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From Spain to Brazil
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As we do every week, we feature five games to keep an eye on over the weekend. This weekend offers a massive slate of exciting games across several continents. This week, we feature a Clásico in Belgium, the San–São derby in Brazil, the Baden-Württemberg derby in Germany, a must-win for Tottenham against Man City, and the Basque Derby in Spain. In other words, there are once again exciting games to watch across the globe, and with the expertise of our global team, Transfermarkt takes you around the world to highlight five games you should watch this weekend.
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Baden-Württemberg Derby: Stuttgart vs Freiburg
Manu Veth (Area Manager North America and host of the Gegenpressing Pod):
On Sunday, VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg will meet in the latest installment of the Baden-Württemberg Derby. The title of Baden-Württemberg was once reserved for Stuttgart vs Karlsruhe, but the demise of the latter and the rise of Freiburg as one of Germany’s most stable clubs have shifted the narrative.
Although Stuttgart remain the biggest club in the region, Freiburg have made up some significant ground in recent years. Both clubs are now regulars in Europe. Stuttgart played in the Champions League last season and won the DFB Pokal in 2025 as well. Both teams are currently competing for a spot in the Bundesliga's top four. Freiburg sit seventh in the table with 27 points, nine points below the UEFA Champions League line. Stuttgart are fifth with 36 points, and only goal differential separates them from fourth-placed RB Leipzig.
Hence, the table adds further intrigue to what is already a heated derby. Freiburg won the reverse fixture thanks to a brace by Igor Matanović. Matanović, alongside Vincenzo Grifo, are two Freiburg players to watch. Also, keep an eye on highly rated Swiss midfielder Johan Manzambi. As for Stuttgart, the key player is Deniz Undav. The German international has scored 11 goals in 15 games and has been in incredible form—only Harry Kane has scored more often than him in the Bundesliga.
Belgian Clasico: Standard Liège vs Anderlecht
Bart Tamsyn (Transfermarkt Area Manager Belgium):
The Belgian Clasico between Standard and Anderlecht will be a tense affair. For the losing coach, it could well be his last match. Last Friday, Standard lost 0-4 at home to KAA Gent. The atmosphere after the match was grim, and six Ultras even broke into the dressing room to give the players a piece of their mind. Needless to say, everything will be on edge on Sunday, and an early deficit or defeat could cause things to explode.
Anderlecht, meanwhile, could only manage a 0-0 draw against bottom-of-the-table Dender on Sunday. Coach Besnik Hasi described the first half in particular as the worst of the season, and the team was treated to a chorus of boos. On Monday, the board held a crisis meeting about Hasi's position, but for now, he is allowed to stay on.
Standard signed two new players, Teddy Teuma and Gustav Mortensen, who are expected to be in the starting line-up, just like last Friday. It may be too early for the third newcomer, Bernard Nguene, to be in the starting line-up, but the question remains who will score, as it has been since 6 December that a striker of Standard scored.
At Anderlecht, new signing Danylo Sikan was immediately dropped into the starting line-up last Sunday. Despite a lot of goodwill, it is clear that the striker is not yet adapted to the record champion's playing system. Defender Moussa Diarra was also signed this week; it remains to be seen whether he will also get a place in the starting line-up straight away.
San-São: São Paulo vs Santos
Marcos Watts (Transfermarkt Area Manager Brazil):
As the Campeonato Paulista reaches its 6th round, São Paulo hosts Santos in another chapter of one of Brazil’s most traditional rivalries, with both clubs still searching for stability as the season begins to take shape.
São Paulo enters the derby under the most pressure. Despite showing small signs of recovery after a difficult start to the year, consistency remains subtle. Performances quickly go from encouraging to worrying, and the Tricolor continues to feel the weight of both on-field limitations and off-field uncertainty. The club's political instability at the board level has been a major issue since the end of last season, but it seems to finally be coming to an end with Harry Massis being sworn in as the new president. On the field, despite beating current Libertadores and Brazil champions Flamengo in the 2026 Brasileirão first round at home, São Paulo's still under a lot of pressure to avoid relegation in the Paulista and will look to impose control against their historic rivals to finally string together performances that suggest a clear direction.
Meanwhile, Santos approaches the derby in a different kind of transitional phase. The club has shown signs of competitiveness in the Paulistão, but were beaten 4-2 by a recently promoted Chapecoense in the Brasileirão first round. Just like São Paulo, they remain a work in progress. Results against their Paulista opponents highlight a team that is still adjusting tactically and mentally and depends on the return of its star player, Neymar, to function at full force. Facing São Paulo away from home provides Santos with a challenge and a valuable opportunity to test their growth against a direct rival under pressure.
Basque Derby: Athletic Club vs Real Sociedad
Iván Fuente (Transfermarkt Content Manager Spain):
Real Sociedad have been resurrected since the arrival of Pellegrino Matarazzo. The Blue and Whites have not lost a game under the North American coach, climbing from 15th to eighth place. Mikel Oyarzabal has returned to being the leader the team needs, scoring eight goals and providing three assists this season, and, together with Gonçalo Guedes (five goals and two assists), he is the biggest threat for his club.
Athletic Club, in the meantime, are going through a difficult situation, to the point that in the last five games they have only gained one point, making them the worst team in LaLiga during this period. This poor run has left them with only a three-point advantage over the relegation zone, and Ernesto Valverde's position is in danger. Also, their stars, Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet, are far from their best form.
The support of San Mamés will be key: Athletic have not lost at home to Real Sociedad since 2020, and their home record is clearly positive. Winning the derby is crucial for Athletic. The Bilbao club were eliminated from the Champions League this week, deepening the crisis at the club even further.
Frank looking to survive: Tottenham vs Man City
Ben Littlemore (Transfermarkt Content Manager England):
The biggest game in the Premier League this weekend probably comes in North London on Sunday, as struggling Tottenham take on title-chasing Manchester City. Two years ago, Pep Guardiola's team rocked up to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the penultimate game of the season, knowing that defeat would effectively hand the title to Spurs' rivals, Arsenal. The Sky Blues won that day, and many Tottenham fans celebrated the defeat, eventually leading to a huge rift between the fans and the boss at the time, Ange Postecoglou.
This time around, things aren't so simple: there is plenty more football to be played, but I have already seen some Spurs fans say they hope they lose this weekend to help City chase down Arsenal, with their own domestic season all but over. But Tottenham have their own problems and pressure against manager Thomas Frank is ramping up - a heavy defeat could spell the end for him. For City, Arsenal's shock defeat to Man United last Sunday has given them real hope of chasing the Gunners down, and they will be looking to capitalise this weekend.
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