Gattuso revival faces examination

Attacking force. French international Dimitri Payet has been a creative influence for Marseille since his return. AFP PHOTO

Sevilla 1 Barcelona 2

Primera Liga teams are running out of games to end Barca’s unbeaten record. Vincenzo Montella’s Sevilla are among a handful of sides capable of giving La Blaugrana serious food for thought. All the same, I expect Barcelona to maintain their eleven point cushion.

Las Palmas 1 Real Madrid 2

Relegation-threatened Las Palmas surprisingly held Barca’s to a one-all tie. I therefore think they will give Real a good run for their money. Nevertheless, without any Champions League distraction, the red-hot Cristiano Ronaldo will have too much for them.

OTHER MATCHES
Girona 2-1 Levante, Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Celta Vigo, Atletico Madrid 2-0 Deportivo
Malaga 0-1 Villareal, Getafe 1-0 Real Betis, Leganes 1-1 Valencia, Espanyol 1-1 Deportivo Alaves, Eibar 2-1 Real Sociedad

ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP

Chelsea 2 Tottenham 1

It is all or nothing for Antonio Conte’s champions Chelsea as they attempt to best London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and pile the pressure in the race for Uefa Champions League places. Chelsea’s strong head-to-head record against Tottenham Hotspur and Harry Kane’s absence tips the balance in Chelsea’s favour in this English Premier League encounter.

Everton 1 Man City 2

Even though Everton have traditionally troubled Manchester City in this fixture, Sam Allardyce’s version hasn’t yet gelled into a unit strong enough to challenge champion elects Manchester City. Watch out for German-born pair Leroy Sane and Cenk Tosun.

OTHER EPL MATCHES
Man United 2-0 Swansea.
Crystal Palace 1-1 Liverpool.
Brighton Hove 1-1 Leicester.
Newcastle Utd 1-0 Huddersfield.
Arsenal 2-0 Stoke City.
West Brom 1-1 Burnley.
Watford 2-1 Bournemouth.
West Ham 1-1 Southampton.

ITALIAN SERIE A

Juventus 1 AC Milan 0

Milan’s mini revival under Gennaro Gattuso was brought to a halt by Arsenal in the Europa League. Six-time Serie A defending champions Juventus shall be in a similarly uncompromising mood. I fully expect Old Lady to crank up the pressure on Napoli with a win.

Sassuolo 1 Napoli 2

Maurizio Sarri’s sleek Napoli lost Serie A leadership following a loss to AS Roma. They are poised to return to winning ways as they no longer have the distraction of Europa League matches to contend with.

OTHER MATCHES
Bologna 0-1 AS Roma, Atlanta 1-0 Udinese, Cagliari 2-2 Torino, Fiorentina 2-0 Crotone, Genoa 1-0 SPAL, Inter Milan 3-0 Verona, Lazio 3-1 Benevento, Chievo 1-1 Sampdoria

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA

B. Munich 3 Dortmund 1

Jupp Heyncke’s Bavarian juggernaut can seal their seventh successive Bundesliga title this weekend. What better opponents to attempt to postpone their title celebrations than Peter Stoger’s Dortmund? However, I can see the Bavarians sealing the title race.

OTHER BUNDESLIGA MATCHES
Leverkusen 2-1 Augsburg, Hannover 1-1 RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim 3-1 Cologne, Schalke 2-1 Freiburg, Stuttgart 2-1 Hamburg, Hertha Berlin 1-0 Wolfsburg, Mainz 2-2 Gladbach, Werder Bremen 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt.

FRENCH LIGUE ONE

Lyonnais 2-0 Toulouse.
Dijon 1-2 Marseille.
Guingamp 1-1 Bordeaux.
Caen 1-1 Montpellier.
Rennes 2-2 Monaco.
Strasbourg 2-1 Metz.
Lille 1-0 Amiens.
Nantes 1-0 Saint Etienne.
Troyes 1-2 Nice.