With Serie A and Liga finally getting underway this weekend Europe is now firing on all cylinders. Good matches in prospect in every league you might wish to turn to.


Aston Villa v Liverpool

This is the sort of game that both teams need to win. Aston Villa to regain face after last week’s loss to Stoke and to show that they can worry the big four. Liverpool to solidify their impressive start in the Premiership from the perspective of a 100% record and to flush memories of their struggle in midweek against Liege in the Champions league.

History is certainly in favour of Liverpool. After winning five of the first six home matches against Liverpool in the Premiership, Villa is winless in the last ten having lost six of them. They have also been outscored 5 – 16. Ironically the only current member of the Villa squad to score against Liverpool at Villa Park is Rafa’s favourite left footed player Gareth Barry.

Villa’s last home win came on February 28, 1998 – over a decade ago – with a double (goals that is) from Stan Collymore with a young Michael Owen getting Liverpool’s lone marker.  


Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur

This is most one sided fixture in the history of the Premiership with Chelsea owning Spurs. In thirty-two games Chelsea have won 20, drawn 11 and lost only once. Considering that Chelsea is also unbeaten in their last 23 Premiership games and unbeaten at Stamford Bridge in 83 Premiership games things do not look good for a Spurs team that has once again started the season with two losses.

Last season game number three brought Derby and the false dawn of a 4-0 win. Optimists can point to Spurs Carling Cup win over Chelsea last March but since then Tottenham has only won three league games. This is a fixture with a history of some high scoring games – a 4-4 draw at WHL was a classic and we have also seen 4-3, 6-1, 3-2, 4-0, and 4-2 over the years. Another high scoring game is in prospect although it is unlikely to be one that will bring Spurs three points.


Fiorentina vs. Juventus

The Italian season normally starts off with the bigger clubs being kept apart as much as possible over the first few weeks. That is not the case here with the two teams that finished 3rd and 4th and who have both qualified for the group stage of the Champions League.

Fiorentina has made some excellent additions to their squad with Alberto Gilardino (Milan), Juan Vargas (Catania), Zauri (Lazio) and Sergio Almiron on loan from Juventus.

Juventus has also been busy with big money spent to bring in striker Amauri from Palermo. Defender Olaf Mellberg is another arrival on a “Bosman” from Aston Villa together with midfielder Christian Poulsen (Seville). Poulsen could be as important addition as Amauri.


Deportivo La Coruna vs. Real Madrid

Real Madrid is going for a third straight title but a visit to Deportivo La Coruna is one place where the words success and Real Madrid ring very hollow. Real has not won there since 1991 and hasn’t earned a point since 2002. It will be a somewhat depleted Real Madrid squad with the Dutch trio of Wesley Sneijder (injured), Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rafael van der Vaart (both suspended) all missing.

Last season really was a story of two halves for La Coruna. Over their first nineteen games they took only 14 points; the second half of the season a very respectable 38 points and only lost once at home. The reason was simple – a defence that improved considerably going from 31 against to 16. We might find out how much of that improvement was down to Fabio Colocinni who has since moved on to Newcastle.


St Etienne vs. Lyon

A fiercely contested derby game in prospect (is there any other kind) although one that has been very one-sided for a long-time. It is fourteen years and sixteen games since St. Etienne tasted victory over rivals Lyon – a 3-0 win in April 1994.

St. Etienne came awfully close last season with Lyon needing a very late strike from Benzema to grab a share of the points. Lyon has made a good start to the season with seven points from three games and has yet to let a goal in. However, the attack has stuttered somewhat with four of their five goals coming from set-pieces.

For Saint-Etienne their start has been less than impressive. A 2-1 win over Sochaux has been bookended with 1-0 losses to Valenciennes and Le Mans, leaving them 15th in Ligue Une.


Celtic vs. Rangers

And taking of derby games we finish with one of the biggest of them all.  While Celtic and their supporters can look forward to epic European nights at Parkhead against Manchester United and Villarreal, Rangers are left on the outside looking with no place at the European Inn for them.

Celtic beat Rangers twice last April as part of their SPL run-in. Ultimately Celtic overtook a rapidly tiring Rangers to make it three SPL titles in a row. The two wins brought to an end a run of four straight Rangers wins and Celtic being held scoreless. 

However, Celtic has a solid record against Rangers at Parkhead with fourteen wins in their last nineteen meetings.

There will be a number of players making their Old Firm debut (possibly Maurice Edu) or first appearance at Parkhead (DaMarcus Beasley). But the most attention will be paid to the man who has not only crossed the great divide but re-crossed it as well. Kenny Miller is a man of many clubs but no other player has moved to Rangers (from Hibs) then to Celtic (via Wolves) and back to Rangers (through Derby County).

To say Miller’s arrival is controversial and divisive for the Rangers faithful is an understatement but it is not stopping Bet365 offering odds of 25-1 that Miller will score and kiss the badge in celebration.