5️⃣ spicy fixtures you must watch this weekend 🌶 | OneFootball

We’re well and truly into the second half of the season and business is picking up.

Here are five games you simply have to watch this weekend.

Jordan vs Qatar

The first of the two continental tournament finals sees Jordan and Qatar meet in a match that absolutely nobody would have predicted when the Asian Cup kicked off just under a month ago.

Qatar, both hosts and defending champions, might have expected to go far but the memories of their disappointing showing at their own World Cup were still fresh.

Jordan, on the other hand, entered the new year with no wins in seven and just about scraped into the knockouts, having come third in their group.

Both sides stepped things up when it truly mattered though. Qatar squeezed past Palestine and Uzbekistan but then knocked out one of the tournament favourites, Iran, with a thrilling 3-2 victory.

Jordan went one better, eliminating the much-vaunted South Koreans in the semi-final (they also drew in the groups) after defeating Tajikistan and Iraq in the previous rounds.

Will it be back-to-back glory for the Qataris or will Jordan take home their first-ever Asian title in this all-Arab showpiece?

Spice rating: Mild 🌶

Aston Villa vs Manchester United

The pick of this weekend’s Premier League action sees a somewhat in-form Manchester United head to Villa Park to take on an Aston Villa side, who are suddenly having a bit of a wobble.

Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to Chelsea in their FA Cup fourth round replay was a second home loss in a row. It is a far cry from their previously incredible home form, which had seen them lose just once since April.

Conversely, United come into the game with their tails up and full of goals after rare back-to-back wins that saw them hit the back of the net seven times. The recent form of Rasmus Højlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo has also been a serious positive in a largely negative season.

Erik ten Hag will be without defensive lynchpin Lisandro Martínez, however, for the trip to the Midlands, while Unai Emery should have Pau Torres back, which is a welcome boost after Ezri Konsa was ruled out for several weeks.

United’s comeback Boxing Day win, the game in which Højlund broke his league duck, could give them a mental edge but Emery did end Villa’s 27-year wait for a home league win in this fixture in his first game in charge last season.

It’s a tough one to call but it is a game that could have serious implications in the race for Champions League qualification.

Spice rating: Medium 🌶 🌶

Real Madrid vs Girona

A LaLiga title clash between Real Madrid and a team from Catalonia, just not the one we’ve become so accustomed to.

Replacing their far more illustrious neighbours, as well as the defending champions, this season has been Girona, who have been the surprise package of both this season and any in recent Spanish history.

But, is this where their title challenge ends? Defeat at the Bernabéu would leave them five points off the lead, and Real have not lost a single home game this season, scoring 26 and conceding just six in that time. They also swatted aside Michel’s men 3-0 in the reverse fixture back in September.

However, the Blanquivermells are nothing if not resilient, and have not suffered a single loss on the road yet, a record only matched by Barcelona, whom they defeated 4-2 in the Olympic Stadium prior to Christmas.

Both sides are missing players but the odds are still heavily stacked in Real’s favour. Can Girona shock the world once again?

Spice rating: Hot 🌶 🌶 🌶

Nigeria vs Ivory Coast

The Super Bowl may be heralded as the “Greatest Show on Earth” but, in truth, that title belongs to the Africa Cup of Nations this year.

Its final takes places hours before the NFL showpiece and features two of the continents most fabled sides, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, but neither of whom had an easy road, to say the least in the hosts’ case.

The Ivorians have fallen on hard times since their last title success in 2015, failing to qualify for either 2018 or 2022 World Cups and not making it past the quarter-final stage at three AFCONs.

They thought a last-16 berth was out of reach this time after a 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea but sneaked through. However, not before sacking manager Jean-Louis Gasset. Emerson Fae has stepped into the breach with an instant impact, in what is remarkably his first managerial gig.

The Super Eagles have been just a tad bit more calm but have had to deal with star man Victor Osimhen’s fitness issues, which have restricted him to just a single goal in the tournament date.

Might he rediscover his finishing touch in Abijdan or will the Elephants seal the most unlikely of victories on home soil?

Spice rating: Fire 🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶

Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich

The headline clash of both “Super Saturday” and the weekend takes place at the Bay Arena, where Bayer Leverkusen will be looking to land a potentially critical punch on Bayern Munich’s monopoly of the Bundesliga title.

Xabi Alonso’s men were the match of their Bavarian counterparts in mid-September at the Allianz Arena, which was a warning that Thomas Tuchel’s side would not have it all their own way this season.

Few would have guessed what has followed though, with Leverkusen unbeaten in 30 games across all competitions and chasing a first-ever league crown.

History tells us though that the empire that is Bayern almost always strikes back, with an undefeated streak of 21 games when facing off in a first vs second league clash. They have also been boosted by the return of Kim min-Jae from Asian Cup duty, and he will not have to take on Victor Boniface, who misses out through injury.

A win for Bayern would put them back on top and bring about that inevitable feel once again as they chase a 12th consecutive title, while Leverkusen have the chance to go five clear and set the tone for the run-in.

Will it be the same old story in the Bundesliga or can the “Neverkusen” tag be shed at long last?

Spice rating: Insane 🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