Here is what our editors will be watching this weekend:
Saturday, April 19th
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers - 21:30 CET
The NBA playoffs are finally here, and the best matchup of the first round doesn’t necessarily have the biggest names on display, depending on where you watch your sports media content. Instead, the Nuggets and Clippers will run it back for the first time since the 2020 Western Conference semi-finals.
The teams split the season series 2-2, with the Nuggets coming away with a win in the last two matchups. Both of them are hot as the Clippers rode a seven-game win streak entering the playoffs and the Nuggets a three-game win streak after firing head coach Michael Malone.
Denver will obviously look to rely on their star Nikola Jokic, who is having arguably the best offensive season in NBA history, averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game, breaking records along the way. Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray can be streaky and will need Aaron Gordon to pick up any slack. But as long as Jokic does Jokic things, the Nuggets will always have a chance to pull out a series win.
As for the Clippers, they have three starters averaging over 20 points per game in James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Norman Powell. Yet, despite this, they as a team rank 20th in the league in points per game while Denver rank third.
Centre Ivica Zubac, averaging a 16.8/12.6 double-double, will need to be a key factor in forcing Jokic into early foul trouble. If his teammates get him the ball enough to receive a trigger-happy whistle down underneath, the rest will fall into place. If not, the Nuggets will take advantage right out of he gate.
Eric Himmelheber
Sunday, April 20th
Formula 1, Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - 19:00 CET
Formula 1's first tripleheader of the year is ending in Saudi Arabia, and last year's top two both desperately need to end it in style.
Lando Norris heads into the race just three points ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri after the Aussie absolutely dominated him last time out in Bahrain, in both qualifying and the race. The Brit needs to quickly wrestle back the momentum and show McLaren that he's still their number one man, or he could have a serious title challenge on his hands.
Max Verstappen, meanwhile, couldn't get near either of them in the last race and expressed his disappointment with Red Bull, who have him a poor car and messed up his pitstops. That ramped up the rumours that his future lies elsewhere, and the same thing will happen again if he endures another difficult weekend at a circuit that he's used to dominating - he's won two of the last three races there.
Both McLaren and Red Bull are introducing updates they hope will improve performance for the race as are Ferrari, and things could get very interesting indeed if the Italian team can close the gap to Norris' team at the front of the field.
Finley Crebolder
AC Milan vs Atalanta - 20:45 CET
If you’re looking for a match to watch on Easter Sunday evening, Serie A is the place to go with AC Milan hosting Lombardy rivals Atalanta at San Siro.
Now 10 points adrift of leaders Inter, Gian Piero Gasperini’s boys from Bergamo are pretty much out of the Scudetto race in Serie A, but are still looking to tie down a Champions League berth for next season. With Juventus and Bologna hot on their heels in the table, that is by no means confirmed yet.
Sergio Conceicao’s Milanese men, meanwhile, aren’t having the best season, mired down in ninth, but have only lost once in their past six outings and can say they are still in the race for Europe. Milan are only five points off sixth-placed Lazio in what is a very conjected bit of the standings.
In short, there is plenty at stake for both sides in this one and a win for the hosts could blow open the Champions League race as well as propel Milan into the European picture. This could be fun!
Pat Dempsey
Real Madrid vs Athletic Club - 21:00 CET
Real Madrid and Athletic Club have experienced very contrasting weeks in Europe. The former were dumped out of the Champions League in humiliating fashion at the hands of Arsenal, while the latter booked their spot in the Europa League semi-finals after a win over Rangers. The sides now face off this weekend in a crucial LaLiga clash.
Real are four points off Barcelona at the summit of the table, and despite speculation on the future of manager Carlo Ancelotti, they need to get back to winning ways. Los Blancos have just one victory in their last five games in all competitions, and they cannot afford to let Barcelona extend their lead at the top any further with just seven league games left.
While Athletic have had a fabulous European run, their form in LaLiga has also been excellent. Incredibly, no team have lost fewer games than them this season (4), and they are well poised to secure a spot in the top four and consequently in the Champions League in 2025/26. But Villarreal do sit six points behind them and have a game in hand, so the job is certainly not finished yet.
A clash between two of Spain’s best sides with so much to play for means it is a game that you just cannot miss!
Tolga Akdeniz
Monday, April 21st
AZ Alkmaar vs Go Ahead Eagles, KNVB Beker final - 18:00 CET
The eyes of the Dutch football world are on Rotterdam this Monday as AZ and Go Ahead Eagles take the stage in the final of the Dutch KNVB Cup.
Eight-time finalists and four-time winners AZ are no strangers to the grand stage of the cup final, but they’re up against the dreamers of Go Ahead Eagles, who will look to win the first prize in club history in their first final in 60 years. The Eagles have found incredible form in the last two seasons and could let the city of Deventer erupt as it prepares for perhaps the biggest day in club history.
AZ – who are winless in six straight matches – will enter De Kuip without two of their pillars; Alexandre Penetra (suspension) and captain Jordy Clasie (injury) will miss out on AZ’s first final since 2018, when Feyenoord beat them 3-0, partly thanks to a goal from the Rotterdam side's now-manager Robin van Persie.
Go Ahead Eagles will be without two stars of their own, as left-back Dean James and forward Jakob Breum will be forced to sit this final out with injuries. However, their right to dream is justified by their stellar form of just three losses in the last 19 matches.
The Eagles are looking to soar and fly higher than ever – a win would see Go Ahead Eagles qualify for the UEFA Europa League’s League Phase and make a European tournament for the first time since 1965.
With a possible fairytale about to be written, you will not want to miss out on this year’s KNVB Cup final. And be honest: what could possibly beat a cup final on a Monday night?
Paul Winters