Laurens’ weekend preview: Chelsea-Arsenal and Roma-Napoli main highlights
Every Friday I will pick the weekend’s best or most exciting games that are not to be missed in the world of football. From derbies to top-of-the-table clashes, relegation six-pointers to world-class players facing each other or other interesting tactical battles, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
This week, it is all about top (or near top) of the table clashes, so let’s get right into it!
– Barcelona woe, Arsenal No. 1: Champions League reranked after MD5
– Are Chelsea title contenders? Arsenal clash will give us an answer
– Who joins Kane among the Bundesliga’s most electric attackers?
Ligue 1, Matchday 14
Kickoff: Saturday, 11 a.m. ET / 4 p.m. GMT
It’s a match between eighth and first place in France. Not that long ago, Monaco were much closer to Paris than the 10 points currently separating them from the Ligue 1 leaders. Still, their form has not been great since the arrival of Sebastien Pocognoli on the bench (two wins in six in the league).
The return of Paul Pogba and the good form of Folarin Balogun (four goals in his past six games in all competitions) are the only good news for the club from the Principality. Their captain, Denis Zakaria, is also suspended for Saturday’s big clash. The momentum is totally different for the Parisians.
Ousmane Dembélé came back from injury in their victory against Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, and for all the problems in midfield Monaco currently have, PSG respond with the great form of their trio of Vitinha (coming off a hat trick against Spurs), João Neves (Paris’ best player this season) and Fabián Ruiz (Mr. Always Reliable).
It will also be a special game for Maghnes Akliouche, the French international and Paris-born and raised Monaco playmaker, who has been their main creator this season and is on PSG’s short list for the summer transfer window.
MY PREDICTION: PSG 3-1. Monaco are struggling lately, while PSG are slowly finding their best mojo again. The return of Dembélé is huge and he will impact this game.
Matchup between title contenders
Roma vs. Napoli
Serie A, Matchday 13
Kickoff: Sunday, 2:45 p.m. ET / 7:45 p.m. GMT
It’s first vs. third in Italy. Gian Piero Gasperini vs. Antonio Conte. Matias Soulè vs. Scott McTominay. Only two points separate these two clubs, and this will be the perfect game to finish your football weekend.
Following his template from his years at Atalanta, Gasperini has equally transformed Roma in incredible fashion with a team without stars (Paulo Dybala is injured) or big egos, but with such a collective strength and the emergence of Matias Soulè as the key part of it. Tactically, the battle should be spectacular between Gasp and Conte. The Napoli boss had his little moan before the international break, went away for a week’s holiday after sounding like he wanted to quit and came back refreshed to beat Atalanta and Qarabag. Typical Conte!
Like he did last season when they won the Serie A title, McTominay is the X factor of this team. If he doesn’t have a good day, then usually Napoli don’t either! It will be interesting to see if Noa Lang and David Neres get another start as wingers for the third game in a row.
MY PREDICTION: 0-0. No cliché here, just two excellent tactical managers who will cancel each other. Serie A is also the league with the most scoreless contests this season.
London derby between in-form teams
Chelsea vs. Arsenal
Premier League, Matchday 13
Kickoff: Sunday, 11:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. GMT
It’s second against first in England. Enzo Maresca vs. Mikel Arteta. Moisés Caicedo vs. Declan Rice.
Two very in-form teams: nine wins in their past 11 games in all competitions for the Blues and 12 wins in their past 13 matches in all competitions for the Gunners! As often, the team winning the midfield battle will surely win this game. While Enzo Fernández, Martín Zubimendi, Reece James, or Eberechi Eze will probably play a big part, it will all be down to the Caicedo-Rice battle.
They have been their team’s best and most important players this season and two of the league’s best players as well. The progress that they have made in the past 18 months has been incredible, and they are operating now at another level. While we wait to see what rotation Maresca does (because he always rotates), if Cole Palmer can play and if Estêvão starts or is benched, we know exactly what Arteta will do.
His team is pretty much known, apart from the left wing position between Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli if Leo Trossard is not fit to start. It is also the second-best attack against the best defense.
So after keeping Lamine Yamal and Barcelona quiet, Marc Cucurella will face Bukayo Saka, and that is another huge challenge for the Spaniard. Maresca and Arteta are Pep Guardiola disciples but play a different style than him and from each other. Which makes Sunday afternoon even more interesting.
MY PREDICTION: 1-1. Arsenal have been so dominant lately, but Chelsea will match their intensity and will cause them problems. I don’t think there will be much between the two on the day.
