3 football matches you cannot afford to miss this weekend

Opera News App brings you your weekly dose of alternative football to watch this weekend away from the Premier League.

Not that the English top tier doesn’t look set to deliver, particularly in the back-to-back fixtures on Sunday which sees Manchester City look to wreak revenge on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, the Eagles being the only side to inflict defeat on the incumbent – and aspiring – champions at the Etihad in the league (you’re YouTubing that Andros Townsend goal right now, aren’t you?).

Following that, the Premier League gameweek reaches its denouement with Liverpool hosting Chelsea. With five games left to go and the Reds in the midst of their closest title challenge in years, will there be echoes of five years ago and That Slip at Anfield?

And if you don’t care about any of that, here are four alternative fixtures from England and around the continent for you to revel in and get your football fix.

Girona v Villarreal(

Villarreal couldn’t capitalize on their thrilling 4-4 draw with La Liga leaders Barcelona, having been moments away from stunning the Blaugrana and taking all three points at the Estadio de la Cerámica.

Subsequently they would lose against Real Betis and come off an almost-certain Europa League exit after their Derbi de la Comunitat rivals Valencia produced a 3-1 away win.

The focus again now turns to the Yellow Submarine escaping the relegation quagmire. Playing at 14th place Girona who have a four-point advantage but four losses in their last five, a win for Javier Calleja and Villarreal is a must and could well drag Girona into the battle.

Milan v Lazio

Just three points currently separate the two sides in the Serie A table, but that potentially means missing out on Champions League, the Europa League, or both, with Atalanta and Roma also within the mix between fourth and seventh.

Milan are winless in four, allowing San Siro-sharers Internazionale, who beat them 3-2 in mid-March, to leapfrog them into a more comfortable position. The Biancocelesti have a game in hand, and a draw – the result of their last four meetings in 90minutes – could suffice. A two-goal winning margin for the visitors will be devastating to the Rossoneri.

Lille v Paris Saint-Germain(

PSG missed out on the chance to clinch the Ligue 1 title for the sixth time in seven seasons with a 2-2 draw with Strasbourg at the Parc des Princes last weekend. A win this weekend will clone how Les Parisiens sealed the championship last season, when they beat 17/18 second-place AS Monaco 7-1, as they now travel to 18/19 second-place Lille, who they currently sit 20 points ahead of.

A draw would be enough as well for Thomas Tuchel’s side. At the Stade Pierre Mauroy this Sunday evening, it could either be an opportunity to see Kylian Mbappé sparkle or Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting produce another meme-worthy moment after last week’s calamitous miss. Neymar, who has only managed 13 league appearances this season, has been back in training after his metatarsal injury.