5️⃣ spicy fixtures you must watch this weekend 🌶️ | OneFootball

It is time to check out the five fixtures across Europe that you cannot afford to miss this weekend.

PSV v Feyenoord

The Eredvisie title race may already be over even as the top two prepare to face off this weekend.

Defending champions Feyenoord have been unable to recreate the same magic this season despite turning away Tottenham's advances to keep hold of Arne Slot and currently sitting 10 points behind runaway leaders PSV.

They travel to Eindhoven this weekend perhaps harbouring some very faint hopes of reigniting an unlikely revival in their bid to defend the title for the firs time since the early 1960s and only the second time in their history.

Only victory will do if they are to achieve that (and even then it remains a long shot), while the home support will be desperate to cheer PSV on to a win that would all but wrap up a first championship of their own since 2018.

Spice rating: Mild 🌶️

Porto v Benfica

In Portugal, things are much closer at the top of the table.

Benfica currently lead the way by two points ahead of hated city rivals Sporting (who have a game in hand), with Porto lurking nine points off first place ahead of their meeting on home turf with the league leaders on Sunday.

They face Benfica after recently claiming the mightily impressive Champions League scalp of Arsenal and after Roger Schmidt's men were distracted by Thursday night's derby against Sporting in the Taça de Portugal (which they lost 2-1).

Although a victory for the home side may do little to aid their own ailing ambitions of reclaiming the title, it could throw things even further into chaos at the summit and send Sporting a big favour as the in-form Viktor Gyökeres aims to fire them to just a second title of the past two decades.

Spice rating: Medium 🌶️ 🌶️

Köln v Bayer Leverkusen

This weekend's Rhine derby comes with these sides perhaps further apart than at any other point in its history - with 44 points separating Xabi Alonso's table-toppers from their struggling regional rivals who are toiling in the relegation play-off position.

New coach Timo Schultz has at least stopped some of the rot in Köln, who have now lost just one of their last five, and can certainly pose problems for a side who, incredibly as the calendar moves into March, are still yet to taste defeat in any competition this season.

Although there is some debate, particularly among the sets of supporters, as to whether this fixture does constitute a true derby, there is no doubt that when it comes to the field of play, things often get fiery when these two face off.

Over the last 71 top-flight meeting between them, they have combined for 20 red cards (10 apiece) - with no other fixture managing more across the same span!

Spice rating: Hot 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

Napoli v Juventus

Napoli's disappointing defence of their title and Juventus' drop-off in form of recent weeks means that aren't too man major implications to this one.

But there is never any love lost when these sides meet regardless of current position. Juve are second in Serie A but are closer on points to Atalanta in fifth than they are to champions elect Inter in first.

The Partenopei's struggles this season mean two coaches have already lost their job and they are in serious danger of missing out on European competition altogether next year, let alone Champions League football.

However, the visit of Juventus (whose last trip to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona 13 months ago saw them thrashed 5-1) always stokes the fires in the shadow of Vesuvius and it promises to be another gripping occasion.

Spice rating: Fire 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

Manchester City v Manchester United

The highlight of the footballing calendar this weekend comes from Manchester, where City welcome United in derby action.

Pep Guardiola's side come into this clash clicking into gear, timing their run perfectly as they have done time after time in his tenure.

That was evidenced this past midweek as Erling Haaland's five-goal haul saw City beat Luton 6-1 in the FA Cup.

United squeezing past Nottingham Forest in the same competition was preceded by a disappointing defeat to Fulham which cost them considerable ground in the top four race.

Erik ten Hag has struggled massively for marquee results on the road during his time in charge. This would be the perfect time to put that right but once more, City will be heavily favoured as they look to extend their unbeaten run to 19 games.

Spice rating: Insane 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️