Our Picks: English table-toppers in action, Spain serves up surprises
Girona v Sevilla - Ali Pollock
Two surprise packages go head-to-head in La Liga this Sunday, with high-flying Girona hosting lowly Sevilla.
Girona have shocked everyone this season, losing just once on their way to the top of the table ahead of the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Sevilla, though, are loitering just one point above the relegation zone having won three league matches all season.
Their downturn in form comes as quite the surprise after finishing 12th in the 2022/23 season and fourth for three consecutive years before that.
A trip to the league leaders could damage them even further, with a loss putting them in the bottom three if Cadiz win against Alaves.
Girona have shown no signs of slowing down despite the giant sides chasing behind them, with Ukrainian forward Artem Dovbyk spearheading their charge towards the title.
The striker has 11 goals and five assists, the most goal contributions of any player in the division.
Brazilian winger Savio has also contributed heavily, netting five and setting up a further five.
Heading into the match, Girona are unbeaten in 16 games in all competitions while Sevilla have lost six of their last 10 matches (W4 L6).
A win could see the home side go four points clear at the top of the league, depending on Real Madrid’s result against Almeria.
Fleetwood v Portsmouth - Brad Ferguson
It's top against bottom in League One on Saturday as high-flying Portsmouth look to steady a bit of heavy turbulence when they head to a down and seemingly out Fleetwood Town.
Things were seemingly rosy for Pompey for so long, with John Mousinho's south coast side at one point looking like they were running away with the league amid a 16-match unbeaten streak that stretched from the season opener into November.
Yet back-to-back defeats in their previous two outings against Cheltenham (2-1) and Leyton Orient (3-0) have suddenly opened the door for their promotion rivals to steal a march.
Over their shoulders now sit Derby and Peterborough, both just a point behind but with a game in hand each and superior goal differences to boot.
Even more worrying might be Bolton, quietly lurking in fourth place just two points off the top but with three matches to spare.
It makes for worrying reading for Portsmouth fans, who'll be hoping a timely trip to the division's firmly rooted bottom side won't act as a mighty banana skin ready to slip upon.
Fleetwood currently sit eight points away from safety with a disappointing return of 18 points from 26 games, and they're on yet another dismal run of four losses on the spin.
Former Liverpool and Scotland star Charlie Adam is still searching for his first win in football management after beginning his Fleetwood tenure with three straight defeats.
The old corner-taking maestro will be hoping a confidence-boosting win over Portsmouth will help his side turn a corner of their own, acting as the remedy to his side's sickly run of form that has now extended to 12 matches without a taste of victory.
The money will naturally be on the visitors but stranger things have happened in football, so don't be surprised to see a nervy away performance and possibly a late decider to settle the result.
Freiburg v Hoffenheim - Ste Carson
Both Freiburg and Hoffenheim, separated by just a point in seventh and eighth, are aiming to finish within the Bundesliga's European spots by the season's end.
Hoffenheim's dire run of form lately should serve as inspiration for Freiburg, who have claimed two wins and a draw from their last four matches.
That said, die Kraichgauer do boast an impressive away record this season (5W, 1D, 3L) - in fact, they're the highest-performing away team in the league thus far.
Lucas Holer (5G, 1A) and Vincenzo Grifo (3G, 5A) have been particularly impressive players for Freiburg this term, so they're ones to watch.
On the other hand, Hoffenheim's typically reliable Andrej Kramaric (6G, 1A) and rising star Maximilian Beier (6G, 0A) are their danger-men.
A win for Hoffenheim would see them leapfrog Freiburg into seventh place and back within touching distance to the European spots.
For Freiburg, a draw will do the job to retain their lead over this weekend's opposition but a victory could indeed send out a message of intent.
Leicester v Ipswich - Anthony Paphitis
First play second in the Championship on Monday night when Leicester take on Ipswich at the King Power Stadium.
Leicester have unsurprisingly been the team to beat this season and already have a healthy seven-point lead at the top of the table.
The Foxes did suffer a blip last weekend when their 10 men were picked apart at Coventry, but that won't concern them given the cushion they hold.
Standout man Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall shone once again by scoring in the 3-1 defeat, which saw manager Enzo Maresca pick up a third yellow card of the campaign.
That means he will have to watch his Leicester team from the stands, which isn't exactly ideal against a chasing Ipswich side.
The Tractor Boys have been the second-best team in the division for most of the season but head into the encounter not necessarily at their previous best.
Just one win from their last six league games (W1, D4, L1) has kept them in the final automatic promotion spot, but it has also meant they are now looking over their shoulder with Southampton surging.
Nevertheless, Ipswich will be hoping last week's huge win over Sunderland will push them towards turning a few of those draws into victories.
And that can be possible with the guile of Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead going forward and the creativity of Leif Davis, whose 10 assists are the second-most in the Championship.
Both Ipswich and Leicester have proved to everyone that they are capable of banging in the goals, but current form favours the latter ahead of a crunch match at the summit.
