MATCHDAY: Tottenham plays 8th-tier Marine in FA Cup mismatch

Volunteers hang up letters welcoming Tottenham Hotspur ahead of their FA Cup match, at Marine FC’s home ground in Merseyside, England, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. The luxuries of their $1.5 billion Tottenham stadium will be a world away when Jose Mourinho takes his millionaire Premier League players to face Marine’s team of part-timers from the eighth division of English football on Sunday. The northwest coastal city of Crosby will provide very humble surroundings for the biggest mismatch in the history of the FA Cup. (AP Photo/James Caroll)

Volunteers hang up letters welcoming Tottenham Hotspur ahead of their FA Cup match, at Marine FC’s home ground in Merseyside, England, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. The luxuries of their $1.5 billion Tottenham stadium will be a world away when Jose Mourinho takes his millionaire Premier League players to face Marine’s team of part-timers from the eighth division of English football on Sunday. The northwest coastal city of Crosby will provide very humble surroundings for the biggest mismatch in the history of the FA Cup. (AP Photo/James Caroll)

A look at what’s happening around European soccer on Sunday:

ENGLAND

The part-time players from Marine try to produce the biggest shock in FA Cup history when the eighth-tier side hosts Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham at its tiny ground in northwest England. Marine is 161 places below the London club in the English footballing pyramid, the largest gulf between teams meeting in the competition. The only disappointment for Marine is that no fans are allowed into its stadium, or any sports in England, due to the pandemic. A couple of fourth division teams face Premier League sides with Morecambe at Chelsea and Crawley hosting Leeds. Manchester City takes on Birmingham of the second division.

SPAIN

Valencia visits Valladolid seeking to end an eight-round winless run that has left it on the border of the relegation zone in the Spanish league. The last victory for Javi Gracia’s team came two months ago when it stunned Real Madrid 4-1. Since then it has lost three and drawn five in a slide down the standings. Valencia will be without suspended forward Gonçalo Guedes while Gabriel Paulista, Kevin Gameiro, and goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen are injured. Alavés striker Lucas Pérez is doubtful for his team’s match at Cádiz due to a nagging muscle injury. Eibar is at Levante with both teams needing a win to increase the distance from the bottom. Getafe’s match at Elche was postponed until Monday due to the heavy snowstorm in Spain that has made transit practically impossible in and around Madrid.

ITALY

Second meets third in Serie A as Inter Milan faces a tricky trip to Roma. Inter is four points behind city rival Milan with both teams looking to end Juventus’ nine-year grip on the title. Roma is three points further back and has lost only one of its previous 11 home matches against Inter. Juventus is fifth, 10 points behind Milan, although it has played two matches less than the Rossoneri. Andrea Pirlo’s side hosts Sassuolo, which is only a point behind. Napoli could move into the top four with a win at struggling Udinese. Returning Parma coach Roberto D’Aversa faces Lazio in his first match back in charge, hoping to steer the side out of the relegation zone. Bottom club Crotone visits Hellas Verona and Fiorentina hosts fellow struggler Cagliari.

GERMANY

Hertha Berlin has been unable to follow one win with another in the Bundesliga. Coach Bruno Labbadia is hoping that will change at relegation-threatened Arminia Bielefeld. “It’s clear that we would really like to win two games in succession sometime,” said Labbadia, whose side defeated Schalke 3-0 last weekend. “First of all we’re happy to have started the new year so well. But now we have a high-intensity game in front of us. Bielefeld is the team that runs the most in the league, the most intensive. That’s what we’re up against.” Augsburg hosts Stuttgart for a mid-table clash in the other game.

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