A look at what’s happening around European soccer on Sunday:
ENGLAND
Gareth Bale could make his first Premier League appearance in seven years in Tottenham’s home game against in-form West Ham in the Premier League. Bale, on loan at his former club from Real Madrid, has been in full training with Spurs during the international break and could make up an exciting-looking forward line with Son Heung-min and Harry Kane. Leicester hosts Aston Villa in a match between teams who have started the season strongly, while both Sheffield United and Fulham go looking for a first point of the season when they meet at Bramall Lane. Also, Brighton travels to fierce rival Crystal Palace.
ITALY
High-flying Sassuolo will hope to maintain its unbeaten start to the season at Bologna. Sassuolo is one of three unbeaten teams in Serie A and can move into a surprise second spot, two points below early leader AC Milan, with a win. It has won two of its three opening matches, scoring nine goals and conceding three. At the other end of the table, Udinese and Torino are still looking for their first points and they host Parma and Cagliari respectively. Also, Roma welcomes Benevento and Fiorentina visits Spezia.
SPAIN
Unai Emery’s Villarreal hosts Valencia in a regional derby featuring several old Valencia players who now wear bright yellow. Emery coached Valencia for four seasons before holding jobs at Paris Saint-Germain, Sevilla, and Arsenal prior to his return to Spain this season. Villarreal signed long-time Valencia team leader Dani Parejo this summer, along with Valencia midfielder Francis Coquelin. Villarreal striker Paco Alcácer also came up through Valencia’s youth squads. Valencia is mired in a club crisis after selling several of its top players and not replacing them. Elsewhere, Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis hosts Real Sociedad with both teams looking to continue their promising starts to the season. Athletic Bilbao hosts Levante in need of a win after losing three of four games so far. Elche is at Alavés with both on the edge of the relegation zone, and last-place Valladolid seeks its first victory at Huesca.
GERMANY
Schalke bids to end a club record 19-game run without a win and climb off the bottom of the Bundesliga with a victory over Union Berlin. The Gelsenkirchen-based club fired David Wagner and hired Manuel Baum as coach in his place but Baum’s first game ended in a 4-0 defeat at Leipzig. The international break came at the right time to take stock, but Union is a tough side and will present a stern challenge. “Defensively they are one of the nastiest teams in the league,” Baum said of his first home game in charge. “They’ll probably come with a back five, but they’re very flexible. And of course they’re very good at set plays, and when they close from the wings.” Union defeated Mainz 4-0 for its biggest Bundesliga win before the break. But Urs Fischer’s side is just concentrating on avoiding relegation in its second season in the top flight. Like Schalke, Cologne has also lost its first three games of the season and is aiming for its first points against visiting Eintracht Frankfurt.
FRANCE
Lille and surprise frontrunner Lens contest first place when the northern sides meet in their local derby. A win for either will move it above Paris Saint-Germain at the top. Lille is the only side still unbeaten in the French league along with Rennes, while promoted Lens has lost only once and beat PSG early in the season. Elsewhere, Montpellier travels to play Monaco after 10 of its 12 positive COVD-19 tests among staff and players turned out to be negative following a retest on Friday. Also, Memphis Depay gets back to the business of helping Lyon climb back up the table after the Dutch striker's dream move to Spanish giant Barcelona fell through. Struggling Strasbourg hosts a Lyon side which reached the Champions League semifinals last season, but is languishing in 14th place after winning one and drawing four of its opening six matches.
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A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Saturday:
GERMANY
Bayern Munich can seal a record 10th consecutive Bundesliga title in style with three games remaining with a victory at home over second-placed Borussia Dortmund. Bayern is hoping to continue its strong record against Dortmund after winning their last seven encounters. In Europe’s top five leagues, Bayern is tied for the record of nine consecutive titles with Juventus, which won Serie A every season from 2012 to 2020. For Dortmund, Erling Haaland ended a goal drought by scoring twice against Wolfsburg last week amid speculation over his future. Elsewhere, Leipzig hosts Union Berlin for the second time this week after winning their German Cup semifinal, and Champions League-chasing Freiburg hosts Borussia Mönchengladbach. Bayer Leverkusen visits last-placed Greuther Fürth, Eintracht Frankfurt takes on Hoffenheim, and Cologne plays Arminia Bielefeld.
PSG's Kylian Mbappe, center right, celebrates his goal with teammates during the League One soccer match between Angers and Paris Saint Germain, at the Raymond-Kopa stadium in Angers, western France, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (AP PhotoJeremias Gonzalez)
FRANCE
Paris Saint-Germain is just one point away from sealing a record-equaling 10th league title. With five matches left to play this season, Mauricio Pochettino’s players have the opportunity to wrap up their dominant campaign in front of their home fans against Lens at the Parc des Princes. PSG has a 15-point lead over Marseille and can be crowned even if it loses against Lens on the condition that Marseille does not beat Reims on Sunday. PSG is set to move level with Saint-Etienne, which won its 10th title in 1981 and is fighting to stay up this season. Only two of PSG's previous titles — in 1986 and 1994 — were conquered before Qatar Sports Investments took over PSG in 2011 with the aim of turning it into a world-class club. Also, Saint-Etienne hosts in-form Monaco and Montpellier travels to Lyon.
ENGLAND
Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola gestures during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (AP PhotoDave Thompson)
Manchester City can move four points clear of second-placed Liverpool in the back-and-forth Premier League title race with a home win over relegation-threatened Watford. A victory for City would put pressure on Liverpool ahead of its Merseyside derby against Everton on Sunday. More intrigue this weekend might lie in the race for Champions League qualification, with two candidates meeting at Emirates Stadium when fifth-placed Arsenal hosts sixth-placed Manchester United. Arsenal is tied on points with fourth-placed Tottenham, with United three points back. Tottenham visits Brentford in a match between Christian Eriksen's past and present clubs. Last-placed Norwich is eight points from safety heading into a home match against Newcastle, and Leicester hosts Aston Villa in the other game.
SPAIN
Real Betis and Valencia play the final of Spain’s Copa del Rey in Betis’ hometown of Seville. The match will be at Estadio La Cartuja, a neutral ground where Spain’s national team played its group phase matches for last year’s European Championship. Valencia will be seeking its ninth Copa del Rey after winning No. 8 in 2019. Betis’ second and last cup title came back in 2005. The winner will also earn a Europa League berth.
ITALY
Inter Milan forward Edin Džeko could bring up a century of Serie A goals by scoring twice against his former club as the defending champion hosts Roma. Džeko has a total of 98 goals in the Italian league — 13 for Inter this season and the rest in five years at Roma. A win would send Inter to the top of Serie A, with current leader AC Milan playing at Lazio on Sunday. Inter will also be buoyed after beating Milan 3-0 midweek to reach the Italian Cup final. A win could reignite Roma’s challenge for a Champions League berth. Atalanta has seen its hopes of a top-four finish evaporate following a run of three straight defeats and it visits relegation-threatened Venezia. Two other sides battling the drop, Sampdoria and Spezia, travel to Hellas Verona and Torino respectively.
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