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Eurorivals return to domestic duties

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Eurorivals return to domestic duties
Eurorivals return to domestic duties
Eurorivals return to domestic duties

Fresh from their respective Champions League exertions, Manchester City, Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach are all in action on the final weekend before the international break

Following a pair of engaging European fixtures, Juventus’ Champions League Group D rivals return to domestic duties this Saturday and Sunday with a timely three points on the agenda ahead of the November international break.

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Manchester City, already certain of their passage to the knockout stages after Tuesday night’s 3-1 win over Sevilla, head to the Midlands to take on an Aston Villa side on Sunday (kick-off 14.30 CET) who will have newly-appointed coach Remi Garde in the dugout for the first time.

Unai Emery’s Andalusians on the other hand are to set to feature in what should be the pick of the weekend’s action as they host league leaders and thus far unbeaten Real Madrid at the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan (kick-off 21.30).

The Bianconeri’s midweek opponents Borussia Monchengladbach meanwhile welcome Bundesliga new boys Ingolstadt on Saturday afternoon (15.30).

Aston Villa vs. Manchester City

Sunday 8 November 14.30 CET

Having scored 20 times in their last six outings, few teams will fancy the prospect of facing Manuel Pellegrini’s City at the moment, not least Aston Villa, who head into Sunday’s meeting at Villa Park on the back of a club record seven consecutive defeats.

That losing run prompted the Premier League’s bottom club to replace outgoing manager Tim Sherwood with former Olympique Lyonnais coach Remi Garde this week and the Frenchman could not have asked for a tougher first match in charge.

While Villa look to start their ascent up the table, City will have their eyes on a ninth league win in 12 to ensure they remain top of the tree going into next week’s international break.

On the resumption of domestic duties, the Blues meet Liverpool Jurgen Klopp’s on 21 November before heading to Turin to face Juventus four days later.

Sevilla vs. Real Madrid

Sunday 8 November 21.30 CET

**Having impressively beaten Barcelona earlier in the season,** Unai Emery’s Sevilla will be hopeful of a similar result against Spain’s other major title contender Real Madrid on Sunday night.

In order to so however, the Blanquirrojos will need to radically reverse the formbooks having won just three of their opening ten games in La Liga this season while registering a trio of defeats on the bounce in Europe to see their Champions League qualification hopes all but vanish.

Real Madrid meanwhile are typically going strong on both fronts, sitting top of both their domestic and European tables.

With their place in the UCL’s last 16 already in the bag after Tuesday’s 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain, Rafael Benitez’s men will be free to turn their undivided attentions to domestic matters and a 12th win in 14 over the Andalusians would see them at least maintain their place at Spain’s summit.

Borussia M'Gladbach vs. Ingolstadt

Saturday 7 November 15.30 CET

Not even the mighty Madrid though can match Borussia Monchengladbach’s unstoppable league form in recent weeks, with the Foals in the midst of a remarkable six-match winning streak in the Bundesliga.

Another three points for Gladbach, the only team from Champions League Group D to play on Saturday, could even see them leapfrog Wolfsburg into third place, a remarkable feat having been bottom with zero points from their opening five matches.

Standing in the way of the German top flight’s third highest scorers (23) on Saturday is the division’s second most sturdy backline: competing in the Bundesliga for the first time in their history, Ingolstadt’s defensive record (conceding nine) is bettered only by Bayern Munich (seven) so far this term.

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