MATCH PREVIEWS
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS ATLETICO MADRID
LA LIGA, 22 MARCH 2026 @ 20:00 GMT
Match Overview
One of the biggest fixtures in Spanish football returns as Real Madrid face Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in the latest edition of the Madrid derby.
Beyond local rivalry, this match carries major importance in the La Liga title race and the battle for Champions League qualification. Encounters between these two sides are traditionally intense, tactically disciplined, and often decided by very small margins.
Real Madrid are expected to rely on possession control, structured buildup, and attacking creativity in central areas, aiming to dominate the tempo and create sustained pressure. Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, typically approach the derby with defensive compactness, tactical organization, and quick attacking transitions, looking to exploit space whenever the opportunity arises.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Real Madrid
Real Madrid are likely to approach the match with a possession-oriented structure, focusing on midfield control and attacking movement between the lines.
Probable XI (4-3-3):
Courtois – Carvajal, Rüdiger, Alaba, Mendy – Valverde, Tchouaméni, Bellingham – Rodrygo, Vinícius Jr, Mbappé
Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid are expected to adopt a compact defensive approach, emphasizing defensive discipline and quick transitions into attacking phases.
Probable XI (3-5-2):
Oblak – Giménez, Witsel, Hermoso – Molina, De Paul, Koke, Saúl, Lino – Griezmann, Morata
Form & Head-to-Head
Real Madrid have historically been very strong at the Santiago Bernabéu, particularly in high-profile matches where they can control possession and dictate the tempo.
Atletico Madrid, however, have consistently proven capable of competing in major derby fixtures thanks to their tactical discipline and defensive structure.
Recent Madrid derbies have often been tight, tactical contests, with few clear scoring opportunities and outcomes frequently determined by individual moments of quality.
Prediction
Real Madrid’s home advantage and attacking quality may allow them to create more scoring opportunities, particularly if they manage to break Atletico’s defensive structure early in the match.
However, Atletico’s tactical discipline and defensive solidity ensure that the derby is likely to remain competitive throughout.
Predicted Result: Real Madrid to win
Image credit: en.as.com
PREDICTION: FIORENTINA VS INTER MILAN
SERIE A, 22 MARCH 2026 @ 19:45 GMT
Match Overview
The Stadio Artemio Franchi hosts a compelling Serie A encounter as ACF Fiorentina take on Inter Milan in a fixture with important implications for the European qualification race.
Fiorentina, known for their proactive and possession-based approach, will look to dictate the tempo through structured buildup and midfield control, often relying on technical quality to progress the ball and create chances in advanced areas. Playing at home, they are expected to adopt an assertive approach and apply pressure early.
Inter Milan, meanwhile, bring one of the most balanced tactical systems in Serie A. Their approach combines defensive solidity, midfield organization, and efficient attacking transitions, making them particularly dangerous against teams that commit numbers forward.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Fiorentina
Fiorentina are expected to maintain their possession-oriented structure, focusing on controlled buildup and creating numerical superiority in midfield and wide areas.
Probable XI (4-2-3-1):
Terracciano – Dodô, Milenković, Martínez Quarta, Biraghi – Arthur, Mandragora – González, Bonaventura, Sottil – Beltrán
Inter Milan
Inter are likely to adopt their well-established 3-5-2 system, emphasizing defensive compactness and quick progression once possession is regained.
Probable XI (3-5-2):
Sommer – Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni – Dumfries, Barella, Çalhanoğlu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco – Lautaro Martínez, Thuram
Form & Head-to-Head
Fiorentina have been competitive at home, where their ability to control possession and maintain attacking pressure often allows them to challenge stronger opponents.
Inter Milan, however, have consistently demonstrated their ability to perform in high-level Serie A fixtures, combining defensive discipline with clinical finishing.
Recent meetings between the two sides have often been balanced and tactically structured, with Inter frequently capitalizing on key moments through efficient attacking play.
Prediction
Fiorentina’s home advantage and possession-based approach should allow them to control certain phases of the game.
However, Inter’s defensive organization and efficiency in transition could prove decisive, particularly if they manage to exploit spaces left by Fiorentina during attacking phases.
Predicted Result: Inter Milan to win
Image credit: violanation.com
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS MANCHESTER CITY
EFL CUP, 22 MARCH 2026 @ 16:30 GMT
Match Overview
A high-profile EFL Cup encounter awaits at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal face Manchester City in a clash between two of England’s most tactically refined teams.
With a place in the next stage of the competition at stake, both sides are expected to approach the game with a strong focus on control, structure, and efficiency in key moments. Matches between Arsenal and Manchester City in recent seasons have often been defined by fine tactical margins and high technical quality.
Arsenal will likely aim to impose their positional play and structured buildup, focusing on ball retention and creating overloads in advanced areas. Manchester City, meanwhile, are expected to rely on their possession dominance, positional rotations, and ability to manipulate space through intelligent movement.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Arsenal
Arsenal are expected to maintain their possession-oriented system, with emphasis on midfield control and coordinated attacking patterns.
Probable XI (4-3-3):
Raya – White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko – Rice, Ødegaard, Havertz – Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Manchester City
Manchester City are likely to approach the match with their structured positional play, focusing on controlling the game through sustained possession and intelligent movement between the lines.
Probable XI (4-3-3):
Ederson – Walker, Dias, Gvardiol, Ake – Rodri, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva – Foden, Haaland, Doku
Form & Head-to-Head
Arsenal have shown strong performances at the Emirates, particularly in matches where they can establish early control and dictate tempo.
Manchester City, however, possess exceptional experience in cup competitions and are known for their ability to manage high-pressure matches with composure and tactical discipline.
Recent encounters between these two sides have often been tightly contested, with limited margins and moments of individual quality frequently determining the outcome.
Prediction
Arsenal is now playing really well, and the league leaders are undoubtedly gaining momentum. Given that only 2.5 goals have been scored in four of the last five Arsenal games, it is unlikely that this match will be a goal fest.
Predicted Result: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: aljazeera.com
PREDICTION: OLYMPIQUE LYON VS AS MONACO
LIGUE 1, 22 MARCH 2026 @ 14:00 GMT
Match Overview
The Groupama Stadium sets the stage for an intriguing Ligue 1 encounter as Olympique Lyonnais host AS Monaco in a fixture with important implications for the race toward European qualification.
Both teams are known for their attacking philosophy and technical quality, which often leads to open and high-tempo matches. Lyon, playing at home, will aim to assert control through structured buildup and midfield progression, while Monaco are expected to rely on dynamic attacking transitions and vertical play to create chances.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Olympique Lyonnais
Lyon are expected to adopt an attack-oriented approach, focusing on ball progression through midfield and creating numerical superiority in wide areas.
Their system often relies on technical players capable of operating between the lines, supported by overlapping full-backs to stretch the opposition defense.
Probable XI (4-3-3):
Lopes – Mata, O’Brien, Caleta-Car, Tagliafico – Caqueret, Tolisso, Cherki – Nuamah, Lacazette, Benrahma
AS Monaco
Monaco are likely to approach the game with a balanced yet transition-focused setup, aiming to exploit space quickly when possession is regained.
Their attacking play typically emphasizes vertical movement, with midfielders supporting quick forward runs from the attacking line.
Probable XI (4-2-3-1):
Köhn – Vanderson, Maripán, Singo, Jakobs – Camara, Fofana – Minamino, Golovin, Ben Seghir – Balogun
Form & Head-to-Head
Lyon have shown improved performances at home, where their ability to control possession and create chances has been more consistent.
Monaco, however, remain one of the more dangerous attacking teams in Ligue 1, particularly in matches where they can exploit transitional spaces against teams that push forward.
Recent meetings between these two sides have often been open and entertaining, with both teams capable of scoring and creating multiple chances.
Prediction
Lyon’s home advantage and structured buildup may allow them to control certain phases of the game, particularly in midfield.
However, Monaco’s pace and efficiency in transition could create significant problems, especially if Lyon commit numbers forward.
Predicted Result: Both teams to score
Image credit: asmonaco.com
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PREDICTION: LAZIO VS AC MILAN
SERIE A, 15 MARCH 2026 @ 19:45 GMT
Match Overview
The Stadio Olimpico will host an important Serie A encounter as SS Lazio face AC Milan in a fixture that could have significant implications for the race toward European qualification.
Both clubs traditionally compete in the upper half of the Serie A table, and matches between Lazio and Milan often deliver a compelling combination of tactical discipline and attacking quality. With the league entering its decisive phase, points in head-to-head clashes between top teams become increasingly valuable.
Lazio are typically a side that emphasizes structured buildup and quick vertical attacks, often relying on midfield progression and rapid transitions to create opportunities. AC Milan, meanwhile, tend to combine possession control with dynamic attacking movement, frequently utilizing the pace and creativity of their wide players to stretch defensive lines.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Lazio
Lazio are expected to approach the match with an emphasis on compact defensive organization combined with quick attacking transitions, particularly when regaining possession in midfield.
Their offensive structure often relies on intelligent movement between the lines, supported by overlapping runs from the full-backs to create width in attacking phases.
Probable XI (4-3-3):
Provedel – Lazzari, Romagnoli, Casale, Marušić – Guendouzi, Rovella, Luis Alberto – Felipe Anderson, Immobile, Zaccagni
AC Milan
AC Milan are likely to rely on their balanced tactical structure, combining defensive stability with quick attacking combinations in the final third.
Their attacking system often focuses on exploiting wide areas and creating space for central runners inside the penalty area.
Probable XI (4-2-3-1):
Maignan – Calabria, Tomori, Thiaw, Hernández – Reijnders, Bennacer – Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leão – Giroud
Form & Head-to-Head
Lazio have often been difficult to beat at the Stadio Olimpico, where their structured defensive approach and ability to transition quickly can create problems for visiting teams.
AC Milan, however, possess considerable experience in high-profile Serie A encounters and have frequently demonstrated their ability to control matches through midfield balance and attacking efficiency.
Prediction
Lazio’s home advantage may allow them to compete strongly, particularly if they manage to disrupt Milan’s attacking rhythm and exploit counterattacking opportunities.
However, AC Milan’s overall attacking depth and ability to create chances through wide areas could provide them with a slight advantage over the course of the match.
Predicted Result: AC Milan to win
Image credit: sempremilan.com
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PREDICTION: LEVERKUSEN VS BAYERN MUNICH
BUNDESLIGA, 14 MARCH 2026 @ 14:30 GMT
Match Overview
The BayArena will host one of the most anticipated Bundesliga fixtures of the weekend as Bayer 04 Leverkusen face Bayern Munich in a clash that could play a major role in the title race.
Leverkusen have emerged as one of the most dynamic and tactically progressive teams in Germany, often relying on high-tempo attacking football, positional rotations, and aggressive pressing. Their ability to progress the ball quickly through midfield and overload wide areas has made them one of the most difficult teams to defend against in the league.
Bayern Munich, meanwhile, remain the benchmark of consistency in the Bundesliga. Their tactical approach usually combines dominant possession, positional discipline, and attacking depth, allowing them to control the tempo of matches while creating numerous scoring opportunities.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Bayer Leverkusen
Leverkusen are expected to maintain their fluid attacking structure, frequently using quick passing combinations and positional rotations to break down defensive lines.
Their system often relies on the creativity of attacking midfielders and the pace of wide players who can stretch the opposition’s defensive structure.
Probable XI (3-4-2-1):
Hrádecký – Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapié – Frimpong, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo – Wirtz, Hofmann – Boniface
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich are expected to approach the match with their traditional possession-oriented system, focusing on controlling the game through midfield dominance and rapid attacking combinations.
Their attacking structure typically emphasizes width, quick ball circulation, and penetration through central spaces.
Probable XI (4-2-3-1):
Neuer – Kimmich, Upamecano, Kim, Davies – Goretzka, Laimer – Sané, Musiala, Coman – Kane
Form & Head-to-Head
Leverkusen have been particularly strong at the BayArena, where their intensity and attacking tempo often allow them to dictate the rhythm of matches against top opposition.
Bayern Munich, however, possess extensive experience in decisive Bundesliga fixtures and are accustomed to managing high-pressure games where tactical discipline and clinical finishing are essential.
Prediction
Leverkusen’s tactical fluidity and home advantage should allow them to compete strongly, particularly if they manage to disrupt Bayern’s buildup play through coordinated pressing.
However, Bayern’s attacking depth and experience in high-stakes matches could ultimately provide them with a slight advantage, especially if they manage to control possession during key phases of the match.
Predicted Result: Both teams to score
Image credit: fcbayern.com
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PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS TOTTENHAM
PREMIER LEAGUE, 15 MARCH 2026 @ 16:30 GMT
Match Overview
An important Premier League clash awaits at Anfield as Liverpool FC host Tottenham Hotspur in a fixture that could significantly impact the race for the top four.
Liverpool have traditionally been extremely strong at home, where the intensity of Anfield and the team’s aggressive pressing style often allow them to dominate matches. Their tactical identity typically revolves around high pressing, quick attacking transitions, and wide attacking overloads, allowing them to create sustained pressure on opposition defenses.
Tottenham, meanwhile, tend to adopt a more direct and transition-oriented approach, relying on quick vertical passes and the pace of their attacking players to exploit spaces behind the opposition defense. Against a high defensive line such as Liverpool’s, Spurs may look to capitalize on fast counterattacks and transitional moments.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Liverpool
Liverpool are expected to maintain their high-intensity attacking approach, emphasizing pressing in advanced areas and quick ball recovery to sustain offensive pressure.
Their attacking system relies heavily on dynamic movement in the front line, combined with full-backs who frequently push forward to support attacking phases.
Probable XI (4-3-3):
Alisson – Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson – Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Jones – Salah, Núñez, Díaz
Tottenham
Tottenham are expected to approach the match with structured defensive organization and rapid attacking transitions, attempting to exploit the spaces Liverpool may leave while pushing numbers forward.
Spurs’ attacking play often relies on quick combinations and direct forward movement once possession is regained.
Probable XI (4-2-3-1):
Vicario – Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie – Bissouma, Sarr – Kulusevski, Maddison, Son – Richarlison
Form & Head-to-Head
Liverpool have historically enjoyed a strong home record against Tottenham, particularly at Anfield, where their high-tempo style often overwhelms visiting teams.
Tottenham, however, have shown the ability to compete effectively against top sides when they manage defensive transitions well and create opportunities through fast attacking movements.
Prediction
Liverpool’s home advantage and pressing intensity may allow them to dictate the rhythm of the match and create sustained attacking pressure.
Tottenham’s counterattacking capabilities could produce dangerous moments, but maintaining defensive concentration at Anfield for the entire match is often a difficult task.
If Liverpool convert their chances effectively, they may hold a decisive advantage.
Predicted Result: Liverpool to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: liverpoolfc.com
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PREDICTION: OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE VS AUXERRE
LIGUE 1, 13 MARCH 2026 @ 19:45 GMT
Match Overview
The Olympique de Marseille return to the Stade Vélodrome to face AJ Auxerre in a Ligue 1 fixture that carries different objectives for both sides.
Marseille continue to target European qualification, aiming to maintain pressure on the teams above them in the standings. Playing at home, where the atmosphere at the Vélodrome is often one of the most intense in French football, OM will likely look to dominate possession and impose attacking pressure from the opening minutes.
Auxerre, meanwhile, approach the match from a more defensive perspective. Against technically superior opposition away from home, they are expected to adopt a compact defensive block, focusing on limiting space between the lines and attempting to exploit counterattacking opportunities.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Marseille
Marseille are expected to set up with an attack-oriented structure, emphasizing width, quick ball circulation, and high pressing in order to keep Auxerre pinned inside their defensive third.
Their attacking play often revolves around dynamic movement between the lines, supported by full-backs pushing forward to create numerical superiority in wide areas.
Probable XI (4-3-3):
Lopez – Clauss, Gigot, Balerdi, Merlin – Veretout, Rongier, Harit – Ndiaye, Aubameyang, Sarr
Auxerre
Auxerre are likely to adopt a disciplined and structured approach, prioritizing defensive stability while looking to exploit any opportunities that arise through quick transitions.
Maintaining compactness between defensive and midfield lines will be essential if they are to limit Marseille’s attacking combinations.
Probable XI (4-2-3-1):
Radu – Mensah, Jubal, Pellenard, Joly – Owusu, Raveloson – Hein, Perrin, Sinayoko – Onaiwu
Form & Head-to-Head
Marseille have traditionally been very strong at the Stade Vélodrome, where their attacking intensity and high pressing can overwhelm opponents, particularly those who struggle to play out under pressure.
Auxerre’s away form has often been more inconsistent, particularly against teams competing near the top of the table. Matches against possession-dominant sides can force them into extended defensive phases.
Historically, Marseille have held the advantage in meetings between the two clubs, especially when playing at home. However, Auxerre have occasionally proven capable of frustrating stronger opponents through disciplined defensive organization.
Prediction
Marseille’s superior attacking quality, combined with home advantage and greater control of possession, should allow them to dictate the tempo of the match.
Auxerre may remain competitive defensively for significant periods, but maintaining concentration for the full ninety minutes at the Vélodrome is a demanding task.
Predicted Result: Marseille to win
Image credit: reuters.com
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PREDICTION: AS ROMA VS JUVENTUS
SERIE A, 1 MARCH 2026 @ 19:45 GMT
Match Overview
The Stadio Olimpico will host one of the most significant fixtures of the Serie A weekend as AS Roma face Juventus in a clash with major implications for the race toward the top of the table.
Matches between Roma and Juventus have historically been tactically intense and emotionally charged, often reflecting the strategic traditions of Italian football. With both teams targeting Champions League qualification and potentially pushing for the title race, the stakes surrounding this encounter are considerable.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
AS Roma
Roma are likely to approach the match with an emphasis on midfield progression and creative attacking movements, aiming to stretch Juventus’ defensive structure through dynamic positioning in the final third.
Probable XI (3-4-2-1): Rui Patrício – Mancini, Smalling, Ndicka – Karsdorp, Cristante, Paredes, Spinazzola – Dybala, Pellegrini – Lukaku
Juventus
Juventus are expected to prioritize defensive stability and controlled ball progression, with their midfield tasked with maintaining balance while supporting quick attacking transitions.
Probable XI (3-5-2): Szczęsny – Danilo, Bremer, Gatti – Cambiaso, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostić – Chiesa, Vlahović
Juventus’ ability to transition quickly from defense to attack could be decisive, particularly if Roma push forward in search of sustained attacking pressure.
Form & Head-to-Head
Roma have often demonstrated strong performances at the Stadio Olimpico, where the support of their home crowd can provide an additional emotional edge in high-profile matches.
Juventus, however, possess a long-standing reputation for strategic discipline and efficiency, particularly in tightly contested fixtures where defensive organization and opportunistic finishing can determine the outcome.
Recent meetings between the two sides have generally been competitive and tactically cautious, with limited margins often separating the teams. Goals have sometimes been scarce in this matchup, reflecting the strategic nature of their encounters.
Prediction
Roma’s home advantage and attacking creativity may allow them to generate several dangerous opportunities, especially through Dybala’s playmaking and Lukaku’s physical presence in the penalty area.
However, Juventus’ defensive structure and ability to exploit transitional moments mean they remain a constant threat throughout the match.
The encounter is likely to be tight and strategically contested, with both sides cautious about conceding space.
Predicted Result: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: football-italia.net
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PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS CHELSEA
PREMIER LEAGUE, 1 MARCH 2026 @ 16:30 GMT
Match Overview
A major London derby awaits at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal host Chelsea in a Premier League clash with significant implications for the top end of the table.
Both clubs are expected to be heavily involved in the race for Champions League qualification, and fixtures between Arsenal and Chelsea have historically carried both competitive intensity and tactical intrigue. The match pits two teams with different stylistic approaches but comparable ambitions.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Arsenal
Arsenal are expected to maintain their possession-dominant tactical structure, focusing on midfield control and wide attacking rotations. Their ability to circulate the ball quickly and exploit half-spaces will be key in breaking Chelsea’s defensive organization.
Probable XI (4-3-3): Raya – White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko – Rice, Ødegaard, Havertz – Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Declan Rice’s defensive coverage in midfield could prove crucial in limiting Chelsea’s counterattacking opportunities.
Chelsea
Chelsea are expected to approach the game with a balance between defensive structure and quick attacking transitions. Their attacking threats typically emerge through rapid ball progression and wide penetration.
Probable XI (4-2-3-1): Petrović – James, Disasi, Colwill, Chilwell – Caicedo, Enzo Fernández – Palmer, Nkunku, Mudryk – Jackson
Chelsea’s midfield double pivot could be essential in disrupting Arsenal’s rhythm and protecting the defensive line during prolonged possession phases.
Form & Head-to-Head
Arsenal have generally been strong at the Emirates, particularly in matches where they can establish early control of possession and dictate tempo.
Chelsea’s form in high-profile fixtures has often depended on their ability to remain compact defensively and exploit quick transitions against possession-oriented opponents.
Recent meetings between the two clubs have often been closely contested, with momentum frequently shifting during different phases of the match. Tactical discipline and efficiency in front of goal often prove decisive in these encounters.
Given the attacking capabilities on both sides, this match could feature several goal-scoring opportunities and strategic adjustments throughout the 90 minutes.
Prediction
Arsenal’s structured build-up play and midfield stability may provide them with a slight tactical advantage, particularly if they manage to control possession and limit Chelsea’s counterattacking spaces.
However, Chelsea’s pace in transition means they remain a constant threat, especially if Arsenal commit numbers forward during attacking phases.
Predicted Result: Arsenal to win
Image credit: arsenal.com
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PREDICTION: BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS BAYERN LEVERKUSEN
BUNDESLIGA, 28 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 17:30 GMT
Match Overview
One of football’s most anticipated fixtures returns as Borussia Dortmund host Bayern Munich in Der Klassiker. Beyond the historic rivalry, the encounter carries major implications in the Bundesliga title race and the battle for European positions.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund are expected to prioritize aggressive pressing and rapid attacking transitions, attempting to capitalize on any turnovers in Bayern’s buildup. The home crowd at Signal Iduna Park often amplifies Dortmund’s energy in these high-stakes fixtures.
Probable XI (4-2-3-1): Kobel – Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini – Sabitzer, Emre Can – Malen, Brandt, Adeyemi – Füllkrug
Dortmund’s attacking threat should revolve around Brandt’s creativity between the lines and the pace of Adeyemi and Malen, who can exploit open spaces during transition phases.
Bayern Munich
Bayern will likely maintain their structured positional play, focusing on dominating possession and controlling the rhythm of the game through midfield superiority.
Probable XI (4-2-3-1):
Neuer – Mazraoui, Upamecano, Kim Min-jae, Davies – Kimmich, Goretzka – Sané, Musiala, Coman – Kane
Bayern’s offensive structure will heavily depend on Musiala’s dribbling ability in central zones, the width provided by Sané and Coman, and Harry Kane’s finishing and link-up play in the final third.
Form & Head-to-Head
Borussia Dortmund have traditionally been very strong at home, especially in high-intensity matches where the crowd atmosphere can influence momentum. Their ability to press aggressively and create chances in transition makes them particularly dangerous against possession-heavy opponents.
Bayern Munich, however, maintain one of the most consistent attacking records in the Bundesliga. Their ability to control matches through possession and convert chances efficiently often proves decisive in big games.
Historically, Der Klassiker fixtures have been high-scoring and tactically open, frequently featuring rapid shifts in momentum. Bayern have held the upper hand in many recent encounters, though Dortmund remain highly competitive when playing in front of their home supporters.
Prediction
Given Bayern’s experience in high-pressure matches and their superior squad depth, they may hold a slight tactical advantage. However, Dortmund’s pressing intensity and attacking speed could ensure a very competitive contest.
🔮 Predicted Result: Both teams to score in second half
Image credit: bavarianfootballworks.com
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PREDICTION: BARCELONA VS VILLAREAL
LA LIGA, 28 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 15:15 GMT
Match Overview
Barcelona welcome Villarreal to Camp Nou in a fixture that carries significance at both ends of the European qualification race. With the La Liga title battle entering its decisive phase, Barcelona cannot afford margin for error, particularly at home where territorial dominance and ball circulation have defined their performances.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Barcelona
Barcelona are likely to maintain their 4-3-3 structure, with emphasis on midfield control and positional rotations between the interior midfielders and wide forwards.
Probable XI (4-3-3): Ter Stegen – Koundé, Araujo, Christensen, Balde – De Jong, Pedri, Gavi – Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha
In possession, De Jong is expected to drop into deeper zones during the first phase of buildup, allowing full-backs to advance and stretch Villarreal horizontally. Pedri’s role between the lines will be critical in breaking compact defensive blocks, while Lewandowski provides penalty-area reference and finishing efficiency.
Villarreal
Villarreal are expected to line up in a structured 4-4-2, designed to maintain central compactness and protect half-spaces.
Probable XI (4-4-2): Jörgensen – Foyth, Albiol, Cuenca, Pedraza – Baena, Parejo, Capoue, Moreno – Sørloth, Gerard
Parejo’s distribution from deeper midfield zones will be central to Villarreal’s progression. The wide midfielders will likely track Barcelona’s advancing full-backs, attempting to prevent overloads in wide corridors.
Form & Head-to-Head
Barcelona’s recent home form has been characterized by territorial dominance, high possession percentages, and structured attacking sequences resulting in consistent chance creation. Their defensive metrics at Camp Nou have also improved, with reduced exposure to counterattacks due to improved rest-defense positioning.
Villarreal, while competitive, have shown variability away from home. Against top-tier opposition, they often concede territory but remain disciplined in shape. Historically, fixtures between these sides at Camp Nou tend to produce goals, with Barcelona frequently dictating tempo but Villarreal capable of capitalizing on isolated defensive lapses.
Prediction
Barcelona’s midfield technical superiority and structured positional play should allow them to control the majority of phases. Villarreal possess the tactical discipline to remain competitive, particularly in transition, but sustained defensive workload may eventually create breakdowns.
If Barcelona maintain counterpressing efficiency and avoid central turnovers, they are likely to convert territorial dominance into clear scoring opportunities.
Predicted Result: Over 3.5 goals
Image credit: .theguardian.com
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PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 22 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 16:30 GMT
Match Overview
The North London Derby returns as Tottenham host Arsenal in one of the Premier League’s most intense rivalries. Beyond local pride, the fixture carries major implications in the race for Champions League qualification.
Tottenham are expected to rely on vertical attacking transitions and wide progression, while Arsenal will aim to control possession through structured buildup and positional rotations.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Tottenham
Spurs will likely emphasize pace in forward areas and quick transitions to exploit space behind Arsenal’s defensive line.
Probable XI (4-2-3-1): Vicario – Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie – Bissouma, Sarr – Kulusevski, Maddison, Son – Richarlison
Their attacking output should revolve around Maddison’s creativity and Son’s movement in transition phases.
Arsenal
Arsenal are expected to maintain their positional play approach, focusing on ball retention and structured attacking patterns.
Probable XI (4-3-3): Raya – White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko – Rice, Ødegaard, Havertz – Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Arsenal’s midfield control and wide combinations could be decisive in breaking Tottenham’s defensive shape.
Form & Head-to-Head
Tottenham have been strong at home, particularly in high-tempo matches where transition opportunities appear frequently.
Arsenal have demonstrated consistency in possession-based encounters, often dictating rhythm and limiting opposition chances.
Recent North London Derbies have been competitive and high-scoring, frequently shaped by momentum swings rather than sustained dominance.
Prediction
Given Arsenal’s midfield control and tactical balance, they may hold a slight advantage, though derby intensity ensures a closely contested match.
Predicted Result: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: arsenal.com
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PREDICTION: ATLETICO MADRID VS ESPANYOL BARCELONA
LA LIGA, 21 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 20:00 GMT
Match Overview
Cívitas Metropolitano hosts a La Liga encounter as Atlético Madrid welcome Espanyol in a fixture important for both ends of the table. Atlético continue their pursuit of Champions League qualification, while Espanyol look to secure valuable points in the battle for league stability.
Atlético are expected to rely on defensive organization, controlled buildup, and efficient finishing, whereas Espanyol will likely adopt a compact structure and look for opportunities through counter-attacks and set pieces.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Atlético Madrid
Atlético should maintain their structured defensive system, prioritizing compactness and vertical attacking transitions.
Probable XI (3-5-2): Oblak – Savic, Giménez, Hermoso – Molina, De Paul, Koke, Saúl, Lino – Griezmann, Morata
Their attacking threat will revolve around Griezmann’s creativity and coordinated movement in advanced areas.
Espanyol
Espanyol are expected to defend in a compact shape and attempt to disrupt Atlético’s rhythm through disciplined positioning.
Probable XI (4-4-2): Pacheco – El Hilali, Cabrera, Calero, Oliván – Puado, Expósito, Keidi Bare, Pere Milla – Braithwaite, Joselu
Their chances will depend on defensive organization and efficiency in transition phases.
Form & Head-to-Head
Atlético have been reliable at home this season, frequently controlling matches through defensive solidity and game management.
Espanyol have shown resilience away from home but often struggle to create chances against well-structured defenses.
Historically, Atlético hold a strong advantage in this fixture, particularly in Madrid where matches are often low-scoring and controlled.
Prediction
There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 5 of Atletico Madrid’s last 7 games and in 3 of Espanyol’s last 3 matches.
Predicted Result: Over 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: RB LEIPZIG VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND
BUNDESLIGA, 21 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 17:30 GMT
Match Overview
Red Bull Arena hosts a major Bundesliga encounter as RB Leipzig face Borussia Dortmund in a clash with significant implications for the Champions League qualification race.
Leipzig will aim to control central zones through structured pressing and quick vertical progression, while Dortmund are expected to rely on attacking fluidity and pace in transition.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
RB Leipzig
Leipzig are likely to employ an energetic system built on coordinated pressing and dynamic movement between the lines.
Probable XI (4-2-2-2): Gulácsi – Henrichs, Simakan, Lukeba, Raum – Schlager, Haidara – Dani Olmo, Xavi Simons – Openda, Sesko
Their attacking structure will depend on quick recoveries and vertical combinations after regaining possession.
Dortmund
Dortmund are expected to adopt an offensive setup designed to exploit spaces behind Leipzig’s defensive line.
Probable XI (4-2-3-1): Kobel – Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen – Sabitzer, Can – Malen, Brandt, Adeyemi – Füllkrug
Dortmund’s chance creation should rely on wide speed and Brandt’s creativity between the lines.
Form & Head-to-Head
Leipzig have been strong at home this season, particularly against direct competitors, using pressing intensity to disrupt rhythm.
Dortmund remain dangerous offensively but have occasionally struggled to control matches away from home.
Recent meetings between these sides have typically produced goals, with open play and fast transitions characterizing the matchup.
Prediction
Given both teams’ attacking tendencies, a high-scoring contest is likely. Leipzig’s home advantage offers a slight edge, but Dortmund’s offensive quality should keep the result uncertain until late.
Predicted Result: Borussia Dortmund double chance
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PREDICTION: RC LENS VS AS MONACO
LIGUE 1, 21 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 16:00 GMT
Match Overview
Stade Bollaert-Delelis hosts a compelling Ligue 1 encounter as RC Lens face AS Monaco in a clash that could play a decisive role in the race for European qualification.
Lens traditionally rely on intensity, pressing, and strong home support to impose their rhythm, while Monaco bring technical quality and attacking fluidity built around quick transitions and vertical play. The stylistic contrast between physical pressure and positional attacking should produce an open and tactically engaging contest.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Lens
Lens are expected to continue with their structured three-center-back system, emphasizing wing-back width and coordinated pressing phases.
Probable XI (3-4-2-1):
Samba – Gradit, Danso, Medina – Frankowski, Abdul Samed, El Aynaoui, Machado – Sotoca, Fulgini – Wahi
Their success will depend on pressing organization and the ability to quickly exploit turnovers in advanced areas.
AS Monaco
Monaco will likely adopt an attacking approach focused on mobility and technical combinations between midfield and forward lines.
Probable XI (4-2-3-1):
Köhn – Vanderson, Maripán, Singo, Jakobs – Camara, Fofana – Minamino, Golovin, Ben Seghir – Balogun
Monaco’s offensive threat should come from quick ball progression and dynamic movement in the final third.
Head-to-Head
Recent meetings between these teams have been competitive and balanced, frequently decided by narrow margins and transitional moments.
Prediction
Lens should be extremely motivated to maintain their composure with PSG hard on their heels. We anticipate that their depth will be evident and that they will perform at their peak against a weary and unreliable Monaco team.
Predicted Result: Lens to win
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PREDICTION: NAPOLI VS AS ROMA
SERIE A, 15 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 19:45 GMT
Match Overview
Stadio Diego Armando Maradona hosts a high-profile Serie A clash as Napoli welcome AS Roma in a fixture with significant implications for the European qualification race.
Napoli will aim to dominate possession and control rhythm in front of their home supporters, while Roma are expected to focus on compact defensive phases and calculated attacking transitions. Meetings between these two sides are typically intense, technical, and decided by small tactical details.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Napoli are likely to deploy a proactive 4-3-3 system, emphasizing width and dynamic midfield rotations to destabilize Roma’s defensive structure.
Probable XI (4-3-3): Meret – Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Olivera – Anguissa, Lobotka, Zieliński – Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Napoli’s attacking efficiency will depend on Osimhen’s movement in the box and Kvaratskhelia’s ability to create numerical superiority on the flank.
Roma are expected to maintain structural discipline, potentially operating in a three-man defensive system to ensure defensive stability while allowing wing-backs to provide width.
Probable XI (3-5-2):Svilar – Mancini, Smalling, Ndicka – Karsdorp, Cristante, Paredes, Pellegrini, Spinazzola – Dybala, Lukaku
Roma’s attacking threat will likely revolve around Dybala’s creativity between the lines and Lukaku’s physical presence in advanced areas.
Form & Head-to-Head
Napoli have shown strong home performances this season, combining high-tempo pressing with efficient final-third execution.
Roma’s away form has been competitive, particularly in structured matches where defensive compactness limits opposition space.
Recent head-to-head meetings have often been tight and tactical, with limited clear-cut chances and a strong emphasis on midfield control.
Prediction
Napoli’s home advantage and attacking balance give them a slight edge, though Roma’s organization and counter-attacking potential should ensure a competitive contest.
Predicted Result: Napoli to win
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PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS REAL SOCIEDAD
LA LIGA, 14 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 20:00 GMT
Match Overview
Santiago Bernabéu hosts an important La Liga fixture as Real Madrid welcome Real Sociedad in a clash that could have implications at both ends of the European qualification race.
Real Madrid will look to assert control through possession dominance and attacking width, while Real Sociedad arrive with a structured, technically refined approach built on midfield balance and coordinated pressing.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Madrid are expected to deploy a dynamic attacking setup, emphasizing vertical transitions and midfield creativity.
Probable XI (4-3-3): Courtois – Carvajal, Militão, Rüdiger, Mendy – Valverde, Tchouaméni, Bellingham – Rodrygo, Vinícius Jr., Mbappé
Madrid’s offensive structure will likely rely on pace in wide areas and Bellingham’s late runs into the box.
Sociedad are likely to remain faithful to their possession-based philosophy, focusing on controlled build-up and intelligent movement between the lines.
Probable XI (4-3-3): Remiro – Traoré, Le Normand, Zubeldia, Tierney – Zubimendi, Merino, Brais Méndez – Kubo, Oyarzabal, Barrenechea
Their ability to maintain midfield compactness and limit Madrid’s transition opportunities will be central to their strategy.
Form & Head-to-Head
Real Madrid have been dominant at home this season, combining defensive resilience with consistent attacking output.
Real Sociedad have shown strong organization and technical quality throughout the campaign, particularly in structured matches against possession-heavy opponents.
Historically, Madrid hold the advantage at the Bernabéu, though Sociedad have proven capable of competing when controlling tempo and minimizing space in defensive phases.
Prediction
Real Sociedad’s tactical structure should ensure a competitive contest, but Real Madrid’s individual quality and home advantage provide a clear edge in decisive moments.
Predicted Result: Real Madrid to win -1 goal handicap
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PREDICTION: INTER MILAN VS JUVENTUS
SERIE A, 14 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 19:45 GMT
Match Overview
One of Italian football’s most iconic rivalries takes center stage as Inter Milan host Juventus at San Siro in the Derby d’Italia. With potential title implications and European qualification stakes in play, this fixture carries enormous competitive weight.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Inter are likely to maintain their established three-man defensive structure, emphasizing width and midfield control to destabilize Juventus’ defensive block.
Probable XI (3-5-2): Sommer – Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni – Dumfries, Barella, Çalhanoğlu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco – Lautaro Martínez, Thuram
Inter’s wing-backs will play a crucial role in stretching Juventus, while Lautaro’s movement inside the box remains their primary attacking threat.
Juventus are expected to adopt a disciplined approach, balancing defensive solidity with direct attacking transitions.
Probable XI (3-5-2): Szczęsny – Bremer, Danilo, Gatti – Cambiaso, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostić – Chiesa, Vlahović
Juventus’ success may depend on limiting space between the lines and capitalizing on quick vertical combinations involving Chiesa and Vlahović.
Form & Head-to-Head
Inter have been strong at San Siro this season, demonstrating defensive organization and effective attacking patterns in high-profile matches.
Juventus, meanwhile, have built consistency through structural discipline and controlled performances against top opposition.
Recent meetings between these sides have been tactically intense, often decided by individual moments or set-piece efficiency rather than open play dominance.
Prediction
Given Inter’s home advantage and midfield balance, they hold a slight edge. However, Juventus’ tactical discipline ensures a tightly contested encounter with limited clear-cut chances.
Predicted Result: Both teams to score
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PREDICTION: RENNES VS PSG
LIGUE 1, 13 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 18:00 GMT
Match Overview
Stade Roazhon Park sets the stage for an intriguing Ligue 1 encounter as Rennes host Paris Saint-Germain in a fixture that could influence both the title race and European qualification battle.
Rennes have traditionally been one of the more competitive home sides in France, often raising their level against elite opposition. PSG, meanwhile, arrive with the objective of maintaining control at the top of the table and continuing their strong domestic form.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Rennes are expected to adopt a disciplined and organized setup, prioritizing defensive balance while looking to exploit space in wide areas and on the counter.
Probable XI (4-3-3): Mandanda – Traoré, Omari, Theate, Truffert – Bourigeaud, Santamaría, Le Fée – Blas, Gouiri, Terrier
PSG are likely to field a strong XI, emphasizing ball control and width to stretch Rennes’ defensive lines. Their attacking rotations and individual quality remain decisive in tight matches.
Probable XI (4-3-3): Donnarumma – Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Mendes – Vitinha, Ugarte, Zaïre-Emery – Dembélé, Kolo Muani, Barcola
Form & Head-to-Head
Rennes have been competitive at home this season, particularly against top-half opponents, often relying on defensive discipline and structured pressing phases.
PSG continue to demonstrate consistency in Ligue 1, combining defensive control with efficient attacking output.
Recent meetings between the sides have occasionally produced surprises, with Rennes capable of causing difficulties when PSG struggle to break compact defensive blocks.
Prediction
Rennes’ home advantage should ensure a competitive contest, but PSG’s superior squad depth and attacking precision may ultimately tilt the balance.
Predicted Result: PSG to win & Over 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: PSG VS MARSEILLE
LIGUE 1, 8 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 19:45 GMT
Match Overview
French football’s biggest rivalry takes center stage as Paris Saint-Germain host Olympique Marseille in Le Classique at the Parc des Princes. Beyond pride and history, this fixture carries major competitive weight, with both sides targeting domestic dominance and European qualification.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
PSG are expected to line up with a possession-oriented XI, focused on controlling midfield zones and creating overloads in advanced areas. Their attacking depth and individual quality remain decisive factors in big matches.
Probable XI (4-3-3): Donnarumma – Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Mendes – Vitinha, Ugarte, Zaïre-Emery – Dembélé, Kolo Muani, Barcola
Key to PSG’s approach will be ball circulation speed and wide penetration, particularly through Hakimi and Dembélé on the right flank.
Marseille are likely to adopt a compact and aggressive structure, aiming to limit space between the lines and strike quickly when possession is regained.
Probable XI (4-2-3-1): Pau López – Clauss, Gigot, Balerdi, Merlin – Veretout, Kondogbia – Ndiaye, Harit, Sarr – Aubameyang
Discipline without the ball and efficiency on the counter will be essential if Marseille are to challenge PSG in Paris.
Form & Head-to-Head
PSG have been dominant at home this season, combining defensive stability with consistent goal output in Ligue 1 fixtures.
Marseille’s away form has been competitive, though results against top opposition have often hinged on their ability to manage pressure phases.
Historically, Le Classique favors PSG in Paris, but matches are frequently close, physical, and influenced by game-changing moments rather than sustained dominance.
Prediction
There have bee under 3.5 goals scored in 4 of PSG’s last 4 matches and in 3 of Marseille’s last 5 games. Thus, we expect to see a similar outcome in this game.
Predicted Result: Under 3.5 goals
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PREDICTION: JUVENTUS VS LAZIO ROMA
SERIE A, 8 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 19:45 GMT
Match Overview
Juventus host Lazio in a key Serie A encounter at the Allianz Stadium, with both sides firmly focused on securing European qualification. This fixture has historically been tight and tactical, often decided by discipline, midfield control, and efficiency in the final third.
Juventus will aim to impose structure and control on home soil, while Lazio arrive looking to exploit transitions and moments of attacking freedom. With the season entering a decisive phase, points here could prove crucial for both teams.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Juventus are expected to line up with a compact and well-balanced XI, prioritizing defensive solidity while relying on midfield intelligence and attacking movement to break Lazio down.
Probable XI (3-5-2): Szczęsny – Bremer, Danilo, Gatti – Cambiaso, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostić – Chiesa, Vlahović
Key to Juventus’ approach will be controlling central areas and providing consistent service to Dušan Vlahović in advanced positions.
Lazio are likely to adopt a more fluid system, aiming to combine midfield creativity with quick attacking transitions. Their ability to play between the lines and strike on the counter could be decisive.
Probable XI (4-3-3): Provedel – Lazzari, Romagnoli, Casale, Marušić – Guendouzi, Rovella, Luis Alberto – Felipe Anderson, Immobile, Zaccagni
Ciro Immobile’s movement and finishing remain Lazio’s main attacking outlet, supported by creativity from midfield.
Form & Head-to-Head
Juventus have been strong at home this season, showing consistency against top-half opposition and conceding few goals in Turin.
Lazio’s away form has been mixed, but they have proven capable of upsetting stronger sides when allowed space to counter.
Recent head-to-head meetings have often been closely contested, with narrow scorelines and a strong emphasis on tactical discipline from both teams.
Prediction
This match is expected to be tight and structured, with Juventus holding a slight edge due to home advantage and defensive organization. Lazio’s attacking quality should keep the contest competitive, but clear chances may be limited.
Predicted Result: Juventus to win
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PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE, 8 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 16:30 GMT
Match Overview
Anfield hosts one of the defining fixtures of the Premier League season as Liverpool welcome Manchester City in a clash that could have major title and Champions League implications.
Liverpool will look to harness the Anfield atmosphere and their aggressive pressing game, while Manchester City arrive with their trademark control, positional dominance, and ability to dictate tempo in big matches. With little margin for error, this encounter promises elite-level football.
Team News & Probable Line-ups
Liverpool are expected to field a strong, familiar XI, emphasizing intensity in midfield and pace in attack. The home side’s ability to disrupt City’s build-up and transition quickly will be central to their game plan.
Probable XI (4-3-3): Alisson – Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson – Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Jones – Salah, Núñez, Díaz
Much will depend on Alexander-Arnold’s influence in advanced areas and Mohamed Salah’s efficiency in decisive moments.
City are likely to remain loyal to their possession-based structure, prioritizing control through midfield while using wide rotations to stretch Liverpool’s defensive line.
Probable XI (4-3-3): Ederson – Walker, Rúben Dias, Gvardiol, Aké – Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Foden – Doku, Haaland, Grealish
Rodri’s presence at the base of midfield and Haaland’s movement in the box will be key factors in City’s attacking threat.
Form & Head-to-Head
Liverpool have been formidable at Anfield this season, combining defensive stability with relentless attacking pressure, particularly in high-profile fixtures.
Manchester City, meanwhile, continue to show consistency away from home, with their ability to control games through possession often neutralizing hostile environments.
Recent head-to-head meetings have been closely contested, with narrow scorelines, late goals, and tactical adjustments defining the outcome.
Prediction
This matchup is likely to be decided by small details, set-pieces, transitions, and individual moments of quality. Liverpool’s home advantage may balance City’s superior control, pointing toward a tightly contested encounter.
Predicted Result: Over 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS TOTTENHAM
PREMIER LEAGUE, 7 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 12:30 GMT
Match Overview
Old Trafford hosts a high-stakes Premier League clash as Manchester United welcome Tottenham Hotspur in what could prove decisive in the race for European qualification. United will look to capitalize on home advantage, while Spurs arrive aiming to impose their pressing game and exploit transitions, making this one of the most anticipated matchups of the round.
Team News & Lineups
United are expected to field a balanced XI, combining defensive solidity with attacking creativity. Squad rotation may be limited given the importance of the fixture, although minor fitness checks could influence selection in midfield.
Probable XI (4-2-3-1): Onana – Dalot, Varane, Martínez, Shaw – Casemiro, Mainoo – Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford – Højlund
Key focus will be on Bruno Fernandes’ ability to dictate play and Højlund’s movement against Tottenham’s high defensive line.
Spurs are likely to stick with their proactive system, emphasizing quick transitions and aggressive pressing. The wide areas will be crucial, especially against United’s full-backs.
Probable XI (4-3-3): Vicario – Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie – Bentancur, Bissouma, Maddison – Kulusevski, Son, Richarlison
James Maddison’s creativity and Son’s pace remain Tottenham’s primary attacking weapons.
Form & Head-to-Head
The Red Devils have been strong at Old Trafford this season, showing improved defensive solidity and better game management against top-six opponents.
Tottenham have been more inconsistent on the road but remain one of the league’s most dangerous attacking sides when given space.
The last five Premier League meetings have produced goals at both ends. Home advantage has often played a decisive role in this fixture. Matches between these sides tend to be open and high-tempo.
Prediction
This looks set to be a finely balanced encounter. United’s home advantage and defensive organization may give them a slight edge. Taking into account Tottenham’s injury woes and the recent form of both teams, Man United will enter this contest as favourites and Carrick’s side should do enough to outscore their opponents.
Predicted Result: Manchester United to win
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PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE, 1 FEBRUARY 2026 @ 16:30 GMT
Match Overview
Tottenham Hotspur welcome Manchester City to North London in one of the standout fixtures of the Premier League calendar. Spurs’ attacking philosophy at home meets City’s relentless control and depth, setting the stage for a high-intensity contest with major implications in the title race and the battle for Champions League qualification.
Team News & Lineups
Spurs are expected to stick to their proactive, high-line approach. Much will depend on the availability of key attacking players, as Tottenham aim to stretch City’s defense with quick transitions and wide overloads.
Potential lineup:
Vicario – Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie – Bentancur, Bissouma – Kulusevski, Maddison, Son – Richarlison
City arrive with one of the deepest squads in Europe. Pep Guardiola’s rotation options allow flexibility depending on fitness and opposition, but control in midfield and positional discipline will remain the priority.
Potential lineup:
Ederson – Walker, Rúben Dias, Gvardiol, Aké – Rodri, De Bruyne – Bernardo Silva, Foden, Doku – Haaland
Form & Head-to-Head
Tottenham have been strong at home this season, using tempo and intensity to unsettle top opponents. However, defensive lapses have occasionally cost them against elite sides.
Manchester City continue to show their trademark consistency, combining ball dominance with clinical finishing. Their away form has been solid, though trips to North London have historically posed challenges.
In recent head-to-head meetings, City have often dominated possession, but Spurs have repeatedly proven dangerous on the counter, making this matchup far closer than league positions sometimes suggest.
Prediction
Tottenham’s home advantage and aggressive approach could trouble City early on, but Guardiola’s side usually find solutions as games progress. City’s quality in decisive moments may prove the difference, but Spurs should make this a demanding test until the final whistle.
Predicted Result: Manchester City to win
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PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS NEWCASTLE UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE, 31 JANUARY 2026 @ 20:00 GMT
Match Overview
Premier League action continues on Saturday as Liverpool host Newcastle United at Anfield in a fixture with significant implications at both ends of the European qualification race. With the season entering a decisive phase, points are increasingly valuable, especially in clashes between direct rivals.
Team News & Expected Lineups
Liverpool are expected to stick to their proactive game model, emphasizing high pressing, quick ball circulation, and wide overloads. Controlling transitions will be crucial, particularly against Newcastle’s pace in advanced areas.
Expected XI:
Alisson Becker; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Salah, Núñez, Luis Díaz
Newcastle United
Newcastle are likely to adopt a compact but aggressive approach, focusing on defensive discipline and rapid counter-attacks. Physical presence in midfield and direct forward play remain central to their strategy.
Expected XI:
Nick Pope; Trippier, Schär, Botman, Burn; Guimarães, Tonali, Joelinton; Gordon, Isak, Almirón
Tactical Focus
Liverpool will look to dominate territory and sustain pressure through coordinated pressing and quick recoveries in advanced zones. Their full-backs and wide forwards will be key in stretching Newcastle’s defensive structure.
Newcastle, meanwhile, will aim to absorb pressure and exploit spaces left behind Liverpool’s high defensive line. Winning second balls and transitioning quickly could provide their most effective attacking moments.
Form & Head-to-Head
Liverpool have traditionally been strong at Anfield, particularly in high-profile league fixtures, where intensity and crowd influence often dictate the rhythm. Newcastle’s away form has improved in recent seasons, with disciplined performances against top sides.
Recent head-to-head meetings have produced competitive encounters, though Liverpool have generally held the upper hand at home.
Prediction
Liverpool’s home advantage, attacking depth, and pressing efficiency give them a narrow edge, but Newcastle’s physicality and counter-attacking threat suggest a challenging contest.
Predicted Result: Liverpool to win
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PREDICTION: EINTRACHT FRANKFURT VS BAYER LEVERKUSEN
BUNDESLIGA, 31 JANUARY 2026 @ 14:30 GMT
Match Overview
Bundesliga action continues on 31 January 2026 with a high-quality clash as Eintracht Frankfurt host Bayer Leverkusen at Deutsche Bank Park. With both teams firmly involved in the race for European qualification and Leverkusen eyeing the title conversation, this fixture carries significant weight at a crucial stage of the season.
Team News & Expected Lineups
Frankfurt are expected to set up in a compact yet aggressive system, aiming to disrupt Leverkusen’s buildup through coordinated pressing and quick vertical transitions. Their success often depends on midfield energy and exploiting space behind high defensive lines.
Expected XI:
Michael Zetterer; Buta, Koch, Pacho, Max; Skhiri, Larsson; Knauff, Götze, Chaïbi; Marmoush
Leverkusen are likely to approach the match with their trademark positional play, focusing on ball circulation, overloads in wide areas, and constant movement between the lines. Their attacking depth and structural clarity have made them one of the Bundesliga’s most consistent sides.
Expected XI:
Mark Flekken; Frimpong, Tah, Hincapié, Grimaldo; Xhaka, Palacios; Hofmann, Wirtz, Adli; Schick
Tactical Focus
Frankfurt will aim to limit Leverkusen’s control by pressing aggressively in midfield and forcing turnovers in advanced zones. Quick transitions and direct attacks could be their most effective route to goal.
Leverkusen, meanwhile, will look to dominate possession, stretch the pitch through their wing-backs, and create numerical advantages in central areas.
Form & Head-to-Head
Frankfurt have traditionally been strong at home, often raising their level against top opposition. Leverkusen, however, have enjoyed recent success in this fixture, frequently imposing their style through sustained pressure and tactical discipline.
Recent head-to-head meetings have delivered competitive encounters, with Leverkusen’s attacking efficiency often proving decisive in tight matches.
Prediction
Over 2.5 goals were witnessed in 3 of Eintracht Frankfurt's recent 3 matches, whereas Bayer Leverkusen has seen Over 2.5 goals in 67% of their last 6 Bundesliga away matches.
Predicted Result: Over 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: ANTALYASPOR VS TRABZONSPOR
TURKISH SUPER LIG, 30 JANUARY 2026 @ 17:00 GMT
Match Overview
The Turkish Süper Lig continues with an intriguing encounter as Antalyaspor host Trabzonspor at the Corendon Airlines Park Stadium. With both sides targeting strong finishes to the season, this fixture carries significant importance for league positioning and momentum heading into the final stretch.
Team News & Expected Lineups
Antalyaspor are expected to adopt a disciplined setup, focusing on compact defensive lines and quick transitions into attack. Home performances have often been driven by physical commitment and direct play, especially when exploiting space behind opposing full-backs.
Expected XI:
Kenan Piriç; Bünyamin Balcı, Veysel Sarı, Erdoğan Yeşilyurt, Güray Vural; Fernando, Saric; Safuri, Wright, Jehezkel; Adam Buksa
Trabzonspor are likely to approach the match with a balanced system, emphasizing midfield control and structured buildup. Their attacking play often flows through wide areas, supported by late runs from midfield and strong presence in the penalty area.
Expected XI:
André Onana; Larsen, Denswil, Baniya, Eren Elmalı; Bakasetas, Berat Özdemir; Visca, Bardhi, Trezeguet; Paul Onuachu
Tactical Focus
Antalyaspor will aim to limit space between the lines and disrupt Trabzonspor’s rhythm, particularly in midfield zones. Set pieces and counter-attacking situations could represent their clearest route to goal.
Trabzonspor, meanwhile, will look to dictate tempo through possession, using width and intelligent movement to stretch the opposition.
Form & Head-to-Head
Antalyaspor have generally been competitive at home, making Antalya a challenging venue for visiting teams. Trabzonspor, however, have enjoyed recent success in this matchup, often finding ways to control games through experience and game management.
Head-to-head meetings between the sides have typically been physical and closely contested, with narrow scorelines and tactical discipline shaping outcomes.
Prediction
Trabzonspor’s squad depth and composure in high-pressure matches give them a slight advantage, but Antalyaspor’s home resilience suggests a competitive encounter.
Predicted Result: Trabzonspor to win
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PREDICTION: AS ROMA VS AC MILAN
SERIE A, 25 JANUARY 2026 @ 19:45 GMT
Match Overview
Serie A delivers a high-stakes encounter on Sunday as AS Roma host AC Milan at the Stadio Olimpico. With both clubs targeting Champions League qualification and potentially more, this fixture could prove pivotal in shaping the second half of the season.
Team News & Expected Lineups
Roma are expected to rely on a compact, well-organized setup, aiming to control central areas and exploit transitions when opportunities arise. Their attacking play is often built around quick combinations between midfield and the forward line, supported by aggressive wing play.
Expected XI:
Mile Svilar; Karsdorp, Mancini, Smalling, Spinazzola; Cristante, Paredes; Dybala, Pellegrini, El Shaarawy; Lukaku
AC Milan are likely to adopt a proactive approach, focusing on ball circulation and vertical movement in the final third. Their wide players and full-backs play a key role in stretching the opposition, while midfield balance will be crucial to managing Roma’s counter-attacks.
Expected XI:
Mike Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Thiaw, Theo Hernández; Reijnders, Bennacer; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leão; Giroud
Tactical Focus
Roma will look to remain compact defensively and capitalize on turnovers, particularly through quick outlets into advanced areas. Set pieces could also be a significant weapon, given their aerial presence and delivery quality.
