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How many more times can Erik ten Hag save himself from the chop?

Seven great matches to take you from Friday to Sunday. It’s the Sound of Football Weekend Boxset.

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Friday

Championship: Sunderland v Leeds United

20.00 on Sky Sports Football, Main Event & Ultra
In 1973, Sunderland, then in Division Two (the Championship in new money), beat the then mighty Leeds United of Division One (the Premier League in new money) to win the FA Cup. Not in itself enough give birth to any kind of rivalry, however, in the celebrations back on Wearside a few days later, a coffin bearing the words “Leeds died 1973” was carried through the streets of Sunderland in a procession led by an actual clergyman, and laid to rest, so to speak, in the centre circle of Roker Park. Since that event, games between these two sides have often been spicy affairs. Indeed, as a snotty-nosed juvenile, the Leeds game was on the list along with N*wcastle and Boro in fixtures I was barred from attending until I’d “learned how to handle” myself. Fast forward to 2024 and, with a spot at the top of the table at stake, this tie promises to kick off your weekend in style. The hosts have a 100% record at home this season with not a goal conceded. This form is tempered, somewhat, by away defeats at Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth, and Watford last week. Still, an encouraging win on Tuesday against Derby, which included a right thunderbastard by Jobe Bellingham, should give the Lads momentum in this, their second televised home match of the week.  Only three points behind are tonight’s visitors, who can go top with a decent enough scoreline. After missing out on a shot at the Premier League (Division One in old money) in last season’s play-offs, and, having dropped points a few times already, this feels like a must win for Leeds, even at this early stage. Home win. JB

Saturday

Premier League: Crystal Palace v Liverpool

12.30 on TNT Sports 1 & Ultimate
Given their performance and results so far this season, Palace are a more than decent Championship team. An emphatic 4-0 win at Norwich and a tough 2-1 win at London rivals QPR only underline their credentials. The trouble is those game were in the EFL Cup and Palace are a Premier League side, in which the results leave a lot to be desired. After a moderately encouraging 0-0 draw against Manchester United, the Eagles’ flight to Goodison proved to be an absolute plane crash, losing 2-1 to a beleaguered Everton side and putting something of a reducer on the expectations at Selhurst Park. Oliver Glasner’s team need some defensive consistency, preferably settling with Marc Guehi and Maxence Lacroix in central defence. They also need Cheick Doucouré fit and settled in the defensive midfield. The xG and xGA places them in mid-table and I do believe that there are clubs in worse positions, but Palace need to catch a break and with Liverpool coming to town they are not likely to get one. Liverpool could not have asked for a more straightforward opening stanza to help new manager Arne Slot into his new role. Ipswich, Brentford, Bournemouth, West Ham, Manchester United and Wolves were always eminently beatable and so it proved to be. Only Forest caused an upset. However, they have yet to meet a serious challenger for the title or the top four, so we don’t really know what their championship credentials are. And even if they beat Palace handsomely, we’ll still be none the wiser. TD

Bundesliga: St Pauli v Mainz

17.30 on Sky Sports Football
After watching newly promoted St Pauli’s opening three games, it was hard to escape the conclusion that they were not up to the challenge in the Bundesliga. They were, frankly, wretched in parts and already looked like a defeated side. But the international break has clearly done some good. An excellent 0-0 draw with Leipzig and a superb 3-0 win at Freiburg. In fairness, the home side had a penalty saved and two goals ruled offside by VAR, both by a whisker. However, the performance was a textbook example of non-possession football, taking all three points with only 27% possession. Man of the match was Tunisian winger Elias Saad. His brace sent the St Pauli fans home to Hamburg happy. They now have the fourth best defensive record in the Bundesliga so far which is the beginnings of a platform for survival. The task now for the Pirates is to follow it up in front of a packed Millerntor against a vulnerable Mainz team. FSV’s rousing 3-2 win at Augsburg, two weeks ago, was mitigated by the fact that they conceded two goals to a poor opposition. Last week they returned home only to be beaten by Heidenheim which is no disgrace but certainly not encouraging. Bo Hendrickson’s team have Leipzig, ‘Gladbach and Bayern after this and would have looked at this fixture as a potential six-point opportunity. Not so now. TD

