Paris (AFP)
Europe of football is coming alive again!
England, Germany and Spain launch their Championship on Friday, with fewer stars in La Liga, new recruits in England and a new coach for Bayern Munich, Julian Nagelsmann.
- England: Spurs-Citizens, entry shock -
The Premier League restarts, with, by way of opening, Arsenal's trip to Friday at 9 p.m. on the lawn of promoted Brentford, who returns to the elite of English football for the first time since 1947.
From Saturday (1:30 p.m.), an enticing poster will set the tone for this first weekend of English football, with the opposition between Manchester United, 2nd last season, and the spectacular Leeds, led by Marcelo Bielsa.
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire grapples with Welsh Leeds striker Tyler Roberts in their Premier League game on April 25, 2021 at Elland Road in Leeds Jon Super POOL / AFP / Archives
Chelsea, still on their European cloud since their victory in the Champions League in May, will try to follow up after their success in the European Supercup over Villarreal on Wednesday (1-1, 6-5 tab) with the reception of Crystal Palace on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
But the first big meeting of this new season will take place in North London, in the lair of Tottenham, where the reigning champion Manchester City will go, Sunday at 5.30 p.m., with his new recruit bought at a gold price. (100 million pounds, or 117 million EUR), the English midfielder Jack Grealish.
- Spain: without Messi, Barça against Real Sociedad -
In Spain too, La Liga regains its rights.
It is Valencia who will take care of raising the curtain of this new season at home against Getafe on Friday (9:00 p.m.), before the juggernauts enter the competition.
On Saturday evening, Real Madrid travel to Alavés (10 p.m.) for the first official match of the second era of Carlo Ancelotti, who replaced Zinédine Zidane on the bench this summer.
Sunday (8:00 p.m.), the shock of the first day will pit FC Barcelona against Real Sociedad, for Barça's first official match without Lionel Messi at Camp Nou.
All in the presence of 30,000 supporters, for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
French Barcelona striker Antoine Griezmann (in black) wrestles with Real Sociedad defender Andoni Grosabel during their La Liga match on March 21, 2021 at Anceta stadium in San Sebastian ANDER GILLENEA AFP / Archives
It will be just after the trip of the reigning Spanish champion, Atlético de Madrid, who starts his season on Sunday at 5 p.m. at Celta Vigo.
- Germany: big poster to start -
The Bundesliga offers itself a gala match for its introduction.
Bayern, defending champions and who will aim for a 10th consecutive national crown this season, challenge Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday at 8:30 p.m.
Polish Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski scores the third goal against Borussia Moenchengladbach in their Bundesliga match on May 8, 2021 in Munich CHRISTOF STACHE POOL / AFP / Archives
The Bavarians will try to start well under the leadership of their new coach, Julian Nagelsmann, after a draw and three defeats in summer preparation, including one against ... Mönchengladbach (2-0).
Bayern Munich's new coach Julian Nagelsmann talks to midfielder Leroy Sané during the match against Napoli counting for the Audi Summer Tour 2021, July 31, 2021 in Munich Christof STACHE AFP / Archives
Saturday at 3.30 p.m., Wolfsburg, 4th in the last exercise, will host Bochum, promoted and reigning second division champion.
Another beautiful poster will animate this German weekend with a European duel between Borussia Dortmund, 3rd last season, and Eintracht Frankfurt, 5th, Saturday at 6.30 pm.
RB Leipzig, runner-up to Bayern Munich last season, now coached by Jesse Marsch, will go to the Mainz lawn on Sunday at 3.30 p.m., to challenge a team coming out of a week complicated by several cases of Covid-19 detected within the club.
© 2021 AFP