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    WEEKEND BIG 5 PREVIEWS: Wenger’s Top 4 Battle, Who Will Win Title Decider Between Barca And Atletico? PLUS Milan Derby

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    England Premier League
    12:30 Burnley vs Everton
    15:00 Leicester vs Bournemouth
    15:00 Southampton vs Stoke
    15:00 Watford vs West Bromwich Albion
    15:00 Tottenham vs Huddersfield
    15:00 Swansea vs West Ham
    17:30 Liverpool vs Newcastle United
    SUNDAY
    13:30 Brighton vs Arsenal
    16:00 Manchester City vs Chelsea
    MONDAY
    20:00 Crystal Palace vs Manchester United


    Burnley vs Everton
    The big talking point: Our eyes! Our eyes! This promises to be a horrendous watch.

    What will happen: If Burnley are ever to end their long, winless run, it will happen here: against the side that don’t do away wins. Or goals. Or football with any semblance of ambition.

    What won’t happen: No easy decision in goal for Sean Dyche, who will again have to make a decision over the Tom Heaton/Nick Pope issue. Pope has played so well since coming into the side, but if Heaton doesn’t get back in he can forget about the World Cup – and that’s tricky, because he’s actually Dyche’s longest-serving player.

    Leicester vs Bournemouth
    The big talking point: Bournemouth’s comeback against Newcastle last week, which was another indication of their growing health.

    What will happen: Shinji Okazaki is ready to return so could go straight back into the starting XI to help out Jamie Vardy. For Bournemouth, Adam Smith was very impressive as a substitute last weekend so should be restored to Eddie Howe’s side.

    What won’t happen: A visiting clean sheet. This is a bad, bad match-up for Bournemouth, who are not really equipped to nullify the Vardy/Mahrez access. Key to their problem is an inability to track runners who go beyond them – remember what Liverpool did them a few months ago – so this should be a fairly comfortable home win.

    Southampton vs Stoke
    The big talking point: Relegation, unfortunately. These two teams are in desperate trouble and, while both have shown marginal improvement lately, they really need to start winning. Stoke are in the relegation zone. Southampton are only outside of it on goal difference.

    What will happen: In light of Guido Carrillo not really hitting the ground running, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Manolo Gabbiadini back in the side at St Mary’s. He scored a late equaliser at Turf Moor last weekend and Mauricio Pellegrino can’t afford to ignore anyone who’s capable of providing goals.

    What won’t happen: We don’t fancy Southampton here – no win from them. Stoke aren’t substantially better than they were under Mark Hughes, but they do seem freer and better defensively. Conversely, Southampton look deeply inhibited whenever they play at home and this looks, at a glance, like the kind of game destined to be settled by some Shaqiri excellence or something similar.

    Swansea vs West Ham
    The big talking point: Has the Carvalhal bubble burst? Swansea were comfortably second best at Brighton a week ago and the long, unbeaten stretch of form which led them into that fixture hasn’t lifted them out of the relegation zone.

    What will happen: Manuel Lanzini completed almost an hour on his comeback against Liverpool last weekend, and although he made little impression, his return does make West Ham a far more dangerous side. Lanzini is their most gifted attacking player. You could make an argument for Marko Arnautovic, but Lanzini is really the one with all the craft and whom, if fit, Swansea will have to be most wary of. Expect the result to be determined by his level of performance.

    What won’t happen: Both sides are carrying long injury lists: Renato Sanches, Leroy Fer and Wilfried Bony will all be missing for Swansea – and will be for some time – while Patrice Evra has been added to a West Ham absentee list which already includes Pedro Obiang and, of course, Andy Carroll.

    Tottenham vs Huddersfield
    The big talking point: Given what it experienced on Wednesday, the Wembley pitch will most likely be atrocious by the time Saturday arrives. A leveller, perhaps?

    What will happen: David Wagner will do what he’s done against every big side: Huddersfield will sit deep, volunteer the ball back to their opponent and will likely be brutalised by Mauricio Pochettino’s forward line.

