Steve Luckings highlights five games to watch this weekend. Spoilt for choice really, only the FA Cup, German Cup, French Cup and Copa del Rey finals to indulge in.
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FA CUP FINAL: Crystal Palace v Manchester United, beIN Sports, Saturday, 8.30pm
It has been 12 years since Manchester United last won England’s most famous cup competition and Louis van Gaal’s side face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium 26 years after defeating the same opponents thanks to Lee Martin’s winner in the replay. Van Gaal’s future at Old Trafford has been the subject of much debate over the course of the 2015/16 season, and given that they missed out on a top-four finish in the Premier League, securing a trophy could go some way to paving the way for the Dutchman to see out the final year of his contract at the club. This is only Palace’s second appearance in the final of the FA Cup.
GERMAN CUP FINAL: Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund, beIN Sports, Saturday, 10pm
Pep Guardiola’s final match in charge of Bayern Munich before taking over at Manchester City in the summer could see the Spaniard depart with yet more silverware. Although the Bundesliga champions missed out in the Uefa Champions League – eliminated at the semi-final stage by Atletico Madrid – a league-and-German-Cup double would still represent success and send their manager off on a positive note. Standing in their way is Borussia Dortmund, who finished 10 points adrift of their bitter rivals in the final standings in the league. With Dortmund defender Mats Hummels announcing he will join Bayern in the summer, expect a hostile atmosphere.
FRENCH CUP FINAL: Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain, beIN Sports, Saturday, 11pm
Another looking to bow out from his club on a high note is a man who humbly refers to himself as “king” and “legend”. After four trophy-laden years, Zlatan Ibrahimovic plays his final game for Paris Saint-Germain in the French Cup final. The Swede has already helped PSG secure the French League Cup, as well as the Ligue 1 title, this season, and standing in his way of lifting a 12th trophy in PSG colours is Marseille, the Pairsiens’ bitter rivals. A massive 48 points separated the champions and 13th-placed Marseille in the final Ligue 1 standings and the latter have endured a season to forget. Nothing would bring them greater pleasure than spoiling PSG’s party.
COPA DEL REY FINAL: Barcelona v Sevilla, beIN Sports, Sunday, 11.30pm
Barcelona have won the Copa del Rey an astonishing 27 times and are the defending champions when they face Sevilla at Atletico Madrid’s Vicente Calderon on Sunday. Barcelona overcame their April jitters where they lost four games in five, which allowed both Madrid clubs back into the league title race, clinching it with a 3-0 win at Granada. The buccaneering way in which they finished the campaign will be enough to make Sevilla believe they face an almight task. Sevilla will enter the match on a high after their thrilling come-from-behind victory over Liverpool in Wednesday night’s Europa League final, but much will will depend on how Unai Emery’s side recover from that encounter, and how they blunt Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
PRESIDENT’S CUP SEMI-FINALS: Al Ahli v Al Jazira, AD Sports, Friday, 7.45pm
Newly crowned Arabian Gulf League champions Al Ahli will look to edge closer to a domestic double when they face Al Jazira in the semi-final of the President’s Cup on Friday. The match, to take place at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, precedes the second semi-final taking place 24 hours later at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, where Ahli’s bitter rivlas Al Ain, runners-up to the Dubai club in the league, take on Baniyas. Al Ain played out a 1-1 draw against Zobahan of Iran in the first leg of their last-16 Asian Champions League encounter on Wednesday but do not expect coach Zlatko Dalic to rest any of his star players as the Garden City cub seek to end the season with some silverware. Meeting Ahli in the final would add extra spice.
