Welcome to The Match Sheet, where each weekend we find some of the best games to look out for. As the end of the season draws another week closer, we have yet more superb fixtures to sink our teeth into this weekend.

The battle of the UCL hots up, as big games in the Premier League, Bundesliga, and Serie A will decide some teams’ fates. Meanwhile, the Liga Portugal title is on the line, as the Derby de Lisboa promises to be a thrilling one and El Clásico is played in Spain.

Newcastle United vs. Chelsea

With the title wrapped up in Merseyside and the relegation spots confirmed for the promoted trio, all eyes are on the race for UEFA Champions League qualification in the Premier League.

Newcastle United and Chelsea are two of the hot favourites to qualify by finishing in the top five, but it’s certainly not a given for either. The pair currently sit fourth and fifth respectively, level on points and only two above Nottingham Forest, who face Leicester City.

The Blues travel to Newcastle having only lost two in their last 15 in all competitions, those came at the Emirates and a surprise defeat to Legia Warsaw in the UEFA Conference League. Enzo Maresca’s side got past their semi-final foe, Djurgården, 1-0 at Stamford Bridge midweek. The 5-1 aggregate scoreline gave a changed Chelsea side safe passage to the final to face Real Betis.

For the Magpies, a spell of inconsistency has come after a stunning run of six wins in a row. A defeat to Aston Villa and a draw with Brighton and Hove Albion sandwiched a victory against Leicester City. 

However, in Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy, they have the second top scorer and the second top assist-maker in the Premier League. They’re two players who can conjure something out of nothing and change a game.

St. James’ Park will be rocking for this Sunday lunchtime clash, could that play a part in the game?

FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid 

FC Barcelona can all but guarantee a La Liga title if they beat Real Madrid on Sunday afternoon.

It’s the fourth El Clásico of the season, with the sides having met only a couple of weeks ago in a fiery Copa del Rey final. It’s 3-0 in terms of derby wins for Hansi Flick’s men, with an aggregate score of 12-4. 

Thanks to their four-point gap above Madrid at the top of the La Liga table, victory would see Barca have a seven-point lead with only nine games left to play. 

A barn-burning 4-3 defeat at the San Siro in midweek saw them crash out of the Champions League in extra time to Inter. The physical exertion of a truly crazy game might add an aspect of lethargy to Barcelona’s performance on Sunday, but the league leaders are in incredible form in 2025. Tuesday’s loss was their first since late December, a game of 31 games.

For Madrid, an away derby is a tricky task, particularly for a team who have lost big games against big teams. Defeats to Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, and, of course, Barcelona, have marred Madrid’s season.

It’s likely to be a feisty game. Relations between the clubs have always been tough, but after the actions during the Copa del Rey final, the intensity is likely to be even stronger. 

As big a game as it is for Flick, Carlo Ancelotti’s men will be only one point behind the league leaders if they grab all three points.

Benfica vs. Sporting CP

The Liga Portugal title race could be decided this weekend, as the Lisbon giants meet for a game for the ages.

The Derby de Lisboa is a competitive clash, and this season, both Benfica and Sporting CP have been at the top of the table throughout. They go into the penultimate matchday level on points. Sporting lead the league thanks to a superior head-to-head record, which came from their 1-0 victory earlier in the season.

Estadio da Luz could see one of Portugal’s big three crowned champions on Saturday, depending on the different outcomes.

Should Sporting taste victory in their rivals’ backyard, they’ll win the league. If Benfica wins by two or more goals, they will be crowned champions. If Benfica wins by only one goal, the title will be decided on the final day, but with Sporting needing Benfica to lose at Braga to get back level. If the sides draw, it’ll also be decided next weekend, but with Sporting in the driving seat. 

Viktor Gyökeres has been the standout player in the division again this season. His 38 goals are 20 more than the chasing pack in the top goal scorer race. Trincao has been another Sporting star, his 22 goal involvements have supported the big Swede. 

For Benfica, Vangelis Pavlidis has eight goals in his last six and is likely to spearhead any positive play from the home side.