    What won’t happen: There’ll be no Toby Alderweireld, as there won’t be against Juventus next week. The Belgian broke down in training on Tuesday with another hamstring injury.

    Watford vs West Brom
    The big talking point: Alan Pardew’s job security. It’s astonishing that he’s still there actually, given that he lost at home to Huddersfield last weekend. This must surely be a last chance.

    What will happen: P45 time. West Brom are absolutely useless. Only Swansea have scored fewer goals and their defence isn’t nearly good enough to win points the hard way. A greatly improved Watford should have few problems here, then, and relegation will soon become a virtual certainty for the Baggies.

    What won’t happen: Still no Daniel Sturridge for West Brom – who didn’t see that coming? – but Watford are suffering, too, with Gerard Deulofeu the latest first-team player to be ruled out. He’ll be gone for a while, too.

    Liverpool vs Newcastle
    The big talking point: As it has been for the last 20 years, this fixture is on television again. The pre-game montage surely writes itself by now.

    What will happen: Liverpool will sweep this struggling Newcastle team aside within 20 minutes, leaving the commentators just over an hour to reminisce sadly about Rush, Barnes, Rush, Barnes… Collymore closing in.

    What won’t happen: There will be no return to Anfield for Jonjo Shelvey, who’s injured, while loan signing Islam Slimani is also out and will have wait longer for his Newcastle debut. Jordan Henderson and Gio Wijnaldum are both doubts for Liverpool.

    Brighton vs Arsenal
    The big talking point: You do have to wonder what those two, back-to-back defeats against Manchester City have done to Arsenal. Wembley crushed them, but the repeat performance at the Emirates seemed to be a new low altogether. They are a team who look completely lost.

    What will happen: Crucially, that lost team are about to face one with a new sense of purpose. Brighton have not lost a game of any sort since January and have won three home games in a row in all competitions (West Ham, Coventry, Swansea).

    What won’t happen: There’ll be no comfort for Arsenal here. Teams who have suffered like they have benefit from soft fixtures in which they can gently regain their equilibrium. This isn’t that; Brighton may lack quality, but they’re too organised to go quietly – and, worse, because of what’s happening below them they’re likely now within touching distance of their Premier League safety.

    Manchester City vs Chelsea
    The big talking point: We already know where Manchester City will finish this season, but Chelsea’s situation is more tenuous. Last weekend they slipped out of the top four and, with Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester United all benefiting from easier games, they really need to take something from this. Otherwise, they could conceivably be five points off fourth place by the end of Sunday.

    What will happen: Can anyone really make a case for City not carrying on where they left off against Arsenal? Too many parts of the Chelsea side are misfunctioning – midfield, attack – for them to be a real problem. Especially away from home… especially with Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling due to be fit and available again.

    What won’t happen: Let’s just say that Antonio Conte won’t be substituting Eden Hazard again if he finds himself in a winning position. Of all the tactical decisions made this season, that one, made at Old Trafford on Sunday, is among the strangest.

    Crystal Palace vs Manchester United
    The big talking point: It’s the potential effect of Manchester United’s win over Chelsea. United weren’t overly impressive, but a lot of good things happened within that 90 minutes. Romelu Lukaku gave an excellent contribution, Paul Pogba arrested his form’s decline, and Jose Mourinho’s substitutions were highly effective. Will that carry over?

    What will happen: Yes, probably. Palace did not play well against Tottenham. They were obdurate enough, but the “oh, aren’t they defending bravely” narrative missed the four or five good chances which Spurs passed up. On another day, that scoreline would have looked very ugly. They’ll need to be much better to get anything from this.

    What won’t happen: Timothy Fosu-Mensah has been pressed into centre-back duty in recent weeks, but he’s ineligible to face his parent club – which will probably mean a recall from Damien Delaney. Roy Hodgson has all sorts of issues elsewhere, though: there’ll be no Wilfried Zaha, Mamadou Sakho, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Bakary Sako and possibly no James Tomkins either. Bare bones.