High-stakes game in Germany’s second division
Schalke 04 vs. Paderborn
2.Bundesliga, Matchday 14
Kickoff: Friday, 12:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. GMT
Stream LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S.
It’s first against second in Germany’s second division. The Veltins-Arena will be packed with 62,000 fans for this huge clash. There is just a point between the top two in the 2. Bundesliga, and what makes this game even more interesting is that neither team is in great form! Last weekend, Paderborn lost at home to Hannover (0-2) while Schalke could not beat Preussen Münster (0-0) despite playing 35 minutes with an extra player.
Nevertheless, they are the two best teams this season. It is Paderborn’s sixth season in the second tier since their relegation in 2020, and another promotion would be huge for them. Striker Filip Bilbija has almost equalled his goals tally from last season (nine in 33 games) after just 13 matches. But the problem for Ralf Kettemann is the lack of clinically of his players in front of goals. They have only scored 20 league goals off an xG of 26.6!
Schalke have been trying to go back up for three years, and they believe that this could finally be the year. Miron Muslić has been doing a great job since he took over the job, coming from Plymouth Argyle. His 67% win ratio is impressive, but he also has a very good squad, probably the best in the division with the likes of Loris Karius in goal, Kenan Karaman, the 31-year-old Turkish international as an attacking midfielder and Bosnian international defender Nikola Katić, whom Muslić took with him from Plymouth.
MY PREDICTION: Schalke 2-1. The home advantage will be huge in this game. Schalke have won five games and lost just one in their six in their stadium.
Belgian Pro League, Matchday 16
Kickoff: Sunday, 12:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m GMT
It’s third against first in Belgium. The first Brussels derby of the season.
Although there are eight points between them in the table, showing Union’s domination on the league, with 11 wins, three draws and only one defeat, a goal difference of plus-23 (the next best is plus-9), four points clear of second-place Club Brugge, this is a massive game in Belgium.
Both teams will qualify for the playoffs and hope to meet again to win the title later in the season, but for now it is the city’s supremacy that is at stake. The challenge is huge for Anderlecht. The visitors have won seven straight games (one goal conceded and 19 scored!) away from home this campaign, which, for the Mauves, things have been a bit more difficult (five wins, two draws and a loss).
Thorgan Hazard, brother of Eden, is the leader of this young team, where 22-year-old left winger Ecuadorian international Nilson Angulo is a star in the making, while 18-year-old striker Mihajlo Cvetkovic is also making a name for himself.
However, Union are the champions and the most experienced and best team in the league by far. They will approach this game on the back of a great win away at Galatasaray in midweek in the Champions League, thanks to Promise David‘s goal. David (six league goals) and his teammates Kevin Rodríguez and Raul Florucz (both with seven) are scoring for fun while the defence formed around Kevin Mac Allister — brother of Alexis and Argentina international — is ultra solid.
MY PREDICTION: Union St.-Gilloise 2-0. Despite not having their strongest XI, Arsenal will still be too strong for their neighbors, even if I still see both teams scoring in this game. The home advantage will be key as well.
Bundesliga, Matchday 12
Kickoff: Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. GMT
Stream LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S.
Finally, it’s third against fourth in Germany. The two strongest teams behind Bayern Munich, even if RB Leipzig are currently ahead of them in second place.
For Kasper Hjulmand and Niko Kovac, chasing second place is the aim this season, and there is just one point currently between them. Too many draws (four exactly) have cost Dortmund, but they have only lost once, and that was against Bayern.
It is their only league defeat since March! They are on a good run of results and are efficient again in front of goals with Serhou Guirassy scoring a brace in the Champions League in midweek after just one goal in his previous nine games! Their victory against Villarreal (4-0) was maybe a bit lucky, but they have decent momentum with it.
The hosts beat Manchester City on Tuesday in one of the shocking results of the Champions League week. They have won six of their past seven games in all competitions (losing to Bayern) since their heavy defeat to PSG in Europe.
Hjulmand is having this young team playing really well, with Alejandro Grimaldo leading by example and with his goals. Ibrahim Maza has been impressive in a deeper midfield role, and Patrik Schick is their top goal scorer in the Bundesliga with five in nine appearances.
MY PREDICTION: Bayer Leverkusen 3-2. I can see lots of goals in this game. Both teams will attack, score and concede. It will be open, but I think Leverkusen will have the edge.
