The Easter bank holiday will provide UK football fans with four days of wall-to-wall action and the stakes are only increased as we enter the business end of the season.
The results of games now have an even bigger impact as the outcomes can either boost a team’s title hopes or condemn a team to the humiliation of relegation.
The wealth of games on offer can come across as a bit intimidating, so the Kingston Courier has published a curated list of the bank holiday fixtures both in and around the borough and on television.
Whether you have a free weekend or you are a novice trying to impress football-obsessed relatives, this list should provide you with all the necessary information to indulge in this weekend’s football.
Friday 29 March
12:30 – Bristol City vs Leicester City – Championship – Sky Sports Football
A mighty tie kicks off the weekend as Leicester City (2nd in the league) look to reclaim the top spot of the Championship with a win over Bristol (14th).
The Foxes currently sit second in the table, level with league leaders Leeds, only separated by one goal difference, however, the former Premier League champions have a game in hand over the Yorkshire side.
A win today does not decide anything in terms of the title race but will certainly boost Leicester’s hopes of automatic promotion back to the pinnacle of English football.
On the other hand, Bristol City, who sit on 47 points, will be hoping a result on Friday will put some more daylight between themselves and the relegation zone after a poor run of form saw them win one in their last five.
15:00 – AFC Wimbledon vs Harrogate Town – League Two – Plough Lane
The three o’clock kick-offs provide two local fixtures of note for Kingston residents, the biggest of which being the League Two clash between AFC Wimbledon (9th) and Harrogate Town (13th).
Both teams are currently eyeing up the play-off places (4th to 7th) in the competition with Wimbledon only a point away, whilst the visitors are only five.
A result for either side could be the foundation for a push into the coveted spots in the final games, as both teams look to improve on mediocre form in recent games.
Ticket information is available here.
15:00 – Hampton and Richmond Borough vs Tonbridge Angels – National League South – Beveree Stadium
The other local fixture sees play-off hopefuls Hampton and Richmond (4th) play Tonbridge Angels (13th) at the Beveree Stadium.
The Beavers have spent a lot of the season near the top end of the table, however a loss to Torquay United last time out sees them beginning to look over their shoulders as teams look to leapfrog them and qualify for the play-offs.
The pressure surrounding this fixture for Hampton and Richmond is only exacerbated by Tonbridge’s recent form as they look to win three games in a row.
Ticket information is available here.
17:30 – Blackburn Rovers vs Ipswich Town – Championship – Sky Sports Football
No team has been more entertaining in the Championship this season than Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town (3rd). Fast-paced football and beautifully crafted goals now see the Tractor Boys aiming for two promotions on the bounce to return to the Premier League.
A win on Friday afternoon would be enough to guarantee a playoff spot and allow them to be the first team since Manchester City in 2000 to achieve back-to-back promotions to the Premier League, and a meandering Blackburn Rovers (17th) seems like it will provide little opposition to this goal.
Saturday 30 March
12:30 – Liverpool FC Women vs Manchester City Women – Women’s Super League – Sky Sports Football
Due to the footballing prowess on show, the top spot in the Women’s Super League often goes down to the wire, none more so than this season.
Manchester City Women (2nd) are level on points with Chelsea FC Women at the top of the league and have the best form in the league (six wins in six) providing fans with one of the tightest title races ever seen in the league. City are aiming to win their first title since 2016 whilst also stopping Chelsea from winning five on the bounce.
15:00 – Kingstonian FC vs Hashtag United – Isthmian League Premier Division – Imperial Fields
It is fair to say that Kingstonian FC (21st) has had a pretty lackluster season.
Five wins in 35 games see them sit second from the bottom entrenched in the relegation zone. However, a recent win over 7th place Dulwich Hamlet can provide a little bit of hope for a late escape, but a win against Essex side Hashtag United (12th) is required to maintain said hope, as a loss would see relegation for the Kingston side become all but a formality.