    German Bundesliga
    14:30 Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen
    14:30 Hamburger SV vs Mainz 05
    14:30 Schalke 04 vs Hertha Berlin
    14:30 Eintracht Frankfurt vs Hannover 96
    14:30 Augsburg vs Hoffenheim
    17:30 RasenBallsport Leipzig vs Borussia Dortmund
    SUNDAY
    14:30 FC Cologne vs VfB Stuttgart
    17:00 Freiburg vs Bayern Munich


    Freiburg can keep it tight in Black Forest tussle
    Freiburg v Bayern Munich

    Bayern are cruising towards a sixth consecutive Bundesliga title, not just because of their excellence, but because of the failure of their rivals to mount any sort of challenge. Take last weekend as an example: Borussia Dortmund only drew with Augsburg, while Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig all lost.
    The champions also failed to win last weekend, as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Hertha Berlin. It was the first time since May 2015 that the Bavarians had failed to score in a competitive home match. Jupp Henyckes’ men didn’t play particularly badly, but they didn’t take their chances against a Hertha team that played with dogged determination.
    Now Bayern a trip to a Freiburg side that continues to punch well above its weight. Christian Streich’s Breisgau-Brasilianer have lost just once in their last 12 matches, and at home they have suffered just one defeat in their last 16 Bundesliga outings. The Schwarzwaldstadion is a tough place to go – the crowd are on top of you, it’s usually freezing cold, and Streich has an uncanny knack of getting more out of his players than can reasonably be demanded.
    Last season it took a wonder goal right at the death from Robert Lewandowski for Bayern to win at Freiburg, and on the road FCB have been winning, but not always by a big margin. They have won by two goals or more in just three of their last nine Bundesliga away matches.
    Freiburg will make life tough for Bayern, and former Bayern striker Nils Petersen is in the form of his career. He has 12 Bundesliga goals this term, his best ever tally.

    Koln can use the crowd and Leipzig win to drag themselves up
    FC Koln v Stuttgart

    Stuttgart have won their last three matches 1-0, and VfB are suddenly a healthy seven points clear of the bottom three. Striker Daniel Ginczek and Mario Gomez have led the line well as a burly pairing, and young defenders Benjamin Pavard and Timo Baumgartl have excelled. Korkut, who had a hitherto unimpressive record as a coach, has hit the ground running with his hometown club.

    However, their winning run may come to an end in Cologne this weekend. Koln produced one of the most extraordinary results of last weekend, as they came from behind to beat RB Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena. For 40 minutes, Koln were hopeless, but by the end of the match they fully deserved their victory. Attacking midfielder Leonardo Bittencourt got the winner on his first appearance since 2018, and there’s no doubt that the easing of the Koln injury crisis is boosting their chances of picking up results.

    I have to admit this is more of a gut feeling than anything statistically solid, but I saw the fire in Koln last week, and the fact they are only bottom on goal difference will ignite the crowd ahead of Sunday’s game.

    I really fancy Koln to win this and drag themselves closer to safety, so despite Stuttgart’s revival, that’s what I’m backing. Koln have won four of their last eight Bundesliga matches, and the crowd can get them over the line against a team with just one away win all season.


    Spanish La Liga
    12:00 Villarreal vs Girona
    15:15 Sevilla vs Athletic Bilbao
    17:30 Leganes vs Malaga
    17:30 Deportivo La Coruna vs Eibar
    19:45 Real Madrid vs Getafe
    SUNDAY
    11:00 Levante vs Espanyol
    15:15 Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid
    17:30 Real Sociedad vs Alaves
    19:45 Valencia vs Real Betis

