Aussies Abroad Preview: Hrustic closes in on European final, Rogic & Genreau eye titles

Tom Rogic and Denis Genreau could take a huge step towards etching themselves into the history books this weekend, while Ajdin Hrustic is on the verge of a European final. 

Rogic's Celtic will need to overcome Old Firm rivals Rangers to go nine points clear with three matches remaining, while after securing promotion to Ligue 1, Genreau's Tolouse now have a chance to wrap up the title. 

Meanwhile, Hrustic's Eintracht Frankfurt have one foot in a European final, following an important first-leg victory in London overnight.

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England & Scotland

Old Firm rivals Glasgow Celtic and Glasgow Rangers have already played out four classic derbies over the past eight months in both the Premiership regular season and Scottish Cup, with both sides picking up two victories each.

This Sunday's Old Firm Derby however (Sunday 9pm AEST), represents far more to Ange Postecoglou's men, as the team in green sit just six points away from the league title, with a win against title challengers Rangers, cementing a nine-point gap at the top.

Midfielder Tom Rogic will be in the thick of the action at Celtic Park once again, hoping to atone for the side's devastating defeat two weeks earlier in the Scottish Cup Semi-final. Socceroos fans also have less than 24 hours to put their vote in for SPFL Goal of the Season, with Rogic's strike against Dundee United amongst the favourites to win.

 

Also in action during the Scottish Premiership's final phase is defender Nathaniel Atkinson, who looks to build on his 100% record within the league's toughest group of fixtures. His side Hearts are back at home in Edinburgh against the side that Celtic put away with ease last week in Ross County (Sunday 12am AEST). 

Not to be outdone by his compatriots up north, Riley McGree heads into the last two matches of his first Championship season with Middlesbrough, still firmly in the hunt for promotion, after two goals from the midfielder in two consecutive matches. With two points separating Boro from the play-offs, a victory at home against Stoke City (Sunday 12am AEST) is essential if they have any hope of playing Premier League football next campaign.

Germany

Eintracht Frankfurt took an enormous leap toward a European final overnight, with a 2-1 victory away at London outfit West Ham United - with the second leg still to come back in Germany, next Friday morning.

Midfielder Ajdin Hrustic's side travel to third-placed Bayer Leverkusen (Tuesday 4:30am AEST). Three days later, the Aussie will return for the biggest home match of the season, with Frankfurt welcoming the Irons for their semi-final second-leg.

 

FC St Pauli's dream of automatic promotion may just slip away this weekend if the Hamburg outfit fail to win at home to Nürnberg (Saturday 2:30am AEST), with three points separating Jackson Irvine's side from the top two. For the play-off position, one point remains the difference. A tough round of fixtures also round out Irvine's season with Schalke still to play, making this weekend's result pivotal.

Continental Europe

Most thought that after last weekend life in the south of France could not get any sweeter for Denis Genreau, after his side Toulouse capped off a dominant home win to secure promotion to Ligue 1; with a pitch invasion ensuing after the final whistle, capping off a wild night of celebration.

However the Socceroos midfielder has his sights on another piece of history on Tuesday morning (4:45am AEST), as Toulouse travel to relegation-threatened Rodez, with a victory clinching the league title outright. The championship would see a first piece of major silverware for the Aussie, along with a second round of jubilation from their fans once the men in purple return home.

 

Just two matches remain for Fran Karacic and Brescia to make up the three points separating themselves from Serie B's automatic promotion positions. Having already secured progression into the play-offs and a route towards top-flight football, the defender will be hoping for far more security in the league's top two, with the play-off positions occupied by fairly strong sides, who sit tightly next to each other, with just one win enough for a side to swing from one side to the other.

A victory at mid-table club Cittadella (Saturday 10pm AEST) is what stands in Brescia's way, with Karacic's team hoping to build on an undefeated run which has now stretched to six weeks.

Joel King's Odense BK returns to the Danish Superliga after a tight first-legged defeat last week in the cup competition against Lawrence Thomas' SønderjyskE. The Australian defender was rested for that encounter and after his fast start to life in Scandinavia, there is every expectation that he returns to the starting eleven, when OB host AGF (Sunday 10pm AEST).

In Turkey, Awer Mabil's Kasimpasa hope to extend their remarkable run of six victories from their last seven matches which includes a jump to the Süper Lig's mid-table, when they face Behich's former side, Istanbul Basaksehir at home (Saturday 11pm AEST).

Aziz Behich is also looking to build into next campaign, having almost secured safety for club side Giresunspor, with a 10-point buffer supporting themselves from the bottom four. Giresunspor will be optimistic of victory this weekend however, with their next opponent Champions League hopefuls Adana Demirspor (Saturday 3:30am AEST), coming off two substantial defeats in a row.

Viking Fotballklubb and Socceroos midfielder Gianni Stensness will aim to build on his strong start to the Norwegian league this weekend, at home to Haugesund (Sunday 2am AEST). Three points will be the minimum expected of Viking, having won three out of their first four matches, facing a side who are currently anchored to the bottom of the table.

Asia & The Middle-East

After three goal involvements in three matches for Fagiano Okayama, Mitch Duke will hope to turn his scoring form into a spree, when his side return home to face Tokyo Verdy (Sunday 2pm AEST). Having secured their first win in over a month last weekend, Okayama returned to J2's play-off positions, alongside the Tokyo outfit, with Duke's side looking to do one better and leap-frog their opponents this weekend.

 

Martin Boyle meanwhile, was successful in wrapping up Group E's top spot in AFC Champions League despite his side Al-Faisaly falling to Qatari side Al-Sadd in their final group match 1-0. Boyle's knockout Champions League match opponent is still yet to be determined.

The United States

Milos Degenek will be hoping to build on a strong defensive performance last week, with a victory at home to DC United (Sunday 9:30am). The clash between the two Eastern Conference side will have a little Aussie flavour too it as well, with compatriot defender Brad Smith lining up for the team from the US capital.