Liverpool vs. Arsenal 

It’ll likely be a bitter pill for Arsenal to swallow. But the tradition of the Guard of Honour given to the champions elect remains, and Mikel Arteta’s side will be no different.

Liverpool have wrapped up the title, meaning the visit of their closest competition in the title race, though still some pace off the Reds, is inconsequential to them. 

However, for Arsenal, it’s a vital game.

Following on from their midweek disappointment at Paris St. Germain, their UCL semi-final defeat, The Gunners’ attention quickly turns back to ensuring they are in that competition again next season. A couple of weeks ago, it seemed ludicrous to suggest they wouldn’t make it in the top five. But after dropping points to Everton, Brentford, Crystal Palace, and AFC Bournemouth, the Gunners are only four points ahead of fifth-place Chelsea. 

The gap to Forest in sixth is a healthier six points, but should Arsenal lose to Liverpool and fourth-place Newcastle United next week, that gap disappears.

An Arsenal victory is certainly not out of the question. Liverpool’s display and defeat at Chelsea last week showed a team who have taken their foot off the pedal.

Serie A’s Top Six

The title race in Italy’s top flight is an exciting one, with Napoli and Inter pushing each other right to the end. However, the race for UCL is equally as enthralling and the four of the top six do battle this weekend.

Napoli have a three-point lead at the top of the table and could make it six if they beat Genoa at home and Inter slip up away at Torino. I Nerazzurri bested FC Barcelona midweek to reach the UCL final. Could there be a hangover from the 4-3 AET victory that’d affect this game? 

Third-place Atalanta host resurgent AS Roma in Bergamo. La Dea has a five-point gap above fourth-place Juventus, who are level on points with Roma and Lazio. An Atalanta win will see them qualify for next season’s UCL.

Meanwhile, Juventus travels to Rome to face Lazio. It’s fourth versus sixth with both sides on 63 points. The winner of that game goes into fourth, assuming Roma don’t beat Atalanta.

At the bottom of the table, time is running out for Empoli and Venezia to catch Lecce, who occupy the final safe position. Empoli face 16th place Parma, an inherently winnable game, whereas 17th place Lecce travel to play Hellas Verona, who are currently 15th. 

There are tight affairs with big permutations all across Serie A.

Elsewhere across the world…

If big games with huge permutations are what you’re looking for, then cast an eye on La Liga 2. 

The top four are separated by only six points, and with four games still remaining, the title and promotion spots are up for grabs. And the top four all play each other this weekend.

League leaders Elche can make it a seven-point gap over second-place Levante if they win their clash on Saturday, whilst third play fourth as Racing Santander host Real Oviedo. Should either of those sides win, and Elche do beat Levante, they will find themselves second in the table with three games to go.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen versus Borussia Dortmund is sure to be a cracker in the Bundesliga. Xabi Alonso’s Bayer has stepped into the gap that Dortmund has left, as FC Bayern’s closest battler. Last season’s league champions are safely nestled in second, eight points behind Vincent Kompany’s title-winners and 12 ahead of Eintracht Frankfurt.

Dortmund, however, has had a terrible season and is languishing in fifth. They’ve certainly picked up in recent weeks, though, and thanks to a run of three league wins on the bounce, they now find themselves only one point behind fourth-place Freiburg, and therefore qualifying for the UCL.

In the 2. Bundesliga, the title race continues as Hamburger SV replaced FC Koln atop of the table. Meanwhile, the fight for third, the promotion playoff place, rages on. Minnows, Elversberg jumped above Magdeburg last week, and the latter are in a tough match this weekend. Fourth-place Paderborn 07 also leapfrogged Magdeburg, but the pair do battle on Saturday. If Elversberg slips up, either side could end the day in third.

And finally, in Major League Soccer, the Eastern Conference top two face off as Philadelphia Union host Columbus Crew, and in the West, table-topping Vancouver Whitecaps have a tough, but intriguing, match-up against LAFC.