    Who Will Win Title Decider Between Barcelona And Atletico Madrid?
    After Barca’s draw at Las Palmas, the Catalans are just five points ahead at the top now, but should an in-form Atletico Madrid take all three points from the Camp Nou, they’ll be just two points in it.
    If Ernesto Valverde’s side are victorious, the gap rises to eight, but the way the two teams are playing, there’s no guarantee that will happen.
    For Barcelona to do win, they’ll need to contain Messrs. Costa and Griezmann, and that’s no easy task, particularly in relation to the Frenchman, who has scored seven in his last two games.
    The battle between these two sides is always an absorbing one, and Diego Simeone will feel he has the best chance of his tenure of finally leaving the Camp Nou with all three points – a feeling he is yet to experience as Atleti coach.
    With an extra week to wait until the Champions League return against Chelsea, Valverde can afford to play all of his big guns, so it’ll be no surprise to see Messi, Suarez, Dembele and Coutinho all starting.
    How the Uruguayan loves these games against his countryman Diego Godin, and neither will hold back here. A red card is almost assured because neither side will give an inch. Too close to call.

    Zidane to rotate again
    He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t, but Zinedine Zidane has to rotate again for the game against Getafe.
    Coming just a few days before the trip to PSG, the Frenchman has little choice because he can’t afford any more injuries at what is a crucial point of the season.
    Modric, Kroos and Casemiro will hope to be back against the Parisiens, but Marcos Llorente and Mateo Kovacic will continue to deputise.
    Cristiano Ronaldo is available, but it’s likely that Zidane will hedge his bets and bench the Portuguese, only bringing him on if absolutely necessary.
    The starting XI should actually be the same as that which lost at Espanyol, and if Getafe were to add their name to a growing list of teams who have conquered Los Blancos this season, the coach will have to take it on the chin.
    Jose Bordalas’ side have lost just one in the last six in a run which has included games against Sevilla, Barcelona and Celta Vigo.
    A compact but hard-working 4-4-2 gives the visitors enough in both attack and defence to cause their hosts more league problems, and keep an eye out for Angel Rodriguez up against Raphael Varane.
    It could be the battle of the afternoon.

    Valencia will be wary of Betis goal threat
    Though they’ve already missed one chance to leapfrog Real Madrid into third, Valencia will be hopeful of keeping the pressure on with a win against Betis.
    However, Marcelino will be wary of the goal threat the green-and-whites possess.
    Four against Sociedad and Levante, and three against multiple opponents evidences the way in which Quique Setien likes his staff to play, although it must be said that sometimes they’re left open by playing in such a manner.
    It’s the reason why they’ve shipped five against Barcelona, Real Madrid and Eibar.
    If Geoffrey Kondogbia and Dani Parejo can boss the midfield up against Fabian Ruiz and Javi Garcia, Simone Zaza, Luciano Vietto and Rodrigo Moreno will get chances.
    That’s because Marc Bartra is still finding his feet at the back for Betis, his partnership with Aissa Mandi still in its infancy.
    A strong left side in Coquelin and Gaya, should ensure that if Betis want any goalscoring success, it will need to come down Valencia’s right side.

    Bragging rights up for grabs in Basque derby
    What a game in prospect at the Anoeta as Real Sociedad welcome Alaves.
    Fortunately for both Basque sides, they sit a healthy eight and nine points respectively above the bottom four, and though they’ll go for the win, a draw isn’t necessarily a disaster.
    It’s difficult to predict a winner here because although La Real ship an awful lot of goals, they’ve scored a fair amount too. In fact, only Valencia, Real Madrid and Barcelona have scored more.
    Alaves won three on the spin before being outclassed by Real Madrid recently, but they’ve certainly shown the heart that was missing earlier in the season before Abelardo took over.
    Man for man, Sociedad have the better players, with respect, but that means nothing if they’re not willing to put in a shift.
    Far too many of their stars have gone missing this season, though Mikel Oyarzabal and Sergio Canales can generally be exempt from blame. Eusebio needs his midfield trio of Illarramendi, Zubeldia and Zurutuza to get hold of this one by the scruff of the neck.
    For Alaves, John Guidetti continues to be eager to prove a point, whilst the spine of the team (Garcia, Torres, Laguardia, Ely) remain solid.