Milan, meanwhile, will aim to dominate possession and apply sustained pressure, using width and quick ball progression to pull Roma out of shape. The midfield duel will be central in determining which side controls the tempo.
Form & Head-to-Head
Roma have generally been strong at the Olimpico, using home support and intensity to unsettle top opponents. Milan’s away form has been competitive, especially against sides that allow space in wide areas.
Recent head-to-head meetings between the two clubs have been tight, often decided by single-goal margins and key moments rather than sustained dominance.
Prediction
With Roma’s home advantage balanced against Milan’s attacking quality and experience in big matches, this fixture appears finely poised. Margins are likely to be minimal, with both teams capable of scoring.
Predicted Result: Under 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS MANCHESTER UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE, 25 JANUARY 2026 @ 16:30 GMT
Match Overview
The Premier League delivers a heavyweight encounter on Sunday as Arsenal host Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium. One of English football’s most storied rivalries, this fixture arrives at a crucial point in the season, with both clubs aiming to strengthen their position in the title and top-four race.
Team News & Expected Lineups
Arsenal are expected to maintain their proactive style, focusing on territorial control and fluid movement in the final third. Their ability to dominate midfield and apply sustained pressure at home has been a defining feature of their recent success.
Expected XI:
David Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Ødegaard, Havertz; Saka, Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus
Manchester United
Manchester United are likely to approach the match with a balanced setup, prioritizing defensive compactness while looking to exploit space on the counter-attack. Quick transitions and wide penetration will be central to their attacking plan.
Expected XI:
Senne Lammens; Dalot, Varane, Martínez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Antony, Fernandes, Garnacho; Højlund
Tactical Focus
Arsenal will aim to control the tempo through patient buildup and high pressing, particularly targeting overloads in wide areas. Their ability to recycle possession and pin United deep could dictate large phases of the game.
Manchester United, meanwhile, will look to absorb pressure and strike quickly on the break. The effectiveness of their midfield shield and the speed of their forward transitions will be decisive in disrupting Arsenal’s rhythm.
Form
Arsenal have been particularly strong at the Emirates, combining defensive stability with consistent attacking output. Manchester United’s away form has shown improvement, though performances against top-six opposition have often hinged on game management and efficiency.
Prediction
Arsenal’s home advantage and structural cohesion give them a slight edge, but Manchester United’s ability to punish mistakes ensures this fixture remains finely balanced.
Predicted Result: Arsenal to win
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PREDICTION: VILLAREAL VS REAL MADRID
LA LIGA, 24 JANUARY 2026 @ 20:00 GMT
Match Overview
La Liga offers a high-profile encounter on Saturday as Villarreal welcome Real Madrid to the Estadio de la Cerámica. Traditionally one of the most demanding away fixtures for Madrid, this clash arrives at a pivotal moment in the season, with points at a premium in both the title race and the European qualification battle.
Team News & Expected Lineups
Villarreal are expected to focus on ball retention and structured buildup, aiming to disrupt Real Madrid’s rhythm through intelligent pressing and positional discipline. Their ability to exploit spaces between the lines will be crucial against Madrid’s defensive organization.
Expected XI:
Luiz Júnior; Foyth, Albiol, Cuenca, Pedraza; Parejo, Capoue; Baena, Trigueros, Yeremy Pino; Sørloth
Real Madrid
Real Madrid are likely to approach the match with a balanced setup, combining midfield control with pace and verticality in attack. Managing transitions will be key, particularly against Villarreal’s quick ball circulation and movement in advanced areas.
Expected XI:
Thibaut Courtois; Carvajal, Militão, Rüdiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouaméni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinícius Jr., Joselu
Tactical Focus
Villarreal will aim to slow the tempo and dictate phases of possession, drawing Real Madrid out of their shape before attacking through the half-spaces. Their full-backs and wide midfielders will play a central role in stretching the pitch.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, will look to capitalize on transitions, using pace and direct passing to exploit any defensive gaps. Winning the midfield duel and managing counter-pressing moments could define the outcome.
Form & Head-to-Head
Villarreal have historically been strong at home against elite opposition, often producing disciplined and tactically astute performances at the Cerámica. Real Madrid, however, have generally found ways to navigate difficult away fixtures through individual quality and game management.
Recent head-to-head meetings between the sides have been competitive, with narrow scorelines and tactical adjustments often shaping the result.
Prediction
Villarreal has enough to get past Real Madrid's defence in this match, but a single goal might not be sufficient to prevent a defeat. Moreover Villarreal are on a two-match losing streak while Real Madrid are on a two-match winning run. As a result, we're picking a close match in which Real Madrid will lead at the end of regulation.
Predicted Result: Real Madrid to win
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PREDICTION: OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE VS RC LENS
LIGUE 1, 24 JANUARY 2026 @ 20:00 GMT
Match Overview
Ligue 1 serves up a compelling midweek encounter as Olympique Marseille welcome RC Lens to the Stade Vélodrome on Saturday. Both sides remain firmly in the hunt for European qualification, making this fixture a crucial test of consistency and ambition as the season enters its decisive phase.
Team News & Expected Lineups
Marseille are expected to line up in their familiar attacking shape, with an emphasis on width and quick transitions. Their midfield balance will be key in controlling Lens’ pressing game, while the defensive line must remain compact to deal with Lens’ vertical runs.
Expected XI:
Gerónimo Rulli; Clauss, Mbemba, Balerdi, Lodi; Veretout, Rongier; Sarr, Harit, Ndiaye; Aubameyang
Lens are likely to retain their structured system built on high work rate, compact lines, and rapid counter-attacks. Their wing-backs play a decisive role, both defensively and offensively, especially against Marseille’s wide threats.
Expected XI:
Ribin Risser; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Frankowski, Abdul Samed, Thomasson, Machado; Sotoca, Wahi, Fulgini
Tactical Focus
Marseille will look to dominate possession and apply sustained pressure, particularly through overlapping full-backs and quick combinations in the final third. Lens, by contrast, thrive without the ball, using aggressive pressing triggers and fast transitions to exploit space behind the opposition defense.
Form & Head-to-Head
Marseille have been solid at the Vélodrome, turning home matches into high-intensity affairs where tempo and crowd influence play a major role. Lens, meanwhile, have continued to show resilience away from home, often frustrating technically superior opponents.
In recent head-to-head meetings, encounters between these two sides have been closely contested, with narrow scorelines and limited margins separating them.
Prediction
Our prediction for this match is that Marseille will win at home. Marseille's impressive home record of six wins, two draws, and only one loss indicates that the Vélodrome advantage may be pivotal despite Lens's better league standing. With 41 goals this season, the hosts have proven their offensive power, resulting in a fantastic goal differential of +22.
Predicted result: Marseille to win
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PREDICTION: INTER MILAN VS NAPOLI
SERIE A, 11 JANUARY 2026 @ 19:45 GMT
Match Overview
Inter Milan welcome Napoli to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in a marquee Serie A fixture that could have a decisive impact on the title race. Both sides enter the second half of the season with championship ambitions, making this clash one of the most anticipated matches of the weekend.
Inter’s tactical stability, physical presence, and efficiency in both boxes contrast with Napoli’s fluid attacking style and technical quality in possession. Recent encounters between these two have produced high-quality football, and with so much at stake, this meeting promises intensity, tactical discipline, and moments of individual brilliance.
Team News & Lineups
Inter are expected to rely on their well-established structure, combining defensive solidity with sharp attacking transitions. Lautaro Martínez remains the focal point in attack, supported by runners from midfield and wing-back positions.
Probable XI:
Sommer - Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni - Dumfries, Barella, Çalhanoğlu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco - Thuram, Lautaro Martínez
Napoli arrive determined to impose their possession-based approach and attacking rhythm. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia continues to be their main creative outlet, while midfield control will be key in disrupting Inter’s transitions.
Probable XI:
Meret - Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Olivera - Anguissa, Lobotka, Zieliński - Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Head-to-Head
Recent meetings have been closely contested. Inter have enjoyed success at home in this fixture. Napoli have shown they can trouble Inter with quick combinations and wing play
Prediction
This matchup looks finely balanced, with Inter likely to control key moments through structure and experience, while Napoli push aggressively in possession. There have been under 2.5 goals scored in Inter’s 3 out of 5 games. There have also been under 2.5 goals scored in Napoli’s 4 of the last 5 matches.
Predicted Result: Under 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR VS ASTON VILLA
FA CUP, 10 JANUARY 2026 @ 17:45 GMT
Match Overview
The FA Cup returns with a high-profile all-Premier League clash as Tottenham Hotspur host Aston Villa in North London. With both sides balancing domestic ambitions and cup progression, this fixture promises intensity, tactical intrigue, and a strong knockout atmosphere.
Tottenham approach the tie with an attack-minded philosophy built on high pressing and quick combinations, while Aston Villa arrive with Unai Emery’s well-drilled structure, capable of controlling matches and punishing opponents in transition.
Team News & Lineups
Spurs are expected to rotate selectively but maintain their aggressive approach. Son Heung-min remains the focal point in attack, supported by energetic runners from midfield. The emphasis will be on tempo and width, though defensive discipline will be key against Villa’s counterattacking threats.
Probable XI:
Vicario - Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie - Bissouma, Sarr - Kulusevski, Maddison, Johnson - Son
Villa are likely to take the FA Cup seriously, with Emery known for his strong cup pedigree. Villa’s compact midfield shape and rapid transitions could be decisive in moments where Tottenham commit numbers forward.
Probable XI:
Martínez - Cash, Carlos, Torres, Digne - Kamara, Tielemans - Diaby, McGinn, Bailey - Watkins
Head-to-Head
Recent meetings between the sides have been closely contested. Villa have troubled Spurs with their transitional play. Goals have featured regularly in this fixture
Prediction
This FA Cup tie looks finely balanced. In terms of goals, in 8 of Aston Villa’s last 9 matches, both teams scored. In 3 of the last 4 head-to-head meetings both teams scored. Thus we expect to see goals on both ends.
Predicted Result: Both teams to score
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PREDICTION: BAYER LEVERKUSEN VS VfB STUTTGART
BUNDESLIGA, 10 JANUARY 2026 @ 17:30 GMT
Match Overview
Bayer Leverkusen welcome VfB Stuttgart to the Bay Arena in a highly anticipated Bundesliga clash to open the second half of the season. Both teams have established themselves as consistent top-four contenders, and this fixture promises a fascinating tactical battle between two of the league’s most progressive and attack-minded sides.
Leverkusen’s fluid positional play and relentless tempo contrast with Stuttgart’s high-energy pressing and vertical transitions. With both sides aiming to set the tone for 2026, this encounter is set to deliver intensity, technical quality, and goals.
Team News & Lineups
Leverkusen are expected to continue with their dynamic system built around positional rotations and width. Florian Wirtz remains the creative heartbeat, supported by rapid wing play and strong midfield control.
Probable XI:
Hrádecký - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapié - Frimpong, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo – Wirtz - Boniface, Adli.
VfB Stuttgart:
Stuttgart arrive with confidence and attacking intent, relying on pace and movement in the final third. Their midfield balance and pressing structure will be crucial to limiting Leverkusen’s dominance in possession.
Probable XI:
Nübel - Vagnoman, Anton, Ito, Mittelstädt - Karazor, Stiller - Leweling, Millot, Führich - Guirassy
Head-to-Head
Recent meetings have been competitive and open. Leverkusen hold a slight advantage at home. Goals have been a recurring theme in this fixture.
Prediction
This matchup brings together two teams unafraid to play on the front foot. Stuttgart’s pressing and transitions will test Leverkusen’s defensive structure, but the hosts’ technical quality and creativity in advanced areas should allow them to control key phases. We’re going for a comfortable victory for Bayer Leverkusen when the referee blows the final whistle.
Predicted Result: Leverkusen to win
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PREDICTION: EINTRACHT FRANKFURT VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND
BUNDESLIGA, 9 JANUARY 2026 @ 19:30 GMT
Match Overview
Eintracht Frankfurt welcome Borussia Dortmund to Deutsche Bank Park in a highly anticipated Bundesliga clash to kick off the new year. Both sides are firmly in the race for European qualification, and this fixture often delivers open, high-tempo football with plenty of attacking intent.
Frankfurt’s direct approach and physical presence contrast with Dortmund’s dynamic, possession-based game built around pace and creativity in wide areas. With both teams aiming to start 2026 strongly, this matchup promises intensity, tactical battles across the pitch, and decisive moments in the final third.
Team News & Lineups
Frankfurt are expected to maintain their aggressive pressing and quick vertical transitions, particularly at home. Omar Marmoush remains their key attacking outlet, supported by runners from midfield.
Probable XI:
Trapp - Tuta, Koch, Pacho - Buta, Skhiri, Larsson, Max – Götze - Marmoush, Ekitiké
Dortmund arrive with a near full-strength squad and are likely to dominate possession. Their attacking threat revolves around fast wing play and creative movement between the lines.
Probable XI:
Kobel - Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini - Can, Sabitzer - Malen, Brandt, Adeyemi - Füllkrug.
Head-to-Head
Dortmund have historically held the edge in this fixture. Frankfurt, however, have made Deutsche Bank Park a difficult venue for BVB. Recent meetings have been closely contested, often decided by narrow margins
Prediction
This matchup appears finely balanced. Frankfurt’s intensity and home support can disrupt Dortmund’s rhythm, while BVB’s technical quality and depth give them a clear edge in sustained possession. Dortmund has been playing well away from home in Germany, so they should be viewed as favourites going into Friday's match.
Predicted Result: Dortmund to win
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PREDICTION: NAPOLI VS JUVENTUS
SERIE A, 7 DECEMBER @ 19:45 GMT
Match Overview
Napoli welcome Juventus to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in one of Serie A’s most iconic fixtures, a rivalry defined by history, passion, and contrasting football identities.
Napoli continue their evolution with an attack-minded approach built on fluid movement, quick combinations, and a strong home presence. Juventus, under their renewed tactical direction, have become increasingly pragmatic and efficient, relying on defensive solidity, structured buildup, and moments of quality in the final third.
With both clubs competing near the top of the table, this matchup could have significant implications in the early title race. Expect a tense, strategic, and emotionally charged contest.
Team News & Lineups
Napoli are expected to approach the match aggressively, using width and possession dominance to unsettle Juventus’ rigid defensive block. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia remains their primary creative outlet, while the midfield three will be essential in dictating tempo and maintaining pressure. Napoli have minor injury concerns but should field a strong XI.
Probable XI:
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Ostigård, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zieliński; Politano, Simeone, Kvaratskhelia.
Juventus arrive with most key players available, though rotation cannot be ruled out due to a congested schedule. Federico Chiesa and Dušan Vlahović will lead the line, with McKennie and Rabiot offering balance in midfield. Maintaining compactness and exploiting Napoli on the counter will be central to their game plan.
Probable XI:
Szczęsny; Gatti, Bremer, Danilo; Cambiaso, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostić; Chiesa, Vlahović.
Head-to-Head:
Napoli and Juventus have shared tightly contested matches in recent seasons
Napoli tend to perform strongly at home in this fixture
Juventus historically hold the edge, but recent meetings have become more balanced
Prediction
This match represents a classic clash of styles: Napoli’s expansive, expressive football versus Juventus’ disciplined structure and tactical pragmatism.
We believe Juventus have enough quality to find the net against SSC Napoli, but it’s likely they’ll concede more at the other end.
Our prediction is a narrow victory for SSC Napoli after the full 90 minutes. It promises to be an exciting encounter.
Predicted Result: Napoli to win
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PREDICTION: ATHLETIC BILBAO VS ATLETICO MADRID
LA LIGA, 6 DECEMBER @ 20:00 GMT
Match Overview
Athletic Bilbao host Atletico Madrid at San Mamés in one of the standout fixtures of the La Liga weekend. Known for their intensity, high pressing, and physical edge, Athletic will look to use their home atmosphere to disrupt an Atletico side that remains one of Europe’s most disciplined defensive units.
With both teams competing for top-four positions, this encounter promises a tactical battle: Bilbao’s direct, fast transitions against Atletico’s compact structure and dangerous front line. Recent meetings between the sides have been tight and cagey, and this matchup is shaping up to follow the same script — high tension, high tempo, and small margins.
Team News & Lineups
Athletic Bilbao are expected to rely on the attacking drive of the Williams brothers, with Oihan Sancet acting as the creative link between midfield and attack. Ernesto Valverde’s side enter the match with strong squad availability, though minor knocks in midfield may lead to late selection decisions. Maintaining intensity off the ball will be crucial to preventing Atletico from controlling the rhythm.
Probable XI:
Unai Simón; Lekue, Vivian, Paredes, Berchiche; Ruiz de Galarreta, Prados; Nico Williams, Sancet, Iñaki Williams; Guruzeta.
Atletico Madrid arrive close to full strength, with Diego Simeone expected to field a balanced XI that blends experience and creativity. Griezmann and Morata remain central to Atleti’s attacking output, while De Paul and Koke should anchor the midfield. Defensive solidity will again be a priority, particularly against Bilbao’s pace on the wings.
Probable XI:
Oblak; Molina, Giménez, Witsel, Hermoso; Llorente, Koke, De Paul; Griezmann; Morata, Riquelme.
Head-to-Head
Atletico have dominated the overall H2H in recent years. However, Bilbao have been competitive at home, several recent meetings at San Mamés were decided by a single goal. Low-scoring matches are common between these sides.
Prediction
This clash has all the markings of a tight, tactical encounter. Athletic’s home advantage and pace could trouble Atletico, while Simeone’s side possess the experience and composure to manage difficult moments. A draw feels the most likely outcome, though either team could edge it through a set piece or individual brilliance.
Predicted Result: Under 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: STUTTGART VS BAYERN MUNICH
BUNDESLIGA, 6 DECEMBER @ 14:30 GMT
Match Overview
Stuttgart host Bayern Munich in a high-stakes Bundesliga clash with major implications at both ends of the table. Stuttgart’s vibrant, attack-minded football has made them one of the league’s most entertaining sides, while Bayern arrive looking to maintain momentum in the title race. With both teams thriving offensively, this matchup has all the ingredients of a fast-paced, goal-filled encounter.
Team News & Lineups
Stuttgart:
The home side are expected to line up aggressively, with their frontline built around pace and movement. Their midfield has been a key source of creativity this season, but defensive concentration will be vital against Bayern’s firepower. A couple of minor injuries may force adjustments, yet no major absences are anticipated.
Probable XI: Nübel; Vagnoman, Zagadou, Ito; Stenzel, Karazor, Millot, Mittelstädt; Führich, Undav, Guirassy.
Bayern Munich:
Bayern enter with most starters available, although rotation could come into play due to a busy schedule. Kane, Musiala, and Sané continue to form one of Europe’s most potent attacking trios, while the midfield battle — led by Kimmich and Goretzka — will shape the tempo.
Probable XI: Neuer; Kimmich, Upamecano, de Ligt, Davies; Goretzka, Laimer; Sané, Musiala, Coman; Kane.
Head-to-Head
Bayern historically control this fixture, with the majority of wins in recent seasons. Stuttgart, however, have caused problems in the past at home and with their current form, they won’t approach this match as underdogs.
Prediction
Expect Bayern to dictate possession, but Stuttgart’s counterattacks could cause genuine trouble. Goals feel inevitable on both sides, though Bayern’s experience and individual quality give them the edge.
Predicted Result: Bayern Munich to win -1 handicap
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PREDICTION: ASTON VILLA VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 6 DECEMBER @ 12:30 GMT
Match Overview
Aston Villa host Arsenal at Villa Park in a high-profile Premier League clash with significant implications for the top-four race. Unai Emery’s Villa continue to impress with their aggressive pressing, quick vertical transitions, and strong home record, making Villa Park one of the toughest grounds in England.
Arsenal, under Mikel Arteta, remain one of the league’s most technically refined teams, built on structured buildup, fluid attacking rotations, and a possession-heavy style designed to control matches. With both sides pushing for Champions League qualification — and possibly more — this matchup promises intensity, tactical nuance, and attacking football from start to finish.
Team News & Lineups
Aston Villa are expected to approach the game proactively, using pace in wide areas and intelligent movement between the lines. Ollie Watkins remains central to their attacking identity, while Moussa Diaby’s speed will be key in transitions. Villa have only minor injury concerns, with rotation possible due to fixture congestion but no major absences anticipated.
Probable XI:
Martínez; Cash, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Diaby, McGinn, Bailey; Watkins.
Arsenal enter the match with most starters available, though Arteta may manage minutes carefully amid a busy winter schedule. The midfield trio built around Rice provides both stability and control, while Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli continue to offer constant threat in wide areas. Arsenal will look to dictate play through sustained possession, while remaining cautious of Villa’s speed on the break.
Probable XI:
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Ødegaard, Havertz; Saka, Martinelli, Jesus.
Prediction
This fixture sets up as a clash of contrasting but equally effective styles: Villa’s intensity and direct transitions versus Arsenal’s calm possession structure. Villa Park gives the hosts a slight edge, but Arsenal’s defensive stability and quality in the final third could balance the scales. Expect an energetic, competitive match with momentum swings, but a narrow visitor’s edge feels plausible.
Predicted result: Arsenal to win
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PREDICTION: AS ROMA VS AC MILAN
SERIE A, 2 NOVEMBER @ 19:45 GMT
Match Overview
A heavyweight Serie A showdown takes place at the Stadio Olimpico as AS Roma host AC Milan. Both sides are battling for the top four, with Roma showing improvement under Daniele De Rossi’s leadership and Milan continuing to push for another title challenge under Stefano Pioli. Matches between these two are always tense, tactical, and often defined by individual moments of brilliance.
Team News & Lineups
Daniele De Rossi will likely deploy a 4-3-2-1 formation, focusing on compactness and vertical play. Romelu Lukaku is expected to lead the line, supported by Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini just behind. Bryan Cristante and Leandro Paredes will anchor the midfield, while Gianluca Mancini and Evan Ndicka form the defensive pairing ahead of goalkeeper Mile Svilar.
Stefano Pioli’s men will rely on Rafael Leão’s explosiveness down the left and Olivier Giroud’s experience up front. Christian Pulisic provides width on the right, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tijjani Reijnders, and Ismaël Bennacer control the midfield. Fikayo Tomori and Malick Thiaw are expected to start in central defense, with Mike Maignan in goal.
Form & Head-to-Head
AS Roma have been strong at home, relying on defensive structure and Dybala’s creativity. Their challenge remains consistency in front of goal, but they’ve improved against top opposition this season.
AC Milan enter the match in good form, having found rhythm in attack. Leão and Pulisic have been decisive, and Milan’s ability to win away from home has kept them near the top of the table.
Milan have had the edge in recent meetings, unbeaten in their last five league games against Roma. The Rossoneri often find success by exploiting space on the counter, though Roma’s physical approach at home makes this a difficult fixture.
Prediction
Expect a balanced contest with both sides disciplined tactically. Roma’s defensive setup and home crowd could keep things tight, but Milan’s attacking quality and pace on the wings might prove decisive late in the game.
There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 2 of AC Milan’s last matches. There have also been over 2.5 goals scored in 3 of AS Roma’s last 6 games.
Predicted Result: Over 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS ASTON VILLA
PREMIER LEAGUE, 1 NOVEMBER @ 20:00 GMT
Match Overview
Anfield sets the stage for a thrilling Premier League encounter as Liverpool welcome Aston Villa on Saturday, November 1st. Both teams have been among the league’s most exciting sides this season. Liverpool, under Arne Slot, have embraced a dynamic, attacking identity, while Unai Emery’s Villa continue to impress with their structured yet explosive football.
With both clubs targeting Champions League qualification, this clash could have major implications in the top-four race. Expect intensity, pressing, and tactical discipline from start to finish.
Team News & Lineups
The Reds are expected to line up in Slot’s fluid 4-2-3-1. Darwin Núñez leads the line, supported by Luis Díaz, Salah, and Szoboszlai. Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo provide stability in midfield. Defensive concerns persist, with Robertson and Konaté still doubtful.
Emery’s side are in good form and likely to deploy their usual 4-4-2 diamond. Ollie Watkins and Diaby form a potent attacking duo, while Douglas Luiz anchors midfield with Tielemans and McGinn pushing forward. Martínez remains a reliable presence between the posts.
Form & Head-to-Head
Liverpool have been formidable at Anfield, unbeaten in their last 17 home Premier League matches. Their attack remains one of the most dangerous in Europe, with Salah in excellent form.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, continue to shine under Emery. Their organized pressing and clinical counterattacks have caused problems for top sides, but their away record remains inconsistent.
In their last five Premier League meetings, Liverpool have won three, Villa one, and one ended in a draw, though Villa often make it a tough contest.
Prediction
Expect a fast-paced, open game with plenty of attacking football. Liverpool’s home advantage and attacking depth should give them the upper hand, but Villa are capable of scoring on the break.
Predicted Result: Over 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS BAYER LEVERKUSEN
BUNDESLIGA, 1 NOVEMBER @ 17:30 GMT
Match Overview
A blockbuster Bundesliga clash takes center stage at the Allianz Arena as Bayern Munich face Bayer Leverkusen in what could be a pivotal game in the 2025/26 title race. These two sides have set the pace in German football over the past couple of seasons. Leverkusen’s attacking flair under Xabi Alonso challenging Bayern’s long-standing dominance. With both teams full of confidence, this encounter promises high tempo, tactical intrigue, and plenty of goals.
Team News & Lineups
Vincent Kompany’s men are expected to field an attacking lineup with Harry Kane leading the line. Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala provide creativity from the flanks, while Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović anchor the midfield. Rúben Dias and Kim Min-jae should start in central defense, with Manuel Neuer in goal.
Xabi Alonso will rely on his dynamic 3-4-2-1 setup. Victor Boniface spearheads the attack, supported by Florian Wirtz and Jonas Hofmann in behind. Granit Xhaka and Exequiel Palacios control the midfield, while Jeremie Frimpong and Álex Grimaldo provide width and attacking drive. Lukáš Hrádecký starts between the posts.
Form & Head-to-Head
Bayern Munich enter the match in strong form, unbeaten in their last several Bundesliga fixtures and averaging over two goals per game. Kane remains lethal in front of goal, while Musiala and Sané have been in inspired form.
Bayer Leverkusen continue to impress under Alonso, playing some of the most fluid football in Europe. Wirtz’s creativity and Boniface’s finishing have kept them in the title picture. Their defense has also tightened compared to previous seasons.
Bayern traditionally dominate this fixture, but Leverkusen have closed the gap, earning crucial draws and a memorable win last season. Matches between the two have been thrilling and high-scoring in recent years.
Prediction
This is a true title-decider feel match. Both teams will attack from the start, but Bayern’s experience in high-pressure games and home advantage could prove decisive. Expect a fierce tactical battle, with moments of brilliance from both sides.
Predicted Result: Over 3.5 goals
Image credit: fcbayern.com
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PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM VS CHELSEA
PREMIER LEAGUE, 1 NOVEMBER @ 17:30 GMT
Match Overview
The London derby returns as Tottenham Hotspur host Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, 1 November 2025. Both sides are chasing a top-four finish and enter the game with much to prove after an inconsistent start to the season. Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs are playing their trademark attacking football, while Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea continue their rebuild with a young, energetic squad. Expect a high-tempo, emotionally charged encounter.
Team News & Lineups
Spurs are likely to stick with their 4-3-3 setup. Son Heung-min continues to lead the line, with Kulusevski and Johnson supporting from the wings. Maddison pulls the strings in midfield, while Bissouma and Sarr provide balance. Defensive injuries remain a concern, with Romero facing a late fitness test and Udogie still doubtful.
Maresca is expected to maintain his possession-heavy 4-2-3-1 system. Nkunku has returned to full fitness and should start behind Jackson, while Cole Palmer continues to impress as the creative focal point. Reece James and Chilwell remain sidelined, meaning Gusto and Cucurella will likely start in the full-back positions.
Form & Head-to-Head
Tottenham have been strong at home this season, unbeaten in their last five Premier League games in North London. Their attacking play remains sharp, but defensive lapses have cost them points against top opposition.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have shown flashes of promise but remain inconsistent. Wins against mid-table sides have kept them in contention for Europe, though away form continues to be a weakness.
In their last five meetings, Chelsea have won three, Spurs one, and one ended in a draw. The Blues tend to have the upper hand in this fixture, though Tottenham’s home advantage could make the difference.
Prediction
Both teams are capable of scoring, and this matchup promises end-to-end football. Tottenham’s pressing and Chelsea’s transitional speed should produce chances on both sides.
Predicted Result: Both teams to score
Image credit: chelseafc.com
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PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS BARCELONA
LA LIGA, 26 OCTOBER @ 14:15 GMT
Match Overview
The eyes of the football world will be on the Santiago Bernabéu as Real Madrid and Barcelona face off in another chapter of El Clásico. Both clubs are again battling for the top of La Liga, and this clash could play a crucial role in shaping the title race. Madrid enter as slight favorites thanks to their consistency under Carlo Ancelotti, while Barcelona, now led by Hansi Flick, are determined to prove they can reclaim domestic supremacy.
Team News & Lineups
Carlo Ancelotti is expected to start Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo in attack, with Jude Bellingham operating in his familiar advanced midfield role. Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni provide energy and control in the middle, while Toni Kroos or Camavinga could add balance. Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba form the defensive pairing ahead of Thibaut Courtois, if fully fit.
Hansi Flick will rely on Robert Lewandowski as the focal point of the attack, supported by Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres on the flanks. In midfield, Pedri, Gavi, and Frenkie de Jong offer fluidity and creativity, while Ronald Araújo and Jules Koundé anchor the defense. Marc-André ter Stegen will be key in goal.
Form & Head-to-Head
Real Madrid enter this clash in strong form, unbeaten in La Liga so far, with Bellingham’s goals and leadership proving vital. Their balance between attack and defense has been impressive, especially at home.
Barcelona are Improving under Flick, but still adjusting tactically. They’ve shown attacking promise but have been vulnerable defensively in away matches. Youngsters like Yamal and Gavi continue to impress.
Real Madrid have had the upper hand recently, winning three of the last four Clásicos in all competitions, including a convincing home victory last season. Barcelona, however, remain capable of delivering big performances in high-pressure moments.
Prediction
El Clásico rarely disappoints, expect a fast, tactical game with both sides creating chances. Madrid’s cohesion and home support could tilt the balance, but Barcelona’s midfield quality ensures it will be close.
Predicted Result: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: aljazeera.com
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PREDICTION: ASTON VILLA VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE, 26 OCTOBER @ 13:00 GMT
Match Overview
An intriguing clash awaits at Villa Park as Aston Villa host Manchester City in what promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the Premier League weekend. Unai Emery’s Villa have transformed into a genuine European contender, particularly strong at home, while Pep Guardiola’s City continue their relentless pursuit of another league title. Both sides are known for their tactical sophistication — expect a fascinating battle of structure versus fluidity.
Team News & Lineups
Unai Emery will likely stick to his trusted 4-2-3-1 setup. Ollie Watkins leads the line, supported by Moussa Diaby and Leon Bailey on the wings, with John McGinn operating just behind the striker. Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara control the midfield, while Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa form the defensive pairing in front of Emiliano Martínez.
Pep Guardiola could rotate slightly after a busy run of fixtures. Erling Haaland spearheads the attack, flanked by Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku. Rodri anchors midfield, with Kevin De Bruyne (if fully fit) and Bernardo Silva offering creativity and tempo. In defense, Rúben Dias and Josko Gvardiol are expected to start, with Ederson in goal.
Form & Head-to-Head
Aston Villa have been exceptional at Villa Park, with one of the best home records in the Premier League. Emery’s side press intelligently and transition quickly, making them a tough opponent for any team.
Manchester City are continuing to dominate possession and dictate games, though they’ve occasionally struggled against compact, counterattacking sides this season. Haaland remains the league’s top scorer, with Foden and Doku adding dynamism.
City have won their last seven Premier League meetings with Villa, often scoring multiple goals. However, Villa’s home form and tactical maturity make this matchup more balanced than in previous seasons.
Prediction
Aston Villa’s defensive organization and counterattacking pace could cause City problems, especially at home. Still, Guardiola’s side usually find a way through in tight matches. Expect a competitive game with moments of brilliance from both sides.
Predicted Result: Manchester City to win
Image credit: marca.com
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PREDICTION: LAZIO VS JUVENTUS
SERIE A, 26 OCTOBER @ 18:45 GMT
Match Overview
A classic Serie A rivalry reignites at the Stadio Olimpico as Lazio host Juventus in what promises to be a hard-fought encounter between two of Italy’s most tactically disciplined sides. Both teams are in contention for Champions League places, with Juventus looking to maintain consistency under Thiago Motta, while Lazio aim to build momentum after an uneven start to the campaign.
Team News & Lineups
Maurizio Sarri’s men will likely deploy their familiar 4-3-3 system, with Ciro Immobile leading the attack, supported by Mattia Zaccagni and Felipe Anderson on the wings. Luis Alberto and Matteo Guendouzi provide creativity and control in midfield, while Nicolò Casale and Alessio Romagnoli form the defensive pairing ahead of goalkeeper Ivan Provedel.
Thiago Motta is expected to field a structured and balanced XI, led by Dusan Vlahovic in attack with Federico Chiesa offering pace and penetration from the left. Adrien Rabiot, Manuel Locatelli, and Weston McKennie will form a dynamic midfield trio, while Gleison Bremer and Danilo anchor a solid defense in front of Wojciech Szczęsny.
Form & Head-to-Head
Lazio have shown resilience at home but remain inconsistent, alternating strong performances with unexpected slip-ups. Their defense has been reliable, yet their attack depends heavily on Immobile’s finishing and Luis Alberto’s creativity.
Juventus is currently among the league’s most consistent sides, boasting one of Serie A’s best defensive records. Motta’s more fluid, possession-based approach has begun to take shape, with Vlahovic rediscovering his scoring touch.
Juventus have historically dominated this fixture, winning six of their last eight meetings in all competitions. Lazio, however, did manage a narrow home victory last season and will look to repeat that success.
Prediction
This match is likely to be a tactical affair with few clear chances. Lazio’s home advantage could make the difference early on, but Juventus’ defensive structure and clinical finishing should give them the edge as the game progresses.
Predicted Result: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: football-italia.net
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PREDICTION: NAPOLI VS INTER MILAN
SERIE A, 25 OCTOBER @ 16:00 GMT
Match Overview
A massive Serie A clash awaits at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona as Napoli host Inter Milan in what could be a defining match in the title race. Both sides have established themselves as powerhouses in Italian football over the past few seasons, combining tactical discipline with attacking flair. Napoli aim to reclaim their dominance at home, while Inter look to continue their momentum under Simone Inzaghi as one of Europe’s most complete sides.
Team News & Lineups
Francesco Calzona’s team will rely heavily on their attacking trio of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giacomo Raspadori, and Victor Osimhen, who continues to be a key threat up front. Stanislav Lobotka and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa anchor the midfield, while Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Juan Jesus provide defensive stability. Alex Meret is expected to start in goal.
Simone Inzaghi’s side remain one of the most balanced in Europe. Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram form a lethal strike partnership, supported by Nicolò Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in midfield. Defensively, Acerbi, Bastoni, and Pavard provide solidity ahead of goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
Form & Head-to-Head
Napoli have been strong at home, showing flashes of the attacking football that won them the Scudetto in 2023. However, inconsistency against top opposition has occasionally cost them points.
Inter Milan is currently in excellent form, dominating Serie A with an impressive defensive record and efficiency in front of goal. Lautaro remains among the league’s top scorers.
Inter have had the upper hand in recent meetings, including victories in both league and cup fixtures last season. Napoli, however, tend to raise their level in front of their home crowd.
Prediction
This promises to be a tactical battle between two well-drilled teams. Napoli’s attacking power could trouble Inter’s defense, but the visitors’ organization and experience in big matches give them a slight edge. Expect a tight, high-quality encounter with few clear chances.
Predicted Result: Both teams to score
Image credit: reuters.com
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PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS MANCHESTER UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE, 19 OCTOBER @ 15:30 GMT
Match Overview
One of English football’s greatest rivalries returns as Liverpool host Manchester United at Anfield. Both sides have undergone transitions in recent seasons, but this clash remains as fierce and meaningful as ever. Liverpool are targeting another push for the Premier League title under Arne Slot, while United, now under a new managerial era—are striving for consistency and a return to elite form.
Team News & Lineups
Arne Slot will likely stick with his high-tempo attacking system. Darwin Núñez is expected to lead the line, supported by Luis Díaz and Mohamed Salah out wide. In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Ryan Gravenberch offer energy and creativity, while Virgil van Dijk marshals the defense alongside Ibrahima Konaté. Alisson Becker remains a key presence in goal.
United’s new-look attack may feature Rasmus Højlund up front, flanked by Alejandro Garnacho and Antony. In midfield, Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes provide control and vision, with Casemiro’s experience crucial in breaking up play. Defensively, Lisandro Martínez and Raphaël Varane are likely to start, with André Onana in goal.
Form & Head-to-Head
Liverpool have been strong at home this season, especially at Anfield where their pressing and intensity often overwhelm opponents. Salah remains in top form, continuing to deliver goals and assists.
Manchester United are still unpredictable, showing flashes of attacking promise but struggling for consistency, particularly away from home. Defensive organization remains a concern against high-paced teams.
Liverpool have dominated recent meetings at Anfield, including memorable high-scoring wins. United, however, have managed tighter contests at Old Trafford. Anfield has been a difficult ground for United in recent years.
Prediction
Liverpool’s energy, home advantage, and superior attacking rhythm should give them the upper hand. Manchester United are capable of dangerous counters but may find it hard to cope with Liverpool’s intensity over 90 minutes.
Predicted Result: Liverpool to win
Image credit: reuters.com
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PREDICTION: GETAFE VS REAL MADRID
LA LIGA, 19 OCTOBER @ 19:00 GMT
Match Overview
La Liga action returns as Real Madrid make the short trip across the capital to face Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez. While Getafe aim to secure valuable points to move clear of the bottom half, Madrid are focused on maintaining their push for the title. Despite the difference in quality, local derbies in Madrid are never short of intensity and passion.
Team News & Lineups
José Bordalás will likely stick to his compact and physical approach, emphasizing defensive discipline and quick counterattacks. Borja Mayoral, a former Madrid player, leads the attack, supported by Mason Greenwood and Aleñá. Duarte and Dakonam are expected to start in central defense.
Ancelotti’s side will rely on Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo to provide attacking spark, with Jude Bellingham continuing to play a key role from midfield. Tchouaméni and Valverde anchor the center, while Rüdiger and Alaba form the defensive partnership ahead of Courtois (or Lunin if not fully fit).
Form & Head-to-Head
Getafe are struggling for consistency this season but remain tough to beat at home, where their defensive organization often frustrates bigger teams.
Real Madrid are In excellent form, combining attacking flair with strong defensive structure. Bellingham’s influence continues to grow as he leads the team in both creativity and goals.
Real Madrid have dominated this fixture, unbeaten in their last 10 meetings with Getafe, and often winning by narrow but controlled margins.
Prediction
Getafe’s physical style could slow Madrid’s rhythm, but the visitors’ quality and patience should eventually tell. Expect Real Madrid to control possession and find the breakthrough in the second half. Notably, Real Madrid has witnessed over 2.5 goals in 3 of their last 3 away matches.
Predicted Result: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: madriduniversal.com
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PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND
BUNDESLIGA, 18 OCTOBER @ 16:30 GMT
Match Overview
The Der Klassiker returns as Bayern Munich host Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena in what promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the Bundesliga season. Both clubs are chasing the title again, and this clash could have major implications at the top of the table. Bayern will look to reaffirm their dominance on home soil, while Dortmund aim to prove they can finally challenge their arch-rivals head-on.
Team News & Lineups
Vincent Kompany’s Bayern are expected to line up in their trademark attacking shape, with Harry Kane leading the line. Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala provide creativity and pace on the wings, while Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović control the midfield. Kim Min-jae and De Ligt anchor the defense, with Manuel Neuer between the posts.
Edin Terzić’s men will look to hit Bayern on the break through Karim Adeyemi and Donyell Malen, supported by Julian Brandt in an advanced midfield role. Niclas Füllkrug should start up front, while Emre Can shields the back line of Süle and Schlotterbeck.
Form & Head-to-Head
Bayern Munich are entering the match in strong form, unbeaten in their last several league games, and averaging over two goals per match. Kane continues to be prolific, while Sané and Musiala have found excellent rhythm.
Borussia Dortmund have a solid in attack but inconsistent at the back. Their away form remains a concern, especially against top opposition.
Bayern have dominated the Klassiker in recent years, winning eight of the last ten meetings in all competitions. Dortmund have struggled at the Allianz Arena, where they haven’t claimed a league victory since 2014.
Prediction
Dortmund will look to stay compact and counter, but Bayern’s attacking depth and home advantage make them clear favorites. Expect an intense encounter with plenty of chances, but Bayern’s efficiency in front of goal should decide it.
Predicted Result: Both teams to score
Image credit: fcbayern.com
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PREDICTION: AS ROMA VS INTER MILAN
SERIE A, 18 OCTOBER @ 18:45 GMT
Match Overview
Serie A resumes with a blockbuster fixture at the Stadio Olimpico as AS Roma host Inter Milan. Both teams have their sights set on the Scudetto and Champions League qualification, and this matchup between two Italian heavyweights promises to be one of the highlights of the season. The tactical duel between Daniele De Rossi and Simone Inzaghi will be key.
Team News & Lineups
Daniele De Rossi is expected to deploy his trusted 4-3-3 setup with Romelu Lukaku leading the line against his former club. Paulo Dybala adds creativity and flair, while Lorenzo Pellegrini anchors the midfield with his leadership. Spinazzola and Kristensen will provide width from the full-back positions, while Mancini and Ndicka marshal the defense.
Simone Inzaghi will likely stick with his 3-5-2 formation. Lautaro Martínez remains the focal point of the attack, supported by Marcus Thuram. In midfield, Barella and Çalhanoğlu control tempo and creativity, with Dimarco and Dumfries offering width. Sommer continues in goal behind a back three of Bastoni, Acerbi, and Pavard.
Form & Head-to-Head
AS Roma have a solid start to the season under De Rossi, showing improved organization and attacking balance. Their home form has been strong, particularly against mid-table sides.
On the other side Inter Milan are entering this fixture as one of the league’s most consistent sides. Inter remain clinical in front of goal and compact defensively.
Inter have had the upper hand in recent meetings, winning most of their last few encounters. Roma’s last home victory against Inter came in 2019, but recent matches have been tightly contested.
Prediction
Roma will look to use the energy of the Olimpico crowd and exploit spaces behind Inter’s wing-backs, while Inter’s cohesion and quality in midfield give them the upper hand. Expect a tactical, hard-fought battle decided by small moments of brilliance.
Predicted Result: Both teams to score
Image credit: serpentsofmadonnina.com
PREDICTION: JUVENTUS VS AC MILAN
SERIE A, 5 OCTOBER @ 18:45 GMT
Match Overview
A true Italian classic takes place at the Allianz Stadium as Juventus host AC Milan. Both clubs are in the hunt for the Scudetto and know that head-to-head clashes like this could prove decisive in the title race. With two of Serie A’s giants colliding, intensity and drama are guaranteed.
Team News & Lineups
Under Thiago Motta, Juve have become more progressive in their play while keeping defensive solidity. Dušan Vlahović is expected to lead the line, supported by Federico Chiesa. Locatelli and Rabiot provide strength in midfield, while Bremer anchors the defense in front of Szczęsny.
Stefano Pioli will turn to Rafael Leão’s pace and flair on the left, supported by Christian Pulisic or Samuel Chukwueze on the right. Olivier Giroud (or his successor) leads the attack, with Tijjani Reijnders and Ismaël Bennacer controlling midfield. Theo Hernández and Fikayo Tomori remain key in defense.
Form & Head-to-Head
Juventus have been strong defensively this season, with home form proving reliable. However, they’ve sometimes struggled against fast, technical sides.
AC Milan are entering the fixture in solid form, Milan have shown attacking variety and resilience. Away results against top sides, however, have been mixed.
Traditionally a balanced rivalry, though Juventus have had the edge in Turin. Milan, however, have claimed key wins in recent seasons, keeping the fixture unpredictable.
Prediction
Both sides are evenly matched, with Juventus’ defensive organization clashing against Milan’s attacking flair. Expect a tense, tactical contest with limited clear chances — and possibly shared spoils.
Predicted Result: Under 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: SEVILLA VS BARCELONA
LA LIGA, 5 OCTOBER @ 14:15 GMT
Match Overview
The Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán will host a fascinating La Liga clash as Sevilla take on Barcelona. Sevilla are eager to re-establish themselves in the European race, while Barça continue their pursuit of another league title under Hansi Flick. This match pits Sevilla’s resilience at home against Barcelona’s attacking power.
Team News & Lineups
The hosts are expected to line up with Youssef En-Nesyri leading the attack, supported by Ocampos and Lamela. Ivan Rakitić and Joan Jordán provide midfield balance, while Gudelj anchors the defense alongside Sergio Ramos if fit.
Hansi Flick will likely turn to Robert Lewandowski in attack, supported by young talents like Lamine Yamal and Pedri. Frenkie de Jong dictates play in midfield, while Araújo and Koundé remain central to the backline in front of Marc-André ter Stegen.
Form & Head-to-Head
Sevilla have a mixed start to the season, with home form stronger than away. They’ve struggled for consistency but remain dangerous in big games at the Sánchez-Pizjuán.
Barcelona are in strong form, with their young stars blending well with experienced leaders. Barça’s attack has been clinical, and their defensive record solid.
Barcelona have dominated recent meetings, winning most of their last 10 encounters. Sevilla, however, have historically pushed Barça hard at home.
Prediction
Sevilla’s intensity at home could trouble Barcelona, especially in the opening stages. However, Barça’s quality and depth across the pitch should tilt the game in their favour. Expect a competitive clash, but the visitors’ attacking edge should be decisive.
Predicted Result: Barcelona to win & Over 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: CHELSEA VS LIVERPOOL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 4 OCTOBER @ 16:30 GMT
Match Overview
A Premier League classic awaits at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea host Liverpool. Both clubs are aiming to cement themselves in the top four, and this fixture often delivers drama, intensity, and goals. With two progressive coaches on the touchline, tactical battles will be just as important as individual brilliance.
Team News & Lineups
Enzo Maresca is expected to stay faithful to his possession-based system. Cole Palmer is the creative focal point, while Nicolas Jackson or a new striking option will lead the line. Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo should partner in midfield, with Levi Colwill and Reece James key in defense.
Arne Slot’s side are adapting well to his high-pressing and attacking philosophy. Mohamed Salah remains the go-to man in attack, supported by Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz. Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai provide dynamism in midfield, while Virgil van Dijk anchors the defense.
Form & Head-to-Head
Chelsea has steadily improving under Maresca, though still seeking consistency against top opposition. Home form has been strong, boosted by the influence of young talents.
Liverpool is in strong form under Slot, blending pressing intensity with fluid attacking combinations. They remain tough to beat, especially in big fixtures.
Historically even in recent years, with many draws between the two sides. Liverpool, however, have often found success at Stamford Bridge in high-pressure games.
Prediction
Both teams will look to control midfield and exploit space in behind. Chelsea’s youthful energy and home advantage could make this tight, but Liverpool’s attacking edge and experience might give them the slight upper hand.
Predicted Result: Over 2.5 goals & Both teams to score
Image credit: chelseafc.com
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PREDICTION: BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS RB LEIPZIG
BUNDESLIGA, 4 OCTOBER @ 13:30 GMT
Match Overview
The Signal Iduna Park will host a high-stakes Bundesliga clash as Borussia Dortmund welcome RB Leipzig. Both clubs are chasing Champions League qualification and potentially aiming to challenge Bayern and Leverkusen at the top, making this a key early-season fixture.
Team News & Lineups
Edin Terzić is likely to set up with Niclas Füllkrug leading the line, supported by the creativity of Julian Brandt and the pace of Karim Adeyemi. Emre Can will anchor the midfield, while Schlotterbeck and Süle are expected in central defense.
Marco Rose’s side will rely on Dani Olmo and Xavi Simons for attacking invention, with Benjamin Šeško as the focal point in attack. In midfield, Haidara and Schlager add balance, while Willi Orbán organizes the defense.
Form & Head-to-Head
Dortmund have a solid start to the season, but still showing defensive vulnerabilities. Home form at the Signal Iduna Park remains a major strength.
Leipzig are entering the match in good form, with their attacking transitions and young talents impressing. Consistency remains their biggest test.
Leipzig have often troubled Dortmund in recent years, especially in cup competitions, though Dortmund have the advantage when playing at home.
Prediction
This promises to be an open and attacking game, with both sides boasting pace and creativity. Dortmund’s home support could be decisive, but Leipzig’s pressing and quick counters will keep it very tight.
Predicted Result: Dortmund to win
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PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE, 21 SEPTEMBER @ 15:30 GMT
Match Overview
The Emirates Stadium hosts a blockbuster Premier League clash as Arsenal welcome Manchester City. Both sides are title contenders, and this meeting could be an early marker in the race for the top. Arteta’s Gunners continue to grow in maturity, while Guardiola’s City remain the benchmark in English football.
Team News & Lineups
Mikel Arteta will count on Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus in attack, supported by captain Martin Ødegaard’s creativity in midfield. Declan Rice provides steel and control, while Saliba and Gabriel anchor a solid defense.
Pep Guardiola’s team is built around Erling Haaland up front, with Phil Foden and Julián Álvarez taking on more creative roles since Kevin De Bruyne’s departure. Rodri remains the midfield anchor, while Dias leads a disciplined backline.
Form & Head-to-Head
Arsenal have a strong start to the season, unbeaten at home and showing both attacking flair and defensive resilience.
Manchester City are also in top form, with Haaland already among the goals and their possession game suffocating opponents.
City dominated this fixture for years, but Arsenal have become more competitive recently, including their 2023/24 win at the Emirates that ended a long losing streak.
Prediction
This has all the ingredients of a tense and tactical battle. Arsenal’s intensity and home advantage could trouble City, but Guardiola’s side rarely slip in big games. Expect a high-quality match with fine margins deciding the outcome.
Predicted Result: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: paininthearsenal.com
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PREDICTION: LAZIO VS AS ROMA
SERIE A, 21 SEPTEMBER @ 12:30 GMT
Match Overview
The Stadio Olimpico will once again become the stage for one of football’s fiercest rivalries as Lazio face AS Roma in the Derby della Capitale. Beyond city pride, both sides are targeting the European spots in Serie A, making this clash as crucial as it is emotional.
Team News & Lineups
Marco Baroni is expected to rely on Ciro Immobile’s experience up front, supported by Felipe Anderson and Mattia Zaccagni on the wings. Guendouzi and Luis Alberto provide creativity and balance in midfield, while Romagnoli leads the defense.
On the other side, Daniele De Rossi will turn to Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku in attack, with Lorenzo Pellegrini orchestrating midfield play. Spinazzola and Kristensen provide width, while Mancini anchors the backline.
Form & Head-to-Head
Lazio have a mixed start to the season, showing strength at home but lacking consistency on the road.
AS Roma are also inconsistent, but with flashes of attacking brilliance when Dybala and Lukaku are fit.
The derby has been tight in recent years, with Lazio unbeaten in the last three league meetings. Roma, however, have enjoyed better cup results.
Prediction
The Derby della Capitale is rarely straightforward. Lazio’s wide play and set-pieces could trouble Roma, but De Rossi’s side have more firepower up front. Expect a fiery, close contest with both teams pushing hard until the end.
Predicted Result: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: thelaziali.com
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PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS CHELSEA
PREMIER LEAGUE, 20 SEPTEMBER @ 16:30 GMT
Match Overview
Old Trafford will host one of the Premier League’s standout fixtures as Manchester United take on Chelsea. Both sides are in transition with ambitious managers and revamped squads, making this clash not only a test of quality but also of tactical identity.
Team News & Lineups
Under Rúben Amorim, United have been implementing a more aggressive, pressing style. Bruno Fernandes remains a creative force in midfield, while new signings bolster the attack in the absence of Marcus Rashford. Lisandro Martínez and André Onana provide solidity at the back.
On the other hand, Enzo Maresca is expected to stick with his possession-heavy approach. Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo control the midfield, while young talents like Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson add unpredictability in attack. Chelsea’s defensive line, led by Levi Colwill, will be tested against United’s forward play.
Form & Head-to-Head
For Manchester United the early-season results have been mixed, but Amorim’s philosophy is slowly taking shape. Home form could prove decisive in this clash.
Chelsea is also inconsistent but showing improvement under Maresca, especially in ball progression and pressing.
Recent meetings have been balanced, with several draws. United, however, have had the upper hand at Old Trafford in the past few seasons.
Prediction
Both clubs are still finding consistency, which could make this a cagey encounter. United’s home advantage and Chelsea’s technical midfield may cancel each other out, leading to a tight contest with few clear chances.
Predicted Result: Over 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: OLYMPIQUE LYON VS ANGERS
LIGUE 1, 19 SEPTEMBER @ 14:45 GMT
Match Overview
Ligue 1 action returns to the Groupama Stadium as Olympique Lyon host Angers on 19 September. Lyon are aiming to re-establish themselves as a top-six contender this season, while Angers, recently promoted back to Ligue 1, are fighting to stay clear of the relegation battle.
Team News & Lineups
Lyon’s head coach Pierre Sage will rely on the creativity of Rayan Cherki and the finishing of Alexandre Lacazette to lead the attack. Young talents in midfield are expected to complement the experience of Tolisso. Defensively, O’Brien and Tagliafico should start.
Angers’s manager Abdel Bouhazama will likely set up compactly, looking to frustrate Lyon and hit on the counter. Loïs Diony and Bahoya provide attacking options, while the midfield will focus on pressing and defensive discipline.
Form & Head-to-Head
Lyon have a mixed start to the season but showing signs of improvement, especially at home where they’ve been stronger.
Angers are struggling to adapt consistently to top-flight football, with defensive vulnerabilities exposed in early fixtures.
Lyon have dominated recent meetings, winning their last five encounters against Angers, often by convincing margins.
Prediction
Lyon’s attacking strength and home advantage make them clear favorites. Angers will likely defend deep, but Lyon’s creativity and finishing quality should be enough to break them down.
Predicted Result: Olympique Lyon to win with -1 handicap
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PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS MANCHESTER UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE, 14 SEPTEMBER @ 15:30 GMT
Match Overview
The Manchester derby returns to the Etihad Stadium as City host United in one of the Premier League’s fiercest rivalries. City are once again among the title favorites, while United, now under new management, are aiming to close the gap on their neighbours and prove their credentials against the champions.
Team News & Lineups
Pep Guardiola’s side continue to evolve after the departure of club legend Kevin De Bruyne. Phil Foden and Julián Álvarez are expected to carry more creative responsibility, while Erling Haaland leads the line. New summer signings add depth in both midfield and defense.
Rúben Amorim is shaping a new-look United, focusing on tactical discipline and fluid attacking play. Bruno Fernandes remains the key creator, while new attacking recruits will look to fill the void left by Marcus Rashford. Defensively, Lisandro Martínez and André Onana will be vital to withstanding City’s pressure.
Form & Head-to-Head
Manchester City have Have started the season with mixed results but Haaland is in lethal form. The Etihad remains one of the hardest grounds for visitors.
