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Our Picks: Resurgent Roma face test and clash of the Bundesliga titans

Roma have won three in a row under new boss Daniele De Rossi following his appointment in place of the dismissed Jose Mourinho
Roma have won three in a row under new boss Daniele De Rossi following his appointment in place of the dismissed Jose MourinhoAFP

A potential title decider between Germany's top two sides in Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich marks one of the stand out clashes across European football this weekend, but there's plenty more to keep an eye on elsewhere.

Play-off chasers do battle in the Championship as Ipswich host West Brom, while Italy's Serie A also serves up a couple of delicious football feasts to enjoy.

Take a look at the pick of the fixture from Flash UK's editors this weekend:

Ipswich v West Brom - Ali Pollock

Fourth host fifth in the Championship this weekend, with Ipswich welcoming West Brom to Portman Road.

The Tractor Boys have only just been promoted from League One but are well in the mix for automatic promotion to the Premier League, sitting only two points outside of the top two.

Their form has shocked many, although the hosts have slipped away in recent weeks – winning just once in their last eight league games.

Standings
StandingsFlashscore

Kieffer Moore has been brought in on loan from Bournemouth to help correct their form, with the Welshman netting twice on his debut last weekend (a 3-2 loss to Preston).

While only one place behind Ipswich in the table, West Brom actually sit 11 points away from their opponents on Saturday – a clear indicator of the gulf in quality between the top four and the chasing pack.

The Baggies are in better form going into the weekend, though, with four wins from their last six Championship matches.

Form for both sides
Form for both sidesFlashscore

Brandon Thomas-Asante is their top scorer in the league with nine, but West Brom’s main strength is their defence.

They have conceded the third-fewest goals of any club in the league (27).

Saturday’s match at Portman Road is set to be an entertaining one, with the hosts having only lost once at home in the league but also having only kept three clean sheets – the fewest of any team at their own stadium.

Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich - Brad Ferguson

While fans of Girona and Real Madrid may have something to say about it, it's hard to argue against it being Germany's Bundesliga that boasts the most mouthwatering top-of-the-table clash of Europe's top leagues this weekend.

Much has been made of Xabi Alonso's excellent work at Leverkusen this season, with the former midfield maestro – who enjoyed plenty of success as a player for his Bavarian rivals – conjuring up an immensely competitive side to disrupt the expected dominance of Bayern Munich this season. 

Bundesliga table
Bundesliga tableFlashscore

Leverkusen may not be at their freshest after needing a 90th-minute winner to come through a tricky midweek DFB-Pokal tie against Stuttgart, although that victory very much leaves their hopes of a treble-winning season alive.

Bayern, meanwhile, have long since exited that cup and so boss Thomas Tuchel will have had a full week to prepare for the pivotal fixture.

Alonso's Leverkusen are currently on an impressive unbeaten run of 30 games across all competitions in Germany this season, aiming to surpass the 32-match streak set by Bayern Munich. 

Previous meetings
Previous meetingsFlashscore

Bayern were forced to come from behind in their previous outing, a 3-1 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach. Harry Kane struck his 24th league goal of the season - a record high for a Bundesliga newcomer - and all eyes will be on the England talisman who will very much be required for the big moments as he seeks out the first silverware of his otherwise illustrious career.

For the home side, exciting youngster Florian Wirtz has directly contributed to 23 goals from 28 appearances in all competitions this term (including eight goals and 15 assists), and the 20-year-old could do some damage when the sides meet on Saturday evening - especially as elite shot-stopper Manuel Neuer could miss out through injury.

A win will see Leverkusen move five points clear at the summit, so while it's still too early to call this mammoth clash a "title decider", it will certainly go a long way to helping either side reach that goal.

Roma v Inter Milan - Anthony Paphitis

Saturday evening brings about a tasty-looking clash in Serie A between a resurgent Roma and Inter Milan, who could extend their league lead by seven points this weekend.

The hosts will be well in the mood for this one having won three in a row under new boss Daniele De Rossi following his appointment in place of the dismissed Jose Mourinho.

Their 4-0 thumping of Cagliari last time out saw Paulo Dybala score twice and Lorenzo Pellegrini keep up his good form.

Serie A table
Serie A tableFlashscore

It was a somewhat light schedule for De Rossi, though, given the teams put against him, but his Roma side will be given the biggest test against a very strong Inter outfit.

The Nerazzurri look like strong favourites to retain their crown, especially after last weekend's narrow win over Juventus in Derby d'Italia.

Simone Inzaghi's men are formidable at both ends of the pitch scoring 51 goals and conceding just 10 in 22 games, with their +41 goal difference standing as the best across Europe's top divisions.

Recent H2H
Recent H2HFlashscore

Lautaro Martinez has been Inter's shining light this term and they will again be looking towards him to bolster his tally of 19 goals so far, which has him seven goals clear of Juve's Dusan Vlahovic.

Inter have not tasted defeat at the Stadio Olimpico since October 2016 and coupled with their superb form, it makes them favourites in spite of Roma's recent uptick.

Fiorentina v Frosinone - Ste Carson

A bruised Fiorentina side head into this weekend's Serie A clash hoping to put things right.

I Viola were beaten by Lecce in their last outing by a score of 3-2, conceding twice in time added on.

It also made it three defeats on the trot for the Tuscan outfit – including a 3-0 humbling against Napoli in the Supercoppa semi-finals.

All of that could be seen as both a positive or a negative for travelling side Frosinone this weekend, following a 3-2 defeat to Milan.

Form for both sides
Form for both sidesFlashscore

I Canarini, all things considered, aren't having a terrible season – sat in 14th place having been promoted last term.

They will need to turn their fortunes around quickly, though, if they aren't to find themselves involved in a relegation battle.

For Fiorentina, on paper, it should be an easy win – but there is no such thing in elite-level football and Frosinone will be up for a fight.

Standings
StandingsFlashscore

Matias Soule is in fine form for the Lazio-based side this season, with 12 goal contributions to his name (10 goals, which makes him Serie A's fourth-highest goal-scorer).

Fiorentina's Nicolas Gonzalez would typically be the one to watch, but his form has taken a hit after returning from injury.

Lucas Beltran, however, has enjoyed a positive run of late (six goal contributions in his last 13 league matches) and could indeed be the man for the occasion once again this weekend.

A win for Fiorentina would put them right back in the mixer for a European spot, whereas a triumph for Frosinone would further solidify their safety and send a statement to those around them in the table.