There is a significant midfield battle that could take place in Spain this weekend, if it’s not ruined by injury, and a ton of matches to catch across the European continent on Saturday and Sunday as well. Let’s start with a pair of matches on Friday though as we jump into the weekend:
Friday Augsburg v Union Berlin – 2:30p on ESPN+
Brenden Aaronson picked up his third straight start last weekend in Union Berlin’s 1-0 loss to league-leading Bayer Leverkusen. The loss saw Berlin fall to within six points of Mainz who remain in the relegation playoff spot despite their 4-0 win over Darmstadt. Berlin’s opponent this weekend is an Augsburg side currently in seventh place, coming off a 3-1 loss to Hoffenheim. Aaronson’s three straight starts are his longest streak of starts this season as he has primarily served in a substitute role.
Real Betis v Celta Vigo – 3p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
It’s an American matchup in Spain as Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis face Luca de la Torre and Celta Vigo on Friday afternoon. Both teams were off last weekend due to the Copa del Rey final and neither player had appeared for their team in their previous match with de la Torre missing the past two matches due to injury. Real Betis have lost four straight matches and fallen seven points out of sixth place while Celta Vigo have pulled four points from their past two matches though they still remain just three points ahead of Cadiz for relegation.
Saturday
RB Leipzig v Wolfsburg – 9:30a on ESPN+
Kevin Paredes missed last weekend due to muscular problems, and his return timeframe is unknown at this point. Paredes’s injury snapped a nine-match starting streak. Wolfsburg fell to Gladbach on the day and remain in fourteenth place, five points clear of relegation.
Mainz v Hoffenheim – 9:30a on ESPN+
John Brooks returned from suspension and played the final 26 minutes for Hoffenheim in their 3-1 win over Augsburg as the two teams are now tied with Freiburg with 36 points. Augsburg currently hold the tiebreaker for seventh though the three teams are still six points back of Eintracht Frankfurt for sixth place and Europa Conference League qualification.
Borussia Monchengladbach v Borussia Dortmund – 9:30a on ESPN+
Joe Scally and Jordan Pefok both came on as substitutes in the final minutes of Borussia Monchengladbach’s 3-1 win over Wolfsburg last weekend. The team will take on a Dortmund side that lost mid-week in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal play to Atletico Madrid and lost last weekend to Stuttgart to fall into fifth place in the Bundesliga. Dortmund do remain tied on points with fourth place RB Leipzig for the opportunity to qualify for next season’s Champions League play.
Bochum v Heidenheim – 9:30a on ESPN+
Lennard Maloney returned to the starting lineup last weekend after an injury kept him sidelined for most of the month of March. Heidenheim defeated Bayern Munich 3-2 in Maloney’s return and moved into tenth place in the league table. This weekend they face fifteenth place Bochum who are on the edge of the relegation positions.
Brentford v Sheffield United – 10a on Peacock
Auston Trusty started and went 87 minutes as a wingback last weekend as Sheffield United drew with Chelsea 2-2. It was Sheffield’s third draw in four matches (and none of the scoreless variety) but they would need to convert those draws to wins in order to somehow avoid relegation in what is going down as the worst defensive performance in EPL history.
Nottingham Forest v Wolverhampton Wanderers – 10a on USA Network
Giovanni Reyna saw nine minutes off the bench, and Matt Turner was an unused substitute as Nottingham Forest lost to Tottenham 3-1 last weekend and fell into a tie with Luton Town for the final relegation spot. It seems unlikely that either Turner nor Reyna will feature down the stretch for Forest and increasing like that they will be in new locations next Fall regardless of Forest’s fate this season.
PSV Eindhoven v Vitesse – 10:30a on ESPN+
Malik Tillman picked up his eighth and ninth assists of the season and Sergino Dest picked up his sixth last weekend as PSV defeated AZ Alkmaar 5-1 to continue to close in on their league title. Ricardo Pepi was not included in the matchday squad. PSV will face a Vitesse side this weekend that is sitting dead last in the Eredivisie standings.
Torino v Juventus – Noon on Paramount+
Weston McKennie started yet again for Juventus last weekend but Tim Weah was an unused substitute as Juventus defeated Fiorentina 1-0 to snap a four-match winless streak. Juve will now face ninth place Torino who is coming off a 3-2 loss to Empoli.
Bournemouth v Manchester United – 12:30p on NBC
Tyler Adams was not included in Bournemouth’s squad last weekend due to back spasms as Bournemouth fell to lowly Luton Town 2-1. Though the injury is not expected to be long term, USMNT fans will be holding their breath until they see him back on the field and ready to see regular, extended minutes.
Sunday
Liverpool v Crystal Palace – 9a on USA Network
Chris Richards missed a second straight match due to injury as Crystal Palace fell to Manchester City 4-2 last weekend. With the loss, Palace fell within five points of relegation though they are in fourteenth place so there are four teams below them that they would need to be jumped by before falling into relegation.
West Ham v Fulham – 9a on Peacock
Antonee Robinson started yet again as Fulham fell to Newcastle 1-0 last weekend. Robinson looks to be cemented in as one of Fulham’s most important players. However, Tim Ream has not played since mid-February and despite his recent contract extension, it looks like Fulham have settled on other options, at least for now.
Sassuolo v AC Milan – 9a on Paramount+
Christian Pulisic scored his tenth goal of the season last weekend as AC Milan defeated Lecce 3-0. Milan has won five straight league matches, their longest streak of the season, but they fell 1-0 midweek in the first leg of their quarter-finals matchup with Roma in Europa League play. Milan’s opponent this weekend, Sassuolo, are currently in the second relegation spot but stayed within a goal of Milan the first time they met this season as Milan struggled to score but eventually came away with the 1-0 win thanks to a Pulisic goal.
Atlanta United v Philadelphia Union – 2:30 p.m. on Fox
Caleb Wiley and Atlanta United take on Jack McGlynn, Quill Sullivan, and the Philadelphia Union Sunday afternoon in a match that can be seen on Fox.
