From Oceania to Manchester
©TM/IMAGO
It is mid-January, and football is once again in full swing. As we do every week, we feature five games to keep an eye on over the weekend. This weekend offers a massive slate of exciting games across several continents, with Bayern Munich traveling to Leipzig, the Manchester Derby, a big title clash in Ligue 2, a derby in Brazil’s largest city, and the opening of a new competition in Oceania. In other words, there are once again exciting games to watch across the globe, and with the expertise of our global team, Transfermarkt takes you around the world to highlight five games you should watch this weekend.
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Tiberius Radziejewski (Transfermarkt Content Manager Asia):
This Saturday, Vanuatu United and Fiji’s Bula FC will kick off the inaugural edition of the OFC Professional League – the first professional competition in Oceania’s history. With a combined population of just over one million, both islands will aim for a strong start to the competition, which is played in a five-circuit series across five Pacific locations.
While Vanuatu United mainly consists of local players and regional foreigners, Bula FC has signed legendary striker and national team player Roy Krishna (38). Fiji and Bula FC head coach Stéphane Auvray has also signed his son Kaïlé Auvray, who represents Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Didier Desprez, who has experience in Ligue 2 and the UEFA Conference League. In contrast, news from the other coaching bench has been far less positive. Vanuatu United announced just four days before their opening fixture that the German duo – head coach Lars Hopp and CEO Christian Happel – will leave the club together at the end of January due to “simply different opinions on how the future of the club should be managed”. Like Auvray, Hopp is also coaching the national team. Today, the club posted a job advertisement on its social media channels.
Ligue 2 title clash: ESTAC Troyes vs Stade Reims
Ronan Caroff (Transfermarkt Area Manager France):
A duel between a league leader and its runner-up is always exciting, and Troyes vs Stade Reims in Ligue 2 this Saturday is no different. The home team, currently on its third consecutive season in this competition, is finally on course for promotion, which will probably be to the appreciation of owners Man City. They have a six-point lead, and their Stade de l’Aube is a fortress this season (8W, 1D, 1L).
Club Comparison
€27.85m
Market Value
€59.10m
Second Tier
League Level
Second Tier
€3.75m
Expenditures 25/26
€3.10m
Stéphane Dumont
Managers
Karel Geraerts
Full Club Comparison
Striker Tawfik Bentayeb is for sure the name to look out for, with 11 goals in 14 games across all competitions. A win would put them nine points above their rivals Reims, a relegated team who struggled a bit early this season to find their pace, but are now a logical contender for a trip back up. Important names from last season in Ligue 1, like Keito Nakamura and Teddy Teuma, have swallowed their frustration of not leaving last summer, and are now remarkable assets once again, both with nine goal contributions in Ligue 2 in 2025/26.
Bundesliga: RB Leipzig vs Bayern Munich
Manuel Veth (Transfermarkt Area Manager North America & Host of Gegenpressing Pod):
In the absence of a proper title challenger, RB Leipzig against Bayern Munich is perhaps the closest thing of a top duel in the Bundesliga this season. The home team missed out on European football for the first time since RB Leipzig were promoted ahead of the 2016/17 season. As a result, the club underwent a significant rebuild. Ole Werner was signed from Werder Bremen as the new head coach, and the club also added exciting wonderkids Ezechiel Banzuzi, Andrija Maksimović, Yan Diomande, and Conrad Harder, as well as young stars Rômulo and Johan Bakayoko.
Club Comparison
€410.75m
Market Value
€980.95m
First Tier
League Level
First Tier
€141.00m
Expenditures 25/26
€88.80m
Ole Werner
Managers
Vincent Kompany
Full Club Comparison
As always, the scouts will keep an eye on many of those talented youngsters. They will also watch whether Werner has learned from Leipzig’s season opener against Bayern Munich. That night in the Allianz Arena, Bayern demolished Leipzig 6-1, causing the first minor crisis of Werner’s young tenure. Since then, Leipzig haven’t always been perfect, but the potential is there for everyone to see and a top four finish is more than possible. But have they learned enough to beat Bayern Munich on Saturday?
Much of that will, of course, depend on Bayern. The Rekordmeister has been in incredible form under manager Vincent Kompany. Bayern play smooth, attacking football, featuring young Lennart Karl, Michael Olise, Luis Díaz, and England captain Harry Kane. Those four have been unstoppable at times, making Bayern one of the best teams in Europe and an unstoppable force within Germany. Transfermarkt will be present for this game on Saturday so stay tuned for more!
Clássico Majestoso: Corinthians vs São Paulo
Marcos Watts (Area Manager Brazil):
As the Campeonato Paulista enters its third round this weekend, Corinthians and São Paulo renew one of Brazil’s fiercest rivalries this Sunday at the Neo Química Arena. Corinthians arrive at the Majestoso with confidence bolstered by a good start to 2026. The club started their Paulista campaign with a dominant 3–0 victory over Ponte Preta, getting to a high table position straight away. The club’s momentum is further amplified by FIFA lifting its transfer ban after a 5-month block and by the signing of experienced centre-back Gabriel Paulista, who joins the squad ready to add leadership and resilience at the back.
Club Comparison
€113.70m
Market Value
€80.95m
First Tier
League Level
First Tier
0
Expenditures 25/26
€4.00m
Dorival Júnior
Managers
Hernán Crespo
Full Club Comparison
By contrast, São Paulo enter the derby under a cloud of continuous instability. The club’s 2026 kickoff mirrored the tail end of their 2025 nightmare by suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat to Mirassol in a match we featured last week – a result that highlighted existing anxieties about form and identity. Behind the scenes, chaos still prevail in the club’s governance: a vote on the impeachment of president Julio Casares is scheduled to take place this Friday, potentially marking a decisive moment in São Paulo’s ongoing political crisis and further unsettling preparations for the derby. On the pitch, their performances have lacked sharpness, and while new signings have arrived, manager Hernán Crespo has openly called for more reinforcements to steady the ship.
Corinthians’ late 2025 form and sharper start to 2026 give them the advantage, but São Paulo’s experience in massive matches, combined with the club’s current crisis, means this Majestoso still promises intensity, drama, and stakes far beyond the three points.
Manchester Derby: Manchester United vs Manchester City
Euan Robertson (Transfermarkt Content Manager England):
As ever, there will be plenty of storylines in the Manchester derby this weekend. Manchester City will travel across the city to Old Trafford as the overwhelming favourites, and they won the reverse fixture 3-0 at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola’s men have been the dominant force in this rivalry across the last decade, and they’ll be determined to win to place pressure on Arsenal. City enter the weekend six points behind Mikel Arteta’s men, who face a trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening.
Club Comparison
Premier League
Premier League
€719.15m
Market Value
€1.27bn
First Tier
League Level
First Tier
€250.70m
Expenditures 25/26
€278.80m
Michael Carrick
Managers
Pep Guardiola
Full Club Comparison
Meanwhile, Manchester United will have a new (ish) man in the dugout with Michael Carrick appointed interim head coach until the end of the season. The former United midfielder previously took charge for three games in 2021, and his objective is to secure European football across the final 17 league games of the season. Bragging rights will be up for grabs in Manchester, but it’s difficult to look beyond another City win.
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