A look at what’s happening around the Europa League on Thursday:
ARSENAL VS. DUNDALK
Dundalk head coach Filippo Giovagnoli has likened his side's game against Arsenal to a heavyweight boxing mismatch. The Irish champions opened Group B with a 2-1 home loss to Molde and faces a much bigger test a week later in one of the biggest matches in their history. Giovagnoli used the fact that Mesut Ozil, Arsenal’s biggest earner, hasn’t even made the English team’s Europa League squad to highlight the difference between the clubs. “It is quite obvious there is a heavyweight boxer against a super-lightweight," he said, “so we will just have to try and make them run and uncomfortable a little bit.” Arsenal, which won 2-1 at Rapid Vienna last week, is likely to make several changes from the side that lost to Leicester in the Premier League on Sunday.
Tottenham's Gareth Bale warms up ahead of the English Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor stadium Burnley, England, Monday, Oct. 26, 2020. (Michael ReganPool via AP)
ANTWERP VS. TOTTENHAM
Both Antwerp and Tottenham won their opening games and their current form bode for an entertaining match. Spurs are on an 11-match unbeaten run while Antwerp, the Belgian league leader, won its five past matches in all competitions. With Tottenham among the favorites for the title and Jose Mourinho rated among the game's best tacticians, Antwerp coach Ivan Leko takes a relaxed approach to their match. “Jose Mourinho is one of the best coaches of the 20th century,” Leko told Antwerp newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. “It’s a small dream coming true. On the other hand, we have seen often enough in football that the best team does not always win." Gareth Bale is expected to start for a second straight game in the competition, after the 3-0 win over LASK last week, as he builds up his match sharpness.
AC MILAN VS. SPARTA PRAGUE
AC Milan comes into the match after giving up its perfect start to the Serie A season but is still unbeaten in 22 matches in all competition. Zlatan Ibrahimović scored twice in a 3-3 draw against Roma on Monday. That took his tally to seven goals in five matches this season and the 39-year-old is showing no ill effects after recovering from the coronavirus. Milan will again be without goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and winger Jens Petter Hauge after both players tested positive for COVID-19.
REAL SOCIEDAD VS. NAPOLI
Piotr Zieliński and Elif Elmas are back in the Napoli squad for the first time almost a month after the midfielders tested positive for the coronavirus, sparking controversy in Serie A. Napoli subsequently did not travel to Turin for its Oct. 4 match against Juventus and the league’s disciplinary commission handed it a 3-0 loss and also docked the team a point. Napoli lost its Europa League opener last week to Dutch team AZ Alkmaar, which overcame a slew of coronavirus cases to upset the Italian team 1-0. Real Sociedad will be boosted by the likely return of three forwards who had been nursing injuries: Adnan Januzaj, Martín Merquelanz and Ander Barrenetxea. The Spanish club is coming off four straight wins in all competitions.
GENT VS. HOFFENHEIM
The international break is still taking its toll on Hoffenheim two weeks later. The German side travels to Belgian runner-up Gent without three players who have been in quarantine since returning from their national teams. Croatia forward Andrej Kramaric and Ghana defender Kasim Adams tested positive for the coronavirus, while Czech Republic defender Pavel Kaderabek is in quarantine because of a family member’s result. Hoffenheim coach Sebastian Hoeneß said the club was in contact with local health authorities so the players “can return soon,” though he said he wouldn’t rush them back. Hoffenheim started the Europa League with a 2-0 win over Red Star Belgrade but was held to a draw 1-1 by struggling Werder Bremen at the weekend. Hoeneß’ team will be going for its first win outside Germany, while Gent has never defeated a Bundesliga side at home in four attempts.
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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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