When do the Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga and Ligue 1 return after the World Cup?
The Premier League are set to return for their traditional Boxing Day fixtures as English football fans hope to quickly banish the painful memories of Qatar. Across Europe, after Argentina won their third crown, domestic football is gearing up for a comeback, but when exactly are the big leagues returning to the continent and what is the current state of affairs?
Ligue 1 – December 28
Kylian Mbappe, back at PSG just days after his heartbreak in the World Cup final, is set to return to club duty just days after Christmas as the unbeaten Ligue 1 leaders host Strasbourg. They are currently five points clear of Lens but will likely be without World Cup winner Lionel Messi as he continues the celebrations in Argentina.
PSG are set to win their ninth title in 11 years barring disaster, but their season will be judged by their performances in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Marseille and Rennes will be hoping to continue their positive start and finish in the top four. At the bottom of the table, Angers look struggling with just eight points, with Strasbourg, Ajaccio and Auxere desperate for improvement after the break.
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Return matches:
Ajaccio – Angers (December 28, 2 p.m.)
Troyes – Nantes (December 28, 2 p.m.)
Auxerre – Monaco (December 28, 4 p.m.)
Clermont Football – Lille (December 28, 6 p.m.)
PSG – Strasbourg (December 28, 8 p.m.)
Brest – Lyon (December 28, 8 p.m.)
Lorient – Montpellier (December 29, 4 p.m.)
Reims – Rennes (December 29, 6 p.m.)
Marseille v Toulouse (December 29, 8 p.m.)
Nice v Lens (December 29, 8 p.m.)
๐ Kylian Mbappรฉ is already back in training with PSG…
La Liga – December 29
Xavi’s Barcelona have conceded just five goals in 14 La Liga games so far this season, a stat that sees them sitting atop the Christmas tree by two points. Real Madrid are hot on their heels, with both teams having lost only once so far, and this title race could go all the way.
Barca have a tough return to action, a local derby against Espanyol on New Year’s Eve, while Madrid travel to Real Valladolid the day before. Given Atletico Madrid’s poor start which sees them in 5th place, it already looks like a two-horse race for the title, with Real Sociedad in third and Athletic Bilbao in fourth 11 and 13 points behind the leaders. respectively.
All the way down, Elche could well set the record for the worst season in the history of the Spanish top flight. They are yet to register a win, have only four points on the board and could be relegated to second place after three top-flight seasons. Cadiz struggle with 11 points but the real talking point downstairs will be whether Sevilla, also in the bottom three, can stay up.
The season so far has been a nightmare for the team who finished fourth last season and today they took out Isco. Jorge Sampaoli, who returned to the club in October, needs to ensure security is in place before the club can look up.
Return matches:
Girona – Rayo Vallecano (December 29, 4 p.m.)
Real Betis – Athletic Bilbao (December 29, 6:15 p.m.)
Atletico Madrid – Elche (December 29, 8:30 p.m.)
Getafe v Mallorca (December 30, 4 p.m.)
Celta Vigo – Sevilla (December 30, 6:15 p.m.)
Cadiz – Almeria (December 30, 6:15 p.m.)
Valladolid – Real Madrid (December 30, 8:30 p.m.)
Barcelona v Espanyol (December 31, 1pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (December 31, 3:15 p.m.)
Villarreal – Valencia (December 31, 3:15 p.m.)
Series A – January 4
Although Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup, the country’s top flight has been on hiatus since November 13. With the likes of Lautaro Martinez, Adrian Rabiot and Olivier Giroud all appearing in the final, it was a successful tournament for Serie A, even though Italy weren’t there.
Unlike the Premier League, Ligue 1 and La Liga, domestic action does not resume until the New Year. Napoli will be hoping to continue their unbeaten start under Luciano Spalletti, a run that saw them move eight points clear in top of the league. Current champions AC Milan are hoping to oust them from second place, while big guns Juventus, Lazio, Inter, Atalanta and Roma are all in contention to finish in the top four.
Juve entered the break on a six-game clean streak that lifted them to third, and they will be hoping to continue where they left off under Max Allegri. The bottom of the painting is in shambles. The bottom three, Verona, Sampdoria and Cremonese, have won just two games out of 45 between them, while Sampdoria have scored just six times! This trio needs a miracle to avoid relegation, but stranger things have happened.
Italy give us the gift of a full fixture list staggered throughout the day, culminating in the mouth-watering clash of Inter vs Napoli.
Return matches:
Salernitana – Milan (January 4, 11:30 a.m.)
Sassuolo v Sampdoria (January 4, 11:30 a.m.)
Turin v Verona (January 4, 1:30 p.m.)
Spezia v Atalanta (January 4, 1:30 p.m.)
Roma v Bologna (January 4, 3:30 p.m.)
Lecce v Lazio (January 4, 3:30 p.m.)
Fiorentina – Monza (January 4, 5:30 p.m.)
Cremonese – Juventus (January 4, 5:30 p.m.)
Udinese v Empoli (January 4, 7:45 p.m.)
Inter v Napoli (January 4, 7:45 p.m.)
๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ก๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ ข๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ฅ๐ ๐ ๐
Bundesliga – January 20
Germany was absent from the World Cup on December 1. When the Bundesliga returns, there will have been no top-flight domestic football in Germany for more than two months. It’s a huge break, but understandable considering that the harsh German winters could postpone several matches if scheduled during this period.
Instead, Bundesliga stars including Jude Bellingham can enjoy Christmas to the fullest before action returns. When it does, Bayern Munich will be aiming for their 11th consecutive title. They have lost just once and hold a four-point lead over surprise forfeit SC Freiburg. RB Leipzig moved into third place before the break after four straight wins while Eintracht Frankfurt moved into fourth place ahead of Union Berlin, who stumbled after their incredible start to the campaign.
In their first season back in the Bundesliga, Schalke have found life difficult and sit bottom of the league with nine points. Vfl Bochum have recorded back-to-back wins ahead of the World Cup to give themselves a chance of survival while Vfb Stuttgart, Hertha Berlin, Augsburg and Cologne are all in serious downside danger. It’s a good wait until the German top flight returns, but here are the openers.
Return matches:
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (January 20, 7:30 p.m.)
Eintracht Frankfurt – Schalke (January 21, 2:30 p.m.)
Vfl Bochum v Hertha (January 21, 2:30 p.m.)
Union Berlin vs Hoffenheim (January 21, 2:30 p.m.)
Wolfsburg – Freiburg (January 21, 2:30 p.m.)
Vfb Stuttgart – Mainz (January 21, 2:30 p.m.)
Cologne – Werder Bremen (January 21, 5:30 p.m.)
Borussia Dortmund – Augsburg (January 22, 2:30 p.m.)
Mรถnchengladbach v Leverkusen (January 22, 4:30 p.m.)
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