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We're in the final gameweek of the top European leagues and this could yet be the most telling weekend of the season on a number of fronts.
We have had quite a remarkable 2020-21 season. Beginning right after the 2019-20 season drew to a close, games came thick and fast. re-season was a luxury most sides could not afford to have due to a severe lack of time. Football was played inside empty stadiums and it has been a unique season in that aspect.
But that hasn't taken much away from the excitement of the beautiful game. It's been a season packed with surprises and it is only fitting that the final weekend of the campaign could yet be the most decisive on a number of counts.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five most important things to look forward to this weekend.
#5 Robert Lewandowski could break Gerd Muller's record
For the past couple of seasons, Robert Lewandowski has been operating at a level of his own. He is Europe's most prolific striker and has taken it up a notch in the Bundesliga this term scoring 40 goals in 28 appearances.
To put the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the shade is quite an achievement in itself. He is now all set to etch his name in Bundesliga history. Bayern Munich host Augsburg today and if Lewandowski can find the back of the net, he will break Gerd Muller's record for the most number of goals in a single Bundesliga season.
It is a record that has stood for almost half a century and the Pole has already equalled it. Given the rate at which he has been scoring goals, our money is on Lewandowski to make the record his own.
#4 The race for the Premier League top 4
The Premier League is arguably the most exciting league in Europe. While the Premier League title race didn't quite live up to expectations as Manchester City sauntered across the finish line, the race for the top four has gone down to the wire.
Manchester United have sealed their position at second and it has been a season where they have shown marked improvement under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Right below them are Chelsea, Liverpool and Leicester City.
Chelsea are third with 67 points. Liverpool and Leicester City have 66 points each but the former are currently fourth thanks to their superior goal difference. Chelsea have a goal difference of +23. Liverpool have +24 and Leicester City have +20.
Chelsea take on a tough Aston Villa side. Leicester City are up against Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, who have been in fine form, will go up against Crystal Palace. It's going to be a thrilling finish to the season.
#3 The Serie A top-four race
The Serie A top four fight has become as intense as ever and the showdown befits the build-up to it. AC Milan had the chance to seal their berth in the Champions League but ended up settling for a goalless draw against Cagliari this past Monday. Meanwhile, Juventus beat Inter Milan to come within touching distance of a top 4 spot.
As things stand, Atalanta are second with 78 points. AC Milan are third with 76, tied on points with Napoli who are four owing to an inferior head-to-head record with the Rossoneri. Juventus sit fifth with 75 points and an outside chance.
To make things interesting, AC Milan are going up against Atalanta. But Atalanta cannot fall to fifth as they have the superior head-to-head record against Juventus. Therefore, Atalanta have sealed their qualification and have nothing to play for.
If one of AC Milan, Napoli or Juventus lose and the other two win, the losing side will drop out of the top four. If Juventus draw and one of Napoli or AC Milan draw their respective matches, then their head-to-head record will dictate who goes through.
This is where things will get interesting. Juventus beat AC Milan 3-1 but then lost the reverse fixture 3-0. This means that AC Milan have the better head-to-head record over them. The Bianconeri were beaten 1-0 by Napoli in the first half of the season but they bounced back to beat them 2-1 in the reverse fixture. This means that their head-to-head record is equal.
Then their goal difference in the Serie A table will come into play. Napoli have a goal difference of +45 while Juventus have +36. Simply put, Andrea Pirlo's side need a win and a fair amount of good fortune to make it to Europe's elite competition next season.
#2 The Ligue 1 title race
Paris Saint-Germain have won seven of the last eight Ligue 1 titles. They have been utterly dominant domestically but this could yet be their most underwhelming campaign in a long time. LOSC Lille have been the surprise package this time around and are a win away from becoming the French champions.
LOSC Lille are first with 80 points while PSG are second with 79. The Parisiens will take on 16th placed Brest on Sunday night while LOSC Lille take on 12th placed Angers at the same time.
Both teams are tipped to win and the Ligue 1 title is Lille's to lose at this point. If they lose, then Paris Saint-Germain just need to tie to win the title as their goal difference is way superior. PSG have a goal difference of +56 while Lille's is +40.
#1 The La Liga title race
The La Liga title race wasn't much of a thing halfway through the season. Atletico Madrid had a sizeable lead over both Real Madrid and Barcelona. But the Rojiblancos subsequently hit a rough patch while both Real Madrid and Barcelona found form and embarked on incredible runs.
However, Barcelona have capitulated in recent weeks and let slip of the opportunity to win the title. In fact, they have dropped out of the title race. As things stand, Atletico Madrid are first with 83 points and will take on Valladolid.
Real Madrid are second with 81 points and will take on a formidable Villarreal. Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have a goal difference of +41 and +38 respectively. If the teams are tied on points, the title will be decided on the basis of who has the better goal difference.
If that is a tie as well, then their head-to-head record will come into play. Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 in their first meeting of the season while the reverse fixture ended as a 1-1 draw. If it comes down to head-to-head record, Los Blancos will be crowned champions. Both matches will take place today.
