10 Players to Watch in World Football This Weekend of Feb. 20-23
With the the return of European competition, a packed midweek of action in the world of football has been exciting and intriguing to watch, but the weekend will soon roll around once more, bringing with it domestic delirium and the focus of points.
We've done our usual perusal of matches around the globe to bring you 10 players of note to watch out for this coming weekend, as they bid to help their respective teams to vital victories to help achieve their aims for the season.
For great recent form, a particular match in which they could impact hugely or other notable reasons, these are the 10 players we've selected for the upcoming few days.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid
1 of 10
We don't usually put the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on our watch list, as they bear watching most weekends. Ronaldo has been on a huge and dramatic downward spiral since 2015 started, though, with suspensions, injury and poor form all taking their toll.
This weekend, however, we expect him to be right back in form. He played well last time out in La Liga and finally hit the back of the net in the Champions League. Against Elche this coming weekend, we're backing him to ramp it up a couple of notches, put in a fine all-round performance and score a couple of goals.
Elche will feel hard done by that his return to form happens to come against them, but having picked up two vital wins lately, a defeat to Real won't really harm them too much.
Fredy Guarin, Inter Milan
2 of 10
In Serie A, Inter Milan have finally clicked into some sort of positive gear and are looking up the table once more, with back-to-back wins sending them into the top half.
On Monday, they will be looking for another win, this time against relegation-zone side Cagliari. The drive and industry of Fredy Guarin in the centre of the pitch will be key to their play as they look to control the game and then push on to take their chances.
Guarin feeds the wide and front players well but also crucially makes up ground to add another body around the edge of the area. He can have another telling impact here.
Scott Sinclair, Aston Villa
3 of 10
Tim Sherwood will be in charge for his first official match with Aston Villa at the weekend, a big game at home to Stoke City as they try to escape the relegation zone.
While Carles Gil has already shown his capabilities on the ball, new loan signing Scott Sinclair could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Sherwood appointment. His pace, skill on the ball and, it must be said, Englishness are all likely to appeal to the new boss, who will look to shape the team his own way.
Stoke are not exactly in their best form of the season at present, and Sinclair has the individual ability and the need to prove himself to turn the match in Villa's favour.
Fabien Lemoine, ASSE
4 of 10
Over in Ligue 1, nobody seems to want to seize control of the title race—none of the top four have won in the past two gameweeks. On Sunday, fourth plays second as Saint-Etienne host Marseille.
This big match could be decided in midfield, with Marcelo Bielsa's side already notorious for their industry and work rate in the centre, but Saint-Etienne have Fabien Lemoine, a decent player on the ball with tremendous work rate and mobility, as well as aggression in winning it back.
It should prove to be a great contest, probably one with few goals, but it could tilt the title race in one direction or another.
Wayne Rooney, Manchester United
5 of 10
Manchester United are away to Swansea City at the weekend, an out-of-form Swansea side who already seem to have little to play for and are struggling badly to create scoring chances since Wilfried Bony's departure.
Wayne Rooney, whether in a central-midfield role or slightly more advanced, has the drive, technical capacity and consistency to dominate this game—and get himself further forward to take advantage of a defence that has been shoddy of late.
Expect Rooney to have a big say in a United victory and even get on the scoresheet again.
Memphis Depay, PSV
6 of 10
If we're looking for goalscoring action, the Eredivisie might be the best place for us to head this weekend in order to take in Memphis Depay's performance.
The top goalscorer in the league, Depay and his PSV team take on Dordrecht at home on Sunday. That's top versus bottom and best attack versus worst defence.
It could be a big scoreline, and Depay, along with team-mate Luuk de Jong, who is the second-highest scorer, will be looking at the match thinking he could add to his tally considerably over the 90 minutes.
Pablo Piatti, Valencia
7 of 10
Back to La Liga in Spain, where Valencia are set to take on bottom side Cordoba, who have lost four in a row and sit five points from safety. Los Che, by contrast, have fourth spot at present and have won four of their last five.
Pablo Piatti's return to fitness and form of has been a massive boost for Valencia, with the Argentinian winger looking in terrific shape at times in the 1-0 win over Getafe last time out. Piatti can cause no end of problems to the Cordoba back line, which, although not the worst in the top flight, is still far too open to cope with his pace and dribbling.
Don't be surprised to see him have a telling impact on the first goal of the game—at times hard to come by for Valencia despite their lofty position.
Kostas Mitroglou, Olympiacos
8 of 10
Premier League fans might remember Kostas Mitroglou for missing games and not really doing anything with Fulham as they were relegated from the Premier League last season. However, he is now back in his home country with Olympiacos and sitting top of the table and top of the scoring charts.
Olympiacos are six points clear and have the chance to pretty much sew up the Greek Super League title if they win on Sunday—but a defeat will put the title race back on, as they travel to their biggest rivals, second-placed Panathinaikos.
The home team are in slightly better recent form, but Mitroglou's goals could make all the difference.
Dayro Moreno, Tijuana
9 of 10
Over to Mexico now, where our pick for the weekend is Colombian striker Dayro Moreno, the Tijuana forward who has rediscovered his scoring touch and has four goals in six games in the Clausura.
Tijuana sit second in the early standings and will hope to keep the pressure on leaders Cruz Azul with a routine win this weekend, playing away to Universidad de Guadalajara.
Tijuana are the highest scorers in the league this term, and Moreno's movement and rocket finishes have been a big part of that. Keeping it going this weekend will lead to them believing they can challenge the likes of Club America for the title this time around.
Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool
10 of 10
We finish up back in the Premier League, where a huge game in the race for the top four takes place on Sunday when Southampton host Liverpool.
There are a number of players who could really impact this game in a big way, not least one or two of the Reds players who Liverpool signed from Saints this past summer. Philippe Coutinho, though, is revelling in his role in Liverpool's system, finding space, seeing plenty of the ball and creating opportunities.
If he's fit to start, he could be the one who continues Liverpool's resurgence, and three points at St Mary's would see them go to within a point of fourth-placed Southampton.