    Seedorf still not off the mark
    The former multiple Champions League winner, Clarence Seedorf, hasn’t had the best of starts at Depor. In fact, it’s been a downright disaster.
    Not only has he not inspired his staff to a victory, but he’s yet to see them score. There can’t be too many instances of teams not getting a new manager bounce to this degree.
    What it does show is that the mess at the club is a lot deeper than anyone imagined, but they’re not cast adrift as yet. Games are running out for them, but a couple of wins would work wonders. Sadly, it won’t come against a dogged Eibar side.
    Eneko Boveda was once again the weak link against Getafe last time out, and only Fabian Schar in Depor’s defence can emerge with any real credit.
    Adrian Lopez and Zakaria Bakkali aren’t providing enough service out wide for Lucas Perez or Florin Andone to thrive on, and as such, they look a little disjointed.
    Eibar, meanwhile, have always played for each other and as a decent unit. They’ve had to, to survive against the odds in the top flight season after season.
    It’s that togetherness that will send them back to the Basque Country with all three points. Another solid performance, as against Villarreal on Wednesday will be just the ticket. Kike Garcia will target Boveda from the off and with Fabian Orellana back to his best, don’t be surprised if this is over before half time.


    Italy Serie A
    14:00 SPAL 2013 vs Bologna
    17:00 Lazio vs Juventus
    19:45 Napoli vs Roma
    SUNDAY
    11:30 Genoa vs Cagliari
    14:00 Udinese vs Fiorentina
    14:00 Torino vs Crotone
    14:00 Benevento vs Verona
    14:00 Atalanta vs Sampdoria
    14:00 Chievo vs Sassuolo
    19:45 AC Milan vs Inter


    Milan Derby on as Juve set to pile the pressure on Napoli
    Lazio v Juventus

    This is set to be one of the weekends that could decide the Serie A season, as Napoli host Roma and Juve travel to the Olimpico to take on Lazio.
    Lazio certainly have it in their power to cause issues for Max Allegri and his team: they have beaten the Champions twice already this season, in the Super Cup and then in Turin in October, and I can see why they’re being supported to win this weekend, and give Napoli the chance of a seven-point lead.
    Lazio also have a centre-forward who is both in great form and loves playing against Juve. Ciro Immobile is heading for that Capocannoniere crown and has now scored six times in his last four games. If you also consider the fact that he has scored four already in his two games against Juventus this season, you can understand why he’s potentially primed to succeed again.
    Juventus can welcome back both Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuaín to fitness, although neither is likely to start here, and that shadow of next week’s huge Champions League game against Tottenham looms large over this game.
    Juventus, though, have made a habit of getting the job done this season. Their tenacity in clinging to Napoli’s coat tails has been quite extraordinary, and last weekend’s snowstorm which caused the Atalanta abandonment will have helped them. They’ll be fresh, and Lazio could well be shattered after losing their Cup semi-final in midweek against Milan. This is a mightily quick turnaround.

    Napoli v Roma
    Napoli are on a 10-match winning streak in Serie A, but Roma are being dismissed here, and I’ll have to support them on the Asian Handicap to cause problems for Maurizio Sarri’s team.
    Roma’s lost to Milan last weekend because of their trip to Shakhtar a few days before, and they haven’t suddenly turned into a bad team. They’re very well coached by Eusebio Di Francesco, and they know Napoli well enough to stop them.
    Of course, Sarri’s team are free scoring and great to watch, as they proved in their rout of Cagliari on Monday night, but they are heavily reliant on their front three of Lorenzo Insigne, Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens, all of whom are starting to look a little tired. That’s fine when you’re playing a Cagliari team that allows you to play, much tougher when you’re in an intense game against Roma.
    Fiorentina, Inter, and most famously, Juventus, all stopped Napoli here, and Sarri’s much vaunted defence will be tested by the in-form Cengiz Under, who has now scored five goals in his last five games, and by Roma’s organisation at both ends of the field.

