European continental action returns again as the remaining teams in the Champions League Round of 16 play out their first-leg ties. The Europa League Round of 32 will conclude with Manchester United and Tottenham fighting for a place in the next round.
Premier League football will be put on hold for a week as action in the FA Cup returns. The other European leagues, however, will continue as scheduled.
#1 The magic of the FA Cup returns
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The FA Cup has already provided us with some thoroughly entertaining fixtures this season. This week marks the return of the oldest domestic cup competition as we head into the fifth round. Each fixture will feature a Premier League team facing off against lower league opposition.
Burnley and Middlesbrough play host to Lincoln City and Oxford United respectively, while current champions Leicester City make the trip to Millwall. Both Manchester clubs will have away fixtures, with Jose Mourinho’s side making the short trip to Blackburn and Pep Guardiola’s men travelling to Huddersfield Town.
Chelsea travel to Wolves, while fellow London club Tottenham take on Fulham at Craven Cottage. But the story of the week is undoubtedly Arsenal’s tie against the lowest-ranked side in the competition. Sutton United have exceeded expectations but will have a mighty task ahead of them if they are to beat the Gunners. Sutton are currently 16th in the fifth division of English football and they will cherish the opportunity to play against the most successful team in FA Cup history.
#2 Who can stop Juventus now?
Juventus are currently on a five-game winning streak and have extended their lead at the top of Serie A to seven points over Roma. The Old Lady are aiming for their sixth consecutive Scudetto and the way they are playing, it’s hard to imagine them not laying their hands on the coveted trophy. Their game on Friday will see them taking on Palermo with the chance to go 10 points clear at the top.
Napoli, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their last 13 games in the league and currently sit third in the Serie A, with only two points separating them and Roma. They will travel to Chievo, while Roma host Torino on Sunday.
Only one point separates seventh-placed AC Milan and eighth-placed Fiorentina and both clubs will go head-to-head this week. The other Milan club – Inter – will travel to Bologna as they look to carry on their good run of form.
#3 Inconsistent Dortmund risk losing Champions League place
Borussia Dortmund have been inconsistent so far this season and have only won nine of their 20 games so far. Their loss to bottom of the table Darmstadt last week sums up their season so far. They also lost to Benfica in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16.
Thomas Tuchel’s men still find themselves only a point adrift of third place, but they are level on points with Hoffenheim, who are in fifth. If Der BVB do not buckle up and start winning soon, they are likely to miss out on Champions League qualification for the next season. They take on Wolfsburg at home this week, in a must-win game.
League leaders Bayern Munich, who have been beaten only once in the league this season will look to extend that record when they travel to Hertha Berlin on the weekend. Elsewhere, second-placed RB Leipzig will look to end their run of two consecutive losses as they face off against Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday.
#4 Champions League action continues
The remaining games in the Champions League Round of 16 will take place next week. Following some enticing action in the previous week, we shouldn’t be surprised if we witness a couple more upsets.
Atletico Madrid are hanging on to a top four spot in the La Liga by a thread and will have to ensure a good run in this season’s Champions League. After topping a group that included Bayern Munich, they now face the prospect of another trip to Germany as they take on Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night.
The other match on Tuesday sees Manchester City host a very impressive Monaco side at the Etihad. Despite only winning twice in the group stages, City managed to qualify for the next round. Monaco, meanwhile, have scored an astonishing 75 goals in Ligue 1 so far with a goal difference of 52, and will pose a huge threat to the leaky City defence.
Wednesday’s action sees Porto welcome a Juventus side that are unbeaten in the competition so far. Leicester City’s trip to Sevilla concludes the first legs of the Round of 16, with the Foxes desperate for a win in 2017.
Claudio Ranieri's side are on a dismal run of form in their domestic league and they have a huge task ahead of them if they are to beat a Sevilla side that are on the very top of their game.
#5 Second legs of the Europa League - Round of 32
The Europa League Round of 32 will also conclude in the coming week, with teams playing their second legs in a matter of days. Manchester United and Fenerbahce will play out their second legs on a Wednesday night, to combat their busy schedules.
The Red Devils will travel to France to face St.Etienne in the hopes of making it to the next round. Thursday night’s action sees Tottenham host Gent, while Villarreal travel to Italy’s capital to take on Roma.
Key Fixtures:
Friday
Juventus vs PalermoBastia vs Monaco
Saturday
Huddersfield Town vs Manchester City (FA Cup)Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Chelsea (FA Cup)Sporting Gijon vs Atletico MadridSevilla vs EibarBorussia Dortmund vs WolfsburgHertha Berlin vs Bayern Munich
Sunday
Fulham vs Tottenham (FA Cup)Blackburn Rovers vs Manchester United (FA Cup)Real Sociedad vs VillarealBarcelona vs LeganesBorussia Monchengladbach vs RB LeipzigRoma vs TorinoAC Milan vs FiorentinaPSG vs Toulouse
Monday
Sutton United vs Arsenal (FA Cup)
Tuesday
Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid (Champions League)Manchester City vs Monaco (Champions League)
Wednesday
Porto vs Juventus (Champions League)Sevilla vs Leicester City (Champions League)St Etienne vs Manchester United (Europa League)Valencia vs Real Madrid
Thursday
Tottenham vs AAA Gent (Europa League)Roma vs Villareal (Europa League)
