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The 2018/2019 European football season kicks into full gear this weekend, with the Spanish La Liga and Italian Serie A set to resume hostilities after the English Premier League had given us an intriguing matchday one.
Some leagues and clubs would be missing key players following an active transfer window, while others would be fielding new signings. Clubs like Barcelona and Juventus would seek to consolidate their stranglehold on their domestic crown while the likes of Real Madrid, Atletico and Napoli would attempt to mount serious title challenges.
As with any weekend of football, there are a plethora of fixtures to feast upon, and while a majority are hardly blockbuster clashes, there are quite a number of marquee games to look ahead to. Here are the four biggest must watch football matches in Europe this weekend.
#4 Barcelona vs Alaves
Barcelona are defending Spanish La Liga champions, after winning their 25th Spanish league title last season in record-breaking fashion.
La Blaugrana were efficient last season, and almost set a record of being the first team to go undefeated across a 38-game season in Spain but for a shock 5-4 defeat at the Estadio de Ciutat Valencia to Levante on the penultimate matchday. Barca ended the season with 93 points, 14 clear of second-placed Atletico, scoring a whopping 99 goals.
However, Barcelona is very much a team in transition, having recently announced Messi as the new captain of the club, following Andres Iniesta's departure to Vissel Kobe of Japan at the end of last season.
The club has also dabbled extensively into the transfer market, spending a total of €125.9m on new arrivals, including Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal from Bayern Munich, Brazilian winger Malcom from Bordeaux and central midfielder Arthur from Gremio.
Ernesto Valverde would seek to consolidate on the gains Barcelona has made domestically in recent seasons while attempting to mount a real assault on Europe.
Lionel Messi is also on a personal battle for redemption, having seen his legacy questioned with his underperformance at the just concluded World Cup. Also, with Ronaldo's departure from La Liga and dominance of personal awards in the last two years, 'La Pulga Atomica' would seek to erase all doubts as to his status as one of the greatest of all time.
Barcelona would have Basque country campaigners Deportivo Alaves for company, and the defending champions would be wary of 'El Glorioso', as they have shown that they can cause Barcelona problems both in their shock 2-1 victory at the Camp Nou two seasons ago, and in their 3-1 Copa Del Rey final defeat in 2017 where they went into the lead before Barcelona rallied back to snatch victory.
#3 Real Madrid v Getafe
It is no hidden secret that Real Madrid has been the most dominant team on the European scene over the last five seasons, however, Los Blancos have not been able to translate their continental success onto the domestic stage, winning just two La Liga and Copa Del Reys each in the last ten seasons, and watching on as their great rivals Barcelona triumphed multiple times in both competitions.
Real Madrid like their rivals are also in a process of transition, as the most influential player over the last decade and arguably in all of the club's illustrious history; Cristiano Ronaldo departed in the summer, completing a shocking blockbuster move to Juventus.
Also, Zinedine Zidane, who is the most successful coach in the club's modern era, and the only manager to have successfully defended the Champions League not once but on two occasions consecutively resigned from the club just hours after guiding the club to its third straight Champions League crown in May last season, and was replaced by ex-Spain coach Julen Lopetegui.
Lopetegui floundered in his first competitive match in charge of Real Madrid, falling 4-2 to city rivals Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday, while Gareth Bale struggled to lift his club in Ronaldo's absence.
Real Madrid failed in their first major test Post-Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, so would seek to bounce back and show their credentials despite Ronaldo's departure, and Getafe's visit to the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday offers a perfect opportunity for that.
#2 Chievo Verona v Juventus
The Bianconeri have won each of the last seven editions of the Italian Serie A, such has been their total domination of Italian football that they have also completed 'the double' of Serie A and Coppa Italia consecutively for the last four seasons.
So it came as a major shock, when the Turin club completed the signing of mega superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in July for a reported fee of £105m from Real Madrid.
The Portuguese superstar is one of the most marketable players in the history of football, and Juventus are bound to make gains despite the huge outlay to get him, as record shirt sales have already been announced, while new fans have been captured by virtue of the 33-year-old's popularity.
Interest in Serie A has been rekindled due to Ronaldo's presence, and one of the biggest Satelite feed providers in Africa recently announced a new TV rights deal was in place to broadcast all Serie A matches to Sub-Saharan Africa, to ensure Ronaldo's fanatical fans on the continent can get to follow his performances every week.
The new chapter in Ronaldo's epic career begins in Italy, and the first page would be written on Saturday at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, and you would not want to miss it
#1 Chelsea v Arsenal
This is undoubtedly the biggest match not just in the Premier League, but in all of Europe this weekend.
The fixture features two London heavyweights who have had very contrasting fortunes in recent seasons. While Chelsea have undoubtedly been one of the most successful clubs in England over the last decade, Arsenal found themselves losing their identity, falling behind the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City on the English football hierarchy, and are in a process of transition following the departure of iconic manager Arsene Wenger after 22 years at the helm of the Gunners.
The match would feature two new coaches in Premier League context, who would be taking charge of only their second league match on the English domestic front, and both posted different results on their Premier League managerial debut.
Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea put up an attacking masterclass to dispatch Huddersfield away at the John Smith Stadium, winning emphatically by 3-0. While Arsenal under Emery put up a no-show as Manchester City bossed proceedings from start to finish in a comfortable 2-0 victory at the Emirates.
Unai Emery would be desperate to get his first competitive victory as boss of Arsenal, and Stamford Bridge would be the venue for this gargantuan clash which any true football fan should not miss.
