6 mouth-watering clashes of the upcoming season in European football

Some football matches are laden with more meaning than others, matches and moments for which players train all their lives. The countdown to the 2014-15 football season is well and truly underway, and with the view of marking important matchdays in the calendar, here is a look at some matches which promise to have no love lost between the teams.

#6 Liverpool vs Southampton (17th August 2014)

Liverpool start off their campaign at Anfield against a Southampton side much depleted from last season, with their most important midfielder and forward from 2013-14 both moving to Merseyside in the summer transfer window. Southampton players Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert scored 22 goals and had 16 assists to their name in the last Premier League, both figures more than the rest of their team combined.

The last meet between the two sides had resulted in an away victory for Southampton courtesy a goal by defender Dejan Lovren, who incidentally has joined club talisman Lallana and Lambert in making the switch to Anfield.

The Saints will need to labour to hold on to a hard-earned 8th place finish, but their heroes from last time around will be on the other side of the line.

#5 Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund (1st November 2014)

Bayern Munich are without doubt the most accomplished team in Germany, but Borussia Dortmund have been staking a claim to end Bayerns dominance in Germany in recent seasons. Bayern might have won the last 2 league titles byhuge margins, but the Dortmund team boasting of a greatyouth system and fan followinghad won consecutive league titles before that.

Bayern pipped Dortmund in the Champions League final two seasons ago. The two teams met last season with the away team running away 3-0 victors on both occasions. Drama is guaranteed whenever these twocome together.

Borussia fans castigated Gotze last season for moving to Bayern for what they said was financial improvement, and the recent Lewandowski move is sure to add him to Dortmunds gallery of villains. The talent at Bayerns disposal seems almost unfair on paper, but all eyes will be on Marco Reus to lead the underdogs to an unlikely upset.

#4 Chelsea vs Arsenal (4th October 2014)

The last time Arsenal travelled to Stamford Bridge was Arsene Wengers 1000th match in charge of the club but the occassion turned into a tragic farce with Chelsea pumping 6 past their hapless London rivals. It was the highest margin Chelsea had ever beaten Arsenal by, a historic collapse that calls for some sort of revenge from Wengers men this time around.

Therehave been some big-money arrivals at Chelseathis year just as every other year, one of them being one-time Arsenal favourite Cesc Fabregas. Fabregas had once said Chelsea would be the last club he would join, but has recently been called the missing piece of Chelseas engine by Jose Mourinho. The spotlight will most certainly be on Fabregas come derby day, and sowill it be on Arsenal recruit Alexis Sanchez who could just provide the much-needed bite for the Gunners in the opposition half.

#3 Manchester City vs Chelsea (21st September 2014)

Manchester City and Chelsea have been two of the most consistent teams in the top 4 of the English Premier League over the past few seasons, so this is arguably the most important match in the English calendar in terms of league results. The contest between the two elite clubs currently at the helm of English football went down to the wire last season with Chelsea prevailing in both league fixtures over their big-money rivals, but still ended up losing out on the title by 4 points.

Frank Lampard’s loan move to the Etihad has elicited mixed reactions from the Chelsea faithful. The club record-goalscorer will be turning out in the other blue jersey after being a loyal servant at Stamford Bridge for 14 years, and the reception he gets will be worth looking out for.

There is a chance this will turn out to be a cagey game based on strategy, but one never knows when pandemonium can break out in a football match.

#2 Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid (14th September 2014)

Atletico Madrid have been for many long years the also-ran team from Madrid, but have recently found a new lease of life under Diego Simeone. Real were not able to beat Atletico in the league last season, but managed to keep them in their place by coming out winners in the Champions League final and putting 5 past El Atleti over 2 legs of their Copa del Rey encounter.

There is no doubt as to who the favourites will be at Santiago Bernebeau, but Atletico’s new strike pair Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann might have something to say about the result. With rumours milling of former Atleti star Radamel Falcao moving to Real Madrid from Monaco, there is only added attention on this match.

The Madrid teams meet each other over 2 legs in the Supercopa de Espana on 19 and 22 August before their league encounter.

#1 Real Madrid vs Barcelona (26th October 2014)

The El Classico has been identified as the most-watched club football match, a match whose popularity is only rivalled by the Uefa Champions League final. This year’s fixture has a lot more riding on it, as both Real Madrid and Barcelona look to dethrone Atletico Madrid, who will look to continue their efforts to stop the Madrid-Barcelona hegemony in the Spanish League.

Their rivalry goes beyond the world of sports, and with impending speculation of Barcelona being ousted from the Spanish League, passions are sure to run high.

Last season Barcelona had won both home and away fixtures in the league, but lost out to Real in the Copa Del Rey final.

Suarez will be making his Barcelona debut on El Classico day when his four-month ban gets over, and World Cup stars James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos are the latest galacticos added to the Madrid roster, not to mention the old Messi-Ronaldo rivalry that is sure to resume once again.