There are huge derbies in the Bundesliga, Eredivisie and Premier League as we run through the five best football fixtures to watch this weekend.
Five spicy fixtures you must watch this weekend:
Crystal Palace vs Manchester City
Crystal Palace and Manchester City meet in a rematch of last season’s FA Cup final. Palace upset the odds to secure their first-ever major trophy at Wembley, securing silverware and a place in Europe for the first time.
That win, however, is their only victory in the past eight meetings with Manchester City. The Citizens have move ominously into the rear-view mirror of Arsenal in the title race and have been in good form of late.
Our last 🔟 goals against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park ⏪🩵 pic.twitter.com/uRJoiDZcYv
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 12, 2025
Spice Rating: Mild 🌶
Bayer Leverkusen vs FC Koln
There’s a Rhine Derby in the Bundesliga on Saturday evening as Leverkusen host Koln. Two teams and cities situated less than 40km apart do battle in Germany, in one of the most eagerly anticipated grudge matches on the calendar.
Neither are in particularly impressive form. Leverkusen have won just one in five, while Koln are winless in their last four. Both might just be hoping that form does go out the window on derby day.
Spice Rating: Medium 🌶🌶
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Bologna vs Juventus
Two teams desperately trying to keep on the coattails of the league leaders do battle in Serie A this weekend.
Fifth and seventh respectively in the table, neither can afford to drop points if they’re to remain an outside bet for the Scudetto. Bologna have endured a mini-wobble of late, while things haven’t quite clicked for Juventus this season.
Spice Rating: Hot 🌶🌶🌶
Ajax vs Feyenoord
De Klassieker returns this weekend as the Eredivisie’s elite collide in Amsterdam.
Ajax are floundering in fourth, though Feyenoord still have hopes of catching a PSV Eindhoven team who are in danger of running away in the title race. There’s always plenty of needle when these teams meet and this should not be any different.
Spice Rating: Fire 🌶🌶🌶🌶
Sunderland vs Newcastle
For the first time in almost a decade, we have a Tyne-Wear Derby in the Premier League.
Sunderland have been superb since returning to the Premier League, with an impressive recruitment drive having led the Black Cats into the top half. Such has been their success, Regis Le Bris’s side sit above arch-rivals Newcastle heading into this weekend’s game.
Sunderland have lost just 𝗢𝗡𝗘 of the last 10 derbies vs Newcastle in the Premier League 😯⚔️ pic.twitter.com/lWowCiL82p
— LiveScore (@livescore) December 11, 2025
Newcastle have certainly found the Black Cats to be unlucky in recent meetings, having not beaten Sunderland in the Premier League since August 2011.
Spice Rating: Insane 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
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