It’s wonderful when we get to this point in the season and so many games mean so much.

This week, promotion to the Premier League is at stake for four teams, as the Championship Playoffs get underway. There’s also huge games in Germany and Spain in the race for the Bundesliga and the Champions League, respectively.

The Premier League’s enthralling title race will come to an end on Sunday too, with the defending champions knowing a win will see them retain the prize.

All kick-offs are in Eastern time. Enjoy the weekend and enjoy the games!

 

Aston Villa vs. West Brom

Saturday, May 11, 7:30 a.m. ET, ESPN+ (free trial)

The first of the two Championship semi-final first legs is a Midlands derby, with Aston Villa seeking to continue their tremendous form going into the playoffs with a win over West Bromwich Albion.

Villa didn’t appear to be in with much chance of threatening the top six midway through the season, as they had endured a campaign of inconsistency. But Dean Smith’s side put together a winning run at the perfect time, propelling them into what was eventually a comfortable spot in the playoffs.

West Brom have been in a similar position for much of the campaign. Throughout the 2018-19 term they’ve found goals easy to come by, with only champions Norwich City more prolific. Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez have been on target 45 times between them already this season.

Villa Park should be lively for this encounter and in Jack Grealish they arguably boast the best player in the second tier. Having lost out to Fulham in the final last season, there’ll be a massive determination among this group to get back into the top flight.

 

RB Leipzig vs. Bayern Munich

Saturday, May 11, 9:30 a.m. ET, FOX, UniMas, Univision Deportes Network, fuboTV, Sling Blue, Hulu Live and PlayStation Vue (free trial)

Borussia Dortmund’s collapse at Werder Bremen last weekend allowed Bayern Munich to finally open up some daylight between themselves and their challengers. However, Saturday’s showdown with Leipzig will be anything but straightforward.

Leipzig have been able to pull away from the rest of the sides battling for a Champions League spot and are now comfortably in third position. They’ve not been beaten since January and have taken 19 points from the last 21 available to them in the Bundesliga.

It’s going to be a massive challenge for Bayern, who will be desperate to avoid the race for the title going to the final fay of the campaign, when they face Europa League semi-finalists Eintracht Frankfurt.

Throughout the season the Munich giants have struggled to perform to their absolute best and this title would be one of their more unconvincing successes in recent years. Still, with a number of club stalwarts anticipated to move on at the end of the campaign, they will be desperate to finish the term on a high.

 

Derby County vs. Leeds United

Saturday, May 11, 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+ (free trial)

One of the joys of the Championship playoffs is the manner in which teams can enter the post-season competition with different degrees of momentum.

That’s very much the case for Derby and Leeds. The former only secured their spot in the top six on the final day of the season with a win over West Bromwich Albion and the supporters will be itching to get back to their stadium for another massive encounter.

By contrast, Leeds’ bid for automatic promotion seeped away in the final weeks of the campaign. Despite excelling for long spells of the season, they have lost fitness and form as of late, giving manager Marcelo Bielsa a lot to ponder ahead of their trip to the Rams. He will be hoping the short break they’ve had can trigger some of their early-season form.

Derby have got into this position consistently in previous terms, only to falter in the semi-finals or the final. With a serial winner like Frank Lampard at the helm and some fearless young players within their ranks, supporters will be hopeful a return to the top flight is on the cards again.

 

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Manchester City

Sunday, May 12, 10 a.m. ET, NBCSN, Telemundo, fuboTV, Sling Blue, Hulu Live and PlayStation Vue (free trial)

The Premier League title race has brought the best out of Manchester City and Liverpool. The former can clinch it with a win on Sunday on the south coast.

City have won an incredible 13 games in a row in the top flight, although within that sequence their most recent was arguably the most difficult. They needed a stunning strike from Vincent Kompany against Leicester City to secure a 1-0 win; they go into the last day of the season a point ahead of Liverpool as a result.

Now they are massive favourites to secure the Premier League for the second consecutive season, especially given Brighton have little to play for, with their top-flight status secure for another season.

Liverpool don’t face a straightforward game themselves, as they welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Anfield. If the Reds are able to grab an early goal and get themselves ahead of City in the live standings, it’ll be intriguing to see how the champions react.

 

Barcelona vs. Getafe

Sunday, May 12, 12:30 p.m. ET, beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, Sling Latino, Sling World Sports, Fanatiz and fuboTV (free trial)

Barcelona will play for the first time since their staggering collapse against Liverpool in the Champions League on Sunday, as they gear up to face Champions League facing Getafe.

Prior to this game, it would have been anticipated this match was all about the visitors. However, after a shocking 4-0 loss at Anfield on Tuesday, Ernesto Valverde and his players will need to showcase some resolve in front of what is likely to be a disgruntled Camp Nou crowd.

For Getafe, it’s one of the biggest games in the club’s history. With two games remaining they are in fourth spot and find themselves three points ahead of Valencia and Sevilla. At the start of the season, few would have expected Pepe Bordalas to have steered his team into such a high position.

If they can get a point here and stay ahead of their two chasers going into the final day of the season, it’ll be a huge boost for Getafe. However, Barcelona will be a wounded animal after their midweek antics and will surely dig deep to put in a big performance.