Paris (AFP)
Expected outcomes in European football this weekend!
The title extends its arms to Bayern Munich in Germany and, in England, to Manchester City, opposed to Chelsea, dress rehearsal of the Champions League final.
In Spain, a chopper weekend with Barcelona-Atlético and Real-Seville.
- England: to an air of C1 ... -
If Manchester City-Chelsea on Saturday (4.30 p.m. GMT, 6.30 p.m. in Paris) would have been the big poster for the 35th day of the Premier League, whatever the period, this "dress rehearsal" of the future Champions League final scheduled for May 29 in Istanbul takes on yet another dimension.
The stakes will not be the same, however, as City only need a win against the Blues or a loss for Manchester United on Sunday at Aston Villa (1:05 p.m. GMT) to be crowned champions, while Chelsea have yet to fight. for the 4th qualifying place for the next Champions League.
Thomas Tuchel's men can't really afford to let any points slip away, since they are only three lengths ahead of West Ham (5th) which receives Everton on Sunday (15:30 GMT) and five over Tottenham who surrenders in Leeds on Saturday (11:30 am GMT).
Leicester, 3rd with two lengths ahead of Chelsea, will open the ball rolling on Friday (19:00 GMT) by hosting Newcastle to try to consolidate their place on the podium.
As for Liverpool, 7th but with a game less after the postponement of the meeting at Old Trafford due to the incidents which took place there last Sunday, he will play one of his last cards to get closer to Europe by receiving Southampton Saturday (19:15 GMT).
- Germany: shocks in stock -
Dortmund-Leipzig (3.30 p.m.), followed by Bayern-Mönchengladbach (6.30 p.m.): Saturday will be hot in Germany, where Bayern will be titled for the ninth consecutive time if they win at home for this 32nd and antepenultimate day.
The two matches are very high stakes: for Dortmund, fifth just one point behind fourth qualifying place for the Champions League, the reception of the second Leipzig will be much more than a repeat of the German Cup final, which will oppose the two clubs on May 13 in Berlin.
Borussia is playing its season on a qualification in C1, and perhaps even its destiny as a big club for the years to come, the pandemic having hit the BVB hard in the wallet.
For Bayern, the stake is neither more nor less than the national title, the only one possible this season, after elimination in the Cup and in the Champions League.
With seven points ahead, the Bavarians have their destiny in their hands to offer their coach Hansi Flick a seventh trophy in two seasons with the "Rekordmeister".
Mönchengladbach, the team of Marcus Thuram and Alassane Pléa, will not be an expiatory victim: current seventh, the "Colts" are fighting to try to come back in extremis in the race for the Europa League.
- Spain: direct confrontations -
Decisive weekend for the title in Spain!
The top four in the standings will face each other on this 35th day which will inevitably mark a turning point in the race for the title in La Liga.
FC Barcelona receives the leader, Atlético Madrid, on Saturday at 4:15 p.m., with the opportunity to take first place in the standings for the first time this season ... and open a royal road to the title.
Then the next day, Sunday at 9:00 p.m., it is the 4th in the standings, Sevilla FC, who will move on the lawn of Real Madrid, powerless and eliminated Wednesday against Chelsea (1-1, 0-2) in the semi-final of the Champions League.
- Italy: Juventus-Milan, fear of heights -
In an Italy still behind closed doors, San Siro will not be able to celebrate Inter Milan's title on Saturday against Sampdoria, one of the only two teams to have beaten them this season in Serie A (victory of the "Samp" on the outward journey 2-1).
For the stakes and the thrills, go to Turin on Sunday where Juventus (3rd) welcomes AC Milan (4th) in a match that will count double between two rivals tied on points in the battle for the Champions League .
Hanging on the C1 and winning the Italian Cup (final on May 19 against Atalanta) can still allow Andrea Pirlo to finish a complicated season on the bench.
For Milan, this perilous trip is only the first of a final uphill sprint, which will end in Bergamo at Atalanta on the final day.
Atalanta, second with the same number of points as the Bianconeri and the Rossoneri (69 pts), can take advantage of this shock provided they do not miss the three points that seem to them promised in Parma, 19th and now already relegated with the red lantern Crotone.
The opportunity is also good for the other candidates for C1, Naples (5th, 67 pts) in La Spezia (16th) and Lazio (6th, 64 pts with a late match), on the ground of Fiorentina (14th ).
cpb-pve-alu-hap-ama / jed / ebe
© 2021 AFP