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From Milan to Kazakhstan
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As we do every week, we feature five games to keep an eye on over the weekend. This week offers a massive slate of exciting games across several continents. Starting with the United States, there will be a Kentucky Derby in the USL Championship, the Milan Derby over in Italy, the Clássico in Portugal, PSG and Monaco meet once again, and in Kazakhstan, the league opens up with a big match. There are also great games in Brazil, Belgium, and Italy. 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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Kentucky Derby: Lexington SC vs Louisville City FC
Manuel Veth (Transfermarkt Area Manager North America):
On Friday, the 16th USL Championship season will kick off with a Kentucky derby between Louisville City FC and upstarts Lexington Sporting Club. This standalone fixture will kick off a campaign for a league that has made significant strides in visibility over the last few years. Big games are now being aired on CBS in America in addition to ESPN. The only shadow over the league has been the potential for a strike as the league and players are currently embroiled in a labour war. The USL season opener will be on ESPN+ for those tuning in from the United States.
And the Kentucky Derby Derby or Commonwealth Cup fixture should be a good one. For years, Louisville have been a model franchise not just in the United Soccer League but in all of American soccer. Perhaps the best run team outside of Major League Soccer, Louisville have one of the best academies in North America, state-of-the-art training facilities, and a fantastic football-specific stadium. Coached by Danny Cruz, the club will once again be among the favorites to win the league this season. In the likes of Babacar Niang (on loan from Minnesota), Chris Donovan (from the Philadelphia Union), and Kevon Lambert (RSL), Louisville have added some significant experience to the club.
Lexington, in the meantime, will enter their second season in the USLC, and the club has made a significant splash on the transfer market. Fuelled by an ambitious ownership group, the club added the dangerous striker Phillip Goodrum, the experienced defender Arturo Ordóñez (both from Louisville), and the defensive midfielder Aaron Molloy from the Charleston Battery. From the MLS, the club brought in Tarik Scott (Dallas) and Michael Adedokun (Montréal). Plus, experienced MLS winger Latif Blessing joined on a free transfer.
Clássico: Benfica vs Porto
Gonçalo Tristão Santos (Transfermarkt Area Manager Portugal):
This Clássico between Benfica and FC Porto comes at a decisive moment in the season, with only 10 matchdays remaining in the Liga Portugal Betclic. At this stage, José Mourinho’s side sit in third place, seven points behind the leaders - who are, in fact, FC Porto - making victory imperative if they want to remain in the title race. Any result other than a win would leave Benfica in a very difficult position.
From FC Porto’s perspective, beating their rivals is crucial to holding on to the top spot, especially considering that Sporting, currently in second place, are just four points behind the Dragons. Speaking of which, it is worth noting that this round will see the top four teams in the Portuguese league face each other: Benfica and FC Porto will take to the field on Sunday, already knowing the result of the SC Braga vs Sporting match the day before, another hugely important fixture in the title race.
If Sporting win, FC Porto will enter the clash with Benfica under greater pressure, aware that a defeat could see the Lions close the gap to just one point. It promises to be a very interesting weekend and one that could prove decisive in the battle for the Portuguese championship title!
They meet again!: PSG vs Monaco
Ronan Caroff (Transfermarkt Area Manager France):
PSG and Monaco can't seem to get rid of one another: after a really tense duel in the Champions League in the past weeks, which saw the Parisians qualify for the Round of 16 (2-3 win in Monaco, 2-2 at home), both clubs meet again in the league. This duel has actually seen every scenario this season, as Monaco had won 1-0 in Ligue 1 in late November 2025, a rare success in the overall frustrating "Pocognoli era" in the Principality (stats).
Paris will push hard to win this game, given their four-point lead over RC Lens, who face a much easier opponent: bottom-feeders FC Metz. Ousmane Dembélé and João Neves could be rested in anticipation of the duel against Chelsea, but that's less bad than the state of Monaco's infirmary, which has a season already over for Takumi Minamino and Mohammed Salisu, and will surely miss the likes of Eric Dier, Krépin Diatta, Kassoum Ouattara, Paul Pogba, and Lukas Hradecky.
