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Messi causing Athletic Bilbao problems last season. Alvaro Barrientos/AP/Press Association Images
Previews

Euro Vision: 4 continental games not to be missed this weekend

Barcelona travel to Bilbao, Bayern Munich look to keep up their unbeaten run, Juventus host Udinese and PSG take on Lyon.

Bundesliga: Bayern Munich v Eintracht Braunschweig

Saturday, 2.30pm

BAYERN MUNICH WILL be expect to maintain their 100 per cent home record in the Bundesliga when they face Eintracht Braunschweig this afternoon.

Pep Guardiola’s side strengthened their grip on top spot in the German top flight with an impressive 3-0 win at Borussia Dortmund last weekend.

The Bavarian giants are now four points clear of Bayer Leverkusen at the summit, and they will be looking to make it six consecutive Bundesliga wins when the bottom-of-the-table Braunschweig visit the Allianz Arena.

Bayern’s record-breaking unbeaten run now stands at 38 Bundesliga games, while Torsten Lieberknecht’s Braunschweig have won just twice in their first season back in the top flight for 28 years.

On TV? Extended highlighhts on BT Sport 2 from 10pm.

Serie A: Juventus v Udinese

Sunday, 5.30pm

Juventus’s newfound lead of Italy’s Serie A faces its first test when the champions host Udinese four days after a morale-boosting Champions League win.

Juventus took the league lead for the first time last week after Roma, who had set a new Serie A record of 10 opening wins, slumped to a third consecutive draw.

After securing a 3-1 win over FC Copenhagen on Wednesday to relaunch their bid for a place in the last 16 in Europe, Juve seem to have finally turned the corner following a less than spectacular start to the season.

Udinese sit in mid-table having won only five of their 13 games, but veteran striker Antonio di Natale believes that after positive performances in a 1-0 defeat to Catania and, notably, last week’s 1-0 home win over Fiorentina, they can force a result in Turin.

On TV? BT Sport 1

La Liga: Athletic Bilbao v Barcelona

Sunday, 8pm

Barcelona travel to the Basque region for a meeting with Athletic Bilbao hoping to recover the intensity in their play.

The Catalans were beaten for the first time in 21 games since Gerardo Martino took charge in July on Tuesday as they produced an insipid display in going down 2-1 to Ajax in Amsterdam in the Champions League.

Defeat was the first sign that Barca could be missing the influence of the injured Lionel Messi and Victor Valdes, but Xavi insisted those that are available have to show the right attitude when they face Athletic.

Barca are likely to also be without full-backs Adriano, Jordi Alba and Dani Alves on Sunday, but Sergio Busquets and Alexis Sanchez will return after being rested in midweek.

Athletic have had an impressive start to the campaign themselves as Monday’s 2-1 win over Malaga moved them to within a point of Villarreal in the final Champions League spot.

Ernesto Valverde’s side are unbeaten at home since the opening of the new San Mames in September with four wins and two draws from six games at their new stadium.

The visit of the league leaders will prove their biggest test to date, but striker Aritz Aduriz is hoping they can take advantage of Barca’s series of injuries.

On TV? Sky Sports 1

Ligue 1: PSG v Lyon

Sunday, 8pm

imageZlatan Ibrahimovic and Max Gonalons when the teams met a year ago. Credit: Thibault Camus/AP/Press Association Images

Lyon face the mammoth task of halting the progress of French high-flyers Paris Saint-Germain in Parc des Princes as the focus turns back from Europe to Ligue 1 action.

The Parisians are riding a wave of confidence on all fronts after advancing to the Champions League knock-out round at home on Wednesday.

The big-spending Ligue 1 leaders are now unbeaten in 35 games in all competitions, and host former French giants Lyon, sitting seventh, who ply their trade in the less lucrative Europa League these days, qualifying for the knockout stages with a 1-0 win over Spanish side Valencia on Thursday.

Any slip-up by PSG would help their rivals Lille and Monaco, both still in touching distance of the leaders at four and five points respectively.

On TV? BT Sport 1

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