
The Football Faithful
·22 Agustus 2025
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Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
·22 Agustus 2025
The fixtures you must watch this weekend, including blockbuster Premier League clashes and the return of Serie A and the Bundesliga.
Here are our five must-watch games.
Roma face Bologna in the most attractive fixture of Serie A’s opening weekend. The capital club are under new management in Gian Piero Gasperini, who will hope to continue Claudi Ranieri’s revival of Roma during last season’s run-in. The ex-Atalanta head coach is famed for his fluid attacking football and those inside the Stadio Olimpico will eager to watch his side in action for the first time.
Their opposition, Bologna, have exceeded all expectations in recent seasons. After Champions League qualification in 2023/24, the club ended a six-decade trophy drought to win the Coppa Italia last season.
Off-the-field drama has created the newest Premier League rivalry. There’s sure to be plenty of animosity in the air when Crystal Palace face Nottingham Forest, following the latter’s involvement in Palace’s demotion from the Europa League.
Palace were kicked out of the competition after being deemed to have broken multi-club ownership rules, with Forest taking their place as a result. The Eagles are, to put it mildly, unhappy with Forest’s involvement in their unsuccessful appeal against UEFA’s decision.
There’s a cracker to kick-off the Bundesliga on Friday night, as Bayern Munich begin their title defence against RB Leipzig. Bayern reclaimed their crown as Germany’s best last season and have strengthened this summer with the arrivals of Jonathan Tah and Luis Diaz, among others.
Leipzig are aiming to bounce back from their worst season since promotion in 2016, after a seventh-place finish saw the club miss out on Europe. That said, Die Roten Bullen remain packed with talent, including Lois Openda and Xavi Simons.
Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur headline Saturday’s action in the Premier League, with a lunchtime showdown at the Etihad. Both sides began brilliantly on opening weekend with convincing wins, ahead of this early-season encounter.
Spurs ran riot last season to win 4-0 in Manchester, in a result and performance that contradicted the North London side’s poor season. A repeat would bank some early credit for new head coach Thomas Frank – but it won’t be easy.
All eyes will be on St James’ Park on Monday night, as Newcastle host Liverpool. A classic Premier League contest has added spice, amid the backdrop of Alexander Isak’s desire to quit the home side for Anfield.
The Swedish striker is currently on strike as he looks to engineer an exit to the Premier League champions, who are sure to face a white-hot atmosphere in the North East.