In the opening phase of the 2021 English Premier League season, Manchester City sputtered out of the gate and did not give its massive fanbase much to be excited about.
Also, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had a tenuous grasp of proving he was capable of leading crosstown rival Manchester United back to a team that could contend for the title.
Things have changed. Now the Manchester clubs are in the top two spots in the Premier League table, and as the sunset begins on their respective campaigns, there is almost no doubt that you’re looking at the eventual champions when they square off on Sunday in the marquee match on the menu of This Weekend’s Soccer on TV and Online.
Manchester City should feel comfortable owning a 14-point lead with 11 games to go, but a loss to its bitter rival and nearest competitor could spark the massive meltdown needed to make the remaining weeks of the season interesting.
The Red Devils proved they can do it when they won the reverse fixture back in December.
In Spain, the title race is much tighter as another crosstown rivalry plays out on Sunday.
Atlético Madrid has been a steady points machine for much of the season, but the wheels have fallen off and it is no longer enjoying the death grip it once had on the La Liga table thanks to some spotty performances, and most recently, a 2-0 loss to Levante a couple of weeks ago.
The lead has been reduced to only five points, and usual suspects Barcelona and Real Madrid are the ones on Atlético’s heels.
Real Madrid has the opportunity to crush its rival’s momentum and turn its season into a title-winning effort when it heads to Wanda Metropolitano Stadium this weekend.
On any other week, Saturday’s Bayern Munich – Borussia Dortmund matchup would probably be your headliner, but the visitors are behind a crowd of contenders for the title and even with a win, will be asking a lot to jump back into the race.
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Here are This Weekend’s Top 5 Matches to Watch, along with a look at the full rundown of the soccer viewing options available this weekend:
This Weekend’s Top 5 Matches
- Manchester City vs Manchester United – If the latter has any hopes of putting up a fight for the title, it must find a way to beat its rival.
- Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid – An identical scenario to Sunday’s game in Manchester, but Real Madrid’s situation is much more realistic. You would assume Barcelona, which is tied for second, takes care of business against Osasuna. If Los Blancos can pull it off, there will be a three way sprint to the end of the season with razor thin margins for error.
- Bayern München vs Borussia Dortmund – Dortmund is not in the title picture, but it has more than enough talent to pull off an upset and put its Der Klassiker rival in danger while it fights for a 2022 Champions League spot.
- Palmeiras vs Grêmio – Fresh off its crowing as Copa Libertadores champs, Palimeras is on the cusp of performing a double in the Copa do Brazil, despite having a disappointing league campaign.
- Freiburg vs RB Leipzig – If Dortmund can take points from Bayern and Leipzig takes care of business as an overwhelming favorite, they’ll be the new leaders of the Bundesliga.
This Weekend’s Soccer on TV and Online
Friday
Bundesliga
2:30 p.m. –ESPN+– Schalke 04 vs Mainz 05
La Liga
3 p.m. -beIN SPORTS, fuboTV – Valencia vs Villarreal
Primeira Liga
3:45 p.m. –fuboTV – Sporting CP vs Santa Clara
Liga MX
8:30 p.m. –fuboTV, TUDN USA- Atlético San Luis vs Toluca
10:30 p.m. –fuboTV, TUDN USA- Puebla vs Tigres UANL
Australian A-League
3:35 a.m. –ESPN+– Adelaide United vs Newcastle Jets
First Division A
2:45 p.m. –ESPN+– Sporting Charleroi vs Sint-Truiden
Primera A
8 p.m. –fuboTV – Junior vs Atlético Bucaramanga
EFL Championship
2:45 p.m. –ESPN+– Huddersfield Town vs Cardiff City
Umaglesi Liga
11 a.m. –fuboTV– Dinamo Batumi vs Shukura
Indian Super League
9 a.m. –ESPN+– Goa vs Mumbai City
CAF Champions League
2 p.m. –fuboTV– CR Belouizdad vs Al Hilal Omdurman
Africa U-20 Cup of Nations
2:50 p.m. –fuboTV– Gambia vs Tunisia
Scottish Championship
2:45 p.m. –ESPN+– Raith Rovers vs Dunfermline Athletic
Saturday
Premier League
7:30 a.m. -NBCSN, fuboTV– Burnley vs Arsenal
