Every Friday I will pick the weekend’s best or most exciting games that are not to be missed in the world of football. From derbies to top-of-the-table clashes, relegation six-pointers to world-class players facing each other or other captivating tactical battles, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

This week, it is indeed all about top (or near top) of the table clashes, so let’s get right into it!

– Barcelona woe, Arsenal No. 1: Champions League reranked after MD5
– Are Chelsea title contenders? Arsenal clash will give us an answer
– Who joins Kane among the Bundesliga’s most electric attackers?

Ligue 1Matchday 14
Kickoff: Saturday, 11 a.m. ET / 4 p.m. GMT

It’s a match between eighth and first place in France. Not that long ago, Monaco were much closer to Paris than the 10 points currently separating them from the Ligue 1 leaders. Still, their form has not been great since the arrival of Sebastien Pocognoli on the bench (two wins in six in the league).

The return of Paul Pogba and the good form of Folarin Balogun (four goals in his past six games in all competitions) are the only good news for the club from the Principality. Their captain, Denis Zakariais also suspended for Saturday’s big clash. The momentum is totally different for the Parisians.

Ousmane Dembélé came back from injury in their victory against Tottenham Hotspur in the Karabagh. Typical conte!

Like he did last season when they won the Serie A title, McTominay is the X factor of this team. If he doesn’t have a good day, then usually Napoli don’t either! It will be interesting to see if Only Noah and David Neres get another start as wingers for the third game in a row.

MY PREDICTION: 0-0. No cliché here, just two excellent tactical managers who will cancel each other. Serie A is also the league with the most scoreless contests this season.

London derby between in-form teams
Chelsea vs. Arsenal

Premier LeagueMatchday 13
Kickoff: Sunday,11:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. GMT

It’s second against first in England. Enzo Maresca vs. Mikel Arteta. Moisés Caicedo vs. Declan Rice.

Two very in-form teams: nine wins in their past 11 games in all competitions for the Blues and 12 wins in their past 13 matches in all competitions for the Gunners! As frequently enough, the team winning the midfield battle will surely win this game. While Enzo Fernandez,##High-stakes game in Germany’s second division
Schalke 04 vs. Paderborn

2.BundesligaMatchday 14
Kickoff: Friday,12:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. GMT
Stream LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S.

It’s first against second in Germany’s second division.The Veltins-Arena will be packed with 62,000 fans for this huge clash.There is just a point between the top two in the 2. Bundesliga, and what makes this game even more interesting is that neither team is in great form! Last weekend, Paderborn lost at home to Hannover (0-2) while Schalke could not beat Prussia Münster (0-0) despite playing 35 minutes with an extra player.

Nevertheless, they are the two best teams this season. It is Paderborn’s sixth season in the second tier since their relegation in 2020, and another promotion would be huge for them. Striker Philip Bilbia has almost equalled his goals tally from last season (nine in 33 games) after j

Union Saint-Gilloise vs. Eupen: A Clash of champions and Rising Stars

This weekend sees a fascinating contrast in Belgian Pro League football as champions Union Saint-Gilloise host Eupen.While Union are firmly established as the team to beat, Eupen are quietly building a squad capable of causing upsets.

Eupen have enjoyed a strong start to the season,largely thanks to the emergence of exciting young talents. Nilson Angulo is a star in the making, while 18-year-old striker Mihajlo Cvetkovic is also making a name for himself.

However, Union are the champions and the most experienced and best team in the league by far. They will approach this game on the back of a great win away at Galatasaray in midweek in the Champions League,thanks to Promise David‘s goal.David (six league goals) and his teammates Kevin Rodriguez and Raul Florucz (both with seven) are scoring consistently, while the defense formed around Kevin McAllister — brother of Alexis and Argentina international — is very solid.

MY PREDICTION: Union St.-Gill