Top-six clashes across Europe and the Copa Libertadores final
Saturday, January 30th
Copa Libertadors Final:
Palmeiras vs. Santos, 20:00 GMT
US AVAILABILITY: beIN SPORTS, fuboTV
Why it matters: It’s the final of South America’s premier club trophy, and a historic matchup as the two most successful clubs in Brazil face off at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. A bit like if that Barcelona-Real Madrid Champions League final that neutrals were always hoping to see finally came to be.
Who to keep an eye on: Right-winger Marinho is enjoying a dream season for Santos, and a continental title would be quite the fairytale ending his story deserves. Little was expected of the journeyman when he signed in 2019 for just over a million dollars, having bounced around a dozen different clubs throughout his career. However, the 30-year-old has been arguably the standout performer in Brazilian football over the past year and has 22 goal involvements (16 goals and six assists) in 24 domestic matches so far this season.
Palmerias will be counting on veteran striker Luiz Adriano, part of Shakhtar Donetsk’s golden generation of Brazilian talent in the early 2010s. The 33-year-old has five goals in six Copa Libertadores appearances.
German Bundesliga:
RB Leipzig (H) vs. Bayer Leverkusen (A), 17:30 GMT
US AVAILABILITY: ESPN+
Why it matters: Both clubs appeared to be in the title hunt around the turn of the year but have each won just one of their last three matches, allowing Bayern Munich to open up a seven-point lead at the top of the table. This fixture is now a six-pointer in the race for Champions League qualification, with second-place Leipzig (35 points) and third-place Leverkusen (32 points) trying to stay ahead of the likes of Wolfsburg (32), Borussia Monchengladbach (31), Eintracht Frankfurt (30), and Borussia Dortmund (29).
Who to keep an eye on: Attacking midfielder Dani Olmo is becoming an integral player for Leipzig in his second season at the club, leading the side in assists (five) and spearheading their aggressive press with a team-leading 91 successful pressures.
Leverkusen, as ever, are teeming with young attacking talent and 21-year-old Frenchman Moussa Diaby has looked particularly sharp in recent weeks. The electric left winger has three goals in his last four matches and stole the show in Leverkusen’s 2-1 win over Dortmund last week, scoring one goal and setting up the other.
La Liga :
Villarreal (H) vs. Real Sociedad (A), 20:00 GMT
US AVAILABILITY: fuboTV
Why it matters: A win by fifth-place Villarreal (34 points) would put them firmly back in the race for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification. Unai Emery’s side are two points behind Sevilla (36 points), having played an additional match. Real Sociedad (31 points), meanwhile, have faded after a hot start with just one win in their last five league matches but an away win on Saturday would allow them to leapfrog Villarreal due to the Basque side’s superior goal difference.
Who to keep an eye on: Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno is one of the unsung stars of Spanish football. A relatively late bloomer who earned his first international call-up in 2019, the 28-year-old forward has 10 goals in 16 league matches and has also completed the third-most successful dribbles in La Liga.
Interntional teammate Mikel Oyarzabal is one of the league’s emerging stars at Real Sociedad. A 23-year-old left winger with an eye for goal, the homegrown talent is on pace for his most prolific season yet with eight goals through 15 matches.
Sunday, January 31st
Italian Serie A:
Atalanta (H) vs. Lazio (A), 14:00 GMT
US AVAILABILITY: ESPN+
Why it matters: They’re two of the most in-form teams in Italy and both are looking to continue their recent surges up the league table. Fifth-place Atalanta haven’t lost a league match since November and summarily dispatched league leaders Milan 3-0 at the San Siro last weekend, while seventh-place Lazio have won four straight.
The two sides are also coming off a feisty Coppa Italia quarterfinal on Wednesday; Atalanta ended up winning 3-2 despite being a man down for the final 37 minutes.
Who to keep an eye on: Lazio striker Ciro Immobile continues to score goals for fun. After winning the European Golden Shoe with a Serie A record-tying 36 goals last season, the Italian hitman has netted 13 times in 17 matches and trails only Cristiano Ronaldo on the league scoring chart.
Cristian Romero will be one of the defenders tasked with stopping him. The 22-year-old Argentine joined Atalanta on an initial two-year loan deal from Juventus in the summer and has emerged as one of the best center-backs in Serie A, leading the league in interceptions and ranking among the top ten defenders in tackles and successful aerial duels per 90 minutes.
Monday, February 1st
Portuguese Primeira Liga:
Sporting Lisbon (H) vs. Benfica (A), 21:30 GMT
US AVAILABILITY: fuboTV
Why it matters: It’s the biggest derby match in Portuguese football and has added import this season as first-place Sporting Lisbon (39 points) eye their first league title since the 2001-2002 season. With undefeated Sporting enjoying a four-point advantage over Porto (35 points) and a six-point advantage over Benfica (33 points), a victory by Benfica would make it a true three-horse race while a home win would be a massive blow to Benfica’s title chances.
Who to keep an eye on: As is often the case in big and cagey matches like this one, a lot will come down to the full-backs. Sporting’s left wing-back Nuno Mendes, one of the most hyped young talents of recent years in Portuguese football, is one of the first names on the leaders’ team sheet at just 18 years old.
Benfica have been dealing with a major COVID-19 outbreak in their squad, with over a dozen new positive cases in the past two weeks, but left-back Alex Grimaldo should be available again having returned for their mid-week cup match against Belenenses. The Barcelona youth product is his side’s primary creative force, leading the team in key passes and assists this season.
The Counterpress 