7 must watch football games this weekend
7 must watch football games this weekend. With the conclusion of the October international break, club footballs are back in action this weekend and there are plenty of intriguing fixtures to look out for across multiple league.
Kicking off on Friday night is the Yorkshire derby between Leeds United and Sheffield United, a battle between fifth and second in the EFL Championship, with Leeds jumping into the top two, should they secure a win.
Saturday lunchtime kickoff sees a London derby in the Premier League between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, while Newcastle United host Brighton & Hove Albion later in the day, two sides separated by only a point just adrift of the Champions League qualifying places. Over in Italy, Juventus and Lazio go up against each other, level on points in Serie A’s third and fourth places respectively.
Those are definitely fixtures to cast an eye on, with the next seven your big ones to look forward to.
Man Utd vs Brentford
Date: Saturday 19th October
Kick-off time: 15:00 (BST), 10:00 (ET), 07:00 (PT)
Manchester United return to action looking for just a third Premier League win of the season, having also failed to score in their last three league outings.
They will have to deal with Brentford’s penchant for a fast start, with the Bees opening the scoring inside the first minute of three of their last four Premier League games. In the other fixture during that run, they waited until the second minute.
This could be a huge test for Erik ten Hag‘s men, as United haven’t always responded well to conceding in recent seasons.
Bournemouth vs Arsenal
Date: Saturday 19th October
Kick-off time: 17:30 (BST), 12:30 (ET), 09:30 (PT)
Arsenal play before their Premier League title rivals this weekend, meaning Mikel Arteta‘s Gunners have an opportunity to put the pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City this weekend.
Victory on the south coast, would see the Gunners move top of the table overnight. Bukayo Saka should overcome a fitness concern but captain Martin Odegaard is still out till further notice.
Celta Vigo vs Real Madrid
Date: Saturday 19th October
Kick-off time: 20:00 (BST), 15:00 (ET), 12:00 (PT)
It is a similar story for Real Madrid in Spain, in action 24 hours before league leaders Barcelona take to the pitch. However, only a victory by seven goals over Celta Vigo would actually see them claim the top spot.
Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Eder Militao all sat out for international duty this month. Meanwhile, Luka Modric is on the cusp of setting an all-time Madrid record.
Inter Miami vs New England Revolution
Date: Saturday 19th October
Kick-off time: 23:00 (BST), 18:00 (ET), 15:00 (PT)
Inter Miami‘s place in this year’s MLS Cup play-offs has been nailed on for some time, while Lionel Messi and his teammates also clinched the Supporters’ Shield for winning the regular season two weeks ago.
It may not seem like there is anything left to play for in their final regular season fixture on Saturday night, but a Miami win over New England Revolution would set a new MLS regular season points record. They sit on top with 71 points as it stands and the current record, held by the Revs from 2021, is 73 points.
Wolves vs Manchester City
Date: Sunday 20th October
Kick-off time: 14:00 (BST), 09:00 (ET), 06:00 (PT)
With Arsenal playing on Saturday evening, it will be Manchester City‘s turn to make their statement in the burgeoning Premier League title race early on Sunday afternoon.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are bottom of the table, thanks to a surprisingly awful start to their 2024/25 campaign, as they have recorded just one point, from a possible 21 at this stage, but they did win this fixture when City visited Molineux last season.
Liverpool vs Chelsea
Date: Sunday 20th October
Kick-off time: 16:30 (BST), 11:30 (ET), 08:30 (PT)
There is a strong chance that Liverpool will have dropped to third place in the Premier League by the time their kick-off against Chelsea comes around.
This rivalry has lost a competitive edge in recent seasons, due to Chelsea slipping out of English football’s leading group. But Enzo Maresca‘s Blues are bang in form and will hope that Cole Palmer and his Blues compatriots have the keys to unlock the Premier League’s meanest defence when they lock horns on Sunday afternoon.
Barcelona vs Sevilla
Date: Sunday 20th October
Kick-off time: 20:00 (BST), 15:00 (ET), 12:00 (PT)
Barcelona’s star player Lamine Yamal avoided a major injury while on international duty with Spain, but is still a doubt to feature against Sevilla on Sunday night. Robert Lewandowski is also another injury doubt for the Catalan giants, as he limped away from Poland’s draw with Croatia.
Barcelona quickly recovered from a shocking defeat against Osasuna, to record a needed victory over Alaves before the international break, but it could be tough without one or both of their most important attackers.
