Weekend Preview: Arsenal Ladies to lift Women’s Super League trophy as Borussia Dortmund give final chase for Bundesliga title
We may be approaching the final days of the football season, but for some our SWAP clubs there is still plenty to play for and plenty celebrate.
Both Arsenal Men’s and Ladies sides will play their final league games on Saturday and Sunday, while Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid play their penultimate matches.
Here is everything you need to know about this weekend’s upcoming action.
Arsenal Ladies vs Manchester City: Saturday, 12:30pm
The party has already started for Arsenal Ladies, who clinched the Women’s Super League title with a 4–0 hammering of Brighton last weekend.
And to add to the joy of Arsenal fans, the Gunners host the very side they pipped to the title — last season’s champions Manchester City.
The Gunners sit four points clear of City and can really make their dominance known this weekend with a victory that would see them claim the league title by a seven-point margin. With the likes of Women’s Player of the Year and WSL top scorer Vivianne Miedema set to feature, who has 22 goals this season, you have to fear for this City side.
Borussia Dortmund vs Fortuna: Saturday, 2:30pm
The Bundesliga title is not yet out of reach for Julien Weigl and his Dortmund players, although they will need favours from RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt in the coming weeks.
First thing’s first though, the Yellow and Blacks welcome middle-table settlers Fortuna to the Westfallenstadion on Saturday afternoon. Dortmund are looking to keep the pressure on league leaders Bayern Munich, who also face Leipzig at the same time, with both games kicking off at 2:30pm.
While Dortmund have not won in two league games, they will be confident of getting back to winning ways with Paco Alcacer leading the line, who is the league’s second-highest scorer with 18 goals. Fortuna won their last encounter 2–1 earlier this season though, so revenge is certainly on the minds of these Dortmund players.
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Burnley vs Arsenal: Sunday, 3pm
For Unai Emery’s Arsenal, the top four may be out of the question, but finishing the season strong remains a must, especially given they have a Europa League final to prepare for later this month.
So, victory at Burnley is worth more than just points. Player belief and confidence is also on the line, and therefore this game is crucial for them. Emery takes his side to Turf Moor knowing they have won just one Premier League game in five, meaning Sunday’s clash could be considered a must-win in the eyes of many fans.
Luckily for the Gunners, they have just the ammunition to get the job done at Burnley with Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang showing on Thursday night in Valencia just what they can bring. Aubameyang, who scored a hat-trick to send Arsenal through to the final, and Lacazette clearly hold the key for Emery’s men, but there is a chance they may be rested ahead of the final in Baku this month.
Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid: Sunday, 5:30pm
Finishing second in La Liga is no longer a concern for Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid. But what is a concern for the Los Blancos manager is leaving a lasting memory for their fans as the season draws to a close.
This has not been a full-force Real side this season, who have lost 10 league games with two still to play, so finishing strong — like Arsenal — is key here.
Mariano will be one to pay close attention this weekend though, after his two goals fired Real to a 3–2 victory over Villarreal last weekend.
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