36 Matches, Eight Leagues: Roma and Inter Set the Day’s Main Test

Thirty-six matches across eight leagues shape Saturday’s programme. The headline fixture is AS Roma against Inter, with the sides level on 12 points and both carrying four straight wins; Barcelona’s visit to Sevilla also pits first against fifth, with Barcelona perfect after five rounds. Across the slate, leaders defend strong starts while several sides seek their first points or a change in form.

Serie A (Brazil)

Atletico-MG, seventh on 39 points, host bottom club Chapecoense-sc, who have 17. Atletico-MG’s [WLWDW] form offers the stronger platform, while Chapecoense-sc arrive after [LWLWD]. Mirassol v Botafogo is tighter in the table: 15th meets 11th, separated by six points. Remo’s [LLLLD] run makes their meeting with Santos, 10th on 35 points and [WWWDW], another notable test. Also today: 17th-placed Vasco DA Gama face eighth-placed Coritiba.

Bundesliga (Germany)

Borussia Dortmund are third on nine points and have won all three listed matches, but VfB Stuttgart need points from 14th with three. Freiburg are second and perfect in their listed form before visiting ninth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt. Also today: Augsburg sit fourth before visiting Werder Bremen; Mainz face winless Borussia Mönchengladbach; and winless Hamburger SV meet Köln.

La Liga (Spain)

Sevilla v Barcelona is the day’s clearest Spanish headline. Sevilla are fifth on 13 points, while leaders Barcelona have 18 and [WWWWW] form. Athletic Club and Alaves meet with Alaves sixth on 10 points, three above Athletic Club. Also today: Osasuna host Rayo Vallecano, and Celta Vigo welcome Racing Santander with Celta 18th on four points.

Liga Profesional Argentina (Argentina)

River Plate are second on 29 points and bring [WWWDW] form into their meeting with seventh-placed Huracan. Gimnasia L.P. are sixth on 26 points against Banfield, while Union Santa Fe and fifth-placed Independiente are separated by three points. Also today: Gimnasia M. play Deportivo Riestra, and Racing Club meet Sarmiento Junin.

Ligue 1 (France)

Third-placed Rennes visit Lyon, who are fourth, in the leading French fixture; Rennes have 10 points to Lyon’s eight. Paris FC and Strasbourg are fifth and sixth respectively, making their meeting another close table pairing. Also today: Angers face Estac Troyes, Toulouse meet Le Havre in a meeting of sides on two points, and Le Mans host Lorient.

Major League Soccer (USA)

San Jose Earthquakes v Los Angeles FC is a meeting of fourth and sixth, with only one point between them. New England Revolution are third on 43 points and face Orlando City SC, whose [WWWDW] form is the stronger recent sequence despite their 34-point total. Also today: Charlotte visit 11th-placed DC United, while CF Montreal and Columbus Crew occupy 15th and 13th.

Premier League (England)

Brighton v Arsenal carries the biggest English table contrast: sixth hosts the leaders, who have 12 points and four straight wins. Newcastle face fifth-placed Hull City, while Everton and Ipswich meet level on six points. Also today: Tottenham host Aston Villa with both in the bottom three, and Nottingham Forest welcome Coventry, who are 20th without a point.

Serie A (Italy)

AS Roma v Inter is the match not to miss: first and second are level on 12 points, and both have won all four listed games. Lazio, fourth on 10 points, visit bottom side Venezia, who have no points. Also today: Cagliari’s nine points lead their visit to Udinese; Bologna meet Torino; and 13th-placed Bologna face Torino, 15th, in another lower-table meeting.

AS Roma v Inter is the single match not to miss because the top two meet level on points with perfect four-match form.