking Manchester City’s four-year stranglehold on the world’s most popular league. They boast the most potent attack in the division and the second best defence. And yet, it feels like we’re in the midst of a Liverpool wobble.
A side that looked so dominant through the first half of the season and in to the new year are currently on a run of three defeats in their last five, across all competitions. And they have been damaging defeats too - knocked out of the Champions League by PSG, beaten in the Carabao Cup final by Newcastle, and then at Fulham in the league last weekend.
What was a treble charge now looks like it could be a stumble to get across the line to lift the last trophy that remains available to them. But that’s not to downplay the achievement of winning the Premier League - that is certainly no mean feat, especially with a new manager at the helm.
With Arsenal playing Brentford on Saturday evening, Liverpool’s lead could be down to eight points by the time they kick off against West Ham, at Anfield on Sunday. But the equation remains simple. Slot’s side need a performance that lifts the fans and revitalises the squad, particularly the recently out-of-sorts Mohamed Salah. And a win should be achievable against Graham Potter’s Hammers, with the visitors all but mathematically safe thanks to the 15 point cushion between themselves and the drop zone.
Lazio vs. Roma
In Serie A, away from the ongoing title race raging between Inter and Napoli at the top, there’s another battle for supremacy going on in Rome.
And on Sunday, that comes to a head in the Derby della Capitale, where sixth placed Lazio meets seventh placed Roma. This is a race for Europe - Lazio currently occupy the last qualification spot for European competition next season (the Conference League place) while Roma sit just two points behind them.
A win for Lazio not only restores bragging rights and extends the gap between themselves and their city rivals, it will leave Lazio looking up the table rather than down. Fourth placed Bologna are just two points above them, with the greater prize of a Champions League place therefore in reach.
For Roma, this is all about getting above the line and into the mix for qualification to one of UEFA’s three club competitions. Claudio Ranieri’s fairytale return to manage the club has largely been a success and is perhaps best exemplified by the 2-0 win Roma recorded over Lazio when the two last met at the Olimpico back in early January.
Leganés vs. Barcelona
After dismantling Borussia Dortmund 4-0 midweek, Hansi Flick’s side will now be concentrating on the trip to relegation-threatened Leganés in LaLiga.
Los Pepineros, aka the Cucumber Growers, start the weekend in Spain’s bottom three. But that doesn’t tell the full story of Leganés’ season.
The relative minnows have played a crucial part in the title race - they beat Atlético Madrid in January, pushed Real Madrid all the way in a 3-2 defeat just last month, and back in December they actually won away to Barcelona!
Barcelona therefore have a score to settle. That 1-0 defeat remains the current league leader’s only defeat on home soil, and perhaps more amazingly, the only game in which they’ve failed to score all season in LaLiga. That’s right, Leganés blunted Europe’s most potent attacking team over the course of that 90 minutes!
With eight rounds to play, Barcelona lead Real Madrid by four points in the table, and can extend that to seven on Saturday, should they avenge themselves at Leganés, ahead of Madrid’s game at Alavés on Sunday.
While Simone Inzaghi looks to lead Inter Milan to back-to-back league titles in Serie A, big brother Pippo Inzaghi is aiming to do something even more remarkable as manager of Pisa in Serie B.
And while the Tuscan city will always be infinitely more famous for the leaning tower that adorns the crest on Pisa’s shirts, the elder Inzaghi is looking to put a long-forgotten club back on the map. The Nerazzurri (there’s another Inter connection) have gone out of business and been reformed twice since they last played in Serie A, with their most recent top flight season ending in relegation back in 1991.
Now, Pisa sit in the second promotion spot available in Serie B, five points clear of nearest challengers Spezia. Pippo has rarely lasted more than a season in the dugout during his managerial career, but will surely get another chance to test himself against his brother if he can end Pisa’s 34-year wait for a shot at the big time.
New A-League franchise Auckland FC are enjoying a dream debut season as a second New Zealand club currently participating in the top flight of Australian football.
Founded in 2024 by the same group that are fueling Bournemouth’s rise, the side now sit top of the table with four games to play. A five point advantage over the chasing pack makes them a shoe-in for the regular season title that’s awarded before the six-team playoff begins.
But that prize will ultimately mean little to Auckland, who will be barred from entering next season’s AFC Champions League, the reward bestowed upon the Premiership winners.
That’s because New Zealand, unlike Australia, does not belong to the Asian Football federation. Instead, their hopes for continental competition rest on the Auckland FC Reserve side currently competing in the New Zealand National League, where places in the OFC Champions League are on offer!
Savinho is top of the assist charts for Pep Guardiola’s outgoing English champions, eschewing the traditional view that new players take a full season to adapt to his coaching methods. Sam McGuire runs the numbers behind the Brazilian's debut campaign in England.
As Wrexham near what would be a record breaking third successive promotion, Sanny Rudravajhala reports back from a recent match in North Wales and argues the club have much to do in the transfer market over the summer. That’s if they hope to compete in the EFL Championship.
Todd Boehly and BlueCo could get a team in to next season’s Champions League, but it might not be the one based in London. Alex Roberts charts Strasbourg’s successful season in Ligue 1, the first overseen by English coach Liam Rosenior, who swapped the Championship grind for a shot at glory in France.
Did you know you can find a Team of the Week in FotMob?
From the Premier League to League Two, just head to the League page of any competition with player ratings and swipe over to the TOTW tab on the right.
Let the debate begin.