This Sunday promises to be exciting—not just in England but also in Italy and the Netherlands.

A day filled with thrilling derbies from North London to Amsterdam, and then Milano and Rome. Numerous pivotal moments could unfold this Sunday.

Italy, in particular, will be buzzing, as fans not attending the matches at “Olimpic” and “Giuseppe Meazza” will be glued to their screens from 6 PM until nearly 11 PM, with matches like Milan – Inter (6 PM) and Roma – Napoli (8:45 PM). Excitement will also be found in England, where Arsenal hosts Manchester City (5:30 PM), along with the big derby between Ajax and Feyenoord at the “Cruyff Arena” (2:30 PM).

DERBY DELLA MADONNINA AND DERBY SUNCA

Milan and Napoli are at the top of Serie A and have significant challenges ahead in round 23. Antonio Conte’s side, on a seven-game winning streak, will face Roma in the Derby della Madonnina, while the Italian champions aim for retribution against their city rival, the team they last faced in a championship loss during the Derby della Madonnina.

Simone Inzaghi’s crew has remained unbeaten in the league for 16 matches, with only two losses across all competitions since the initial derby against Milan—one to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League and the other to the Rossoneri in the Super Cup final.

As they continue their fight for the Scudetto and seek revenge on a major adversary, the motivation for the “Nerazzurri” is palpable.

– We’re aware of the quality of the team we’re up against; we didn’t fare well in the first two derbies. While Milan had a commendable performance in the first, we were largely controlling the second but needed to capitalize on critical moments. This time, we must be precise in decisive situations – stated Inzaghi, who also mentioned that Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Acerbi might be fit for the significant match.

Conversely, Milan trails Inter by 16 points but has bested their fiercest rival in two encounters for the first time since 2011. Additionally, Sergio Conceição, newly appointed to the Rossoneri, could become the first coach since Massimiliano Allegri to win his first two Milan derbies.

– I’ve faced Inter both as a player for Porto and now with Milan. While not much has changed, every team has its weaknesses—we just need to exploit them – remarked the Portuguese tactician.

Napoli, too, will face a tough challenge in Rome, particularly due to one individual.

– Claudio Ranieri has transformed the team entirely, and the fans will be a tremendous support. Nevertheless, we aim to maintain our good form – emphasized Conte.

CITY AND FEYENOORD AIM TO DISRUPT RIVALS’ PLANS

Given recent trends in the Premier League, Manchester City enters their clash against Arsenal as underdogs. The four-time champions are struggling, sitting 12 points behind Liverpool despite having a game in hand, while Arsenal lingers six points back in second place. However, Pep Guardiola’s side has shown improvement lately.

– Their current form doesn’t alter the significance of this match; I believe a victory would greatly uplift us and our motivation as we progress through the championship – asserted Mikel Arteta, manager of Arsenal.

If his team fails to win, it could jeopardize their title race against Liverpool.

While it may not boast the same European flair as the aforementioned matches, the Dutch Classic remains a captivating event. Ajax currently finds themselves in a stronger position, and a win could narrow the gap to leaders PSV to just one point.

Yet, Feyenoord, sitting nine points behind their rivals in Amsterdam, has its own goals for qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

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