What to watch this weekend in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga - November 28th

Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Wolfsburg

Are we already witnessing the end of Borussia Mönchengladbach's quest for a Champions League place? Last season, they were steady going into the winterpause, then took a dive down, ultimately unable to climb higher than sixth. This year, they were unbeaten for the first ten rounds before losing to Dortmund, then losing again to Frankfurt last weekend.

That makes this game against Wolfsburg all the more crucial. Rather than the Foals challenging -- as much as that word can be used when Bayern Munich is involved -- for the title, it's Wolfsburg who are making a case. Seven points back looks pretty damn good when it's the Bundesliga we're talking about.

But the Wolves, after getting maximum points through three rounds, have also stumbled, falling 3-2 to Schalke last week. It's worrisome for both sides, particularly with Bayer Leverkusen, Hannover and even Augsburg so close behind.

Could this lead to a rare, defensive Bundesliga match, with both sides too worried about making a mistake to give us the excitement we crave from this league? After all, Gladbach closed ranks against Dortmund -- but then again, that lead to the most spectacular of own goals from Christoph Kramer. Even when attempting caution, Germany still manages to provide unmatched entertainment.

Plus, with the second highest goal tally in the league, it's highly unlikely that the Wolves are simply going to stand around. No, they'll chase their prey, while the Foals will reel them in, waiting patiently and looking oh so tempting. Then they'll hit with a fast counter, aiming for Max Kruse or Patrick Hermann.

This isn't just a football match. This is a metaphor for life, out there in the black forests of Germany. It's a modern day fairy tale, but if it takes a page from Grimm, things could get rather twisted -- and really, we'll all have to suffer, seeing the same old same-olds at the top of the table once more.

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Everton

Ninth and tenth in the Premier League. Seventeen points from twelve games. Twelve games in and Everton and Tottenham, who finished just three points apart last season, have found themselves once again keeping company, albeit a touch further down the table than either would like.

Yet their seasons have felt very different. Style isn't everything, but it's certainly something, and for all that both teams have found themselves in the same place, they've got there in markedly different ways. Everton have, essentially, been a slightly more vulnerable version of last season's admittedly-still-quite-vulnerable revelations, playing slick, attacking, eye-pleasing football. While there have been a few too many draws, and though injuries are starting to bite, the mood is still generally good, and when they're on song they're arguably the most watchable team in the league. Such are the joys of life with Roberto Martinez, the chirpiest man in the world.

Tottenham, meanwhile, have been slogging their way through the season. The elevation of Harry Kane to the status of minor deity is, on the one hand, vaguely adorable, but does sound a little like a cry for help from a fanbase looking at their squad and seeing nothing much to love. Kane, Hugo Lloris, Christian Eriksen … and that's it. There have been fleeting glimpses of the high-pressing game that Mauricio Pochettino brought to Southampton -- most notably their opening goal against Arsenal -- but there have also been long, laborious spells of nothing much at all, blunt monotony only broken by exciting moments of defensive incompetence.

Mauricio Pochettino took some heat earlier in the season when he complained about the size of the pitch at White Hart Lane, yet the season so far certainly suggests that something peculiar is happening when Tottenham play at home. While it's still early days for anything that might truly be called a trend, their away form is the third best in the league; their home form, by contrast, the fourth worst. Whether that be down to dimensions, to the atmosphere, or some lingering curse laid on the place by a vengeful Juande Ramos, it's a problem that Pochettino has to find his way around. There's only so long any manager can last if he loses his home fans, let alone a manager with Daniel Levy sat behind him. Tottenham are, naturally, at home this weekend.

There's another factor in play here: the Europa League. Again, both sides won in midweek, again they did so in contrasting fashion. Everton won their group with a part-fortunate, part-impressive win away at a pretty decent Wolfsburg side. Tottenham stuttered their way to a 1-0 home win over Partizan, a game most notable for three separate pitch invasions apparently carried out by representatives of the club's in-ear headphone partner. (What a sentence that is. The state of modern football.) But both have suffered when returning to the Premier League: Tottenham have lost three of their four post-group game matches, while Everton have lost twice and drawn once.

In short, it's a monstrously difficult to game to call. Everton have been playing the better football but Tottenham have, slightly surprisingly given the general air of malaise, won more games in the league. They've also lost more. Spurs are at home, yet Spurs are at home. But then Spurs were at home in midweek too, whereas Everton had to travel, and also sustained another midfield injury. Ah, but Romelu Lukaku looks to be playing himself back into form, whereas Roberto Soldado managed to miss while trying to kick a pitch invader. Yes, but Pochettino looks to have finally realised that Jan Vertonghen is better than all his other defenders, even if he is a mardy sod. Does Everton's style leave them open to the pressing that Pochettino likes? Does that matter, if Tottenham can't pull it off?

Perhaps this closeness shouldn't be a surprise. Ninth and tenth in the Premier League, and seventeen points from twelve games. But if it's inevitably going to be a draw, then at least, with Eto'o and Eriksen playing, and with Everton and Tottenham defending, it should be a fun one.

Valencia vs. Barcelona

The pick of this weekend's Spanish action can be found at the Mestalla on Sunday, where high-flying Valencia play host to an even higher-flying Barcelona. Valencia will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing defeat to Levante last weekend, with only a point keeping them above Sevilla in the final Champions League spot. Barça, meanwhile, will just be looking to keep up with a Real Madrid team looking increasingly invincible at the top of the table.

Over recent years, these fixtures have gone almost invariably Barcelona's way. You have to go back almost eight years for the last time Valencia won at home to the Catalans in the league (and that day, fellow nostalgists, David Silva and Ronaldinho were both on the scoresheet). However, this season there’s a renewed optimism around the Mestalla, caused by the cash injection of new owner Peter Lim, and the impressive work of young coach Nuno.

Starlets like striker Paco Alcácer -- who should return from an injury in time to play in this match -- Fennec dreamboat Sofiane Feghouli and attacking midfielder André Gomes have allowed Los Murciélagos to soar once again, with only Spain’s traditional big two having scored more goals in La Liga this season. It is the start of a revival that Valencia hope will culminate in a repeat of their heroics under Rafael Benítez back in 2004, when they last won the Spanish title.

There’s no doubting that they’re still big underdogs for their clash with Barça this weekend, with Luis Enrique having successfully tightened up the Catalans’ back line in his tenure so far. They've conceded just three times since losing the Clásico to Real Madrid last month -- before which they had failed to ship a single goal in La Liga. With an embarrassment of riches up top too, enhanced by the return of prolific chewer Luis Suárez, they remain one of the strongest sides on the planet.

But nevertheless, the hosts’ recent resurgence gives us optimism that this game won’t be a walkover. They may no longer boast the likes of Gaizka Mendieta, Rubén Baraja and Davids Silva and Villa, but with a young talented team, Valencia legends of the future may well be in production. This weekend they’ll be seeking to demonstrate that they’re not just a team for the future, but for the present as well.