Top Storylines in World Football This Weekend
Club football is back on the agenda in Europe following a week of international competition, and accompanying Saturday and Sunday’s matches is no shortage of fascinating storylines.
In England, a prospective title contender continues to be hit by the injury bug while a striker looks to extend an impressive start to the season.
There’s an intriguing city derby that will take place in Turkey, and a surprise leader of the Scottish Premiership will face a tough test in their 10th match of the campaign.
And a certain Argentine maestro is celebrating a rather momentous anniversary in Spain.
Following are these and several other narratives to track over the weekend.
10. Inter Milan Host Napoli in the 'Benitez Derby'
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Inter Milan and Napoli are two clubs currently heading in wildly different directions.
The Nerazzurri went into the international break on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Fiorentina and are presently 10th in Serie A after six rounds.
The Partenopei, meanwhile, are unbeaten in four and within a single point of the Italian top flight’s European places.
They also have an excellent recent record against Inter, and manager Rafael Benitez will no doubt be looking to put one over his former employers on Sunday at the San Siro.
9. Louis Van Gaal's Report Card Is Due
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Back in July, incoming Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal warned journalists and the club’s supporters to withhold judgment of his performance for at least three months.
“Every club where I have been, I’ve struggled for the first three months,” he told the Mirror. “After that [the players] know what I want—how I am as a human being and also a manager.”
Well, Louis, judgment day has arrived. And—surprise, surprise—it’s likely you’ll be right.
After stumbling out of the gate, United have turned the corner in recent matches, winning three of their last four and rising to fourth in the Premier League standings.
On Monday they’ll have a chance to consolidate their Champions League place when they travel to meet West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.
8. Valencia Look to Continue Red-Hot Start to 2014-15
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Few stories in club football this season have been as heartening as that of Valencia, who are suddenly and surprisingly among the form teams in La Liga.
New manager Nuno Espirito Santo has proved an inspirational figure at the Mestalla, and while prospective owner Peter Lim’s takeover of the club continues to hit roadblocks, it’s likely to reach the finish line soon (Inside Spanish Football recently looked into the ownership situation).
But it’s on the pitch where Los Che continue to impress.
Only Real Madrid and Barcelona have scored more goals than them so far this term, and only Barcelona have conceded fewer.
Valencia will visit last-placed Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday and should expect to keep pace with Primera Division leaders Barcelona, a side they trail by just two points.
7. Can Diego Costa Continue His Blistering Goalscoring Pace?
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Diego Costa found the back of the net against Burnley in his first Premier League match for Chelsea. A week later he scored against Leicester City, and seven days after that he bagged a brace against Everton.
It’s actually quicker to point out the matches in which the Spain international hasn’t scored for the Blues this term: Champions League encounters with Schalke and Sporting and a domestic showdown with Manchester City.
In total he has tallied nine times in seven Premier League outings and on Sunday scored his first goal for La Roja in a European qualification match away to Luxembourg.
He may be given a rest on Saturday at Crystal Palace, but if not, you can bet he’ll be extending his goalscoring streak.
6. Galatasaray Host Fenerbahce in Istanbul Derby
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Tensions rarely run as high as when Galatasaray and Fenerbahce square off in the Turkish Super Lig, and the players tend to mirror the emotions of the supporters on the pitch.
Five red cards have been presented in the last four encounters between these rivals.
On Saturday they’ll go head-to-head at Turk Telekom Arena with both—they’re level on 10 points—looking to haul in leaders Besiktas.
The home side generally prevails in these derbies, and Galatasaray were 1-0 winners in the corresponding fixture last season.
5. Arsenal’s Piling Injury List and Lack of Defensive Depth
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger named just five senior defenders to the squad he submitted to the Premier League last month, and at the club’s annual general meeting on Thursday, he admitted he should have signed another during the summer transfer period.
“I agree we could have bought one more player,” he responded when asked about his transfer policy at the AGM, according to The Guardian. “We will try in December to rectify that because we are a bit short with the injuries we have.”
Arsenal presently lead the Premier League injury table and on Thursday revealed they’d be without centre-back Laurent Koscielny on Saturday against Hull, as per the Daily Mail.
Add Calum Chambers’ suspension to the mix and the Gunners will be extremely short-staffed when the FA Cup runners-up pay a visit to Emirates Stadium.
4. Hamilton Hoping to Continue Impressive Start to Scottish Season
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Hamilton Academical were only promoted to the Scottish Premiership in the spring, but after nine rounds in the top flight, they find themselves top of the league with 20 points—one more than second-place Dundee United and six more than holders Celtic.
On Friday Accies will host Aberdeen at New Douglas Park, and while they haven’t beaten the Dons since 2010, they’ll no doubt be fancying their chances this time around.
Dougie Imrie, for one, believes they can go all the way and win the title.
"I’ve said all season that we will just take one game at a time and see where it takes us," the Hamilton striker told Sky Sports. "There is no reason why we can’t make a push for a title but we can’t get carried away."
3. Can Marseille Magic Continue Under Bielsa?
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Marseille have burst out of the gate to start the Ligue 1 season, winning seven of their first nine matches and opening up a five-point lead on second-place Bordeaux.
They’re also seven points clear of reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Manager Marcelo Bielsa has been central to the club’s sudden turnaround, and so far in 2014-15 few European clubs have played as compelling a brand of football as L’OM.
But Bielsa has already had a run-in with club president Vincent Labrune, and according to Goal, the 59-year-old’s tenure could be a short one.
“I signed a contract for two years with a termination clause after one year—valid for both parties,” he revealed last month, adding, “Football is random and the prestige of coaches and clubs determines the relationship.”
2. Will Sterling Be Tired When Liverpool Face Queens Park Rangers?
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Raheem Sterling didn’t start England’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Estonia, Sunday, after telling Three Lions manager Roy Hodgson that he was “tired,” as reported by the Mirror.
Now tensions between Liverpool—Sterling’s club side—and the England setup have been strained since the injury to Daniel Sturridge while on international duty, and on Monday Hodgson openly questioned Reds manager Brendan Rodgers’ assertion that some players require a two-day recovery period.
“I don’t think there’s medical evidence to support the two-day recovery,” he said, according to the BBC.
The two men have agreed to meet at Loftus Road this weekend, as per the Daily Mail, where Liverpool will be facing Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League.
How Sterling fares in the match will no doubt be a keen point of interest for both, and no doubt the relationship between Liverpool and England will be one to watch going forward.
1. Messi Celebrates a Decade at Barcelona
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It was on October 16, 2004 that Lionel Messi made his Primera Division debut for Barcelona.
Ten years on the Argentine maestro has scored 434 goals, won four Ballon d’Or awards and lifted the European Cup three times.
The 27-year-old will mark the occasion on Saturday against Eibar.
Bleacher Report has extensive coverage of Messi’s anniversary in the Catalan capital, including Guillem Balague’s look at his transition “from uncertainty to legend” and Rik Sharma’s examination of where he could be 10 years from now.
