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The top clash out of England’s top flight for this weekend is the meeting of Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on the evening of Sunday 28 November. While the Blues look every inch a true title contender, the Red Devils have been wildly inconsistent this season and will head to West London needing a big performance to stave off allegations that they are in a state of abject disrepair.
“As a group of players we are going through a tough period,” said United defender Harry Maguire, whose own performances have come in for harsh criticism. “We know and accept this is nowhere near good enough. We feel your [supporters’] frustration and disappointment, we are doing everything we can to put things right and we will put things right. Thanks for your support.”
Sunday will also feature a potential thriller when Manchester City host West Ham United. The Hammers have proved that they can do battle with the top clubs – including a cracking 3-2 win over Liverpool earlier this month – and manager David Moyes will be hopeful for another big performance at the Etihad Stadium.
“What the supporters really want to see is a winning team and they’re beginning to see a team that’s winning a lot more now,” said Moyes. “I’m hugely proud [to have turned West Ham around]. The way the players have gone about it, you talk about me turning it around, these players were close to relegation. Now we’re pushing for Europe.”
The round also sees Arsenal open the weekend’s proceedings at home to Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon, while Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace will aim to continue their impressive progress when they welcome Aston Villa to Selhurst Park.
Liverpool will back themselves to beat Southampton at home, Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur will have their toughness tested by a rugged Burnley, and Claudio Ranieri will no doubt be given a warm welcome when he brings his Watford team to the King Power Stadium to face his former employers, Leicester City.
SuperSport is also the only place to get English commentary on the legendary La Liga, where the top match for this round is Sevilla visiting Estadio Santiago Bernabeu to face hosts Real Madrid on the evening of Sunday 28 November.
Not only is this a meeting of two of La Liga’s title hopefuls, but it also sees Los Nervionenses manager Julen Lopetegui looking to put one over his former team in Los Blancos, though the tactician has played down this element of the clash.
“It was a long time ago that I had my time at Real Madrid,” said Lopetegui. “I am only focused on bringing out the best of this Sevilla team, which is my job regardless of which opponents we face. It will of course be a difficult match away from home, with many complications because of the quality of Real, but we will look to prevail.”
Barcelona, meanwhile, will look to continue their adaptation to the new leadership of club legend and new manager Xavi when they face Villarreal away from home on Saturday night. The Yellow Submarine are one of the most obstinate teams in Spain under the guidance of Unai Emery, who will be hoping to claim the scalp of the Catalans.
“We all know the problems Barcelona have had this year, but they also remain a club with great quality and legacy,” said the Villarreal boss. “We will aim to get the three points, but of course we expect a very difficult evening.”
Elsewhere in Spain, Real Sociedad will face a potential banana skin away to Espanyol, while champions Atletico Madrid can say the same for their trip to Cadiz, and Valencia will look to upset Rayo Vallecano at Estadio de Mestalla.
The top clash from Serie A for this round sees Napoli welcome Lazio to Stadio Diego Maradona on the evening of Sunday 28 November, as they aim to keep up the form which has established them as one of the frontrunners for the Scudetto this season. The Neapolitans will again be looking to Victor Osimhen for inspiration, with the Nigerian even compared to greats George Weah and Marco van Basten by his manager.
“He [Osimhen] is similar to Weah, probably not as strong technically, but with the same quality”, Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti said. “He also reminds me of van Basten. Osimhen is young, and he can reach those levels.”
Another potential thriller on the cards sees Juventus and Atalanta meet in Turin on Saturday evening, with respective manager Max Allegri and Gian Piero Gasperini both hoping to see more consistency from their teams.
“We have not often had the identity of a Juventus team for the full 90 minutes of a game,” explained Allegri. “The intensity, the concentration… it takes time for these elements, but the players are working hard and it will come. We must be patient and trust in the process.”
Meanwhile, AC Milan have also continued their impressive showings under Stefano Pioli, with a first Serie A title since 2011 looking very much a possibility. This weekend sees them tested by a home clash with Sassuolo in which the Rossoneri must continue to “play with spirit”.
“We must be prepared to suffer in games when things do not work out exactly as we would like,” said Pioli. “It is important to play with spirit, show our togetherness and willingness to work for each other. Only this will bring success for us.”
The Italian top flight will also see Jose Mourinho’s Roma at home to Torino, Internazionale visiting Venezia, and the round opener is a relegation six-pointer between Cagliari and Salernitana at the Unipol Domus on Friday night.
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