5️⃣ spicy fixtures you must watch this weekend 🌶 | OneFootball

It is time once again to take a look at the most exciting non-Premier League fixtures from around the globe this weekend.

Top four tussles in the Bundesliga

It’s still only mid-October and we are still only nine games into the season, but it’s difficult not to look at the Bundesliga table without doing a double take.

Sitting proudly atop it are Union Berlin, with SC Freiburg just two points behind them in second place. That could all change this weekend, or the season could be about to get even stranger.

On Sunday afternoon Union host a Borussia Dortmund side who fought back to earn a draw against Bayern Munich last weekend, giving themselves a much-needed confidence boost in the process.

Bayern, meanwhile, welcome Freiburg to Munich in what is likely to be a stern test for both teams. Julian Nagelsmann’s side’s league performances may have been patchy so far this season, but their Champions League form has been imperious, and they will try to draw strength from that.

Many believe the Bavarian giants’ dominance has made the Bundesliga boring to watch in recent years but if the underdogs can pull off upsets in these two fixtures this weekend, it might be time for a reassessment of the German top-flight’s allure.

Spice rating: Medium 🌶 🌶

Derby day in Turin

They say “form is temporary and class is permanent” but Juventus have been stuck in a rut for longer than anyone could have predicted, and it might take something drastic if they’re to haul themselves out of it anytime soon.

If last season was underwhelming, the start to this one is verging on a crisis. Last weekend’s defeat to Milan leaves Massimiliano Allegri’s side 10 points adrift of leaders Napoli and pretty much out of the Scudetto race already, while a shock defeat at the hands of Maccabi Haifa in midweek leaves their Champions League knockout hopes in serious jeopardy.

Frankly it’s a surprise that Allegri is still in a job, and another defeat in the Derby della Mole on Saturday would likely make his position untenable.

Torino will perhaps fancy their chances having made a solid start to the season which sees them currently sitting slap-bang in the middle of the Serie A table.

But Allegri can take some comfort from the fact that Juventus haven’t lost in this fixture since April 2015, and that was Torino’s only derby win in their last 32 attempts.

If ever there was a time to address that record, this could be it.

Spice rating: Hot 🌶 🌶 🌶

Le Classique

For a fleeting moment a few weeks ago, it seemed all was unusually calm at Paris Saint-Germain.

Christophe Galtier had got his new team playing some great football, Kylian Mbappé had committed his future to the club, and Neymar and Lionel Messi were in the best form since their respective moves to Paris.

But if recent rumours about Messi’s possible departure at the end of the season were unsettling, this week’s bombshell about Mbappé reportedly also wanting out have been a grenade in the piranha tank.

It makes you wonder whether Les Parisiens will ever truly have everyone pulling in the same direction, especially when dominating French football doesn’t appear to be satisfying enough for the players or the owners.

Perhaps this weekend’s clash with fierce rivals Marseille will be a timely distraction from off-field matters and a timely reminder how much domestic football means to French fans.

OM had made an unbeaten start to the season before suffering a shock defeat at the hands of newly promoted Ajaccio last weekend, although victory over Sporting in the Champions League on Wednesday suggested their hangover didn’t linger long.

They don’t call this fixture Le Classique for nothing, and it’s always a guarantee of spiciness. Have a glass of water on standby.

Spice rating: Fire 🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶

El Clásico

Whatever you’ve got planned for Sunday, cancel it, because the daddy of European club clashes is coming our way live from the Bernabéu, and you’d be crazy to miss it.

Barcelona must put the frustration of Wednesday’s 3-3 draw with Inter which leaves them on the brink of Champions League elimination behind quickly if they’re to emerge with another victory from the Clásico.

The Blaugrana have made a great start to the LaLiga season with Robert Lewandowski delivering the goals and Marc-André ter Stegen conceding just once in nine matches at the other end, but they were torn apart by Inter and will be desperately hoping Jules Koundé is fit enough to return on Sunday.

Reigning Spanish and European champions Madrid, meanwhile, haven’t been firing on all cylinders recently, but their results have remained impressively consistent, and they will be out for revenge this weekend after losing 4-0 in that astonishing game when these two sides last met in March.

Los Blancos are sweating on the fitness of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and the Belgian’s absence would certainly make things interesting, but this match will be a firecracker encounter of the highest quality whoever plays.

El Clásico is football’s answer to the Super Bowl and with Barça featuring Drake’s OVO logo on their special one-off jerseys for this match, we might even be treated to a half-time show as well.

Spice rating: Insane 🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