Checking out their prior head to head meetings dating back to 29/10/2023, there is nothing to separate the two clubs with Manchester City winning 2 of those games, Manchester United 2 and 2 being drawn in normal time.
Prediction
United will be better organized under Amorim, but City’s quality and cohesion, especially at home, give them the edge. Expect a tense contest, but Guardiola’s men should have enough to secure the points.
Predicted Result: Manchester City to win
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PREDICTION: JUVENTUS VS INTER MILAN
SERIE A, 13 SEPTEMBER @ 16:00 GMT
Match Overview
The Derby d’Italia takes center stage in Serie A as Juventus welcome Inter Milan to the Allianz Stadium. Both clubs are chasing the Scudetto and this fixture could be an early defining moment in the title race. With pride, history, and crucial points at stake, a fiercely contested battle is expected.
Team News & Lineups
The Bianconeri will look to their experienced core, with Chiesa and Vlahović leading the attack. Midfield control will be key, with Locatelli expected to anchor play. Defensively, Bremer will be tasked with stopping Inter’s strikers.
Simone Inzaghi’s side are likely to stick with their 3-5-2 system. Lautaro Martínez remains the main attacking weapon, supported by Thuram. Barella and Çalhanoğlu provide creativity and stability in midfield.
Form & Head-to-Head
Juventus has a solid start to the season with a strong defensive record, but questions remain over their consistency in front of goal.
Inter Milan is entering this clash in good form, continuing to show their attacking depth and tactical organization.
Recent meetings have been tightly contested. Inter had the upper hand in last season’s encounters, though Juventus remain strong at home in Turin.
Prediction
Both teams are well-drilled and boast quality across the pitch. Juventus will rely on their defensive strength, while Inter’s attacking duo could prove decisive. A tense, tactical battle is expected with few chances. We feel that Inter Milan and Juventus are both capable of scoring here.
Predicted Result: Both teams to score
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PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS NOTTINGHAM FOREST
PREMIER LEAGUE, 13 SEPTEMBER @ 11:30 GMT
Match Overview
Arsenal return to action at the Emirates Stadium as they take on Nottingham Forest in a Premier League clash on 14 September. The Gunners are pushing to stay at the top end of the table, while Forest will look to test themselves against one of the title contenders and secure valuable points away from home.
Team News & Lineups
Mikel Arteta is expected to start his strongest XI, with Martin Ødegaard pulling the strings in midfield and Bukayo Saka providing width. Gabriel Jesus or Kai Havertz could lead the line, while the defense will be marshalled by Gabriel and Saliba.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s side will likely adopt a compact defensive shape, relying on counter-attacks through Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga. New striker signings could also play a role in unsettling Arsenal’s backline.
Form & Head-to-Head
With a strong start to the season, Arsenal are showcasing attacking flair and a solid defensive structure. The Gunners are unbeaten at home in their last several league games.
Nottingham Forest have mixed form, with struggles away from home continuing to be an issue. Forest often find themselves more competitive at the City Ground.
Arsenal have dominated recent meetings, including convincing wins at the Emirates, though Forest have caused upsets at home in cup competitions.
Prediction
Arsenal’s attacking depth and home advantage make them clear favorites. Forest’s best chance lies in a disciplined defensive display and quick breaks, but the Gunners are expected to control possession and create the majority of chances. We therefore think that it’s going to be a pretty comfortable winning score for Arsenal at the end of this one.
Predicted Result: Arsenal to win & Over 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: BAYERN LEVERKUSEN VS EINTRACHT FRANKFURT
BUNDESLIGA, 12 SEPTEMBER @ 18:30 GMT
Match Overview
The Bundesliga returns after the international break with a standout clash at the BayArena, where reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen host Eintracht Frankfurt. Leverkusen will look to maintain momentum at the top of the table, while Frankfurt aim to strengthen their push for European spots.
Team News & Lineups
Bayer Leverkusen: Xabi Alonso is expected to field his strongest XI, with attacking options such as Wirtz and Schick leading the line. Defensively, Leverkusen remain solid, with Tah and Hincapié central to their backline.
Eintracht Frankfurt: The visitors will rely on their counter-attacking threat, with Marmoush and Chaïbi key in attack. Coach Dino Toppmöller may opt for a compact midfield setup to frustrate Leverkusen’s creativity.
Form & Head-to-Head
Unbeaten in the opening rounds, Leverkusen has been continuing their excellent form from last season. On the other hand, Frankfurt has mixed results so far but remain a dangerous side on the break.
Leverkusen have dominated recent meetings, winning four of the last five Bundesliga encounters against Frankfurt.
Prediction
Leverkusen’s balance between attack and defense makes them favorites at home, but Frankfurt’s speed in transition could trouble them if chances are taken. While Frankfurt are capable of finding the net, Leverkusen’s firepower and home advantage should prove decisive.
Predicted result: Leverkusen to win
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PREDICTION: TURKEY VS SPAIN
2026 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS, 7 SEPTEMBER @ 18:45 GMT
Match Overview
This fixture marks the second matchday of Group E, in which Turkey, Spain, Georgia, and Bulgaria vie for qualification. The group winners advance directly to the World Cup, while runners-up enter the playoff stage.
Turkey opened their qualifying campaign with a 3–2 victory against Georgia, overcoming a late scare despite playing with ten men.
Spain earned an authoritative 3–0 win away at Bulgaria, boosted by early goals from Oyarzábal, Cucurella, and Merino. Notably, Rodri and Dani Carvajal returned to international duty following lengthy ACL recoveries.
Team News & Line-Up Updates
Spain have confirmed the absence of midfielder Fabián Ruiz due to muscle discomfort.
Turkey are expected to field key young talents such as Arda Güler, Kenan Yıldız, and Barış Alper Yılmaz, who are central to their attacking approach.
Head-to-Head
Spain hold the upper hand in this fixture, winning each of their last three encounters and now leading the overall history with six wins in 12 meetings. Turkey remain in pursuit of their first victory against Spain for over five decades.
Predictions
Both teams enter the match with positive momentum, but Spain's depth, recent performances, and veteran leadership make them strong favourites. Turkey’s home advantage and youthful flair suggest they could make it a competitive affair. Thus, we expect Spain to prevail by a narrow margin.
Predicted result: Spain to win
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PREDICTION: POLAND VS FINLAND
2026 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS, 7 SEPTEMBER @ 18:45 GMT
Match Overview
This match is Poland’s return to action following a dramatic sequence in Group G—opening with a 1–1 draw against the Netherlands and a 2–1 defeat to Finland, which has elevated Finland to the top of the group.
Poland now aims to regain momentum as they pursue automatic qualification to the World Cup. Finland, currently leading the group with seven points from four games, travel to Poland with confidence and a valuable advantage.
Recent results
Poland recently drew 1–1 with the Netherlands, courtesy of a late Matty Cash equalizer. Robert Lewandowski, reinstated as captain by new coach Jan Urban, returned to the squad but had limited impact in that fixture.
Finland stunned Poland in their last meeting with a 2–1 win in Helsinki, courtesy of goals from Joel Pohjanpalo and Benjamin Källman.
Tactical Outlook
Poland, returning home, will seek redemption and rely heavily on defensive solidity while trying to press Finland for control in midfield. The return of experienced leaders like Lewandowski should bolster morale and attack.
Finland, buoyed by recent success, will look to defend their group lead with resilience. Their ability to perform under pressure on the road suggests they will pose a strong challenge to the hosts.
Predictions
A tightly contested match is expected. With home advantage and added pressure to respond, Poland enter as slight favorites, but Finland's confidence and prior result suggest this could be a close affair.
Predicted result: Poland to win
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PREDICTION: UKRAINE VS FRANCE
2026 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS, 5 SEPTEMBER @ 18:45 GMT
Match Overview
Ukraine will meet France at the Tarczyński Arena, in Wrocław in a top game of the Group D. This opening fixture is crucial. France aims to assert early dominance over a competitive group, while Ukraine looks to make a statement on the road to World Cup 2026.
This match marks the beginning of the final chapter for France coach Didier Deschamps, who has confirmed he will step down after the World Cup in North America next summer. It represents his last opportunity to crown his long tenure with another trophy, adding to the 2018 World Cup triumph, after France once again came up short in the Nations League finals this past June.
If Ukraine are serious about securing automatic qualification, this is a must-win clash. History shows that the playoffs have been their downfall, with defeats in three of the last four qualifying campaigns since their lone World Cup appearance back in 2006.
Team News & Lineups
Ukraine’s goalkeeper Andriy Lunin is out injured, ruled out of both upcoming qualifiers. On the other side in Frace’s team Rayan Cherki has withdrawn due to a thigh injury. Hugo Ekitike receives his first senior call-up.
Form & Head-to-Head
Last two competitive meetings ended 1–1, during 2022 World Cup qualifying. France remain unbeaten in their last four matchups with Ukraine with two draws and two wins.
Prediction
France are firmly considered favorites, with strong attacking capabilities reflected in recent qualifiers. Both teams are expected to score and more than 2.5 goals in total.
Predicted result: France to win with +1.5 handicap
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PREDICTION: DENMARK VS SCOTLAND
2026 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS, 5 SEPTEMBER @ 18:45 GMT
Match Overview
Denmark and Scotland begin their campaigns in Group C of the UEFA qualification process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With only the group winners guaranteed a place at the finals in North America, and the runners-up entering the play-offs, the significance of this opening fixture is considerable.
Denmark, under the guidance of head coach Brian Riemer, approach this match as favourites on home soil, having enjoyed an impressive recent run in competitive fixtures. Scotland, meanwhile, enter what many observers regard as a defining phase of Steve Clarke’s tenure, with six qualification matches ahead that could determine both their World Cup prospects and the manager’s long-term future.
The Danes form in recent qualifying campaigns has been characterised by defensive solidity combined with attacking efficiency, often averaging multiple goals per match at the Parken.
Scotland arrive with optimism following strong performances against Croatia, Poland, and Greece earlier this year. However, their preparations have been hampered by injuries Clarke’s side is therefore likely to adopt a cautious strategy, prioritising compactness and counter-attacking opportunities.
Team News & Lineups
Denmark remain at near full strength and will look to assert control from the outset. Scotland are without Kieran Tierney and Anthony Ralston, with Josh Doig and Aaron Hickey called up as replacements.
Form & Head-to-Head
This fixture represents Scotland’s first World Cup qualifying visit to Copenhagen in over half a century, the last such encounter dating back to 1972. Historically, Denmark have held the upper hand in meetings between the nations, particularly on home soil.
Prediction
Given Denmark’s formidable record at the Parken and Scotland’s defensive absentees, the hosts enter as clear favourites. While Scotland are capable of frustrating elite opposition through organisation and resilience, the balance of probabilities points towards a narrow home victory.
Predicted result: Denmark to win
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PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS TOTTENHAM
PREMIER LEAGUE, 23 AUGUST @ 11:30 GMT
Match Overview
The Premier League weekend kicks off with a blockbuster showdown at the Etihad as defending champions Manchester City host Tottenham Hotspur. Both sides made strong starts to the season and enter the second round of fixtures brimming with confidence. City cruised past Wolves on opening day, while Spurs impressed in a dominant win over Burnley, setting the stage for a thrilling contest.
Recent Form & Stakes
Pep Guardiola’s men looked sharp in their season opener, with Erling Haaland already back among the goals. New signings such as Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki added flair and dynamism, underlining City’s depth. However, injuries to Josko Gvardiol and uncertainty around Ederson’s future could test their defensive stability.
Now under Thomas Frank, Spurs showed promise in their first outing. Richarlison struck twice against Burnley, while new signing Mohammed Kudus impressed in midfield.
Head-to-Head
Historically, City have dominated this fixture, but Tottenham posted a resounding 4–0 win at the Etihad last season, an upset that still lingers in memory. Matches between these teams often produce goals: over 2.5 goals were scored in 15 of the last 17 meetings at the Etihad.
Team News & Tactical Insights
Manchester City:
The Citizens look to assert dominance at home with key contributors emerging early—Haaland, Reijnders, and Cherki all impressed in the season opener.
Rodri is nearing a return but is unlikely to feature on Saturday.
Injuries to Gvardiol and speculation around departures (e.g. Ederson) complicate the squad dynamics.
Tottenham Hotspur:
New manager Thomas Frank brings an intense, structured style. Spurs may field a defensive shape to balance City's attacking threat.
Key signings Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison pair up well: Kudus created multiple chances in the opener, while Richarlison bagged a brace for Spurs.
Prediction
We believe Manchester City will create plenty of chances and convert them efficiently. Tottenham Hotspur may struggle to find the net, but they’re still likely to get on the scoresheet. Overall, we’re predicting a solid win for Manchester City by full time.
Predicted result: Manchester City to win & Both teams to score
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PREDICTION: UNION BERLIN VS VfB STUTTGART
BUNDESLIGA, 23 AUGUST @ 13:30 GMT
Match Overview
This Matchday 1 clash sees Union Berlin hosting Stuttgart in what promises to be a tight, entertaining match. Union began the season slowly in preseason, but Stuttgart arrives in strong form after their impressive DFB-Pokal triumph and a solid offseason build-up.
Recent Form & Stakes
Union Berlin ended last season in 13th place and have seen a mixed preseason, including a draw and several defeats. They’ll be looking to stabilize under manager Steffen Baumgart and kick off the campaign on a positive note.
Stuttgart, despite some Bundesliga inconsistency, closed with a flourish—clinching the DFB-Pokal on 24 May. Their squad enters the new season with momentum and confidence.
Head-to-Head & Recent Meetings
Historically, Stuttgart have had the edge over Union. Out of 15 Bundesliga meetings, Stuttgart won 5, Union 3, and 7 ended in a draw. Their most recent clash in April 2025 ended in a wild 4–4 draw, an unforgettable goal fest and Bundesliga record first half.
Tactical Outlook
Union Berlin may adopt a cautious approach, aiming for structure and counter-attacks, given their goal-scoring struggles at home last season.
Stuttgart have attacking potency and cup-winning confidence, likely to press their advantage early. Their squad depth and form suggest they could take the initiative.
Prediction
Expect a competitive opener as both teams push for early momentum. Stuttgart’s cup-winning mindset and recent form give them a slight edge, though both teams have shown their capability to deliver surprises.
This weekend’s encounter promises goals. Four of the last six meetings produced at least three strikes, and both sides tend to adopt an attacking approach when facing each other. With Nick Woltemade staying on, the visitors retain significant firepower up front.
Predicted result: Over 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: WEST HAM VS CHELSEA
PREMIER LEAGUE, 22 AUGUST @ 19:00 GMT
West Ham United welcome Chelsea to the London Stadium in this early-season London derby. Both teams aim to bounce back from underwhelming starts to their campaigns.
Recent Form & Stakes
The Hammers suffered a heavy 3-0 loss to Sunderland on opening weekend, raising early concerns about defensive stability under manager Graham Potter.
The Blues secured a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace—escaping with a point after a controversial disallowed goal. Manager Enzo Maresca looks to build momentum heading into this clash
Head-to-Head & Recent Meetings
Recent encounters have tilted in Chelsea’s favour:
Feb 2025: Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
Sep 2024: Chelsea 3-0 West Ham
May 2024: Chelsea 5-0 West Ham
Chelsea have won 57 of their 124 meetings, compared to West Ham’s 44, showing a historical upper hand.
Team News & Tactical Insights
West Ham: Potter may look to introduce Tomas Souček and Edson Álvarez to strengthen midfield. Key striker Jarrod Bowen remains a crucial threat given his form.
Chelsea: Despite lacking key defenders like Levi Colwill and Benoît Badiashile, the Blues will rely on attacking talents such as Cole Palmer, João Pedro, and Liam Delap.
Prediction
All indicators favour Chelsea to continue their dominance in this fixture. However, with home advantage and Bowen’s threat for West Ham, a competitive battle is expected.
Predicted result: Chelsea to win
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PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS RB LEIPZIG
BUNDESLIGA, 22 AUGUST @ 18:30 GMT
Match Overview
This curtain-raiser pits reigning champions Bayern Munich against RB Leipzig, a fixture traditionally loaded with drama and tension. Bayern have historically dominated Matchday 1, remaining unbeaten in the season openers for over a decade. The season began just days after Bayern lifted the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup, ensuring momentum is firmly on their side.
Recent Form & Stakes
Bayern Munich come into the game with strong form, a victory in the Supercup and high-profile signings like Luis Díaz, Jonathan Tah, and Tom Bischof adding depth to their squad. Despite a short pre-season owing to the Club World Cup, coach Vincent Kompany believes his squad’s motivation will help sustain their title defense.
RB Leipzig face a transitional phase, having finished 7th last season, missing out on European football, giving this opener added weight. They've revamped their squad, with Benjamin Šeško departing to Manchester United and others joining. New manager Ole Werner brings fresh energy, but the side remains undercooked.
Head-to-Head & Recent Meetings
Bayern have historically had the upper hand, winning 12 of 22 meetings and remaining unbeaten in many season openers. In the recent trend, 9 out of 10 Bundesliga matches between these teams ended with both teams scoring, signaling potential for a goals-laden showdown.
Team News
Bayern Munich:
Missing key faces: Alphonso Davies, Jamal Musiala, and Aleksandar Pavlović due to injuries.
Harry Kane and Luis Díaz lead the line, with support from Gnabry, Olise, and Kimmich.
RB Leipzig:
Likely starting XI includes: Vandevoordt (GK), Geertruida, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; Seiwald, Vermeeren; Simons, Bakayoko; Openda.
They'll rely on Xavi Simons to create, while defensive gaps remain a concern.
Tactical Outlook
Expect an attacking display. Bayern’s home dominance and possession-based style should test Leipzig early. RB, under new leadership and mid-season reshuffling, may rely on quick transitions and counter-attacks.
Prediction
Fans can anticipate an exhilarating evening as the Bundesliga season kicks off with style: a high-intensity battle, fresh storylines, and Bayern aiming to make an early statement—against a Leipzig side hungry to upset the order.
Predicted result: Bayern to win and Over 3.5 goals in the game
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PREDICTION: ATHLETIC BILBAO VS BARCELONA
LA LIGA, 25 MAY @ 19:00 GMT
The 2024–25 La Liga season concludes with a marquee matchup as Athletic Club host newly crowned champions FC Barcelona at San Mamés on Sunday, 25 May. While Barcelona have already secured the league title, Athletic Bilbao aim to cap off a successful campaign with a statement performance at home.
Under Ernesto Valverde, Athletic have enjoyed a commendable season, securing a fourth-place finish and UEFA Champions League qualification. Despite a Europa League semi-final exit to Manchester United, the team has shown resilience and consistency throughout the campaign.
On the other side, Barcelona clinched the La Liga title with a victory over Espanyol and added the Copa del Rey to their trophy cabinet. However, they enter this fixture following a 3-2 home defeat to Villarreal, seeking to end the season on a high note.
Barcelona have historically held the upper hand in this fixture. Athletic Bilbao boast a strong home record, having lost only once in their last 36 La Liga matches at San Mamés.
Possible starting lineup:
Athletic Bilbao are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Key players include Unai Simón in goal and Oihan Sancet in midfield.
Athletic Bilbao predicted XI: Unai Simon; Inigo Lekue, Dani Vivian, Aitor Paredes, Yuri Berchiche; Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta, Benat Prados; Alex Berenguer, Oihan Sancet, Inaki Williams; Gorka Guruzeta
Barcelona are likely to adopt a 4-2-3-1 setup. Lewandowski is expected to lead the line, supported by Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.
Barcelona predicted XI: Ter Stegen; Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Gerard Martin; Gavi, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha; Lewandowski
This fixture promises an exciting conclusion to the La Liga season, with both teams eager to showcase their strengths in a high-profile encounter.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
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PREDICTION: FULHAM VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE, 25 MAY @ 15:00 GMT
The 2024–25 Premier League season concludes with the last round of games. Fulham host Manchester City at Craven Cottage on Sunday, 25 May. While Fulham aim to finish their campaign on a high, Manchester City seek a victory to secure UEFA Champions League qualification for next season.
Currently 10th with 54 points, Fulham have had a commendable season under Marco Silva. A win could see them finish in the top half, depending on other results. They come into this match after a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory against Brentford.
On the other side, Manchester City, sits third with 68 points. City need a win to guarantee Champions League football next season. A loss or draw could see them overtaken, depending on other fixtures.
Manchester City have dominated recent encounters, winning the last 17 meetings against Fulham in all competitions. Fulham's last victory over City was in April 2009.
Fulham are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, focusing on compact defense and quick transitions. Timothy Castagne, Harrison Reed, Tyrese Francois, and Rodrigo Muniz are unavailable due to injuries.
Manchester City are likely to employ their usual possession-based 4-3-3 setup. John Stones and Nathan Aké are doubtful due to injuries for Manchester City, while Mateo Kovačić is suspended for this match.
Given Manchester City's superior quality and motivation to secure Champions League qualification, they are favorites to win. However, Fulham's strong home form suggests they could pose challenges.
Our prediction: Manchester City to win
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PREDICTION: NAPOLI VS CAGLIARI
SERIE A, 23 MAY @ 18:45 GMT
The 2024–25 Serie A season reaches its climax as league leaders Napoli host Cagliari at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Friday, 23 May. Napoli, under the guidance of Antonio Conte, stand on the brink of clinching their fourth Scudetto, needing a victory to secure the title regardless of Inter Milan's result against Como.
Leading the table with 79 points, Napoli must win to guarantee the championship. A draw or loss could open the door for Inter Milan, who trail by just one point, to overtake them. Both teams' matches have been rescheduled to Friday to accommodate a potential title play-off, as their head-to-head encounters ended in 1-1 draws, and Serie A rules stipulate a play-off if teams finish level on points without a head-to-head advantage.
Cagliari siting 14th with 36 points, have secured their Serie A status for next season. They enter this match following a 3-0 victory over Venezia but have little at stake beyond pride.
Napoli have a strong record against Cagliari, winning 38 of their 84 encounters. In their last meeting, Napoli secured a 4-0 away victory over Cagliari.
Napoli are expected to adopt an attacking approach, focusing on controlling possession and creating scoring opportunities through midfield dominance. On the other hand Cagliari are likely to play a compact defensive game, aiming to exploit counter-attacking opportunities.
Possible starting lineup:
Napoli (4-4-2): Meret - Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Olivera, Spinazzola - Politano, Anguissa, Gilmour, McTominay - Raspadori, Lukaku
Cagliari (3-5-1-1): Caprile - Zappa, Mina, Luperto - Zortea, Deiola, Makoumbou, Adopo, Augello – Viola - Piccoli
Given the stakes and Napoli's home advantage, they are favored to secure a victory. However, Cagliari's recent form suggests they won't be pushovers.
Our prediction: Napoli to win first time & full time
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PREDICTION: COMO VS INTER MILAN
SERIE A, 23 MAY @ 18:45 GMT
Sitting second with 78 points, Inter need a win against Como and hope Napoli falter against Cagliari to clinch the Scudetto. Should both teams finish level on points, a title play-off would be required, as they drew both head-to-head matches this season.
On the other hand, newly promoted Como, under manager Cesc Fàbregas, have defied expectations, securing a top-half finish. They are unbeaten in their last eight home matches and have lost only twice since mid-February, showcasing their resilience.
Inter have won all four previous meetings against Como, including a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture this season .
Expected to line up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Marcus Thuram and Mehdi Taremi leading the attack. Midfield control will be crucial, with Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Nicolò Barella orchestrating play .
Como are likely to adopt a 4-3-3 setup, relying on the creativity of Gabriel Strefezza and the finishing of Anastasios Douvikas. Their strong home form and attacking prowess could pose challenges for Inter's defense .
Possible starting lineup:
Como (4-2-3-1): Butez - Vojvoda, Smolcic, Kempf, Valle - Da Cunha, Perrone - Paz, Caqueret, Strefezza - Douvikas
Inter Milan(3-5-2): Sommer - Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni - Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco- Thuram, Taremi
While Inter have the motivation and quality to secure a win, Como's impressive home record suggests a closely contested match.
Our prediction: Inter to win & Over 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: INTER MILAN VS LAZIO
SERIE A, 18 MAY @ 18:45 GMT
The penultimate round of the 2024–25 Serie A season features a high-stakes encounter as Inter Milan host Lazio at San Siro on Sunday, 18 May. With the Scudetto race reaching its climax, Inter trail league leaders Napoli by just one point, making this fixture crucial for their title aspirations. Simultaneously, Lazio are vying for a top-four finish to secure Champions League qualification.
The Nerazzurri have regained momentum with consecutive victories over Verona and Torino. A win against Lazio could see them overtake Napoli at the summit, depending on Napoli's result against Parma. Inter's superior goal difference also positions them favorably in the event of a tie on points, as Serie A rules mandate a play-off in such scenarios.
Currently fifth with 64 points, Lazio are in a tight race for Champions League spots, closely trailing Juventus and Atalanta. A positive result at San Siro is essential to keep their European ambitions alive.
Inter have dominated recent encounters, winning four of the last six matches against Lazio. Notably, they secured a 6-0 victory in December 2024 and a 2-0 win in the Coppa Italia in February 2025.
With Çalhanoğlu's return, Inter are expected to control the midfield and dictate the tempo. The potential absence of Martínez may see Marcus Thuram leading the attack.
Lazio will likely adopt a balanced approach, aiming to exploit spaces on the counter-attack. Their attacking trio, including Ciro Immobile, will be crucial in breaking down Inter's defense.
Possible starting lineup:
Given Inter's strong home form and recent performances, they are favored to secure a victory. However, Lazio's resilience and attacking capabilities cannot be underestimated.
Our prediction: Inter to win
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PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS NEWCASTLE
PREMIER LEAGUE, 18 MAY @ 15:30 GMT
The penultimate matchday of the 2024/25 Premier League season brings a high-stakes encounter as Arsenal host Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, 18 May. Both teams are vying for UEFA Champions League qualification, with Arsenal currently in second place and Newcastle just one point behind in third.
The Gunners aim to solidify their top-two finish and secure a spot in next season's Champions League. Despite recent setbacks, including a loss to Bournemouth and a draw against Crystal Palace, Arsenal remain in a strong position.
The Magpies have had a commendable season and are in contention for a Champions League berth. A victory at the Emirates would not only boost their chances but also mark their first league double over Arsenal since the 1994–95 season.
Arsenal have dominated recent home encounters against Newcastle, winning 11 of the last 12 Premier League matches at the Emirates. Newcastle secured a 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the reverse fixture earlier this season and are aiming for their first league double over the Gunners in three decades
With the return of key midfielders, Arsenal are expected to control possession and dictate the tempo. The attacking trio, potentially featuring Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Gabriel Jesus, will look to exploit Newcastle's defensive vulnerabilities.
Despite injury setbacks, Newcastle's attacking options, including Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, and Harvey Barnes, pose a significant threat. Manager Eddie Howe may adopt a counter-attacking approach, leveraging the pace and creativity of his forwards.
Possible starting lineup:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya - White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly - Ødegaard, Partey, Jorginho - Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
Newcastle (4-3-3): Pope - Botman, Schär, Burn, Livramento - Guimarães, Tonali, Gordon - Murphy, Isak, Barnes
Given Arsenal's strong home record against Newcastle and the return of key players, they enter the match as slight favorites. However, Newcastle's recent form and attacking prowess suggest a closely contested affair.
Our prediction: Arsenal to win
Image credit: arsenal com
PREDICTION: MAINZ VS LEVERKUSEN
BUNDESLIGA, 17 MAY @ 13:30 GMT
The final matchday of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season presents a compelling fixture as Mainz 05 host Bayer Leverkusen at the MEWA Arena on Saturday, 17 May. While Leverkusen have secured second place, Mainz are vying for European qualification, making this encounter crucial for the hosts.
Under the guidance of Bo Henriksen, Mainz have transformed from relegation candidates to European hopefuls. Their recent 4-1 victory over VfL Bochum has propelled them into the top six, and a win against Leverkusen would likely secure a spot in either the Europa League or the Conference League.
On the other side, with second place confirmed, Leverkusen's primary motivation is to bid farewell to manager Xabi Alonso and long-serving defender Jonathan Tah, both set to depart after this match.
In their last five Bundesliga meetings Leverkusen has won 4 games and Mainz 1 game. The most recent encounter saw Leverkusen secure a 1-0 victory in January 2025.
Bo Henriksen's side have been resilient, with a balanced approach between defense and attack. Key players include Jonathan Burkardt and Paul Nebel, both contributing significantly in recent matches.
Leverkusen's attacking prowess is led by Florian Wirtz and Patrik Schick. Despite having little at stake, the team aims to end the season on a high note, honoring their departing manager and defender.
Possible starting lineup:
Mainz (3-4-2-1): Rieß - Da Costa, Bell, Hanche-Olsen - Caci, Sano, Amiri, Mwene - Nebel, Lee - Burkardt
Leverkusen (3-4-2-1): Hrádecký - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapié - Frimpong, Xhaka, García, Grimaldo - Wirtz, Buendía – Schick
Given Mainz's motivation to secure European football and Leverkusen's focus on farewells, the match is poised to be competitive.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals & Both teams to score
Image credit: bulinews.com
PREDICTION: CHELSEA VS MANCHESTER UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE, 16 MAY @ 19:15 GMT
Stamford Bridge is set to host a pivotal Premier League encounter as Chelsea take on Manchester United on Friday, 16 May 2025. This match carries significant implications for both sides, albeit for differing reasons.
Blues are in a tight race for Champions League qualification, currently sitting fifth in the league standings. With the top five spots securing entry into Europe's premier competition, a victory against United is crucial to maintain their position, especially with Aston Villa level on points.
The Red Devils have endured a challenging domestic season, languishing in 16th place. However, their focus has shifted to the upcoming Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur. This fixture against Chelsea serves as their final league match before that crucial European showdown.
The reverse fixture earlier this season ended in a 1-1 draw. Historically, this matchup has been closely contested, with 27 draws—the most in Premier League history between two clubs.
Under Enzo Maresca, Chelsea have shown attacking prowess, averaging 1.72 goals per match. The absence of Jackson may see adjustments in the forward line. On the other hand, United may focus on defensive solidity, aiming to frustrate Chelsea and capitalize on counter-attacks.
Possible starting lineup:
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez - James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella - Caicedo, Fernandez - Madueke, Palmer, George Neto
Manchester United (3-4-2-1): Bayindir - Fredricson, Lindelof, Shaw- Kamason, Eriksen, Ugarte, Amass- Mainoo, Garnacho- Obi
Given Chelsea's home advantage and United's potential squad rotation, the Blues are favored to secure a vital win in their quest for Champions League qualification.
Our prediction: Chelsea to win -1 goal handicap
Image credit: chelseafc.com
PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 11 MAY @ 15:30 GMT
Anfield is set to host a high-stakes encounter as newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool welcome second-placed Arsenal on Sunday. While Liverpool have already secured the title, Arsenal are battling to maintain their position in the top four amidst a challenging run of form.
Having clinched their 20th English top-flight title, Liverpool are looking to finish the season on a high note. Manager Arne Slot may use the remaining fixtures to rotate the squad and assess options for the next season.
The Gunners are in a precarious position, with recent performances raising concerns about their Champions League qualification hopes. A positive result at Anfield is crucial to solidify their top-four standing.
Liverpool are unbeaten against Arsenal at Anfield since 2012. Arsenal are unbeaten in their last five Premier League meetings against Liverpool, marking their longest such run since an eight-game streak between 2007 and 2011.
With the title secured, Slot may experiment with formations and personnel, focusing on maintaining the team's attacking prowess and integrating squad players.
Manager Mikel Arteta faces the challenge of reinvigorating a squad low on confidence, aiming to tighten the defense and capitalize on counter-attacking opportunities.
Given Liverpool's formidable home record and Arsenal's recent struggles, the hosts are favored to secure a victory. This fixture promises to be a compelling contest, with Liverpool aiming to celebrate their title triumph in style and Arsenal desperate to halt their decline and secure Champions League football for next season.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: arsenal.com
PREDICTION: BAYER LEVERKUSEN VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND
BUNDESLIGA, 11 MAY @ 15:30 GMT
The Bundesliga's penultimate weekend features a high-stakes clash at the BayArena, as second-placed Bayer Leverkusen host fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, 11 May 2025.
With only two matches remaining, both teams are vying for crucial points—Leverkusen aiming to secure the runner-up spot, while Dortmund are fighting to break into the top four and secure Champions League qualification.
Bayer Leverkusen is currently in 2nd place, with 68 points (19 wins, 11 draws, 2 losses). On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund is in 5th place, with 51 points (15 wins, 6 draws, 11 losses).
Leverkusen have demonstrated consistency throughout the season, boasting a +31 goal difference (68 scored, 37 conceded). Dortmund, meanwhile, have been inconsistent but are currently on a four-game winning streak, keeping their Champions League hopes alive.
Leverkusen, under Xabi Alonso, have been solid at home, winning 10 of their 16 matches at the BayArena. Despite missing Boniface, they have maintained a consistent scoring record.
Dortmund, managed by Niko Kovač, have found form at a crucial time, with their recent winning streak boosting confidence. Their attacking prowess, led by Guirassy, will be key against Leverkusen's sturdy defense.
Out of their last five Bundesliga encounters Leverkusen have 1 win, Dortmund have 2 wins while 2 games ended in a draw. The most recent meeting saw Leverkusen triumph 3-2 in Dortmund on 10 January 2025.
With both teams having much at stake, a tightly contested match is expected. Leverkusen's home advantage and consistent form may give them a slight edge, but Dortmund's recent resurgence cannot be overlooked.
Our prediction: Both teams to score & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: fearthewall.com
PREDICTION: BARCELONA VS REAL MADRID
LA LIGA, 11 MAY @ 14:15 GMT
The stage is set for one of the most consequential El Clásicos in recent memory as FC Barcelona host Real Madrid at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Sunday, 11 May 2025.
With just four matches remaining in the La Liga season, Barcelona lead the table with 79 points, holding a four-point advantage over second-placed Real Madrid. A victory for the Catalans would virtually secure their 28th league title, while a win for Los Blancos would narrow the gap to a single point, reigniting the title race.
Barcelona have dominated recent encounters, winning all three Clásicos this season: a 4-0 victory in La Liga, a 5-2 triumph in the Spanish Super Cup, and a 3-2 extra-time win in the Copa del Rey final.
Under Flick's guidance, Barça have remained unbeaten in domestic competitions since December, showcasing a potent attack that has netted 91 goals in 34 league matches.
Real Madrid, despite a strong start to the season, have struggled with consistency and injuries, particularly in defense, which could be a critical factor in this high-stakes match.
Flick's attacking philosophy has revitalized the team, with players like Ferran Torres (19 goals in 44 appearances) and Lamine Yamal providing flair and creativity.
Ancelotti may need to adapt his tactics due to the depleted defense, potentially relying on a more conservative setup and quick transitions led by Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior. The absence of key defenders could expose vulnerabilities, especially against Barcelona's high-pressing and dynamic attack.
Given Barcelona's current form, home advantage, and Real Madrid's injury woes, the Catalans are favored to secure a victory that would all but clinch the La Liga title. However, the unpredictable nature of El Clásico means that Los Blancos cannot be underestimated.
Our prediction: Over 3.5 goals
Image credit: barcablaugranes.com
PREDICTION: AC MILAN VS BOLOGNA
SERIE A, 9 MAY @ 18:45 GMT
AC Milan and Bologna are set to face off at San Siro on Friday, May 9, 2025, in a crucial Serie A encounter with significant implications for European qualification.
Currently positioned 9th in the league, Milan aims to finish the season strongly and build momentum ahead of their upcoming Coppa Italia final against Bologna.
Sitting just outside the top four, Bologna is in a tight race for Champions League qualification, with only one point separating them from the 4th, 5th, and 6th placed teams.
In their last six encounters, Milan has secured two wins, Bologna one, and three matches have ended in draws. Bologna won the most recent meeting 2-1 in February 2025.
Under manager Sergio Conceição, Milan has adopted a more attacking approach, scoring two or more goals in five of their last six matches. However, defensive frailties persist, with only one clean sheet in their last ten home games.
Bologna has demonstrated resilience, remaining unbeaten in their last four matches across all competitions. They have struggled offensively in recent away games but have a history of scoring against Milan, netting four goals in their last two meetings.
Possible starting lineup:
AC Milan (3-4-2-1): Maignan - Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic - Jimenez, Loftus-Cheek, Reijnders, Hernandez - Pulisic, Felix - Jovic
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski - Calabria, Beukema, Lucumi, Miranda - Freuler, Ferguson - Orsolini, Odgaard, Cambiaghi – Dallinga
Given Milan's attacking form and defensive vulnerabilities, and Bologna's need for points in the Champions League race, a high-scoring game is a plausible outcome.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: footballia.eu
PREDICTION: NOTTINGHAM FOREST VS MANCHESTER CITY
FA CUP, 27 APRIL @ 15:30 GMT
Nottingham Forest and Manchester City are set to clash in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, April 27. This encounter marks their third meeting this season, with each side securing a home victory in the Premier League: City triumphed 3-0 at the Etihad, while Forest edged a 1-0 win at the City Ground.
Under Nuno Espírito Santo, Forest have defied expectations, reaching their first FA Cup semi-final since 1991. Their journey included a notable 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, highlighting their resilience and tactical discipline.
Pep Guardiola's side, aiming to salvage silverware from a challenging season, have navigated past formidable opponents to reach this stage. With the Premier League title out of reach, the FA Cup represents their primary opportunity for a trophy.
Espírito Santo is expected to deploy a structured defensive setup, utilizing quick transitions to exploit spaces left by City's attacking approach. Morgan Gibbs-White will be pivotal in orchestrating counter-attacks, while Chris Wood's physical presence offers a focal point upfront.
Guardiola may rely on a midfield trio of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and İlkay Gündoğan to control possession and create opportunities. In Haaland's absence, alternative attacking options will need to step up to breach Forest's defense.
Given City's injury woes and Forest's recent form, the match is poised to be closely contested. While City's experience in high-stakes games gives them a slight edge, Forest's momentum and tactical discipline could lead to an upset. A narrow victory for either side or a draw leading to extra time appears likely.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: thetopflight.com
PREDICTION: NOTTINGHAM FOREST VS MANCHESTER CITY
FA CUP, 27 APRIL @ 15:30 GMT
Liverpool are poised to clinch the Premier League title as they host Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday, April 27. A draw or victory will secure their record-equalling 20th top-flight title, marking a triumphant season under manager Arne Slot.
Liverpool lead the league with a superior goal difference and a game in hand over Arsenal. Even if Arsenal win their remaining matches, a single point from Liverpool's final fixtures would suffice to crown them champions.
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last five league matches, including a 2-1 victory over West Ham. On the other side, Tottenham, suffered consecutive defeats against Wolves and Nottingham Forest, raising concerns about their league position.
Liverpool are expected to field a 4-2-3-1 formation with Mohamed Salah leading the attack. Midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister will aim to control the game's tempo.
Tottenham, may adopt a conservative approach, focusing on counter-attacks through James Maddison's creativity and Dominic Solanke's finishing.
Given Liverpool's formidable home form and Tottenham's recent struggles, the Reds are favoured to secure a decisive victory and clinch the title.
Our prediction: Liverpool to win -1 goal handicap
Image credit: beinsports.com
PREDICTION: INTER MILAN VS AS ROMA
SERIE A, 27 APRIL @ 13:00 GMT
Inter Milan will host AS Roma at the San Siro on Sunday, April 27, in a crucial Serie A Matchday 34 encounter. The carries significant implications for both teams' European ambitions.
Level on 71 points with Napoli at the top of the Serie A table, Inter leads on goal difference. With five matches remaining, every point is vital in the title race. AS Roma sits seventh with 57 points, trailing fourth-placed Bologna by three points. A victory could propel them into the Champions League qualification spots.
In their last five league matches, Inter has recorded three wins, one draw, and one loss. Their recent 0-3 defeat to AC Milan highlighted vulnerabilities that Roma may look to exploit.
Under Claudio Ranieri, Roma has shown resilience, including a 1-0 victory over Verona. However, they have lost their last four Serie A meetings against Inter.
Manager Simone Inzaghi is expected to deploy a 3-5-2 formation, utilizing wing-backs Federico Dimarco and Matteo Darmian to provide width. The forward duo of Lautaro Martínez and Mehdi Taremi aims to capitalize on Roma's defensive gaps.
Ranieri's side is likely to focus on defensive solidity and counter-attacks, with Dybala orchestrating play in the final third. Their strategy will aim to disrupt Inter's rhythm and exploit transitional opportunities.
Possible starting lineup:
Inter Milan (5-3-2): Yan Sommer - Benjamin Pavard, Francesco Acerbi, Stefan de Vrij, Matteo Darmian, Carlos Augusto - Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolo Barella, Davide Fratessi - Lautaro Martinez, Marko Aranautovic
AS Roma (5-2-3): Mile Svilar - Gianluca Mancini, Mats Hummels, Evan N'Dicka, Mehmet Celik, Angelino - Leandro Paredes, Manu Kone - Matias Soule, Stephan El Shaarawy, Artem Dovbyk
Considering Inter's strong home record and Roma's recent struggles against them, Inter enters as favorites. However, Roma's improved form under Ranieri suggests they could pose a significant challenge. A closely contested match is anticipated, with Inter likely to edge it.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: chiesaditotti.com
PREDICTION: EINTRACHT FRANKFURT VS RB LEIPZIG
BUNDESLIGA, 26 APRIL @ 17:30 GMT
Eintracht Frankfurt will host RB Leipzig at Deutsche Bank Park on Saturday, 26 April, in a pivotal Bundesliga clash with significant implications for Champions League qualification.
With just four matches remaining, Frankfurt is in 3rd place and holds a narrow three-point lead over Leipzig which is in 4th place. A win for the hosts would strengthen their grip on a top-four finish, while Leipzig will aim to draw level on points and enhance their own Champions League prospects.
Manager Dino Toppmöller is likely to employ a 3-4-2-1 formation, focusing on solid defense and quick transitions. Key players include forward Hugo Ekitiké, who has netted 14 goals this season, and midfielder Hugo Larsson, who provides creativity in the center of the park
Coach Marco Rose may opt for a 4-4-2 setup, emphasizing width and attacking prowess. Strikers Benjamin Šeško and Loïs Openda, with 12 and 13 goals respectively, will be central to Leipzig's offensive strategy.
Possible starting lineup:
Eintracht Frankfurt (4-2-3-1): Trapp - Kristensen, Tuta, Koch, Theate - Skhiri, Larsson - Brown, Knauff, Bahoya - Ekitike
RB Leipzig (4-4-2): Vandevoordt - Nedeljkovic, Klostermann, Bitshiabu, Lukeba - Baku, Seiwald, Vermeeren, Xavi - Sesko, Openda
Given Frankfurt's strong home record and Leipzig's challenges on the road, a closely contested match is anticipated. Frankfurt's resilience at Deutsche Bank Park could give them a slight edge, but Leipzig's attacking threats make a draw a plausible outcome.
Our prediction: Over 3.5 goals
Image credit: Bundesliga.com
PREDICTION: LAZIO VS AS ROMA
SERIE A, 13 APRIL @ 19:45 GMT
The Derby della Capitale returns on Sunday, April 13, 2025, as Lazio and AS Roma face off at the Stadio Olimpico in a pivotal Serie A clash. With both teams vying for European qualification, this encounter promises high stakes and intense rivalry.
Occupying 6th place with 55 points, Lazio is aiming to secure a spot in European competitions. Their recent form includes a notable victory over Atalanta, boosting their confidence ahead of the derby.
Just behind in 7th place with 53 points, Roma is in close contention. They have been performing well in 2025, including a comeback draw against Juventus in their last Serie A outing.
In their most recent encounter on January 5, 2025, Roma secured a 2-0 victory over Lazio. Historically, the derby has been fiercely contested, with both teams having periods of dominance.
Possible starting lineup:
Lazio (4-2-3-1): Provedel - Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini - Guendouzi, Rovella - Isaksen, Dia, Zaccagni - Castellanos
AS Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar - Mancini, Hummels, Ndicka - Saelemaekers, Kone, Paredes, Angelino - Soule, Pellegrini - Dovbyk
Given the close standings and recent performances, a tightly contested match is anticipated. Both teams have shown resilience and capability, making a low scoring possible. There have been under 2.5 goals scored in 5 of Lazio’s 6 matches and in 3 of AS Roma’s last 6 games.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: chiesaditotti.com
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND
BUNDESLIGA, 12 APRIL @ 16:30 GMT
Bayern Munich is set to host Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena on Saturday, April 12, 2025. This fixture, known as ‘Der Klassiker’, is one of the most anticipated in the Bundesliga calendar, showcasing a fierce rivalry between two of Germany's football powerhouses.
Leading the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich aims to solidify its position at the top. However, they are coming off a 2-1 home defeat to Inter Milan in the Champions League, which may impact their morale.
Currently in eighth place with 41 points, Dortmund is five points behind the last Champions League qualifying spot with only six games remaining. They recently suffered a heavy 4-0 loss to Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals, adding pressure to their domestic campaign.
Historically, Bayern Munich has had the upper hand in this fixture. Out of 69 matches played between the two teams, Bayern has won 37, Dortmund 17, and 15 have ended in draws. The average goals per match stand at 3.30, indicating typically high-scoring encounters. In their most recent encounter the two teams drew 1-1, in Dortmund on November 30, 2024.
Possible starting lineup:
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Urbig - Laimer, Dier, Kim, Stanisic - Kimmich, Palhinha - Olise, Muller, Gnabry - Kane
Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1): Kobel - Ryerson, Can, Anton, Bensebaini - Gross, Chukwuemeka - Adeyemi, Brandt, Bynoe-Gittens - Guirassy
Given Bayern Munich's superior league position and home advantage, they enter the match as favourites. However, both teams have potent attacking lineups, suggesting a potentially high-scoring game. A closely contested match is anticipated, with Bayern Munich likely to have the edge.
Our prediction: Over 3.5 goals
Image credit: fcbayern.com
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS BRENTFORD
PREMIER LEAGUE, 12 APRIL @ 17:30 GMT
Arsenal is set to host Brentford at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, April 12, 2025, with kick-off scheduled for 5:30 PM BST. This Premier League encounter sees both London clubs aiming to bolster their positions as the season progresses.
The Gunners are currently in second place, striving to close the gap with league leaders Liverpool. They have been in impressive form, securing three consecutive victories across all competitions. The Bees find themselves in the lower half of the table, having experienced a dip in form with three losses in their last four matches.
Arsenal and Brentford have faced each other nine times since 2018. Arsenal has dominated this fixture, winning seven matches, while Brentford has secured a single victory, and one match ended in a draw. At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal has won three out of four encounters, with one draw. In their most recent meeting on January 1, 2025, Arsenal triumphed with a 3-1 victory at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Possible starting lineup:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya - White, Saliba, Kiwior, Tierney - Odegaard, Jorginho, Merino - Nwaneri, Trossard, Sterling
Brentford (4-2-3-1): Flekken - Ajer, Collins, Van den Berg, Lewis-Potter - Norgaard, Janelt - Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Schade - Wissa
Given Arsenal's current form and historical advantage in this fixture, they enter the match as favorites. Brentford will need to deliver an exceptional performance to challenge the Gunners at home.
Our prediction: Arsenal to win and over 2.5 goals
Image credit: espn.co.uk
PREDICTION: VfL WOLFSBURG VS RB LEIPZIG
BUNDESLIGA, 11 APRIL @ 18:30 GMT
VfL Wolfsburg is set to host RB Leipzig at the Volkswagen Arena on Friday, April 11, 2025, in a Bundesliga encounter crucial for both teams' aspirations this season.
Currently positioned mid-table, Wolfsburg aims to climb higher and distance themselves from the relegation zone. Their recent form has been inconsistent, with a mix of wins and losses.
Sitting in fifth place, Leipzig is vying for a Champions League spot. They have displayed strong performances lately, including a notable 1-0 victory over Wolfsburg in the German Cup quarter-finals on February 26, 2025.
Historically, RB Leipzig has had the upper hand in this fixture. Out of 24 matches, Leipzig has won 12, Wolfsburg 6, and 6 have ended in draws. The average goals per match stand at 2.58. In their most recent encounter RB Leipzig has won at home 1-0 in the German Cup on February 26, 2025.
Possible starting lineup:
Wolfsburg (3-4-2-1): Grabara - Fischer, Odogu, Gerhardt - Kaminski, Vranckx, Arnold, Maehle - Wind, Wimmer - Amoura
RB Leipzig (4-4-2): Gulacsi - Nedeljkovic, Orban, Lukeba, Raum - Baku, Vermeeren, Seiwald, Xavi - Sesko, Openda
Considering Leipzig's superior position in the league and recent form, they enter the match as favourites. However, Wolfsburg's potential home advantage and past ability to deliver surprising results suggest a competitive fixture. A closely contested match is anticipated, with a slight edge towards RB Leipzig.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: news.cn
PREDICTION: AC MILAN VS NAPOLI
SERIE A, 30 MARCH @ 19:45 GMT
On Sunday, March 30, Napoli will host AC Milan at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, with kick-off set for 7:45 PM local time. This Serie A fixture carries significant weight for both teams as they navigate their respective campaigns.
Currently in second place, Napoli trails league leaders Inter Milan by three points with nine matches remaining. The team has struggled recently, securing only one win in their last seven league outings. The departure of key winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in January has notably impacted their attacking dynamics.
Milan finds itself in ninth position, six points adrift of the Champions League spots. Under the guidance of coach Sérgio Conceição, the team is under pressure to improve its standing. A silver lining is the availability of a full squad for this crucial encounter.
Historically, encounters between Napoli and AC Milan have been closely contested. In their last 12 meetings, each team has secured four victories, with the remaining matches ending in draws. Notably, Milan has avoided defeat in their last six away games against Napoli, highlighting their resilience on the road.
Napoli continues to adjust following Kvaratskhelia's departure. Manager Antonio Conte has expressed frustration over the lack of precision in recent matches, particularly after a goalless draw against Venezia. Defender Amir Rrahmani's fitness is under evaluation due to a minor injury.
AC Milan’s coach Sérgio Conceição benefits from a fully fit squad, providing flexibility in selection and tactics for this pivotal match.
Possible starting lineup:
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan - Davide Calabria, Fikayo Tomori, Simon Kjaer, Theo Hernandez - Sandro Tonali, Ismael Bennacer - Brahim Diaz, Rade Krunic, Rafael Leao - Olivier Giroud
Napoli (4-3-3): Alex Meret - Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Min-Jae Kim, Amir Rrahmani, Mario Rui - Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka, Piotr Zielinski - Hirving Lozano, Giacomo Raspadori, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Considering Napoli's recent form and the impact of Kvaratskhelia's departure, AC Milan may have an opportunity to capitalize. However, Napoli's strong home record cannot be overlooked. A closely contested match is anticipated, with a draw being a plausible outcome.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: sempremilan.com
PREDICTION: FIORENTINA VS ATALANTA
SERIE A, 30 MARCH @ 14:00 GMT
On Sunday, March 30, 2025, Fiorentina will host Atalanta at Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence for a pivotal Serie A encounter. The match is scheduled to kick off at 2:00 PM local time.
Currently positioned 8th in Serie A, Fiorentina is striving for European qualification. They recently secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Juventus, showcasing their offensive capabilities.
Occupying 3rd place, Atalanta remains a contender in the title race. They demonstrated their strength with a 4-0 triumph over Juventus, highlighting their attacking prowess.
Historically, matches between these two teams have been high-scoring affairs. The last three Serie A encounters have each featured over 3.5 goals, indicating a trend toward offensive play when these sides meet.
Fiorentina’s midfielder Edoardo Bove is a potential absentee due to heart concerns, and Andrea Colpani is doubtful with a foot injury. However, key players like Moise Kean are expected to feature, bolstering their attacking options.
Atalanta’s forward Mateo Retegui is uncertain for the match due to a muscle injury. Despite this, Atalanta's squad depth provides ample alternatives in the attacking department.
Possible starting lineup:
Fiorentina (3-5-2): De Gea - Pongracic, Mari, Ranieri - Dodo, Mandragora, Cataldi, Fagioli, Gosens - Gudmundsson, Kean
Atalanta BC (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi - Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac - Bellanova, De Roon, Pasalic, Zappacosta - Brescianini, Lookman - De Ketelaere
Given both teams' recent form and their propensity for high-scoring encounters, an entertaining match is anticipated. Fiorentina's home advantage and attacking talent may counterbalance Atalanta's offensive strength.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: Gabriele violanation.com
PREDICTION: BESIKTAS VS GALATASARAY
SUPE LIG, 29 MARCH @ 17:30 GMT
On Saturday, March 29, Beşiktaş will host Galatasaray at Beşiktaş Park in a highly anticipated Istanbul derby. This Süper Lig clash features two of Turkey's most storied football clubs, promising an intense battle on the pitch.
Galatasaray leads the Süper Lig with 71 points, boasting an unbeaten record of 22 wins and 5 draws. Beşiktaş sits fourth with 44 points, having recorded 12 wins, 8 draws, and 6 losses. Recently, Beşiktaş has faced setbacks, losing their last two league matches, including a 1-0 defeat to Konyaspor on March 15. In contrast, Galatasaray has demonstrated strong form, winning six of their last eight league games.
The rivalry between these Istanbul giants is historically close. In their 247 competitive encounters, Galatasaray holds a slight edge with 93 victories to Beşiktaş's 82, and 22 matches ending in draws. Notably, Galatasaray secured a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture in October 2024.
Beşiktaş may need to adjust their lineup due to injuries. Felix Uduokhai is sidelined, likely prompting Emirhan Topcu to start in defense. Goalkeeper Mert Günok is nursing a minor injury and will be assessed before kickoff.
Possible starting lineup:
Besiktas (4-2-3-1): Gunok - Masuaku, Paulista, Topcu, Svensson - Fernandes, Oxlade-Chamberlain - Mario, Rafa, Rashica - Immobile
Galatasaray (4-4-2): Muslera - Elmali, Sanchez, Bardakci, Frankowski - Sallai, Torreira, Sara, Yilmaz - Osimhen, Morata
This derby is set to be a thrilling encounter, with both teams eager to assert their dominance in Istanbul. Fans can expect a match filled with passion and intensity. Galatasaray are unbeaten in their last 25 away games in the Süper Lig, winning 21. But, historically, Beşiktaş has been dominant at home, winning 6 of their last 7 head-to-head encounters with Galatasaray.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: dailysports.net
PREDICTION: STRASBOURG VS OLYMPIQUE LYON
LIGUE 1, 28 MARCH @ 19:45 GMT
Strasbourg will host Lyon at Stade de la Meinau on Friday, March 28, 2025, in a pivotal Ligue 1 encounter. Both teams are in strong form and are vying for European qualification spots.
Lyon currently occupies fifth place with 45 points, having secured 13 wins in 26 league matches. Strasbourg is close behind in seventh place with 43 points, boasting 12 victories. Strasbourg is unbeaten in their last six league games, including a recent 2-1 comeback win over Toulouse. Lyon has won their last five matches across all competitions, most recently defeating Le Havre 4-2 at home.
Historically, Lyon has dominated this fixture, winning 53 of 104 meetings, while Strasbourg has 29 victories, with 22 draws. Their last encounter in August saw Lyon edge out a 4-3 win at home. Notably, eight of the last nine Ligue 1 meetings between these teams have produced over 2.5 goals.
