This weekend is brimming with exciting sports action, featuring crucial football matches alongside tennis, golf, and more. So, what should you tune into?
Here are the key events our news team is keen to follow this weekend:
Saturday, 17 May
Crystal Palace vs Manchester City – 17:30 CET
The FA Cup final is one of the cornerstones of the football calendar, and the narratives surrounding this year’s showdown make it unmissable.
Crystal Palace finds themselves in their second FA Cup final of the decade after suffering heartbreak against Manchester United in extra time in 2016. That day was a painful reminder for a club chasing its first major trophy.
On Saturday afternoon, they have the opportunity to confront the Manchester City side and set the record straight. A victory over last season’s finalists and England’s most decorated club in the past decade would be monumental for Palace.
Pep Guardiola and his squad will be looking to spoil the party for Palace. Although this season hasn’t quite lived up to their high expectations, City is entering the final in solid form.
Aside from a surprising goalless draw against Southampton last week, they have gone nine games unbeaten and have their star striker Erling Haaland fit and ready to make an impact, which is a significant boost after his absence.
Palace believe this match presents a prime opportunity to take on a less-than-unstoppable City. Meanwhile, City may perceive Palace as less formidable than their Manchester rivals were last season, seeking to end a frustrating campaign on a positive note.
No matter how Saturday unfolds, the FA Cup final promises to be an event worth watching.
Harry Dunnett
Final Day of Liga Portugal – 19:00 CET
Liga Portugal faces one of its most thrilling final days ever this Saturday, with the title, European spots, and relegation still hanging in the balance.
After last week’s draw, Sporting CP and Benfica are level on points, with Sporting boasting the head-to-head advantage. This places pressure on Benfica, who must secure more points than their rivals as they take on Sporting Braga. Otherwise, the trophy will be back with Sporting for the second consecutive year.
Porto is expected to clinch third place and an automatic Europa League spot, yet they need to secure at least a point against Nacional to preclude being overtaken by Braga. The only scenario in which that could happen is if Porto loses and Braga wins by a considerable margin.
The final European place is also in dispute. Vitoria is currently fifth, edging out Santa Clara on head-to-head record. Similar to Benfica, Santa Clara needs to secure more points at Farense than Vitoria does in Lisbon; otherwise, the same five teams will represent Portugal in Europe for another consecutive year.
Farense is embroiled in a relegation battle alongside Estrela, AVS, and Boavista. Farense and Boavista sit in the bottom two, with AVS currently occupying the playoff position.
While Estrela cannot be relegated outright on Saturday, they could be forced into playoffs. A remarkable turnaround will be required for the former champions, Boavista, to avoid falling to the second tier next season.
David Parkes
PGA Championship – throughout the weekend
The second major golf tournament of the year is well underway, and surprisingly, Jhonattan Vegas has taken the top spot on the PGA Championship leaderboard at an impressive -8 as of this writing.
Before the tournament began, much focus was on Masters champion Rory McIlroy and whether he could possibly secure all four majors this year. However, he’s strayed far from the lead and will need a strong performance in the next few days to re-enter the mix.
Interestingly, the leaderboard lacks the usual star power, predominantly due to the challenging playing conditions. In the lead-up to the tournament, Quail Hollow experienced heavy rainfall, with many of the world’s top players evidently struggling in the aftermath.
This has opened the door for lesser-known players like Matthieu Pavon, Ryan Gerard, and Luke Donald to climb the leaderboard.
However, several big names remain in contention. Former world number five and six-time PGA Tour champion Max Homa appears to be finding his form again at -5. Noteworthy players like Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler, and Matt Fitzpatrick are also in promising positions.
With much time left in the tournament, expect loads of twists and turns as players rise and fall. Who will ultimately lift the Wanamaker Trophy?
Tolga Akdeniz
Sunday, 18 May
Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz – 12:00 CET
Tennis enthusiasts are in for a treat at the Italian Open, as for the first time in seven months, the top two male players will clash.
Carlos Alcaraz has been in exceptional form during the clay-court season, winning 14 of 15 matches, including notable victories over Alex De Minaur, Jack Draper, and Lorenzo Musetti. After a somewhat disappointing start to 2025, the reigning French Open champion is looking to recapture his peak performance on clay.
Conversely, Jannik Sinner is looking even better in Rome after returning from his doping ban. Given his absence from the game and his prior struggles on clay, many might have anticipated difficulties on home soil.
However, the world number one produced one of his strongest performances to date, overwhelming Madrid champion Casper Ruud and appearing formidable.
If Sinner manages to defeat Alcaraz on a surface where the Spaniard has been dominant to this point, it will send an emphatic message that he intends to reclaim his position at the top of the Tour.
For Alcaraz, a win would serve as a reassuring sign after a rocky few months, indicating that he can solidify an era of dominance alongside Sinner.
With a lively atmosphere at play, as the home crowd cheers on their compatriot for a tournament victory for the first time since 1976, this match could very well be one of the standout clashes of 2025 to date.
Finley Crebolder
Inter vs Lazio – 20:45 CET
Inter has enjoyed a remarkable season, reaching the Champions League final after an unforgettable match against Barcelona. Following their 2-0 victory over Torino last week, they continue to push for the Serie A title with just two games remaining.
Under the guidance of Simone Inzaghi, Inter sits just one point behind league leaders Napoli but faces a Lazio side still vying for a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Having defeated their Roman rivals twice this season—once in the league and once in the cup—Inter will enter the contest with confidence.
However, they understand that a loss coupled with a Napoli win against relegation-threatened Parma would shatter their Scudetto dreams, handing the title to the Partenopei.
Both matches will kick off simultaneously, heightening the drama. At this advanced stage, it’s all about securing the desired results, making it an unmissable event.
Josh Donaldson
Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder – 21:30 CET
Following their 119-107 victory over the Thunder on Thursday, the Denver Nuggets are the only team since 2019 to have gone to seven games in the first two rounds for the third consecutive time.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic have both showcased why they are frontrunners for this year’s Most Valuable Player Award, as they rank at the top of the Western Conference in scoring for these playoffs heading into Game 7.
However, when it comes to experience, the Nuggets have the Thunder significantly outmatched. Over the past seven years, no team has played more Game 7s than the Nuggets, boasting a 4-2 record.
Head coach David Adelman is also riding the momentum from his first Game 7 victory in the previous round against the Clippers, while Thunder head coach Mark Diagnault has yet to experience a Game 7, a scenario that ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins described as “stressful as hell.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves will be left waiting to discover whether they will face the top seed in the Thunder or their Western Conference semifinal foe from last year, the Nuggets.
Eric Himmelheber
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
Fanpage: SportArena.com.au.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