    Milan v Inter
    The bet of the weekend, though, comes on Sunday night at San Siro. Yes, there’s a danger that Milan might be tired after their Cup semi-final in midweek, but they at least have a day’s extra recovery, and they’re a team on a roll.
    Gennaro Gattuso has done a remarkable job in guiding the team to a 13-match unbeaten run, and they have now kept clean sheets in each of their last six games. They face an Inter team which has looked disjointed and clueless in recent weeks, and their two recent wins flatter them. They were fortunate at home against Bologna, and outplayed for some time by Benevento.
    Mauro Icardi returns to the side for this and that of course improves Inter, but he can’t win the game on his own, and I expect Inter to be dominated in the midfield and comprehensively outplayed by the better team.
    Milan look really good value at 2.60, and that is unquestionably the bet of the weekend.


    French Ligue 1
    16:00 Troyes vs Paris Saint Germain
    19:00 Metz vs Toulouse
    19:00 Saint-Etienne vs Dijon
    19:00 Amiens vs Rennes
    19:00 Angers vs Guingamp
    SUNDAY
    14:00 Caen vs Strasbourg
    16:00 Montpellier vs Lyon
    20:00 Marseille vs Nantes


    Table-toppers to stand firm at the back
    Troyes v PSG (18th v 1st)
    PSG have their all-important Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid next Tuesday so their priority this weekend will be picking up all three points with the minimum of fuss.
    Unai Emery’s visitors will post a professional performance while trying to save themselves to some degree for the crucial clash against Zinedine Zidane’s side at Parc des Princes next week.
    PSG are one of Europe’s most formidable attacking sides but this weekend their strength may be their defence. Neymar is definitely out and fellow injured front player Kylian Mbappe – a doubt for the Real match – will almost certainly play no part in the game, either.
    PSG have kept clean sheets in two victories over Marseille in two different competitions – Ligue 1 and the French Cup – over the past seven days. On both occasions their back four and goalkeeper looked excellent.
    On the back of those performances Paris will be confident of keeping a clean sheet against limited hosts.
    Troyes have the joint-third-worst scoring record in the division and have failed to find the net in five of their 10 games against professional opposition in all competitions since the start of the year.

    Goals on the cards in basement battle
    Metz v Toulouse (20th v 16th)
    Bottom club Metz have to go for broke to try to move out of the relegation positions and that should lead to an open contest against Toulouse this weekend.
    Frederic Hantz’s hosts have improved over the past three months but remain rooted to the foot of the table and time is running out.
    Their urgent need for points and goals was evident in their 2-2 draw at Guingamp last weekend: Metz produced some highly effective attacking football but were also open at the back at times.
    Similar strengths and weaknesses ought to be on show this weekend, and Toulouse are also capable of contributing to a high-scoring encounter.
    Last weekend there were defensive deficiencies in Toulouse’s performance but they showed character and also quality in attack to score two late goals to earn a 3-3 home draw against Monaco.
    Strikers Andy Delort and Yaya Sanogo combined for Toulouse’s late equaliser and the visitors have everything to play for as they remain relegation contenders.

    Marseille home form the key to victory
    Marseille v Nantes (3rd v 6th)
    Marseille will have a point to prove when they host faltering Nantes at Stade Velodrome on Sunday night.
    The gap that separates Marseille from PSG was laid bare this week when Marseille lost 3-0 on two occasions against their fiercest rivals. First they were beaten by that scoreline in Ligue 1 last Sunday night, and then suffered a similar fate in the French Cup on Wednesday.
    But Marseille’s longer-term confidence should be unaffected as they have an excellent home record against all but the very best sides in Ligue 1.
    Marseille are W9-D3-L1 at home and an even better W9-D1-L1 at home against non-top four sides.
    Rudi Garcia’s men are also capable of winning comfortably: seven of their nine home wins have come by a margin of two or more goals, and the same applies to 10 of their last 12 victories home or away in all competitions.
    Having excelled during the first-half of the season Nantes have lost their way since the turn of the year.
    Their 1-0 home defeat to struggling Amiens last weekend was their fifth loss in their last eight games in all competitions.
    Given how they’re playing it’s hard to see Claudio Ranieri’s visitors putting up much resistance.