Strasbourg may be without Andrew Omobamidele, Habib Diarra, and Abdoul Ouattara due to injuries, while Moïse Sahi-Dion remains a long-term absentee. Lyon's injury concerns include Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Nemanja Matic, Corentin Tolisso, Alexandre Lacazette, Duje Caleta-Car, Abner Vinicius, and Malick Fofana.
Possible starting lineup:
Strasbourg (4-2-3-1): Petrovic - Doue, Sarr, Doukoure, Barco - Andrey Santos, Lemarechal - Bakwa, Nanasi, Diego Moreira - Emegha
Lyon (4-2-3-1): Lucas Perri - Maitland-Niles, Clinton Mata, Niakhate, Tagliafico - Matic, Tolisso - Almada, Cherki, Mikautadze - Lacazette
Both teams are in excellent form, making this a challenging match to call. Strasbourg's solid home record and recent defensive resilience contrast with Lyon's attacking prowess. Considering both sides' recent performances and head-to-head history, a closely contested match with goals on both ends is anticipated. A draw seems a plausible outcome.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: dailysports.net
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 9 MARCH @ 18:30 GMT
Manchester United and Arsenal are set to renew their storied rivalry on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at Old Trafford. Both teams have experienced fluctuating fortunes this season, making this Premier League encounter pivotal for their respective campaigns.
Under the guidance of manager Rúben Amorim, United has shown signs of resurgence, but they still have mixed results. The Reds managed 3-1 win over Ipswich in their most recent EPL game, but prior to that they drew at Everton 2-2 and lost at Tottenham 1-0.
Mikel Arteta's side has been in impressive in their most recent match winning 7-1 away at PSV. However in EPL they drew 0-0 at Nottingham and lost at home to West Ham 1-1, diminishing dramatically their title chances.
Arsenal has had the upper hand in recent meetings, winning seven of the past ten encounters. The most recent clash saw the Gunners triumph 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on December 4, 2024.
Possible starting lineup:
Manchester United: Onana, de Ligt, Maguire, Yoro, Mazraoui, Fernandes, Ugarte, Dalot, Zirkzee, Garnacho, Hojlund
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Partey, Rice, Nwaneri, Merino, Trossard
Both teams are navigating injury challenges, but Arsenal's recent form and tactical adaptability under Arteta provide them with a slight advantage. However, Manchester United's home support and the potential impact of returning players like Rashford could influence the outcome.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: extratimetalk.com
PREDICTION: JUVENTUS VS ATALANTA
SERIE A, 9 MARCH @ 19:45 GMT
Juventus and Atalanta are set to face off in a crucial Serie A match on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at Allianz Stadium in Turin. This encounter holds significant implications for both teams as they contest for top positions in the league.
Juventus are currently in 4th place with 49 points (12 wins, 13 draws, 1 loss) while Atalanta are in 3rd place with 52 points.
The Bianconeri have shown resilience, maintaining an unbeaten home record with 6 wins and 7 draws. However, they recently faced a setback, being eliminated from the Coppa Italia by Empoli after a penalty shootout.
The Bergamaschi have experienced mixed results, securing only 4 victories in their last 16 matches across all competitions. They were recently held to a goalless draw at home by Venezia.
Historically, Juventus has dominated this fixture with 75 wins out of 143 encounters. Atalanta has managed 17 victories, while 51 matches have ended in draws. The most recent meeting on January 14, 2025, resulted in a 1-1 draw.
Possible starting lineup:
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio - Weah, Gatti, Kelly, Cambiaso - Thuram, Locatelli - Yildiz, McKennie, Gonzalez - Kolo Muani
Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi - Posch, Djimsiti, Kolasinac - Juan Cuadrado, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta - De Ketelaere, Lookman - Retegui
This matchup is anticipated to be a tactical battle, with Juventus's solid defence clashing against Atalanta's potent offense. Given the stakes, both teams are expected to approach the game with caution, aiming to capitalize on any defensive lapses.
There have been under 2.5 goals scored in 4 of the last 5 Juventus’s game and in 2 of the last 5 Atalanta’s last 5 games.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: football-italia.net
PREDICTION: NOTTINGHAM FOREST VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE, 8 MARCH @ 12:30 GMT
Nottingham Forest will host Manchester City at the City Ground in a pivotal Premier League matchup. Both teams are currently in the top four, with Nottingham sitting in third place, just ahead of The Citizens in fourth.
Forest’s most recent result was an extra time home win with Ipswich in FA Cup. Previously, in EPL, they drew with Arsenal at home, lost at Newcastle 4-3 and suffered a 2-1 defeat at Fulham.
City, have mixed results recently: a 3-1 win with Plymouth in FA Cup, a 1-0 win at Spurs in EPL, a loss 0-2 home loss to Liverpool and a 3-1 defeat at Real Madrid in Champions League.
The Citizens have dominated recent encounters, winning four of the last five matches against Nottingham.
Possible starting lineup:
Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Sels - Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno - Yates, Dominguez - Gibbs-White, Elanga, Jota - Wood
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ortega - Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol - Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo - Doku, Grealish, Haaland
Given Manchester City's injury woes, Nottingham Forest has a prime opportunity to capitalize, especially at home. However, City's depth and attacking prowess make them a formidable opponent. A closely contested match is anticipated, with both sides eager to secure crucial points in the race for Champions League qualification.
Our prediction: Manchester City to win
Image credit: bitterandblue.sbnation.com
PREDICTION: TOULOUSE VS MONACO
LIGUE 1, 7 MARCH @ 19:45 GMT
Toulouse welcomes AS Monaco in an exciting Ligue 1 clash on March 7, 2025. Both teams will be eager to secure crucial points as the season enters a critical phase. Toulouse aims to strengthen their mid-table position, while Monaco continues to fight for a Champions League spot.
The home side has had a mixed season, balancing impressive performances with occasional lapses. They are comfortably placed in mid-table but need consistency to push for European contention.
Monaco remains one of the league’s strongest sides, battling for a top-three finish. Their recent form has been solid, with victories over key rivals, but they cannot afford to slip up in their chase for European football.
In recent meetings, Monaco has dominated Toulouse, winning four of their last five encounters. In the reverse fixture earlier this season, Monaco claimed a narrow victory. However, Toulouse has proven to be a tricky opponent at home, and they’ll be looking to cause an upset.
Possible starting lineup:
Toulouse (3-4-3): Haug - Sidibe, Cresswell, McKenzie - Messali, Casseres, Sierro, Suazo - Donnum, Magri, Babicka
Monaco (4-2-3-1): Majecki - Vanderson, Kehrer, Mawissa, Henrique - Al Musrati, Camara - Akliouche, Embolo, Minamino - Biereth
Monaco comes into this clash as the favourites due to their superior squad and recent form. However, Toulouse’s resilience at home makes them a tough opponent. Expect a tight, competitive match where individual brilliance could decide the outcome.
Our prediction: AS Monaco to win
Image credit: asmonaco.com
PREDICTION: AC MILAN VS LAZIO
SERIE A, 2 MARCH @ 19:45 GMT
On Sunday, March 2, AC Milan will host Lazio at San Siro in a crucial Serie A fixture.
Currently positioned 8th in the Serie A standings with 41 points from 26 matches, Milan is hopping to return to winning ways after 2 defeats in Seria A and one draw in Champions League. The Rossoneri have suffered narrow losses (2-1), in their last two league games away at Bologna and Torino.
Occupying the 5th spot with 47 points from 26 games, Lazio aims to close the 2 points gap to fourth place Juventus, which is probably the last European competitions spot. Maurizio Sarri’s side is pushing for a Champions League place, but inconsistency has hampered their campaign. Despite a strong defence, their lack of goals in big games has been an issue.
In their last five encounters across all competitions, AC Milan holds a slight advantage with three wins, while Lazio has secured one victory, and one match ended in a draw. Their most recent meeting resulted in a 2-2 draw, reflecting the competitive nature of this fixture.
Possible starting lineup:
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Walker, Thiaw, Pavlovic, Hernandez - Reijnders, Fofana - Pulisic, Felix, Leao - Gimenez
Lazio (4-2-3-1): Mandas; Lazzari, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares; Guendouzi, Rovella; Isaksen, Pedro, Zaccagni; Noslin
Milan will be the favorites at home, but Lazio’s tactical discipline under Sarri could make this a tough contest. Expect an intense battle, with Milan’s attacking firepower giving them the edge. A double chance bet in favour of the away team looks the way to go for this one.
Our prediction: Lazio to win or draw
Image credit: sempremilan.com
PREDICTION: PSG VS LILLE
LIGUE 1, 1 MARCH @ 20:05 GMT
On Saturday, March 1st, Paris Saint-Germain will host Lille OSC at the Parc des Princes in a top of the table Ligue 1 encounter.
PSG sits atop the Ligue 1 table with 59 points, remaining unbeaten in their 23 league matches this season. Their impressive form under head coach Luis Enrique has solidified their position as the team to beat.
Lille currently holds fourth place with 41 points, having secured 11 wins this season. They are in contention for European competition spots and aim to close the gap with the league leaders.
The Parisians are on a remarkable 21-game unbeaten streak across all competitions, including a dominant 7-0 victory over Stade Briochin in the Coupe de France. In their previous league outing, PSG secured a 3-2 away win against Lyon, with Achraf Hakimi netting a brace and Ousmane Dembélé adding to the tally.
Les Dogues have shown resilience, winning their last two league matches. They recorded a 2-1 home victory over Monaco, thanks to Hákon Arnar Haraldsson's first-half brace. However, their away form has been inconsistent, with just one win in their last six Ligue 1 away games.
In 102 encounters between the two teams across all competitions, PSG has the upper hand with 44 wins, while Lille has secured 32 victories, and 26 matches have ended in draws. PSG is unbeaten in their last seven meetings against Lille, including a 3-1 away win in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
Possible starting lineup:
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Safonov - Hakimi, Lucas Beraldo, Pacho, Hernandez - Zaire-Emery, Fabian Ruiz, Mayulu - Doue, Goncalo Ramos, Kvaratskhelia
Lille (4-4-2): Chevalier - Meunier, Alexsandro, Diakite, Gudmundsson - Bouaddi, Andre, Mukau, Haraldsson - David, Akpom
PSG's formidable home record and unbeaten streak position them as favorites for this encounter. However, Lille's recent performances and determination to secure a European spot suggest they will provide a stern challenge.
Our prediction: PSG to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: sportsdunia.com
PREDICTION: NAPOLI VS INTER MILAN
SERIE A, 1 MARCH @ 17:00 GMT
On Saturday, March 1, 2025, Napoli will host Inter Milan at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in a highly anticipated Serie A clash.
Second place in Serie A table with 56 points, Napoli has showcased consistent performances throughout the season. Under the guidance of coach Antonio Conte, they have maintained a strong position, positioning themselves as strong contenders for the title.
Leader Inter Milan holds 57 points, aiming to secure the Scudetto. Despite a recent dip in form, Inter has regained momentum with crucial victories.
Napoli experienced setbacks in their last four games: a 2-1 loss to Como, a 2-2 draw against Lazio, 1-1 draws with Udinese and AS Roma. Thus, they will be looking to get back to winning ways.
Inter faced challenges with losses to Fiorentina and Juventus but have since recovered by defeating Genoa to reclaim the top spot temporarily. They also secured a 2-0 win over Lazio in the Coppa Italia, advancing to the semifinals.
The previous encounter between these two sides resulted in a 1-1 draw, highlighting the competitive nature of their rivalry. Both teams are known for their tactical prowess and attacking capabilities, setting the stage for an exciting matchup.
Possible starting lineup:
Napoli: Meret, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Olivera, Anguissa, Lobotka, Politano, McTominay, Neres, Lukaku
Inter Milan: Sommer, Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni, Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco, Martinez, Thuram
This fixture is pivotal in the race for the Serie A title, with both teams separated by a single point. Napoli will aim to capitalize on their home advantage and recent defensive solidity, while Inter seeks to continue their resurgence and overtake their rivals. Given the attacking talent on display and the tactical acumen of both managers, fans can anticipate a closely contested and thrilling encounter.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: extratimetalk.com
PREDICTION: STUTTGART VS BAYERN MUNICH
BUNDESLIGA, 28 FEBRUARY @ 19:30 GMT
On Friday night, VfB Stuttgart will host Bayern Munich at the MHP Arena in a pivotal Bundesliga encounter.
Leading the Bundesliga with 58 points from 23 matches (18 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss), Bayern Munich aims to extend their dominance. Stuttgart, positioned seventh with 36 points (10 wins, 6 draws, 7 losses), is in contention for European qualification spots, trailing the top four by a narrow margin.
The Bavarians are in formidable form, recently securing a commanding 4-0 victory over third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt. This win underscores their offensive prowess and solidifies their position at the league's pinnacle.
Stuttgart experienced a 1-1 draw against TSG Hoffenheim in their latest outing, a match where they generated significant goal-scoring opportunities but lacked clinical finishing. This result highlights their potential to challenge top-tier teams despite recent inconsistencies.
Historically, Bayern Munich has exhibited dominance in this fixture, particularly at the MHPArena, where they have achieved 13 consecutive victories. However, Stuttgart managed a notable 3-1 home win against Bayern in May 2024, indicating their capability to upset the champions.
Possible starting lineup:
Stuttgart (4-4-2): Nubel - Stergiou, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstadt - Leweling, Karazor, Stiller, Fuhrich - Undav, Woltemade
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Laimer, Dier, Kim, Davies - Goretzka, Pavlovic - Olise, Musiala, Sane - Kane
Bayern enters this fixture with momentum and a desire to maintain their lead in the title race. Stuttgart, aiming for European competition spots, will look to capitalize on home advantage and recent positive results to challenge the league leaders. Given both teams' attacking capabilities, an engaging and high-scoring contest is anticipated.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals & Both teams to score
Image credit: bavarianfootballworks.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS LIVERPOOL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 23 FEBRUARY @ 16:30 GMT
Manchester City will host Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium in a highly anticipated Premier League clash. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM GMT. On Sunday, February 23.
Leading the Premier League with 61 points from 26 matches, Liverpool has been in formidable form this season. Man City are occupying the 4th spot with 44 points from 25 matches. The Citizens aim to strengthen their position in the top four.
The Reds are on a remarkable 22-match unbeaten run in the league, showcasing their consistency and resilience. City has secured five wins in their last six home matches across all competitions, demonstrating strong performances at the Etihad.
Historically, matches between these two sides have been closely contested, with both teams showcasing high-quality football. The rivalry has intensified over recent seasons, often playing a pivotal role in title races and cup competitions.
Possible starting lineup:
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson – Khusanov, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol – Kovacic, Gonzalez – Foden, De Bruyne, Doku - Marmoush
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson - Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson - Gravenberch, Jones – Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz - Jota
This fixture is crucial for both teams' aspirations. Liverpool seeks to maintain their lead at the summit, while Manchester City aims to solidify their top-four status. Given both teams' attacking strengths and recent defensive vulnerabilities, an engaging and high-scoring encounter is anticipated.
Liverpool have netted at least two goals in the majority of their away league games this season, while City have done the same in seven of their 11 home fixtures.
Our prediction: Over 3.5 goals
Image credit: bitterandblue.sbnation.com
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS GIRONA
LA LIGA, 23 FEBRUARY @ 15:15 GMT
Real Madrid will host Girona FC, at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in a La Liga fixture, scheduled on Sunday afternoon.
Los Blancos are currently second in La Liga, boasting a record of 15 wins, 6 draws, and 3 losses, accumulating 51 points. The Catalan side stands mid-table with 31 points from 9 wins, 4 draws, and 11 losses.
In their last league outing, Real Madrid secured a 1-1 draw away against CA Osasuna, with Kylian Mbappé netting the team's only goal. Girona suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Getafe CF, with Yangel Herrera scoring their lone goal.
Historically, Real Madrid and Girona have faced each other 10 times across all competitions. Real Madrid has emerged victorious in 6 of these encounters, while Girona has won 3, and there has been 1 draw. Their most recent meeting earlier this season saw Real Madrid triumph 3-0.
Possible starting lineup:
Real Madrid (4-4-2): Courtois - Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy - Rodrygo, Ceballos, Camavinga, Guler - Mbappe, Vinicius Jr
Girona (3-4-3): Gazzaniga - Lopez, Blind, Krejci - Martinez, Romeu, Van de Beek, Gutierrez - Tsygankov, Stuani, Gil
Real Madrid will look to capitalize on their home advantage and maintain pressure at the top of the table. Girona, despite recent setbacks, has previously challenged Los Blancos and will aim to replicate past successes. The two teams seem to find it tough getting their defensively lines in order, as they both concede too many goals.
Our prediction: Both teams to score - YES
Image credit: managingmadrid.com
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS EITRACHT FRANKFURT
BUNDESLIGA, 23 FEBRUARY @ 16:30 GMT
On Sunday, February 23, Bayern Munich will host Eintracht Frankfurt at the Allianz Arena in a pivotal Bundesliga matchup.
The Bavarians are leading the Bundesliga with 55 points from 22 matches (17 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss), and will aim to extend their dominance at the top of the table. Frankfurt is positioned fourth with 42 points (12 wins, 6 draws, 4 losses) and is in strong contention for a Champions League spot.
Bayern are seeking a return to winning ways after consecutive draws, including a goalless stalemate against Bayer Leverkusen. On the other side, Frankfurt, undefeated in their last seven league matches, have recently secured a 3-1 home victory over Holstein Kiel.
In their most recent encounter on October 6, 2024, the two teams played to a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Striker Harry Kane, the Bundesliga's leading scorer with 21 goals, is doubtful due to a calf injury sustained during the Champions League match against Celtic.
Possible starting lineup:
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neur – Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Davies – Kimmich, Pavlovic – Sane, Musiala, Olise - Müller
Frankfurt (3-5-2): Trapp – Theatre, Kristensen, Tuta – Brown, Larsson, Gotze, Skhiri, Knauff – Wahi, Ekitike
Bayern Munich boasts an impressive home record, with 10 wins out of 11 matches this season. However, Frankfurt's recent form and resilience suggest they will pose a formidable challenge. Thus we expect a pretty comfortable 3-1 victory for Bayern on full-time.
Our prediction: Bayern Munich to win 3-1
Image credit: getfootballnewsgermany.com
PREDICTION: LILLE VS AS MONACO
LIGUE 1, 22 FEBRUARY @ 16:00 GMT
On Saturday, February 22, 2025, Lille OSC will host AS Monaco at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in a crucial Ligue 1 encounter.
Lille OSC are currently positioned fifth in the Ligue 1 table, amassing 38 points from 22 matches. They are in contention for a Champions League spot and will aim to strengthen their position with a victory.
AS Monaco sit just above Lille in fourth place, holding a two-point advantage. A win would not only widen the gap but also bolster their aspirations for European qualification.
Lille recently ended a series of disappointing results with a 2-0 away victory over Stade Rennais. Substitutes Nabil Bentaleb and Chuba Akpom were pivotal, each netting late goals to secure the win.
Monaco showcased their offensive prowess with a commanding 7-1 triumph over Nantes in their last league match. However, they faced disappointment in European competition, drawing 3-3 away at Benfica and exiting the knockout playoffs on aggregate.
Historically, the encounters between these two sides have been evenly matched. In their last five Ligue 1 meetings, both teams have secured victories, with their most recent clash on October 18, 2024, ending in a goalless draw.
Possible starting lineup:
Lille (4-3-3): Chevalier - Meunier, Diakite, Alexsandro, Ismaily - Andre, Andre Gomes, Mukau - Haraldsson, David, Sahraoui
Monaco (4-2-3-1): Majecki - Vanderson, Kehrer, Mawissa, Caio Henrique - Camara, Zakaria - Akliouche, Minamino, Ben Seghir - Biereth
With both teams vying for European spots, this fixture promises to be a tightly contested affair. Six of the last seven Monaco’s matches have seen over 2.5 goals
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: getfootballnewsfrance.com
PREDICTION: SEVILLA FC VS BARCELONA
LA LIGA, 9 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Sevilla FC will host FC Barcelona at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in a highly anticipated La Liga clash. Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday 8:00 PM GMT.
Sevilla is currently positioned in the mid-table, striving to climb higher as the season progresses. With 27 points, Sevilla FC is in a difficult position this season. With 7 victories, 6 ties, and 8 losses in 21 games, their campaign has been inconsistent. The goal differential of 24:30 for the Andalusian team demonstrates their difficulties on both sides of the field.
Barcelona sits near the top of the table. With 42 points after 21 games, The Catalans are in third place in the Primera División going into this matchup. With a goal differential of 59:24 and an outstanding record of 13 wins, 3 draws, and 5 losses, they are clearly serious title candidates this season.
In their last five La Liga meetings, Barcelona has emerged victorious each time. The most recent encounter on October 20, 2024, saw Barcelona secure a 5-1 win at the Camp Nou Stadium.
Possible starting lineup:
Sevilla (4-4-2): Nyland – Sanchez, Bade, Gudelj, Pedrosa – Sow, Lokonga, Niguez – Lukebakio, Romero, Vargas
Barcelona (4-3-3): Szczesny – Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde – Gavi, Casado, Pedri – Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha
Given Sevilla's injury concerns and Barcelona's superior form, the visitors are favoured to secure a victory. However, Sevilla's home advantage and determination to overcome their recent struggles against top teams could make for an intriguing contest.
Sevilla scored at least one goal in 10 of the last 11 matches while Barcelona scored at least one goal in each of the last 10 matches.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: fcbarcelona.com
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS ATLETICO MADRID
LA LIGA, 8 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Real Madrid will host Atlético Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in a highly anticipated La Liga derby. Kickoff is scheduled for February 8th, at 8:00 PM local time.
Los Blancos lead the La Liga table with a narrow one-point advantage over Los Colchoneros, which are in second place.
Real Madrid has faced challenges against top-four opponents this season and is seeking a significant victory to bolster confidence ahead of their upcoming Champions League playoff against Manchester City.
Diego Simeone's squad is in formidable form, having won 19 of their last 21 matches. Notably, they have secured impressive victories against Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, showcasing their strength and consistency.
In recent derbies, Real Madrid has managed only one win in their last six encounters with Atlético Madrid, highlighting the competitive nature of this fixture.
Possible starting lineup:
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Courtois - Vazquez, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy - Valverde, Camavinga - Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius - Mbappe
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2): Oblak - Llorente, Gimenez, Lenglet, Galan - Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Gallagher - Alvarez, Griezmann
This Madrid derby carries significant implications for the La Liga title race. A victory for Atlético Madrid would see them overtake Real Madrid at the summit, while a win for Los Blancos would provide a crucial buffer as the season progresses.
There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 5 of the last 5 Real Madrid’s matches. There have also been over 2.5 goals scored in 3 of the last 5 Atletcio’s games.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: sports.ndtv.com
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS WERDER BREMEN
BUNDESLIGA, 7 FEBRUARY @ 19:30 GMT
Bayern Munich will host Werder Bremen tonight at the Allianz Arena in a Bundesliga fixture scheduled to kick off at 8:30 PM local time.
Leading the Bundesliga with 48 points from 19 matches, Bayern Munich holds a six-point advantage over their nearest rivals, Bayer Leverkusen. They boast both the league's best offensive record, with 58 goals scored, and the strongest defence, conceding only 16 goals.
Occupying the 8th position, Werder Bremen has accumulated 30 points from 20 matches. They are three points adrift of the top four, keeping their aspirations for European qualification alive.
Under the management of Vincent Kompany, The Bavarians have been in formidable form, securing six consecutive victories since the winter break. Their recent 4-2 win over Holstein Kiel highlighted their attacking prowess, though defensive lapses allowed two late goals.
Currently in a challenging phase, Bremen recorded two losses, two draws and one win in their last five games. Their recent 2-1 victory over Mainz offers a glimmer of hope as they aim to regain momentum.
In their last encounter on September 21, 2024, Bayern Munich dominated with a 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen. Historically, Bayern has had the upper hand in this fixture, winning 39 out of 59 matches, while Bremen has secured 10 victories, and 10 matches have ended in draws.
Possible starting lineup:
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Stanisic, Upamecano, Kim, Guerreiro - Kimmich, Palhinha - Sane, Musiala, Coman - Kane
Werder Bremen (3-4-2-1): Zetterer - Pieper, Veljkovic, Jung - Weiser, Stage, Lynen, Kabore - Schmid, Ducksch – Silva
While Bayern Munich enters the match as favourites, Werder Bremen's potential to leverage counterattacks could make for an intriguing contest. Bayern will aim to extend their lead at the top of the table, whereas Bremen seeks a positive result to boost their position in the league standings.
Our prediction: Over 3.5 goals
Image credit: bavarianfootballworks.com
PREDICTION: FC PORTO VS SPORTING LISBON
PREMEIRA LIGA, 7 FEBRUARY @ 20:15 GMT
FC Porto will host Sporting CP at the Estádio do Dragão in a highly anticipated Primeira Liga encounter. Kickoff is scheduled for Friday at 9:15 PM local time.
Porto currently leads the Primeira Liga standings with 50 points from 20 matches, having 6 points lead over second-placed Benfica. On the other hand, Sporting sits in third place with 42 points, trailing Porto by eight points.
The Dragons are looking to bounce-back in Primeira Liga, after registering 2 defeats and 2 draws in their last 4 league games.
The Lions are unbeaten in their last five league games, recording four wins and one draw. Their most recent league outing was a comfortable 3-1 win over Farense.
Historically, FC Porto holds the advantage in this rivalry, with 93 wins out of 252 encounters, while Sporting has secured 85 victories, and 73 matches have ended in draws. Their most recent meeting was on January 7, 2025, in the Taça da Liga semifinals, where Sporting emerged victorious with a 1-0 win.
Possible starting lineup:
Porto (3-4-2-1): Costa - Djalo, Perez, Otavio - Mario, Eustaquio, Varela, Moura - Borges, Mora - Aghehowa
Sporting Lisbon (4-2-3-1): Silva - Fresneda, Diomande, Inacio, Araujo - Hjulmand, Simoes - Trincao, Braganca, Quenda - Harder
This fixture is crucial in the context of the title race, with both teams eager to secure maximum points. Porto will aim to leverage their home advantage and solid defensive record, while Sporting will look to capitalize on their attacking momentum.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: dailysabah.com
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE, 2 FEBRUARY @ 16:30 GMT
Arsenal will host Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon, in a decisive Premier League clash.
Currently in the top four with 44 points from 22 matches, Arsenal is six points behind league leaders Liverpool, with a game in hand. Manchester City is sitting in fifth place with 38 points from 22 matches, two points behind the top four and eight points adrift of Arsenal.
The Gunners have been unbeaten in their last ten matches, securing six wins and four draws. Their defense has been solid, conceding only eight goals in this period.
Manchester City has shown resilience, remaining unbeaten in their last five matches with four wins and one draw. However, their away form has been inconsistent, with two wins, two draws, and six losses in their last ten away fixtures.
The last meeting between these teams occurred on September 22, 2024, ending in a 2-2 draw. Previously, both teams have had competitive encounters, with recent matches being closely contested.
This fixture is crucial for both teams' aspirations. The Gunners aim to close the gap on Liverpool at the top of the table, while The Citizens seek to break into the top four. Given the injuries affecting both squads, tactical adaptability and squad depth will play essential roles in determining the final result.
Possible starting lineup:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya - Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly – Odegaard, Partey, Rice – Nwaneri, Havertz, Trossard
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson – Nunes, Akanji, Stones, Gvardiol – Kovacic, Silva – Foden, De Bruyne, Marmoush - Haaland
Both teams have scored in four of Arsenal's last six matches in league and cup. Four of Man City's last five fixtures have ended with both teams scoring.
Our prediction: Both Teams to Score
Image credit: bitterandblue.sbnation.com
PREDICTION: AC MILAN VS INTER MILAN
SERIE A, 2 FEBRUARY @ 17:00 GMT
AC Milan and Inter Milan will face off in the highly anticipated Derby della Madonnina at San Siro, on Sunday afternoon. This Serie A encounter marks their third meeting this season, with AC Milan having won the previous two, including a thrilling 3-2 victory in the Supercoppa Italiana final on January 6, 2025.
Under the guidance of manager Sérgio Conceição, AC Milan has shown resilience, remaining unbeaten in their last seven matches across all competitions, with four wins and three draws. However, a recent 2-1 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League highlighted areas needing improvement, particularly in terms of aggression and defensive solidity.
Inter has been impressive in Serie A, suffering only one loss in 19 games this season. They are currently sitting in second place with 44 points from 20 matches.
Historically, Inter holds a slight advantage in the Derby della Madonnina, with 91 wins to AC Milan's 81 out of 241 encounters. However, AC Milan has won the last two meetings, signalling a potential shift in momentum.
Possible starting lineup:
AC Milan (4-3-3): Maignan - Calabria, Gabbia, Pavlovic, Hernandez - Musah, Bennacer, Reijnders - Pulisic, Morata, Leão
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Sommer - Darmian, de Vrij, Bastoni - Dumfries, Frattesi, Zielinski, Mkhitaryan, Augusto – J. Martinez, Thuram
Given both teams' current form and injury challenges, this derby promises to be a closely contested affair. There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 3 of AC Milan’s last 5 games and also in 4 of Inter’s last 5 games.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: sempreinter.com
PREDICTION: ATLETICO MADRID VS MALLORCA
LA LIGA, 1 FEBRUARY @ 17:30 GMT
Atlético Madrid will play RCD Mallorca on home soil in a La Liga fixture, on February 1st, at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano.
Atlético Madrid currently sits second in the league table with 45 points from 21 matches, just four points behind leaders Real Madrid. Their recent form has been strong, with notable performances from players like Antoine Griezmann, who is nearing his 200th goal for the club.
Mallorca is positioned sixth with 30 points from 21 matches. However, they have faced challenges recently, suffering four consecutive defeats across three competitions and conceding 11 goals without scoring. The absence of key midfielder Manu Morlanes due to injury has significantly impacted their midfield stability.
In their last three encounters, Atlético Madrid has emerged victorious, each time with a 1-0 scoreline. The most recent meeting on May 4, 2024, saw Atlético secure a narrow win at Mallorca's home ground.
Possible starting lineup:
Atletico Madrid (4-3-3): Oblak - Lucero, Witsel, Le Normand, Mandava - Gallagher, Koke, Barrios - Correa, Álvarez, Giuliano Simeone
Mallorca (4-2-3-1): Greif - Maffeo, Raíllo, Arias, Mojica – Valjent, Costa, Navarro - Rodriguez, Darder, Larin
Given Atlético's superior form and home advantage, they are favoured to secure a win. Mallorca's depleted midfield and recent defensive vulnerabilities further tilt the scales in favor of the hosts.
There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 3 of Atletico’s last 7 matches and in 2 of la 3 Mallorca’s games.
Our prediction: Atletico to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: goal.com
PREDICTION: WERDER BREMEN VS MAINZ 05
BUNDESLIGA, 31 JANUARY @ 19:30 GMT
Werder Bremen will host Mainz 05 in a Bundesliga clash at the Weserstadion, on Friday night. The two teams are closely matched in the league standings, with a 4-point difference between them. Werder Bremen currently sits in 9th place with 27 points, while Mainz holds the 6th position with 31 points.
Werder Bremen's recent form has been mixed, with two wins, one draw, and three losses in their last six matches. They have scored 13 goals and conceded 11 during this period. At home, they have earned 12 points from their last 10 matches, with a goal difference of 16-20.
Mainz 05 has also experienced a varied run, with three wins and three losses in their last six matches. They have netted 11 goals and allowed 9 in this timeframe. On the road, Mainz has accumulated 16 points from their last 10 matches, boasting a goal difference of 17-11.
The head-to-head record favours Werder Bremen, with 17 wins to Mainz's 11 out of 35 encounters. Seven matches have ended in draws. In their most recent encounter on September 15, 2024, Werder Bremen secured a 2-1 victory over Mainz.
Possible starting lineup:
Werder Bremen (3-4-2-1): Zetterer - Stark, Friedl, Jung - Weiser, Bittencourt, Lynen, Kohn - Schmid, Grull - Burke
Mainz (3-4-2-1): Zentner - Hanche-Olsen, Bell, Kohr - Caci, Sano, Amiri, Mwene - Nebel, Lee - Weiper
Given the teams' current standings and recent performances, this match is anticipated to be closely contested. Given the excellent calibre of attackers on both sides, a total of more than 2.5 goals is anticipated in this match.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: bulinews.com
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS ASTON VILLA
PREMIER LEAGUE, 18 JANUARY @ 17:30 GMT
When Arsenal hosts Aston Villa on Saturday, they will continue to try to turn the Premier League title battle back in their favour. Even though Arne Slot's team still has a game in hand, the Gunners enter this weekend just four points behind the League leaders.
New hope has surfaced for Mikel Arteta. After suffering back-to-back cup losses to Manchester United and Newcastle, Arsenal bounced back from a brutal week by defeating Tottenham 2-1 on Wednesday night. Arteta's team has amassed a record-high 24 points from a possible 30 at their Emirates headquarters, where they are still undefeated in the Premier League this season.
Despite Unai Emery's efforts to balance domestic and European responsibilities, Villa has not been as consistent this season. However, they come to the Emirates Stadium fresh off three straight victories. With the win on Merseyside, Emery's seventh-place team is now only three points outside of the Champions League spots. The Lions had previously lost five consecutive Premier League games away from home.
Possible starting lineup:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya - Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly - Odegaard, Partey, Rice - Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez - Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne - Kamara, Onana - Rogers, Tielemans, Bailey – Watkins
Arsenal is currently the best Premier League team at home. The Gunners are the only team in the league with this record since they have yet to lose at home this season. They have given up fewer than 1.5 goals in each of the last five games, and we expect that streak to continue this week.
Our prediction: Arsenal to win
Image credit: arsenalpics.com
PREDICTION: JUVENTUS VS AC MILAN
SERIE A, 18 JANUARY @ 17:00 GMT
When Juventus and AC Milan play each other in Turin on Saturday night, two weeks after their matchup in the Supercoppa Italiana, both teams will aim to get the maximum points.
After Milan rallied to defeat Juventus in Saudi Arabia, now they meet again in Serie A, where they are behind Italy's top four. The hosts are two spots and three points ahead of AC Milan in the league rankings going into this game.
Even though Juventus have avoided defeat in 20 straight Serie A games, their campaign is not going well because they can't shut out their opponents. In each of their last three league games—against Torino, Fiorentina, and away at Atalanta BC—the Bianconeri have failed to convert from a winning position. Tago Motta’s team have an incredible tally of 13 draws from 20 league games.
Milan are looking to win back-to-back league games for the first time since September. They can't afford to lose many more points if they are to salvage a top-four finish from a season marred by inconsistency.
Possible starting lineup:
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio - Savona, Kalulu, Gatti, Cambiaso - Locatelli, Thuram - Yildiz, Koopmeiners, McKennie - Gonzalez
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan - Emerson, Tomori, Gabbia, Hernandez - Fofana, Bennacer - Pulisic, Reijnders, Leao - Abraham
Although we believe AC Milan can score a goal against Juventus, it probably won't be as many as they give up. We expect a close game with Juventus winning by a close margin.
Our prediction: Juventus to win
Image credit: blackwhitereadallover.com
PREDICTION: LILLE-NICE
LIGUE 1, 17 JANUARY @ 20:05 GMT
A contest of epic proportions will bring together Ligue 1's fourth and fifth-place teams against one another. Nice and Lille are tied with only one point separating them, thus both clubs would benefit greatly from a win. Lille has scored 29 points in the same number of games as Nice, who have scored 30 points in 17 games.
Lille beat 10-time champions Marseille 4-3 on penalties in the last 32 of the Coupe de France after playing out a 1-1 draw in regular time on Tuesday. With that victory, the Mastiffs have now won 20 straight games in all competitions (W11, D9) since losing to Sporting Lisbon 2-0 in the Champions League in September.
Nice defeated Bastia 1-0 away from home in the Round of 32, in the French Cup, thanks to a goal from Mohamed-Ali Cho in the second half. Though they haven't lost in their past four league games, it's important to note that the Eaglets haven't kept a clean sheet in any of those games.
Possible starting lineup:
Lille (4-3-3): Chevalier - Mandi, Diakite, Alexsandro, Ismaily - Andre, Andre Gomes, Bouaddi - Cabella, David, Haraldsson
Nice(4-3-3): Bulka - Clauss, Ndayishimiye, Bombito, Bard - Boudaoui, Ndombele, Bouanani- Guessand, Laborde, Cho
When it comes to this Ligue 1 matchup, both teams appear capable of scoring. BTTS Yes has been covered in 8 of the last 10 Lille games at home. BTTS Yes has been covered in 4 of the last 5 Lille games.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: beinsports.com
PREDICTION: EINTRACHT FRANKFURT VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND
BUNDESLIGA, 17 JANUARY @ 19:30 GMT
In Bundesliga matchday 18, a confident Eintracht Frankfurt will try to snap their losing streak against Borussia Dortmund on Friday, at the Deutsche Bank Park.
Frankfurt has been a dominant force thus far and is off to one of the strongest starts in the German top flight. They will want to maintain their winning streak, which they have achieved in seven of their eight home games to date. With 33 points from 17 games, the Eagles are third in the rankings.
In contrast, Borussia Dortmund is going through one of the worst league seasons. For the eight-time winners, things have gotten bad. They are hoping for a renaissance, and it must happen quickly or things may deteriorate.
With four road losses already, the Prussians have not had one of the league's best away performances. They have suffered two losses going into this match, including a 4-2 loss to relegation-threatened Holstein Kiel.
Possible starting lineup:
Eintracht Frankfurt (3-4-1-2): Trapp - Tuta, Koch, Theate - Collins, Larsson, Skhiri, Brown – Gotze - Ekitike, Marmoush
Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1): Kobel - Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini - Can, Nmecha - Bynoe-Gittens, Brandt, Duranville – Guirassy
Dortmund is having trouble finding their form this season, while the hosts have had a better run of play. Thus, we anticipate that Eintracht Frankfurt will win this match.
Our prediction: Frankfurt to win
Image credit: fearthewall.com
PREDICTION: AUXERRE VS LILLE
LIGUE 1, 10 JANUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Lille will go to the Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps in Ligue 1 on Friday night to play Auxerre, hoping to tie a club record unbeaten run. After 16 matches in the season, Lille are fourth, while Auxerre are ninth.
Despite hitting a brick block in recent weeks, the hosts have been outstanding at home this season. Auxerre, a recently promoted team, made fun of all preseason forecasts that said they would have trouble maintaining their fantastic start, but since December, their performance has drastically declined.
Auxerre are on a winless run of five matches. They ended the year on a poor note with a humiliating loss to Dunkerque at home in the French Cup. Strasbourg would then defeat Auxerre 3-1 in their opening game of 2025.
Despite not having a fantastic start to the season, Lille will be pleased to have at least gained a point. They drew 1-1 with Nantes at home after losing their lead in the first half. They had failed to score more than once in the game for the third time in a row.
Lille comes here on an 18-match winning streak, despite its recent weakness. They have won ten of the games and have won all three of their matches with Auxerre.
Possible starting lineup:
Auxerre (3-4-3): De Percin - Diomande, Jubal, Akpa - Hoever, Owusu, Raveloson, Mensah - Perrin, Sinayoko, Traore
Lille (4-3-3): Chevalier - Meunier, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson - Andre, Andre Gomes, Mukau - Haraldsson, David, Cabella
Auxerre have been superb all season at home, but recent results are cause for great concern. Lille are expected to be superior in this game.
Our prediction: Lille to win
Image credit: lechampion.bj
PREDICTION: BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS BAYER LEVERKUSEN
BUNDESLIGA, 10 JANUARY@ 19:30 GMT
Borussia Dortmund will host champions Bayer Leverkusen at Signal Iduna Park on Friday in the first Bundesliga match since the league's winter break ended.
Leverkusen is in second position with 32 points, four points behind leaders Bayern Munich, while the Black and Yellows are sixth in the table with 25 points from 15 games. On December 22, they defeated Wolfsburg 3-1 in their final game before the break.
With eight games played and no losses, Dortmund is among the best hosts in the current campaign on home soil. In contrast, on the road, BVB won for the first time in the 2024 season final game.
After Bayern Munich, only Bayer Leverkusen remains in the running. Although this season hasn't been as straightforward as the championship one, Die Werkself is now the Bundesliga's team in the best shape. No other side has five wins in a row in the domestic league, a considerable achievement that's part of a larger nine-game win streak.
Possible starting lineup:
Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1): Kobel - Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini - Nmecha, Can - Bynoe-Gittens, Brandt, Beier - Guirassy
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1): Hradecky - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie - Frimpong, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo - Tella, Wirtz – Schick
Given their recent excellent play, Leverkusen should feel assured of at least avoiding a loss, but given Dortmund's formidable home record, they might have trouble defeating them. 100% of Borussia Dortmund’s last five fixtures in all competitions have featured goals at both ends.
Our prediction: Both teams to score & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: bleacherreport.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS MANCHESTER UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE, 15 DECEMBER @ 16:30 GMT
There will be fireworks on Sunday afternoon when Manchester City and Manchester United square off in the Manchester derby on Matchday 16, at Etihad Stadium. The Citizens are desperate to keep their title hopes alive and they will go all guns blazing at the Red Devils.
With 26 points, the Citizens are in fourth place in the EPL standings after winning 8, drawing 2, and losing 4 games. The defending champions have scored 25 goals and conceded 19, displaying their usual attacking ability while also raising the threat of some defensive weaknesses. City has been especially strong at home, winning five games, drawing one, and losing just once.
The Red Devils, who currently sit in 13th place with 19 points, are in unfamiliar territory. Their current season has been characterized by inconsistency, as evidenced by their record of 5 victories, 4 draws, and 5 defeats, with 17 goals scored and 15 goals conceded.
With four wins to United's single victory in the previous five meetings across all competitions, Manchester City has dominated the head-to-head record.
Possible starting lineup:
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ortega - Walker, Dias, Simpson-Pusey, Gvardiol - Gundogan, Silva, De Bruyne - Foden, Doku, Haaland
Manchester United (4-3-3): Onana - Dalot, Lindelof, Varane, Amrabat - Casemiro, Mainoo, Fernandes - Garnacho, Rashford, Antony
With Manchester City's impressive home record and United's struggles on the road we expect the hosts to win the game. Also since United have shown the ability to find the net consistently we expect goals on both ends.
Our prediction: Manchester City to win & Both teams to score
Image credit: cnss.gov.lb
PREDICTION: MALLORCA VS GIRONA
LA LIGA, 14 DECEMBER @ 15:15 GMT
Girona will be looking to recover from three consecutive losses across all competitions when they travel to Mallorca at Estadi Mallorca Son Moix on Saturday afternoon in La Liga Matchday 17.
Mallorca has lost their last two La Liga games, including a 2-0 setback to Celta Vigo the previous time out, while the visitors will head into the game fresh off a Champions League home loss to Liverpool. Mallorca finished November with consecutive victories over Valencia and Las Palmas, but the team has had a rough start to December, losing to Barcelona and Celta in quick succession and conceding seven goals.
After losing to UD Logrones on penalties in the Copa del Rey on December 4 and losing to Real Madrid 3-0 at home in La Liga last weekend, Girona has now dropped their previous three games in three different tournaments.
The Catalans have a 22-point record after 16 games and have lost four of their previous five games. Their most recent league victory came on November 23 against Espanyol.
Possible starting lineup:
Mallorca (4-2-3-1): Greif - Morey, Valjent, Van der Heyden, Mojica - Mascarell, S Costa - D Rodriguez, Llabres - Larin, Muriqi
Girona (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga - A Martinez, Lopez, Blind, Gutierrez - Martin, Romeu - Asprilla, Van de Beek, Gil – Danjuma
The Pirates will undoubtedly be the more experienced of the two clubs going into this weekend's meeting in Spain's topflight, having defeated Girona 1-0 in the equivalent game during the 2023–24 season. Therefore, we predict a very close game with Mallorca winning by one goal in the end.
Our prediction: Mallorca to win
Image credit: majorcadailybulletin.com
PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS FULHAM
PREMIER LEAGUE, 14 DECEMBER @ 15:00 GMT
On Matchday 16, high-flying Liverpool will host Fulham at Anfield with the goal of maintaining their top spot in the Premier League standings.
Liverpool has thrived under Arne Slot's new management. The Dutch manager, who is well-known for his Feyenoord success, has put in place a possession-based, high-pressing strategy that blends technical discipline with unrelenting attacking. The Reds are still the clear favourites to defeat the Cottagers at home despite dropping two points in a 3–3 draw with Newcastle United.
On the other hand, the Cottagers held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw in the London derby, but they will face a much more difficult opponent in Mohamed Salah and company. Liverpool has transformed Anfield into a veritable stronghold.
Fulham has been inconsistent and now has 23 points, good for 10th place. Even while they have achieved some notable results, they have had trouble staying stable when playing elite opponents. Their weakness is highlighted with a 1-4 loss to Wolves.
Possible starting lineup:
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson - Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson - Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai - Salah, Gakpo, Diaz
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno - Tete, Cuenca, Diop, Robinson - Berge, Lukic - Iwobi, Smith Rowe, Adama - Jimenez
Both teams have scored in five of Fulham's last six fixtures. Liverpool have only failed to score in one game across all competitions so far this season. However, Liverpool has been unforgiving in the Premier League thus far, clearly learning from their loss to Forest.
Our prediction: Liverpool to win and Both teams to score
Image credit: thisisanfield.com
PREDICTION: FREIBURG VS WOLFSBURG
BUNDESLIGA, 13 DECEMBER @ 19:30 GMT
This Friday's 14th round of the Bundesliga begins with Freiburg and Wolfsburg. Freiburg wants to avoid losing to Die Wolfe for the second time in a row, while visitors Wolfsburg want to continue their excellent play.
Freiburg lost 2-1 the previous time they hosted Wolfsburg. The fact that Freiburg isn't coming here in good form will worry the home fans. Freiburg has only won one of their last six games. Days after being eliminated by third-tier team Arminia Bielefeld in the DFB Pokal, they drew 1-1 with struggling Hoffenheim in their most recent game. They may, however, rely on their home record, as they have won all four of their home games.
Wolfsburg is determined to place among the top four. Since they are only three points behind, they might do that with a victory here. Although Wolfsburg didn't have the best start to the season, their climb is evident from the fact that they are now equal with Freiburg on 21 points.
Ralph Hasenhuttl's team is undefeated in eight games going into this one. They have accumulated 14 of the final 18 Bundesliga points available after winning each of their past five games. In their most recent league game, they defeated Mainz 4-3 after coming back from down three times.
Possible starting lineup:
Freiburg (4-2-3-1): Atubolu - Kubler, Ginter, Lienhart, Gunter - Eggestein, Hofler - Doan, Rohl, Grifo - Gregoritsch
Wolfsburg (4-2-3-1): Grabara - Fischer, Vavro, Koulierakis, Maehle - Dardai, Arnold - Baku, Wind, Tomas – Amoura
Wolfsburg are in good form and have been strong in front of goal, and it would not be shocking if they scored more than once on Friday. Over 2.5 goals were registered in three of Wolfsburg’s last four league tussles.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: focus.de
PREDICTION: PORTUGAL VS POLAND
NATIONS LEAGUE, 15 NOVEMBER @ 18:45 GMT
On Friday night, Portugal will host Poland in Porto for matchday five of the UEFA Nations League. Poland needs four points from their next two games to have any chance of making it to the finals, while the hosts only need one point to guarantee a top-two finish.
Following three consecutive victories to start the season, Portugal was held to a 0-0 draw against Scotland at Hampden Park last month. Roberto Martinez's team currently leads Group A1 by three points despite his blunder on matchday three. The Selecao will want to defeat Poland in Porto in order strengthen their position at the top of the section.
Poland got off to an excellent start with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Scotland on the road, but they lost their next two games against Croatia and Portugal. But last time out, Michal Probierz's team ended that two-game losing record by rallying from a 3-1 deficit to clinch a 3-3 draw with Croatia.
Possible starting lineup:
Portugal (4-3-3): Diogo Costa - Dalot, Antonio Silva, Araujo, Nuno Mendes - Bruno Fernandes, Joao Neves, Bernardo - Neto, Ronaldo, Leao
Poland (5-3-2): Bulka - Frankowski, Piatkowski, Bednarek, Kiwior, Zalewski - S Szymanski, Moder, Zielinski - Swiderski, Piatek
Portugal is extremely powerful at home and appears to be the best team in this group, thus it feels like this game should only go one way.
Our prediction: Portugal to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: sportsadda.com
PREDICTION: DENMARK VS SPAIN
NATIONS LEAGUE, 15 NOVEMBER @ 18:45 GMT
In what looks to be an exciting match, Spain will go to Denmark on Friday night in an attempt to secure the top spot in Group 4 of League A of the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League.
If Denmark obtains a point or better and the Eagles lose to Switzerland in the other group game, they would have a three-point lead over Serbia in third place and can guarantee their spot in the Nations League quarterfinals. However, the European Champions, who have yet to lose in this league after four rounds, are in their way.
On the other hand, Spain will resume their quest to defend their UEFA Nations League title. La Roja are atop the current group standings with 10 points, 3 more than their today’s opponents.
Spain has defeated Denmark in their last seven straight games. However, Spain only managed a slim 1-0 victory over them at home earlier in the Nations League season, and they have only defeated Denmark by one goal in two of their last four meetings.
Possible starting lineup:
Denmark (3-4-3): Schmeichel - Andersen, Vestergaard, Nelsson - Bah, Hjulmand, Hojbjerg, Dorgu - Eriksen, Hojlund, Gronbaek
Spain (4-2-3-1): Raya - Porro, Vivian, Laporte, Cucurella - Zubimendi, Ruiz - Olmo, Pedri, N Williams – Morata
Although Denmark is a difficult team to defeat at home, they will now take on an outstanding Spain team, who have grown into a formidable force under Luis de la Fuente. We anticipate that Spain will win this game and snap Denmark's 16-game home winning streak.
Our prediction: Spain to win
Image credit: outlookindia.com
PREDICTION: UDINESE VS JUVENTUS
SERIE A, 2 NOVEMBER @ 14:00 GMT
In an attempt to break out of a minor rut, Juventus will travel to Udinese for a Serie A match on Saturday. Given that Udinese is also playing a lackluster defense and that Turin seems to have lost their way lately, an open matchup may be in the cards.
Juventus recently suffered a 3-2 loss to Venezia in their most recent Serie A match. Sandi Lovric and Iker Bravo gave them an early two-goal lead, but they quickly gave up defensively.
Juventus has only won once in their last five games, suggesting that things have gone wrong for them recently. Though they have only lost once so far this season, Thiago Motta's team has already experienced six draws.
The way his team defended will disappoint manager Kosta Runjaic, who will be eager to make amends on Saturday. This season, Udinese has performed admirably at Bluenergy Stadium, winning six of their seven home games in all competitions.
Possible starting lineup:
Udinese: Okoye; Kabasele, Bijol, Giannetti; Ehizibue, Lovric, Karlstrom, Zarraga, Zemura; Bravo; Lucca
Juventus: Di Gregorio; Cambiaso, Kalulu, Gatti, Cabal; Locatelli, McKennie; Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Weah; Vlahovic
Juventus is owed a victory and have history on their side, but defeating Udinese at home is difficult because they have only lost once this season and give up fewer than one goal per game. As long as they can keep the back door closed, the Turin giants, who have dominated this all-Bianconeri competition for decades, have enough firepower to win.
Our prediction: Juventus to win
Image credit: espn.co.uk
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS UNION BERLIN
BUNDESLIGA, 2 NOVEMBER @ 13:30 GMT
In a crucial encounter at the top of the Bundesliga standings, Bayern Munich will play Union Berlin on Saturday, November 2.
The visitors are in fourth place with 15 points after eight matchweeks and drew 1-1 with Eintracht Frankfurt last Sunday, while Bayern leads the top division with 20 points from eight league games and defeated VfL Bochum 5-0 on October 27.
The hosts may see this as a chance to pull away from the chasers when RB Leipzig plays Borussia Dortmund this weekend.
Union Berlin has many reasons to be motivated. They would close the gap on Bayern Munich by two points with a victory at the Allianz Arena.
Over the years, Bayern Munich has dominated this matchup, winning five of their previous six encounters with Union Berlin. Apart from that, Bayern has won seven of their ten meetings with Union Berlin in the Bundesliga and drawn three of them.
Possible starting lineup:
Bayern Munich: Neuer; Guerreiro, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Palhinha; Olise, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane
Union Berlin: Ronnow; Doekhi, Vogt, Leite; Trimmel, Kemlein, Khedira, Rothe; Jeong, Hollerbach, Vertessen
Given the hosts' prolific offensive performances this season, it is hard to imagine Union Berlin preventing Bayern Munich from scoring on Saturday, even with their strong defensive record.
Our prediction: Bayern Munich to win -1 goal handicap
Image credit: fcbayern.com
PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 2 NOVEMBER @ 11:30 GMT
The next round of Premier League action begins on Saturday lunchtime at St. James' Park with the match between Newcastle United and Arsenal.
After losing 2-1 at Chelsea last Sunday, Eddie Howe's team lost back-to-back league games for the first time this season. As a result, the Toon have dropped to twelfth place in the standings and have now lost all four of their recent top-flight matches. However, Newcastle will enter this match in good spirits following their 2-0 EFL Cup revenge victory against Chelsea in midweek.
Mikel Arteta's team defeated Preston in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, in the EFL Cup. However, a 2-0 loss to Bournemouth and a following 2-2 draw at home against Liverpool have damaged the Gunners' title bid, leaving them five points behind the leaders.
At St. James' Park, Newcastle had won two of their last three Premier League encounters with Arsenal, including a 1-0 victory the previous season. But it's important to remember that Arsenal easily won the rematch last season, 4-1.
Possible starting lineup:
Newcastle (4-3-3): Pope - Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall - Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton Barnes, Isak, Gordon
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Raya - White, Saliba, Kiwior, Timber - Rice, Partey - Saka, Trossard, Martinelli – Havertz
Despite picking up just one point from their last two Premier League games, Arsenal favourites. Newcastle, who lost their previous Premier League home game to Brighton, are outsiders.
Our prediction: Arsenal to win
Image credit: theshortfuse.sbnation.com
PREDICTION: LILLE VS LYON
LEAGUE 1, 1 NOVEMBER @ 19:00 GMT
This weekend's most anticipated Ligue 1 matchup will take place at Stade Pierre-Mauroy between Lille and Lyon.
Lille has played more games this season than other clubs in the Top 5 divisions, yet the team appears to be playing at its peak right now. Notable victories over Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League are part of their seven-game winning streak in all competitions.
Lille battled until the very end to defeat Lens 2-0, scoring goals in the 98th and 101st. They have also had an outstanding home record this season, dropping just two games—to Lyon in May and PSG in September. This forthcoming game is one of the most anticipated games of the season because of their recent head-to-head encounters with Les Gones.
The visitors truly know how to give their supporters headaches. Two startling performances against Besiktas and Auxerre at home followed their five consecutive victories in September and early October.
Lille and Lyon have had some incredible seasons, as was already mentioned. Lille dominated them in the rematch, but Lyon won 3–4 in their most recent meeting in May. Overall, Lille has won three of their last 10 meetings, while Lyon has won four.
