Five Games to Watch: Two Serie A spectaculars, and a Swedish title party!

9:00am on Friday 1st November 2019
By Martin Macdonald

Torino v Juventus" href="https://www.footballcritic.com/serie-a-Torino-fc-Juventus-fc/preview/1744692">

Torino v Juventus

The Turin Derby, or Derby della Mole, takes place on Saturday as Juventus travel across the city to face Torino at the Olympic Grande Torino Stadium. Juve are coming off a fortuitous victory over Genoa on Wednesday, in which they had to rely on an injury-time penalty by Cristiano Ronaldo to win 2-1. They face a struggling Torino outfit who haven't won for a month, and who lie in 12th. The Bianconeri have won the majority of games in the fixture and are unbeaten in it in the last 10. Torino almost broke their winless run last season, leading the majority of the game 1-0 after a goal from Sasa Lukic, only for Cristiano Ronaldo to score a late equaliser in the last 10 minutes.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Name

Team

Nationality

Position

Age

Apps

MOM

Fouls P90

Fouled P90

Tackles Att/Won P90

Aerials Att/Won P90

Intercept P90

Clearance P90

Err Chance P90

Err Goal P90

Touches P90

Passes P90

Pass comp %

Final Third P90

Long ball P90

Poss Lost P90

Shots P90

On Target P90

Blocked P90

Touches box P90

Big chance P90

Decisive

First

Equaliser

Penalty won

Clean sheet %

Saves P90

Goals con P90

Pen con

Pen saves

Form

Paulo Dybala F, AM (C)

Juventus

ARG

F, AM (C)

6(4)

523

4(1)

0.9

3.3

0.5/0.3

0.3

82.4

58.9

87%

28.4

3.8

15.8

5.2

1.7

1.2

7.2

0.2

0.3

0.2

20%

1.2

Extra note text etc..

For a player who Juventus were happy to see leave in the summer, Dybala has emerged as one of their key men, and has outshone the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain over the past few games. He has scored important goals recently against Lokomotiv Moscow and Lecce.

Roma v Napoli" href="https://www.footballcritic.com/serie-a-as-Roma-ssc-Napoli/preview/1744690">

Roma v Napoli

Roma's tails are up after winning their second league game on the bounce away at Udinese on Wednesday, with even new signing Chris Smalling getting involved in the goalscoring during the 4-0 away victory. They take on Napoli whose recent form has been the opposite - not winning for two games, although their last was against the team third in the league, Atalanta. In recent years the sides have been fairly evenly matched, though the Partenopei claimed the braggings rights in the league last season with a 4-1 win at the Stadio Olimpico which was preceded by a 1-1 draw at the San Paolo. This is one which will have sure-fire Champions League qualification ramifications.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Name

Team

Nationality

Position

Age

Apps

MOM

Fouls P90

Fouled P90

Tackles Att/Won P90

Aerials Att/Won P90

Intercept P90

Clearance P90

Err Chance P90

Err Goal P90

Touches P90

Passes P90

Pass comp %

Final Third P90

Long ball P90

Poss Lost P90

Shots P90

On Target P90

Blocked P90

Touches box P90

Big chance P90

Decisive

First

Equaliser

Penalty won

Clean sheet %

Saves P90

Goals con P90

Pen con

Pen saves

Form

Nicolò ZanioloAM (CR)

Roma

ITA

AM (CR)

9(3)

830

3(0)

2.8

2.1

0.9/0.4

0.2

45.8

23.6

83%

10.7

1.6

13.8

2.6

1.4

0.8

5.1

0.1

25%

1.0

Extra note text etc..

Zaniolo isn't renowned for being a goalscorer, but has found the net in each of the last three games for Roma against Udinese, Milan, and Gladbach. Another here wouldn't go a-miss.

