7 Must-Watch Games Over This Weekend's (Men's) International Break
By Tom Gott
Weekends are made for one thing: watching a whole lot of football.
Most league football is on hold for the time being, with players jetting off around the globe to strut their stuff on the international stage, and that always throws up plenty of intriguing clashes.
Here are seven must-watch games coming up this weekend.
1. Tottenham Hotspur Women vs Manchester United Women (October 10, 12:30)
? Now our focus switches back to the #BarclaysFAWSL and Saturday's game at Spurs ?#MUWomen pic.twitter.com/kGqm6uJtin
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) October 8, 2020
It may be the international break, but the Women's Super League is still going strong, and you can start your weekend with an intriguing clash between Tottenham and Manchester United.
Could we finally see Alex Morgan's return to action? The United States legend hasn't kicked a ball competitively in well over a year as pregnancy and the COVID-19 pandemic kept her on the sidelines.
United are yet to lose a game this season, and they'll be determined to avoid picking up that first loss in this one.
2. Spain vs Switzerland (October 10, 19:45)
¡Listos para mañana! ?@sefutbol #NationsLeague#SomosEspaña ?? pic.twitter.com/TXk2JSqo5e
— Dani Olmo (@daniolmo7) October 9, 2020
Switzerland are already falling behind in Group 4 of the UEFA Nations League. They've picked up just one point from their two games so far and need to start winning games now.
Unfortunately for Vladimir Petković's side, they will be coming up against group leaders Spain, who will be looking for a better performance than the one they offered up in the recent 0-0 draw with Portugal.
It's still all to play for in the group. The four teams are separated by just three points, so a positive result could change things in an instant.
3. Ukraine vs Germany (October 10, 19:45)
?️ Joachim #Löw: "We've come up against certain hurdles in recent games. Now we have to try and overcome them. Everyone who has travelled is ready for training and can play. We're full of motivation."#DieMannschaft #UKRGER pic.twitter.com/Q9SQ3squje
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) October 9, 2020
The other game in Group 4, Ukraine's meeting with Germany promises to be just as intriguing.
Germany are still trying to prove that they haven't fallen off on the international stage. They're yet to win in the Nations League this season, drawing both their opening games, and shared the spoils last time out in a friendly against Turkey.
A loss would see Germany fall well behind, but Ukraine will be ready for any reaction from Joachim Löw's side.
4. Republic of Ireland vs Wales (October 11, 14:00)
Tough night in London but we're already looking ahead to Dublin.
— Wales ??????? (@Cymru) October 8, 2020
Our #NationsLeague campaign continues on Sunday against the Republic of Ireland. #TogetherStronger pic.twitter.com/ZF4Uci2OtN
As close to a derby as you're going to find on the international stage this weekend, Wales will take a trip to the Aviva Stadium to face the Republic of Ireland on Sunday.
Having lost 3-0 to England in the recent friendly, Wales will be determined to bounce back with a victory against another local rival.
Ireland will be desperate to salvage some form of positivity from the international break, having failed to qualify for Euro 2020 after crashing out of the play-offs against Slovakia.
5. Chelsea Women vs Manchester City Women (October 11, 14:30)
City on Sunday! ? pic.twitter.com/ZNcEnOSzxg
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) October 9, 2020
There aren't many clashes in the women's game more appetising than Chelsea vs Manchester City.
The two sides, who battled it out for the league title last year and the Community Shield this season, are two of the strongest sides around, and they've both strengthened during the summer.
The likes of Pernille Harder and Melanie Leupolz arrived at Chelsea, while City added Champions League winners Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood alongside the 2019 World Cup winning duo of Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle, so there'll likely be some real quality on show.
6. England vs Belgium (October 11, 17:00)
Next up: ??
— England (@England) October 9, 2020
Who would you like to see start for the #ThreeLions in Sunday's #NationsLeague clash?
Group 2 could well throw up the game of the weekend as Belgium make their way to Wembley Stadium to face England.
Belgium are unbeaten in their last 13 games, winning 12 in a row before the recent 1-1 draw with the Ivory Coast, and Roberto Martínez's side will come into the game as slight favourites.
A victory for England would see them move about Belgium in the group, but a defeat would see them fall a whopping five points behind. For the Three Lions, it's a must-win.
7. France vs Portugal (October 11, 19:45)
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) October 8, 2020
Reigning world champions vs defending Nations League champions, France vs Portugal shouldn't need much selling.
They're two of the biggest sides in the world, and they're also both unbeaten in Group 3. This fixture could go a long way to deciding the final standing of the group.
Kylian Mbappé, Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba and a whole host of the game's biggest names are likely to be in action, so you definitely don't want to miss this one.