Possible starting lineup:
Lille: Chevalier, Gudmundsson, Alexsandro, Diakite, Meunier, Andre Gomes, Angel Gomes, Andre, Sahraoui, David, Zhegrova
Lyon: Perri, Kumbedi, Caleta-Car, Niakhate, Tagliafico, Tessmann, Matic, Veretout, Benrahma, Mikautadze, Fofana
Despite an underwhelming recent record in this fixture, Lille have not lost back-to-back home games against Lyon since the mid-2000s, and will be the favourites given their form of late.
Our prediction: Lille to win
Image credit: ithethao.vn
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS LIVERPOOL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 27 OCTOBER @ 15:30 GMT
Arsenal will be looking to get back to winning ways when they host Liverpool. The outcomes of this Premier League match have been wildly inconsistent over the years. Arsenal and Liverpool have won four and three of the previous ten games at the Emirates, respectively, with the remaining games ending in draws.
However, Arsenal has defeated Liverpool three-one in their last two home games thanks to goals from Saka, Martinelli, and Trossard. Arne Slot is taking his team to Arsenal for the first time.
The Gunners are eager to recover in the league after losing at Bournemouth, and they will go into this match quietly confident they can win after defeating Chelsea.
Liverpool has appeared effective and calm thus far this season, despite a setback against Nottingham Forest at home. Slot's team was put to the test during the home loss to Forest, but they have rebounded admirably, winning their last four league games.
The Gunners could hardly be at a worse moment as they will likely have to play without injured trio Bukayo Saka, Riccard Calafiori, and Jurrien Timber, are still missing injured skipper Martin Odegaard, and have William Saliba suspended.
Possible starting lineup:
Arsenal: Raya, White, Partey, Gabriel, Kiwio, Jorginho, Rice, Merino, Sterling, Havertz, Martinelli
Liverpool: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Jones, Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz, Nunez
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: nbcsports.com
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS BARCELONA
LA LIGA, 26 OCTOBER @ 19:00 GMT
The much-awaited El Clasico is set for Saturday night at Santiago Bernabeu as Real Madrid and Barcelona square-off in a La Liga fight.
The Catalan powerhouses now lead the table by three points, but Los Blancos have been playing well, as shown by their incredible comeback victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League midweek. Barcelona earned 27 points in 10 games, while their arch rivals Real are a place down with 24 points in the exact number of matches.
After falling behind 0–2 against Borussia, Carlo Ancelotti’s team rallied to win 5-2. In the final half of the game, Real Madrid showed why they are a team that many people like.
Barcelona, on the other hand, has also been experiencing a purple patch. For them, Robert Lewandowski has been giving it his all. The Polish forward has scored 12 goals in the La Liga thus far. Additionally, Lamine Yamal, a young person, is emerging as a rising star.
Possible starting lineup:
Real Madrid (4-3-1-2): Lunin - Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy- Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga – Bellingham - Vinicius, Mbappe
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Pena - Kounde, Cubarsi, I Martinez, Balde - Casado, Pedri - Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha – Lewandowski
Takin into account that four of the last five matches between the two teams at the Bernabeu have produced over 3.5 goals we expect to see many goals in the derby. Moreover, these are the two highest scoring teams in the Spanish top flight, with Barca outscoring their eternal rivals by 33 goals to 21.
Our prediction: Over 3.5 goals
Image credit: barcablaugranes.com
PREDICTION: LENS VS LILLE
LIGUE 1, 26 OCTOBER @ 19:00 GMT
When Lens hosts Lille in a Ligue 1 match on Saturday, a fierce matchup is anticipated. Both teams appear to be evenly matched and have the same number of points on the table.
Lens enters Saturday's match fresh off a 2-0 victory against Saint-Etienne in their last Ligue 1 match. Przemyslaw Frankowski had scored the first goal and Remy Labeau-Lascary added the second one after the break.
That result keeps William Still's team undefeated after eight Ligue 1 games. However, Lens have suffered from having too many draws in their last five games.
Lille is also fresh off a win, having defeated Atletico Madrid 3-1 on Wednesday in a Champions League match. Lens fought back from a goal down with Jonathan David scoring twice after Edon Zhegrova's equaliser.
Lille has now won four of their last five games in all competitions. Bruno Genesio's team, meanwhile, has been somewhat inconsistent at home, winning only two of their last six Ligue 1 games and drawing 0-0 with Monaco in their most recent encounter.
Possible starting lineup:
Lens (3-4-1-2): Samba - Danso, Medina, Khusanov - Frankowski, Diouf, Thomasson, Chavez – Fulgini - Sotoca, Nzola
Lille(3-4-3): Chevalier - Alexsandro, Mandi, Diakite - Meunier, Gomes, Andre, Gudmundsson - Zhegrova, David, Sahraoui
Although Lens has recently struggled in front of goal at home, Lille's injury problems and growing pressure make this game ideal for another draw. Given the tenacity of both teams, a split of the spoils appears to be the most likely result.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: nordsports-mag.fr
PREDICTION: BOLOGNA VS AC MILAN
SERIE A, 26 OCTOBER @ 16:00 GMT
Bologna hosts AC Milan at Stadio Dall'Ara on Saturday after-noon in the ninth round of Serie A. Both teams are currently struggling in Champions League and will try to put their worries aside.
Although Milan finally got off to a winning start in the middle of the week, its Rossoblu opponents haven't done much better in Serie A and are still worthless in Europe's top club championship.
Milan defeated 10-man Club Brugge at San Siro on Tuesday night, reviving their flagging Champions League campaign after losing their opening two games.
Despite starting the weekend five points outside of the top spot and having only won one of their first four away games in Serie A, Milan will now take on their favorite opponents. Since their last defeat in January 2016, the Rossoneri have won 13 of their last 17 league meetings against Bologna, which is their best winning streak against any top-flight team.
The Emilian team will be anxious to win this time around because they have now drawn six of their past eight Serie A games. Last week they also drew 2-2 with Genoa, in a game in which they gave up a two-goal lead in the final 20 minutes.
Possible starting lineup:
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski - Posch, Beukema, Casale, Miranda - Freuler, Moro - Orsolini, Fabbian, Ndoye - Castro
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan - Emerson, Tomori, Gabbia, Terracciano - Fofana, Loftus-Cheek - Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao – Morata
After making a mistake last week and losing in Birmingham, Bologna has lost eight points from its winning positions in Serie A this season, and their confidence must be low. As a result, Milan, who have been inconsistent, are in a good position to capitalize on their hosts' problems and win three in a row.
Our prediction: Milan to win
Image credit: bola.net
PREDICTION: AS ROMA VS INTER MILAN
SERIE A, 20 OCTOBER @ 18:45 GMT
There will be fireworks at Stadio Olimpico when AS Roma and Inter go head to head in the Serie A derby on Sunday evening.
The Romans lost to Monza before the international break, sliding to ninth position in the standings, but they won their last two home games against Venezia (2-1) and Udinese (3-0).
On the other hand, the defending champions hope to build on consecutive victories over Torino and Udinese. Given their three-game winning streak over Roma at Stadio Olimpico, Inter should be taken into consideration for an away victory as they are keen to surpass Napoli in the standings.
In their last three trips to Rome, Nerazzurri have triumphed twice while recording clean sheets. Roma has rarely won at home in this matchup. Since a 2-1 triumph in October 2016, they have lost all seven of their games at the Stadio Olimpico. Moreover, Inter have scored on their last ten trips to Roma.
Possible starting lineup:
As Roma: Mile Svilar; Evan Ndicka, Mario Hermoso, Mats Hummels, Zeki Celik, Manu Kone, Bryan Cristante, Angelino, Matias Soule, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Artem Dovbyk
Inter Milan: Yann Sommer; Francesco Acerbi, Stefan de Vrij, Yann Aurel Bisseck, Denzel Dumfries, Davide Frattesi, Hakan Calhanoglu, Piotr Zielinski, Federico Dimarco, Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez
It is impossible to ignore Inter's overwhelming record versus Roma this weekend. Several first-team players will return to the starting lineup of Inter, and they might be an excellent move to get as many points as possible and start to put pressure on Napoli.
Our prediction: Inter to win
Image credit: chiesaditotti.com
PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS CHELSEA
PREMIER LEAGUE, 20 OCTOBER @ 15:30 GMT
The match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday afternoon is the most anticipated game of the 8th Round of Premier League.
After a fierce 1-0 victory away at Crystal Palace, Liverpool ended the international break at the top of the standings. With six victories out of seven in the Premier League so far this season, new Reds manager Arne Slot's team may become a serious contender for the championship.
When the Mersysiders host Chelsea this weekend, they will want to reinforce that idea by overcoming what will be their most difficult test of the season thus far.
With a strong start to the season, Enzo Maresca's team is now only three spots and four points behind league leaders Liverpool. However, after being held to a 1-1 draw at home against Nottingham Forest in the previous round, the Blues shown that they are still a work in progress.
In their last nine games with Chelsea in all competitions, Liverpool has avoided losing each time. The Reds produced one of their best performances last season when brushing aside the Blues 4-1 at Anfield back in January.
Possible starting lineup:
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Kelleher – Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson – Gravenberch, Mac Allister – Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz – Jota
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez – Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Veiga – Caicedo, Fernandez – Madueke, Palmer, Sancho – Jackson
We see this one as a close game in which both teams will score. But Liverpool are a beast on Anfield, almost impossible to be beaten.
Our prediction: Liverpool to win and Both teams to score
Image credit: aljazeera.com
PREDICTION: JUVENTUS VS LAZIO
SERIE A, 19 OCTOBER @ 18:45 GMT
On Saturday, Juventus will visit Lazio in a Serie A match in an attempt to keep their undefeated record. This season, Lazio has also looked impressive, but they have been erratic while traveling and may falter against the home team.
Juventus enters Saturday's meeting with two victories from their previous three games and is still undefeated in all competitions this season. But with four ties in their previous five Serie A games, Thiago Motta's team has been beset by an excessive number of draws.
In their last Serie A match, Cagliari held the Turin club to a 1-1 draw. Two minutes before the end, the visitors pegged them back after they were unable to build on Dusan Vlahovic's early effort.
Lazio, who are now ahead of Juventus in the standings, is also having a fine start to the season. They have won four straight games and defeated Empoli 2-1 in Serie A last time out.
Lazio's trips this season have been unimpressive, which is a little issue. Despite winning 3-2 at Torino in their most recent away game, Marco Baroni's team has dropped two of their last three away games.
Possible starting lineup:
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Michele Di Gregorio - Nicolò Savona, Federico Gatti, Pierre Kalulu, Andrea Cambiaso - Khephren Thuram, Manuel Locatelli - Nicolo Fagioli, Teun Koopmeiners - Samuel Mbangula
Lazio (4-2-3-1): Ivan Provedel - Manuel Lazzari, Mario Gila, Alessio Romagnoli, Nuno Tavares - Matteo Guendouzi, Nicolo Rovella - Gustav Isaksen, Boulaye Dia, Mattia Zaccagni
Right now, Lazio and Juventus are both performing well and we expect to see goals at both ends.
Our prediction: Both teams to score & Over 2.5 goals in the game
Image credit: blackwhitereadallover.com
PREDICTION: MONACO VS LILLE
LIGUE 1, 18 OCTOBER @ 18:45 GMT
Ligue 1 table leaders AS Monaco will take on fifth-place Lille this upcoming Friday on their home ground.
Monaco glided their way to the top of Ligue 1 before the championship took a two-week break. In the previous round they extended their strong start to the season by defeating Rennes 2-1 on the road.
Here, Adi Hütter's team will be aiming for their tenth straight win of the year. They have seven wins in the nine matches played so far. A player to watch from the host is Folarin Balogun, who has scored in each of the previous three league games.
Lille is back to its best after a little slump, and they will be coming into this match on a four-game unbeaten streak. To keep moving up the Ligue 1 rankings, the visitors will be aiming for a fourth consecutive victory.
Before the break, Lille defeated Toulouse 2-1 at home after a second-half comeback, moving them up two spots. Bruno Genesio's team will enter this game as the underdogs because they have already suffered four losses this season.
Monaco and Lille's recent clashes have not been one-sided; in their past seven meetings, the two teams have won two games each and drawn three. However, Lille has only triumphed once at Stade Louis II in over 15 years.
Possible starting lineup:
Monaco (4-2-3-1): Kohn - Singo, Mawissa Elebi, Kehrer, Caio Henrique - Magassa, Camara - Akliouche, Golovin, Ben Seghir - Embolo
Lille (5-3-2): Chevalier - Tiago Santos, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson, Bakker - Angel Gomes, Andre Gomes, Bouaddi - Zhegrova, David
Monaco is the team with the most victories in Ligue 1 in 2024, and they are expected to win their 17th game of the year here and keep their top status.
Our prediction: Monaco to win
Image credit: getfootballnewsfrance.com
PREDICTION: SPAIN VS DENMARK
NATIONS LEAGUE A, 12 OCTOBER @ 18:45 GMT
Spain will host Denmark at Estadio Enrique Roca on Saturday night to resume their Nations League campaign.
Spain, who made history last summer by winning the European Championship, are currently living out a fantastical dream come true. La Roja defeated England 2-1 in Berlin, on July 14th when they and since then, they have only gotten better.
Spain are in second place in Group A4. La Roja were held to a goalless draw by Serbia in their opening Uefa Nations League game. They then bounced back to beat Switzerland 4-1 in their next game. Luis de la Fuente’s squad is now unbeaten in 12 international matches, which includes knockout victories at Euro 2024 against Germany, France and England.
The Danes currently sit atop of Group A4, having recorded 2-0 wins at home to Switzerland and Serbia in their opening two assignments. the Danes have also registered consecutive competitive clean sheets for the first time over the past 13 months.
In the 16 games that have been played between the two sides, Spain has a strong historical record of defeating Denmark, winning 12 of them to Denmark's modest 2 wins.
Possible starting lineup:
Spain: Raya; Porro, Laporte, Cubarsi, Cucurella; Zubimendi, Fabian Ruiz, Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Nico Williams; Morata
Denmark: Schmeichel; Bah, Christensen, Vestergaard, Andersen; Kristiansen, Norgaard, Højbjerg; Skov Olsen, Eriksen, Højlund
Since a 1-0 defeat to Colombia at the start of 2024, Spain have won nine of their 12 matches across all competitions. Although Denmark is in good form, Spain’s attack is currently one of the best in Europe.
Our prediction: Spain to win
Image credit: uefa.com
PREDICTION: SERBIA VS SWITZERLAND
NATIONS LEAGUE A, 12 OCTOBER @ 18:45 GMT
Things are heating up in the third round of the Nations League A group stage. The clash between Serbia and Switzerland kicks off this coming Saturday at Stadion Dubocica.
In the FIFA global ranking, Serbia is ranked 35th going into this game, while Switzerland is ranked 15th overall. In their most recent meetings, Switzerland defeated Serbia twice, winning 3-2 and 2-1, respectively.
Serbia is ranked number three after the second round of the group stage, while Switzerland is ranked number four with zero points. Serbia had much higher expectations for their first two Nations League A matches than just a draw and a loss. They now have to think of much more to oppose Switzerland.
Switzerland's performance in their opening two games will disappoint them because they have nothing to show. They know they will most likely have to win this third Nations League A round in order to keep chances for the next round. In their last ten games, Switzerland managed two clean sheets, 16 goals allowed, and 11 goals scored.
Possible starting lineup:
Serbia (4-4-2): Rajković - Veljković, Milenković, Pavlović, Birmančević - Lukić, Ilić, Nedeljković, Tadić - Mitrović, Vlahović
Switzerland (4-4-2): Kobel - Wüthrich, Rodríguez, Akanji, Omeragić - Aebischer, Zakaria, Freuler, Vargas - Amdouni, Embolo
These two sides are about equal in strength, so the contest should be intriguing. Though Switzerland also has a thing to show, Serbia's bad form has persisted a little too long. Our prediction is on a total of over 2 goals.
Our prediction: Over 2 goals in the match
Image credit: aljazeera.com
PREDICTION: HUNGARY VS NETHERLANDS
NATIONS LEAGUE A, 11 OCTOBER @ 18:45 GMT
The Netherlands face a formidable performance challenge when they go to Budapest on Friday to play Hungary in the UEFA Nations League, following two thrilling matches in September.
Hungary will try to rectify things as they haven't started the campaign well. The Magical Magyars, who are currently ranked last in Group A3, will play the second-place Oranje in this encounter. Hungary had a very bad start to the 2024–2025 Nations League season. They showed some resiliency with their 0-0 tie with Bosnia-Herzegovina following their 5-0 loss to Germany on Match Day 1.
The Dutch are looking to build on their impressive start. In their most recent game, Denzel Dumfries' goal in the second half kept them in a 2-2 tie against Germany at home. With a 5-2 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the first game, they maintain their pool-leading position alongside the Germans.
It was forty years since Hungary defeated the Netherlands. They have been the underdogs ever since, and that will continue before this game. Hungary was defeated 8-1 in their most recent meeting between the two countries.
Possible starting lineup:
Hungary (3-4-2-1): Dibusz - Botka, Dardai, Orban - Bolla, A. Nagy, Schafer, Kerkez - Sallai, Szoboszlai - Varga
Netherlands (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen - Dumfries, Van Dijk, Van de Ven, Hato - Gravenberch, Reijnders - Malen, Simons, Gakpo – Zirkzee
Even if Koeman's team isn't as good as it could be right now, we still see Oranje winning handily before the massive clash with Germany following next week.
Our prediction: Netherlands to win and Over 1.5 goals in the match
Image credit: bleacherreport.com
PREDICTION: ASTON VILLA VS MANCHESTER UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE, 6 OCTOBER @ 13:00 GMT
All eyes will be on Villa Park on Sunday afternoon, when Aston Villa and Manchester United play each other in the Premier League round seven.
Aston Villa team will still be on a high when they play again in front of their home crowd. They secured their biggest victory under Unai Emery at Villa Park against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday. Villa are also enjoying one of their best starts to a Premier League season, winning 13 points in six matches. That marks their best return since the 2008-09 season.
Since joining Villa, Unai Emery has orchestrated a fantastic comeback. In fact, since the Spaniard arrived in the West Midlands, only Arsenal, Liverpool, and Man City have won more home points.
On the other side Man United, will be desperately seeking a reaction following their humiliating home defeat to Tottenham in their most recent league game. Last Saturday, ten Hag received more unwanted records as United lost their eight game under the Dutchman, losing by more than three goals. Only Sean Dyche and Gary O'Neil have lost by three goals more often since the start of last season.
As for the head-to-head games, The Red Devils have won their past 4 games against Aston Villa. But United haven’t won 5 in a row in this fixture since a run of 7 consecutive victories between 2011 and 2014.
Possible starting lineup:
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez - Bogarde, Konsa, Pau, Digne - Tielemans, Onana - Bailey, Rogers, Ramsey - Watkins
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Onana - Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot - Mainoo, Ugarte - Amad, Fernandes, Garnacho – Zirkzee
Given the form of both sides coming into this game, it is hard to bet against the prospect of a home victory.
Our prediction: Aston Villa to win
Image credit: japantimes.co.jp
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS VILLAREAL
LA LIGA, 5 OCTOBER @ 19:00 GMT
The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu will be host to the La Liga match on Saturday, which will feature Real Madrid, the home team, competing against Villarreal.
This might be just another thrilling drama. The amazing 4–4 tie between these teams at El Madrigal in the penultimate round of last season's games, where the Yellow Submarines rallied from a 4–1 deficit at halftime, is still fresh in fans' minds.
This season, Los Merengues has won all four of its home league games; but Carlo Ancelotti’s men have just suffered their first competitive defeat since January. Wednesday’s 1-0 loss in Lille is unlikely to mean much in the broad scheme of things, but it could provide the coach some food for thought on playing system and line-up.
Madrid sits three points behind leaders Barcelona in the standings after eight rounds, having accumulated 18 points. With 17 points, Villarreal is one point ahead of Atletico Madrid and just behind Madrid.
With five wins and two draws, Villarreal has surprised everyone this season. Their only defeat of the season was the 5-1 defeat by Barcelona. But they recovered from that by defeating Espanyol and Las Palmas back-to-back, which gave them enough momentum going into this trip.
Villarreal has won three of their four away league games this season, and they have drawn one, thus their away success offers them hope for anything from this matchup.
Possible starting lineup:
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Lunin - Carvajal, Tchouameni, Rudiger, Mendy - Valverde, Camavinga, Bellingham - Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
Villarreal (4-4-2): Conde - Femenia, Bailly, Costa, S Cardona - Akhomach, Parejo, Gueye, Baena - Barry, Pepe
Despite having a poor performance in the middle of the week, Real Madrid ought to field a stronger starting lineup on Saturday that includes all of their attacking players. We also see a game with many goals
Our prediction: Real Madrid to win and Over 2.5 goals in the match
Image credit: managingmadrid.com
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS SOTHAMPTON
PREMIER LEAGUE, 5 OCTOBER @ 14:00 GMT
This Saturday, Southampton and Arsenal will square off in Matchday 7 of the Premier League. The match between the Gunners and the Saints, is scheduled at the Emirates Stadium in North London from 2:00 PM GMT on Saturday.
With fourteen points from six games, Mikel Arteta's team currently sits third in the standings. Arsenal is tied on points with the defending champions and second-placed Manchester City, behind leaders Liverpool by one point. The Gunners have eased past PSG with 2-0 in Champions League on Tuesday evening and will be confident for this home game.
Southampton was promoted from the Championship to the Premier League for the current campaign, following their playoff victory at the end of the previous season. is Russell Martin's team is currently sitting in second place from the bottom with 1 point from 6 games, 3 points below 17th-place Leicester City. The Saints are in serious danger of being relegated back to the Championship at the end of the season.
Arsenal have a solid historical record against Southampton and have won 53 out of the 106 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Southampton's 23 victories.
Possible starting lineup:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya - Calafiori, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior - Havertz, Partey, Rice - Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
Southampton (4-3-1-2): Ramsdale - Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Taylor - Downes, Aribo, Lallana – Fernandes - Dibling, Brereton Diaz
Arsenal are in an impressive shape right now. They have outclassed a top team of PSG and will be looking to repeat the recent performances.
Our prediction: Arsenal to win -2 goals handicap
Image credit: paininthearsenal.com
PREDICTION: UNION BERLIN VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND
BUNDESLIGA, 5 OCTOBER @ 13:30 GMT
Borussia Dortmund will try to win three straight games when they visit Stadion An der Alten Forsterein to play Union Berlin on Saturday in the Bundesliga. Die Eisernen, the hosts, will try to get the upper hand over a BVB team that has recently overcome them.
Union Berlin had a great start to the season, but they lost last weekend. Union lost 1-0 away to Borussia Monchengladbach due to a stoppage time concession. It can be difficult for them to achieve their goal of rising in this game. Their previous three games versus Dortmund were all losses. Bo Svensson, though, might hold out hope for his team's recent homecoming comeback. They have three straight home wins in the league, though they lost all the earlier three.
Borussia Dortmund won back-to-back games after falling to Stuttgart in their season opener. Right after the 5-1 setback, they rose from 2-0 down to demolish Bochum 4-2 at home. They would thrash Celtic 7-1 in their Champions League home opener, their second straight. This game is a good opportunity for Nuri Sahin's team to put an end to their away day problems in the Bundesliga. Dortmund hasn't won any of its previous four league road games.
Possible starting lineup:
Union Berlin (3-4-2-1): Ronnow - Doekhi, Vogt, Leite - Haberer, Schafer, Khedira, Rothe - Jeong, Hollerbach - Jordan
Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1): Kobel - Couto, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Ryerson - Can, Gross - Gittens, Brandt, Duranville – Guirassy
Borussia Dortmund put on a fantastic display this week against Celtic thanks to the superb players in their ranks. Union Berlin is a strong opponent on their day, but they will face a tough challenge on Saturday.
Our prediction: Dortmund to win
Image credit: fearthewall.com
PREDICTION: ATLETICO MADRID VS REAL MADRID
LA LIGA, 29 SEPTEMBER @ 19:00 GMT
This weekend is the first Madrid derby of the season, and both teams hope to build on their successful preseasons. Expect an electrifying atmosphere at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano when the two team face each other in El Madrileno on Sunday.
Julian Alvarez scored a late goal to give Los Rojiblancos a 1-0 victory over Celta that demonstrated character. Undoubtedly, the victory provided them more confidence going into this derby. Atletico are currently in third place in La Liga with 15 points from 7 games, just 2 below their Sunday opponent.
On the other side, Los Blancos seem unstoppable now and are aiming for their sixth straight victory across all competitions. Real are currently 4 points behind Barcelona in second place in the standings. They will wants to make it 40 games without a loss in La Liga.
But the big news going into the match is Kylian Mbappe's absence due to a thigh injury he sustained during Real Madrid's 3-2 victory over Alaves on Tuesday night, during which he scored.
In the head-to-head games Atletico Madrid has won 59, Real Madrid has won 116 and 61 games ended in a draw.
Possible starting lineup:
Atletico Madrid (3-4-1-2): Jan Oblak - Robin Le Normand, Axel Witsel, Nahuel Lucero - Reinildo Mandava, Koke, Conor Gallagher, Samuel Dias Lino - Marcos Llorente - Julián Álvarez, Alexander Sørloth
Real Madrid (4-1-2-3): Thibaut Courtois - Lucas Vázquez, Éder Militão, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy - Aurelien Tchouameni - Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham - Rodrygo, Endrick, Vinícius Júnior.
In front of their own supporters, Atletico regularly exhibits great force and won two derbies in the previous season. The absence of Mbappe could also prove crucial for Los Blancos, that’s why we expect this game to end in a draw.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: managingmadrid.com
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS BAYER LEVERKUSEN
BUNDESLIGA, 28 SEPTEMBER @ 16:30 GMT
Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen will square off in a Bundesliga match at Allianz Arena on Saturday, September28th. Although Bayer Leverkusen had a historic Bundesliga season the previous year, their lengthy domestic winning streak came to an end in 2024–2025.
Vincent Kompany's invincible machine Bayern Munich, they will be hoping to build on their spectacular 5-0 victory against Werder Bremen. The Bundesliga derby will probably see the Bavarian giants continue their offensive style of play, as they have been scoring goals for fun lately. The Bavarians are top of the table with 12 points.
On the other side, the BayArena team defeated Wolfsburg 4-3 over the weekend after a fierce battle to take second place in the standings, with 9 points after 4 games. Defensively, Leverkusen will need to improve after giving up nine goals in their first four games. That is the poorest defensive record possible at this point since the 2014–15 season.
In their historical head-to-head matchups, Bayern München has emerged victorious in 60% of their encounters against Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
Possible starting lineup:
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer - Konrad Laimer, Min-Jae Kim, Dayot Upamecano, Alphonso Davies - Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic - Kingsley Coman, Jamal Musiala, Michael Olise - Harry Kane
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1): Lukas Hradecky - Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, Piero Hincapié- Jeremie Frimpong, Granit Xhaka, Robert Andrich, Alejandro Grimaldo - Martin Terrier, Florian Wirtz - Victor Boniface
This showdown in Germany's top league appears to be very exciting on Saturday. Nonetheless, it is difficult to ignore Bayern's fantastic start to the season.
Our prediction: Bayern Munich to win
Image credit: bavarianfootballworks.com
PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE, 28 SEPTEMBER @ 11:30 GMT
Manchester City will try to extend their lead atop the Premier League standings when they visits St. James' Park to play Newcastle United on Saturday lunchtime.
Last weekend's trip to Craven Cottage marked the end of Newcastle's undefeated start to the season. Eddie Howe's team lost 3-1 and will be hoping to bounce back when they play the reigning champions. The home team still has the ability to win even though a few important players will be sidelined by injuries. The Magpies are now in 6th place in the standing with 10 points from 5 games.
The Gunners nearly put a stop to Manchester City's perfect start to the season, but a stunning late equalizer from John Stones gave The Citizens a point. Man City have changed up their starting eleven for the midweek EFL Cup match against Watford, won with 2-1. In Premier League there are now just 1 point clear Liverpool and Aston Villa and 2 points above Arsenal.
In the 192 games that have been played between the two teams, Manchester City has won 78 of them, compared to Newcastle United's 73 victories. But The Magpies have won only one of their last 33 matches against City in the Premier League, with their only success in this period coming by a 2-1 scoreline in January 2019.
Possible starting lineup:
Newcastle United (4-3-3): Pope - Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall - Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton - Gordon, Isak, Barnes
Manchester City (3-2-4-1): Ederson - Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol - Lewis, Kovacic - Savinho, Bernardo, Gundogan, Doku – Haaland
This will be an exciting fixture for sure. Although it will be a difficult test for Guardiola’s side, they are most probably going to win this fixture.
Our prediction: Manchester City to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: bitterandblue.sbnation.com
PREDICTION: AC MILAN VS LECCE
SERIE A, 27 SEPTEMBER @ 19:00 GMT
After a dismal start to the season, AC Milan will host Lecce at the San Siro in an attempt to turn things around.
Before losing to Liverpool in the Champions League, the Red and Blacks had lost their first three league games. However, they returned to winning with a legendary victory over Inter in the Milan derby. With eight points at the beginning of this round, Milan is only one point behind the top four teams.
Lecce, on the other hand, is situated slightly above the relegation zone, in the bottom part of the standings with five points and only one point above the bottom-three. After losing their first two games of the season against Atalanta and Inter, the Yellow and Reds bounced back with three straight victories. They did, however, enter this match fresh off a 0–2 loss to Sassuolo in the Coppa Italia second round.
AC Milan are unbeaten in 12 previous meetings with Lecce and the Rossoneri won 3-0 when the teams last faced off at San Siro in April.
Possible starting lineup:
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan - Royal, Tomori, Gabbia, Hernandez - Fofana, Reijnders - Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao - Morata
Lecce (4-2-3-1): Falcone - Pelmard, Gaspar, Baschirotto, Gallo - Ramadani, Coulibaly - Dorgu, Rebic, Tete Morente – Krstovic
Considering their dismal start, Lecce shouldn't provide much of a challenge for the "Rossoneri". This kind of opponent should be easily defeated by Milan, at home. Our prediction is a Milan win with a goal handicap of -1.
Our prediction: Milan to win -1 goal handicap
Image credit: sempremilan.com
PREDICTION: LYON VS MARSEILLE
LIGUE 1, 22 SEPTEMBER @ 18:44 GMT
This Sunday night in Ligue 1, there will be an important match at the Groupama Stadium when Lyon takes on Marseille.
Lyon come into this contest having been held to a goalless draw at Lens in their last Ligue 1 matchup. Les Gones' most recent home game was an exciting 4-3 victory over Strasbourg after they had lost their opening two league games of the current season. The host are currently sitting in 13th place with just four points.
On the other side, Marseille, with ten points from four games, holds the second position in the standings and they still have to lose in this season. They have put up nothing less than outstanding performances, and they are hoping to maintain their top spot going into this match.
Looking back at their previous head-to-head matches, back to February 2022, the two teams have shared the results, with Lyon taking home three victories and Marseille drawing three. There were scored a total of 14 goals between them, 7 coming from Les Olympiens and 7 from Lyon.
Possible starting lineup:
Lyon (3-5-2): Lucas Perri - Clinton Mata, Duje Caleta-Car, Moussa Niakhate - A. Maitland-Niles, Maxence Caqueret, Nemanja Matic, Corentin Tolisso, Abner Vinicius - Gift Orban, Alexandre Lacazette
Marseille (4-2-3-1): Gerónimo Rulli - Valentin Rongier, Leonardo Balerdi, Lilian Brassier, Michael Murillo - P. Emil Højbjerg, Geoffrey Kondogbia - Mason Greenwood, Amine Harit, Luis Henrique - Neal Maupay.
Both teams have averaged more than 2.50 total goals per game in Ligue 1 in every game of this season.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: vavel.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 22 SEPTEMBER @ 15:30 GMT
This weekend's Premier League action will be dominated by a clash of the titans as Manchester City and Arsenal, the top two teams from the previous season, square off at Etihad Stadium, on Sunday.
Both sides are unbeaten after four games, with City perfect on 12 points, while Arsenal have 10. Both teams enter the game fresh from goalless draws in the Champions League against Italian opponents; Man City was held at home by Inter, while Arsenal was fighting for a point away at Atalanta.
In the previous round of the Premier League, Mikel Arteta's team overcame hardship last week to secure a crucial 1-0 victory at fierce rivals Tottenham. The Citizens won the previous EPL round at home 2-1 with Brentford, extending their winning streak in the top flight now to 13 games.
When comparing their most recent league head-to-head matchups, Manchester City has prevailed four times in the last six meetings versus Arsenal.
Possible starting lineup:
Manchester City: Ederson - Walker, Dias, Akanji, Gvardiol - Kovacic, Rodri - Savinho, Silva, Foden - Haaland
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya - White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber - Havertz, Partey, Rice - Saka, Jesus, Trossard
Three of Man City's last six matches have seen under 2.5 goals. Fewer than 3 goals have been scored in each of Arsenal's last 6 matches.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: aljazeera.com
PREDICTION: JUVENTUS VS NAPOLI
SERIE A, 21 SEPTEMBER @ 16:00 GMT
Juventus and Napoli square off in a significant match of the 5th Round in Serie A, on Saturday night at Allianz Stadium. Juventus is now in fourth place in the rankings with eight points, one point ahead of Napoli in second place with nine.
Juventus, who triumphed over PSV Eindhoven 3-1 in the Champions League, will be hoping for a repeat performance. Under the new boss Thiago Motta, 'The Old Lady' have picked up 8 points from 4 league games, although they had been held to goalless draws in games against Roma and Empoli before Tuesday´s excellent win in Turin.
On the other side, the Neapolitans have been playing well under new manager Antonio Conte, with the team extending their winning run to three games at Cagliari. Since a shock 3-0 opening day defeat at Verona, Napoli have won 3-0 against Bologna and 2-1 against Parma before their easy win in Sardinia.
Juventus is still a powerful team at home, having dropped just one of their previous 25 games since September 2023. The Old Lady also picked up a 1-0 win when they last hosted Napoli in December last year. Napoli have won 4 of the last 5 direct games, with the tally of draws stands at 1.
Possible starting lineup:
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Michele Di Gregorio - Andrea Cambiaso, Federico Gatti, Bremer, Juan Cabal - Khéphren Thuram, Douglas Luiz - Nicolas Gonzalez, Teun Koopmeiners, Kenan Yildiz - Dusan Vlahovic
Napoli (3-4-2-1): Alex Meret - Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, A. Buongiorno - Pasquale Mazzocchi, Andre Zambo Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka, Leonardo Spinazzola - Matteo Politano, K. Kvaratskhelia - Romelu Lukaku
In 5 of the last 7 direct games, both teams have scored, so that we expect a similar outcome with a low-scoring share.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: blackwhitereadallover.com
PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM VS BRENTFORD
PREMIER LEAGUE, 21 SEPTEMBER @ 12:00 GMT
In this Saturday's Premier League London derby, rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford square off after both teams eliminated lower-league opponents in the EFL Cup. Spurs enters the game with 4 points, while Brentford has accumulated 6 points in the league.
Tottenham' second season under Postecoglou is expected to be a significant one. Now that the North London team is back playing in Europe, they have to compete in both the Premier League and the Europa League.
Spurs started their campaign with a draw against newly-promoted Leicester, followed by a win against Everton. However, they were unable to build on that as they lost 2-1 to Newcastle and then 1-0 to rivals Arsenal.
In their fourth season in the Premier League, Brentford had a difficult previous campaign. After finishing in the top half of the standings the previous season, Brentford plummeted to 16th place, 13 points clear of the relegation zone.
'The Bees' began this season with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace, a team that many had predicted would perform well. Then, they lost to Liverpool, but they bounced back to beat Southampton before suffering a 2-1 defeat against champions Manchester City.
Possible starting lineup:
Tottenham (4-3-3): Vicario - Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie - Kulusevski, Bentancur, Maddison - Johnson, Solanke, Son
Brentford (5-2-1-2): Flekken - Ajer, Collins, Pinnock, Van den Berg, Lewis-Potter - Janelt, Norgaard – Carvalho - Mbeumo, Schade
The last four meetings between Tottenham and Brentford have produced over 2.5 goals. Moreover in 4 of last 6 matches of both teams, were scored over 2.5 goals.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com
PREDICTION: BOURNEMOUTH VS CHELSEA
PREMIER LEAGUE, 14 SEPTEMBER @ 19:00 GMT
The international break was well-timed for Chelsea, who will look to snap a streak of two winless games when they play Bournemouth on Saturday in the Premier League.
Two weekends ago, the Blues were only able to salvage a point from a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, while the Cherries produced one of the greatest comebacks in league history against Everton.
Bournemouth seem confident and potential with Andoni Iraola as head couch, as evidenced by their dramatic victory over Everton in the previous game. After trailing 2-0, the Cherries were just minutes away from losing the match when Antoine Semenyo's strike in the 87th minute ignited the comeback. In just seven minutes, they scored three goals to win the game.
After suffering a defeat in the opening match against Manchester City, Chelsea registered a thumping 6-2 win over Wolves. Next up was the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at home where everyone expected them to beat the Eagles after their performance in the last match.
Possible starting lineup:
Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Travers - Araujo, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez - Scott, Cook - Semenyo, Kluivert, Sinisterra - Evanilson
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez - Disasi, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella - Fernandez, Caicedo - Madueke, Palmer, Felix – Jackson
We have a thrilling football match coming up as the Cherries try to keep their perfect record at home against a shaky Chelsea team. But after winning these games in their previous meetings, the Blues will be fighting to take all three points.
Our prediction: Chelsea to win
Image credit: chelseafc.com
PREDICTION: REAL SOCIEDAD VS REAL MADRID
LA LIGA, 14 SEPTEMBER @ 19:00 GMT
Real Madrid will travel to San Sebastian for their La Liga matchup with Real Sociedad on Saturday in an attempt to continue their undefeated start to the 2024–25 campaign.
So far this season, the two teams' results in the league have been significantly different. Real Sociedad only won one game, lost two, and drew one, compared to Real Madrid's two wins and two draws. Los Blancos are sitting in second place with eight points to their name, while the hosts are in 14th position after taking four points from as many games.
Regarding Real Madrid, it's encouraging to note that in their most recent game against Real Betis, star acquisition Kylian Mbappe scored the team's first goal ever. The supporters will be anxiously awaiting his performance in this encounter.
The visitors are hoping to record a third consecutive head-to-head victory after recording 2-1 and 1-0 victories in their two meetings with Real Sociedad in the 2023-24 campaign.
Possible starting lineup:
Real Sociedad (4-3-3): Remiro - Aramburu, Zubeldia, Pacheco, Lopez - Turrientes, Zubimendi, Gomez - Kubo, Becker, Oskarsson
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Courtois - Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy - Valverde, Modric - Rodrygo, Guler, Vinicius – Mbappe
Real Madrid will be motivated to win their first away game on Saturday after drawing their previous two away games, and we believe they will be able to overcome a Real Sociedad team that has dropped both of its home league games this year.
Our prediction: Real Madrid to win
Image credit: managingmadrid.com
PREDICTION: HOFFENHEIM VS BAYER LEVERKUSEN
BUNDESLIGA, 14 SEPTEMBER @ 13:30 GMT
Bundesliga winners Bayer Leverkusen will be hoping to bounce back from their first league defeat since May 2023 when they play Hoffenheim in their third Bundesliga match of 2024–25 on Saturday at PreZero Arena.
Both sides have experienced somewhat comparable results thus far in the current season, each having dropped one game. So, in their next game, Hoffenheim and Bayern Leverkusen will both be hoping to get back to winning ways.
The hosts have 3 points and are currently 11th and lost 3-1 last time out on August 31 against Eintracht Frankfurt. The visitors are eighth with three points after they were beaten 3-2 by RB Leipzig on the same date.
Hoffenheim finished seventh in the standings last season, while Bayern Leverkusen won the Bundesliga. The head-to-head record also favours the defending champions, giving them an advantage over their opponents in the upcoming game.
Possible starting lineup:
Hoffenheim (3-4-1-2): Baumann - Drexler, Grillitsch, Akpoguma - Kaderabek, Geiger, Stach, Prass – Kramaric - Hlozek, Berisha
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1): Hradecky - Mukiele, Tah, Hincapie - Frimpong, Xhaka, Garcia, Grimaldo - Wirtz, Terrier – Boniface
Hoffenheim has a great home record in their last Bundesliga games, but Leverkusen will be hoping to recover after their incredible winning run came to an end. Thus we see a narrow victory for Bayer.
Our prediction: Leverkusen to win
Image credit: koobit.com
PREDICTION: SAINT-ETIENNE VS LILLE
LIGUE 1, 13 SEPTEMBER @ 18:45 GMT
On matchday four at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on Friday, Saint-Etienne will face Lille in an attempt to earn their first points of the current Ligue 1 campaign.
Previously regarded as one of the top clubs in Ligue 1, Saint Etienne's performance has drastically declined in recent years. The fans thought that this may be the season that they finally showed off their potential after being promoted from the second division.
But after three games, Les Verts are lingering in last place. In these games, they have failed to score a goal and let up seven goals.
On the other side, Lille has enjoyed a successful start to the new campaign, winning both of their opening two games. In their most recent match, they were defeated 3-1 by the reigning champions, PSG.
After defeating Slavia Prague in the championship playoffs, Les Lillois have also advanced to the Champions League. The first game of the competition will take place on September 18 at Estadio Jose Alvalade, where they will take on Sporting CP.
Possible starting lineup:
Saint-Etienne (4-2-3-1): Larsonneur - Macon, Batubinsika, Abdelhamid, Cornud - Appiah, Amougou - Moueffek, Davitashvili, Tardieu - Wadji
Lille (3-4-2-1): Chevalier - Diakite, Mandi, Alexsandro - Meunier, Andre, Gomes, Gudmundsson - Zhegrova, Cabella – David
Even though Lille lost their last meeting, they have shown a lot of promising signs this season, while Saint-Etienne appears uninspired going forward and rattled at the back.
Our prediction: Lille to win
Image credit: footballwhispers.com
PREDICTION: GERMANY VS HUNGARY
NATIONS LEAGUE A, 7 SEPTEMBER @ 18:45 GMT
Germany and Hungary will compete in a compelling matchup for the Nations League, at the Merkur Spiel-Arena, on Saturday evening. Both teams want to get off to a good start in the campaign. Germany wants to rebuild under new leadership, while Hungary wants to keep moving forward.
Germany's performance lately has been patchy. Under Julian Nagelsmann, they have undergone a number of personnel and tactical changes following their quarterfinal defeat from Euro 2024. Germany has won three, drawn one, and lost two of their last six games, indicating some potential but also space for growth.
Hungary has recently had mixed results, having won three and lost three of their previous six games. Hungary proved they could compete with bigger teams, even though they lost out on a spot in the Euro 2024 final stages on goal differential. This made them a dangerous opponent for Germany.
Possible starting lineup:
Germany (4-2-3-1): Ter Stegen - Kimmich, Schlotterbeck, Tah, Mittelstadt Gross, Pavlovic - Musiala, Wirtz, Fuhrich - Havertz
Hungary (3-4-2-1): Gulacsi - Botka, Orban, M. Dardai - Bolla, A. Nagy, Schafer, Kerkez - Sallai, Szoboszlai – Varga
Hungary has resilience and tactical organization, but Germany's attacking depth and new players give them an advantage. Given Germany's home field advantage and Hungary's recent defensive shortcomings, a close victory for the hosts appears most likely.
Our prediction: Germany win & Under 4.5 goals
Image credit: sports.ndtv.com
PREDICTION: BRAZIL VS ECUADOR
WORLD CUP QUALIFYING, 7 SEPTEMBER @ 01:00 GMT
All eyes will be on Brazil as they return to action for the first time after their exit from the 2024 Copa America. In their seventh 2026 World Cup qualifying match, the Selecao will face Ecuador in an attempt add three more points to their tally.
Brazil is currently sixth in the rankings and have had a challenging qualifying campaign. In their previous match, the five-time world champions lost to Argentina 1-0.
Brazil has generally had a difficult time beyond the World Cup qualifiers, as evidenced by their failure to advance past the Copa America quarterfinals this year. Still, their only defeat in the last eight matches was a penalty shoot-out loss to Uruguay at the Copa.
Ecuador is currently just one point and one position ahead of 'La Selecao' in the standings. Sebastian Beccacece's team has won two games one of which was the 1-0 win over Chile 1-0 in their most recent meeting.
The Copa America proved to be challenging for Ecuador as well, as they were eliminated in the quarterfinals. Throughout the competition, they only managed one victory out of four games.
The possible starting lineups are:
Brazil (4-3-3): Alisson - Danilo, Militao, Gabriel, Arana - Andre, Guimaraes, Paqueta - Rodrygo, Vinicius, Endrick
Ecuador (4-3-3): Galindez - Preciado, Hincapie, Pacho, Estupinan - Caicedo, Franco, Gruezo - Paez, Sarmiento, Valencia
Brazil is committed to ending their current qualifying cycle losing record and will stop at nothing to ensure a successful outcome. We believe that Brazil will win with a -1 goal handicap.
Our prediction: Brazil to win -1 Handicap
Image credit: sportsdunia.com
PREDICTION: ARGENTINA VS CHILE
WORLD CUP QUALIFYING, 6 SEPTEMBER @ 00:00 GMT
Argentina will host Chile on Friday night in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying. This is the world champions' first competitive match since winning the Copa America in 2024.
La Albiceleste are currently leading the charts with 15 points from the opening six matches. They are two points clear of second-placed Uruguay after securing maximum points against Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru and most recently Brazil. Argentina had lost their only qualifying match, falling to Uruguay 2-0 last week. Since July 2019, La Albiceleste has only lost two games in total across all competitions.
Following a dismal performance at the Copa America this summer, Chile is going through a transitional stage. In that tournament they were unable to go past the group stage.
In the World Cup 2026 qualifying, La Roja has only managed one victory in so far, at home over Peru. Thus they face a difficult task, as they are in the 8th place with 5 points. These two matches against Argentina and Bolivia will be crucial in climbing the ladders as the top six sides are only guaranteed a place in the World Cup.
The possible starting lineups are:
Argentina (4-3-3): E. Martinez - Molina, Romero, Li. Martinez, Barco - De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister - Gonzalez, La. Martinez, Alvarez
Chile (4-3-3): Arias - Isla, Lichnovsky, Maripan, Mena - Nunez, Pulgar, Echeverria - Osorio, Vargas, Brereton Diaz
Argentina has a really talented team, so even without Messi, they should have no trouble winning easily at home.
Our prediction: Argentina to win & Under 3.5 goals
Image credit: sportsdunia.com
PREDICTION: FRANCE VS ITALY
NATIONS LEAGUE A, 6 SEPTEMBER @ 18:45 GMT
On Friday night, France will welcome Italy to Paris in a major European matchup, as both teams begin their Nations League campaigns.
The two nations are in Group 2 alongside Belgium and Israel, the strongest of the four groups. The first two teams of each group will qualify for the quarter-final stage which take place in March 2025, with the four winners progressing to the Finals in June.
Although being seen as one of the tournament favourites, France fell short at Euro 2024. They had lost their superstar Kylian Mbappé, right in the opening fixture against Austria after suffering a broken nose. Still, Les Bleus did make it to the semi-final before losing to the tournament winners Spain.
On the other hand, Italy were not able to hold their European title being eliminated by Switzerland in the Round of 16 in the summer at EURO 2024. Moreover, during the group stage, they were able to secure just one victory, which was against Albania in their first match.
In 39 heads-to-heads, Italy has prevailed 19 times, France 11 times and 9 games ended in draws. 138 goals have resulted from these matches.
Possible starting lineup:
France (4-3-3): Maignan - Kounde, Saliba, Konate, T. Hernandez - Kante, Tchouameni, Zaire-Emery - Dembele, Thuram, Mbappe
Italy (3-4-2-1): Donnarumma - Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno, Bastoni - Cambiaso, Fagioli, Frattesi, Dimarco - Pellegrini, Zaccagni – Retegui
Although injuries have taken a toll on France, the country has a rich reservoir of talent, while Italy is starting over and lacks depth in many areas.
Our prediction: France to win
Image credit: newsweek.com
PREDICTION: ASTON VILLA VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 24 AUGUST @ 16:30 GMT
Aston Villa and Arsenal square off at Villa Park in what promises to be an exciting Premier League match.
In the last season, Villa's victories over Arsenal were a major factor in keeping the London team from winning their first Premier League title in 20 years, so revenge will be on The Gunners' minds when they meet on Saturday. Still, The Villans beat Arsenal just three times in the Premier League between 1999 and 2020.
Aston Villa and Arsenal both performed admirably on opening weekend, controlling West Ham and Wolves for extended stretches of time and not conceding a point until very late in each contest. Both teams were deserving winners in the end.
Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings are still missing from Villa's squad due to their serious knee injuries. On the Arsenal's side Fabio Vieira may recover in time to play this game, but Kieran Tierney with hamstring wound and Takehiro Tomiyasu with knee injury still need a few weeks to fully recover.
The possible line-ups are:
Aston Villa (4-4-2): Martinez - Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne - Bailey, Tielemans, Onana, McGinn - Watkins, Duran
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya - White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko - Odegaard, Partey, Rice - Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Aston Villa have lost four of their last six matches in all competitions. The Gunners have fourteen wins at Villa Park in recent years. Although we might to see goals at both ends, we expect Arsenal to win the game.
Our prediction: Arsenal to win
Image credit: footballwhispers.com
PREDICTION: SEVILLA VS VILLAREAL
LA LIGA, 23 AUGUST @ 19:30 GMT
On Friday night, Sevilla and Villarreal will meet at Estadio Ramon in an exciting match of Round 2 in La Liga. Both teams drew 2-2 in their initial games of the season.
The hosts shared the points with Las Palmas in a game that ended 2-2 against Las Palmas last Friday. The visitors let twice led, but the Sevilla managed to get back in the game every time and equalized thanks to Sandro Ramirez 71st minute goal.
Villarreal, meanwhile, had led twice against Atletico on Monday evening. All goals were scored in the first half at Estadio de la Ceramica, with the points being shared.
The Andalusian team has only triumphed once in their previous five La Liga encounters against Villarreal; nevertheless, the points were split in a 1-1 draw during their meeting last season.
Sevilla will again be missing Suso and new signing Albert Sambi Lokonga. As for Villarreal Denis Suarez, Juan Foyth and Alfonso Pedraza were missing in the first round and the three are again set to be unavailable for this game.
The possible line-ups are:
Sevilla (4-2-3-1): Nyland - Carmona, Nianzou, Gudelj, Pedrosa - Agoume, Sow - Ocampos, Saul, J Sanchez - Romero
Villarreal (4-4-2): Junior - Femenia, Albiol, Bailly, Cardona - Pino, Parejo, Comesana, Baena - G Moreno, Danjuma
Both teams enter the match on the heels of 2-2 draws in which they displayed some encouraging attacking play but weaknesses on defence. Thus, we expect to see both teams scoring.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: sevillafc.es
PREDICTION: SPAIN VS ENGLAND
EURO 2024 FINAL, 14 JULY @ 19:00 GMT
Spain and England square off on Sunday night in the Euro 2024 final, with one country set to be the champions of Europe and win a major tournament title.
Spain, who have won all 6 of their games to go to a third final in the previous 5 tournament editions, are the only team participating in Euro 2024 to have a flawless record thus far. That's an amazing run considering they've played teams like France, Germany, Italy, Croatia, and so on.
With one more win, La Roja may win a record-breaking fourth European Championship. Spain has played with elegance and grace, and their dazzling strikers and midfield dynamos are at full strength. They are therefore favorites for the championship game based on their performance in Germany this summer.
On the other side, England have had to slog it out throughout Euro 2024, requiring late goals, extra time, and penalties to advance thus far. Regardless of what happens on Sunday, England's 2-1 semi-final victory over the Netherlands was their best performance of the competition. However, even that victory required a comeback from an early Xavi Simons strike and a last-minute Ollie Watkins winner that will live on in legend.
The possible line-ups are:
Spain (4-3-3): Simón - Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Cucurella - Ruiz, Rodri, Morata - Olmo, Williams, Yamal
England (3-4-3): Pickford - Walker, Trippier, Stones - Guéhi, Rice, Bellingham, Mainoo - Kane, Foden, Saka
Both teams have scored in each of Spain's last 3 fixtures and in 4 of England's last 5 games. Over 2.5 goals have been produced in each of the last 3 head-to-heads between the two teams.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals and Both teams to score
Image credit: thelocal.es
PREDICTION: ARGENTINA VS COLOMBIA
COPA AMERICA FINAL, 15 JULY @ 00:00 GMT
Argentina takes on Colombia on Sunday in Miami, in what will be the first-ever Copa America final between the two South American sides. Lionel Messi's team will try to defend their title against the team with the longest unbeaten streak in men's international soccer.
Argentina displayed its usual level of domination in the South-American football, while Colombia is a somewhat unexpected finalist. Since winning their only Copa America title in 2001, Colombia has not participated in the final tournament. This time they faced off against Uruguay in the semi-finals and Brazil in the groups stage.
With one more victory, the Albiceleste can secure their third major championship in the last three years. They overcame Brazil in the Copa America 2021 final and defeated France in the thrilling FIFA World Cup 2022 final.
Colombia's superb defence kept Uruguay scoreless in the semi-final on Wednesday, even though they were down a man for the whole second half. In the competition, Los Cafeteros have only conceded twice: once to Paraguay and once to Brazil.
We anticipate a close match as the last four Copa America finals had less than two goals in regular time, with two of those ending in penalties. Still, we believe that Argentina's roster of highly-experienced players will give them a clear advantage.
Our prediction: Argentina to win in regular time
Image credit: beinsports.com
PREDICTION: CANADA VS URUGUAY
COPA AMERICA, THIRD PLACE, 14 JULY @ 12:00 GMT
Canada and Uruguay square off in the third-place playoff match of the Copa America at Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina, on Sunday morning. This match is a chance for La Celeste to make it their ninth third-place finish in tournament history.
Canada's hopes of capturing the gold were dashed in the semi-final match against Argentina, losing 2-0. Unfortunately, it failed to launch any kind of offensive against the Argentinians. Canada could not stop Lionel Messi, who scored one of the two goals that gave Argentina the victory.
Uruguay lost 1-0 to Colombia in the semi-final match. Like Canada, they mounted no offense. James Rodriguez scored from a corner kick to win the qualification. In addition, Luis Suarez had another chance in the 72nd minute when he struck the post but was unable to score.
Canada and Uruguay have only played each other two times before. Uruguay won both of those games, with the first coming in 1986 and the second coming two years later in an international friendly.
The possible line-ups are:
Canada (4-4-2): Crepeau - Johnston, Bombito, Miller, Davies - Laryea, Osorio, Eustaquio, Shaffelburg - David, Larin
Uruguay (4-2-3-1): Rochet - Nandez, Gimenez, Olivera, Vina - Valverde, Ugarte - Pellistri, De Arrascaeta, M. Araujo – Nunez
Uruguay may not be at full strength, but they are considered clear favourites in Sunday's game. With enough talent at his disposal, Bielsa can lead his team to victory.
Our prediction: Uruguay to win in regular time
Image credit: footballwhispers.com
PREDICTION: NETHERLANDS VS TURKEY
EURO 2024, QUARTER-FINALS, 6 JULY @ 19:00 GMT
Holland and Turkey will square off in Berlin on Saturday night in an exciting match to determine who will face Switzerland or England in the Euro 2024 semi-finals the following week.
