Sport
Titanic clashes this weekend
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The international break is, to put it politely, not everybody’s cup of tea. There is a degree of intrigue surrounding the selection, in as much as it gives some insight into the thoughts of the national coaches as the World Cup draws ever closer, but the games themselves rarely offer too much in the way of entertainment. This was certainly true of England’s two friendlies, so many football fans will surely be relieved about the impending resumption of the domestic schedule.
A relegation ‘six pointer’?
One game that promises to make up for lost time on the excitement front is Huddersfield’s trip to Newcastle. Just a point separates the two teams, in 13th and 15th place respectively – both clubs can be relatively content with their positions in the first campaign since their promotions, but the job is far from complete. In a season where so many sides are in the relegation frame, it may be that a higher tally than usual is needed to avoid the drop: the 40 point mark for safety, usually little more than a myth, might actually be a fairly accurate guide as to what teams will need to ensure retention of their Premier League status. Thus, both Benitez and Wagner will be desperate for the win: there is a slight risk that the amount at stake will lead to a cagey affair, but with a total of 92 goals conceded between the two teams this season it seems reasonable to suggest that it won’t be a case of the defences coming out on top. If either side is able to take all three points, it will be a highly significant step towards safety – the experience of Benitez should be enough to swing this fixture in favour of The Magpies.
Juve v AC Milan
Meanwhile, in Italy, the fierce battle at the other end of the table continues to rage. Juventus’ surprise slip-up against SPAL prior to the international break allowed Napoli to move to within just two points: the title race briefly looked like it was going to fizzle out, but it is now well and truly back on. The Old Lady faces a tough fixture in its attempt to bounce back from the poor result last time out – they are visited by AC Milan. Gattuso’s men are in a fine vein of form, winning their last five league fixtures as well as knocking out Lazio in the semi-final of the Coppa Italia. The final will be against none other than Juventus; the upcoming league meeting is much more than a mere rehearsal for Milan, however, as they look to stay in European contention. Nonetheless, Juventus will be confident that they can come out on top. Last fixture aside, they have been in imperious form – the players may have half an eye on the midweek Champions League clash with Real Madrid, but provided they can keep their focus they have the quality to run out as comfortable winners.
Bayern Munich v Dortmund
Bayern Munich are another team who will be highly aware of their upcoming Champions League tie. They play Sevilla on Tuesday night, but before that they face a visit from Borussia Dortmund in the league. The title is effectively wrapped up, but the game should still be a good one – the fixture dubbed Der Klassiker rarely disappoints. Bayern’s domestic dominance means that they go into the game as favourites, but Dortmund will definitely fancy their chances of causing an upset. Jupp Heynckes might rest some players for the Champions League, and Red Bull Leipzig showed in the last round of fixtures that even a full-strength Bayern side is not unbeatable. The league is all that is left for Dortmund, having been the victims of a shock two-leg defeat to Red Bull Salzburg in the Europa League, so they will be eager to win to try and overtake Schalke in second place. I predict that they will run out 2-1 winners, although if Bayern do play to their full capacities then they are clearly very capable of victory.
Battle of the Bridge continued
On Sunday, the Premier League conjures up another tantalising encounter. Chelsea take on city rivals Tottenham Hotspur, knowing that anything short of victory could well prove fatal for their top four ambitions. Given that they are already out of this year’s competition, it would be nothing short of disastrous to drop out of contention to qualify for the tournament next season – Antonio Conte will be desperate for a win. Spurs, too, need the result: victory would keep the pressure on Liverpool, but defeat would see the gap to 5th placed Chelsea close to just two points. They will have to travel to Stamford Bridge without Harry Kane, who is sidelined through injury. This will obviously harm their chances, but Heung-Min Son is a more than capable understudy. The tenacity and technical ability of the South Korean is bound to cause Chelsea’s back line problems, and he is a prime candidate to notch a goal. Conte’s men will not have it easy at the other end either – Tottenham’s defence is notoriously strong, and will prove challenging for a set of forwards largely lacking in confidence. Nonetheless, Chelsea should have enough to at least match their opponents. There are questions over Tottenham’s temperament in the most important fixtures, and so even a weaker-than-usual Chelsea may well be able to avoid defeat. 1-1 looks very plausible, although it could be that one side manages to edge the victory by a narrow margin.
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