Editors' Picks: Manchester United vs Liverpool headlines weekend of finals & F1 drama
Here's what our editors are circling in their calendars this coming weekend:
Saturday, April 6th
Copa del Rey final - 22:00 CET
A cup final between two of the biggest and best teams in the competition can be thrilling, but it just feels like it means more when it's between two sides who weren't expected to be there.
There are two such sides in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday, with Athletic Bilbao going up against Mallorca. Both have enjoyed stunning cup runs, with the former knocking out Barcelona and Atletico Madrid and the latter battling their way past Girona and Real Sociedad.
A win for Mallorca in particular would be massive. They've only won it once before, in 2003, and have fallen on hard times since then, falling into the second tier in 2014 and the third tier in 2018. They've managed to consolidate themselves in La Liga since then, but a cup triumph would really confirm that the good times are back.
For Athletic Bilbao meanwhile, a win would see them get their hands on the trophy for the first time since 1984, when they were one of the nation's biggest superpowers. Adding the Copa del Rey to the Super Cup they won in 2021 would put them the closest they've been in years to reclaiming such a status.
Finley Crebolder
Sunday, April 7th
Japanese Grand Prix - 07:00 CET
After a slow start that provided little hope of anything other than more Max Verstappen dominance, the Formula 1 season burst into life last time out in Australia, so there's a real air of excitement ahead of round four in Japan.
That's mainly because there's some hope that Ferrari can take the fight to Red Bull following Carlos Sainz's win down under. Granted, Verstappen was forced to retire with a mechanical problem, but the Spaniard was already ahead before that and the Italian team were a match for the reigning champions for most of qualifying.
That being said, it's been reported that Red Bull will introduce their first major upgrades of the season in the land of the rising sun, fully adopting a radical zero-sidepod concept that Mercedes have previously tried and failed to pull off. Whether Adrian Newey can succeed where his rivals failed will be fascinating to see.
Even if Verstappen and Red Bull do dominate though, the Suzuka circuit is so good that the race will be a thrilling watch regardless. The figure-of-eight track is one of the most rapid and relentless in the world, making it a personal favourite of a number of drivers and guaranteeing entertainment.
Finley Crebolder
Manchester United vs Liverpool - 16:30 CET
In English football, it doesn’t get much bigger than Manchester United versus Liverpool. The two clubs from the North West are truly titans of the game not just domestically but internationally, too. Their rivalry runs as deep as any, fuelled largely by their proximity and unrivalled success over recent decades. Liverpool’s 19 league titles are only bettered by United’s 20 in England. You can read more about the history of the sides’ intense rivalry in our regular feature Derby Week here.
Heading into Sunday’s meeting, only one of these two has the chance to win the Premier League this season. Liverpool are sitting atop the table and are in the midst of a tense title race with Manchester City and Arsenal. United are down in sixth place and have other priorities. Namely, qualifying for Europe next season. However, they are nine points adrift of Tottenham in fifth so a Champions League place seems increasingly unlikely.
For United and their fans, aside from Europe, the question is: Who would they least like the win the league? Their old enemies Liverpool or their noisy neighbours City? Ideally, neither. This weekend offers them a chance to play 'prince-elector' by doing Arsenal a massive favour while also scuppering Liverpool’s tilt at matching their 20 domestic crowns.
On the form front, Liverpool are playing like title contenders while United are patchy at best - their dramatic 4-3 loss to Chelsea on Thursday typifying their entertaining but inconsistent nature. If the two sides’ recent FA Cup quarter-final is anything to go by, however, this could be another epic that defies the form guide completely.
Pat Dempsey
Turkish Super Cup final - 20:30 CET
After a failed attempt to hold the Turkish Super Cup back in December in Saudi Arabia, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are finally set to face off this weekend as they both target their first piece of silverware of the season.
The Istanbul rivals are enduring historic campaigns, with Galatasaray sitting at the top of the Super Lig on 84 points and Fenerbahce just two points behind them. They are both on course for 100-point seasons.
Fenerbahce have been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently, threatening to pull out of the league following a mass brawl among their players and Trabzonspor fans a few weeks ago. They also claim they will field their reserve players come the weekend, due to being unhappy about the rearranged date of the Super Cup.
Regardless, there will be a number of superstars on the pitch, with Galatasaray's Mauro Icardi, Dries Mertens and Lucas Torreira all set to start, and potentially the likes of Edin Dzeko and Dusan Tadic for Fenerbahce.
When these two fierce enemies take to the field, drama is always guaranteed. And with all the controversy off the pitch this season, this match could deliver yet another spicy chapter in the wild world of Turkish football.
Tolga Akdeniz