10 a.m. -NBCSN, fuboTV– Sheffield United vs Southampton
12:30 p.m. -NBCSN, fuboTV– Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
3 p.m. -Peacock- Brighton & Hove Albion vs Leicester City
Bundesliga
9:30 a.m. –ESPN+– Freiburg vs RB Leipzig
9:30 a.m. –ESPN+– Hertha BSC vs Augsburg
9:30 a.m. –ESPN+– Hoffenheim vs Wolfsburg
9:30 a.m. –ESPN+– Eintracht Frankfurt vs Stuttgart
9:30 a.m. –ESPN+– Borussia Monchengladbach vs Bayer Leverkusen
12:30 p.m. -ABC, ESPN Deportes – Bayern München vs Borussia Dortmund
La Liga
8 a.m. –fuboTV– Real Valladolid vs Getafe
10:15 a.m. -beIN SPORTS, fuboTV– Elche vs Sevilla
12:30 p.m. -beIN SPORTS, fuboTV– Cádiz vs Eibar
3 p.m. -beIN SPORTS, fuboTV– Osasuna vs Barcelona
Serie A
9 a.m. –ESPN+– Spezia vs Benevento
12 p.m. –ESPN+– Udinese vs Sassuolo
2:45 p.m. –ESPN+– Juventus vs Lazio
Primeira Liga
1 p.m. –fuboTV– Gil Vicente vs Porto
Coupe de France
12:45 p.m. –fuboTV– Olympique Lyonnais vs Sochaux
3:10 p.m. –fuboTV– Brest vs PSG
Liga MX
6 p.m. –fuboTV, TUDN USA- Atlas vs Juárez
8 p.m. -ESPN Deportes, fuboTV– América vs León
8:06 p.m. -Fox Soccer Plus, fuboTV– Monterrey vs Querétaro
10 p.m. -ESPN Deportes, fuboTV– Mazatlán vs Guadalajara
Australian A-League
1:05 a.m. –ESPN+– Brisbane Roar vs Sydney FC
3:10 a.m. –ESPN+– Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City
Australian W-League
3:05 a.m. –ESPN+– Adelaide United vs Sydney FC
Primera A
5:30 p.m. –fuboTV– Once Caldas vs Deportivo Cali
8 p.m. –fuboTV– Rionegro Águilas vs Atlético Nacional
EFL Championship
10 a.m. –ESPN+– Norwich City vs Luton Town
10 a.m. –ESPN+– Swansea City vs Middlesbrough
Indian Super League
9 a.m. –ESPN+– NorthEast United vs Mohun Bagan
CAF Champions League
8 a.m. –fuboTV– Al Merreikh vs Simba
8 a.m. –fuboTV– TP Mazembe vs Mamelodi Sundowns
11 a.m. –fuboTV– ES Tunis vs Zamalek
11 a.m. –fuboTV– Teungueth vs MC Alger
11 a.m. –fuboTV– Kaizer Chiefs vs Petro de Luanda
2 p.m. –fuboTV– Al Ahly vs Vita Club
2 p.m. –fuboTV– Wydad Casablanca vs Horoya
Liga MX Femenil
1 p.m. –fuboTV, TUDN USA- Pumas UNAM vs Tigres UANL
Eredivisie
10:30 a.m. –ESPN+– Feyenoord vs VVV
Super Lig
11 a.m. –fuboTV– Beşiktaş vs Gaziantepspor
Sunday
Premier League
7 a.m. -NBCSN, fuboTV– West Bromwich Albion vs Newcastle United
9 a.m. -NBCSN, fuboTV– Liverpool vs Fulham
11:30 a.m. -NBCSN, fuboTV– Manchester City vs Manchester United
2:15 p.m. -Peacock- Tottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace
Bundesliga
9:30 a.m. –ESPN+– Köln vs Werder Bremen
12 p.m. –ESPN+– Arminia Bielefeld vs Union Berlin
La Liga
8 a.m. –fuboTV– Huesca vs Celta de Vigo
10:15 a.m. -beIN SPORTS, fuboTV– Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid
12:30 p.m. –fuboTV– Real Sociedad vs Levante
3 p.m. –fuboTV– Athletic Club vs Granada
Serie A
6:30 a.m. –ESPN+– Roma vs Genoa
9 a.m. –ESPN+– Crotone vs Torino
9 a.m. -ESPN2, ESPN Deportes – Fiorentina vs Parma
9 a.m. –ESPN+– Hellas Verona vs Milan
12 p.m. –ESPN+– Sampdoria vs Cagliari
2:45 p.m. –ESPN+– Napoli vs Bologna
Primeira Liga
3 p.m. –fuboTV– Rio Ave vs Farense
Coupe de France
12:30 p.m. -beIN SPORTS, fuboTV– Gazélec Ajaccio vs Lille
3 p.m. -beIN SPORTS, fuboTV– Canet Roussillon vs Olympique Marseille
Liga MX
8:06 p.m. -Fox Sports 2, fuboTV, FOX Deportes- Santos Laguna vs Necaxa
10 p.m. –fuboTV, TUDN USA, Univision – Pumas UNAM vs Cruz Azul
Australian A-League
12:05 a.m. –ESPN+– Wellington Phoenix vs Perth Glory
2:10 a.m. –ESPN+– Western United vs Western Sydney Wanderers
Australian W-League
12:05 a.m. –ESPN+– Canberra United vs Brisbane Roar
Copa do Brasil
4 p.m. -Fox Soccer Plus, fuboTV– Palmeiras vs Grêmio
Super Liga
12 p.m. –ESPN+– Nordsjælland vs Horsens
Primera A
6 p.m. –fuboTV– Guayaquil City vs Barcelona
FA Women’s Super League
9 a.m. -The FA Player- Birmingham City vs Arsenal
9 a.m. -NBCSports.com- Manchester City vs Everton
9 a.m. -The FA Player- West Ham United vs Chelsea FC
9 a.m. -The FA Player- Manchester United vs Aston Villa
9 a.m. -The FA Player- Brighton & Hove Albion vs Tottenham Hotspur
Liga de Expansión MX
6 p.m. –fuboTV, TUDN USA- Atlante vs Tepatitlán
Eredivisie
6:15 a.m. –ESPN+– Ajax vs Groningen
8:30 a.m. –ESPN+– Fortuna Sittard vs PSV
10:45 a.m. –ESPN+– Vitesse vs AZ
Scottish Premiership
7 a.m. –ESPN+– Dundee United vs Celtic