Battle for Champions League Spots Intensifies
By Tanko Bauka
As major leagues across the world continue to wind down for the season, many club sides are still neck deep, battling for a place in next year’s UEFA Champions League, one of the most prestigious and glamorous football competitions.
In the English Barclays Premier League and the German Bundesliga, Liverpool FC and Bayern Munich have already been crowned Champions while in the Spanish LA Liga, FC Barcelona have already dethroned Real Madrid as they would be crowned winner of the Spanish LA Liga with three matches remaining and the Catalan seven points ahead of Real Madrid in second position.
The battle in the Italian Serie A is very interesting as only one point separates the first Napoli and second Inter Milan with two matches to go in the Italian Serie A.
Napoli and Inter Milan have been interchanging top positions in the league table, and from all indications, the battle for the crown will go down to the wire on the last day.
For clarity, UEFA has allocated five slots for the English Barclays Premier League clubs in appreciation of their impressive performance in the competition.
In this regard, the battle for the top five in the English Barclays Premier League is between Arsenal, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, and this weekend, Arsenal, on 68 points, hosts Newcastle United at 66 points at the Emirate stadium and could overtake Arsenal to the second position with a win.
Manchester City, on 65 points, will be in action this weekend in the final of the FA Cup against Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium, and their encounter against AFC Bournemouth has been rescheduled to take place on Tuesday, with Crystal Palace welcoming Wolves to the Selhurst Park in London.
Chelsea, on 63 points, welcome Manchester United to the Stamford Bridge stadium in London, and anything other than the three points at stake will have a severe consequence.
Aston Villa, also on 63 points, do battle with Tottenham Hotspur as Nottingham Forest with 63, same as Chelsea and Aston Villa travel to London to take on West Ham.
In other encounters this weekend, Everton will engage relegated Southampton as Brentford tackle Fulham with Leicester City welcoming Ipswich Town to play for pride as both teams have already been sent back to the championship while Brighton and Albion take on the league Champion, Liverpool FC.
In the Spanish LA Liga, the fight is between Atletico Madrid at 70 points, Athletic Bilbao at 64 points, Villarreal at 64 points and Real Betis at 58 points with three matches to go, and this weekend, Atletico Madrid welcome Real Betis while Valencia host Athletic Bilbao.
Villarreal has a tricky encounter to navigate through as they travel to take on FC Barcelona they need nothing but the three points to be crowned Champion while Real Madrid lock horns with Sevilla knowing fully that a win or loss, their arch-rival FC Barcelona with seven points advantage will do the double having won the Copa del Rey trophy earlier.
Celta Vigo host Rayo Vallacano as Mallorca welcome Getafe with Real Sociedad taking on Girona while relegated Real Valladolid battle Deportivo Alaves.
In the Italian Serie A, the battle is getting interesting as Napoli and Inter Milan by their position, first and second have automatically qualified for the tournament next season but the remaining two slots are between Atalanta 71 points, Juventus 64 points, Lazio 64 points, AS Roma 63, Bologna 62 and AC Milan on 60 points with only two matches to go for the season.
Patrick Viera’s Genoa ambush Ademola Lookman’s Atalanta as Bologna travel to battle Fiorentina.
Hellas Verona engage impressive Cesc Fabregas’ Como while Inter Milan welcome Lazio.
Juventus and Udinese meet in the capital while Parma host Napoli with AS Roma welcoming AC Milan.
Another interesting battle for the two remaining slots is unfolding in the German Bundesliga as Bayern Munich, and Bayer Leverkusen have both been guaranteed a place in the Champions League, so the battle is between Eintracht Frankfurt at 57 points, SC Freiburg at 55 points, Borussia Dortmund at 54 points with only a match to go.
This weekend SC Freiburg host Eintracht Frankfurt with both teams eyeing the three points while Borussia Dortmund engage relegated Holstein Kiel with Hoffenheim battling the Champions Bayern Munich as second-placed Bayer Leverkusen travel to take on Mainz 05 in what is seen as Xabi Alonso’s last match for the Bayer Leverkusen as information has it that he is to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid who is take over as Brazil national team Coach.
Heidenheim entertain Werder Bremen while RB Leipzig welcome Stuttgart with Borussia Monchengladbach hosting Wolfsburg.
Fixtures across Europe
English Barclay Premier League
Friday
Aston Villa vs Tottenham
Chelsea vs Manchester United
Saturday
FA Cup final
Crystal Palace vs Manchester City
Sunday
Everton vs Southampton
West Ham vs Nothingham Forest
Brentford vs Fulham
Leicester vs Ipswich Town
Arsenal vs Newcastle
Monday
Brighton and Albion vs Liverpool
Tuesday
Manchester City vs Bournemouth
Crystal Palace vs Wolves
Spanish LA Liga
Sunday
Atletico Madrid vs Real Betis
FC Barcelona vs Villarreal
Celta Vigo vs Rayo Vallacano
Valencia vs Athletic Bilbao
Mallorca vs Gatafe
Real Sociedad vs Girona
Sevilla vs Real Madrid
Real Valladolid vs Deportivo
Las Palmas vs Laganes
Osasuna vs Espanyol
Italian Serie A
Saturday
Genoa vs Atalanta
Saturday
Cagliari vs Venezia
Fiorentina vs Bologna
Hellas Verona vs Como
Inter Milan vs Lazio
Juventus vs Udinese
Lacce vs Torino
AC Monza vs Empoli
Parma vs Napoli
AS Roma vs AC Milan
German Bundesliga
Saturday
Mainz 05 vs Leverkusen
RB Leipzig vs Stuttgart
Hoffenheim vs Bayern Munich
SC Freiburg vs Frankfurt
Heidenheim vs Werder Bremen
Monchenglabach vs Wolfsburg
FC Augsburg vs Union Berlin
FC St Pauli vs VFL Bochum
Dortmund vs Holstein Kiel