The Netherlands were convincing in a 3-0 Round-of-16 triumph over Romania. Thanks to their favorable placement in the easier group of the tournament, the Netherlands are currently considered among the favorites to win Euro 2024 after their outstanding performance. In the group stage Holland managed an unconvincing victory over Poland before earning a point against France, followed by a chaotic loss to Austria to finish as one of the four best third-placed teams.
In the round of 16 Turkey defeated Austria 2-1 in one of the best game of Euro 2024 so far. Goalkeeper Mert Gunok made a fantastic late save in the extra time to preserve the victory. Turkey had victories in the group stage against Georgia (3-1) and the Czech Republic (2-1), with a defeat against Portugal (2-0) in between.
The possible line-ups are:
Netherlands (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen - Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake - Schouten, Reijnders - Malen, Simons, Gakpo - Depay
Turkey (4-2-3-1): Gunok - Muldur, Demiral, Bardakci, Kadioglu - Ayhan, Yokuslu - Yildiz, Calhanoglu, Yilmaz – Guler
The Dutch are the clear favourites in this game. Still both teams have the ability to be both dynamic offensively and defensively, so goals are probably going to be scored sooner or later.
Our prediction: Netherlands to win and Both teams to score
Image credit: beinsports.com
PREDICTION: ENGLAND VS SWITZERLAND
EURO 2024, QUARTER-FINALS, 6 JULY @ 16:00 GMT
England face off against Switzerland on Saturday, the second day of the Quarter-Finals at the EURO 2024 at the Merkul Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf. These two countries arrive are in different forms before this game. England has been incredibly disappointing, whereas Switzerland has stunned many with their efforts.
In the Round of 16, Murat Yakin witnessed his team outclass, outfight, and outthink Italy, the defending European Champions. The well-organized Swiss are still undefeated in the competition and have secured their second victory, so the 2-0 advantage could have been greater.
On the other side, Gareth Southgate nearly lost his job after watching his team come within a minute of being eliminated by Slovakia. If he doesn't make a smart move, his luck against elite European opponents will run out.
The head-to-head records clearly advantage England. In 27 meetings, the Three Lions have come out on top 19 times, drawing five games and only losing to the Swiss three times. England have not lost to this opponent since 1981.
The possible line-ups are:
England (3-5-2): Pickford - Walker, Konsa, Stones - Trippier, Bellingham, Rice, Foden, Saka - Kane, Toney
Switzerland (3-4-2-1): Sommer - Schar, Rodriguez, Akanji - Widmer, Xhaka, Freuler, Aebischer - Ndoye, Vargas – Embolo
Switzerland is a well-oiled machine, with players at the top of their game and a plenty of confidence on the field. On the other hand England has lacklustre attacking play which is hard to believe it could be cured overnight.
Our prediction: Switzerland to qualify
Image credit: talksport.com
PREDICTION: PORTUGAL VS FRANCE
EURO 2024, QUARTER-FINALS, 5 JULY @ 19:00 GMT
Portugal meets France in a mouth-watering Euro 2024 quarter-final on Friday evening. Neither of the two teams dazzled in the Round of 16, but the most important thing is that both nations got the job done.
Portugal had a strong start to the group stages, but a disappointing 2-0 loss to Georgia in their penultimate match seems to have rattled them a bit, as they needed penalties to overcome Slovenia in the next round. Diogo Costa was their hero, saving all three Slovenia spot-kicks to send Roberto Martinez’s men through.
Despite having to wait until the very end to score the winning goal against Belgium, France completed their task in less than 90 minutes. The game ended in a 1-0 victory thanks to an own goal by Jan Vertonghen, in what may be final game for his country.
Portugal and France have met a total of five times at the Euros. France won the first two meetings but have failed to win the last two. Portugal have won only one of their last 14 meetings with France. That victory came in the final of the 2016 edition of the European championship.
The possible line-ups are:
Portugal (4-2-3-1): Costa - Cancelo, Dias, Pepe, Mendes - Palhinha, Vitinha - Silva, Fernandes, Leao - Ronaldo
France (4-2-3-1): Maignan - Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez - Kante, Tchouameni - Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe - Kolo Muani
Portugal which is scoreless in two matches is facing a France side which have conceded just one goal in their last six games. Although both sides are suffering in attack we see France as favourite to win in regular time.
Our prediction: France to win
Image credit: dailysports.net
PREDICTION: SPAIN VS GERMANY
EURO 2024, QUARTER-FINALS, 5 JULY @ 16:00 GMT
It began with 24 hopeful nations and now only eight remain at Euro 2024! Spain and the host country, Germany, will square off in the MHP Arena in Stuttgart on Friday night in the first game of the quarterfinals.
La Roja is the only squad participating in the Euros that has won all games so far. Taking into account that they were included in the 'group of death', that is an impressive accomplishment. Spain began by defeating Croatia 3-0. They then defeated Italy and Albania 1-0 back-to-back. In the round of 16, they conceded their first goal of the competition as Georgia surprised Luis de la Fuente's team by taking the lead in Cologne. However, Spain quickly regained composure and defeated the debutants to the European Championship 4-1.
After overcoming a tough Denmark team to win 2-0 in the round of 16, hosts Germany are still on track to conquer their first European Championship title since 1996. Die Nationalelf are still unbeaten and are the highest goal-scorers in the tournament this year with 10 goals, one more than their opponents in this match.
The possible line-ups are:
Spain (4-3-3): Simon - Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Cucurella - Pedri, Rodri, Ruiz - Yamal, Morata, Williams
Germany (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Raum - Kroos, Andrich - Musiala, Gundogan, Wirtz – Havertz
Few would be surprised if this evenly balanced matched would go beyond 90 minutes. Germany and Spain both have too much talent moving forward for either side to expect to keep a clean sheet. Therefore, we expect to see goals on both sides.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: reuters.com
PREDICTION: SPAIN VS GEORGIA
EURO 2024, ROUND OF 16, 30 JUNE @ 19:00 GMT
When Georgia plays Spain in the Round of 16 at Euro 2024, the surprise team of the tournament will have to pull off what may be the biggest upset on the continent's history. The game will be played on Sunday at Cologne Stadium.
Spain is widely seen as the clear favorite to win Sunday's match after winning Group B with ease. Following a valiant 1-0 victory over Albania, Luis de la Fuente rested numerous first-team regulars and will present the strongest lineup possible this time around.
On the other side, Georgia performed admirably on Wednesday to upset a star-studded Portugal and secure their place in the knockout stages. But against Spain, who are seen as one of the top contenders to win the European Championship trophy, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and company will have a far bigger fish to fry.
The possible line-ups are:
Spain: Simon, Carvajal, Le Norman, Laporte, Cucurella, Pedri, Rodri, Ruiz, Yamal, Williams, Morata
Georgia: Mamardashvili – Kakabadze, Gvelesiani, Kashia, Dvali, Lochoshivili, Chakvetadze, Kiteishvili, Kochorashvili, Mikautadze, Kvaratskhelia
In their Euro 2024 qualifying match against Georgia, Spain won both matches by a combined score of 10-2. Georgia's lone victory in this matchup was in a friendly in 2016.
Our prediction: Spain to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: vanguardngr.com
PREDICTION: ENGLAND VS SLOVAKIA
EURO 2024, ROUND OF 16, 30 JUNE @ 16:00 GMT
The pressure and expectations will all be on England when they play Slovakia in the last-16 of their quest for the 2024 European Championship. The game will be played on Sunday afternoon, at Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen.
In their last Group C match, England laboured to a goalless draw with Slovenia, adding to the disappointments of their supporters over the Three Lions' performances thus far. Fans can not expect much fun when they play Slovakia. Group C saw a tournament-low seven goals scored, with England accounting for just two of those in their three outings.
Despite England being heavy favourites, Slovakia is unlikely to be overwhelmed by their opponents after winning 1-0 over Belgium in their opening match. Slovakia qualified third in a close Group E where all four teams finished with four points. On Sunday, the Sokoli are almost guaranteed to annoy England by sitting back, and the game will probably end with few goals scored by either team.
The possible line-ups are:
England (4-3-3): Pickford - Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier - Mainoo, Rice, Bellingham - Saka, Foden, Kane
Slovakia (4-3-3): Dubravka, Pekarik, Vavro, Skriniar, Hancko, Kucka, Lobotka, Duda, Schranz, Haraslin, Strelec
With their defence looking strong, a single goal could be enough for England to defeat a Slovakian team lacking in offensive potency. England conceded just one goal in their three group matches, but they also just scored 2 goals in Group C.
Our prediction: England to win and Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: football-italia.net
PREDICTION: GERMANY VS DENMARK
EURO 2024, ROUND OF 16, 29 JUNE @ 19:00 GMT
Germany and Denmark will play in the Round of 16 of the 2024 UEFA European Championship on June 29 at Signal Iduna Park, starting at 7:00 PM GMT.
This is one of the most interesting games since Germany enters the match fresh off a very impressive group stage performance in which they defeated Scotland handily before triumphing over Hungary. They were on the verge of taking the lead in Group A after they tied Switzerland with a goal in the 92nd minute to earn a point.
Denmark can hardly say that they have made much of an impression on the tournament thus far, having put up three rather lackluster performances against their opponents. Nevertheless, Denmark conceded just two goals during their Group C campaign. They'll want to build on it going into this match and seek to fend off a German onslaught that scored many goals so far.
The possible line-ups are:
Germany (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Kimmich, Schlotterbeck, Rudiger, Mittelstadt - Kroos, Andrich - Musiala, Gundogan, Wirtz - Havertz
Denmark (3-3-1-2): Schmeichel - Andersen, Christensen, Vestergaard - Bah, Hojbjerg, Delaney, Maehle - Eriksen - Hojlund, Wind
It's probably going to be a one-way match, with Germany looking to undermine Denmark's defence. The Danes have looked listless in possession, so if the hosts score early on, there's a chance the floodgates might open. It all depends on how long they can hold out.
Our prediction: Germany to win
Image credit: eveningstandard.com
PREDICTION: SWITZERLAND VS ITALY
EURO 2024, ROUND OF 16, 29 JUNE @ 16:00 GMT
Switzerland and Italy will battle this Saturday at the Olympiastadion in Berlin for a spot in the last eight of Euro 2024. The two teams qualified for the knockout stage of the competition by placing second in their respective groups.
Switzerland is for the sixth consecutive time in a major tournament knockout round. They avoided defeat in their three Group A games and would have defeated Germany if they hadn't given up a last-minute equalizer to Niclas Füllkrug last Sunday.
The defending European champions have suffered a defeat in the first round, 1-0 to Spain. It was Italy winger Mattia Zaccagni's late goal in the Group B finale against Croatia that secured a 1-1 draw and the runners-up position.
The winner will play either Slovakia or England in Düsseldorf the following Saturday.
The possible line-ups are:
Switzerland (3-4-2-1): Sommer - Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez - Stergiou, Xhaka, Freuler, Aebischer - Ndoye, Vargas - Embolo
Italy (3-5-2): Donnarumma - Darmian, Mancini, Bastoni - Di Lorenzo, Barella, Jorginho, Pellegrini, Dimarco - Chiesa, Scamacca
Italy's offensive deficiencies could be exposed by a well-trained Switzerland team, who should be confident going into the big game after their good match against Germany. Still, this knockout tie could resemble a game of chess.
Our prediction: Switzerland to qualify
Image credit: medium.com
PREDICTION: SWITZERLAND VS GERMANY
EURO 2024, GROUP STAGE, 23 JUNE @ 19:00 GMT
Germany will play Switzerland in the 2024 UEFA European Championship's final Group A match on June 23 at 19:00 GMT. With Germany having won both of their first two games and Switzerland having four points without a loss, both sides appear certain to make it to the next round.
Back-to-back victories against Scotland (5-1) and Hungary (2-0) showed the value of the EURO 2024 hosts, but keeping that in mind Julian Nagelsmann is probably going to rotate the team against the Rossocrociati.
Switzerland, on the other hand, are with one foot in the knockout stages as they have a better goal difference than third-place Scotland an they would undoubtedly be content with a point from Sunday's match.
Germany have won 35 of the 52 meetings against Switzerland since 1908. But although the Germans have only suffered one defeat in the last 21 clashes with their neighbors, they haven't claimed a win in any of the last three meetings.
The possible line-ups are:
Switzerland (3-4-2-1): Sommer - Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez - Widmer, Freuler, Xhaka, Aebischer - Ndoye, Duah - Embolo
Germany (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Mittelstadt - Andrich, Kroos - Musiala, Gundogan, Wirtz – Havertz
Germany have won 5 of their last 5 matches across all competitions, including their opening 2 games at Euro 2024. Switzerland have lost 3 of their last 6 meetings with Germany. Therefore, we expect the Germans to win this one and insure their top spot in Group A.
Our prediction: Germany to win
Image credit: talkfootball.co.uk
PREDICTION: PORTUGAL VS TURKEY
EURO 2024, GROUP STAGE, 22 JUNE @ 16:00 GMT
In their second match in Group F at the EURO 2024, Portugal and Turkey play on Saturday, at Signal Iduna Park. The two teams will be looking to make it two wins from two games. Whilst victory would not technically secure a top two place for either side, it would essentially guarantee them a place in the last sixteen.
Turkey's campaign got off to a great start when they defeated Georgia 3-1, but they will have a far larger challenge when they play Cristiano Ronaldo and company. In that match. Muldur scored in the first half for Turkey, Georgia tied it in the 32nd minute on a goal from Mikautadze. Turkey score on through Guler in the 65th minute, and then in the final minutes of stoppage time, Akturkoglu made it 3-1.
In contrast, Portugal prevailed over Czech Republic in their first match, with Francisco Conceicao scoring the game-winning goal in stoppage time. ‘Selecao’ eliminated Turkey in the quarterfinals of the Euro 2000 competition and defeated them in the group stage of both Euro 96 and Euro 2008. They accomplished this without giving up a goal.
The possible line-ups are:
Türkiye (4-2-3-1): M. Gunok - Muldur, Akaydin, Bardakci, Kadioglu - Ayhan, Calhanoglu - Guler, Kokcu, Yildiz - Yilmaz
Turkey’s open defence should allow Portugal plenty of chances to win what should be an open, entertaining game. Moreover Turkey have never beaten Portugal in a competitive game.
Our prediction: Portugal to win and Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: marca.com
PREDICTION: NETHERLANDS VS FRANCE
EURO 2024, GROUP STAGE, 21 JUNE @ 19:00 GMT
The Netherlands and France will play each other in the Euro 2024 Group D match on Friday at Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. The two sides meet again after playing twice in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, both games being won by Les Bleus.
Netherlands beat Poland with 2-1 in their first group stage encounter at Volksparkstadion. Wout Weghorst and Cody Gakpo scored the victory goals. The Dutch have won four straight games in all competitions heading into this match.
France defeated Austria 1-0, at Düsseldorf Arena in their first Euro 2024 group stage game. They had now won 13 of their previous international games going into matchday two.
With three points apiece, the Netherlands and France are tied for first and second place in the group. Poland is currently ranked third in the group with zero points. Austria is in fourth place also with no points.
In their last five head-to-head games, France have picked up four wins and one defeat, running out 2-1 winners when the pair last locked horns in October.
The possible line-ups are:
Netherlands (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen - Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake - Schouten, Veerman - Simons, Reijnders, Gakpo - Depay
France (4-2-3-1): Maignan - Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez - Kante, Rabiot - Dembele, Griezmann, Thuram – Giroud
Over 2.5 goals have been scored in five of the previous seven head-to-head matches between the two. In the last six games for the Netherlands, have been scored at least three goals. Moreover five of the previous seven games France has played against the Dutch have seen them score at least two goals.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: footballwhispers.com
PREDICTION: POLAND VS AUSTRIA
EURO 2024, GROUP STAGE, 21 JUNE @ 16:00 GMT
Poland and Austria square-off on Friday night at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, and both teams know they cannot afford to lose again in Group D.
Both sides are seeking to recover after opening-game losses to the Netherlands and France, respectively. This implies that both sides are essentially playing for a must-win match since, after this pivotal second group stage match, they have another extremely tough match for their third game.
In the first game, Adam Buksa gave Poland the lead in what would have been a more evenly matched match versus the Netherlands. Prior to the tournament, Austria's defence—which was seen to be among the hardest to overcome—was the subject of a lot of discussion. Shortly before halftime, Maximilian Wober headed a cross from Kylian Mbappe into his own net, limiting France to just one goal.
Austria, like Poland, has only won two games in the history of the European Championship; their triumphs have come from 11 games. Once more, both were competing in the same competition, with Austria making it to the round of 16 at Euro 2024 for the first time.
The possible line-ups are:
Poland (3-5-2): Szczesny - Bednarek, Salamon, Kiwior - Frankowski, Szymanski, Romanczuk, Zielinski, Zalewski - Swiderski, Buksa
Austria (4-2-3-1): Pentz - Posch, Danso, Wober, Mwene - Seiwald, Grillitsch - Laimer, Baumgartner, Sabitzer – Arnautovic
We anticipate a tough match in Berlin as both teams must strike a balance between avoiding defeat and going for three points. However, we expected Lewandowski to have an impact, should he returns as predicted.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: sportskeeda.com
PREDICTION: ATALANTA VS TORINO
SERIE A, 26 MAY @ 16:00 GMT
Atalanta and Torino square off at Gewiss Stadium, in what promises to be one of the most thrilling games of Sunday's schedule.
The hosts' fatigue might be a major issue for the host after they had played Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final midweek. The good part is that they managed to secure a place for the Champions League next season after winning the cup. For this game, manger Tullio Gritti will probably shift his pack. Due to injuries, Marten De Roon and Sead Kolasinac are both out of the running.
On the other hand, Torino performed admirably to defeat AC Milan 3-1 over the weekend, maintaining their hopes of qualifying for the Conference League. The away team is ninth in the league, currently sitting just one point behind Fiorentina for the final European spot. After UEFA awarded Italy an additional spot, the side that finishes eighth in Serie A this season will be eligible to play in the Conference League.
The possible line-ups are:
Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi - Scalvini, Djimsiti, Hien - Zappacosta, Pasalic, José, Ruggeri - Koopmeiners, De Ketelaere - Gianluca Scamacca
Torino (3-4-1-2): Milinković-Savić - Vojvoda, Buongiorno, Masina - Bellanova, Tameze, Ilić, Rodriguez - Ricci - Pellegri, Zapata
Atalanta's home form has been remarkable this season. We predict this to continue this weekend with a narrow win against Torino.
Our prediction: Atalanta to win
Image credit: football-italia.net
PREDICTION: KAISERSLAUTERN VS BAYER LEVERKUSEN
DFB-POKAL, 25 MAY @ 18:00 GMT
Bayer Leverkusen have an opportunity to recover from their Europa League Final setback and earn a domestic double on Sunday's DFB Pokal final. They are heavy favourites to win against second-tier Kaiserslautern.
Kaiserslautern's 2 Bundesliga finish was a pitiful 13th. They barely defeated Cologne in the first round of the Cup before defeating Hertha Berlin and Nurnberg, two teams in the second division, in the quarterfinals and last sixteen, respectively. In the semi-finals, they went on to overcome Saarbrucken, the 3 Liga giant-killers.
After losing to an Atalanta masterclass in Dublin, Xabi Alonso and his team ended their undefeated season, but it was probably fortunate that the record had held up for so long. But they can still proudly claim to have clinched the top-flight title without a single defeat and could now become just the sixth side in history to win the German domestic double.
The possible line-ups are:
Kaiserslautern (3-4-1-2): Krahl - Toure, Tomiak, Kraus - Ronstadt, Raschl, Kaloc, Puchacz – Ritter - Ache, Hanslik
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1): Hradecky - Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba - Frimpong, Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo - Tella, Wirtz 2 Boniface
The Red Devils will undoubtedly fight hard and can rely on their propensity for reaching the back of the net. But Leverkusen have scored at least three goals in nine different matches since the end of the winter window.
Our prediction: Over 3.5 goals
Image credit: footballwhispers.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS MANCHESTER UNITED
FA CUP FINAL, 25 MAY @ 14:00 GMT
Manchester City and Manchester United will fight at Wembley in the FA Cup final for the second consecutive season. The Red Devils need to win to guarantee European football for the upcoming campaign, while the Citizens want to clinch the double.
Manchester City come into this game, fresh off the back of winning a record-breaking fourth Premier League title in a row. Having won 29 of their past 35 games in all competitions, Pep Guardiola's club has been all but untouchable (six draws). This remarkable run has surpassed the record previously held by their current opponents, and is the longest by an English team in the Premier League era.
Man United, with their 2-0 victory at Brighton last Saturday, ended yet another subpar Premier League campaign. After losing a 3-0 lead against Coventry, Erik ten Hag's team will feel lucky to have advanced to this year's FA Cup final and win on penalties.
The possible line-ups are:
Manchester City: Ortega, Gvardiol, Akanji, Dias, Walker, Rodri, Foden, De Bruyne, Silva, Doku, Haaland
Manchester United: Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Martinez, Dalot, Mainoo, Amrabat, Diallo, Garnacho, McTominay, and Fernandes
In all competitions, Man City has defeated Manchester United six times in a row, and Pep Guardiola's team has won four of those six games while maintaining a clean sheet.
Our prediction: Manchester City to win-to-nil
Image credit: independent.co.uk
PREDICTION: GENOA VS BOLOGNA
SERIE A, 24 MAY @ 18:45 GMT
Bologna will aim to finish their Serie A season on a positive note against Genoa, having confirmed their participation in the Champions League for the upcoming campaign.
The hosts will start the matchday 38 from the 11th position. Genoa isn't going to go higher than this, but they need to win to avoid depending on Monza's result. They were defeated 1-0 by Roma in the previous round, although they have been playing well lately. Prior to this setback, they had won 2 and drawn 1 game. They have now only lost 2 of their previous 9 games, winning 3 and drawing 4. On home soil they have consecutive wins over Cagliari and Sassuolo.
In their most recent league game, Bologna and Juventus tied 3-3, extending their unbeaten streak to 9 games. They have secured their place in the top five and their first qualification in the European Champions League since 1964. With only one loss in their last 17 league games, they have shown themselves to be a formidable opponent in recent weeks.
The possible line-ups are:
Genoa (3-5-2): Martinez - Vogliacco, Vasquez, De Winter - Spence, Strootman, Frendrup, Badelj, Martin - Gudmundsson, Retegui
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski - Posch, Lucumi, Calafiori, Kristiansen - Aebischer, Freuler - Odgaard, Urbanski, Ndoye – Castro
Considering Bologna’s strong defensive record and Genoa’s recent form, betting on under 2.5 goals seems reasonable.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: dynamo.kiev.ua
PREDICTION: INTER MILAN VS LAZIO ROMA
SERIE A, 19 MAY @ 16:00 GMT
Inter will play Lazio in a Serie A match at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, on May 19. Lazio are in seventh place in the league with 59 points, while Inter are the new champions leading the league with 92 points.
Inter Milan still have an opportunity to record another achievement this season. The Nerazurri need to win both of their final games against Lazio and Hellas Verona in order to tie the club record of 97 points, which they are seeking.
Lazio can theoretically still qualify for the Champions League the next season, although it is seen as extremely unlikely given Atalanta's four-point lead with one game remaining. Whatever happens on Sunday, Lazio will definitely play in the Europa League the following year. The away side would still want to finish ahead of local rivals Roma who are only a point ahead.
The possible line-ups are:
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Sommer - Bisseck, De Vrij, Carlos Augusto - Darmian, Frattesi, Asllani, Barella, Dimarco - Thuram, Martinez
Lazio (3-4-2-1): Mandas - Patric, Casale, Hysaj - Lazzari, Guendouzi, Kamada, Marusic - Felipe Anderson, Zaccagni - Immobile
Inter have been magnificent in this season and will want to finish in the same spirit especially in their final home game. Although Lazio has improved, they still lack the flow that Igor Tudor is looking for. Therefore we believe Inter are clear favourites.
Our prediction: Inter to win
Image credit: serpentsofmadonnina.com
PREDICTION: BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION VS MANCHESTER UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE, 19 MAY @ 15:00 GMT
Though it appears to be a tough test for Erik ten Hag's team, Manchester United travels to Brighton on Sunday knowing they may advance to Europe the following season if they surpass Newcastle's result.
After losing to Chelsea 1-2 in their most recent Premier League match, Brighton will be trying to do better here. The Seagulls can only place tenth overall, but a loss on the last day of the season may cause the hosts to tumble as many as three spots. Brighton haven't demonstrated defensive sturdiness in many games recently. In five of their previous six matches, their defence was penetrated, allowing 11 goals to be scored.
The Red Devils defeated Newcastle 3-2 on Wednesday night, to maintain their three-point deficit with Chelsea in sixth position as they look to finish in the top six. Albion has defeated the Red Devils in all four of their recent league meetings, winning the reverse match 3-1. However, last season, United defeated the Seagulls in the FA Cup semifinals on penalties.
The possible line-ups are:
Brighton (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen - Lamptey, Webster, Dunk, Igor - Groß, Gilmour - Buonanotte, Enciso, Adingra - Pedro
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Onana - Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Martínez, Dalot - Eriksen, McTominay - Matheus, Fernandes, Garnacho – Højlund
Brighton have won their last four Premier League games against Manchester United. The Reds are winless in five on the road, losing three of those games.
Our prediction: Brighton to win
Image credit: sussexexpress.co.uk
PREDICTION: HOFFENHEIM VS BAYERN MUNICH
BUNDESLIGA, 18 MAY @ 13:30 GMT
Bayern Munich travel to Hoffenheim on Saturday for their season finale, where they want to secure a second-place finish. This could be Thomas Tuchel's last game as head coach of the team.
One spot behind the leader of the table, Bayern Munich have claimed 72 points after 33 rounds. In their past three games Bayern Munich has defeated Wolfsburg 2-0 and lost to VfB Stuttgart and Real Madrid by scores of 3-1 and 2-1, respectively. The Bavarians record in their last six away Bundesliga games is two wins, one draw and three losses. There were 17 goals scored and 14 goals given up in these games.
In their last three games, Hoffenheim have earned four points. They lost 3-2 to Bochum, then drew 1-1 with RB Leipzig. The most recent game saw them beat Darmstadt 0–6. A win over Bayern Munich will see Hoffenheim book their spot in European competitions,
The possible line-ups are:
Hoffenheim (3-4-1-2): Baumann - Grillitsch, Akpoguma, Kabak - Kaderabek, Stach, Promel, Bulter – Kramaric - Bebou, Beier
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Kimmich, De Ligt, Dier, Mazraoui - Laimer, Goretzka - Zvonarek, Muller, Davies – Tel
Hoffenheim have won three of their last five home league games also drawing 1-1. They have avoided defeat in two of their last four meetings with Bayern and they can do so again.
Our prediction: Hoffenheim not to lose
Image credit: bavarianfootballworks.com
PREDICTION: FIORENTINA VS NAPOLI
SERIE A, 17 MAY @ 18:45 GMT
Fiorentina and Napoli, separated by just one spot and 2 points in the Serie A rankings, will play a thrilling match on Friday at Artemio Franchi.
Following a 2-1 victory over Monza, Fiorentina has strengthened their bid to finish in the European spots. They can still make it to Europe through the Conference League, where they are in the final, but a victory over their rival Napoli will guarantee their spot in the top eight. 'Viola' have 3 victories in their past 5 games and at this location, they have won 4 of their past 5 matches.
Napoli's attempts to qualify for Europe have become increasingly futile. The visitors have lost 2 and drawn 3 of their last 5 league games, going winless. This includes their most recent 2-0 loss to Bologna, meaning they have only triumphed in 1 of their last 10 games. Napoli's away performance is much worse; in their last 13 travels, they have only triumphed twice. 7 of those were losses, while 4 were draws.
The possible line-ups are:
Fiorentina (4-2-3-1): Terraciano - Kayode, Martinez Quarta, Milenkovic, Biraghi - Mandragora, Arthur - Gonzalez, Barak, Castrovilli - Beltran
Napoli (4-3-3): Meret - Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Olivera - Cajuste, Lobotka, Anguissa - Politano, Raspadori, Kvaratskhelia
Although we see a tight encounter, the potential absence of Osimhen could be a major blow for Napoli.
Our prediction: Fiorentina to win
Image credit: english.news.cn
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 12 MAY @ 15:30 GMT
In a pivotal match for both the championship race and European football, Arsenal travels up north to face rivals Manchester United. The Gunners know victory is essential if they are to keep their Premier League title hopes alive.
Manchester United could miss out on European competition next season after their appalling 4-0 loss against Crystal Palace on Monday. They are currently eighth, following Chelsea’s victory last weekend, and they trail the Blues on goal difference. Erik ten Hag's team has only won once in their previous 7 games. In the recent head-to-head encounters, The Reds have suffered 3 defeats in the last 6 matches against Arsenal.
Arsenal's comfortable win over Bournemouth maintained their narrow one-point advantage over Manchester City at the top of the table, making it 4 wins on the bounce. Despite being overwhelming favourites to win, the Gunners have only left once with all 3 points in their previous 16 visits to Old Trafford, a stretch that also includes 10 losses.
The possible line-ups are:
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Onana – Wan-Bisaaka, Casemiro, Evans, Dalot – McTominay, Mainoo – Anthony, Fernandes, Garnacho – Højlund
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya – Tomiyasu, Magalhaes, Saliba, White – Rice, Partey, Ødegaar – Torossard, Havertz, Saka
Arsenal, who have won all four of their prior Premier League games by a combined score of 13-2, will be itching to make another big statement in this match.
Our prediction: Arsenal win & Both teams to score
Image credit: arsenal.com
PREDICTION: ATALANTA VS AS ROMA
SERIE A, 12 MAY @ 18:45 GMT
Atalanta, currently ranked fifth in Serie A, will take on Roma, currently in sixth, on May 12, at Gewiss Stadium. With 60 points apiece, both teams are level in the standings, demonstrating the league's competitive balance. A spot in the Champions League will be at stake when the two teams meet.
In the most recent game 'The Orobici' came from behind to beat rock-bottom Salernitana with 2-1. But Atalanta hasn't demonstrated their defensive prowess very frequently lately. The Nerazzurri's defence has been breached in five of their last six games, resulting in five goals being conceded.
Conversely, the Giallorossi enter the game coming off a 1-1 draw with Juventus. Considering their current play, Roma has allowed goals in 6 of their previous 6 games, totalling 10 goals conceded. Roma can definitely do better on defence. Prior to this game, Roma have not been beaten in their last 7 league matches away from home.
The possible line-ups are:
Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi - Scalvini, Hien, De Roon - Hateboer, José, Pasalic, Zappacosta - Miranchuk, Lookman – Scamacca
AS Roma (4-2-3-1): Svilar - Kristensen, NDicka, Llorente, Angeliño - Cristante, Paredes - Pellegrini, Dybala, Baldanzi – Lukaku
The games between Atalanta and AS Roma have been very balanced in the recent years. It is very likely that there will be goals in this match, and the match could end in a draw.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: chiesaditotti.com
PREDICTION: MAINZ 05 VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND
BUNDESLIGA, 11 MAY @ 16:30 GMT
Borussia Dortmund and Mainz 05 will square off in Round 33 of the Bundesliga on Saturday at MEWA Arena. With two games remaining the home team is in danger of relegation.
Die Nullfunfer have drawn their past three league games, but they could get out of the relegation zone if they defeat Borussia. However, it should be mentioned that Mainz hasn't triumphed over Die Schwarzgelben in the Bundesliga since June 2020. Although Still, under Bo Henriksen they showed remarkable improvement resulting in a seven-game undefeated streak.
On the other side, the Yellow-Blacks enter the game after their Champions League win with PSG. With that, Edin Terzic’s team secured a Champions League spot for the next term before the Bundesliga season concluded. However, BVB will aim to get a revenge for the last season's defeat, when Mainz kept Dortmund to a draw in the final game, sending Bayern Munich the Bundesliga title.
The possible line-ups are:
Mainz (3-4-2-1): Zentner – Hanches-Olsen, Berg, Kohr – Costa, Amiri, Barreiro, Caci – Richter, Jae-Sung – Burkardt
Dortmund (4-2-3-1): Kobel – Maatsen, Schlotterbeck, Sule, Wolf -Özcan, Nmecha – Bynoe-Gittens, Reus, Malen – Moukoko
Given that Mainz 05 has recently settled for a point in multiple recent games, we are going with a draw. Borussia Dortmund might be content to return home with a point.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: beinsports.com
PREDICTION: DEPORTIVO ALAVES VS GIRONA
LA LIGA, 10 MAY @ 19:00 GMT
On Friday night, Alaves will take on Girona at the Mendizorroza Arena in the opening game of the 35th Round of La Liga.
Alaves, who are presently ranked eleventh, are likely to place among the midtable teams at the end of the La Liga season. The team has been playing brilliantly and is in great form after the last three games. They won their last games against Valencia and Celta Vigo, following another thrilling victory over Atletico Madrid, which was perhaps their best performance of the year.
Girona's season has been fantastic as they have qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history. Although The White & Reds were for many rounds at the top of the table, they somehow failed to keep on track. In the most recent game, they achieved an amazing victory over Barcelona 4-2. Following this result they are on course to place in the top three at the end of the season.
The possible line-ups are:
Alaves (4-2-3-1): Sivera - Marin, Abqar, Tenaglia, J Lopez - Benavidez, Blanco - Vicente, Guridi, Simeone - Kike Garcia
Girona (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga - E Garcia, D Lopez, Blind, Gutierrez - Herrera, A Garcia - Tsyhankov, Martin, Portu – Dovbyk
Girona in slightly favourite in this match. But Alaves is strong on home soil and we believe they have every chance of avoiding defeat in this match.
Our prediction: Alaves not to lose
Image credit: chinadailyhk.com
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS ASTON VILLA
PREMIER LEAGUE, 14 APRIL @ 15:30 GMT
With seven games left in the Premier League, Arsenal will host Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday as they continue their run for the championship.
The Gunners lead Manchester City by one point and rivals Liverpool by one goal differential. In mid-week Arsenal have drawn 2-2 with Bayern Munich, in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. This have kept Arsenal unbitten in eight games across all competitions. Arsenal are fortunate to play an Aston Villa squad who met Lille on Thursday in the Europa Conference League, which gave The Gunners have two extra days to recover.
Aston Villa defeated Arsenal 1-0 at home earlier in the season, in the reverse game. However, since then, things have taken a turn for the worst as the Villans have only triumphed once in their previous seven games across all competitions. They have also had a really dismal record in this fixture, dropping nine of their previous 11 games at the Emirates.
The possible line-ups are:
Arsenal (4-3-3): David Raya - Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Oleksandr Zinchenko - Martin Ødegaard, Jorginho, Declan Rice - Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus.
Aston Villa (4-4-2): Emiliano Martinez - Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos, Pau Francisco Torres, Lucas Digne - Leon Bailey, John McGinn, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers - Ollie Watkins, Jhon Durán
With five more clean sheets than any other team in the league, Arsenal boasts the greatest defense in the competition. In order to maintain their title challenge, The Gunners should outshine Villa.
Our prediction: Under 3.5 goals
Image credit: independent.co.uk
PREDICTION: TORINO VS JUVENTUS
SERIE A, 13 APRIL @ 16:00 GMT
The Turin derby will be played in the 32nd round of Serie A. Torino will host Juventus on their turf, with the Old Lady seeking to continue their long city dominance.
With 44 points from 31 games, Torino is presently a strong mid-table competitor in Serie A. Torino is now four 4 behind the 7th spot and 6 points behind the 6th, but still has a chance to qualify for Europe. Nevertheless, Torino lost to Empoli 2-3 in the prior encounter. The Turin team has won 2, drawn 2, and lost 1 of their previous 5 games.
The Bianconeri have 62 points from 31 games, good for 3rd place in Serie A. Juventus are now behind by 6 points from 2nd spot and 4 points clear from the 4th spot. Juventus have won twice, drawn twice, and lost once in their last 5 meetings.
The possible line-ups are:
Torino (3-4-1-2): Milinkovic-Savic - Tameze, Buongiorno, Rodriguez - Bellanova, Linetty, Ricci, Lazaro – Vlasic - Sanabria, Zapata
Juventus (3-5-2): Szczesny - Gatti, Bremer, Danilo - Cambiaso, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic - Chiesa, Vlahovic
Juventus defeated Torino 2-0 in the current Serie A season's reverse game. Juventus hasn't scored more than 3 goals in each of the previous 4 games. Torino has conceded in their last 23 matches against Juventus, and moreover, Torino hasn't won against Juventus in their last 17 encounters.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: blackwhitereadallover.com
PREDICTION: ATLETICO MADRID VS GIRONA
LA LIGA, 13 APRIL @ 12:00 GMT
Atletico Madrid and Girona will play at the Metropolitano stadium on Saturday, April 13. Given their most recent home loss, this is a huge match for the home team. Since Athletic Bilbao is only two points behind of them in fifth and a loss might jeopardize their hold on fourth place.
Atletico are in fourth place with 58 points going into this round, while Girona are in third place with 65 points. In their Champions League midweek fixture, Atletico defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 to record their third victory in four games.
After losing their most recent league game at this location, this will be their opportunity to turn things around. Atletico's 3-0 loss to Barcelona in March stands as their only defeat, after winning 13 and drawing one of their 15 home league games this season.
Girona won the reverse fixture 3-2, with a goal in stoppage time. But their form has significantly decreased since the new year, so that they would want to repeat turn things around. They have only won three of their previous eight games, drew one and lost four.
In the previous round Girona have won 3-2 over Real Betis. Barcelona is only two points ahead in second position, so there's even more motivation to perform well.
The possible line-ups are:
Atletico Madrid (3-5-2): Oblak - Savic, Gimenez, Azpilicueta - Riquelme, Llorente, Koke, Saul, Lino - Griezmann, Morata
Girona (3-4-3): Gazzaniga - E Garcia, D Lopez, Blind - Couto, Herrera, A Garcia, Gutierrez - Tsyhankov, Dovbyk, Savio
We think Atletico Madrid will win this match. Despite Girona's three straight victories in La Liga, Atletico's home record this year indicates they will probably lose in Madrid.
Our prediction: Atletico Madrid to win
Image credit: intothecalderon.com
PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE VS TOTTENHAM
PREMIER LEAGUE, 13 APRIL @ 11:30 GMT
This weekend, Tottenham and Newcastle play each other in the Premier League in an attempt to maintain their chances of qualifying for Europe. With the chase for the top four, Spurs are now in the lead.
Spurs' victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday night maintains them ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference, but more importantly, they still have a game in hand. Postecoglou will be anxious to make sure his squad is not depending on a coefficient they have little control over, even though fifth place would still be sufficient to earn a Champions League spot.
On the other side, Newcastle have been playing well since coming back from the international break. Eddie Howe's team defeated Fulham on Saturday to make it two wins out of three, even though they are still not quite convincing as they aim to qualify for the Europa League.
The possible line-ups are:
Newcastle United (4-3-3): Dubravka - Krafth, Schar, Burn, Hall - Longstaff, Guimaraes, Anderson - Barnes, Isak, Gordon
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1): Vicario - Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie - Bentancur, Bissouma - Johnson, Maddison, Werner – Son
Although Newcastle might be a much tougher nut to crack, and their record on Tyneside is good, Spurs have the means to punish a haphazard backline as The Magpies are leaking goals left, right, and centre.
Our prediction: Tottenham to win
Image credit: caughtoffside.com
PREDICTION: BRIGHTON VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 6 APRIL @ 17:30 GMT
Arsenal will head to the Amex to play Brighton on Saturday night, knowing how important it is to make another title statement.
Brighton has had difficulties lately, as evidenced by their 9th-place ranking in the league standings. In their last seven games, they have only managed to win two. The team recovered from their previous match's loss to Liverpool to tie Brentford scoreless. In order to compete for positions in Europe, De Zerbi must make sure that his team plays consistently.
After bouncing back with a mid-week win against Luton, the Gunners need another win to avoid being overtaken, though getting one against a strong Brighton team will not be easy. Arteta's squad has been playing some amazing football lately, going undefeated in their past six games. But they need to win every game in order to take home the championship this season since the race for the title is becoming hotter.
The possible line-ups are:
Brighton & Hove Albion (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen - Lamptey, Dunk, Van Hecke, Estupinan - Baleba, Gross - Adingra, Moder, Enciso - Welbeck
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya - White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior - Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice - Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Arsenal with their incredible run of form will be strong favourites for this match.
Under 2.5 goals have been scored in three of Brighton's last four matches as well as in each of Arsenal's last three fixtures.
Our prediction: Arsenal to win & Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: 90mins.com
PREDICTION: AS ROMA VS LAZIO
SERIE A, 6 APRIL @ 16:00 GMT
On Saturday afternoon in Matchday No. 31, fierce city rivals AS Roma and Lazio will square off in the last Derby della Capitale of the season at Stadio Olimpico.
Roma currently holds the 5th position in the standings with 52 points.Since De Rossi's arrival, Roma has shifted to an offensively style of play. However, with only 1 goal in their past 3 games, their scoring efficiency has declined in recent games. But 'I Giallorossi' are still pursuing Bologna in an attempt to finish in 4th place and earn a position in the Champions League for the upcoming campaign.
Lazio are following closely their bitter rivals being in 7th place with 46 points. Under the recently appointed manager Igor Tudor, Lazio surprised many with their tactical setup in their very first match, a victory against Juventus. The goal for the club is to get into the European tournaments zone. Lazio are still playing in the Coppa Italia, where they will take on Juventus in the hopes of qualifying for the championship.
The possible line-ups are:
AS Roma (4-3-3): Mile Svilar - Rick Karsdorp, Gianluca Mancini, Diego Llorente, Angeliño - Bryan Cristante, Leandro Paredes, Lorenzo Pellegrini - Paulo Dybala, Romelu Lukaku, Stephan El Shaarawy
Lazio (3-4-2-1): Christos Mandas - Mario Gila, Alessio Romagnoli, Nicolò Casale - Adam Marusic, Matteo Guendouzi, Danilo Cataldi, Felipe Anderson - Luis Alberto, Mattia Zaccagni - Ciro Immobile
It's unlikely that we'll see many goals in this match. This clash has produced three 1-0 wins and a 0-0 draw in the last four meetings.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: chiesaditotti.com
PREDICTION: UNION BERLIN VS BAYER LEVERKUSEN
BUNDESLIGA, 6 APRIL @ 16:30 GMT
Bayer Leverkusen will look to make a significant advancement toward winning the Bundesliga, when they travel to Union Berlin. The hosts will begin this 28 matchday at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Saturday, from 12th place with 29 points, while the visitors are atop with 73 points.
Union Berlin, which placed in the top 4 the previous season, had a dismal start to the season and spent a considerable amount of time in the relegation zone. But since Nenad Bjelica assumed the position of head coach, Berlin's situation have much improved. They currently sit in 12th place with a 9-point advantage over the relegation zone, a reasonably comfortable lead with just 7 rounds left.
In the previous round, Bayer secured a narrow victory over Hoffenheim (2-1) in the final minutes. Die Werkself are getting ready for the celebration in honor of the club's first-ever championship, as they currently lead 13 points over Bayern Munich. In other competitions, Bayer are also doing well. Habi Alonso's team defeated Fortuna Düsseldorf (4-0) on Wednesday in the German Cup semi-finals, and they will play the modest Kaiserslautern in the final.
The possible line-ups are:
Union Berlin (3-1-4-2): Ronnow - Doekhi, Vogt, Leite – Khedira - Trimmel, Tousart, Schafer, Gosens - Vertessen, Volland
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1): Hradecky - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie - Frimpong, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo - Hofmann, Wirtz – Schick
Bayer Leverkusen have won their last 8 Bundesliga matches. This season, Leverkusen have scored more than 2.5 goals in 74% of its league games.
Our prediction: Leverkusen to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: sportskeeda.com
PREDICTION: LILLE VS OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE
LIGUE 1, 5 APRIL @ 20:00 GMT
Marseille, who have lost their last three games badly, will travel to northern France for the match against Lille in an attempt to get back into the Champions League qualifying race. The game takes place at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium on Friday night, in front of over 50,000 spectators.
With three points more than Monaco, Lille is now in fourth position. Lille defeated Lens in a derby that was very important in the previous round. Following the match against Marseille, Lille will be preparing for the quarter-finals of the Conference League against Aston Villa.
Marseille's performance has improved since Gennaro Gattuso was fired. Seventy-year-old Jean-Louis Gasset gave Marseille the boost they needed, and today they are in seventh position, three points out of the European competition zone. Nevertheless, Marseille has lost its last two games. They lost 0–2 away to Rennes in their debut match, and 0–2 this past weekend in Le Classique against PSG.
The possible line-ups are:
Lille (4-3-3): Chevalier - Santos, Diakite, Yoro, Ismaily - Gudmundsson, Andre, Bentaleb - Zhegrova, David, Haraldsson
Marseille (4-3-3): Lopez - Garcia, Balerdi, Gigot, Merlin - Veretout, Gueye, Harit - Henrique, Ndiaye, Aubameyang
After dropping their first 3 games, Lille has won their following 6 matches in all competitions. On their home field, they have not lost since September.
On the other side, Marseille has lost 3 straight games after winning their prior 5. They could see a defeat here given they have only triumphed once in their last seven road games.
Our prediction: Lille to win
Image credit: reuters.com
PREDICTION: INTER MILAN VS NAPOLI
SERIE A, 17 MARCH @ 19:45 GMT
The current league leaders and Serie A champions, Inter Milan and Napoli, square off on Sunday evening at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. In order to increase their lead at the top even more, the home team is looking for the three points.
Simone Inzaghi's team is having a fantastic season and leads by 16 points at the top. They have virtually assured themselves of their first league championship since 2021 with ten games left. Since Inter continues to win and the teams below them are displaying a lot of signs of inconsistency, it should not take long for their victory to be mathematically verified.
On the other side, Napoli, are eager to play in the Champions League for yet another season. The team led by Walter Mazzarri has recently shown signs of improvement. At the moment, they sit in seventh place, 4 points behind Roma in fifth and 3 points behind Bologna in fourth. They missed a chance to move up the table in their most recent encounter against Torino at home after the 1-1 draw.
The possible line-ups are:
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Yann Sommer - Benjamin Pavard, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni - Denzel Dumfries, Nicolò Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco - Marcus Thuram, Javier Martinez
Napoli (4-3-3): Alex Meret - Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Mathías Olivera - Andre Zambo Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka, Hamed Junior Traorè - Matteo Politano, Victor Osimhen, K. Kvaratskhelia
Taking into account Inter’s almost perfect home record (12 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss), we do not believe that the Napoli are capable of grabbing something from Sunday’s showdown.
Our prediction: Inter Milan to win
Image credit: dailysabah.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS NEWCASTLE
FA CUP, 16 MARCH @ 17:30 GMT
Manchester City will play Newcastle in their FA Cup championship defence as they continue to try to build on their incredible treble from the previous season.
Manchester City is playing fantastically. Pep Guardiola's club is only 1 point behind Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League standings and in 2024 and has not lost a game. In addition, the Citizens defeated Copenhagen in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. Last weekend Manchester City and Liverpool met to a dramatic 1-1 draw at Anfield. In the previous round of the English Cup, Erling Haaland scored 5 goals in the 6-2 defeat against Luton.
Newcastle has not had the same kind of success this season as they did last year. With their inconsistent play, Eddie Howe's club is now ranked tenth in the Premier League. Nevertheless, The Magpies still have a chance to play in the European competition. In the previous round Newcastle lost away at Chelsea 2-3. In the English Cup Round of 16, Newcastle narrowly overcame Blackburn from the Championship after penalty shoots.
The possible line-ups are:
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ortega - Walker, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol - Rodri, Kovacic - Bobb, Alvarez, Doku - Haaland
Newcastle United (4-3-3): Dubravka - Livramento, Schar, Botman, Burn - Longstaff, Guimaraes, Willock - Murphy, Isak, Almiron
Man City loves to score at the Etihad, especially in the FA Cup, and they are also very difficult to beat at home. With the exception of a 1-0 victory over Arsenal in their previous FA Cup home game, the Citizens have scored 3 goals or more in eleven of their previous 12 games.
Our prediction: Manchester City to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: actionnetwork.com
PREDICTION: LENS VS NICE
LIGUE 1, 16 MARCH @ 20:00 GMT
In Saturday's Ligue 1 match, at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, a Lens team looking for their third straight victory hosts a Nice team coming off their third straight defeat. Lens is currently on the 5th place in the league standings, just ahead of 6th-placed Nice by 2 points.
In the previous round Lens strengthened their top-four hopes with a 1-0 victory over second-placed Brest. As the exciting race for Champions League football intensifies, Les Sang et Or, who finished February with four games without a win before winning their first two games in March, are also only four points behind second-place Brest. Five of their last seven Ligue 1 games have now resulted in victories.
On the other side, Nice, have lost to Paris Saint-Germain in their previous match in the Coupe De France, and will be looking to get back on track in this game. They have not won in Ligue 1 since the end of January, and didn't obtain any victory since crushing Montpellier HSC 4-1 in the Coupe de France on February 7.
The possible line-ups are:
Lens (3-4-1-2): Samba - Medina, Danso, Gradit - Aguilar, El Aynaoui, Mendy, Frankowski - Pereira da Costa - Sotoca, Wahi
Nice (4-3-3): Bulka - Lotomba, Todibo, Dante, Bard - Claude-Maurice, Rosario, Thuram - Laborde, Moffi, Boga
Nice will have a tough ask to be putting a goal past this RC Lens outfit who we expect to win. We also reckon will be under 3.5 goals scored.
Our prediction: Lens to win & Under 3.5 goals
Image credit: dailysports.net
PREDICTION: FC KOLN VS RB LEIPZIG
BUNDESLIGA, 15 MARCH @ 19:30 GMT
FC Koln and RB Leipzig will square off in the 26th Round of Bundesliga, on Friday night at RheinEnergieStadion. With 18 points from 25 games, the hosts will start this game in the only relegation playoff slot, while the visitors, with 46 points from the same amount of games, are in fifth place.
FC Koln are only two points above Mainz, who are second from bottom in the standings at the moment. The possibility of Die Geißböcke finishing the season in the bottom two is very real. They will head into this match on the back of a 3-3 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach on travel. This came after a 2-0 defeat with Bayer Leverkusen in the league which followed a 1-1 draw with VfB Stuttgart away.
Last season, RB Leipzig finished third in the Bundesliga standings. This year it's difficult to see them end the campaign at that height. They are currently in fifth place, one point behind fourth-place Borussia Dortmund and seven points behind third-place VfB Stuttgart. Leipzig comes into this game after a 2-0 league home victory over Darmstadt 98. That followed a 1-1 draw in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Real Madrid, which saw them get knocked out 2-1 on aggregate.
The possible line-ups are:
FC Koln (4-2-3-1): Schwaebe - Carstensen, Chabot, Heintz, Finkgrafe - Martel, Huseinbasic - Alidou, Kainz, Maina - Adamyan
RB Leipzig (4-4-2): Gulacsi - Henrichs, Orban, Lukeba, Raum - Elmas, Kampl, Schlager, Simons - Poulsen, Openda
Koln are on a five-game winless streak while Leipzig won 2 of their last 3 games. Four of the last six games between the two teams have produced over 2.5 goals.
Our prediction: RB Leipzig to win and Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: xinhuanet.com
PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE, 10 MARCH @ 15:45 GMT
Liverpool- Manchester City is the most important match of the season at least until the end of the month when ‘The Citizens’ will host Arsenal at the Etihad stadium. The race for the championship is intensifying, and the match at Anfield is a tremendous football match.
The two clubs played 1-1 in the reverse encounter, and at the time, it felt like a fair outcome. The stakes are much higher now, and the outcome has the potential to have a significant impact on the title fight.
With five straight wins under its belt and a 1-0 victory against Chelsea in the Cup final, Liverpool is dominating its opponents. Even though ‘The Reds’ game is not without a flops, they always manage to hang in and earn three points. This was particularly true in the most recent Premier League game, a 90+9 minutes late win over Nottingham.
Manchester City has an even more remarkable streak with 19 straight wins. The Citizens have a winning record of two games and a draw in their last three meetings against Liverpool. This season, City wants to build on its success from the previous one, when they won the Premier League and the Champions League. Pep Guardiola has a great opportunity to close the one-point deficit with Liverpool in this game and take the lead in the standings.
The possible line-ups are:
Liverpool (4-3-3): Caoimhin Kelleher - Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson - Alexis Mac Allister, Joe Gomez, Bobby Clark - Harvey Elliot, Cody Gakpo, Luis Díaz.
Manchester City (4-1-4-1): Ederson - Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Aké – Rodri - Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Jérémy Doku - Erling Haaland.
There aren't any obvious weak points on either squad, and the coaches are aware of each other's strategies. The draw appears quite likely since both clubs nearly precisely balance each other in all field zones, with City's only advantage being Alisson's injury.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: marca.com
PREDICTION: BOLOGNA VS INTER MILAN
SERIE A, 9 MARCH @ 17:00 GMT
Bologna will welcome Inter Milan at the Renato Dall’Ara on Saturday night, in an attempt to stop the winning run of the Serie A leader.
Ahead of this weekend the visitors lead the field with 72 points, while the hosts are in fourth place with 51 points. Bologna leads fifth-place Roma by four points in the Champions League qualifying race, which shows how strong they have been this season.
The hosts have won their last six Serie A games and have improved their scoring record, scoring 16 goals in those games. In the previous round the Rossoblu beat Atalanta, after a stirring second-half comeback thanks to the goals scored by Joshua Zirkzee and Lewis Ferguson.
In the reverse game Bologna held Inter to a 2-2 draw, which makes it two wins and a draw from their last four games against Saturday’s visitors.
With a 15-point advantage over second place Juventus, Inter is looking extremely strong. The visitors have won their past 12 competitive games, which puts them in fantastic form going into this match. They have won 13 of their past 14 league games and drew one. The Nerazzurri’s road record in Serie A has been equally impressive, with 11 victories and 2 draws thus far this season.
The possible line-ups are:
Bologna (4-1-4-1): Skorupski - Posch, Beukema, Calafiori, Kristiansen – Freuler - Orsolini, Ferguson, Fabbian, Saelemaekers - Zirkzee
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Sommer - Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni - Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco - Thuram, Martinez
This matchup pits Italy's two best teams against each other right now. However, we must give Inter Milan the advantage as they are having a fantastic season. Also, both Bologna and Inter Milan have been scoring for fun lately and therefore we expect to see plenty of goals.
Our prediction: Inter Milan to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: serpentsofmadonnina.com
PREDICTION: BARCELONA VS MALLORCA
LA LIGA, 8 MARCH @ 20:00 GMT
Barcelona welcome Mallorca at Estadi Olimpic Lluis in the opening match of the 28th Round of La Liga on Friday night.
Barcelona are currently in 3rd place in La Liga, 8 points behind the leaders Real Madrid. They head into this game coming off the back of a 0-0 tied result vs Athletic Bilbao. Under normal conditions, that was a fair outcome, but the Basques had only played in the cup three days prior, and they had made seven changes.
Mallorca occupy 15th position, eight points ahead of the relegation zone. They come into this encounter following a 1-0 La Liga win with the downing of Girona FC in their previous fixture. When the teams faced off earlier in the season, Mallorca managed to hold Barcelona to a 2-2 draw, and Javier Aguirre's team will be coming into this game fresh off a run of wins.
