PARIS – AFP Sport picks out some of the standout action in Europe this weekend:
- Napoli to test Pirlo’s Juve -
Juventus had Cristiano Ronaldo to thank when they drew at Roma last weekend and the Serie A champions face what looks like another major test when they entertain Napoli.
The sides have developed quite a rivalry in recent years, with Napoli finishing runners-up to Juve in three of the previous four campaigns prior to last season.
Napoli beat Juventus at home in their last Serie A meeting in January and lost a thriller 4-3 when they last went to Turin.
Gattuso’s side also started this side superbly, trouncing Genoa 6-0 last weekend to make it two wins from two.
That suggests they could make life difficult for Juve and their novice coach, Andrea Pirlo. However, it may hinge on Napoli avoiding a cluster of coronavirus cases after last week’s opponents Genoa revealed 15 positives and had their game against Torino on Saturday called off.
- Inter scoring for fun -
Inter is another side hoping to end the Juventus stranglehold this season and Antonio Conte’s team have enjoyed quite a start, scoring nine goals in two games in beating Fiorentina (4-3) and Benevento (5-2). Romelu Lukaku has three goals to his name already.
A 2-1 defeat at Lazio was a hammer blow to Inter’s hopes last season, but they may fancy their chances of revenge on Sunday with their hosts on the rebound from a 4-1 hammering by Atalanta. Goals should be expected at the Stadio Olimpico.
- Can Sevilla challenge Spain’s giants? -
At the institutional level, Barcelona may be in crisis but they remain a formidable team at home, even with no fans inside the Camp Nou. That was proven when they thumped Villarreal 4-0 last weekend in their first La Liga game under Ronald Koeman and their first since the Lionel Messi transfer saga.
Sevilla, last season’s Europa League winners, will hope to fare better and show they can close the gap to Spain’s giants. With neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid as strong as they once were, maybe this will be a rare year when someone else can pip them to the title?
- Can Hertha become a force in Germany? -
Last weekend Bayern was humbled 4-1 by Hoffenheim, ending a run of 23 straight wins. But the European champions have had a good few days since, beating Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup to claim their fifth trophy of 2020, before Robert Lewandowski won the UEFA men’s player of the year and coach Hansi Flick won the coach’s award.
The Hoffenheim debacle was surely a blip, but Hertha may provide Bayern with another stern examination. The club from the capital has spent more than 100 million euros on new signings in the last two transfer windows. They will want European qualification for such an outlay, although perhaps this game will simply remind them of how far they remain behind the best in Germany.
- ‘Olympico’ grudge match -
Former Marseille coach on the Lyon bench will definitely add spice to the Lyon v Marseille occasion. It is just a shame there won’t be a full house for it, and that neither side is likely to challenge Paris Saint-Germain’s supremacy over the course of a French season.
Marseille was runners-up last season and Andre Villas-Boas’ side is hoping to build on that this time, while Lyon is at a crossroads. – AFP, October 2, 2020
