Editors' Picks: Huge derbies in England and Germany headline weekend's action
Here's what our editors have circled in their calendars this weekend.
Friday, December 15th - Monday, December 18th
Australia vs Pakistan - First Test
The first Test between Australia and Pakistan got underway on Thursday in Perth and signified the start of the Aussie cricket season. The ‘West Test,’ as it is being branded, has taken the spot of Brisbane as the kick-off event for the summer of Test cricket down under.
Although Pakistan are slightly understrength, missing some key bowlers and playing two debutants, and have a rather poor record in Australia (they haven’t won a Test there since 1995), the match offers some interesting narratives.
Most notably, the series is David Warner’s last in Australian whites. Going into the Test, the underfire left-hander needed less than 200 runs to surpass Matthew Hayden as Australia’s highest-scoring opener of all time. He got close to accomplishing that feat on day one, scoring 164 as the hosts ended play on 346-5. He needs 15 runs to break that record.
Another player to watch going forward is Nathan Lyon. The offspinner has come back into the side after recovering from the calf injury that cut his Ahses tour short. Lyon needs just four wickets to reach 500 Test scalps and he loves bowling in Perth.
Those two legends aren't the only players in the Australian team nearing the end of their careers. It’s an ageing team that has achieved a lot of late but won't be together for much longer. Could Pakistan, under the new leadership of Shan Masood spring a surprise and hurry along a few retirements or will the Aussie vets be best in the west?
Sunday, December 17th
Liverpool vs Manchester United - 17:30 CET
Despite both sides having city rivals in the Premier League, if you ask either fanbase they will say Liverpool vs Manchester United is the most important game of the season. And whilst Liverpool are way ahead of United in every department, a win for Erik ten Hag's men at Anfield against the league leaders would kickstart a season in danger of falling apart.
After Arsenal's shock defeat to Aston Villa last weekend, Liverpool go into this weekend's match top of the league and they have a golden chance against a fragile Manchester United side to remain at the summit heading into the Christmas period.
Rehauling the midfield and being more solid defensively have been key factors for Liverpool's success this season but Mohamed Salah's return to something close to his best has been the fundamental difference and it is vital to have a player like Salah stepping up in the big moments.
It has been a disastrous fortnight for United, a loss to top-four rivals Newcastle was followed by signs of hope as they defeated Chelsea. However, a humiliating thrashing at home to Bournemouth last weekend was followed by a pitiful exit from Europe on Tuesday night.
Liverpool have not been perfect this season but their record at Anfield speaks for itself and against a lost, dejected Manchester United side, Jurgen Klopp's men will more than fancy their chances.
Bayern Munich vs Stuttgart - 19:30 CET
Bayern Munich have had a bizarre week. Their first defeat of the Bundesliga season came last weekend as they lost 5-1 to Frankfurt. To say it was humiliating for Thomas Tuchel's men would be putting it lightly. But then to come to Old Trafford against a Manchester United side needing a win to stay in Europe and come away with a comfortable victory was an impressive response midweek.
If, for whatever reason, they weren't fired up enough last weekend, there is no chance of that happening again this week - unfortunately for high-flying Stuttgart. However, the visitors are not to be underestimated.
Stuttgart's win against Dortmund a fortnight ago was followed up with a 1-1 draw with top-of-the-league Bayer Leverkusen last time out. Although they have played a game more, a win for Stuttgart would see them leapfrog Bayern and put them firmly in the title race.
As well as the importance of a win for both sides, there is an interesting side story going into this game. The race between Bayern's Harry Kane and Stuttgart's Serhou Guirassy for most league goals is heating up and they go head-to-head on Sunday.
This is not one to miss in the Bundesliga. Bayern know they need to win as Leverkusen don't look like dropping many points while Stuttgart have the chance to join the title race by taking points off both the top two in succession. If they leave Munich with three points, they have to be taken very seriously.
Buffalo Bills vs Dallas Cowboys - 22:25 CET
Only three rounds remain in the NFL regular season and the playoff picture could hardly be closer. In the AFC, all seven playoff berths are still available and in the NFC, just the San Francisco 49ers have clinched a spot at the time of writing. What’s more, only the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers are fully out of the running. That leaves 29 franchises fighting it out for 13 remaining berths, incredibly.
The Dallas Cowboys are on quite a run of form having won five on the spin to surge to the top of the NFC standings but they share a 10-3 record with the 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles while the Detroit Lions are only one loss worse off. Meaning that a few losses could easily derail their dream run.
The Buffalo Bills secured a dramatic win over the Kansas City Chiefs last round to make it three games without a regular time loss and keep themselves in the hunt in the AFC. At 7-6, they haven’t had the best season but they are hitting form at just the right time and will be heavily backed to win in Buffalo this Sunday.
If you enjoy the Cowboys @ the Bills, they are followed late on Sunday (02:20 CET) by the Baltimore Ravens visiting the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Ravens are top of the AFC (10-3) with the Jaguars not far behind in fourth (8-5). The Ravens have emerged as a Super Bowl contender but the Jags will be out to burst their bubble.