The possible line-ups are:
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen - Kounde, Cubarsi, I Martinez, Cancelo - Gundogan, Christensen, F Lopez - Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha
Mallorca (5-3-2): Rajkovic - Gonzalez, Valjent, Raillo, Copete, Lato - A Sanchez, S Costa, D Rodriguez - Muriqi, Larin
Barcelona is capable of making a lot of their shots on goal count. On the other side, Mallorca might find it difficult to score a goal of their own.
Our prediction: Barcelona to win and Under 3.5 goals
Image credit: barcablaugranes.com
PREDICTION: STUTTGART VS UNION BERLIN
BUNDESLIGA, 8 MARCH @ 19:30 GMT
Stuttgart takes on Union Berlin at MHP Arena on Friday looking to make it seven straight games without a loss in the Bundesliga. The host are unbeaten across their last six league matches, winning five and drawing one.
Stuttgart will look to put pressure on the Bundesliga’s top two with a win on Friday night. They are currently in third place with 50 point, 4 points behind Bayern Munich. The Reds have been impressive at home this season, having gained 29 points from 12 matches. Now they will be hosting Union Berlin, a team that in 2023–24 has only won twice while playing in the league.
Union is only three points ahead of 11th-place Heidenheim, but they are eight points above the relegation zone. In spite of their most recent 2-0 loss to Dortmund, they have actually been playing better lately. Union has won two of their last five games by a score of 1-0, giving them eight points.
The possible line-ups are:
Stuttgart (3-4-3): Nubel - Rouault, Anton, Ito - Vagnoman, Karazor, Stiller, Mittelstadt - Millot, Guirassy, Fuhrich
Union Berlin (3-5-2): Ronnow - Doekhi, Leite, Vogt - Juranovic, Tousart, Khedira, Schafer, Gosens - Volland, Hollerbach
Union Berlin has just lost one of their previous five Bundesliga games, but they will be up against a strong Stuttgart team. The hosts are currently winning a lot of games, so we anticipate them to score three more points.
Our prediction: Stuttgart to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: allfootballapp.com
PREDICTION: VALENCIA VS REAL MADRID
LA LIGA, 2 MARCH @ 20:00 GMT
Valencia will be looking to win at home for the second time in a row against Real Madrid when the two teams square off in La Liga this Saturday.
Real won the reverse game 5-1 and will be also aiming to win against Valencia for just the second time in the past ten years. Ahead of this game, the hosts are 9th in the table with 36 points and a game in hand, while the visitors are leaders with 65 points.
Valencia are winless in their last two league outings, failing to score in these games. They were held to a goalless draw in their previous away game by Sevilla. Their league meeting against Granada last week was postponed following a deadly fire in the city.
In the previous round Real Madrid won against Sevilla 1-0 at home and extended their winning streak in all competitions to 8 games. In that match, Luka Modrić scored the game-winning goal in the 81st minute, just 5 minutes after coming off the bench.
The possible line-ups are:
Valencia (4-4-2): Mamardashvili - Foulquier, Diakhaby, Mosquera, Gaya - Perez, Pepelu, Guillamon, Guerra - Duro, Yaremchuk
Real Madrid (4-3-1-2): Lunin - Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy - Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga - Brahim - Rodrygo, Vinicius
Los Blancos have won 15 of their last 20 La Liga games and are undefeated. But Real have failed to score more than once in each of their last 3 games. Also in 67% of Valencia home league games this season have produced under 2.5 goals. Therefore we expect a narrow win for Real Madrid.
Our prediction: Real Madrid to win & Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: managingmadrid.com
PREDICTION: NOTTINGHAM FOREST VS LIVERPOOL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 2 MARCH @ 15:00 GMT
Nottingham Forest will play Liverpool on Saturday afternoon in an attempt to pick up three points in their fight for survival in the Premier League.
Liverpool has been playing fantastically this season and is presently leading the Premier League standings. The Merseyside giants will want to attain a similar result this weekend after easily defeating Southampton 3-0 in their previous match. The Reds won the reverse fixture at Anfield 3-0, but they are winless in their last 13 matches away from home against Nottingham in league competitions.
Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, has struggled so far this season and is currently ranked 17th in the league table. The host team will need to put in a lot of effort to win this game after suffering a tight 1-0 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup this week. The Tricky Trees are just 4 points clear of Luton Town having played a game more than the Hatters. Just one of their last six Premier League games has ended in victory.
The possible line-ups are:
Nottingham (4-2-3-10: Sels - Williams, Niakhate, Murillo, Toffolo - Danilo, Dominguez - Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi - Awoniyi
Liverpool (4-3-3): Kelleher - Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson - Elliott, Gomez, Mac Allister - Gakpo, Danns, Diaz
Liverpool have won five of their last six matches in all competitions and have scored three or more goals in four of their last six matches.
Our prediction: Liverpool to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: thisisanfield.com
PREDICTION: MONACO VS PSG
LIGUE 1, 1 MARCH @ 20:00 GMT
Monaco host Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 action on Friday at Stade Louis II in an attempt to win at home for the first time this year.
Last weekend, Monaco had a difficult match against RC Lens, eventually won 3-2, with a 92nd minute goal scored by Takumi Minamino. This has helped ‘Les Monegasques’ to move for the moment back into a Champions League spot. However, Adi Hutter's team has not won back-to-back Ligue 1 games since December 2023. Furthermore, Monaco's 3 Ligue 1 home games this season have yielded just 1 point, which is their lowest total since 1966.
On the other side, French powerhouse may pull 16 points clear of their next closest rivals, Monaco, with a victory on Friday and sit 11 points ahead of second place Brest. The current Ligue 1 champions defeated the Principality team 5-2 in their most recent meeting, despite the fact that the former has a great historical record in this matchup.
The possible line-ups are:
Monaco (4-3-1-2): Kohn - Singo, Maripan, Salisu, Ouattara - Minamino, Fofana, Diop – Golovin - Ben Yedder, Balogun
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Donnarumma - Hakimi, Pereira, Beraldo, Mendes - Vitinha, Ruiz, Kang-in - Dembele, Mbappe, Kolo Muani
Monaco have the power to put one past PSG, but this may not quite be enough to avoid defeat. We expect to see a very tight game with both teams scoring.
Our prediction: Both teams to score & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: portsadda.com
PREDICTION: LAZIO VS AC MILAN
SERIE A, 1 MARCH @ 19:45 GMT
The Italian football weekend begins on Friday as AC Milan travels to the capital to play Lazio in a matchup between two of the top four teams from the previous season in Serie A. The hosts are 8th in the table, with 40 points, while the visitors are in third place with 53 points.
In the previous round, Lazio lost 2-1 with Fiorentina. The ‘Biancocelesti’ needs to start playing more consistently as they are currently 4 points behind AS Roma, their bitter rivals, which are in 6th place. The Romans are hoping for a revenge after their 2-0 loss in the round game. On the bright side, they have the lovely memories of winning 4-0 here in the previous season.
In their preceding Serie A game, Milan draw 1-1 with Atalanta. With Juventus in second place just 4 points behind them, they will be eager to close the gap. However, the Rossoneri's return to winning form after losing a little rust in recent games is currently more crucial than that.
The possible line-ups are:
Lazio (4-3-3): Provedel - Lazzari, Casale, Romagnoli, Hysaj - Guendouzi, Cataldi, Luis Alberto - Isaksen, Immobile, Felipe Anderson
AC Milan (4-3-3): Maignan - Florenzi, Thiaw, Gabbia, Hernandez - Reijnders, Bennacer, Loftus-Cheek - Pulisic, Giroud, Rafael Leao
Lazio scored once in 3 of their last 4 matches. Milan notched exactly twice in 70% of their last 10 away games.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: thelaziali.com
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS NEWCASTLE UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE, 24 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Saturday night will see Arsenal returning to Premier League action as they host Newcastle at the Emirates.
Compared to their opponents, Arsenal will have less time to recover. Mikel Arteta's team was traveling to play FC Porto in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. The Gunners lost 1-0 overall before the home leg of the series after giving up the game's only goal in extra time. They now want to bounce back and build on their five-game winning streak in the EPL, which saw them score 21 goals.
On the other side, Newcastle United was not involved in any European competition during the midweek as their campaign came to an end in the group stages. The Magpies' most recent league matchup was against AFC Bournemouth, a 2-2 draw. Nevertheless, Eddie Howe's team will be anticipating this match because they were the ones who put an end to The Gunners’ 10-game winning streak in the English top tier early in the season.
The possible line-ups are:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya - White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior - Odegaard, Rice, Jorginho - Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Newcastle United (4-3-3): Dubravka - Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn - Longstaff, Guimaraes, Miley - Almiron, Gordon, Barnes
Arsenal have won 4 of their last 7 league games with Newcastle. The past 5 games for Arsenal have all resulted in more than 2.5 goals being scored. Also there have been at least 3 goals in 5 of Newcastle's previous 6 games.
Our prediction: Arsenal to win and Over 2.5 goals in the game
Image credit: football.london
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS RB LEIPZIG
BUNDESLIGA, 24 FEBRUARY @ 17:30 GMT
Matchday 23 in the German Bundesliga sees second-place Bayern Munich hosting fifth-place RB Leipzig at Allianz Arena on Saturday. This is the team's first game since it was announced that head coach Thomas Tuchel will step down in the summer.
The Bavarians have suffered a run of defeats, most recently a humiliating 3-0 loss to leaders Leverkusen two weeks ago, and are now being considered underdogs to win the Bundesliga. With 12 games left, the reigning champions now have to catch up an 8 points deficit. If Bayern fails to accomplish so, it will be the first league title Bayern has not won since 2011–12.
On the other side, with a win on Saturday, RB Leipzig will be hoping to pass Dortmund for a spot in the top four. In the battle for Champions League slots, they are now only one point behind Borussia. A 2-0 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach in their most recent game puts RB Leipzig ahead in this matchup.
The possible line-ups are:
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Kimmich, De Ligt, Kim, Guerreiro - Pavlovic, Goretzka - Sane, Muller, Musiala - Kane
RB Leipzig (4-4-2): Gulacsi - Henrichs, Simakan, Orban, Raum - Simons, Schlager, Kampl, Olmo - Sesko, Openda
In the reverse fixture back in September Bayern and Leipzig drew 2-2. In 6 of the last 7 meetings there have been scored over 2.5 goals.
Our prediction: Both teams to score & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: bavarianfootballworks.com
PREDICTION: BARCELONA VS GETAFE
LA LIGA, 24 FEBRUARY @ 15:15 GMT
Barcelona and Getafe will play each other in the 26th round of La Liga on Saturday, February 24. The game will take held in the Estadio Olímpico in Catalonia at 15:15 GMT.
The hosts are coming into this game off a decent run of form, having gone unbeaten in their previous 5 games. They have won 3 and drawn 2 of those encounters In an attempt to keep up with Real Madrid, who are the current leaders. Their most recent match was a 1-1 draw from in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 versus Napoli. In the previous La Liga round, Barca triumphed 2-1 at Celta and they'll be hoping to carry on their winning streak in the league.
Getafe enters this game following a mixed performance. They are 10th in La Liga with 34 points from 25 games, having had 2 victories, 2 draws, and 1 loss in their past 5 games. A strong run of victories will help them move up the table, since they are now only 6 points from the European spots. In their most recent match, Getafe and Villarreal drew 1-1, with the goals being scored by Alberto Moreno's and Nemanja Maksimovic's respectively.
The possible line-ups are:
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen - Kounde, Araujo, I Martinez, Cancelo - Gundogan, Christensen, F de Jong - Raphinha, Lewandowski, Pedri
Getafe (4-4-2): Soria - Iglesias, Dakonam, Alderete, Rico - Greenwood, Maksimovic, Milla, Alena - Mayoral, Mata
20 goals have been scored in Barca’s last four home league games, 10 for the Catalans and 10 against them. Moreover 68% of Barcelona’s league games this term have seen both teams score.
Our prediction: Both teams to score & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: barcablaugranes.com
PREDICTION: BAYER LEVERKUSEN VS FSV MAINZ
BUNDESLIGA, 23 FEBRUARY @ 19:30 GMT
When Bayer Leverkusen host Mainz on Friday, they have a fantastic opportunity to open an 11-point advantage atop the Bundesliga standings. The home team enters this game at the Bay Arena leading the standings with 58 points, while the visiting team is in the relegation zone with 15 points.
Bayern Munich's two consecutive losses allowed Leverkusen to increase their lead over them to 8 points. The hosts have won 7 of their previous 8 games and 3 straight in the league. With 57 goals, they have been the second-highest scoring team in the Bundesliga.
Mainz are 7 points adrift of safety, and even the relegation play-off spot is a point away. The visitors have dropped 11 of their 22 games this season and have not won any away Bundesliga game this year. They do, however, have a glimmer of optimism after defeating Augsburg 1-0 in the previous round. Despite the fact that they haven't won 2 consecutive league games this year, their 3-2 victory here in the previous campaign suggests they can succeed here.
The possible line-ups are:
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1): Hradecky - Stanisic, Tah, Hincapie - Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo - Adli, Wirtz - Schick
Mainz (3-4-3): Zentner - Kohr, Van den Berg, Guilavogui - Mwene, Barreiro, Amiri, Caci - Gruda, Onisiwo, Lee
Bayer Leverkusen eased to a 3-0 win over Mainz when the teams last met in September. Moreover 3 of the last 4 Bundesliga home games saw the home side score at least 3 goals.
Our prediction: Bayer Leverkusen to score over 2.5 goals & to score first
Image credit: english.ahram.org.eg
PREDICTION: VFL BOCHUM VS BAYERN MUNICH
BUNDESLIGA, 18 FEBRUARY @ 16:30 GMT
Bayern Munich and Bochum square off on Sunday at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion for the 22nd round of Bundesliga. The two teams have quite different goals for the rest of the season. Bayern is keen to retain their title, whereas Bochum's primary objective is to ensure the remaining in the first league.
Despite sharing the spoils with teams like Augsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt in their last two league games, Thomas Letsch's team is still considered the underdog going into Sunday's game. Bochum are currently in 14th place with 22 points, 6 clear off the first relegation spot.
On the other side, the Bavarians hope to recover from their heartbreaking 3-0 setback to Bayer Leverkusen. They are now 5 points behind the leader. Bayern Munich and its traveling supporters will be looking for a better outcome in this one after also losing their most recent Champions League match against Lazio.
In the most recent head-to-head, Bochum was defeated 7-0 at Allianz Arena. Bayern had a 61% possession rate and 15 of their 26 shots on goal were on target during that game.
The possible line-ups are:
VfL Bochum (4-3-3): Riemann - Oermann, Masovic, Ordets, Bernardo - Osterhage, Stöger, Losilla - Hofmann, Broschinski, Antwi-Adjej
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Mazraoui, Dier, de Ligt, Guerreiro - Goretzka, Pavlovic - Sane, Müller, Musiala - Kane.
The upcoming match between Bochum and Bayern Munich is predicted to be a challenging one, as Bochum is expected to score but we still see the Bavarians the much better team and expect them to win.
Our prediction: Bayern to win & Bochum to score
Image credit: bavarianfootballworks.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS CHELSEA
PREMIER LEAGUE, 17 FEBRUARY @ 17:30 GMT
Manchester City and Chelsea will play a crucial match, on Saturday night, in the 25th round of Premier League. Although the Blues stunned the champs in a dramatic 4–4 tie back in November, Mauricio Pochettino's team has a big challenge ahead of them this time.
Manchester City are in second place and have been impressive lately. The home team will be confident going into this match after easily defeating FC Copenhagen 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League this week. The reigning champions have won each of their last 11 matches across all tournaments and will be determined to challenge Liverpool for the championship this season.
Chelsea has mainly fallen short of expectations this season, currently sitting in 10th position in the Premier League table. In their most recent match, the Blues easily defeated Crystal Palace 3-1, and they will be hoping for a repeat performance this weekend. The Londoners still have a chance to qualify for European football the following season, sitting as they do just 2 points behind Newcastle United in seventh place and 7 points behind Manchester United in sixth—two opponents Chelsea have still to play at home.
The possible line-ups are:
Manchester City (3-2-4-1): Ederson - Walker, Dias, Ake - Stones, Rodri - Bernardo, De Bruyne, Alvarez, Foden - Haaland
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Petrovic - Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Chilwell - Fernandez, Caicedo - Palmer, Gallagher, Jackson – Nkunku
Chelsea are playing unsteadily lately and with Pep Guardiola's team is in amazing form right now, the visitors will need to play above and beyond to avoid a crushing loss.
Our prediction: Manchester City win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: marca.com
PREDICTION: BRENTFORD VS LIVERPOOL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 17 FEBRUARY @ 12:30 GMT
Liverpool, currently atop the Premier League, will take their title challenge to Brentford on Saturday afternoon.
The news that Jurgen Klopp would be departing Anfield in the summer has given his team even more incentive to win trophies this year, and they overcame Burnley on Saturday to avenge their defeat at the hands of Arsenal. Out of the 20 games played between the two teams, Liverpool has a strong record against Brentford, winning 12 of them to Brentford's 4 wins.
Currently 14th in the table, Brentford have not played at their peak level so far this season. In their most recent game they have won 2-0 against Wolves, capping promising outings in losses to Manchester City and Tottenham. Still, they have the ability to put the Reds to the test on Saturday and are undefeated at home against Liverpool in the Premier League.
The possible line-ups are:
Brentford (3-5-2): Flekken - Collins, Mee, Pinnock - Roerslev, Janelt, Jensen, Norgaard, Reguilon - Toney, Maupay
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson - Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson - Jones, Endo, Mac Allister - Jota, Nunez, Diaz
Although the Reds' defence has been lacking lately, Klopp's squad is hoping that a third time around at the Gtech Community Stadium will prove successful as the team briefly establishes an insurmountable lead in first position.
Our prediction: Liverpool win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: goal.com
PREDICTION: OLYMPIQUE LYON VS NICE
LIGUE 1, 16 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Lyon have moved up to 13th place in the standings after two straight victories in Ligue 1. Nice, who are now second in the league but 11 points behind PSG, will be their opponent on Friday.
Lyon is only 3 points above the relegation zone, meaning they are still in danger of going down. They have been in the relegation zone for most of this season, although they have improved recently. Along with a French Cup triumph over Lille, the league victories have come against Marseille and Montpellier. Lyon has won 5 of their past 7 Ligue 1 games as they bounce back from a dismal start to the year. Of the last 4 games they have won 3 games, all on home soil.
Nice were defeated 3-2 at home by Monaco in their most recent match and have now little chance of overtaking the leader PSG. Their primary goal is to qualify for the Champions League. They currently sit 4 points ahead of sixth place, so much work remains. After drawing twice, Nice has won 4 of their 10 league away games and lost 3. In those 10 games, there have only been 8 goals scored and only 9 goals conceded.
The possible line-ups are:
Lyon (4-3-3): Lopes - Kumbedi, Mata, Caleta-Car, Tagliafico - Caqueret, Matic, Mangala - Nuamah, Lacazette, Cherki
Nice (4-3-3): Bulka - Lotomba, Todibo, Rosario, Bard - Thuram, Ndayishimiye, Sanson - Laborde, Guessand, Louchet
Lyon have won 5 of their last 7 games in Ligue 1. Nice are without a win in their last 5 away games in the in a row. In addition, Lyon has only dropped one of their last four matches against Nice.
Our prediction: Lyon to win
Image credit: sportsweez.com
PREDICTION: BAYER LEVERKUSEN VS BAYERN MUNICH
BUNDESLIGA, 10 FEBRUARY @18:30 CET
With a victory over second-place Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen hopes to increase their lead at the top of the Bundesliga table to five points in what is without a doubt the match of the weekend across Europe. Of course, against the giants of German club football, with 11 Bundesliga titles in a row, that is easier said than done.
In their previous match, the Bavarians eased past Borussia Monchengladbach, 3-1, and they hope to repeat that performance this weekend.
On the other side, Bayer Leverkusen has performed admirably throughout the past year. The host team will be confident going into this game after winning by a slim margin of 3-2 against VfB Stuttgart in the DFB Pokal this week.
Bayern Munich has an excellent recent record against their Saturday’s title rivals. In the last 55 games between the two teams, the Bavarians have won 34 of them, against Leverkusen's 10 victories.
The possible line-ups are:
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1): Hradecky - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie - Frimpong, Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo - Hofmann, Wirtz - Iglesias
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Mazraoui, Kim, De Ligt, Guerreiro - Pavlovic, Goretzka - Sane, Muller, Musiala – Kane
Although neither team is at full strength, an exciting matchup between two attack-oriented clubs should be in store. The score may result in a tie to keep the title chase alive.
Our prediction: Draw & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: bavarianfootballworks.com
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS GIRONA
LA LIGA, 10 FEBRUARY @18:30 CET
Real Madrid host Girona on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu in what it is perhaps the biggest game of the season so far in Spain.
For most of the season, the top two teams have alternated positions. Girona has performed admirably to stay in the lead for so long, but Los Blancos have taken advantage of a few draws of to carry a two-point advantage into this match. A victory would put Carlo Ancelotti's team five points clear in their quest to recapture the La Liga title, which they last won in 2021–2022
Real Madrid has been performing well lately; in the previous 26 games, they have only lost one, which occurred in the cup almost three weeks ago. In the previous round, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid drew 1-1.
Girona is still in the hunt, but they will likely need to maintain their winning streak on Saturday in order to stay ahead of Real Madrid. With the last 20 games, Girona has only lost once. They were defeated 0-0 at home by Real Sociedad in the previous match.
The possible line-ups are:
Real Madrid (4-3-1-2): Lunin - Carvajal, Rudiger, Tchouameni, Mendy - Valverde, Kroos, Camavinga – Bellingham - Rodrygo, Diaz
Girona (4-3-3): Gazzaniga - Couto, E Garcia, A Martinez, Gutierrez - Torre, A Garcia, Martin - Tsyhankov, Dovbyk, Savio
We think that the capital team's greater talent will enable them to win the match in the capital by a close margin on Saturday.
Real Madrid has also let up just one goal in its last two games. Girona, on the other side, has a goal differential of 1-0 from the previous two encounters. For this tie, under 3.5 goals is probably the best bet.
Our prediction: Real Madrid to win & Under 3.5 goals
Image credit: managingmadrid.com
PREDICTION: PSG VS LILLE
SERIE A, 10 FEBRUARY @21:00 CET
All eyes will be on Parc des Princes on Saturday night, when Paris Saint-Germain and Lille play each other in the Ligue 1 derby.
Paris Saint-Germain is leading the Ligue 1 race by a wide margin. The capital club is at the top of the table with 47 points after 20 league games. They lead OGC Nice, who is in second position, by eight points. Les Parisiens are striving for their eighth consecutive home victory in this match.
Lille is currently in fourth place in the standings and is only a few points away from qualifying automatically for the Champions League. Les Dogues can keep this game competitive as they travel to the capital in strong form, having won f4 of their past 6 games.
Lille have already met PSG in Ligue 1, at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, and the game concluded in a 1-1 draw. This match follows a 2-1 loss to Olympique Lyon in the Coupe de France Round of 16.
The possible line-ups are:
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Donnarumma - Soler, Marquinhos, Beraldo, Hernandez - Ruiz, Vitinha, Zaire-Emery - Dembele, Mbappe, Kolo Muani
Lille (4-2-3-1): Chevalier - Santos, Yoro, Alexsandro, Ismaily - Bentaleb, Andre - Zhegrova, Yazici, Cabella - DavidIn
We believe that PSG will likely maintain long-term dominance in this game and will be able to convert some of their opportunities. Lille, on the other hand, might have difficulty scoring a goal of their own, but we do believe that they will certainly pose a threat occasionally.
Our prediction: PSG to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: billetterie.psg
PREDICTION: BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS FREIBURG
BUNDESLIGA, 9 FEBRUARY @20:30 CET
On Friday night, European contenders Borussia Dortmund and Freiburg square battle at Signal Iduna Park to start the Bundesliga weekend. After their flawless start to 2024 was interrupted in last week's Friday game, the home team hopes to recover and maintain their position in the top four.
Currently occupying 7th position in the Bundesliga table, SC Freiburg has shown some promise so far this year. The guests will need to win this game after suffering a disappointing 3-1 loss to VfB Stuttgart last week. Having a poor performance history at Signal Iduna Park, Freiburg will be up against another difficult game this week. Moreover, they have lost 17 of their last 22 matches against Borussia in the championship.
On the other side, Borussia Dortmund haven’t played well lately and will have to step it up this week. Given the fact that RB Leipzig have won their first 3 points this year and Frankfurt have lost last weekend, the teams appear to be in a three-horse battle for the final two Champions League slots.
The possible line-ups are:
Borussia Dortmund (4-3-3): Meyer - Wolf, Sule, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen - Sabitzer, Ozcan, Can - Malen, Fullkrug, Bynoe-Gittens
Freiburg (4-2-3-1): Atubolu - Kubler, Szalai, Gulde, Makengo - Eggestein, Hofler - Doan, Sallai, Grifo – Holer
In the previous six meetings between these two teams, there have been over 2.5 goals and both teams have scored. Furthermore, In those six games were scored 28 goals.
Our prediction: Both teams to score and Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: fearthewall.com
PREDICTION: GIRONA FC VS REAL SOCIEDAD
LA LIGA, 3 FEBRUARY @20:00 GMT
Girona FC will host Real Sociedad in the La Liga encounter on Saturday at Estadi Municipal de Montilivi. The White and Reds will try to build on their 1-0 La Liga victory over Celta Vigo in the previous round on the road.
Previously this season, on August 12, Girona and Real Sociedad played a 1-1 draw. In that game Girona FC had 5 shots compared to Real Sociedad's 15.
Since returning to the La Liga games this year, Girona has gained 7 points, 6 of which have come from victories over Real Valladolid (2-1) and Getafe (3-1). Real Sociedad will not have an easy time here since the hosts have only lost 3 of their previous 11 games at Estadi Montilivi.
In contrast to their opponents today, Real Sociedad have maintained 3 clean sheets this season, despite the fact that both clubs have scored in 4 of their previous 5 games. Even yet, they have won 4 of their previous 8 games and only lost 2, making them extremely difficult to defeat on the road in La Liga. Moreover, both sides have scored in s6 of their previous 9 meetings.
The possible line-ups are:
Girona (4-2-3-1): Paulo Gazzaniga - Yan Couto, Arnau Martínez, Daley Blind, Miguel Gutiérrez - Yangel Herrera - Aleix Garcia, Viktor Tsygankov, Portu, Sávio - Artem Dovbyk.
Real Sociedad (4-4-2): Alex Remiro - Igor Zubeldia, Robin Le Normand, Jon Pacheco, Javi Galán - Jon Aramburu, Martín Zubimendi, Beñat Turrientes, Mikel Oyarzabal - Sadiq Umar, Andre Silv
These two teams are very hard to split and we expect to see a highly disputed match in both teams will score.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: levante-emv.com
PREDICTION: STRASBOURG VS PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
LIGUE 1, 2 FEBRUARY @22:00 GMT
In their next Ligue 1 match, PSG will travel to Strasbourg as both teams aim to go back to winning ways. PSG, the league leaders, are hoping to extend their lead to 9 points as Strasbourg aims to move up into the top half of the standings.
The hosts have drawn their last 2 league games and are unbeaten in 8 games overall. Strasbourg drew 1-1 with Clermont in their Ligue 1 encounter last week, but have been defeated the latter 3-1 in the Coupe de France Round of 32.
On the other side, PSG's five-game winning streak was ended with a 2-2 draw with Stade Brest. The defending champions led by 2 goals in the first half thanks to goals from Marco Asensio and Randal Kolo Muani. But Brest made an incredible come-back. Mahdi Camara drew one back in 55’ and Mathias Pereira Lage scored the equalizer 10’ before the end.
PSG has won the recent H2Hs. But recently they have lost their previous 2 trips in Strasbourg. Still the Parisians are unbeaten in their last 13 encounters with Brest out of which they have won 9. PSG should be cautious in this match considering only 2 of those 9 victories occurred away from home.
The possible line-ups are:
Strasbourg (5-3-2): Sels - Senaya, Perrin, Nyamsi, Sylla, Delaine - Mwanga, Sissoko, Diarra - Emegha, Dion
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Donnarumma - Zaire-Emery, Pereira, Marquinhos, Hernandez - Asensio, Ugarte, Vitinha - Dembele, Kolo Muani, Mbappe
In 63% of Strasbourg's Ligue 1 games, as well as their past 8 league games in a row, both teams have scored. Also in 56% of PSG's game on the road league games, we have seen both teams score.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: billetterie.psg.fr
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE, 29 OCTOBER @15:30 CET
Manchester City travel to Old Trafford on Sunday for the Premier League game with home side Manchester United.
In midweek Champions League action, both teams claimed victories in quite different ways. Even though United was unimpressive once more, they managed to defeat FC Copenhagen with a goal from Harry Maguire and a penalty save from the much-blamed keeper Andre Onana. On a synthetic field in Switzerland, City proved to be superior against Young Boys, winning 3-1 with ease due to a pair of goals from Erling Haaland.
In premier League, The Red Devils need to be full of confidence before Pep Guardiola's team visits in order to build on their back-to-back victories over Sheffield United and Brentford. Erik ten Hag's team have found the net 10 times and conceded 6, in their last 6 outings.
On the other side, the defending champions defeated Brighton 2-1 after a swift reversal of their 1-0 setback to Arsenal. The Citizens conceded 6 goals in the last 6 matches so that defensively they are far from being perfect.
The possible line-ups are:
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Andre Onana - Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans, Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot - Scott McTominay, Sofyan Amrabat - A. Matheus dos, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford - Rasmus Højlund
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Stefan Ortega - Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol - Bernardo Silva, Rodri - Phil Foden, Julián Álvarez, Jérémy Doku - Erling Haaland
We are expecting a tight encounter finishing with an advantage for Manchester City at the end of this game. We also expect to see few goals.
Our prediction: Manchester City to win and Under 3.5 goals
Image credit: odds.com.au
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS SV DARMSTADT
BUNDESLIGA, 28 OCTOBER @15:30 CET
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich take on SV Darmstadt 98, on Saturday, at the Allianz Arena, in an attempt to extend their winning run in all competitions to five games. This is the first time the two sides have faced each other since the 2016–17 season, when Bayern won both games by 1-0.
After the international break, the hosts returned to the league and defeated Mainz 3-1 on the road last week. The Bavarians' 3-0 loss against RB Leipzig in the DFL-Supercup in August marked their only defeat in all competitions. They have recorded 10 wins in their last 12 games in all competitions and and trail league leaders Bayer Leverkusen by two points.
The visitors won two straight games before losing 3-1 at home to RB Leipzig. This season, Die Lilien have won only one away game. In those games, they have scored 4 goals and given up 14 goals. Moreover they have not kept a clean sheet in their last 25 away league games, more than any other Bundesliga team at the moment. On top of that Darmstadt haven't scored in 4 of their last 5 encounters with Bayern.
The possible line-ups are:
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Ulreich - Mazraoui, Kim, De Ligt, Davies - Kimmich, Laimer - Coman, Musiala, Sane - Kane
SV Darmstadt 98 (3-5-2): Schuhen - Klarer, Muller, Maglica - Bader, Holland, Mehlem, Kempe, Nurnberger - Skarke, Pfeiffer
This season, Bayern have been scoring goals for fun. They have scored 2 goals or more in each of their last 12 games. On the other side, no team has conceded more goals than Darmstadt in the Bundesliga so far (22).
Our prediction: Bayern Munich Handicap -3.5 goals
Image credit: fcbayern.com
PREDICTION: CRYSTAL PALACE VS TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
PREMIER LEAGUE, 27 OCTOBER @20:00 CET
Game-week 10 begins on Friday night, when Premier League leaders Tottenham travel to Crystal Palace in an attempt to win four straight games.
Spurs have total 23 points from nine games and are still undefeated thanks to Ange Postecoglou's outstanding start. The 2-0 victory over Fulham at home on Monday night solidified Postecoglou's record as the manager with the greatest start in Premier League history.
Now boasting a two-point lead at the top of the table for the first time this season, with Manchester City and Arsenal remaining hot on their heels, the Lilywhites will be desperate to go further clear at the top before the chasing pack return to action over the weekend.
With a somewhat successful start to the current top division season, Crystal Palace have amassed 12 points from their first nine games under Roy Hodgson's ongoing direction. In the previous round, having their key attacking stars absent, The Eagles struggled to lay a finger on the Magpies. They head into this game having scored just a single goal in their last four Premier League outings.
Having dropped to 11th spot with just a two-point gap down to 15th place, Crystal Palace will aim to return to their best at Selhurst Park.
The possible line-ups are:
Crystal Palace(4-3-3): Johnstone - Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell - Hughes, Doucoure, Lerma - Ayew, Edouard, Franca
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1): Vicario - Porro, Van De Ven, Romero, Udogie - Bissouma, Sarr - Kulusevski, Maddison, Richarlison – Son
Despite their recent crushing loss, Crystal Palace has played well on defence so far this season. However, Tottenham seems strong at the start of the new season and has a lot of momentum, so we expect the Lilywhites to win this one.
Our prediction: Tottenham to win
Image credit: football.london
PREDICTION: AL HILAL VS AL AHLI
SAUDI PRO LEAGUE, 27 OCTOBER @18:00 CET
Al Hilal, the current leaders of the Saudi Pro League will face a tough challenge against Al Ahli on Friday night at the King Fahd International Stadium. The hosts are unbeaten so far this season and lead the table by three points. The visitors beat Al Wehda last time out and rivals Al Ittihad in the derby and could now make a third straight victory, closing the gap to the leader to just one point.
After winning eight of their ten games this season, Al Hilal are the only team in the league without a loss. Aleksandar Mitrović's goal in the 30th minute helped them defeat Al Khaleej 1-0 at home in their previous match. The ‘Blue Waves’ also thrashed Mumbai City 6-0 on Monday to extend their winning streak in the AFC Champions League.
On the other side, Al Ahli, have only lost twice since joining the top division, both times away from home. They have three league games won and have kept two clean sheets. However, they have not won any of the six away league games against Al Hilal.
The possible line-ups are:
Al-Hilal (4-5-1): Bono - Abdulhamid, Koulibaly, Al Bulaihi, Al-Shahrani - Kanno, Neves, Malcolm, Milinkovic-Savic, Al-Dawsari - Mitrovic
Al-Ahli (4-5-1): Mendy - Al-Hurayji, Ibanez, Hindi, Al-Ammar - Al-Majhad, Kessie, Mahrez, Veiga, Saint-Maximin – Firminho
Even though both clubs are playing well going into the match, Al Hilal should win easily because of their home field advantage. Considering the firepower in both teams, we expect a high-scoring contest this weekend.
Our prediction: Al Hilal to win and Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: the-afc.com
PREDICTION: BARCELONA VS ATHLETIC BILBAO
LA LIGA, 22 OCTOBER @19:00 GMT
All eyes will be on the clash between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao on Sunday at Camp Nou, starting from 19:00 GMT. The host are in third place 3 points behind their big rival Real Madrid and 1 point behind the surprise Girona, while the visitors are in 4th place 2 points behind their opponent but with one game in hand.
Athletic Bilbao has recently been playing well in La Liga. They had seven victories without a loss in nine games. In the previous round ’The Lions ’ won against Almeria 3-0 at home with the goals of Gorka Guruzeta (10'), Dani García (63') and Oihan Sancet (81'). In that game, Athletic had 60% possession and 23 shots on goal with 9 on target. But the away game at Barcelona will be a much harder test for them.
Barcelona have been in staggering form at home this season, winning four successive La Liga outings since a 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano on the opening weekend of the season. They have won all five of those games, keeping a perfect record while defeating Real Valladolid, Elche, and Villarreal in three of those games by three or more goals. With just four goals allowed in 10 games Xavi's team actually has the best defensive record in the entire division.
The possible start-up line are:
Athletic Bilbao (4-2-3-1): Unai Simón - Iñigo Lekue, Daniel Vivian, Aitor Paredes, Yuri Berchiche - Oihan Sancet, Dani García - Iñaki Williams, Ander Herrera, Iker Muniain - Gorka Guruzeta
Barcelona (4-3-3): M. ter Stegen - Joao Cancelo, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Álex Balde - Ilkay Gündogan, Oriol Romeu, Gavi - Lamine Yamal, Ferrán Torres, João Félix.
Given that Athletic Bilbao won't find it easy to score their own goal, we believe that Barcelona will likely create the opportunities to score more than once when they line up against them. Barcelona have also been scoring goals at a stunning rate this season. They have netted in 11 goals in their four home matches.
Our prediction: Barcelona to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: barcablaugranes.com
PREDICTION: CHELSEA VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 21 OCTOBER @16:30 GMT
Chelsea host Arsenal in the pick of the Premier League’s weekend action. After registering two straight victories prior to the international break, The Blues are beginning to display encouraging results under Mauricio Pochettino. However, the Gunners, who defeated Manchester City earlier this month, will present a test well above anything they have encountered thus far this season.
Chelsea have not been at their best so far this season and are currently 11th in the Premier League standings. The Blues thrashed Burnley by a 4-1 scoreline before in the previous round. However they have lost both of their last top-flight home contests to Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest by a 1-0 score line.
On the other side, Arsenal has been in excellent form this season and is now in second position in the league table. Under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have found their way, and they are determined to demonstrate their determination this year. The likes of Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli, who are deadly on their best days, will try to step up this weekend.
The possible line-ups are:
Chelsea (4-3-3): Sanchez - Gusto, Disasi, Silva, Colwill - Fernandez, Caicedo, Gallagher - Palmer, Jackson, Sterling
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya - White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko - Odegaard, Rice, Partey - Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli
The Gunners are the only team in the division to have a perfect defensive record on the road so far and Stamford Bridge has become a happy hunting ground for them. Arsenal have won each of their last three Premier League games there. A 3-1 Emirates victory in May made it six wins in their last seven matches against their opponents.
Our prediction: Arsenal to win
Image credit: paininthearsenal.com
PREDICTION: GALATASARAY VS BESIKTAS
TURKISH SUPER LIG, 21 OCTOBER @16:00 GMT
Galatasaray welcomes Istanbul rivals Besiktas to Rams Park on Saturday for one of the biggest derbies in Turkish football history. With a win, the hosts will take over first place for at least a day. Besiktas, who are now in fourth place, will want to make it two wins in a row under their new interim manager Burak Yilmaz.
Galatasaray has had an excellent start to the season. The team of Okan Buruk has won 7 of its last 8t games and have not yet lost a game. Galatasaray has carried over this success into the Champions League, where they are also unbeaten. This season, Cimbom have participated in 16 games and have won 13 of them. Galata has won 5 straight games and most recently defeated Antalyaspor 2-0 away from home.
Besiktas hasn't been as consistent as their opponents, and they are now eight points behind. At the beginning of October, the club hierarchy changed the coaching staff as a result. In the previous round ‘The Black Eagles’ won 2-0 against Istanbulspor at home, just before the international break. The Black Eagles, who haven’t won away to Gala since 2017, have suffered their two league defeats while away from home.
The possible line-ups are:
Galatasaray (4-2-3-1): Muslera - Boey, Bardakci, Sanchez, Karatas - Torreira, Ndombele - Zaha, Ziyech, Akturkoglu - Icardi
Besiktas (4-2-3-1): Gunok - Bulut, Amartey, Colley, Masuaku - Fernandes, Hadziahmetovic - Rashica, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tosun – Aboubakar
The Black Eagles, who haven’t won away to Gala since 2017, have suffered their two league defeats while away from home. Gala are in flying form, whereas Besiktas are going through a tumultuous period on and off the pitch. We also expect to see plenty of goals.
Our prediction: Galatasaray to win and Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: dailysabah.com
PREDICTION: BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS WERDER BREMEN
BUNDESLIGA, 20 OCTOBER @18:30 GMT
Borussia Dortmund have a chance to retake the lead in the Bundesliga, when they hosts Werder Bremen on Friday. Werder Bremen is 14th place and Dortmund is in 4th, at the other end of the standings. This will be the first game in the league after the international break and Dortmund will hope to take full advantage.
Borussia Dortmund have performed admirably this season. Last week, the hosts easily defeated Union Berlin 4-2 and will want to repeat that feat this time around. They have already won three straight games, but in their last five games, they have only kept two clean sheets. The ‘black and yellow’ are one of the three Bundesliga teams that are still unbeaten.
Werder Bremen has not been at their best this season. After being held to a 3-3 tie by FC St. Pauli the previous week, the away team will need to step it up in this game. 'Die Werderaner' had lost two of the previous three games by the time of the international break. However, after failing to score in their first two league games, they have now scored in each of their last five games.
The possible line-ups are:
Borussia Dortmund (3-1-2-3-1): Kobel - Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck – Bensebaini - Nmecha, Can - Malen, Reus, Brandt - Fullkrug
Werder Bremen (3-5-2): Pavlenka - Veljkovic, Gross, Friedl - Weiser, Schmid, Lynen, Stage, Deman - Borre, Ducksch
While Dortmund have won 5 and drawn 2 of their first 7 league games, Werder Bremen have lost 3 of their last 4 tests. 4 of Dortmund’s last 5 fixtures in the Bundesliga have produced over 2.5 goals.
Our prediction: Dortmund to Win & Over 2.5 Goals
Image credit: bvbbuzz.com
PREDICTION: PORTUGAL VS SLOVAKIA
EURO 2024 QUALIFYING, 13 OCTOBER @18:45 GMT
Portugal will host Slovakia on Friday night knowing that a win would guarantee them a position in the European Championship final tournament with three games remaining. Roberto Martinez's team currently leads Group J with 18 points thanks to a strong performance, while Slovakia is in second place with 13 points after six games.
In their previous game, the hosts defeated Luxembourg 9-0 at home for their biggest-ever victory in a competitive match. Gonçalo Ramos and Gonçalo Inácio each scored twice in the first half, then in the opening 20 minutes of the second half, Diogo Jota scored twice.
The visitors have won four of their six games during the qualifying round. Last time, they defeated Liechtenstein at home 3-0 to get back on the winning track after losing to Portugal at home for the first time this season. It will be a little more difficult for Slovakia if they lose because Luxembourg, is only three points behind them in in third place.
The possible line-ups are:
Portugal (4-3-3): D. Costa - Dalot, A. Silva, Dias, Cancelo - Vitinha, Palhinha, Fernandes - B. Silva, Ronaldo, Jota
Slovakia (4-3-3): Dubravka - Tomic, Gyomber, Skriniar, Hancko - Duda, Lobotka, Benes - Mak, Bozenik, Haraslin
Given the two teams' current records and Cristiano Ronaldo's team's home advantage, we anticipate the hosts to secure a convincing victory and to see over 2.5 goals.
Our prediction: Portugal to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: masslive.com
PREDICTION: AUSTRIA VS BELGIUM
EURO 2024 QUALIFYING, 13 OCTOBER @18:45 GMT
In a top-of-the-table matchup, Austria will host Belgium in Group F of the European Championship qualifying. With little separating them at the time, both teams may be poised to cancel each other out.
The home team has won its last two games in qualifying, most recently defeating Sweden 3-1 on the road. In the 53rd minute, Michael Gregoritsch scored the game's first goal, and Marko Arnautovic added two more. Ralf Rangnick's team trails leader Belgium just on goal differential, but they are critically seven points ahead of Sweden in third place. To qualify for Euro 2024, they need just three more points from their remaining three games.
The guests enter the contest on a three-game winning streak having defeated Estonia 5-0 at home the previous time around. Leandro Trossard and Jan Vertonghen both scored goals in the first half to get things started. Romelu Lukaku scored twice in the space of two minutes, and Charles De Ketelaere added the game's fifth goal in the 88th.
The possible line-ups are:
Austria (4-4-2): Schlager - Danso, Daniliuc, Lienhart, Wober - Laimer, Schlager, Seiwald, Sabitzer - Adamu, Gregoritsch
Belgium (4-3-3): Casteels - Castagne, Faes, Vertonghen, Theate - Tielemans, Mangala, Onana - Bakayoko, Lukaku, Doku
In their last five meetings, Austria and Belgium have had four draws. In their last six games, Austria has gone undefeated, winning four and drawing two. In their last six international contests, Belgium has gone undefeated, winning five and losing one.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: telecomasia.ne
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS OSASUNA
LA LIGA, 7 OCTOBER @14:00 GMT
Real Madrid will be looking to make it four victories in a row across all competitions, when they host Osasuna at Bernabeu on Saturday afternoon.
With 21 points from their first 8 games, Los Blancos presently sit atop the La Liga standings, while Osasuna are in 10th place with 10 points after eight games in 2023–24.
Real Madrid has performed very well since losing to Atletico Madrid 3-1 in the Madrid derby on September 24. They have won their past three games in all competitions, including victories over Las Palmas and Girona in the league, and are currently atop the standings going into the upcoming slate of games.
Osasuna come into this clash following on from a 0-2 La Liga win against Alaves in their last outing. Since January 2011, Osasuna has failed to defeat Real Madrid in any matchup, and during the close of the previous campaign, they lost 2-1 to the capital team in the Copa del Rey final. However, Jagoba Arrasate's team did manage to earn a point in a 1-1 La Liga draw at Bernabeu last season, and the visitors will undoubtedly be the more rested of the two teams.
The possible line-ups are:
Real Madrid (4-3-1-2): Kepa - Carvajal, Rudiger, Alaba, Mendy - Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga – Bellingham - Vinicius, Rodrygo
Osasuna (4-3-4): Herrera - Pena, Catena, D Garcia, Cruz - Moncayola, Munoz, Oroz - Ruben Garcia, Budimir, Arnaiz
Osasuna's last victory over Real Madrid, by a score of 1-0, occurred back in 2011. Even though Osasuna defeated Alaves on Sunday, it was their first La Liga victory in their previous five games.
Our prediction: Real Madrid to win -1.5 Goal Handicap
Image credit: 90min.com
PREDICTION: AL ITTIHAD VS AL-AHLI
SAUDI PRO LEAGUE, 6 OCTOBER @18:00 GMT
On Friday, October 6th, two of the top title candidates, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli, square off in the Saudi Pro League in what should be an exciting match. Midweek, the Tigers traveled a long way to Iran and Al Ahli could profit from that.
Previously, Nuno Esprito Santo's team had won four straight matches, including their September 18 AFC Champions League Group C opener match against AGMK, which they won 3-0. Al Ittihad are currently in second in the Professional League table with 19 points after eight games, only one point behind Al-Hilal in first.
On the other side, Al Ahli played out a goalless draw with Al Ettifaq when the sides met at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium last Saturday. Prior to that, Matthias Jaissle's team's 3-2 victory over Al Ain on September 26 secured their place in the King Cup round of 16. Al Ahli are presently sixth in the league rankings with 16 points after eight games and might pass Al Ittihad if they win this weekend.
The possible line-ups are:
Al Ittihad (3-5-2): Grohe - Felipe, Kadesh, Hawsawi - Al-Olayan, Coronado, Fabinho, Kante, Shangeeti - Romarinho, Hamdallah
Al-Ahli (4-3-3): Mendy - Majrashi, Ibanez, Al-Hindi, Balobaid - Veiga, Al-Majhad, Kessie - Mahrez, Firmino, Saint-Maximin
Al Ittihad and Al-Ahli both got out to a strong start this year and are now towards the top of the Professional League standings. But both team have dropped points in the previous round and will be looking to return to winning ways. Thus we expect to see goals on both ends.
Our prediction: Both teams to score and Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: egypttoday.com
PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM VS LIVERPOOL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 30 SEPTEMBER @16:30 GMT
This weekend's big match in North London has everything set up. Saturday will see a matchup between Tottenham and Liverpool, two unbeaten Premier League teams.
With five victories in six games, the Reds have performed better than anyone could have anticipated to start the Premier League season. They are still undefeated and are second only to Manchester City in the standings. Although there have been notable triumphs against teams like Aston Villa and Newcastle, the trip to Tottenham in 2023–24 may be Jurgen Klopp's hardest test to date.
On the other side Spurs have also had a strong start to the new season and seem to be having fun playing for Ange Postecoglou, a lifelong Liverpool supporter. Despite a fairly dull season, Klopp's team defeated Tottenham at home and away in 2022–23. If they can win again on Saturday, it might be a clear indication of this team's newfound resolve.
Klopp's side have not lost at all against Tottenham since a memorably disastrous 4-1 defeat in 2017 and have won nine of the 12 clashes since.
The possible line-ups are:
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3): Vicario - Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie - Sarr, Bissouma - Kulusevski, Maddison, Son - Richarlison
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson - Gomez, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson - Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones - Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Both Spurs and Liverpool have recently compensated for defensive lapses with an abundance of goals at the proper end of the field - especially when conceding the opening - and Saturday's highly anticipated matchup should be no different.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com
PREDICTION: BARCELONA VS SEVILLA
LA LIGA, 29 SEPTEMBER @19:00 GMT
La Liga's current champions Barcelona host Sevilla at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Friday night. Currently in 3rd position in the table, they will be looking to get back to winning ways.
Manager Xavi Hernández was furious after the 2-2 draw last round, at the Iberostar Stadium with RCD Mallorca. Los Bermellones took the lead both times, thus FC Barcelona had to work hard to get a point. Due to Barcelona dropping points, Girona FC currently leads the La Liga standings. Before traveling to Portugal to play Porto in the UEFA Champions League, the Blaugranas will want to win against Sevilla.
Sevilla picked up a clear 5-1 victory over Almeria in the week. After a poor start of the campaign, the Europa League holders have shown signs of returning to the form they displayed during the second half of last season over the past couple of weeks.
The Catalan team has defeated Sevilla in each of their last three league meetings, and they have not suffered a loss to the team they will face on Friday in Spain's top division in eight years.
The possible line-ups are:
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen - Cancelo, Kounde, Christensen, Balde - Romeu, Gundogan, Gavi - Raphinha, Lewandowski, Felix
Sevilla (4-2-3-1): Nyland - Navas, Bade, Ramos, Pedrosa - Sow, Fernando - Lamela, Rakitic, Lukebakio - En-Nesyri
Barcelona have five wins and a draw in the last six meetings between these teams. 10 of Sevilla's last 12 trips to this stadium produced at least three goals. Therefore we expect Barcelona to win and to see plenty of goals in this match
Our prediction: Barcelona to win & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: barcablaugranes.com
PREDICTION: MONACO VS MARSEILLE
LIGUE 1, 30 SEPTEMBER @19:00 GMT
This weekend, AS Monaco and Marseille will square off in Ligue 1. The match between Jacques Abardonado's team and Adi Hütter's side will take place at Stade Louis-II and is slated to begin at 7 p.m. GMT on Saturday.
Monaco had been in first place in Ligue 1 up until last Friday, but they fell to OGC Nice 1-0 at home. Les Rouge et Blanc fell on 4th place after 6 rounds. Monaco have not missed many opportunities this term, as Adi Hutter's men have netted 15 goals in six outings, making them the top scorers in Ligue 1, with at least three goals coming in each of their opening four matches.
On the other side, Marseille suffered their first loss of the year as they were defeated by Paris Saint-Germain 4-0. ‘Les Phocéens’ made a strong start to their Ligue 1 campaign, avoiding defeat in each of their opening five games, with victories over high-flying Brest and Reims accompanying draws against Metz, Nantes and Toulouse.
In their last five meetings, Monaco and Marseille have been evenly matched. They have played to a draw and each team has won twice. In the previous campaign, Marseille defeated Monaco 3-2 and drew 1-1 at home. In the previous two seasons, Marseille also finished ahead of Monaco in the Ligue 1 standings.
The possible line-ups are:
Monaco (3-4-2-1): Kohn - Singo, Zakaria, Magassa - Vanderson, Camara, Fofana, Henrique - Minamino, Golovin - Ben-Yedder
Marseille (3-5-2): Lopez - Mbemba, Gigot, Balerdi - Clauss, Rongier, Ounahi, Veretout, Lodi - Oliveir, Aubameyang
As Monaco are playing at home which is giving them an advantage and they have also been doing better in this game, we expect ‘Les Rouge et Blanc’ to pick-up all the 3 points.
Our prediction: Monaco to win
Image credit: pulse.ug
PREDICTION: STRASBOURG VS LENS
LIGUE 1, 29 SEPTEMBER @19:00 GMT
Round 7 in Ligue 1 starts on Friday night at Stade de la Meinau with the game between Strasbourg and Lens. Last weekend, the visitors earned their first victory of the season while the hosts won their third game in a row.
In the previous round, Les Sang et Or, desperately needed to defeat Toulouse, and they succeeded in doing so, giving their supporters their first cause for joy in the new Ligue 1 season. After six games, the runners-up from last season have only collected 4 points out of a possible 18, suffering consecutive losses to Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco, and Metz before their win over Toulouse.
On the other side, Strasbourg lost to Nice just before the international break, but they returned to action with a 2-2 draw against Montpellier and then won their most recent match 1-0 over Metz. The season before was terrible for Strasbourg. They only managed to finish five points above the bottom-half. Beginning with the 2023–24 season, Strasbourg should enjoy a significantly better year.
The possible line-ups are:
Strasbourg (4-3-3): Sels - Senaya, Nyamsi, Perrin, Delaine - Diarra, Doukoure, Deminguet - Gabriel, Emegha, Bakwa
Lens (3-4-2-1): Samba - Gradit, Danso, Medina - Aguilar, Abdul Samed, Diouf, Frankowski - Sotoca, Thomasson – Said
Strasbourg have won 2 games and draw 1 at home this season. Lens lost all three Ligue 1 road games this and allowed 12 goals in 6 Ligue 1 rounds. Therefore, we expect Strasbourg to win this match.
Our prediction: Strasbourg to win
Image credit: sportsunfold.com
PREDICTION: CHELSEA VS NOTTINGHAM FOREST
PREMIER LEAGUE, 2 SEPTEMBER @15:00 GMT
When Chelsea hosts Nottingham Forest on Saturday, they will be hoping to capitalize on their most recent victory in the Premier League, which came against Luton.
Chelsea is still struggling this season and now holds the tenth spot in the league rankings. The Blues will try to duplicate their crucial 2-1 victory over AFC Wimbledon from their previous encounter this weekend. In that match Raheem Sterling put on an outstanding performance, scoring twice in the 3-0 win, giving Mauricio Pochettino's team the victory they so desperately needed after losing to West Ham on matchday two.
In the Premier League rankings, Nottingham Forest is currently in 14th place and has not played well this year. In their previous round The Garibaldis leaded Manchester United at Old Trafford by two goals thanks to Taiwo Awoniyi's strike and Willy Boly's header. But The Red Devils had a sensational come-back thanks to the goals of Eriksen, Casemiro and Fernandes. In their last game, in EPL, Nottingham also suffered a humiliating 1-0 loss at the hands of Burnley and will need to recover in this match.
The possible start-up lines are:
Chelsea (3-5-2): Sanchez - Disasi, Colwill, Silva - Gusto, Fernandez, Caicedo, Gallagher, Chilwell - Sterling, Jackson
Nottingham Forest (3-4-2-1): Turner - Boly, Niakhate, Worrall - Aurier, Danilo, Yates, Aina - Johnson, Gibbs-White – Awoniyi
One thing is certain: Nottingham Forest may have a difficult time scoring against a Chelsea team that should be able to control the game's outcome. Thus we expect to see a clear victory for the Blues.
