Liverpool take on Real Madrid in the Champions League final

England v Pakistan – Test Cricket

After a seven-test streak without a win during winter, and being bowled out for 184 in the opening Test of their series against Pakistan at Lord's, Joe Root’s England will be looking to bounce back over the weekend.

Another top-order batting collapse by England has prompted a rethink in order to deal with the likes of Mohammad Abbas who finished with figures of 4-23 in 14 overs on day one.

Monaco Grand Prix – Formula One​

Winless after the first three races of the current season, reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton has won the past two on the spin ahead of the most glamorous date in the F1 calendar this weekend.

Like last year’s Monaco Grand Prix winner and the man closest to him in this year’s drivers’ championship standings, Sebastian Vettel, Hamilton has won in Monte Carlo twice previously. A third win would increase Hamilton's 17-point advantage at the top of the standings.

Giro d’Italia – cycling ​

Though not held in the same esteem as the Tour de France by sports fans in general, the Giro d’Italia is viewed on a par with its French counterpart in terms of excitement by cycling's purists.

British interest is strong as the Giro enters its final weekend, with Mitchelton-Scott rider Simon Yates in pole position by 28 seconds as the 3,562.9km race concludes.

Team Sky’s Chris Froome finds himself three minutes and 22 seconds adrift of Yates, whose biggest challenge going into the closing stages comes from Dutchman Tom Dumoulin.

Aston Villa v Fulham - Championship play-offs final - Saturday 26 May - Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event from 4pm (Kick off at 5pm)​

While the Champions League final in Kiev steals the limelight this weekend, the financial spoils up for grabs in north-west London this weekend dwarf those in the offing in Ukraine.

The richest game in club football pits two sides with recent Premier League experience against each other for a grand prize of top-flight football and an expected £160m windfall.

A remarkable run in 2018, spearheaded by remarkable teen Ryan Sessegnon, saw Fulham narrowly miss out on automatic promotion – their final-day defeat against Birmingham City was their first in 2018 and meant they were pipped to promotion by Cardiff by two points.

Like Fulham, former Premier League mainstays Villa fell to defeat on the final day of the regular season. Villa have been prolific at home and defensively solid under the stewardship of former England and Chelsea skipper John Terry.

Liverpool v Real Madrid – UEFA Champions League final – Saturday 26 May – BT Sport 2 and BT Sport 4KUHD from 7pm (Kick off at 7.45pm)​

Britain’s record winners of Europe’s premier club competition – five time victors, Liverpool – face 12-time winners and current holders Real Madrid in Kiev this weekend.

Madrid will kick off in Kiev as strong favourites – in their own eyes at least – yet, Liverpool’s attacking trio led by Premier League top scorer Mo Salah, possess the quality to challenge any backline in Europe.

Though Zinedine Zidane’s side has struggled to recreate its best form in La Liga since the Frenchman took charge, they’ve been imperious in Europe, winning two Champions League titles on the spin.

While Liverpool’s starting XI and style of play is easier to predict than Real’s, this weekend’s final will pose another test of Zidane’s tactical nous – albeit one that Real Madrid’s supporters and top brass will expect him to overcome.

French Open tennis – Sunday 27 May – Eurosport 1 from 1pm​

With Andy Murray and Roger Federer absent from this year’s French Open, and Novak Djokovic recovering from an elbow injury, perennial clay court favourite and world number one Rafa Nadal has a chance to make more history at Roland Garros.

Nadal’s triumph in Paris last year meant he became the first player – male or female – to win the same Grand Slam tournament 10 times in the open era.

Kyle Edmund goes into the tournament as Britain’s number one, and a first-time member of the world’s top 20. The 22-year-old became only the sixth British man in the open era to reach a Grand Slam semi-final, losing at the semi-final stage of the 2014 US Open to eventual champion Marin Cilic.

Edmund will begin his French Open campaign against young Australian Alex de Minaur.

Simona Halep goes into the women’s tournament as favourite as Serena Williams struggles for form.

While Britain’s Johanna Konta showed she can hold her own with the world’s best on grass during a memorable run to the Wimbledon semi-finals last year, she’s found the going on clay far tougher.