A Preview Of The Premier League, La Liga and Serie A
SuperSport viewers on DStv and GOtv can look forward to extended action from the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A, with matches scheduled to be played from Friday 30 September to Monday 3 October 2022.
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The pick of Premier League matches this weekend is the meeting of Manchester City and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on the early afternoon of Sunday 2 October. While the Citizens are flying high and looking a powerful machine under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, United are still finding their identity under Erik ten Hag – and will be playing for the first time in the Premier League for almost a month (having had their previous two matches postponed due to the Queen’s passing and related policing issues).
Ten Hag has admitted that the international break did not help his preparations for this derby: “I don’t have the players [while they are away with their national teams],” the Dutchman said. “What can we plan? We can plan work structures with the players who will be there. They will get a break but also have good sessions. We can work on specifics but, when 90 percent of the squad is not there, we cannot work on development. That is clear.”
The round also features the latest edition of the North London derby, as Arsenal welcomes Tottenham Hotspur to the Emirates Stadium. Spurs claimed a key victory over the Gunners toward the end of last season which earned them a spot in the UEFA Champions League ahead of their rivals, and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will surely use that as motivation for this clash.
“This is the game at the end of the day – it’s decided in various small fractions of time, moments, and details that lead to a football result,” said Arteta. “It can be completely different from what you have earned and our job is to earn the right to win the match. Sometimes it’s margins, errors, or decisions that are not in your hands.”
Other games to look out for include Crystal Palace hosting Chelsea for a London derby, Brighton & Hove Albion visiting Liverpool and a potential Monday night thriller between East Midlands rivals Leicester City and Nottingham Forest at the King Power Stadium.
SuperSport is the only place where you can get English commentary on the legendary La Liga, where the headline fixture for this round is the meeting of Sevilla and Atletico Madrid at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on the early evening of Saturday 1 October.
Atletico are looking to build on their somewhat underwhelming start to the campaign and a win in Andalusia will go a long way in boosting their confidence, according to manager Diego Simeone: “I have seen improvements, but we are inconsistent,” said the Argentine. “We can do more to put ourselves in a strong position this season, and this game is very important in that regard.”
Straight after the match in Seville, Mallorca will welcome Barcelona to the Son Moix Stadium and look to claim a major scalp: “I have spoken with the players and it would be important to get the three points and leave a good image so that people go home happy,” said Mallorca manager Javier Aguirre. “We have managed to make the team run and be intense. It is the only way that I understand we can compete because talent without effort doesn’t do much.”
Champions Real Madrid, meanwhile, will have to wait until Sunday night for their home match against Osasuna, wi