Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen
Saturday, 5.30pm
BORUSSIA DORTMUND AND Bayer Leverkusen will look to keep pace with Bayern Munich when the two meet in the Bundesliga this afternoon.
Hosts Dortmund are in third place but seven points off the summit, with consecutive defeats to Wolfsburg and Pep Guardiola’s side either side of the international break stalling their progress.
Jurgen Klopp’s men have since won three games on the bounce in as many different competitions, defeating Napoli in the UEFA Champions League, downing Mainz in the league, and prevailing against third-tier Saarbrucken in the last 16 of the DFB Pokal on Tuesday.
Leverkusen are three points better off than their opponents and have won three league matches on the spin since their surprise 1-0 defeat at bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig at the start of November, which interrupted a six-game unbeaten run.
On TV? BT Sport 1
Serie A: Inter Milan v Parma
Sunday, 7.45pm
Inter will look to extend their unbeaten run in Serie A to eight matches when mid-table Parma visit on Sunday.
The San Siro outfit have not enjoyed such a long run without a league defeat since 2010, when they managed 11 games, and the current spell of good form has lifted them to fourth in the table.
Former Napoli manager Walter Mazzarri has guided his side to a fantastic start to the campaign, having suffered just one defeat in all competitions, and a 19th league title is very much on the club’s radar.
Mazzarri’s men have drawn their last two Serie A fixtures, though, away to Bologna and at home Sampdoria. Sunday’s result against Sampdoria, which saw Renan Garcia grab a last-gasp leveller for the visitors, prompted Mazzarri to vent his anger, claiming it was the worst Inter performance of the season.
On TV? BT Sport 1
Ligue 1: PSG v Sochaux
Saturday, 4pm
Following Paris Saint-Germain’s shock defeat in midweek at Evian and a milestone week for Ligue 1 goalkeepers, the race in France is wide open with three games remaining until the winter break.
PSG coach Laurent Blanc suffered his first defeat in charge since replacing current Real Madrid handler Carlo Ancelotti, and it was the capital club’s first defeat in 36 matches, one short of the team record.
The unexpected setback has allowed Lille to close within one point and Monaco two, after both clubs picked up wins over Marseille and Nice respectively, heading into the weekend’s action.
At PSG, Blanc’s men have a chance to bounce back with what appears to be a home banker against rock bottom Sochaux on Saturday while Monaco host equally struggling Ajaccio and Lille travel to in-form Bordeaux.
On TV? Highlights on BT Sport 1 at 11pm
