With the latest round of Euro 2008 qualifiers now in the books, the early part of the European club season will resume this weekend as the top players report back from international duty. Some, such as those from England, return as heroes after notching important wins for their countries, while others, such as those from France, will be happy to put the international results firmly in their rearview mirrors.
The English Premier League restarts at full speed, and U.S. fans might want to pay special attention to Fulham FC's encounter with Wigan Athletic. Former New England Revolution star Clint Dempsey has been in fine form for his new club, and he is coming off a solid performance for the U.S. too, scoring a goal in the USA's 4-2 loss to Brazil in Chicago.
Saturday's fixtures also include a clash between Everton and Manchester United, while Everton's cross-town rivals Liverpool will hit the road to take on Portsmouth. Struggling Chelsea, who are tied atop the standings with Liverpool, Arsenal and Everton, are at home against Blackburn Rovers, though the hosts could be without deadly striker Didier Drogba, who is nursing a knee injury.
The Spanish league season is just two games old, but already Real Madrid are leading the pack with six points. The reigning champions, who are reportedly interested in acquiring German midfielder Michael Ballack in the winter transfer window, will look to extend their advantage against Almeria. FC Barcelona, one of four teams that trail Madrid by a pair of points, will face Osasuna on Sunday. Real Mallorca, in second place, will Villareal the same day. Mallorca defender David Navarro is available for selection after completing his six-month ban for punching Inter Milan's Nicolas Burdisso in a UEFA Champions League bust-up last season.
One man who will not be back in action this weekend is Inter Milan's Ronaldo, who is expected to be sidelined for several more weeks with a thigh injury. His side would love to have Ronaldo's goal-scoring prowess in a match vs. Catania on Sunday, though the European champions should be able to top the winless club. Tied atop Serie A are Juventus and Roma, and they will battle Udinese and Reggina, respectively, in Week 3.
A look at the German Bundesliga standings shows Bayern Munich on top with 10 points from four games. That club will battle Schalke 04 Saturday. Twins Hamit and Halil Allianz will be on opposite sides of the ball, as Hamit moved from Schalke to Munich during the offseason.
The FIFA Women's World Cup will also be in full swing this weekend, highlighted by a match between hosts China and Brazil on Saturday. The U.S. team, which opened the competition with a somewhat disappointing 2-2 draw with the North Koreans, rebounded with a 2-0 win against Sweden early Friday morning (U.S. time).
Jonathan Nierman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