Ticket information is available here.
17:30 – Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund – Bundesliga – Sky Sports Football
On Saturday evening Sky Sports Football will bring UK audiences the German ‘Der Klassiker’ which sees two of Germany’s most historic teams battle it out.
Despite winning the last 11 iterations of Germany’s premier sporting tournament and boasting one of the most prolific goal scorers on the globe, Harry Kane, Bayern (2nd) find themselves 10 points adrift from league leaders Bayer Leverkusen. Although they could still mathematically win it, a loss on Saturday could finally see Bayern’s title chances finally slip through their fingers.
On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund (4th) is looking to secure a top-four spot and earn a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League. However, they are only a point above 5th place, so they are looking to build up as much momentum for the final run of games to guarantee qualification, a task which is easier said than done.
20:00 – Brentford FC vs Manchester United – Premier League – Sky Sports Premier League
Both teams in this fixture are currently not where they want to be. Brentford (15th) is uncomfortably close to the relegation zone whilst Manchester United (6th) is enticingly close to the UEFA Champions League spots.
Brentford’s talisman striker, Ivan Toney, returned to the club in January after serving an eight-month ban related to gambling but he has only found the net four times in 900 minutes, a pretty poor return for a player constantly transfer linked with clubs higher up the table.
United will be looking to effectively bypass Brentford’s shaky defence, but if Toney finds his shooting boots and gets a result for the home side, the risk of the visitors not reaching the top-four will see a hefty increase.
Sunday 31 March
14:00 – Liverpool FC vs Brighton and Hove Albion – Premier League – Sky Sports Premier League
Jurgen Klopp’s nine-year tenure as Liverpool manager will be coming to an end at the end of the season, and he, along with the rest of the red half of Merseyside, will be hoping to top it all off with a second Premier League title. The Reds (2nd) are currently level on points with Arsenal and are only second due to a worse goal difference, so a big win is required on Sunday to maintain their position in the top two.
The team standing in Liverpool’s way is Brighton (8th). Despite being unceremoniously dumped out of the UEFA Europa League by AS Roma, Roberto De Zerbi’s side still can upset the big sides and Liverpool should not underestimate them.
16:30 – Manchester City vs Arsenal FC – Premier League – Sky Sports Premier League
This is arguably the biggest game of the Premier League season so far. Only one point separates the two sides as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City (3rd) looks to maintain their legacy whilst Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal (1st) aim to start one.
After winning a treble of the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, and Premier League, City will be looking to replicate the colossal feat and add to Guardiola’s gargantuan trophy cabinet.
As well as Klopp’s Liverpool, the other team currently standing in the way of City completing the Premier League leg of ‘The Treble’ is Arteta’s Arsenal.
Arteta’s youthful side has left quite an impact on both English and European football, stunning opponents and wowing spectators, but they are yet to win the Premier League.
With the amount of momentum already behind them, a first title win since 2004 could see the Gunners reestablish themselves at the top of the table.
Whilst the title will not be decided on the day, a City loss would seriously hurt their efforts of winning their fourth consecutive Premier League.
Monday 1 April
20:00 – Leeds United vs Hull City – Championship – Sky Sports of Football
A day’s worth of Championship action which sees title hopefuls Ipswich and Leicester play, culminates with the evening fixture between league leaders Leeds and promotion hopefuls, Hull City (7th).
After a shaky start to the season under new manager Daniel Farke, things finally fell into place in the new year and Leeds were able to mount a charge up the league which currently sees them sitting atop it.
However, they are level on points with Leicester, so three points a game is the minimum requirement for Leeds until the end of the season, or they risk leaving their fate be decided by the often cruel and heartless play-off fixture.
Hull on the other hand will be looking to enter these play-off spots and are currently three points away from 6th, despite mediocre form.
A win against Leeds could show the club, their fans, and the league, that Hull is worthy of a play-off spot and, further down the line, a place in the Premier League.
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