Classic treble headlining the top 10 matches in Europe this weekend

As we edge past the quarter of the season mark in most of Europe’s major leagues, we take a look at the top ten matches from this weekend’s fixtures, and there is only one place to start.

That, of course, is LaLiga, where the first Clasico of the season could well be Julen Lopetegui’s last in the Real Madrid dugout. The former Spain coach has endured a torrid start to life at the Bernabeu, and needs a statement win this Sunday to retrieve a pretty desperate situation.

Barcelona haven’t been at their best either but still top the table, while their rivals find themselves down in seventh. With Lionel Messi out injured, this will be the first match between the sides without the Argentine or Cristiano Ronaldo involved for 11 years.

That’s not the only ‘classic’ match this weekend, however, as Ajax host Feyenoord in De Klassieker with both sides already playing catch up to Eredivisie holders PSV Eindhoven. A defeat for either would leave them with a huge mountain to climb in the bid to return to the summit of Dutch football, though Feyenoord haven’t defeated their rivals in the league in 12 attempts over six years.

Completing the hat-trick on Sunday, it’s le Classique in Ligue 1, where runaway leaders Paris Saint Germain travel to face Marseille in arguably their toughest test of the season in France. Thomas Tuchel’s side are the only team in Europe’s top five leagues that are faultless to now, with ten wins from ten, though OM are unbeaten at the Velodrome, averaging three goals per game as hosts thus far.

In the Premier League, the best has perhaps been saved until last as Tottenham host Manchester City, able to leapfrog the champions with what would admittedly be a shock victory. It’s a fixture that, in London, has seen 28 goals in the last seven meetings (4 per game).

Elsewhere the pressure is back on Jose Mourinho as he welcomes compatriot Marco Silva to Old Trafford, whose Everton side sit two places above their hosts ahead of Sunday’s clash. It’s a fixture Manchester United won 4-0 last season, though goalscorer that day Romelu Lukaku - facing his former club once more - is on an eight-game goalless run.

Meanwhile, at the foot of the table, Newcastle are in desperate need of a win at Southampton, having yet to record one all season so far. Saints have managed just one themselves, and Mark Hughes’ position is perhaps even more under threat than that of Rafa Benitez, so the stakes will be high at St. Mary’s.

Serie A plays host to two big matches this weekend, though you’re made to wait for the pick of the action. Sunday night’s game sees Napoli host a Roma side that risk being cut adrift from the top four, before Lazio host Inter on Monday in a repeat of the direct shootout for Champions League football on the last day of last season. Both teams are in strong form, sitting fourth and third respectively.

The top game in Germany sees league leaders Borussia Dortmund host Hertha Berlin, with the visitors having suffered a solitary defeat between them across 16 matches. BVB will be flying after a 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid in midweek, but Hertha have beaten Bayern Munich already this season and will hope to exploit any fatigue from their free-scoring hosts.

Rounding off this week’s top ten fixtures, Thierry Henry is tasked with lifting the doom at Monaco in what will be his first match in charge at the Stage Louis II. Defeat to Strasbourg and a draw with Club Brugge has been a far from ideal start for the former Arsenal forward, and victory at home to a Dijon side with just one point from seven games really is a must.