    Championship
    15:00 Barnsley vs Norwich
    15:00 Brentford vs Cardiff
    15:00 Millwall vs Sunderland
    15:00 Bolton vs Preston
    15:00 Derby vs Fulham
    15:00 Aston Villa vs Queens Park Rangers
    15:00 Nottingham Forest vs Birmingham
    15:00 Bristol City vs Sheffield Wednesday
    17:30 Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Reading


    Dutch Eredivisie
    17:30 PSV Eindhoven vs FC Utrecht
    17:30 Excelsior vs AZ Alkmaar
    19:45 SC Heerenveen vs Willem II
    19:45 NAC Breda vs Feyenoord
    SUNDAY
    11:30 PEC Zwolle vs VVV-Venlo
    13:30 Vitesse vs Ajax
    13:30 Sparta Rotterdam vs ADO Den Haag
    15:45 Twente vs FC Groningen


    Turkey Super Lig
    10:30 Kasimpasa vs Osmanlispor FK
    13:00 Istanbul Basaksehir vs Goztepe
    16:00 Karabukspor vs Galatasaray
    SUNDAY
    10:30 Genclerbirligi vs Alanyaspor
    13:00 Konyaspor vs Yeni Malatyaspor
    16:00 Antalyaspor vs Sivasspor
    16:00 Fenerbahce vs Akhisar Belediyespor


    Belgium Jupiler League
    19:00 Royal Excel Mouscron vs Lokeren
    19:00 Waasland-Beveren vs Genk
    19:00 Zulte-Waregem vs Anderlecht
    19:00 Royal Antwerp vs Eupen
    19:00 Club Bruges vs Kortrijk
    19:00 Gent vs Oostende
    19:00 Sporting Charleroi vs St.Truiden
    19:00 Standard Liege vs KV Mechelen


    Portugal Liga NOS
    16:00 Feirense vs Boavista
    18:15 Benfica vs Maritimo
    20:30 Estoril vs Braga
    SUNDAY
    11:45 Tondela vs Chaves
    16:00 Moreirense vs Pacos de Ferreira
    18:00 Vitoria de Setubal vs Rio Ave
    20:15 Vitoria de Guimaraes vs Belenenses


    Russia Premier League
    11:00 CSKA Moscow vs Ural
    13:30 Zenit St. Petersburg vs Amkar
    16:00 FC Krasnodar vs FC Rostov
    SUNDAY
    08:00 SKA-Khabarovsk vs Tosno
    11:00 FC Ufa vs Dinamo Moscow
    13:30 Lokomotiv Moscow vs Spartak Moscow
    16:00 Arsenal Tula vs FK Akhmat


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    TOP 10 PLAYERS IN EUROPE TABLE..

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    NEWS

    She Cranes Star Nuba Reveals Why She Decided To Play For Uganda Not South Sudan; Why She Regrets Giving Birth Early…

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    She Cranes player Mary Nuba

    Born in South Sudan but grew in Uganda, that’s the story of the She Cranes goal shooter Mary Nuba Cholhok who was voted as the best shooter in the just concluded Fast5 Series tournament which was held in New Zealand.

    Uganda emerged in fifth position in the tournament. theGrapevine had a chance to talk to Nuba before she went back to England for her professional career.

    Grapevine: Why did you decide to play for Uganda and not for your native country South Sudan?

    Nuba: South Sudan is still lagging behind in Netball and I’m getting old, that’s why I decided to play for Uganda’s She Cranes.

    Grapevine: What challenges have you faced so far in your career?

    Nuba: Thinking about my five-year baby who stays in Uganda yet I’m in England playing for my professional club.

