Eight football matches to watch during Christmas holidays

Finally, it's that period of year again: Christmas has come, and with its all those free days to spend with family joining inviting banquets. Not only meals and presents, however, because the Christmas holidays can also mean days off and deserved rest. For all those who will spend many of these days on the sofa, we have chosen eight football matches that will keep you focused on TV or PC for the next two weeks, an excellent diversion to bingos with relatives. There's something for all tastes: Italian Serie A and Serie B will not stop, scheduling their second Boxing Day in the history, and also the Anglo-Saxon championships like Premier League and Scottish Premiership will continue regularly, serving us one the best dishes of this period, the Glasgow derby.

Real Madrid - Al-Ain

When: Saturday 22/12 at 5pm

Where: Zayed Sports City Stadium/unfortunately no channel will broadcast it live

On theory there is no match, also because the Club World Cup final rewards twice on three who in the previous season has won the Champions League, at least in recent years. This time we were all excited waiting to see River Plate challenge Real Madrid in the final, but the Argentinians decided to get eliminated in the semifinals by the more modest Al-Ain, the Emirate team winning the last local championship (and not international) and then rightfully participant of the FIFA tournament. The gap between the two teams is huge but never say never, it starts at 17.30 at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Eintracht Frankfurt - Bayern Munich

When: Saturday 22/12 at 6:30pm

Where: Commerzbank-Arena/Sky Sport

If you're bored with the Club World Cup final, in Germany there's Niko Kovac's meeting with his past. The Bayern coach, who arrived in Bavaria just after a good season at the helm of Eintracht, returns to Frankfurt as an opponent. For Bayern it's a very delicate game, useful to understand how the slow rise goes back after the last two months of nightmare, between sonorous and unpredictable defeats and the first place of the Bundesliga's ranking that was moving away more and more. Against Eintracht they need a victory, but it's also true that it will not be easy to get it: the hosts, dragged by that unleashed class '97 that is Luka Jovic, occupy the upper part of ranking and are in good shape. Match with no favored, so 1X2 in the betting system.

Juventus - Roma

When: Saturday 22/11 at 8:30pm

Where: Allianz Stadium/DAZN

One of the hottest and most awaited matches of the Serie A season, in recent years Juve-Roma has always been a challenge of high ranking, but this season Juve is already +22 on the Giallorossi, moreover never winning at Juventus Stadium. Di Francesco's bench is creaking since time and a defeat against Juventus could have been the coup de grace for the Pescara's borned coach, forced to change the course of the AS Roma in the 2019. We, beyond the result that seems obvious, we will look at it without doubt.

Inter - Napoli

When: Wednesday 26/12 at 8:30pm

Where: San Siro/Sky Sport

After Christmas, it's Boxing Day time: this year the menu is tasty and offers us a clash between the current third and second of the Serie A ranking: Inter and Napoli. The game, as well as a great show, is also giving away three important points, which would allow the Napoli to further distance from the Neroazzurri team and consolidate the second place behind Juventus and Inter to catch up on Ancelotti's boys. Among the leitmotifs, Icardi against Koulibaly, Insigne and Mertens against De Vrij and Skriniar, and Ancelotti who returns to San Siro.

Rangers - Celtic

When: Saturday 29 December at 1:30pm

Where: Ibrox Stadium/unfortunately will not be broadcast by any channel

Did not the Christmas dinner fill you up? The Scottish derby between the two teams of Glasgow, Rangers and Celtic will probably take care of this. Protestants against Catholics, light-blues against bhoys, always the protagonists of a very hot clash, even though the true and principal interpreters of the contest are the supporters. At the Ibrox Stadium we are expecting a bedlam as usual, given the situation in the standings of both teams, divided by a single point. Celtic and Rangers, the Old Firm, one of the hottest derby in Europe, two days before New Year's Day: can we ask for more?

Liverpool - Arsenal

When: Saturday 29/12 at 6:30pm

Where: Anfield/Sky Sport

The big match of the Premier League day is Liverpool against Arsenal without a doubt, a challenge between the current leaders, the Reds, and the current fifth, the Gunners. The 2009 precedent ended 4-4 thanks to Arshavin's poker should make you think: the teams have such a dangerous offensive potential that anything can happen: it will be the Emery's courage or Klopp's pragmatism to win in Anfield? We will definitely watch it.

Arsenal - Fulham

When: Wednesday 1/1 at 4pm

Where: Emirates Stadium/Sky Sport

We close the year with Arsenal and start the new one with Arsenal, because football never stops: but how nice should it be to wake up in 2019 and start straight away with a London Premier League derby in the early afternoon? Emery against Ranieri, or Gunners looking for points to stay in the upper floors against Cottagers currently at the bottom of the standings, or a super dangerous attack against the worst defense of the tournament.

Manchester City - Liverpool

When: Thursday 3/1 at 9pm

Where: Etihad Stadium/Sky Sport

Halfway between the New Year and the Epiphany, the calendar gives us the revenge of last season's Champions League quarters, as well as one of the most beautiful and intense matches the Premier League can offer: Manchester City against Liverpool, or the challenge between the two candidates to win the title, two teams as different as they are competitive. The first game is played at the Etihad Stadium and will be yet another reason to isolate you at home for those ninety minutes, focusing only on watching the show of the Premier League.