Shortage of time means my usual trifecta of previews from Germany, France and the Netherlands is condensed into one, especially given that the round is already underway. Let us begin in the low country.
Eredivisie round 3:
Sparta v Willem II
Waalwijk v AZ
Den Haag v Twente
Heerenveen v Vitesse
PSV v Ajax Live on ESPN Sky Ch 417 or 442 in HD 11.30am Sunday
Heracles v Feyenoord
Roda v NEC
Utrecht v VVV Venlo
Groningen v NAC
No doubting the top game here is at the Philips Stadion. PSV have all the talent and Fred Rutten is a man to get the best out of it. Ajax now have a proper manager and he's started very well indeed. Dennis Rommedahl was an astute acquisition and players like Ismael Aissati and Miralem Sulejmani look different players under Martin Jol. Waalwijk's difficult start continues at home to AZ who will have Gil Swerts and Graziano Pelle back, the former who is really good and important to the team and the latter who.. err.. has nice hair. Twente will expect three points from a trip to the governmental capital, Utrecht could easily finish the week top by maintaining their 100% start at home to VVV. Feyenoord haven't really got going and it won't be easy in Almelo and neither have Groningen who are at home to NAC this week. Roda meet NEC, Willem II ought to beat Sparta and Heerenveen need a kick-start to their campaign against Vitesse.
Bundesliga round 2:
Stuttgart v Freiburg
Eintracht v Nurnberg
Leverkusen v Hoffenheim
Hamburg v Dortmund
Hannover v Mainz
Bayern v Bremen
Cologne v Wolfsburg
Monchengladbach v Hertha Live on ESPN Ch 417 or 442 in HD Sunday 2.30pm
Schalke v Bochum Live on ESPN Ch 417 or 442 in HD Sunday 4.30pm
Game of the week is at the BayArena where Hoffenheim roll into town. TSG played really well in their opener against Bayern and were a touch unlucky not to take the points. It's hard to see the villagers topping the table at christmas as they did last year, but they do play some lovely football. Wolfsburg look in tip-top form already and have a winnable fixture, as do Stuttgart. Bayern v Bremen will sway on how fit Franck Ribéry is. Both sides look good going forward, but terrible at the back. Hannover v Mainz looks like a relegation battle already and losses are in the offing for Gladbach and Bochum. Defensive Hamburg meet flamboyant Dortmund in what should be a battle of wills that ends goalless.
Ligue 1 round 2:
Lorient v Montpellier
Sochaux v Bordeaux
Lens v Auxerre
PSG v Le Mans
Nancy v Monaco
Lyon v Valenciennes
Toulouse v St Etienne
Boulogne v Grenoble
Nice v Rennes
Marseille v Lille
Top game in France is at the Vélodrome where Lille are the visitors. The stadium will be full despite early threats that it would be closed to supporters following a series of incidents. Lille's young, vibrant side will find it tough in the physical battle and Marseille should pick up the three points. André-Pierre Gignac has signed on long-term at Toulouse and scored France's winner in midweek on his international debut. They play St Etienne - home win. Lens v Auxerre looks an intruiging clash while Sochaux's encouraging start last week will be sorely tested by the visit of Bordeaux. PSG and Monaco, the two capital clubs in this league, should both emerge victorious this weekend while promoted Boulogne will find it tough, if not impossible, at home to a rugged Grenoble side. Montpellier, another promoted side, have along trip north to Lorient that looks futile, while Rennes go in the opposite direction for what promises to be an open game on the Cote d'Azur.
Normal service to be resumed next week.
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