European League Preview: Manchester City, Liverpool Set For Etihad Stadium Cracker, Mbappe Poised For PSG Debut

Action returns in the top European leagues following the international break as a result of the FIFA World Cup qualification matches.

The stage is set for intriguing matches in England, Italy, Germany and France, the weekend preceding the commencement of the UEFA Champions League.

ENGLAND

Manchester City and Liverpool are involved in an early kick off at the Etihad Stadium, a cracking game which surely will set the tone for the rest of the weekend games in England.

Pep Guardiola has seen his team fail to convince in all departments this season after a record breaking summer expenditure.

Kyle Walker is available after serving a one-match suspension, while Raheem Sterling misses out due to a one-match ban.

Philippe Coutinho and new signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are available for Liverpool selection and it will be interesting to see just how the duo fit into Jurgen Klopp’s selection on game day. Whatever you doing on Saturday, you can’t afford to miss this cracker!

Champions Chelsea are guests of Leicester City at the King Power Stadium, in a game of little importance on paper at this stage of the season, but could go a long way in determining Chelsea’s fate in retaining the title at the end of the campaign.

Eden Hazard should make his return from an injury layoff after coming through the international games for Belgium, while Danny Drinkwater could bizarrely make his Chelsea debut against a team he departed a week ago. Considering Leicester City’s superb home form since February, this tie should be a close call.

League leaders Manchester United are away to Stoke City, in their bid to make it four successive wins and clean sheet this season. Bet365 Stadium hasn’t been the easiest ground for any visiting team, Arsenal the latest side to find out three-weeks-ago.

Jose Mourinho has often made his displeasure known about the international break in the past, and his Red Devils side should avoid complacency against the Potters, otherwise, the outcome could be stories that touch the hearts.

 

ITALY

The biggest game in the Italian Serie A this weekend takes place at the Stadio Olimpico between Lazio and AC Milan. The

The visiting Rossoneri have revamped the old guard and are looking a completely different team, more like what the Milan fans were accustomed to seeing in the past three decades.

Lazio surprisingly failed to win at home against newly promoted SPAL but redeemed themselves with an away win at Chievo.

This could be the first massive test for AC Milan’s expensively assembled squad, but we expect them to pass with flying colours.

 

GERMANY

Hamburg appears reborn this season and will be put to test against seventh-place RB Leipzig; last terms surprise package.

Hamburg struggled in the bottom end of the table for much of the past two campaigns, but have started brightly with successive wins this term, rising as high as third-place on the log. They should take advantage of their form and midweek European commitment for Leipzig when they clash on Friday night.

Hoffenheim are home to Bayern Munich on Saturday evening, a game of massive importance to both teams.

Bayern Munich with all their superiority must be wary of a deceptively good Hoffenheim team, who are aware a result improves their fourth-place.

We keep our fingers crossed as regards the outcome of the game, but we can expect goals at both ends.

 

FRANCE

Table topping Paris Saint-Germain are away to bottom side, Metz on Friday night, as French Ligue 1 action following a two-week international break.

The major attraction for the capital club and global audience should be the potential attacking partnership of the trio of Neymar, Edison Cavani, and Kylian Mbappe, in a game Mbappe expectedly should make his PSG bow.

Metz are clearly unfortunate to be the side that Unai Emery’s men take-on, and we should expect their four games losing streak to be extended by a number.

Champions Monaco are in a neck-neck battle with Nouveau Riche PSG for the title this season. Both teams are level on 12 points and 14 goals scored, second-place Monaco only trailing by an inferior goal difference.

Monaco are away at 17th-place Nice and should expectedly do the needful against the home team who lost at home to newly promoted Troyes.