It’s a big week in the races for European qualification
Saturday, January 23rd
German Bundesliga:
Bayer Leverkusen (H) vs. Wolfsburg (A), 14:30 GMT
US AVAILABILITY: ESPN+
Why it matters: It’s third against fifth in one of the continent’s closest races for Champions League qualification, with a top-four finish required in Germany in order to make it into the compeititon. Third-place Bayer Leverkusen (32 points) gained some separation with a midweek win over Borussia Dortmund (29), while Wolfsburg (29), Union Berlin (28), Borussia Monchengladbach (28), and Eintracht Frankfurt (27) are all firmly in the mix.
Who to keep an eye on: Wonderkid Florian Wirtz stole the headlines in Leverkusen’s 2-1 victory on Tuesday over Dortmund, as the 17-year-old midfielder netted the winning goal in the 80th minute to bring his tally to eight direct goal involvements (three goals and five assists) this season.
We’ve previously highlighted a couple of emerging talents at Wolfsburg in centre-back Maxence Lacroix and versatile right-back/midfielder Ridle Baku, and striker Wout Weghorst is always one to watch as well. The aerially dominant Dutchman has found the net in three straight league matches and trails only Robert Lewandowski on the Bundesliga scoring charts.
Italian Serie A:
AC Milan (H) vs. Atalanta (A), 17:00 GMT
US AVAILABILITY: ESPN+
Why it matters: Milan are hoping to maintain or extend a three-point buffer at the top of the table while Atalanta, unbeaten in nine league matches, are surging toward the Champions League places. Just one point separates third-place Napoli (34 points) and sixth-place Atalanta (33), though Napoli and fifth-place Juventus (33) both have a game in hand.
Who to keep an eye on: Josip Iličić, arguably the top performer in all of Serie A last season, is getting back into peak form for Atalanta after missing much of the season for fitness reasons following a personal absence. The battles down the flanks should also be particularly intriguing, with Milan’s left-back Theo Hernandez (four goals and three assists) and Atalanta’s left-sided wing-back Robin Gosens (five goals and three assists) heavily involved in their respective sides’ attacks.
Sunday, January 24th
Belgian First Division:
Club Brugge (H) vs. Genk (A), 12:30 GMT
US AVAILABILITY: Nowhere reputable
Why it matters: It’s first against second in a league that probably deserves more attention, given how many world-class talents come through it. Genk’s esteemed list of alumni includes Kevin de Bruyne, Kalidou Koulibaly, Thibaut Courtois, Wilfred Ndidi, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, while Club Brugge have served as a stepping stone for the likes of Ivan Perišić and Thomas Meunier. Brugge (48 points) have a chance to establish a double-digit lead at the top of the table with a home win over Genk (39) on Sunday.
Who to keep an eye on: Club Brugge just sold exciting winner Krépin Diatta to Monaco for $22.00m this week but still have plenty of firepower left. Playmaker Charles de Ketelaere is already a full Belgian international at the age of 19 and new signing Bas Dost is a reliable goal-scorer wherever he goes. The Dutch target man recently joined from Eintracht Frankfurt and has gotten on the scoresheet in each of his three matches so far in Belgium.
Genk’s Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu is hard to miss as he stands 6’7″ and is the leading scorer in the league with 20 goals in 21 appearances. Versatile Belgian attacker Theo Bongonda is also enjoying a breakout season at the age of 25, with 11 goals in 18 matches.
French Ligue 1:
Stade Rennais (H) vs. Lille (A), 16:00 GMT
US AVAILABILITY: fuboTV
Why it matters: The battles for the title and European qualification are incredibly tight in Ligue 1; only goal difference is keeping Lille from the top spot and Stade Rennais from fourth and a Europa League place.
Who to keep an eye on: Lille have a knack for developing pacey young attackers, with Victor Osimhen, Nicolas Pépé, and Rafael Leão some of the latest names to break out for the club. Winger Jonathan Bamba is probably next in line to seal a move to an elite European side, as the 24-year-old Frenchman has been in prolific form with six goals and seven assists this season.
Stade Rennais center-back Nayef Aguerd has quietly been one of the savviest signings in Ligue 1 this campaign. The 24-year-old Moroccan, who cost just $4.40 million from Dijon in the summer, has excelled on both sides of the ball. He ranks among the top ten players in the league in aerial duel success rate, progressive passing distance, and progressive carrying distance, and has even chipped in with three goals.
Thursday, January 28th
English Premier League:
Tottenham (H) vs. Liverpool (A), 20:00 GMT
US AVAILABILITY: NBCSN
Why it matters: The fixture has lost some luster since Spurs and Liverpool faced off last month as the top two teams in the table, but there is still plenty at stake as they currently sit fourth and fifth in the league. Both will be desperately looking to build some momentum after a shaky few weeks.
Who to keep an eye on: Beyond the sides’ respective star names, midfielder Tanguy Ndombele is reaching top gear for Spurs and this audacious goal against Sheffield United last weekend shows his growing confidence. For Liverpool, Fabinho‘s excellent play as an emergency center-back has been one of the few bright spots for the side amid an acute injury crisis.
The Counterpress 