5️⃣ spicy fixtures you must watch this weekend 🌶 | OneFootball

Away from the Premier League action this weekend, there are some tasty fixtures across Europe you have to tune in to catch.

Barcelona v Sevilla

First up, we’re in Spain where league leaders Barcelona aim to stay on course to reclaim the title when they welcome Sevilla to town.

They hold a five-point lead over champions Real Madrid at the halfway stage and are out to start the second part of the season by continuing the form that has got them this far.

Perennial Europa League contenders Sevilla are not the side of recent seasons and are languishing just two points above the relegation zone.

They need to get things going, and quickly, but haven’t been helped by following up an uncharacteristically underwhelming summer transfer window with more of the same in January.

Current Barça boss Xavi was a player the last time Sevilla won in the Catalan capital, last doing so in December 2002.

But Sevilla must start putting breathing room between themselves and the bottom three, while the leaders have similar concerns about Real behind them, setting this one up nicely.

Spice rating: Mild 🌶

Tottenham Women v Chelsea Women

In the Women’s Super League, things are getting interesting at the top.

New leaders Manchester United look like serious title contenders but face a tough test against Everton this weekend, potentially opening the door for champions Chelsea to regain control of first place.

They have their own difficult obstacle to doing that as they travel to take on Tottenham and the narrative is strong for this one.

It is a game that sees Emma Hayes’ side reunited with Bethany England, who they sold to Spurs for a WSL record fee last month, and she will be out to justify that big faith placed in her by taking down her old colleagues.

Revenge will also be on Tottenham’s mind after they lost to Chelsea in the League Cup last week but they did follow that up with a 5-0 FA Cup win against London City Lionesses in a game in which England and fellow new arrival Mana Iwabuchi netted.

They have the firepower to hurt the Blues but can they harness it?

Spice rating: Medium 🌶 🌶

Wolfsburg v Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich are vulnerable this season and their vice-like grip on German football appears to be loosening. If only just a little.

They have played three games in the Bundesliga since returning from the winter break and are yet to win, drawing each of them 1-1.

However, they did send out a warning that they may be rediscovering their mojo after ruthlessly putting four past Mainz without reply in midweek in the DFB Pokal.

The addition of João Cancelo is an exciting one and adds a new dimension not only to Bayern’s defensive set-up but also to their attack and his versatility was already on show on his debut.

But Wolfsburg will pose problems and have already registered impressive 6-0 and 5-0 wins in the league following their return.

And with just five points separating the reigning champions at the top from Eintracht Frankfurt in sixth, their margin for error is decreasing with each passing week.

Spice rating: Hot 🌶 🌶 🌶

Feyenoord v PSV

In the Netherlands, there is also an interesting title race taking place and a huge clash takes place this weekend in the battle for Ajax’s crown.

A six-game winless run for the champions saw Alfred Schreuder dismissed, with John Heitinga taking over until the end of the season at least and he arrives without too much damage being done as they sit in fourth, five points off Feyenoord at the top.

That means they will need PSV to do them (and AZ Alkmaar in second) a favour this weekend as they make the trip to Rotterdam, aiming to cut into the four-point gap that separates themselves from the summit.

But Feyenoord have lost just once all season and it could prove to be a pivotal weekend if they can see off Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side as they chase what could be only their second league title since the turn of the millennium.

PSV were weakened massively by losing some key attacking players during the winter window but they are the only side to have beaten Feyenoord this season domestically, winning a classic 4-3 in Eindhoven. More of the same, please.

Spice rating: Fire 🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶

Inter v Milan

Sunday night will see the eyes of the Italian football world fixed firmly on San Siro as Inter and Milan face off in Serie A for the 178th time.

They come into this one on drastically different runs of form, with Milan entering it after conceding the most goals in their history for a single calendar month in January.

Two were shipped against Lecce but much more worryingly, they were thrashed 4-0 by Lazio and 5-2 at home to Sassuolo last weekend.

In the midst of all that too, this weekend’s opponents swatted them aside with ease in Riyadh to claim the Supercoppa Italiana with a 3-0 win.

The champions are really feeling the heat, none more so from their own fans, who warned them after the humiliation against Sassuolo that ‘we want 11 lions in the derby’.

And yet for all of the crisis talk, the Rossoneri could leapfrog their rivals with a win and shift the pressure back onto Simone Inzaghi and co.

Regardless of the result, the ramifications will be felt from this one.

Spice rating: Insane 🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