There are big derbies in Liverpool, Lisbon, Genoa and Belgrade to look forward to while AJ Auxerre search for their eighth successive win as uefa.com previews the weekend's top fixtures in Europe.

Captain Carles Puyol insisted FC Barcelona's Sunday opponents Real Madrid CF were "top of the table for a reason" as the Spanish and European champions bid for a third successive 'El Clásico' win.

Jermain Defoe's five goals in a 9-1 win dazzled England and Kurban Berdyev's dancing shocked Russia, with a stray cat and ill-starred autograph also starring in uefa.com's guide to the last seven days.

Seasoned Panathinaikos FC striker Djibril Cissé can feel passions stirring ahead of his first derby against Olympiacos FC, telling uefa.com: "It's more than football here in Athens - it's a lifestyle."

The designation of Ukraine's remaining UEFA EURO 2012™ host cities, and the choice of venue for the UEFA EURO 2012™ final, are major items on the UEFA Executive Committee agenda next month.

FC Barcelona have received a boost ahead of Sunday's Liga encounter against title rivals Real Madrid CF with the news that Andrés Iniesta, 25, has signed a one-year contract extension.

VfL Wolfsburg striker Obafemi Martins will miss the decisive Group B fixture against Manchester United FC on 8 December after planned winter break surgery on a left shin injury was brought foward.

Three teams are already through, with eight more within a point of joining them as the UEFA Europa League takes centre stage with 16 Matchday 5 fixtures split over Wednesday and Thursday night.

UEFA's HatTrick programme has helped promote grassroots football all around Europe and no more so than in Finland where mini-pitches and football halls are among the benefits reaped from the project.

At the last UEFA European Futsal Championship in November 2007 in Porto. Tomá Neumann's Czech Republic suffered three defeats but having qualified again in dramatic style the coach aims to at least top Group A.