The final international break ahead of the World Cup is just around the window and while many of the spots seem settled there are still some real question marks on who could be called in later this month and given a chance to make their final case for a roster spot this summer. The action is starting to warm up across Europe as well and there are some matches of title significance this weekend even in Italy. We’re keeping an eye on that and much more this weekend, starting with a couple of matches on Friday:
Friday
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach – 2:30p on ESPN Select: Joe Scally started his second straight match last weekend as Borussia Monchengladbach defeated Union Berlin last weekend 1-0 to snap their seven match winless streak. Gio Reyna returned to the bench for Gladbach as they pulled into twelfth place though they are still just three points clear of the relegation playoff spot heading into their matchup with league leading Bayern Munich.
PSG v Monaco – 2:45p on beIN Sports: Folarin Balogun has scored in two straight league matches and also scored two goals against PSG in their Champions League two-legged tie, though it was not enough for Monaco to advance. Monaco have won three straight and are undefeated in their last six league games, the team is in seventh place as they also head into a match up against their leagues leading team, in this case PSG who have a four point lead over Lens for the top spot in Ligue 1.
Saturday
Freiburg v Bayer Leverkusen – 9:30a on ESPN Select: After missing his team’s prior two matches due to an ankle injury Malik Tillman came in off the bench last weekend and played 20’ in Leverkusen’s 1-0 win over Hamburg. Leverkusen are in sixth place, and will be visiting eighth place Freiburg this weekend. Leverkusen won the last match between these two teams 2-0, a match which Tillman missed out on due to injury.
Heidenheim v Hoffenheim – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Cole Campbell had been held out since joining Hoffenheim in January due to an ankle injury but was in the squad last weekend and saw 4’ off the bench as third place Hoffenheim suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to relegation threatened St. Pauli. Hoffenheim will visit last place Heidenheim this weekend looking to bounce back from the defeat which was their sixth of the season.
Mainz v Stuttgart – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Lennard Maloney came on with a minute to play and picked up a yellow card in stoppage time as Mainz drew with Leverkusen 1-1 after allowing a goal in the minute before Maloney came on the field. Mainz are in fourteenth place, just a point ahead of Werder Bremen for the relegation playoff spot and will be hosting fourth place Stuttgart this weekend.
RB Leipzig v Augsburg – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Noahkai Banks picked up a very nice assist on the match winner last weekend as 9th place Augsburg defeated Koln 2-0. The 19-year-old has represented the US at the U17, U19, and U20 levels but recent comments have called into question whether his longterm future is with the USMNT or Germany ahead of a potential March call up. Banks and Augsburg will face a RB Leipzig side who are two points back of the top four heading into the weekend.
Wolfsburg v Hamburg – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Kevin Paredes missed out again last weekend due to a muscle injury as Wolfsburg fell to Stuttgart 4-0 and dropped into the relegation zone in 17th place. It’s been a rough season for Paredes who finally played his first match in January after returning from foot surgery, but has only made the bench in five of the nine matches since returning. Wolfsburg will be hosting Hamburg this weekend where Damion Downs has started two straight matches but unfortunately his club has lost both as they have fallen out of the top ten.
Atalanta v Udiense – 11a on Paramount+: Yunus Musah followed up his goal last weekend in Atalanta’s 2-1 loss to Sassuolo with a second goal midweek in the first leg of the Copa Italia semi-finals a match which they drew on the road at Lazio. Musah came off the bench in both of those matches but played 20+ minutes in each and the goals were certainly a boost to the confidence of a player who has struggled for playing time recently. Atalanta are hosting 10th place Udinese on Saturday.
Koln v Borussia Dortmund – 12:30p on ESPN Select: Kristoffer Lund started and played the full 90’ again last weekend as Koln fell to Noahkai Banks and Augsburg. Koln dropped to 13th place with the loss and are just two points out of the relegation spots in what is a very crowded lower half of the Bundesliga table with seven teams between 22 and 28 points. Koln will try to snap their four match winless slide as they host second place Borussia Dortmund who are coming off a 3-2 loss to Bayern Munich.
Atletico Madrid v Real Sociedad – 12:30p on ESPN Select: Johnny Cardoso started and played the full 90’ as Atletico Madrid lost 3-0 on Tuesday to Barcelona but held on to the aggregate victory 4-3 in the second leg of the Copa del Ray semi-finals. Atletico will now host Pellegrino Matarazzo and Real Sociedad on Saturday. Sociedad also advanced in the Copa del Ray semi-finals winning 1-0 on Wednesday for a 2-0 aggregate victory as the two clubs that face off for the second time this weekend will face off a third time down the road in the Cup final. The first meeting of the season, which was at the beginning of January, was a 1-1 draw played in Sociedad.
PSV v AZ – 2p on ESPN Select: Sergino Dest started and Ricardo Pepi came off the bench again as PSV fell to NEC Nijmegen 3-2 in the KNVB Beker semi-finals. Pepi has come off the bench since returning from his broken arm though he did play an entire half last weekend in the team’s 3-1 win over Heracles Almelo.
Juventus v Pisa – 2:45p on Paramount+: Weston McKennie and Juventus drew 3-3 with Roma last weekend, missing out on an opportunity to gain ground in the race for a top four spot, with the result Juventus remain four points back of Roma. Juve are on a four match winless streak in Serie A and will be hosting 19th place Pisa who have just fifteen points through 27 matches this season.
Toulouse v Olympique Marseille – 3:05p on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie and Tim Weah will face off in France this weekend as McKenzie and eleventh place Toulouse host Weah and fourth place Marseille. Both players have started nearly every match for their teams this season, missing only a combined six matches. Weah and Marseille are coming off a 3-0 win over Lyon while Toulouse fell to Stade Rennais last weekend 1-0 and have lost three of their last four.
Sunday
St. Pauli v Eintracht Frankfurt – 10:30a on ESPN Select: James Sands and St. Pauli picked up a big win and three points last weekend to pull themselves out of the relegation zone in the Bundesliga. It was St. Pauli’s third win in four weeks and they will now host seventh place Eintracht Frankfurt who are coming off a 2-0 win over Freiburg.
Leeds United v Norwich City – 12:30p on ESPN Select: Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United will host Norwich City in FA Cup action on Sunday morning. Aaronson has cooled off a bit recently and Leeds are winless in their last four league matches. The team needed penalties to advance past Birmingham City in the fourth round of the FA Cup and will now play host to the Championship side who recently sent Josh Sargent to Toronto.
Queens Park Rangers v Middlesbrough – 12:30p on Paramount+: Aiden Morris and Middlesbrough will face Queens Park Rangers on Sunday afternoon. Middlesbrough currently sit in sixth place and hold a three point lead over Ipswich Town for promotion.
Olympique Lyon v Paris FC – 3:45p on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann and Lyon took an early lead over Marseille last weekend but couldn’t hold on as they fell 3-2 for their second straight loss. They now trail league leading PSG by twelve points and are just two points ahead of Marseille in the race for Champions League qualification. On Sunday they will host a Paris FC side that are in fifteenth place but looking to build on some momentum coming off a 1-0 win over Nice.
AC Milan v Inter Milan – 3:45p on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic and AC Milan picked up a 2-0 win over Cremonese last weekend with Pulisic getting his second straight start. However, the club remains in second place, and a full 10 points back of league leading Inter who they will host on Sunday. AC Milan almost certainly need an outright win if there will be any competition for the league title down the stretch.