Serie A: Inter v Torino

19.45 on TNT Sports 1 and OneFootball
A match between two teams on the same number of points going into the weekend but possibly passing each other as they head in different directions. Torino’s brief stint at the top of Serie A table ended after a 3-2 defeat to Lazio. That loss came after a disappointing Coppa Italia exit to Empoli. Prior to that however, Paolo Vanoli’s team had enjoyed an unbeaten start to the campaign. Top scorer is Scotland striker Che Adams. The 28-year-old made the bold move from the south coast of England and Southampton to northern Italy and Turin in the summer. He says that he was attracted by the club’s ambition and was attracted by the chance to play in Serie A, and is part of the latest wave of the Scottish invasion of Italy along with Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour at Napoli. So far, it’s proved to be a good move for him, scoring three goals and providing an assist. But of greater importance to the team, in my opinion, is Saul Coco, who joined from Las Palmas in the close season. The Equatorial Guinean centre back leads the team in shot and pass interceptions and has scored two goals. Inter had also started strong but suffered an unexpected set-back in the shape of that 2-1 loss to Milan in the derby. Since then, Lautaro Martinez got off the mark for the season with a brace to help Inter to a 3-2 win at Udinese. The Argentine forward was on the scoresheet once again in the 4-0 Champions League win against Red Star. A win against Il Grande Torino should establish the Nerazzurri’s credentials as title contenders. For Torino, it’s perhaps a little too early to know how their campaign will take shape. TD

Sunday

Scottish Premiership: Ross County v Celtic

12.00 on Sky Sports Football
What do you after you’ve been hammered in the Champions League? You go back home and batter whoever you’re up against next. Sadly, for Ross County, it’s them who will be on the receiving end of Celtic’s frustrations from the midweek 7-1 pasting they were handed in Dortmund. Domestically, Celtic still have a 100% record, they’ve yet to concede a goal and are scoring at a rate of more than three a game. Ross County are unbeaten in three, but they’ve already been on the wrong end of a 6-0 against Rangers. All of which adds weight to growing belief that money from UEFA’s club competitons is increasing the disparity in leagues across Europe. For the middling leagues in Europe, there is only room for one team in the Champions League, which envitably leads to that one team dominating the domestic league by being far richer than their peers. Can it be fixed? Only if there’s the willingness to do so. For now we just have to hope that, in this game at least, Ross County might have some luck go their way. It won’t. GS

Premier League: Aston Villa v Manchester United

14.00 on Sky Sports Premier League, Main Event & Ultra
We talked about United a lot on this week’s podcast, particularly Erik ten Hag’s position at the club following his side’s home defeat to Spurs last weekend. For a side that has had its fair share of dismal performances over recent campaigns, last week’s performance seemed to be a something of watershed; they were lucky it was only 3-0. One straw optimistic fans can clutch is that the red card shown to Bruno Fernandes was unjust, and was this week downgraded to a yellow, though how different United’s performance would have been if he had remained on the pitch is debatable. But 24 hours after getting one red card chalked off, the team’s captain got himself another one in the Europa League tie with Porto. United had led 2-0 in the first half but needed a late equaliser to salvage a point, doing nothing to relieve the pressure on their head coach. The Stadio Dragao is not an easy place to go, (Arsenal lost there in February in the Champions League) but it will have done nothing to placate those who will decide ten Hag’s fate. Meanwhile, in the top competition, Villa were beating Bayern Munich, with super-sub Jhon Duran scoring the game’s only goal within 10 minutes of coming on. Last weekend Villa missed out on going joint-top of the early table by dropping points away to Ipswich. You can’t see them dropping points this weekend. If the camera cuts to Gareth Southgate in the crowd, he’s only there because he’s a former Villa player. That’s the only reason. GS

La Liga: Sevilla v Real Betis

17.30 on Premier Sports 1 and LaLigaTV
Last season, Andalucia had five teams in the top flight. After Cadiz, Almeria and Granada were all relegated, only the two teams from Seville remain. For a time, it looked like Sevilla would be one of the sides relegated, getting through three head coaches in the process of just about staying up. Last season saw Betis finish ahead of their city rivals for a second successive season, something that hadn’t happened in the previous 20 years. But even in these seasons of struggle for Sevilla, Betis have been unable to get one over their rivals in El Gran Derbi, with the last four meetings ending all square. Betis have had the better start to this season so far, losing only to Real Madrid and an in-form Mallorca. Giovani Lo Celso, has been the star of their season so far, having rejoined the club in the summer. The six goals he’s scored so far is as many as he scored in total in the five years since he left Betis for Tottenham. The 28-year-old didn’t play in their 1-0 Conference League defeat against Legia in Warsaw, having been rested for this game. For Sevilla, this will be Jesus Navas’ 28th and final Gran Derbi. The 38 year old is retiring at the end of the year. GS


Whatever you watch, have a great weekend.

Graham, Terry and Jan