Sevilla v Atletico Madrid" href="https://www.footballcritic.com/primera-division-Sevilla-fc-club-atletico-de-madrid/preview/1696489">

Sevilla v Atletico Madrid

Both Sevilla and Atletico are coming off fairly docile 1-1 draws against Valencia and Alaves during the week, with neither team looking particularly sharp after picking up wins at the weekend. Like Roma v Napoli, this one will also impact the standings in the top four as Sevilla currently sit fifth on the same points as Atleti, but behind them on goal difference. Neither are in particularly rich goalscoring form, so this could either end up being dull, or an absolute corker if the forwards find their form. However, the previous two matches in La Liga ended 1-1, so it will probably be the former.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Name

Team

Nationality

Position

Age

Apps

MOM

Fouls P90

Fouled P90

Tackles Att/Won P90

Aerials Att/Won P90

Intercept P90

Clearance P90

Err Chance P90

Err Goal P90

Touches P90

Passes P90

Pass comp %

Final Third P90

Long ball P90

Poss Lost P90

Shots P90

On Target P90

Blocked P90

Touches box P90

Big chance P90

Decisive

First

Equaliser

Penalty won

Clean sheet %

Saves P90

Goals con P90

Pen con

Pen saves

Form

João FélixF (CL)

Atletico Madrid

PRT

F (CL)

844

3(0)

1.4

2.0

0.4/0.2

0.9

0.2

37.6

23.0

78%

10.1

0.4

10.3

2.9

1.0

0.5

3.8

0.1

64%

0.4

Extra note text etc..

Despite some glimpses of brilliant, Felix's Atletico career hasn't caught fire yet. What a game it would be for him to show what he is made of.

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Zenit v CSKA MOSCOW

After a disappointing loss against Lokomotiv a month ago, Zenit have won three matches in a row in the Russian Premier and currently sit top of the league by three points ahead of Rostov. This weekend they face a CSKA Moscow outfit whose form has dipped recently, suffering two losses and a draw in the league. The latest defeat was a crushing one against Dinamo as part of Moscow's double-header derby. Results have been fairly evenly split recently between the pair, as each team won their respective home games last campaign, which was preceded by three consecutive 0-0 draws.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Name

Team

Nationality

Position

Age

Apps

MOM

Fouls P90

Fouled P90

Tackles Att/Won P90

Aerials Att/Won P90

Intercept P90

Clearance P90

Err Chance P90

Err Goal P90

Touches P90

Passes P90

Pass comp %

Final Third P90

Long ball P90

Poss Lost P90

Shots P90

On Target P90

Blocked P90

Touches box P90

Big chance P90

Decisive

First

Equaliser

Penalty won

Clean sheet %

Saves P90

Goals con P90

Pen con

Pen saves

Form

Artem Dzy ubaST (C)

Zenit

RUS

ST (C)

16(2)

1479

10(3)

1.6

1.9

0.4/0.3

0.1

0.5

54.9

37.9

71%

24.2

1.2

18.3

2.3

0.8

0.3

7.3

0.3

0.1

39%

0.7

Extra note text etc..

Not just one of the in-form players in Russia, but one of the in-form strikers in the whole of Europe, Artem Dzyuba has been in sensational form. He has four goals and two assists in his last two appearances in the league, and should be recognised as CSKA's biggest threat to a result here.

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IFK NORRKOPING v DJURGAARDEN

The Swedish Allsvenskan reaches its climax this weekend and it could prove to be a special final fixture for Djurgaarden, who can win their first championship in 14 years if they can take at least a point off IFK Norrkoping away. With one game remaining, they are three points clear of Hammarby in second, who are relying on fifth-placed Norrkoping to cause an upset with a home win. It certainly isn't a formality of a fixture, either, as in the last four fixtures between the pair nobody has score more than a goal, with the last three finishing as tight 1-1 draws. Djurgaarden would, of course, take that result right now.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Name

Team

Nationality

Position

Age

Apps

MOM

Fouls P90

Fouled P90

Tackles Att/Won P90

Aerials Att/Won P90