5 things to look forward to this Christmas in European football

With Christmas coming up, there’s a lot for people around the world to cherish about. But if you’re a football fan, you’ll have that and more waiting for you. With 2014 approaching us thick and fast, here are the 5 things to look forward to this winter for all you football junkies -

1. Lionel Messi returns

The 4-time Ballon d’Or winner has been sorely missed by the football world, thanks to his month-long absence from the pitch. The Argentinian captain was at the receiving end of a hamstring pull last month in their 2-1 win against Real Betis.

His absence has proved to be costly for Barcelona as they fell prey to Athletico Bilbao, suffering their first defeat of the season. Lionel Messi’s absence has made Barcelona look timid, but thanks to their Brazilian wonder kid Neymar, they still look better than most of the sides.

With the forward racking up a hat-trick and an assist in a 6-1 win against Scottish Premier League side Celtic in the UEFA Champions League, his Argentinian compatriot doesn’t have a whole lot to worry about.

Barcelona’s head coach Tata Martino is expecting his number 10 to make a return in the second week of January, but given the forward’s fitness levels, an early return cannot be ruled out. He may miss out on his 5th Ballon d’Or this time around, but his comeback will be a prelude for good things to come for the Catalan giants and for the fans alike.2. Manchester United go shopping

It is no secret to anybody that Manchester United have been struggling all season. Sitting in 9th spot in the league table, the Champions League qualification dreams of the 3-time winners are hanging by a thread. The fans have nearly given up their hopes and in such a case, David Moyes needs to get his act together come January.

With so many rumours floating around, it’s hard to handpick one in the case of the Red Devils. Their meek midfield’s helplessness is becoming increasingly annoying day-by-day. With Michael Carrick injured till January, the problems only stack up.

The 20-time English champions have been linked with an array of players. Ilkay Gundogan, Marco Reus, Leighton Baines, Fabio Coentrao and now Brazilian League Player of the Year, Everton Ribiero have all been shortlisted by the media reporters.

Ribiero has recently stated that he’d love to play alongside the likes of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. With his club Cruzerio suggesting that Man United have showed interest in the 24-year-old, the fans can relax a bit because he is a player of some quality. But, it should be noted that, attacking midfield is not where focus might (or should) be.3. Boxing Day classic: Manchester City vs Liverpool

The Premier League has proved to be very competitive this season. With the 2nd, 3rd and 4th placed sides separated by a mere point, this game could prove to be the catalyst to the title chase for either one of them.

Liverpool sit comfortably in the second position, 5 points behind leaders Arsenal, whereas Manchester City find themselves in the third spot, one point off the Merseysiders. With both these sides scoring the most goals in the league this season, the clash could prove to be the most entertaining game of the season.

The game will also see Premier League’s most affluent strikers going head-to-head. Yes, you guessed it – Sergio Aguero and Luiz Suarez. Both South Americans have proved to be extremely lethal in front of the goal. With the Uruguayan scoring 15 already this season, the Argentinian is within the touching distance with 12.

The history suggests that the Boxing Day games prove to be critical, this one will be no exception.4. Robert Lewnadowski to the Premier League?

This one has perhaps been the most anticipated transfer for a couple of seasons now, but thanks to Jurgen Klopp’s frugal dealings in the transfer market, the Polish international was convinced by the quality of the squad and hence decided to stay put. Few months later, his desire to leave was reiterated, thanks to the interest from the top horses of the Premier League.

There was a lot of speculation involving him and Bayern Munich, who are reportedly still interested in the 25-year-old, but the player himself came out to clear the air saying he never said that Bayern was the only club he could go to.

As things stand, Robert Lewandowski is a Borussia Dortmund player. His future is still unknown, but one thing that’s known for sure is that he’ll not be plying his trade in the Signal Iduna Park for a long time now. A January transfer window move to an unknown BPL club is soon to follow.5. Real Madrid hunt for strikers

When Karim Benzema joined Real Madrid from Olympique Lyonnais, there were a lot of hopes for him. He was considered France’s finest young prospect back then. He was struggling to find his feet in the first team for Gonzalo Higuain kept him at bay for a long time.

But when the Argentinian striker left the Galacticos to join Rafa Benitez’s Napoli side in Italy, Karim Benzema was expected to come off age. Sadly, despite brimming with undiluted potential, he couldn’t perform, and the entire weight of goalscoring was left upon Cristiano Ronaldo‘s shoulders.

Being the economic powerhouse they are, Madrid are eyeing Premier League’s best two – Luiz Suarez and Sergio Aguero. The move could see Benzema being swapped with either one of them. The odds suggest that Luiz Suarez could be that man, but because it’s Real Madrid, you can’t really rely entirely upon the odds.

One thing’s for sure, with either one of Suarez or Aguero arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid will surely become the most potent attacking force on the planet. A “Galaxy 11″ in itself.