The fact that there will be no round of the Champions League this week has resulted in the fact that all the main games in Europe will take place on Sunday.
Huge games await us today in three of the five top leagues, which may not necessarily affect the identity of the champion at the end of the season, but will certainly provide us with tension, drama and a lot of interest on the eve of the holiday.
Real Madrid - Barcelona (17:15, channel ONE)
A look at the top of the table in Spain does not tell the whole story, before the first El Clasico of the season.
Barcelona leads with 22 points and an amazing goal difference, 1:20.
Real, the champion, with the same number of points, but their goal difference (7:19) places them in second place.
True, nothing will be decided in the Clasico from round 9, but at least for Barcelona, a loss at the Bernabeu will be no less than a catastrophe.
This is of course related to what happened on Wednesday at the Camp Nou, the 3:3 against Inter, which effectively eliminated Barca's chances of qualifying for the Champions League round of 16.
Barcelona bought players this summer for 150 million euros, mortgaging their future on the assumption that they will go far in the Champions League.
It won't happen anymore.
And if there is also a loss in the Clasico against Real, it will be impossible not to talk about a crisis.
Sporty and economical.
The pressure on Xavi is huge.
Even if he is not the only one to blame, the responsibility is mainly his.
Especially the sloppiness in defense.
Courtois.
Real will be missed, photo: Getty Images
Real comes from the second past after Antonio Rudiger's heroic equalizer in the 95th minute against Shakhtar Donetsk, which once again proved the character of the Blancos.
The one who will be absent is the goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, when the Ukrainian Andrey Lunin will be replaced, in his fifth league game, but this will be the first El Clasico, in his third season at Real.
Liverpool - Manchester City (18:30, Sport 1)
For over five years now, the biggest rivalry in England has been between Liverpool and Manchester City, between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.
In the last five seasons, City have won four championships while Liverpool have won one - but also the Champions Cup, which Pep's side are still looking for.
If City continues to run strong at the top (a point less than the great Arsenal), then Liverpool is having a shocking start to the season.
Klopp's team is in 11th place in the table, 13 points away from City, after winning only twice in the first 8 league games!
Before the match, Klopp said that Liverpool had no chance of winning the championship, but Pep really did not agree with him: "Liverpool has always been our biggest rival, and always will be," he said and mentioned that Liverpool beat City in the last two meetings, in the semi-finals of the Cup last season and in the game on the Community Shield at the end of July.
Salah and Firmino against Cancelo.
The Egyptian is in the league with only 2 goals, photo: Reuters
Since the loss in the Community Shield, City is undefeated in 13 games, and in its attack plays the "alien" Erling Holland, who opened his way with 15 goals in 9 league games and 20 goals in 12 games in all formats.
Klopp openly criticized the state of world football when he said: "Nobody can compete with City. They are already the best team in the world, and then they bring in the best striker in the world. No matter how much it costs them, they do it. There are three teams that can do what they want Financially, and we don't."
Klopp was referring to the three teams that are owned by states: City owned by Abu Dhabi, PSG owned by Qatar and Newcastle recently purchased by Saudi Arabia.
Liverpool, who have not lost in the league at Anfield for a year and a half, can be encouraged by the ability to beat Rangers 6:1 in the Champions League, when Mohamed Salah scored the fastest hat-trick in the history of the club.
In the league he has only 2 goals.
PSG - Marseille (21:45, Sport 5)
In Paris, in the last few days, almost nothing was talked about except for Kylian Mbappe and the rumors and reports that he wants to leave, and as soon as possible.
This is the last thing that PSG needed before the biggest game of the French league, "La Clasique", the prestigious meeting against the sworn rival from the south, Marseille.
Coach Christophe Galtier was very angry at the press conference yesterday, and attacked the media.
"Everything I say - you don't believe me, because you write and say the exact opposite. I'm not here to comment on rumors. Before the match against Benfica, a rumor was spread about Mbappe. He gave the best answer when he was chosen as the outstanding player."
Mbappe will be in the lineup tonight alongside Neymar and Leo Messi, who was absent from the last two games due to a minor injury.
As has been customary in recent years and due to the fear of violence, Marseille fans will not be allowed to enter Parc de France.
Messi,
As far as the balance of power is concerned, in the last 25 meetings, PSG won 20 times.
Marseille with only one victory in the last 11 years.
After the surprising home loss to Ajax a week ago, which dropped them to third place, Marseille made a huge comeback on Wednesday when they beat Sporting Lisbon 2-0 away in the Champions League.
We must not forget: PSG's next home game will be in nine days against Maccabi Haifa.
Spicy point:
the game will bring together Neymar and Alexis Sanchez, who collaborated in Barcelona in the 2013/14 season.
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