Here is a look at what’s happening in European soccer on Saturday:
ENGLAND
Manchester City’s quadruple quest resumes with a tricky trip to third-place Leicester. Pep Guardiola’s City needs only 14 points from its last eight games to wrap up a third Premier League title in four years. In September, Leicester is chasing a double over the leaders after a stunning 5-2 win at the Etihad Stadium. Former City striker Kelechi Iheanacho is in fine form after scoring seven goals in his last four games for Leicester.
Saturday also sees a rare meeting between Arsenal and Liverpool when neither team is in the top four. Liverpool’s hopes of retaining the title have not only been shattered since the turn of the year but, having slipped to seventh, the champions are in danger of missing out on making the Champions League next season. That’s unless they lift the European Cup for a seventh time.
Real Madrid is next up in the upcoming quarterfinals. Arsenal is four points behind Liverpool in ninth. Sheffield United has seemed resigned to relegation for some time, and West Bromwich Albion also appears to be approaching the point of no return to stay in the league. Last-place Sheffield United takes on Leeds, which is 11th. West Brom, 10 points from safety, travels to fourth-place Chelsea.
FRANCE
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti is injured for the table-topping clash with second-place Lille, which trails defending champion PSG only on goal difference. Verratti hurt his left thigh playing for Italy, and PSG will reassess his fitness on Sunday. PSG is also without striker Mauro Icardi. PSG plays at Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Midfielder Danilo Pereira and left-back Layvin Kurzawa through injury. The top four sides are all in action. Monaco can move to third place and drop Lyon down to fourth if it beats ninth-place Metz at home and Lyon does not win at fifth-place Lens. This week, Lyon forward Memphis Depay scored twice for the Netherlands but must get his club form back after being the team’s best player for much of the season.
SPAIN
Real Madrid hosts Eibar in the Spanish league ahead of essential matches against Liverpool and Barcelona. Madrid plays Liverpool on Tuesday in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals and faces Barcelona next weekend in a matching key to its hopes of retaining the Spanish league title.
Madrid is in third place, six points behind leader Atlético Madrid and two points behind Barcelona. Sergio Ramos will miss the upcoming matches due to a left leg injury. Also in the league, Villarreal visits Granada, while Getafe is at Osasuna. Basque Country clubs Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad meet in the final of the 2020 Copa del Rey, which, which was delayed from last season’s end due to the pandemic. The final will be played in Seville.
