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Editors' Picks: Copa del Rey final and FA Cup semis headline fantastic weekend

Barcelona are facing Madrid in the Copa del Rey final
Barcelona are facing Madrid in the Copa del Rey finalCordon Press / ddp USA / Profimedia
The football world takes centre stage this weekend, with incredible cup clashes in Spain and England, while Liverpool have the chance to be crowned Premier League champions.

Here is what our editors will be watching this weekend:

Saturday, April 26th

Copa del Rey final, Barcelona vs Real Madrid - 22:00 CET

The Copa del Rey champions will be crowned this weekend, and it is a tantalising prospect, with arch-rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid set to face off for the trophy.

The last time we saw an El Clasico final was all the way back in 2014, when Gareth Bale produced his famous solo goal to win the game, sprinting past Marc Bartra at blistering pace.

Barcelona are enjoying a fantastic season, and are looking at the possibility of the treble. Currently four points clear at the top of LaLiga and in the Champions League semi-finals, manager Hansi Flick has done a masterful job, and he can take the first step towards a historic season on Saturday. 

It has been far tougher going for Real. Knocked out of Europe in the last eight stage at the hands of Arsenal, the pressure is piling on Carlo Ancelotti and his players. The Copa del Rey is their most realistic chance of a trophy, so the players will certainly be up for it and desperate for redemption.

However, Real have been on the receiving end of two heavy beatings against Barcelona this season. In their most recent meeting in the Spanish Super Cup, Barca put five past Los Blancos, which came just three months after the Catalan side also won 4-0 at the Bernabeu. 

The odds are stacked against Real, but if their superstar players can click in this one-off final, then it could make for box-office viewing.

Check out our Copa del Rey preview here

Tolga Akdeniz

Sunday, April 27th

Inter Milan vs Roma - 15:00 CET

Inter's first major setback of the season came on Wednesday night when they were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by their Milan rivals. 

AC Milan produced their best performance of the season to book a place in the final and end Inter's treble aspirations in a painful night for Simeone Inzaghi's side.

A win against long-standing Serie A rivals AS Roma to get their title hopes back on track (after a shock defeat to Bologna last weekend) would go some way to healing the wounds of the Milan derby defeat. However, defeat is a real possibility and would be hugely damaging. 

Serie A table
Serie A tableFlashscore

AS Roma are the form side in Italy and are enjoying an impressive 19-game unbeaten run in Serie A after a dismal first half of the season. Manager Claudio Ranieri has done a remarkable job since his appointment in November, getting the best out of his players and giving a chance to exciting talents like Matias Soule. 

Therefore, Inter will have to have at the top of their game in front of their home fans to secure a crucial three points in a title race that is hotting up nicely. 

It would also calm some concerns of a season collapse ahead of a huge Champions League semi-final first leg away to Barcelona next Wednesday evening. Roma, however, will relish the role of underdogs and will not let their unbeaten run come to an end without one hell of a fight.

Harry Dunnett

Liverpool vs Spurs - 17:30 CET

History beckons for Arne Slot’s men, with Liverpool needing just a point against Tottenham on Sunday to seal a record-equalling 20th top-flight crown.

The Reds - who are unbeaten in their last 15 home league head-to-heads (W11, D4) - will be hoping to get the job done against Ange Postecoglou’s side and finally celebrate a first Premier League title in front of supporters. 

As for Tottenham, their dreadful league form continued against Nottingham Forest on Monday with an 18th defeat of the season. That’s just one fewer than their previous season-high total of 19 in 1993/94 and 2003/04. 

The North London club go into the weekend as low as 16th in the table, and with the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt on the horizon, it could be a long afternoon for Postecoglou’s charges at Anfield.

Goals are never in short supply when the two sides meet, and Sunday promises to be no different as Liverpool target a historic result. Make sure you tune in! 

Danny Clark

FA Cup semi-final, Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest - 17:30 CET

It's been a below-par season for Manchester City. Unable to challenge for both Premier League or Champions League, they are left with one shot at silverware this campaign through the FA Cup.

In contrast, Nottingham Forest have been flying all season. In contention for an unlikely Champions League qualification, Nuno Espirito Santo has turned them into a counter-attacking mean machine that have caused headaches across the league all campaign.

They caused Pep Guardiola problems back in March with a 1-0 victory courtesy of a Callum Hudson-Odoi finish, but their form has tapered in recent weeks with two losses from their last three games.

So much rests on this game for both sides, with City looking to save their season whilst Forest are chasing a first piece of major silverware since 1990. A full house at Wembley will greet the players for an unmissable watch - unless you're a Liverpool fan.

Read more about the FA Cup semi-finals now

Josh Donaldson

Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings Game 4 - 21:30 CET

This series has been one gigantic shootout. The 30 goals scored between the Oilers and Kings are more than any other series and now Edmonton is looking to tie the series up 2-2 on Sunday after an emphatic 7-4 victory in Game 3. 

Edmonton completed the "home sweep" on Friday after the Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils also won their first games of their respective series in their home returns. 

Despite having a losing record to the Kings this year for the first time since the 2015-2016 season, the Oilers have proven this series could be their's as much as it is the Kings', especially after that insane Game 1 where the Oilers practically lost in the waning seconds.

I expect this game to be as electric as the others. 

Eric Himmelheber