With the Bundesliga returning from its midwinter break, all five of Europe's major leagues are in action this weekend.

While Hoffenheim and Bayern Munich resume their fascinating top-of-the-table duel in Germany, the clash between Liverpool and Chelsea, which pits third against second, takes centre stage in England. The Rhone derby provides the main attraction in Ligue 1 as Lyon and Saint-Etienne go head to head, and in Spain and Italy, Barcelona and Inter Milan will be out to maintain their respective leads.

Premier League: Reds and Blues meet at Anfield
England's match of the day sees Liverpool, who have yet to win in 2009, entertain Chelsea at Anfield. The Londoners ousted their hosts from second place in midweek and are keen to avenge their 1-0 defeat at home to the Merseysiders earlier in the season. The big winners from that clash could be Aston Villa, who welcome mid-table Wigan as they continue their compelling bid to convert the Big Four into a Big Five.

The chasing trio have plenty of work to do if they are to stay in touch with Manchester United. Two points clear with a game in hand, the leaders put five past West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday and have now gone 1,032 minutes without conceding a goal. Sixth-placed Everton could pose a serious threat to that impressive record when they visit Old Trafford on Saturday, however. Currently lying fifth, Arsenal need maximum points when they take on West Ham if they are to keep the UEFA Champions League qualification slots in sight.

The question: In his first game since moving from Wigan, Emile Heskey sealed three points for Aston Villa at Portsmouth on Tuesday. Can he repeat the trick against his former team-mates?
The big game: Liverpool-Chelsea, Sunday 17.00 CET, Anfield
The quote: "We have been a bit lacking against the big teams this season. We haven't played well or picked up enough points in these games. We have to change this if we want to challenge and be champions," Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack.

Primera Division: Santander surprise?
When will Barcelona slip up? That is the question the pundits have been asking in Spain as the peerless Catalans continue their march to the title. Fast-improving Racing Santander are Barça's opponents this weekend and after last weekend's fine 2-0 win at Sevilla, the Cantabrians are eyeing an upset.

In the battle for second place Real Madrid visit Numancia, while Sevilla, who lie three points behind, travel to Gijon. After losing momentum in recent weeks, Valencia and Villarreal will be hoping for respective morale-boosting wins against Almeria and Deportivo La Coruna.

Bottom-placed Osasuna entertain Mallorca in the day's big relegation battle, while Espanyol, who have slipped into the drop zone after failing to win since 2 November, will aim to give new coach Mauricio Pochettino his first victory when they welcome Recreativo Huelva.

The question: Barcelona have 4,998 Liga goals in all. Can the Blaugranas hit the 5,000 mark against Santander?
The big game: Deportivo-Villarreal, Sunday 17.00 CET, Estadio Riazor
The quote: "We always have possession of the ball. It's the best team I've ever seen in my career," Barcelona defender Eric Abidal.

Serie A: Juve playing catch-up
After pulling to within three points of Inter Milan two weeks ago, Juventus have seen their scudetto challenge falter. A midweek defeat at Udinese coupled with Inter's win at Catania means the Bianconeri are six points off the pace again. Saturday's home game with Cagliari gives the Vecchia Signora an opportunity to recover lost ground, while Jose Mourinho's men face struggling Torino at the San Siro the following day. Eight points off the lead in third, AC Milan have an awkward trip to Lazio.

Serie A revelations Genoa will be banking on in-form Argentinian striker Diego Milito to take them to victory against Palermo. Coming up hard on the rails are Roma, who should continue their impressive climb up the table at rock-bottom Reggina on Sunday.

The question: Having impressed in Italy so far, will David Beckham make the AC Milan's directors happy by extending his stay?
The big game: Lazio-AC Milan, Sunday 20.30 CET, Stadio Olimpico
The quote: "Losing to Udinese hasn't affected our title challenge. We'll be right back on track if we beat Cagliari on Sunday," Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Bundesliga: Back to business
After limbering up with respective German Cup wins over Stuttgart and Munich 1860 in the week, Bayern Munich and Hamburg get back to league business with an enticing clash at the HSH Nordbank Arena on Friday. The Bavarians have their eyes on replacing surprise outfit Hoffenheim at the top, although victory for the home side would see them leap into first place.

The leaders are home at to Cottbus on Saturday as they start life without the talismanic Vedad Ibisevic, the scorer of 18 league goals this season but out for the rest of the campaign with a serious knee injury. The man charged with the task of replacing him is Ivorian striker Boubacar Sanogo, a recent arrival from Werder Bremen.

Sitting in third are Hertha Berlin, who play host to Eintracht Frankfurt, while sixth plays fifth at the Signal Iduna Park as Borussia Dortmund take on Bayer Leverkusen. Languishing in eighth, Werder Bremen have a chance to improve their European qualification prospects when they take on Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday.

The question: Luca Toni has scored in each of Bayern's last six outings. Can the Italian hitman extend his fine run this weekend?
The big game: Hamburg-Bayern Munich, Friday 20.30 CET, HSH Nordbank Arena
The quote: "If we play our very best football, we will win the championship and the Cup too," Bayern Munich defender Philipp Lahm.

Ligue 1: Bordeaux rooting for Les Verts
Leaders Lyon and lowly Saint-Etienne meet at the Gerland in the latest Derby du Rhône. It is 14 years since Les Verts beat their neighbours and as they continue to battle against relegation now is as good a time as any to end that run. One team hoping for a Lyon defeat are Bordeaux, who could move top if they beat the ever-combative Lille at home on Sunday.

Third-placed Marseille can stay in contention if they see off Sochaux, and dark horses Rennes and Toulouse will test each other's credentials when they meet in Brittany. Finally, Paris Saint-Germain have an opportunity to distract attention from their internal problems when they receive a visit from Caen.

The question: Can Saint-Etienne coach Alain Perrin stop his side's run of 18 games without a win in the Rhone derby when he returns to Lyon?
The big game: Lyon-Saint-Etienne, Sunday 21.00 CET, Stade de Gerland
The quote: "You don't need any extra motivation for a match like this, especially at the start because the fans really get you going," Saint-Etienne striker Ilan.