Still, there are some talented Monaco players worth keeping an eye on. Danish striker Mika Biereth is one, and another is winger Maghnes Akliouche. The top goalscorer this season, however, has been former Barcelona wonderkid Ansu Fati.
Milan Derby: AC Milan vs Inter Milan
Stefano Buonfino (Transfermarkt Content Manager Italy):
The Milan Derby may not be the most heated, but in Italy, it is probably the most watched in terms of forces, trophies, and international prestige. Milan comes into the match on the back of a victory in the last Derby, with the freshness of not having played in European competitions this season and the mental advantage of a team that has been a real bogey team for their Nerazzurri cousins over the last year and a half. However, they come into the match 10 points behind and aware that victory is a must if they want to get back into the title race.
Inter arrive with their tails between their legs after two heavy defeats to Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League, but with a Derby d'Italia victory under their belts, a considerable lead over their direct rivals in the table, and the knowledge that, even if something goes wrong, the margin remains large. Nevertheless, the fans need a win to break the derby taboo, to maintain the good results in direct clashes (unlike the first part of the season and last year), and to experience the Scudetto race with less anxiety, given the Nerazzurri DNA that wants Inter Pazza (Crazy).
All the conditions are in place for a good match. In the first leg, Inter dominated the game, but Milan won on their only real chance on a counterattack and a mistake by Yann Sommer. On Sunday, the need to win could leave Massimiliano Allegri's team in control of the game. There could be goals in sight, unless Milan decides to care more about who is behind than the possibility of reopening the title race.
Fiery Start to KPL season: Aktobe vs Tobol
Vladimir Zharkov (Transfermarkt Specialist Kazakhstan):
On March 7, the 35th edition of the Kazakhstan Premier Liga kicks off. And right in the opening round, fans will witness a fascinating clash as Aktobe take on Tobol—a matchup many supporters of both clubs refer to as the Kazakh “classic.” This rivalry is truly one of principle and pride, as the statistics clearly illustrate. The two sides have faced each other 78 times: the Red-Whites have claimed 30 victories, while the Yellow-Greens have won 29 matches, with 19 encounters ending in a draw.
In the early years, Aktobe held the upper hand, becoming five-time national champions by 2013. One of those titles, in the 2008 season, was secured after a decisive “golden match” against none other than Tobol. However, the momentum later shifted in Tobol’s favor. Since 2021, the Kostanay-based club has not finished a single season without lifting a trophy. Tobol were crowned KPL champions in 2021, won the Kazakhstan Cup in 2023 and 2025, and lifted the Kazakhstan Super Cup in 2022, 2024, and 2026. They are the current holders of the Super Cup, having defeated Kairat—a participant in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League league phase—to secure the title.
Aktobe, meanwhile, endured a long trophy drought after winning the Super Cup in 2014. The club went ten years without silverware and even spent one season in the First League during that period. It was only in 2024 that the Red-Whites returned to success, winning the Kazakhstan Cup. Although Aktobe hold a slight overall advantage in the head-to-head record, recent meetings have largely favored Tobol. Of the last ten official matches between the two sides, the Yellow-Greens have won seven, while the Red-Whites have managed just one victory.
Aktobe might appear to have an advantage this time as the nominal home side. However, the match will only formally be a home game, as it is set to take place on neutral ground in Turkestan, effectively leveling the playing field. This circumstance will in no way diminish interest in the central fixture of the KPL’s opening round. There is little doubt that attention will be enormous — not only within Kazakhstan, but far beyond its borders.
Last winter, Aktobe made headlines on the international transfer market by signing legendary former Manchester United player and European champion Nani. As a result, fans in Portugal and England will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on Aktobe — and on the Kazakhstan championship as a whole. Tobol, on the other hand, did not make any high-profile signings during the offseason. Nevertheless, the Kostanay side have already demonstrated their strength by winning the recent Super Cup. All signs point to a meeting between two ambitious and evenly matched opponents. Which side will come out on top will be decided at the Turkestan Arena.
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