Weekend football preview: Atlético vs Barcelona, Porto's run and AFCON deadlines

This weekend football preview starts in Madrid, where Atlético de Madrid host leaders Barcelona on Sunday 8 November. It is the last round of club games before the international break, and almost every big league has a story. Coaches are under pressure in England, a new era begins in Lyon, and Porto chase a club record.

Spain: Atlético vs Barcelona, and Mourinho's run

Barcelona lead La Liga with 30 points from 11 games, a goal difference of +34 and one defeat. Atlético are second on 28pts. They meet at the Metropolitano at 9pm local time, with Barcelona unbeaten away and Atlético unbeaten at home.

Raphinha leads the scoring with 15 league goals in ten games, three more than Kylian Mbappé. Lamine Yamal adds ten goals and a league-high seven assists.

Barcelona equalled a record in October: nine wins from the first nine games of a season, level with Real Madrid in 1968-69. They could not beat it after Real Madrid won the Clásico at Camp Nou the following weekend.

That result is part of a bigger run. José Mourinho's Real Madrid have won seven matches in a row in all competitions, the latest 3-2 at AEK Athens on Wednesday. They are third on 27pts and play at Valencia, 19th, on Saturday at 9pm local time. If Atlético and Real both win, the top three are split by one point.

Portugal: Porto's perfect start and Sporting's new coach

FC Porto have won all ten Liga Portugal games under Francesco Farioli, with a goal difference of +21. On Wednesday they beat Napoli 4-1 in the Champions League, with Samu Aghehowa among the scorers.

Only five sides had started a Portuguese league season with ten straight wins before this one, according to A Bola. A win at Vitória de Guimarães on Sunday at 6pm local time would make it 11, level with Benfica in 1982-83 and Sporting in 2024-25.

Sporting, third on 21, have a new coach. Paulo Fonseca left Lyon this week to replace Rui Borges, and Sporting paid Lyon a €5m release fee. Sporting host Moreirense on Saturday at 8.30pm. Benfica, second on 25 and five points behind Porto, play at Estrela on Sunday at 8.30pm. It is Portugal's first league weekend since Cristiano Ronaldo retired from the national team on Thursday.

England: who is under the most pressure?

Arsenal lead the Premier League on 24 points, three clear of Manchester City, and host Hull City on Saturday at 3pm local time. City's trip to Nottingham Forest follows at 5.30pm. The bigger story is at the bottom, where four coaches face the weekend with the least room.

• Michael Carrick, Manchester United (17th, 7 points): three wins in 14 games in all competitions this season. Bruno Fernandes has questioned the tactics in public. United host Aston Villa on Sunday at 4.30pm.
• Pierre Sage, Crystal Palace (18th, 7 points): his first Premier League job. Palace have conceded 21 league goals in nine games. They host Liverpool on Sunday at 2pm.
• Oliver Glasner, Nottingham Forest (19th, 6 points): one win in nine. After a 2-0 defeat at Brentford he said: "I feel now maybe I made too many compromises." Forest host Manchester City on Saturday at 5.30pm.
• Régis Le Bris, Sunderland (20th, 5 points): six defeats in nine. Sunderland host Chelsea, fourth, on Sunday at 2pm.

None of the four clubs has sacked its coach this season.

Italy: Amorim's Milan and Napoli's injuries

Milan's results under Ruben Amorim swing from week to week. They lost 4-2 at Bologna in midweek, then beat Inter 3-1 in the derby, their fourth derby win in a row. The inconsistency continued on Thursday with a 2-0 home defeat to Ferencváros in the Europa League. Amorim said the project "is going to take time". Milan are fifth on 21 and play at Genoa on Sunday at 3pm local time.

Napoli are eighth on 14 after the 4-1 defeat in Porto. Massimiliano Allegri had nine players out, most of them defenders, and only seven substitutes. They host leaders Lazio, unbeaten with 28 points, on Sunday at 12.30pm.

Inter, second on 25, host Como on Sunday at 6pm in northern Italy. Como are fourth on 23, three days after their 9-1 win at Lens.

France: Lyon without Fonseca, and Lens after 9-1

Lyon are third in Ligue 1, three points behind Paris Saint-Germain. The club said it "deeply" regrets the "unexpected decision" and the timing of Fonseca's exit. Jorge Maciel, his assistant, takes the team to Brest on Sunday at 5.15pm local time while the board looks for a permanent coach.

Lens lost 9-1 at home to Como in the Champions League this week, the first time a side has conceded nine at home in the competition. Coach Yannick Cahuzac called it a "humiliation". Lens are ninth and host Marseille on Sunday at 8.45pm.

Germany: can Dortmund keep up with Bayern?

Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich are level on 18 points after eight games, both unbeaten. Bayern lead on goal difference, +19 to +8. They drew 2-2 in Munich last weekend.

Dortmund host SV Elversberg on Saturday at 3.30pm local time. Bayern are at Mainz at the same time. SC Freiburg, third on 16, host Union Berlin on Sunday.

Weekend football preview: two African players to watch

• Nicolas Jackson, Aston Villa and Senegal: eight goals in 12 games for Villa and five league goals in his last five. He goes to Old Trafford on Sunday.
• Serhou Guirassy, Dortmund and Guinea: eight goals in all competitions, including the equaliser in Munich. Elversberg, seventh, are his next test.

Paraguay: a bank collapse reaches the national team

Paraguay's Central Bank took control of Ueno Bank, the country's largest digital bank, on Monday after its solvency fell below the legal minimum. About 3 million customers had their money frozen. President Santiago Peña resigned on Thursday.

Ueno sponsors the national team. At least ten players kept savings there, the Buenos Aires Herald reported, and most hold more than the deposit guarantee of about US$38,000. The Paraguayan Football Association is reviewing its US$12 million sponsorship deal. Asunción, home to the association and to CONMEBOL, is in line to host one of the three 2030 centenary matches.

Africa: AFCON 2027 venues against the clock

The Africa Cup of Nations 2027 runs from 19 June to 17 July in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. CAF president Patrice Motsepe has said there is no alternative plan. Several venues are still behind. Our AFCON 2027 players to watch covers the young names who could star there.

Kenya's Kasarani Stadium is due to be handed over in December. Uganda's main stadiums, including Mandela National Stadium, are due by 31 December. Tanzania expects to hand its stadiums to CAF in January, when CAF inspects all three hosts again. Training grounds are further behind: Uganda expects ten of its 12 ready by the end of the year.

Tables and stats for this weekend football preview checked on 5 November 2026. Kick-off times are local.