Just when we’re back in the swing of things across Europe, the international break punctures the domestic season; something really should be done about that.

Anyway, it means this weekend’s matches should be cherished, as the big leagues complete what is effectively a false start to 2017-18. And there’s always the added significance about these matches ahead of a two-week hiatus; those 14 days will drag if you’ve been on the end of a defeat.

In Italy two sides hoping to push for Champions League spots will meet on Saturday, while Sunday is packed with four intriguing contests. Two come from the Premier League, as four top-four hopefuls go toe-to-toe; rounding off the day are heavyweight contests from France and Spain.

All kick-offs are in Eastern time; enjoy your weekend and enjoy the games!

 

ROMA VS. INTER MILAN

Saturday, August 27, 2:45 p.m. ET, beIN SPORTS en Español, Sling World Sports, fuboTV

The spotlight in Italian football may have been on AC Milan this summer, but Roma and Inter Milan are two teams who will be confident of pushing hard at the summit of the standings.

In 2016-17, it was the Giallorossi who were the biggest challengers to Juventus. It’s been a summer of significant upheaval at the Stadio Olimpico, though; they have a new director of football in Monchi, a new manager in Eusebio Di Francesco and are without their longstanding talisman Francesco Totti.

With their city rivals spending big, there’ll also be an onus on Inter to perform well this season. And they’ve recruited smartly off the pitch, bringing in former Roma boss Luciano Spalletti, and done some good work on the pitch too; keeping the likes of Mauro Icardi and Ivan Perisic is crucial for their campaign.

Confidence should be high with both sides heading into this one after they each secured wins in Week 1. With Spalletti heading back to his former home, expect a fiery atmosphere and a fascinating contest.

 

CHELSEA VS. EVERTON

Sunday, August 27, 8:30 a.m. ET, CNBC, Telemundo Deportes en Vivo app, Sling Blue, DIRECTV NOW and fubo Premier

After getting their swagger back on Sunday with a win over Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea face a potentially tricky clash with Everton at Stamford Bridge this weekend.

Blues boss Antonio Conte flung some new faces into the starting XI for the match against Spurs and moved away from the 3-4-3 setup that’s served him so well so far. The champions responded in style, shutting down Tottenham’s creative talents and taking their chances when they materialised.

It was clear to see from the celebrations from the coach at the final whistle that this one meant a lot to the Chelsea players and staff. After losing their opener against Burnley, their collective tails will be up when they return to Stamford Bridge.

Everton showed against Manchester City last week that they’re adept at frustrating illustrious opponents and have started the season strongly. It’ll be fascinating to see how Ronald Koeman approaches this one after that visit to the Etihad Stadium and their UEFA Europa League showdown with Hadjuk Split on Thursday.

 

LIVERPOOL VS. ARSENAL

Sunday, August 27, 11 a.m. ET, NBCSN, Telemundo, Sling Blue, DIRECTV NOW and fubo Premier

After swaggering into the group stages of the UEFA Champions League in midweek, there’ll be a buzz at Anfield when the Premier League returns on Sunday. You have to feel for Arsenal as a result.

On Wednesday the Reds tore into an abject Hoffenheim outfit, playing some wonderful football and scoring three goals inside 20 minutes. It appears Jurgen Klopp’s side are beginning to simmer, having struggled on the opening day of the season at times against Watford.

Arsenal reverted to old habits in the defeat to Stoke City last time out. They dominated possession, conjured chances but were ultimately wasteful in their attacking forays. Some rotten defensive work and subsequent panic meant Arsene Wenger cut a similarly disconsolate figure on the sidelines at the Bet365 Stadium.

Based on the Gunners’ defensive work so far this season it’s difficult to see how they make it out of Anfield alive. If Liverpool play with the verve and variety that was on show against Hoffenheim, Arsenal will be in for another testing afternoon on Merseyside.

 

MONACO VS. MARSEILLE

Sunday, August 27, 3 p.m. ET, beIN SPORTS Connect and fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

Monaco show no signs of slowing down after their shock title triumph last season and will be out to continue their blistering start to the 2017-18 season with a win over Marseille.

Leonardo Jardim’s team may have lost some key players in the current transfer window in the form of Bernardo Silva, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Benjamin Mendy. But a clutch of the title-winning squad remain intact and they’ve show their quality with three wins in succession; their most recent over Metz saw them set a Ligue 1 record for 15 successive wins.

While Paris Saint-Germain will be their biggest rivals for the title this season, Marseille are a side who will want to show they can compete at the top level. They’ve enjoyed a decent start to the Ligue 1 season themselves too, with seven points taken from a possible nine available.

Speculation over the future of Kylian Mbappe continues to hang over Monaco and it’ll be intriguing to see, having missed the last two games, whether he’s back in the squad for this one. The signs early in the season are that the champions can cope pretty well without him.

 

REAL MADRID VS. VALENCIA

Sunday, August 27, 4:15 pm ET, beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, Sling World Sports, fubo Premier

Real Madrid play their first home game of the 2017-18 La Liga season on Sunday with a clash with rivals Valencia.

As has been common under manager Zinedine Zidane, Los Blancos eased through their match with Deportivo la Coruna on Sunday. There is an assurance about the European champions at the moment, as they bossed possession and ground their opponents down in an imperious 3-0 win.

While it was a performance of the highest order, the squad available to Zidane means we may see a completely different starting XI on Sunday. Madrid will definitely be without Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos, though, as they are both serving a suspension; it’ll be interesting to see how they cope with those two huge characters.

Valencia will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing previous season, although they’ve appointed a smart manager in Marcelino and started their campaign with a win against Las Palmas. Emerging from the Santiago Bernabeu unscathed is a massive ask for this squad, though.