    Grapevine: Then what about your husband [the baby’s father] ?

    Nuba: I’m not married, though I gave birth.

    Mary Nuba was awarded Fans player of the Fast5 Series tournament

    Grapevine: How did you manage giving birth and playing Netball?

    Nuba: I realized that later that I made a mistake of getting pregnant. But I stood on my feet, forgot all the past and decided to move on with my child and my career.

    Grapevine: How do you manage those good performances?

    Nuba: I work very hard ever day in order to achieve my goals.

    Grapevine: Where do you see She Cranes in four years to come?

    Nuba: I see She Cranes winning the Netball World cup because we have good players who are still young.

    Grapevine: Tell us about the best game in your career?

    Nuba: When we defeated South Africa in the Common Wealth games in Birmingham.

    Grapevine: Who’s your role model in the game of Netball?

    Nuba: Peace Proscovia because of the way she managed to lift her life from a poor background. She is now superstar in the game.

     

     

    By Juma Ali

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    NEWS

    MIRACLE: All She Cranes Players Return After Incidents Of Players Disappearing While On Duty Abroad…

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    She Cranes players and one of the start player Goal Shooter Mary Cholhok Nuba

    It was a miracle this time around after all the She Cranes players returned from New Zealand.

    It has been a habit for some Netball players to escape when the team travels for international tournaments.

    Just last month, two She Cranes players; Nakanyike Shakira, who was a Police Player and Rose Namutebi, who was a KCCA Player, disappeared in UK, during She Cranes international friendlies.

    The disappearance of these two players followed the disappearance of centre Player, Halimah Nakachwa, who disappeared in UK, in 2017 during another international friendly in UK.

    However, this time around, all the nine players who went for the first five series tournament in New Zealand, where She Cranes emerged fifth, after wining three games and losing three games, all returned with the team.

    National players disappearing while on duty abroad is also a habit in other sports disciplines like; boxing, table tennis, Rugby among others.

     

    By Juma Ali

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    It’s Time For Golola To Rest: I’m Going To Punch Him Into Retirement – General Fungu Vows…

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    Moses Golola (L) and General Fungu (R)

    General Hamza Fungu has vowed to fight Moses Golola and send him into retirement come 26th December. 2022.

    Fungu said this during the launch at Akamwesi gardens today.

    Uganda’s middle weight kick boxing champion, Golola Moses is set to face his former trainer, General Hamza Fungu on bixing day at Akamwesi shopping mail gardens.

    Golola, who is known for his many words said that he has beaten many fighters who were better than Fungu, “now look at this piglet, I’m going to show him why I’m called Golola Moses ‘of Uganda ‘  and I call upon Ugandans to come and be witnesses on that day.”

    Though Golola said that he signed a contract which allows both fighters to fight until one gets tired, officials in charge of organizing the show said they will fight K-1 style for five rounds.

    Grapevine had a chance to sit down with Golola’s challenger General Fungu and and this is what he had to say;

    theGrapevine: How are you prepared for this fight?

    Fungu: I’m well prepared but they have also given us enough time. So, I’m going to prepare more.

    theGrapevine: Why, among fighters did you choose Golola?

    Fungu: I have been asking to fight Golola for the last five years but he has been dodging me. He one time asked for 20,000 dollars to fight me.

    theGrapevine: Why do you think he accepted this time around?

    Fungu: I think this time, he has been given a lot of money.

    theGrapevine: Which tactics are you going to use to defeat Golola?

    Fungu : Golola has words but I have the tactics which will defeat Golola.

    theGrapevine: Many people have come out to challenge Golola but he finally wins?

    Fungu : He has been favoured many times.

    theGrapevine: Is it true that the contract you signed for the fight allows you to fight until one of you gets tired?

    Fungu : The contract is a disadvantage to Golola not me because I was born a fighter.

    theGrapevine: What next after this fight?

    Fungu : After this fight, I will fight three more three bouts and retire.

     

    By Juma Ali

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