Worth A Look: Madrid Derby, Kevin Keegan Part III and FA Cup revisited

This weekend is particularly sparse when it comes to marquee footballing match ups. England this weekend features three matches between the top three and teams in the bottom quarter of the table. Lambs to the slaughter, says I. That being said, a trio of matches stand to draw deserved attention from the more discerning, perhaps neutrally inclined footballing fan. And Toon fanatics.

Saturday January 19

Newcastle vs. Bolton, 12:15 p.m. ET

With the circus back in town, everyone in the Northeast of England will be forgetting that this was actually supposed to be Big Sam vs. Little Sam, part II. And now for something completely different.

Yes, King Kev is back in charge; we haven't seen times like these since the heady days of '96 when the Keegan led Newcastle managed to cough the league title up to Manchester United. Newcastle will be a different team, one filled with a new spirit, a new belief and if the mid-week FA Cup tie is any indication, the people of Newcastle will be looking for some place beyond the sky.

Bolton will be looking to mitigate the overwhelming emotion this fixture will elucidate amongst the crowd at St. James Park. The job got a little harder with the departure of Nicolas Anelka, but the team is playing better under Gary Megson. They'll make Newcastle earn their points, but I get the feeling that fate is against the Trotters this weekend.

Sunday January 20

Manchester City v. West Ham United, 11:00 a.m. ET

Deja vu, anyone? Four days after clashing in the FA Cup at the City of Manchester Stadium, these two clubs meet up again in the Premier League. City won the first encounter 1 - 0 and with their stellar 9 - 2 - 0 home record this season, West Ham will be in tough again.

The one thing I'll say about the Hammers this season is that they are anything but predictable. They've never looked horrible, and in fact looked to be quite a fashionable side at times. Despite a rash of injuries to many key squad members, Alan Curbishley's men have managed to maintain a respectable 10th, only 7 points back of City with a game in hand. Their road record has been surprising as well, winning 5 of 10 on their travels this season.

A quick rematch is sure to keep the passion high, so look for a quality fixture here.

Athletico Madrid v. Real Madrid, 1:00 p.m. ET

More than a few TVs in North America will be tuned to the other football around this time to catch some over hyped playoff clash, but the best bet for your Sunday afternoon viewing pleasure is surely taking place at the Vincente Calderon.

Athletico have only managed to beat their cross-town rivals once in ten meetings, but the Torres-less side of Madrid is turning up the heat this season, sitting third on 37 points. The emergence of Sergio Aguero and the continuation of stellar play, post-Man United, by Diego Forlan have helped contribute to an improved team approach at Athletico following the departure of their talismanic captain.

Real have been perhaps the only consistent side in Spain this season, building upon their championship form of last season. The Vincente Calderon Stadium is a tough place to play on the best of Sundays, it will be a true test of Real's ambition against their local rival.