7 Things to Look out for in European Football This Weekend

Another weekend, another exciting slate of European football awaits.

We've got pertinent Premier League questions to ask, two derbies to look forward to and a French homecoming that's occurring a little sooner than either side will have been keen on.

Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Angelo Ogbonna all feature in our "what to watch" guide.

Can Manchester City Build on Great Derby Performance?

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Manchester City have been a little up and down this season, losing to Cardiff City and drawing at Stoke, smashing Manchester United in the derby and besting Newcastle United with ease.

Would the real Man City please stand up?

Manuel Pellegrini wants consistency—he will preach that to his players. With a trip to Villa Park on the horizon, the least he will expect is a win.

Aston Villa have been woeful at home this season, and should the Citizens slip up here, much of the good work in the last week will be called into question once again.

Can Liverpool Stem the Sunderland Resurgence?

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Sunderland will be happy campers as they jog on to the pitch at the Stadium of Light this weekend, despite representing a managerless, 20th-placed entity in the Premier League.

Paolo Di Canio has been fired after what The Express labelled a "revolt," and Kevin Ball will lead a refreshed, unchained Black Cats side out to face Liverpool.

Brendan Rodgers' men haven't won in three and failed to score in their last two, but they looked strong against Manchester United on Wednesday, thanks to the return of Luis Suarez.

The home side will be resurgent and positive, and Liverpool must combat this. How will they cope, can they do it without Philippe Coutinho and will Suarez look less rusty?

Tottenham Hotspur: Contenders or Pretenders?

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Tottenham Hotspur have looked a little Jose Mourinho of late, squeezing out results with 1-0 scorelines and conceding just a single goal in eight competitive games.

They face the man himself on Saturday as Chelsea visit White Hart Lane in a game that could go a long way to confirming whether Spurs are contenders or pretenders.

Many have them in the books for a top-four finish, some have them challenging higher up. Whatever your opinion, the Blues represent the perfect litmus test.

The Turin Derby

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The Turin Derby—or "Derby della Mole"—is played out between Juventus and Torino.

This season's first instalment takes place at the Stadio Olimpico this weekend, and extra spice is added due to the fact that the Old Lady stole one of Il Toro's brightest players this summer—Angelo Ogbonna.

The centre-back has only played a bit-part role so far, and it's unclear whether he'll start, but the very fact he has "defected" adds something extra to an already tense affair.

The Madrid Derby

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What could top the Turin Derby? Why, the Madrid derby, of course!

Atletico Madrid have, thus far, kept pace with Barcelona at the top of La Liga and won every single game they've played.

They lost narrowly to los Blaugrana in the Supercopa de Espana at the start of the season, too, and Real Madrid provide another superb early-season test.

Carlo Ancelotti's troops have struggled to see off lesser sides convincingly so far, let alone tussle with the best, but will that change as they host their city neighbours?

Clement Chantome's Immediate Return

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Clement Chantome faces an immediate return to face Paris Saint-Germain this weekend—the club he left this summer to sign for Toulouse on loan.

Martin Braithwaite's in-form side will travel to the Parc des Princes in hope of causing another upset.

They have already held Monaco and Marseille and two weeks ago beat Saint-Etienne, making them a genuine banana skin for les Parisiens to avoid.

Is there another slip-up on the horizon for Laurent Blanc's troops?

Can Gladbach Win a Game Away from Home?

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Borussia Monchengladbach's results are becoming quite predictable.

They've won all three home games but lost all three away games, with fantastic performances against the likes of Werder Bremen (4-1) overshadowed by disappointing losses to the likes of Hoffenheim (2-1).

The Foals visit Augsburg on Friday night to open the Bundesliga action, and Lucien Favre will believe this is a fixture ripe for bucking a trend.

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