2 hours ago
2
From Italy to Germany
©TM/IMAGO
Football never sleeps, and after another exciting week of UCL action the focus shifts back to the domestic leagues ahead of the November international break. This weekend, we will see the Superclasico in Argentina, record champions will clash in Belgium, Man City and Liverpool will face off, we will have a big clash in France and a title contest in Austria. 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.
Are you going to any of the games in person? If you do, then register as a user now and use our Groundhopping Tool to log your matchday experience and uncover some cool stats!
Superclasico: Boca Juniors vs River Plate
Scott Christensen (Area Manager South America & Argentina):
Boca is in a positive streak over the last two months after many bad ones, but when everything was looking better, their coach, Miguel Ángel Russo, an Argentine football legend, passed away. Obviously, it was a difficult situation for the team, but they are now showing attitude and character and playing better football. They are now leaders of the Zona A of the Clausura and second place for the Copa Libertadores qualification.
On the other hand, River, with the most successful coach in their history, is going through their worst streak. Marcelo Gallardo isn't finding the team; he's regularly changing players in the starting eleven, and the fans (not with him, at least yet...) have lost their patience with the team and were really upset on their last defeat playing at home against Gimnasia, which is fighting for relegation.
For Boca, Leandro Paredes is the key player controlling the team's pace and breaking lines with through balls. First Superclasico since his return, probably the player River will try to prevent from touching the ball. Another player to watch is Milton Delgado, who was one of the best players of the Argentine U20 national team that lost the World Cup final.
River currently have four World Cup winners in the team: Franco Armani, Gonzalo Montiel, Marcos Acuña, plus the injured Germán Pezzella. Acuña is probably the most important. Another player to watch is Juanfer Quintero. He is. not going through his best time at River, but he's a special player with a unique quality. If someone's going to break Boca's backline, that's probably Quintero.
Clash of champions: RSC Anderlecht vs Club Brugge
Bart Tamsyn (Area Manager Belgium):
Sunday will bring THE clash in Belgium between record national champions RSC Anderlecht and Club Brugge, the club with the second most national titles. This match also brings together the number 3 in the rankings and the number 2, so it could well be that current leaders Union SG will be the big winners of this clash.
After the 3-1 victory against KV Mechelen and some solid football, calm has returned to Anderlecht. Nevertheless, the pressure remains high on coach Besnik Hasi, who was booed by some fans at the start of the previous game. A defeat would bring the crisis atmosphere back in full force.
The history is not on Anderlecht's side, as they have won only two of their previous 26 duels against Club Brugge. Last season, the Blue and Black won 3-0 at the Purple and White's home ground in the regular competition, in the playoffs, Anderlecht managed to score but still lost 3-1.
Club Brugge is approaching the game with confidence. After all, the Bruges team has won its last six league games, including a 1-0 victory against national champions Union SG. It has also conceded just two goals in those six games and is keen to extend that run. We will find out if they have succeeded on Sunday afternoon at around 3:30 p.m.!
Rivals collide in the EPL: Manchester City vs Liverpool
Ben Littlemore (Content Manager UK):
Manchester City v Liverpool has, without doubt, been THE game of the Premier League over the last decade in terms of quality. Watching Pep Guardiola's City go head-to-head against Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool when both teams were at their pomp was truly enthralling. The 2-1 game in 2019, in which John Stones famously cleared the ball off the line and City went on to win the title despite Liverpool getting 97 points, was one of the best quality games I have ever seen. Arsenal have begun to muscle in at the top in recent seasons, with both City and Liverpool experiencing drop-offs, but both sides will still feel they can fight for the Premier League title this season and Sunday's tie at the Etihad could be the perfect platform to push on.
If either side lose the game, and Arsenal win, the gap may already feel too big to pull the Gunners back in. Man City have teased being back to their best at times this season, and Erling Haaland has been prolific even by his standards, but the Sky Blues still seem much more vulnerable than in the past under Guardiola. They need to replace that Kevin De Bruyne creativity, and Rayan Cherki could be the key to that—he has provided two assists in each of City's last two games. For Liverpool, Arne Slot will be hoping wins against Aston Villa and Real Madrid have signified a corner turned after a dismal run, and having last season's midfield three of Ryan Gravenberch, Alex Mac Allister, and Dominik Szoboszlai back together has made them look a much better side. This game feels massive for both sides.
Ligue 1 rivals meet: Olympique Lyon vs PSG
Ronan Caroff (Area Manager France):
Olympique Lyon against PSG is one of those classic Ligue 1 duels that will often deliver a great spectacle. Both teams also had a decent start to their respective European campaigns, but their form in the championship could be better. Since the start of October, PSG have conceded their first three draws of the 2025/26 season and are therefore still within reach of their title challengers, Marseille and Lens, who are only two points behind.
Furthermore, recent Golden Boy winner Désiré Doué suffered his second injury of the season and might be out until the end of the year. Achraf Hakimi suffered a serious injury against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. On top of that, Ousmane Dembélé also had to be taken off with a knock after 25 minutes against the German giants.
Meanwhile, Lyon are already four points behind PSG, and have only won one of their last five games, and as a paradox, it was against the strongest opponent possible, Strasbourg. That game saw the serious injury to top winger Malick Fofana, which will really hurt the Gones' attacking ability. So, this duel will be an opportunity for both clubs to pick up the pace again in Ligue 1 and either try to create some distance from the rivals or catch up with the top positions.
Austrian title clash: Sturm Graz vs Red Bull Salzburg
Dorian Schuster (Area Manager Salzburg):
In the Austrian Bundesliga, champions Sturm Graz will host last year’s runners-up Red Bull Salzburg. On paper, this is the perfect setup for a top game. Red Bull are first in the standings, but Sturm, who have one fewer game, are first based on points-per-game.
A part of the story, however, is also that both teams have struggled recently. Salzburg have been poor in Europe and have not earned a point in the Europa League after the first three games. Champions Sturm have lost league games against Wolfsberg and Rapid.
Salzburg might be without goalkeeper Alexander Schlager. The no.1 is coming back from injury, and in his stead, 18-year-old Christian Zawieschitzky could be given another chance—he had his first starts at the FIFA Club World Cup this summer. At Sturm, top transfer Axel Kayombo could be back in the starting XI. The 19-year-old winger made his starting XI debut against Rapid.
Going to the game? Record it in the Groundhopping tool!
Ever wondered who the top scorer is in matches you have actually attended in person? Or how many stadiums you have actually been to? What about the win percentage of your team in games you've watched live? Or how many countries you have watched matches in? Well, don't worry, Transfermarkt have you covered for all of this and more with our incredible Groundhopping tool. Register as a user now and become a part of the community.
