Championship showdowns in Spain and England
The German and Italian football leagues also have big matches this weekend as teams look to qualify for the Champions League
EUROPE's club football season is fast approaching its finish line, and there are many key matches taking place this weekend in each of the continent's Big Four leagues.
Here are BT Weekend's picks of the key games to keep your eye on, from the Spanish La Liga, the German Bundesliga, the English Premier League (EPL) and the Italian Serie A.
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid (Saturday 10.15pm kickoff, Singapore time)
Of all the fixtures this weekend, the biggest one of all takes place in Spain, with La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid playing away to Barcelona.
The race for the title in Spain is one of the closest in recent seasons, with third-placed Barcelona just two points behind Atletico. The defending champions Real Madrid are in second spot, level on 74 points with Barcelona but ahead of them in the standings because of a better head-to-head record.
Barcelona's star player Lionel Messi is hitting top form at just the right moment, and the 33-year-old Argentinean is the man to watch again after his two goals last Sunday sealed a thrilling 3-2 win over Valencia.
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It's been seven years since Atletico last celebrated being league winners, and manager Diego Simeone is eager to end that barren run. Should he somehow mastermind a famous win over Barcelona tonight, it would give his team all the momentum and confidence to see them past the finish line.
Borussia Dortmund vs RB Leipzig (Saturday 9.30pm)
While it's almost certain that Bayern Munich will be crowned champions once again this season, the battle for the Champions League positions is still very much in the balance.
Two of those teams in contention - second-placed RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund, in fifth spot - square off on Saturday in the first of a double-header between the two clubs in the space of five days.
Leipzig are seven points clear of third-ranked Wolfsburg and can guarantee the runners-up position if they can claim maximum points from Dortmund.
That task is easier said than done, of course, with Dortmund boasting a formidable attack spearheaded by Norwegian hitman Erling Haaland (37 goals from 38 appearances in all competitions) and Englishman Jadon Sancho (12 goals in 34 matches).
After their league match, Leipzig and Dortmund play each other again in the German Cup final on Thursday night at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.
Manchester City vs Chelsea (Sunday 12.30am)
There's no need to wait until May 29 for the Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea. These two English rivals are set to duel this weekend in what promises to be another fiery battle, with City knowing that victory will be enough to seal the club's third EPL championship in four years.
An all-conquering Manchester City are light years ahead of the chasing pack at the top of the league, to the extent that many bookmakers have long stopped taking anymore bets on them finishing first.
Fourth-placed Chelsea have enjoyed something of a resurgence under manager Thomas Tuchel, and have a final of their own to look forward to - the FA Cup final against Leicester next weekend. The Blues were actually the last club to defeat City in any competition, a 1-0 win in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley three weeks ago. It's shaping up to be one heck of a match at the Etihad Stadium, and all signs point to an entertaining clash with plenty of goals.
Juventus vs AC Milan (Monday, 2.45am)
Inter-Milan clinched the Serie A championship last weekend, but there's still lots to play for with an intriguing five-way battle for second place.
Two of those teams in the running - Juventus and AC Milan - meet at the Allianz Stadium in what is being billed as a clash between the sport's two most recognisable stars, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
In a rarity for his career, Ronaldo will finish the season trophyless but the 36-year-old Portugal hitman is still scoring plenty of goals, including a double in the dying minutes of the 2-1 win over Udinese last Sunday.
Ibrahimovic is a few months shy of his 40th birthday but the Swede is showing no signs of slowing down just yet. He's already netted 15 times in 18 league appearances for Milan, and he needs to remain fully fit to spearhead Milan's push to qualify for next season's Champions League.
All things considered, history is definitely on the home team's side. Juventus have an impressive record over Milan, winning the last nine meetings in Turin. In fact, Milan have tasted victory just once over the Old Lady in the last 13 fixtures between the sides in all competitions.
Football purists will be tuning in to see if these two historic rivals can put on a masterclass in defending, while displaying the full force of their attacking prowess.
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