5 must-watch matches around Europe this weekend: PSG battles Lyon

The rush toward the Christmas break is upon us, a crucial flurry of football activity that could come to define the seasons of title contenders and relegation battlers alike. After all, the points won in November and December are the ones teams don't need in April and May.

Here are five matches to watch this weekend:

Celtic vs. Aberdeen

When: Sunday, Nov. 27 (10 a.m. ET)
Where: Hampden Park

Celtic and Aberdeen will contest Sunday's League Cup final - the first time they've met in the showpiece since 2000.

Though he won't define his career by the number of trophies in his cabinet, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has a chance to lift the first major title as a manager.

Aberdeen, meanwhile, can collect a second cup in three years.

The most pressing issue for Rodgers is the health of Scott Sinclair, who picked up a hamstring injury in midweek action against Barcelona.

Losing the former Manchester City winger would be a significant blow for a side that relies on his pace to complicate matters and provide service for goal-happy Moussa Dembele.

Aberdeen's key man is the on-loan Norwich midfielder James Maddison, a technical player who already downed the Rangers with a last-gasp free-kick earlier this year.

The 20-year-old was dropped from the side that played Celtic in October - 1-0 defeat to the Bhoys - but his creativity cannot be suppressed. He's got tremendous vision, and he's excellent in possession.

Hampden could host a Scottish classic on the weekend.

Lyon vs. Paris Saint-Germain

When: Sunday, Nov. 27 (2:45 p.m. ET)
Where: Stade de Lumieres

Paris Saint-Germain's route to domestic glory has always been complicated by trips to Lyon.

The four-time defending Ligue 1 champion has picked up just a single victory in its past 11 visits to the Stade de Lumieres, and one is needed desperately Sunday if Unai Emery's troupe wants to keep up the pressure on pack leaders Nice and AS Monaco.

A sputtering start to the season puts PSG in a difficult position, but it's since won eight of 10 matches across all competitions. Edinson Cavani has stepped up and scored a league-leading 11 goals in France, and Emery has begun to rotate his squad. The capital club is now just three points off the Ligue 1 lead.

Five points behind PSG is Lyon, which is going through a resurgence of its own. Bruno Genesio's side has won four of five matches after losing five of the previous six.

Alexandre Lacazette, a supreme penalty-box specialist, has contributed the most to Lyon's revival, scoring 10 league goals in nine appearances following his return from injury.

A win Sunday would keep OL in the hunt for the Champions League places.

Chelsea vs. Tottenham

When: Saturday, Nov. 26 (12:30 p.m. ET)
Where: Stamford Bridge

Unlike last season, any chance to watch Chelsea is time worth spending.

Antonio Conte has reinvigorated the Blues and restored their winning mentality after their limp title defence. Eden Hazard is back as the league's trickiest winger, and the likes of Victor Moses and Pedro have found space in the lineup thanks to Conte's liberating 3-4-3 formation.

Diego Costa isn't just a snarly caricature of himself, either. He's banging in goals, creating plays, and moving better than any other Premier League striker.

Tottenham has every reason to fear the league leader on Saturday.

Mixed results mean Mauricio Pochettino cannot afford to drop more points. Spurs are down to fifth in the standings - one point below rival Arsenal - and they still cannot count the wounded Toby Alderweireld, Danny Rose, and Ben Davies among their ranks.

Scoring has eluded the north London outfit for much of the campaign - it's managed more than one goal in just one of its past nine matches - heaping yet more pressure on Harry Kane.

Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen

When: Saturday, Nov. 26 (12:30 p.m. ET)
Where: Allianz Arena

Winless in three outings, Carlo Ancelotti's Bayern Munich has relinquished top spot in both the Bundesliga and Champions League Group D.

Uncharacteristic defensive mistakes cost the Bavarians at Rostov, but there's also an absence of tactical soundness.

The transition from Pep Guardiola's focus on possession to Ancelotti's more reactive brand of football is going to take more time, and this early funk could reasonably be attributed to the managerial handoff.

But players have simply made errors in judgement. Jerome Boateng is under massive scrutiny - he was culpable on two of Rostov's three goals - and Robert Lewandowski is going through a dry spell.

Captain Philipp Lahm accused Bayern of having too much of a "carefree" attitude in recent weeks, but a win over Bayer Leverkusen would soothe the aches. Roger Schmidt's side has slumped to ninth place, a lowly position for a team of Champions League calibre.

Inter vs. Fiorentina

When: Monday, Nov. 28 (3 p.m. ET)
Where: San Siro

Though it's not necessarily a weekend clash, Fiorentina's trip to Inter on Monday pits two teams on the outskirts of European places.

The Nerazzurri looked like they had embarked on a new era under newly appointed manager Stefano Pioli, who enjoyed a 2-2 comeback draw in last week's derby against AC Milan, but they folded under the pressure Thursday in a 3-2 loss to Hapoel Beer-Sheva. The defeat kicked Inter out of the Europa League, at the every least allowing the club to focus on climbing the Serie A ladder.

Currently in ninth place, the 18-time Scudetto winner must put together some kind of a run before the winter break.

Only Fiorentina is no walkover. Equally inconsistent in the opening weeks of the Italian campaign, La Viola is now finding the net on a regular basis, and collecting points on the way.

Paulo Sousa's side remains unbeaten in its past six league commitments, with many thanks to Federico Bernardeschi. The 22-year-old Italy international has four goals in his past three outings, making him the player to watch in this contest.