Our prediction: Chelsea to win -1.0 Goal Handicap
Image credit: chelseafc.com
PREDICTION: MONACO VS LENS
LIGUE 1, 2 SEPTEMBER @19:00 GMT
Lens will be hoping to register their first win in Ligue 1 this season when they travel to Stade Louis II to face Monaco this weekend.
The hosts were expected to rebound after finishing last season with their poorest record in three years, and they have succeeded in doing so. ''Red and Whites'' are in first place after three games, with two victories and a draw. Adi Hütter's team is not the overwhelming favourite for this weekend's match, despite their performance thus far. This is mostly because they struggled and lost all three of their recent games against Lens at home.
Last season, Lens played remarkably well, finishing second, their best placing in France's premier level since 2001/02. They also had a strong conclusion to the last campaign, winning all seven of their contests, but the current campaign has revealed a very different side of them. Two of the black and yellows' three games to this point have been in losses, while one has been a tie.
The possible start-up lines are:
Monaco (3-4-2-1): Kohn - Singo, Zakaria, Magassa - Vanderson, Fofana, Camara, Henrique - Minamino, Golovin - Ben-Yedder
Lens (3-4-2-1): Samba - Gradit, Danso, Medina - Frankowski, Abdul Samed, Diouf, Machado - Thomasson, Fulgini – Sotoca
Although Lens have a six-game winning streak against the hosts in Ligue 1, Monaco is predicted to win in what should be a thrilling contest given the two clubs' current standings.
Our prediction: Monaco to win
Image credit: asmonaco.com
PREDICTION: NAPOLI VS LAZIO
SERIE A, 2 SEPTEMBER @18:45 GMT
Napoli and Lazio square off at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Saturday, in what is predicted to be one of the most captivating matches of the day. The top two from last season have gotten off to opposite starts this year, with the hosts winning both of their opening games and the visitors dropping both of theirs.
The Partenopei want to build on their victories against Frosinone and Sassuolo, and the bookmakers rate them as favourites to defeat Lazio. Key forward Victor Osimhen, who scored the game's first goal against the Neroverdi, will be one to watch for the home club, while Georgia's great Khvicha Kvaratskhelia should be recalled to the starting lineup.
The Biancocelesti have been defeated in both of their first two matches this season. Still the Capital team have never lost all of their first three games of any Serie A season throughout their entire history. Lazio's struggles against Saturday’s host are shown by the fact that they have only won 3 of their last 13 league games. Yet, they did triumph in the most recent matchup, a 1-0 victory at Stadio Maradona in March.
The possible start-up lines are:
Napoli (4-3-3): Meret - Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Olivera - Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski - Politano, Osimhen, Raspadori
Lazio (4-3-3): Provedel - Lazzari, Casale, Romagnoli, Marusic - Kamada, Cataldi, Alberto - Anderson, Immobile, Zaccagni
The Azzurri will be eager to maintain their undefeated record before the international break as Napoli have had a fantastic start to the season and is one of the top contenders to win the title together with Inter and AC Milan.
Our prediction: Napoli to win & Over 1.5 goals
Image credit: thelaziali.com
PREDICTION: AS ROMA VS AC MILAN
SERIE A, 1 SEPTEMBER @18:45 GMT
As all teams enter matchday 3 of the 2023/24 Serie A season this weekend, the competition is truly underway. Roma’s match against AC Milan on Friday night is likely to be the most eagerly anticipated encounter of the weekend.
AS Roma have not been at their best this season so far and are currently in 13th place in the Serie A table. After suffering a close 2-1 loss to Hellas Verona the previous week, the home team will need to win this game. After earning just one point from two winnable season-opening contests, Mourinho needs a response from his team. Romelu Lukaku's loan from Chelsea is expected to help Roma's situation, especially with Tammy Abraham sidelined for the long term with a major knee injury.
On the other hand, AC Milan is currently leading the league and has had a strong start of season. Rossoneri conceded just one goal and largely dominating their opponents so far. In their previous match, they easily defeated Torino 4-1, and they will try to repeat that feat this week. The four teams with the most points are Milan, Napoli, Verona, and Inter, but given the style of their victories, the Rossoneri have appeared to be the most impressive.
The possible start-up lines are:
AS Roma (3-5-2): Rui Patricio - Mancini, Smalling, Diego Llorente - Karsdorp, Pellegrini, Paredes, Aouar, Spinazzola - Belotti, El Shaarawy
AC Milan (4-3-3): Maignan - Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori, Hernandez - Loftus-Cheek, Krunic, Reijnders - Pulisic, Giroud, Rafael Leao
We have a sense that this match between AC Milan and Roma will be competitive. However, Milan has had a great start and haven’t lost to Roma since October 2019, winning four and drawing three of their last seven meetings despite only winning three of their final 14 road games from last season.
Our prediction: Milan to win
Image credit: sempremilan.com
PREDICTION: PSV EINDHOVEN VS RANGERS
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLAY-OFF, 30 AUGUST @20:00 GMT
PSV will host tonight Rangers at the Philips Stadion for the second leg of the UEFA Champions League playoffs. Last week's first leg between the two sides ended in a 2-2 draw in Glasgow. Rangers twice seized the lead, but PSV rallied, including an equalizer from Luuk de Jong in the 80th minute, to force a tie.
In the same Champions League qualifying round last year, PSV and Rangers played each other, and after a dramatic 2-2 tie in the first leg, Rangers triumphed 1-0 away from home to advance.
Since being humiliated by Sevilla in the Europa League in February, PSV has gone an incredible 23 games without a loss. However, their first-leg tie did end Bosz's team's six-game winning streak. The Dutch team has now scored at least twice in five straight games and has not yet suffered a competitive loss at Philips Stadion in 2023. They have won 13 of their past 14 games in front of their own fans while losing one.
On Saturday, Rangers played in the Scottish Premiership and defeated Ross County 2-0. In five of their last six games, the Gers have scored at least twice, demonstrating their recent strong play. However, they have only had one road victory in three games. However, they have prevailed in three of their last four away games at PSV.
The possible start-up lines are:
PSV Eindhoven (4-2-3-1): Benitez - Teze, Ramalho, Boscagli, Dest - Veerman, Sangare - Bakayoko, Saibari, Lang - De Jong
Rangers (4-3-1-2): Butland - Tavernier, Goldson, Souttar, Barisic - Raskin, Jack, Cifuentes – Cantwell - Sima, Dessers
PSV have won five and drawn one of their last six games in all competitions. They put four goals past Sturm Graz in their last Champions League home game. Rangers have won just one of their three competitive away matches this term and only one of their last 17 away games in the Champions League.
Our prediction: PSV to win (on regular time)
Image credit: srdeportescr.com
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS FULHAM
PREMIER LEAGUE, 26 AUGUST @15:00 GMT
In the third round of Ligue 1 this Saturday, PSG hosts RC Lens at the Parc des Princes. The only two French teams who will compete in the UEFA Champions League in 2023–2024 square off against one another in a match that will likely be Kylian Mbappe's final contest with the Parisian team.
The hosts recently went through a difficult period that resulted in only two victories from their last five games in all competitions. While they keep their lead at the top of the tree, they can ill-afford to lose any more distance. It is not the form of champions.
Lens is closely after PSG after winning their last four Ligue 1 games. They are a difficult team to defeat and always manage to take the lead, as evidenced by the fact that they have done so in each of their last eight games and have won all five of their games going into halftime.
The possible start-up lines are:
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Donnarumma - Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Hernandez - Zaire-Emery, Ugarte, Ruiz - Dembele, Ramos, Mbappe
Lens (3-4-2-1): Samba - Gradit, Danso, Medina - Frankowski, Samed, Diouf, Machado - Thomasson, Fulgini – Sotoca
This appears to be the tie of the round, and Lens must win it if they want to put more pressure on the hosts, which could result in goals. Both sides have scored frequently in this match, but a winner appears certain, thus we expect to see over 2.5 goals and both teams to score.
Our prediction: Both teams to score & Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: 90min.com
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS FULHAM
PREMIER LEAGUE, 26 AUGUST @15:00 GMT
Arsenal will face Fulham in the third round of Premier League on Saturday at The Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal has had a strong start to the season, defeating Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, and they can keep their winning streak going by defeating Fulham in this round. The Gunners have scored 9 goals in their last 6 games. The number of goals scored against them in that same period, on the other hand, is 6.
Arsenal, one of the only three teams to begin the 2023–24 Premier League season with two victories, is currently seated in third position in the early standings, trailing only champions Manchester City and early leaders Brighton & Hove Albion.
On the other side, the Cottagers may have been fortunate to come away with all 3 points after the 1-0 victory at Everton in the first round. After reluctantly letting star forward Aleksandar Mitrovic to leave, last week's 3-0 home loss to Brentford may be a more accurate reflection of where they currently stand. They may be in for a challenging afternoon in North London.
There have been scored 21 goals in the previous 6 Fulham games, at an average of 3.5 goals per game, demonstrating their propensity for productive meetings. Of this amount, opposing teams have scored 10 times.
The possible start-up lines are:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Ramsdale - White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko - Odegaard, Rice, Havertz - Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno - Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson - Reed, Palhinha - Traore, Pereira, Decordova-Reid - Jimenez
In their last six Premier League meetings, Arsenal has prevailed five times. Fulham has gone five games without scoring in all competitions, losing 3-0 to Brentford last weekend at home. Therefore we predict that Arsenal will win to nil.
Our prediction: Arsenal to Win-to-Nil
Image credit: football.london
PREDICTION: AC MILAN VS TORINO
SERIE A, 26 AUGUST @19:45 GMT
In an effort to build on their victory on the first day of the season, AC Milan welcomes Torino to San Siro on Saturday. The Rossoneri defeated Bologna with ease in their opening match of 2023–24. Torino struggled against new promoted opponents and were forced to settle for a point.
Stefano Pioli's AC Milan have managed to score a total of 11 goals in their last 6 games, which equates to an average of 1.83 goals per game. AC Milan has won all 9 of their home league games entering this matchup. A very strong home run.
Even though Torino have not been playing at their best so far, they have won 8 of their last 11 games against teams of this caliber. The Torino deference has put together a string of solid performances, with their combined 'goals against' total standing at 3 over their last 6 games. They have scored 8 goals on their own within the same time frame. Torino had also not lost in any of their previous 6 league road games coming into this encounter. We must now wait to see if that pattern will continue in the upcoming match.
The possible start-up lines are:
AC Milan (4-3-3): Maignan - Calabria, Tomori, Thiaw, Hernandez - Loftus-Cheek, Krunic, Reijnders - Pulisic, Giroud, Leao
Torino (3-4-3): Milinkovic-Savic - Schuurs, Buongiorno, Rodriguez - Bellanova, Ilic, Ricci, Vojvoda - Radonjic, Vlasic; Sanabria
AC Milan have a good record of 14 undefeated games of their last 15 home encounters in Serie A. Since Torino won't have an easy time finding the net themselves, we believe AC Milan will most likely generate the opportunity to score more than once when they play them.
Our prediction: AC Milan to win -1.0 Goal Handicap
Image credit: acmilan.com
PREDICTION: TURKEY VS WALES
EURO 2024 QUALIFIERS, 19 JUNE @19:45 GMT
On Monday, Turkey will host Wales at Samsun Stadium in an effort to make it two straight victories in the Euro 2024 qualifying round. On Friday, the Turks defeated Latvia with a last-second victory, while Rob Page's team was humiliated 4-2 by Armenia in Cardiff. Turkey is first in Group D with 6 points from 3 games while the visitors are in 3rd place with 4 points from 2 games.
Turkey enters this match after defeating Latvia 3-2 in their most recent match. Turkey won thanks to goals from winger Cengiz Under of Marseille, midfielder Irfan Kahveci of Fenerbahce, and center back Abdulkerim Bardakci of Galatasaray. The goals for Latvia were scored by midfielders Eduards Emsis of Egnatia Rrogozhine and Kristers Tobers of Lechia Gdansk.
Wales, on the other side, recently played Armenia and lost 4-2. Grant-Leon Ranos of Borussia Monchengladbach and Lucas Zelarayan of the Columbus Crew both scored goals to seal the victory. Leeds United winger Daniel James and Fulham winger Harry Wilson scored the goals for Wales.
The possible start-up lines are:
Turkey (4-2-3-1): Gunok - Celik, Demiral, Bardakci, Kadioglu - Calhanoglu, Kokcu - Under, Guler, Akturkoglu - Nayir
Wales (4-2-3-1): Ward - Roberts, Mepham, Rodon, Williams - Ampadu, Ramsey - Brooks, Wilson, James – Johnson
The Turks will undoubtedly grab the initiative and attack aggressively, especially with the help of the home stands. With big holes in the defense, the Welsh will attempt to mend their ways after the offense, but it won't be simple. We anticipate that the meeting will produce over 2.5 goals.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: sportingnews.com
PREDICTION: BELGIUM VS AUSTRIA
EURO 2024 QUALIFIERS, 17 JUNE @19:45 GMT
Belgium and Austria will meet at the King Baudouin Stadium in the group stage of the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers on Saturday. These two nations have not met in 12 years and they will both aim to maintain their 100% records in Group F.
In their first game of the campaign Belgium recorded a 3-0 win over Sweden with Romelu Lukaku scoring a hat-trick. For the Red Devils followed a friendly match against Germany which ended in a 3-2 win.
Belgium have gone unbeaten in their last 5 games against Austria and will look to continue that form in their first game at home under manager Domenico Tedesco. Although Kevin de Bruyne's absence will be felt the Red Devils young squad should be able to make the most of their home advantage.
On the other side Austria kicked off their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with back-to-back victories in March, 4-1 against Azerbaijan and 2-1 against Estonia, both on home soil.
Das Team have won 4 games in a row but they have suffered defeats in three of their last five away games, failing to score twice, so they might find a strong opposition on Saturday.
The possible start-up lines are:
Belgium (4-3-3): Courtois - Castagne, Faes, Vertonghen, Theate - Onana, Tielemans, Mangala - Carrasco, Lukaku, Openda
Austria (4-4-2): Bachman - Mwene, Alaba, Danso, Wober - Laimer, Seiwald, Sabitzer, Wimmer - Arnautovic, Gregoritsch
Given the home soil advantage and the fact that they have scored 3 goals in each of their 2 matches under Tedesco, we back Belgium to record a comfortable win.
Our prediction: Belgium to win
Image credit: pointspreads.com
PREDICTION: NORWAY VS SCOTLAND
EURO 2024 QUALIFIERS, 17 JUNE @17:00 GMT
Scotland travel to Norway on Saturday aiming to extend their 100% winning start to 3 wins from 3 games in Euro 2024 qualifying Group A.
Scotland have made an impressive start to their qualifying campaign and are currently leading the way in in Group A. In their first two games they obtained a 3-0 win over Cyprus and unexpected 2-0 triumph over Spain, both taking place at Hampden Park.
Scotland reached the finals of a European Championship for the first time this century in the previous edition, and Clarke will be desperate to ensure they don’t miss the next one.
Norway have made a rather poor start of the campaign with just 1 point coming from their first 2 games. A 3-0 defeat against Spain has shown the scale of the qualification challenge, while the 1-1 draw with Georgia didn’t exactly bring back their optimism.
In the previous 18 meetings between the two, Scotland boast a respectable 50% winning rate - drawing 6 and losing the 3 - but Saturday's game will mark the first battle for nearly a decade since.
The possible start-up lines are:
Norway (4-3-3): Nyland - Ryerson, Ajer, Ostigard, Meling - Odegaard, Berg, Aursnes - Solbakken, Haaland, Elyounoussi
Scotland (3-4-2-1): Gunn - Tierney, Souttar, Porteous - Hickey, McGregor, McTominay, Robertson - McGinn, Christie – Dykes
Norway have scored just 1 goal in their last 3 games. Two of those fixtures ended with 2 goals or fewer. Scotland finished 4 of their last 5 games without conceding a goal. Furthermore in the last 5 direct meetings between the two sides, at least one side failed to score 4 times.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: pointspreads.com
PREDICTION: PORTUGAL VS BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
EURO 2024 QUALIFIERS, 17 JUNE @19:45 GMT
Portugal and Bosnia-Herzegovina will meet for an encounter of the 3rd round of Euro 2024 qualifications, on Saturday, at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. Portugal is in 1st place in Group J with 6 points, while Bosnia & Herzegovina is down to 3rd position with 3 points.
Portugal won the first 2 games of the qualifications 4-0 at home against Lichtenstein and 6-0 away in Luxemburg. In the last game a brace from Cristiano Ronaldo and goals from forward Joao Felix, Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, Porto midfielder Otavio and AC Milan attacker Rafael Leao brought the 3 points. The Seleção team won the European Championship in 2016 but meanwhile they were knocked out in the round of 16 at Euro 2020 and will want to leave a better impression this time.
On the other side, Bosnia won the first game against Iceland 3-0 on home soil and lost the second one 2-0 in Slovakia. Previously the Dragons have played at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, being eliminated in the group stage, but they have never been present at the finals of a European Championship.
The possible start-up lines are:
Portugal (3-4-3): Patricio - A Silva, Dias, Danilo - Dalot, Palhinha, Fernandes, Guerreiro - B Silva, Ronaldo, Felix
Bosnia-Herzegovina (5-3-2): Sehic - Dedic, Ahmedhodzic, Milicevic, Sanicanin, Gazibegovic - Hadziahmetovic, Cimirot, Pjanic - Dzeko, Prevljak
Portugal have won three of their four previous meetings with Bosnia-Herzegovina and have managed to kept three clean sheets in four of those games. Moreover Portugal have won and kept clean sheets in three of their last six matches in all competitions.
Our prediction: Portugal to win to nil
Image credit: mscfootball.com
PREDICTION: DENMARK VS NORTHERN IRELAND
EURO 2024 QUALIFIERS, 16 JUNE @19:45 GMT
The Euro 2024 Qualifiers campaign resumes on Friday with a new series of games. Denmark will host Northern Ireland at Copenhagen's Parken Stadium. After the first two games in Group H, the teams are locked on three points, while Slovenia sit atop the standings with 6 points.
Denmark will be hoping for a better result after the 3-2 defeat in their last game at the hands of Kazakhstan. Second-half goals from midfielders Bakhtiyar Zaynutdinov and Askhat Tagybergen and attacker Abat Aymbetov secured the win for Kazakhstan. Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund scored the goals for Denmark.
After recording 12 wins, 1 draw and 7 loses in their previous 20 matches across all competitions– Hjulmand's men will be hoping to gain some consistency during the upcoming international campaign. In their preceding six games, Denmark have hit the target a total of 8 times giving them an average number of goals per match equal to 1.33.
On the other side Northern Ireland will be hoping to turn things around after tasting defeat last time out to Finland. A first-half goal from Cracovia attacker Benjamin Kallman sealed the deal for the Eagle-owls. Northern Ireland have conceded goals in 5 of their last 6 matches, seeing opposing sides hit 10 goals in all. Thus the defence is definitely not their strongest point.
Team news
Denmark’s boss Kasper Hjulmand does not have any missing players for this game owing to a completely injury-free squad.
Northern Ireland have injury concerns for this away game with Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, Conor Washington, Corry Evans and Shane Ferguson among their absentees.
The possible start-up lines are:
Denmark (4-4-1-1): Schmeichel - Bah, Kjar, Christensen, Maehle - Norgaard, Eriksen, Hojbjerg, Jensen – Wind - Hojlund
Northern Ireland (3-5-2): Peacock-Farrell - Cathcart, Evans, Brown - Bradley, McNair, Charles, Thompson, Lewis - Charles, Whyte
Although Denmark have struggled for consistency in recent months, Friday's game against Northern Ireland provides the Red and Whites with the ideal opportunity to return to winning ways.
Our prediction: Denmark to Win-to-Nil
Image credit: newsletter.co.uk
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS SCHALKE 04
BUNDESLIGA, 13 MAY @14:30 GMT
The Bundesliga fixture at The Allianz Arena on Saturday will see home side Bayern Munich playing Schalke. The Bavarians are leading the run for their 32nd league trophy, but Borussia Dortmund are still breathing down their neck. Each of the last four meeting between the two at Allianz Arena have seen Bayern Munich emerging triumphant.
In the previous round Bayern have won away at Bremen 1-2, thanks to the goals scored by Gnabry 62’ and Sane 72’. In that match, Bayern Munich had 67% possession and 13 attempts at goal with 4 on target. The Bavarians are unbeaten in their last 22 home league matches and have not lost in the league against Schalke in their last 22 games.
On the other side Schalke managed to bounce back in the last two round after the 4-0 humiliation suffered at Freiburg. Thomas Reis did well to beat both Werder Bremen and Mainz, with the team escaping the relegation zone. In the previous round win 2-3 at Mainz, ‘Die Knappen’ had 43% possession and 16 attempts at goal with 10 of them on target.
The possible start-up lines are:
Bayern Munich(4-2-3-1): Yann Sommer - Joao Cancelo, Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Benjamin Pavard - Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka- Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala, Kingsley Coman - Sadio Mané
Schalke 04 (4-2-3-1): Alexander Schwolow - Henning Matriciani, Sepp van den Berg, Marcin Kaminski, Cedric Brunner - Alex Kral, Tom Krauß - Kenan Karaman, Rodrigo Zalazar, Marius Bülter - Simon Terodde
Schalke produced over 3.5 goals in their last win over Mainz. Over 3.5 goals landed in two of the last three encounters between the two clubs.
Our prediction: Over 3.5 goals
Image credit: bavarianfootballworks.com
PREDICTION: LENS VS REIMS
LIGUE 1, 12 MAY @20:00 GMT
Lens will welcome Reims at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Friday for the first game of Round 35 in Ligue 1.
By far the best home team in the league this season, Lens have lost just 5 points from their 17 games on home soil - winning 15 contests in total, including each of their last 4. The hosts are now in second place and can still be consider title contesters, being 6 points behind league leaders Paris Saint-Germain with 4 rounds left to go. Last week they registered the third win in a row in the league defeating third-placed Marseille in a crucial game. The goals scored by Seko Fofana and Loïs Openda helped them win with 2-1 at home.
Franck Haise’ team are already guaranteed a top-four place and a spot on the European competitions next term as Monaco the closest competitors to their Champions League berth are 8 points behind.
On the other side Reims returned to winning ways last weekend after 4 games as Marshall Munetsi's 21st-minute strike helped them win with 1-0 at home over Lille. Thanks to this result they climbed to 10th place in the league table. William Still’s team had an incredible run of 16 games unbeaten, but in the last few weeks, they have been in a drop in form. But ‘Les rouges et blancs’ have now little to play for in the season finale.
The possible start-up lines are:
Lens (3-4-2-1): Samba - Medina, Danso, Gradit - Frankowski, Fofana, Abdul Samed, Machado - Sotoca, Thomasson - Openda
Reims (4-3-1-2): Diouf - Foket, Agbadou, Abdelhamid, De Smet - Munetsi, Cajuste, Matusiwa – Doumbia - Ito, Balogun
We expect Lens to get the goals they need when they play Reims, without conceding any.
Our prediction: Lens to win -1.0 Goal Handicap
Image credit: telecoasia.net
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS LEEDS UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE, 6 MAY @15:00 GMT
Manchester City will welcome Leeds United at Etihad on Saturday looking to extend their buffer at the top of the Premier League after returning on the first place on Wednesday. But this game has huge implications at the other end of the table too, with Leeds running out of games to save themselves.
Pep Guardiola’s superstar squad are having an impressive momentum. The Sky Blues are now unbeaten in each of their last 19 appearances across all competitions – a run that goes all the way back to February 5th. Including Wednesday’s 3-0 win against West Ham, Man City have 12 goals on their four-match winning run.
On the other side Leeds are desperate to escape the danger zone. A 4-1 loss at Bournemouth last weekend leaves The Whites sitting 17th in the table and dangerously placed just above the bottom three on goal difference.
Heading into this clash, Manchester City have not been beaten in the league by The Whites in their previous 3 games. The Citizens will be hoping to repeat the 3-0 win from the previous clash. In that match, City had 70% possession and 16 shots on goal with 7 of them on target.
Team news:
Pep Guardiola will be thankful to have only one possible missing player: Nathan Ake, who is unlikely to recover in time to face the Whites. Sam Allardyce on the other side has two injuries to deal with: Luis Sinisterra (Ankle Injury) and Stuart Dallas (Femoral Fracture).
The possible start-up lines are:
Manchester City (4-5-1): Ederson - Walker, Stones, Dias, Ake - Rodri, Gundogan; Foden, Alvarez, Grealish - Haaland
Leeds United (4-3-3): Meslier - Ayling, Koch, Wober, Firpo - Roca, McKennie, Forshaw - Summerville, Rodrigo, Gnonto
Man City head into this game on the back of 5 wins and a draw from their last 6 outings in league and cup, which includes two clean sheets in their last three home games
Our prediction: Manchester City to win to nil
Image credit: marca.com
PREDICTION: BAYERN LEVERKUSEN VS FC KOLN
BUNDESLIGA, 5 MAY @19:30 GMT
Bayer Leverkusen will host FC Koln on Friday at BayArena in the first match of the 31st Round in Bundesliga. The hosts are eyeing a top six-finish and they are seen as favourites in this game. On the other side the visitors, aim to recover from a 1-0 loss to Freiburg, but they have little to play for in this end of the season.
Leverkusen are one of the most consistent teams in the German top flight having earned a total of 48 points so far. In the previous round Leverkusen have only managed a 0-0 away against Union Berlin. Up to the time of their latest game, they were on a winning streak of two games and are still unbeaten in ten games.
Currently placed mid-table on the 11th spot with 35 points, Koln have practically ruled out qualification to any of the European competitions. In the last weekend game, ‘The Billy Goats’ met Freiburg and it finished in a 0:1 defeat at home. Before the last encounter, the team was on an unbeaten streak of four games, recording two draws and two wins.
The previous fixture between the two teams ended in a 1-2 win for Bayer Leverkusen who won four of the past six h2h clashes. They also have a 100% winning record on home soil in the past six years, excepting a single fixture.
The possible start-up lines are:
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-3): Hradecky - Kossounou, Tah, Hincapie - Frimpong, Andrich, Tapsoba, Bakker - Diaby, Hlozek, Wirtz
FC Koln (4-2-3-1): Schwabe - Schmitz, Hubers, Chabot, Hector - Skhiri, Huseinbasic - Ljubicic, Kainz, Maina – Selke
Four of the previous five meetings produced over 2.5 goals. Moreover Leverkusen’s last 5 games on their own patch saw three or more goals.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: bundesliga.com
PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS TOTTEHAM HOTSPUR
PREMIER LEAGUE, 30 APRIL @16:30 GMT
The Premier League action continues Sunday with another top flight encounter as Tottenham Hotspur lock horns with Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side at Anfield. Liverpool will hope to build on the previous round result, a 1-2 success over West Ham United.
The Reds still have a chance to save a desperately disappointing season but will probably need to win their final six games to sneak into the Premier League's top four. They are currently in 7th place with 53 points, 1 point below their Sunday opponents and with one game in hand, but 7 points behind 4th place Man United which also have one game less.
Tottenham Hotspur are currently in 5th place in the league standings and have not been at their best so far this season. In midweek Tottenham fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Manchester United. Still their hopes of breaking into the top four are quite little, being 6 points behind Manchester United who also have two games less.
In the direct games with Spurs, Liverpool are unbeaten in the last 11 games since loosing 4-1 back in October 2017. Still, last season The Lilywhites came away from Anfield with a 1-1 draw.
The possible start-up lines are:
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson - Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson - Henderson, Fabinho, Jones - Salah, Gakpo, Nunez
Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-3): Forster - Romero, Dier, Lenglet - Porro, Hojbjerg, Skipp, Perisic - Kulusevski, Kane, Son
We expect Liverpool to be able to create a high number of chances and successful shots on target. Accordingly we believe they should be able to win this game.
Our prediction: Liverpool to win
Image credit: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
PREDICTION: BARCELONA VS REAL BETIS
LA LIGA, 29 APRIL @20:00 GMT
Barcelona take on Real Betis at the Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday, hoping to bounce back from their previous round defeat, 2-1 at Rayo Vallecano. With seven matches remaining in the season The Catalans are 11 points ahead of second-place Real Madrid and 13 ahead of third-place Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona have been inconsistent recently, winning only one of their last five games in all competitions and picking up five points from the past 12 available in La Liga. However, their title rivals Madrid have not been able to capitalise on their poor form.
On the other side Betis have not been in their best form recently. They have only one win in their last five matches, losing to Atletico Madrid, Cadiz and Osasuna. In the previous round ‘Los Verdiblancos’ held high-flying Real Sociedad and will be hoping for another decent outing in Catalonia.
But Barça have won four out of the past five games against Betis and will likely fancy themselves to win again this weekend. Betis have won only twice in their last 20 matches against the Catalans and will be facing the best defence in La Liga. ‘Blaugrana’ have allowed only 11 goals, which is 12 fewer than the next best team, Atletico Madrid. On home soil they have conceded just two goals.
The possible start-up lines are:
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen - Balde, Kounde, Araujo, Alba - F de Jong, Busquets, Pedri - Raphinha, Lewandowski, Gavi
Real Betis (4-2-3-1): Silva - Ruibal, Felipe, Pezzella, Miranda - Rodriguez, Carvalho - Perez, Canales, Henrique – Iglesias
Although Barcelona have been struggling recently, they remain at the top, while Real Betis is still fighting for a spot in European competitions. So, we expect an exciting match with over 2.5 goals and Barça winning
Our prediction: Barcelona to win & Over 2.5 goals scored
Image credit: 90min.com
PREDICTION: AS ROMA VS AC MILAN
SERIE A, 29 APRIL @16:00 GMT
The Serie A continues this weekend with a vital battle in the top four race between Roma and Milan. This could be crucial in the push for Champions League qualification as only 6 rounds will be left after this one. Currently the two sides are even on points 56, and the same number of games 31, but visitors Milan have a tiny edge, based on goals scored.
Roma comes into the game after a 3-1 loss to Atalanta will be hoping to bounce back. In that game, the Romans had 63% possession and 14 attempts with only 1 shot on target, but managing to score through Lorenzo Pellegrini. Roma are also the Europa League semi-finalist after eliminating Feyenoord on penalties last week which means they will have to remain extremely focused on both competitions and manage their resources smartly.
AC Milan have won their last weekend game 2-0 over Lecce at home. The Milanese managed in that game a 68% possession and 8 shots at goal with 5 of them on target. But the only scoring player was Rafael Leão in 40’ and 75’. Athough they have recently qualified in the Champions League semi-finals Stefano Pioli’s side have won just two of their last seven Serie A games.
The possible start-up lines are:
AS Roma (3-4-2-1): Rui Patricio - Gianluca Mancini, Roger Ibañez, Marash Kumbulla - Zeki Celik, Bryan Cristante, Edoardo Bove, Nicola Zalewski - Lorenzo Pellegrini, Ola Solbakken - Tammy Abraham.
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan - Davide Calabria, Malick Thiaw, Fikayo Tomori, Theo Hernandez - Rade Krunic, Sandro Tonali - Junior Messias, Brahim Díaz, Rafael Leão - Ante Rebic.
Eight of the last nine meetings between the two giants have produced goals at both ends. With both teams fighting for the last spot in Champions League we believe they will both score.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: acefootball.com
PREDICTION: VFL BOCHUM VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND
BUNDESLIGA, 28 APRIL @19:30 GMT
Matchday 30 of the Bundesliga begins on Friday with a highly important game both for the title contest and for the relegation zone, as Bochum hosts Borussia Dortmund at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion. The two teams have met twice this season, once in Bundesliga and once in DFB-Pokal, both games being won by the Dortmund side.
Borussia Dortmund regained the top spot in the league standings after the humiliating win over Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0. Meanwhile Bochum is one step away from relegation after the 5-1 lost to Wolfsburg from last week.
The hosts are currently in 15th place and have not been at their best so far this season. After an amazing run of 5 victories on the run at home, VfL Bochum have lost 4 of their last 5 such matches and will now need to work hard to bounce back in this round.
On the other side, the visitors have been in exceptional form in recent weeks. Borussia have not been at the top of the table this late into their campaign since the 2011-2012 season, when they managed to win their last title.
The possible start-up lines are:
VfL Bochum (4-3-3): Riemann - Gamboa, Masovic, Ordets, Soares - Kunde, Losilla, Osterhage - Asano, Hofmann, Antwi-Adjei
Borussia Dortmund (4-3-3): Kobel - Ryerson, Sule, Hummels, Guerreiro - Bellingham, Can, Brandt - Malen, Haller, Adeyemi
There have been over 2.5 goals scored in Dortmund's last 7 games. Moreover Bochum have seen over 2.5 goals in 9 of their last 10 matches against Borussia in all competitions. We also believe that Borussia is the much better team and can strengthen their position with a win at relegation-candidates Bochum.
Our prediction: Borussia to Win & Over 2.5 goals scored
Image credit: fearthewall.com
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS CELTA VIGO
LA LIGA, 22 APRIL @20:00 GMT
After securing a spot in the semi-finals of the Champions League, Real Madrid will return to the domestic championship on Saturday hosting Celta Vigo at Santiago Bernabeu.
Last weekend Los Blancos bounced back after a 3-2 loss to Villarreal in the previous round, with the team beating Cadiz 2-0. Currently second in La Liga, 11 points behind leaders Barcelona, Real are still chasing success in the European Cup and Copa del Rey.
In Champions League, the Madrilenians proved to be far to strong for Chelsea, qualifying to the next round after two categorical win 2-0 in both legs. In the final four Los Blancos will meet tournament favourites Manchester City. Still at the beginning of May, they will have the chance to secure the first trophy of the season in the Copa del Rey final against Osasuna.
On the other side Celta Vigo had a constant and solid evolution to date in La Liga and occupy the 12th position, collecting 36 points from 29 games. In the previous round The Galicians failed to impress in a 1-0 loss to Mallorca and they will face an uphill task against the reigning champions. The Sky Blues have not been victorious in La Liga for over a month now, but they are 9 points clear from the relegation zone.
The possible start-up lines are:
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois - Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Nacho - Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga - Asensio, Rodrygo, Vinicius
Celta Vigo (4-4-2): Villar - Vazquez, Aidoo, Nunez, Galan - Perez, Veiga, Beltran, De la Torre - Aspas, Paciencia
We reckon that it will be a tight encounter but we back Real Madrid to win
Our prediction: Real Madrid to win -1.0 Goal Handicap
Image credit: outlookindia.com
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS SOUTHAMPTON
PREMIER LEAGUE, 21 APRIL @20:00 BST
After dropping two points in the 2-2 draw with West Ham, Arsenal will look to retain their top position when they welcome Premier League bottom Southampton at Emirates Stadium on Friday night.
The Gunners face a must-win situation against the Saints as The Citizens are now just 4 points behind and with one game in hand. But the title race is still in both club’s hands as they have to play each other. The top two will meet in a gigantic clash at the Etihad Stadium next Wednesday meaning that there is no room for a mistaken step in this match for Arteta's side.
After they have blown leads in their last two games The Gunners have now gone five fixtures without a clean sheet. With the absence of Mohamed Elneny and Takehiro Tomiyasu due to injuries, and William Saliba likely to remain on the sidelines the defence is a serious reason of concern for Arteta.
On the other side Southampton collected just five points from their last seven games, conceding 12 goals. But The Saints are still only four points adrift of safety as all the teams currently in the bottom five are struggling for form. In the previous round, Selles’s side slumped to a damaging 2-0 defeat against Crystal Palace and will need to work hard to bounce back in this fixture.
The possible start-up lines are:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Ramsdale - White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko - Xhaka, Thomas, Odegaard - Martinelli, Jesus, Saka
Southampton (4-4-2): Bazunu - Perraud, Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap, Walker-Peters - Djenepo, Ward-Prowse, Lavia, Sulemana - Alcaraz, Onuachu
Southampton have troubled Arsenal in the recent heads-to-heads going unbeaten in their last two games and picking up four points in the process. Moreover The Saints have been better on their travels this season so this might be a very tricky match for Arsenal.
Our prediction: Both Teams To Score
Image credit: arsenal.com
PREDICTION: BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS UNION BERLIN
BUNDESLIGA, 8 APRIL @14:30 GMT
Two of the division’s top three sides Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin meet at Signal Iduna Park in Bundesliga on Saturday. After both sides suffered defeats in the DFB Pokal during midweek, the two teams turn their attention to this crunch clash.
Dortmund are aiming to bounce back from a heavy Der Klassiker defeat 4-2 last week. Die Schwarzgelben will need to win the game if they want to close the 2 points gap to the leader Bayern with just 8 rounds left to go in Bundesliga.
After only winning one of eight games in all competitions between mid-February and mid-March, back-to-back home wins either side of the recent international break have moved Union Berlin firmly back into the title picture. Urs Fischer's team trail Bayern by only four points after their comfortable 3-0 victory against rock-bottom Stuttgart last weekend. With a victory on Saturday, they would climb to overcoming their opponents.
Looking over their past head to head clashes dating back to 1st of February 2020 shows that Borussia Dortmund have won 4 of these games & Union Berlin 2, with the number of drawn matches standing at 0.
The possible start-up lines are:
Borussia Dortmund (4-3-3): Kobel - Wolf, Sule, Hummels, Ryerson - Bellingham, Can, Guerreiro - Brandt, Malen, Reus
Union Berlin (3-5-2): Ronnow - Doekhi, Knoche, Leite - Juranovic, Laidouni, Khedira, Haberer, Roussillon - Becker, Behrens
Dortmund conceded 4 goals in in Der Klassker and 6 goals in their last 7 home games and keeping a clean sheet could be beyond the hosts. Dortmund have also scored 11 times in their last three meetings with Union Berlin at Signal Iduna Park.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: sandiegouniontribune.com
PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 9 APRIL @16:30 BST
A crucial day in the Premier League title race beckons for Arsenal on Sunday as they travel to Anfield in a quest for a win in more than a decade. This feels like their most important visit to Anfield for some time as Mikel Arteta's side attempt to keep their advantage to second-placed Manchester City.
Liverpool have kept on the bench Salah, Van Dijk, Robertson and Alexander-Arnold in mid-week against Chelsea. The home game against Arsenal seems more important to Jurgen Klopp. The Reds have taken just a point from their last three games and were lucky not to lose to a managerless Chelsea in midweek. But on home soil they have not lost a game in Premier league since the 29th of October against Leeds 1-2. Moreover Liverpool won the last 3 home games including smashing their bitter rivals Man United with 7-0. Only Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City have performed better on familiar territory this term than Klopp's side, who have taken 16 points from the last 18 on offer.
On the other side Arsenal overcame a slow start to dispatch Leeds United 4-1 in the previous round. Already guaranteed to finish with their best points total since the 2016-2017 season, Arsenal retained their 8 points lead over Manchester City. The Gunners are by far the best-performing side on travels with 34 points taken from a possible 42. A win for them would be the 8th in a raw in Premier League as well as the 4th consecutive away.
The possible start-up lines are:
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson - Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson - Henderson, Fabinho, Elliott - Salah, Gakpo, Nunez
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale - White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko - Xhaka, Partey - Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli - Jesus
Despite their brilliant record away from home this season, the Gunners haven't won at Anfield since 2012 and with Jurgen Klopp's side doing so well at home this season, this game may end in a draw.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: football.arsenal
PREDICTION: TORINO VS AS ROMA
SERIE A, 8 APRIL @ 17:30 GMT
Torino and AS Roma go head-to-head at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in Serie A on Saturday. Torino would be looking to cement their place in the top half while Roma will be fighting to push their case for Europe. In terms of domestic form, neither clubs have been positive in the recent rounds, with two wins each, from their last four games.
In the previous round, Roma have bounced back after a derby defeat just before the international break, beating Serie A's second-bottom side Sampdoria on home soil. Ahead of this travel to Turin, Mourinho’s side have a two-point buffer inside the Europa League spots, with only goals difference keeping them away from a Champions League place. The Giallorossi also have to prepare the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final, but cannot afford to miss any points in this one.
Torino’s season looks to be heading into a mid-table finish but Ivan Juric’s hosts have only failed to score in 2 of their last 8 Serie A matches in Turin. In the two sides last 14 meetings, Torino have been beaten 10 times and drawn only once. Still, Torino could claim a draw, based on just 1 defeat in their last 4 home league outings.
The possible start-up lines are:
Torino (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic - Gravillon, Schuurs, Buongiorno - Singo, Ricci, Linetty, Rodriguez - Vlasic, Miranchu - Sanabria
Roma (3-4-2-1): Patricio - Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez - Zalewski, Cristante, Wijnaldum, Spinazzola - Pellegrini, Dybala – Abraham
In 4 of the last 6 meetings between the clubs both teams have scored. Also in 6 of Roma’s last 8 away contests in Serie A both competitors have scored.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
PREDICTION: SL BENFICA VS FC PORTO
PREMEIRA LIGA, 7 APRIL @ 18:00 GMT
There will be fireworks on Friday’s night when FC Porto meet Benfica in the O Classico clash of the Portuguese Primeira Liga. Porto must win to close the 10-point gap at the top to leaders Benfica, so can they make the title race interesting again.
Benfica have won in the previous round 1-0 against Rio Ave with a goal from their star striker Goncalo Ramos. The Eagles have been incredible this season, both domestically and in Europe. They are top of the league, 10 points clear of 2nd place Porto. In 26 league games they have picked up 23 wins. Not only have Benfica won each of their last 10 league matches but they have kept eight clean sheets.
The Eagles have missed out on the Primeira Liga title in each of the previous three seasons, but it now seems inevitable that the Eagles will win their first one since 2018-19.
Porto, on the other hand is clearly not having a great season. It is safe to say that they have raised their hands from the championship race. In the last league game Porto beat 10-man Portimonense 1-0. Fabio Cardoso scored the only goal of the game to seal the win for Sergio Conceicao's side. The long-serving manager has been linked with clubs like Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur recently, and Porto might potentially be looking to freshen things up this summer.
The possible start-up lines are:
Benfica (4-2-3-1): Vlachodimos - Bah, Silva, Otamendi, Grimaldo - Chiquinho, Aursnes - Mario, Silva, Neres - Ramos
Porto (4-4-2): Ramos - Manafa, Cardoso, Marcano, Wendell - Pepe, Otavio, Uribe, Galeno - Martinez, Taremi
Although this is a must-win for the visitors if they want to keep pace in the title race and we expect a close game, Benfica appear to be in excellent form and should certainly win.
Our prediction: Benfica win
Image credit: 90mins.com
PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE VS MANCHESTER UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE, 2 APRIL @ 16:30 BST
All eyes will be on St. James’ Park when Newcastle United and Manchester United meet on Sunday in a highly-anticipated Premier League clash. This will be a crucial game for both sides as they are fighting for a top-four finish.
Man United are third in the Premier League after 26 games, and just three points separate them from their opponents. The Magpies have also played 26 games and 5th in the league table.
The hosts headed into the international break on the back of two straight league wins. Before that they had failed to win in five league games, which got them drop down from top four. They are now 2 points behind Tottenham but with two games in hand. On home soil Newcastle got just one of their three league defeats, and Man United need to be on top of their game.
Erik ten Hag’s men went into the break after a 3-1 win over Fulham in the FA Cup. However, they are without a victory in their last 2 league games and will be hoping to return with all 3 points. The Reds are 19 points behind the leader Arsenal and although they have two games in hand not many see them capable of making a come-back.
The possible start-up lines are:
Newcastle United (4-3-3): Pope - Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn - Longstaff, Guimaraes, Willock - Saint-Maximin, Isak, Joelinton
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea - Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw - Sabitzer, McTominay - Antony, Fernandes, Rashford - Weghorst
The absence of Casemiro and a distinct lack of midfield depth will be giving Man United a hard time in the last third. With Newcastle suffering a defeat in front of their own fans nowadays, this closely-fought game could end in a draw.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: marca.com
PREDICTION: INTER MILAN VS FIORENTINA
SERIE A, 1 APRIL @ 16:00 GMT
Fiorentina visit Stadio San Siro on Saturday for a Serie A, Round 28 game with hosts Inter Milan.
Inter Milan will be hoping to bounce back here after a 0-1 defeat in their last game against Juventus. After a month with ups and downs the Nerazzurri still have left to play for a spot in the Champions League semi-finals to merely qualifying for next season’s edition, as well as a the Italian Cup.
With 9 games to play in April, a victory against Fiorentina would be a perfect way to move Inter’s campaign for the top 4 along. For now, the Nerazzurri are on the 3rd place with 50 points, 3 ahead of 5th place Roma. Going into this encounter, the Milanese are unbeaten in the league by Fiorentina in their previous 11 games. Quite a long unbeaten run against them.
Fiorentina head into the clash following on a 1-0 win against Lecce in their previous match. The past few weeks have been very consistent for Fiorentina which managed to string together a seven-match win streak between Serie A and the Europa Conference League.
With a place assured in the Europa Conference League quarter-finals and the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final against Cremonese coming up next week, Fiorentina are also back in the top half of the table following their recent brilliant results.
The possible start-up lines are:
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Onana - Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni - Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Mkhitaryan, Gosens - Martinez, Lukaku
Fiorentina (4-2-3-1): Terracciano - Dodo, Milenkovic, Igor, Biraghi - Amrabat, Bonaventura - Gonzalez, Barak, Saponara – Cabral
Inter Milan have failed to score only twice in 14 home fixtures in Serie A this term. On the other side Fiorentina, have impacted the scoresheet in 12 of their last 13 fixtures in all competitions. Furthermore, both teams scored in each of the last 3 league encounters between the two clubs.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: Lisa Guglielmi/LiveMedia/NurPhoto via Getty Images
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS LIVERPOOL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 1 APRIL @ 12:30 BST
Liverpool will travel to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday to take on Manchester City in the headliner of the Premier League Round 29.
Pressure will be rising on Man City as they return to action this weekend. The reigning champions are 8 points behind Arsenal and every week that passes sees them closer to a failure in winning 3 titles in a row. The Citizens do have a game in hand over the Gunners and still have to face them, but Arsenal haven’t dropped points recently, so Guardiola’s side can only win their games and hope. If they drop points here, they could find themselves 10 points behind.
On the bright side Guardiola’s team have an impressive record at home dominating throughout the season, as they have won 12 of their 14 matches at the Etihad, scoring 46 goals and conceding just 14.
On the other side Jurgen Klopp’s team, aim to recover from a shocking 1-0 loss to Bournemouth, but given their poor away record (3 wins, 3 draws, 7 defeats) and just 12 points gained in this EPL season, anything but a home win would be a big surprise. But Liverpool do need to win this one and beat Arsenal next round at home, to get into the top four.
Erling Haaland missed Norway’s qualifier against Spain with a minor injury, but the team’s goalgetter will be ready to face the Reds. Phil Foden misses out with an abdominal problem, but he should be the only absentee in the home team.
In Klopp’s side Darwin Nunez has overcome his injury, while Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota are close to be recovered for the derby. Both Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara are sidelined with injuries, with experienced midfielder Jordan Henderson likely to step up. Diogo Jota is pushing for a start as well.
The possible start-up lines are:
Manchester City (3-2-4-1): Ederson - Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte - Rodri, Rico Lewis - Riyad Mahrez, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish - Erling Haaland
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson Becker - Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson - Cody Gakpo, Fabinho, James Milner - Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez
Only one of the last 7 meetings between the two clubs has failed to produce goals at both ends, and the only one of the last seven head-to-heads has failed to produce over 2.5 goals.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals & Both team to score
Image credit: Peter ByrneAP
PREDICTION: EINTRACHT FRANKFURT VS VFL BOCHUM
BUNDESLIGA, 31 MARCH @ 18:30 BST
Bochum will be traveling to Deutsche Bank Park on Friday for the game against Eintracht Frankfurt in the 26th round of Bundesliga. Eintracht Frankfurt is currently occupying 6th place in the standings with 40 points, while Bochum is sitting in 14th place with 25 points.
Frankfurt are winless in 6 games across competitions and winless in their last 4 Bundesliga games, losing twice. With only 9 league games of the season left to play, Die Adler cannot afford to drop any more unnecessary points if they are to close the gap on the top 4 positions.
On the other side Bochum have bounced back from 4 consecutive defeats with back-to-back wins. In the previous round Erhan Masovic's 48th minute header brought the victory against RB Leipzig 1-0 at home. With another victory on Friday they would be moving up to the 13th place in the league table.
The possible start-up lines are:
Eintracht Frankfurt (3-4-2-1): Trapp - Jakic, Hasebe, Ndicka - Knauff, Rode, Sow, Max - Kamada, Gotze - Kolo Muani
VfL Bochum (4-3-1-2): Riemann - Osei-Tutu, Ordets, Masovic, Stafylidis - Osterhage, Losilla, Stoger – Asano - Antwi-Adjei, Hofmann
The result of the last encounter between the two clubs was a 3-0 win for Bochum at home back in 8 October 2022. Playing at home has been a great advantage across the last 10 encounters, with the hosting side recording 8 wins and allowing only 2 losses. Out of the last five matches between the sides, three yielded over 2.5 goals and one witnessed goals scored at both ends of the field. Eintracht Frankfurt limited their rivals from scoring in two clashes, and Bochum also achieved that two times. The end results of the last five encounters between the teams show an average of 2.60 goals per match.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: eintracht.de
PREDICTION: ENGLAND VS UKRAINE
EURO 2024 QUALIFIERS, 26 MARCH @ 17:00 GMT
England’s second game in Group C comes against a talented Ukrainian team which is hoping to make a huge shock, as they bid to win on Sunday and fight for a top two spot.
England will look into following up on their away historic win against Italy 2-1 in the first week game. England has a solid record against Ukraine, as they have won five of the previous eight matches.
When it comes to home games, England have been very strong under Gareth Southgate, having not lost any of their last sixteen games. There has been no shortage of goals either in these features. Five of their last six games on home soil have ended with at least three goals.
On the less bright side the Three Lions will be without a number of key players for the upcoming qualifiers, including Marcus Rashford, who has been the top scorer across Europe’s top five leagues since the conclusion of the World Cup.
Ukraine’s last game dates back in September when they met Scotland in the Nations League and draw 0-0. Although they have not played for such a long time Ukrainians would take a bit of confidence from the fact that they have lost only one of their last three encounters with Gareth Southgate's men. Moreover the previous meeting between the two nations at Wembley ended in a 1-1 draw in September 2012.
The possible start-up lines are:
England (4-3-3): Pickford - James, Stones, Maguire, Chilwell - Henderson, Phillips, Rice - Saka, Kane, Foden
Ukraine (4-3-3): Lunin - Konoplya, Matvienko, Popov, Mykolenko - Malinovskyi, Stepanenko, Zinchenko - Tsygankov, Dovbyk, Mudryk
Although it will not be an easy game for the host, England have too much quality in the final third and we expect to see over 2.5 goals being scored.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: 90mins.com
PREDICTION: CROATIA VS WALES
EURO 2024 QUALIFIERS, 25 MARCH @ 19:45 GMT
Hoping to start off on right foot in the European qualifying run with a statement on home soil, Croatia will welcome Wales to the Stadion Poljud on Saturday night. Both sides have aspirations to finish at the top of their Euro 2024 qualification group, which also features Turkey, Armenia and Latvia.
Croatia‘s participation in the 2022 World Cup was remarkable, having made it to the semifinals where they lost to title winners Argentina with a score of 3-0. In the third-place match, they managed to secure a 2-1 win against Morocco. But now Croatia is facing the prospect of eras coming to an end, yet the likes of Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic have remained active on the international scene when Dejan Lovren has announced his national team retirement.
Wales had a disappointing performance in the 2022 World Cup, finishing at the bottom of their group after the 3-0 defeat against England. Moreover Wales failed to secure a victory in any of the eight subsequent matches in all competitions. What is for sure is that Wales have been closing in on an end to an era for some time, and that was rubber-stamped when Bale announced his retirement.
The possible start-up lines are:
Croatia (4-3-3): Livakovic - Juranovic, Sutalo, Gvardiol, Sosa - Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic - Vlasic, Kramaric, Perisic
Wales (3-5-2): Ward - Mepham, Rodon, Cabango - Roberts, Ramsey, Ampadu, Wilson, Williams - Johnson, Moore
Wales have never won against Croatia in the six previous meetings with their most recent encounter ending in a draw 1-1, in the Euro 2020 qualifier. Moreover Croatia have won their last three matches against Wales on home soil.
Three of the last five clashes between these two teams have gone under 2.5 total goals and thus our prediction is that we won't see more than two goals being scored.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: footballtips.com
PREDICTION: FRANCE VS NETHERLANDS
EURO 2024 QUALIFIERS, 24 MARCH @ 19:45 GMT
World Cup runners-up France will play today for the first time since their dramatic final loss to Argentina when they face the Netherlands at Stade de France in Paris. On the other hands, the Netherlands, lost to Argentina on penalties in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
France manager Didier Deschamps has started the very difficult job of rebuilding the national team after a number of famous players like Raphael Varane, Karim Benzema and Hugo Lloris retired from international football. However, the coach does not lack options, and convocated some top new players: Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba, Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo and Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram. Meanwhile, there are familiar superstar faces - Antoine Griezmann, Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud.
The Netherlands are once again managed by Ronald Koeman despite criticism. The absent for the game are: Frenkie de Jong injured on the eve of the France game, Cody Gakpo, Matthijs de Ligt, Sven Botman, Joey Vermeen and Bart Verbruggen all with a virus infection. Some of the players who might be offered the chance of a first appearance in the national team squad are: Joey Veerman, Lutsharel Geertruida, Mats Wieffer and Sven Botman.
The possible start-up lines are:
France (4-2-3-1): Maignan - Kounde, Konate, Upamecano, Hernandez - Tchouameni, Rabiot - Coman, Griezmann, Mbappe - Giroud
Netherlands (4-3-3): Cillessen - Dumfries, Timber, Van Dijk, Ake - Wijnaldum, De Roon, Berghuis - Malen, Weghorst, Depay
Both sides will be keen to make a statement with an opening Euro 2024 qualification victory in their quest to top Group B. The Dutch are still targeting a first victory on French soil since 2008 but they are definitely the underdogs with so many absent key players from Koeman's squad.
Our prediction: France to win
Image credit: bleacherreport.com
PREDICTION: SWEDEN VS BELGIUM
EURO 2024 QUALIFIERS, 24 MARCH @ 19:45 GMT
Sweden and Belgium begin their 2024 European Championship qualification campaigns in Group F in Solna on Friday night. Belgium, Austria, Azerbaijan, Estonia, and Sweden are all part of the group and only the top two teams will gain a direct qualification, as a result, every result will matter.
The home team are heading into this fixture on the back of four consecutive friendly wins, while the visitors are playing their first match since their early exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The hosts have been in great form lately and have won their last three home games. 41-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still part of this strong squad fighting for a place. Although they have suffered defeats in their last two home meetings against the Red Devils, the Blue & Yellows should be able to produce a strong performance in this match.
Belgium has replaced head coach Roberto Martinez with Domenico Tedesco who will be taking charge of the team for the first time in this match. Tedesco has dropped veterans Dries Mertens and Axel Witsel from the squad. Michy Batshuayi and Youri Tielemans remain unavailable through injury.
The Red Devils will play only this one game for the Euro 2024 qualifiers during this international break. Their next competitive action is back in the middle of June.
The possible start-up lines are:
Sweden (4-4-2): Olsen - Holm, Hien, Lindelof, Augustinsson - Claesson, Olsson, Karlstrom, Forsberg - Isak, Kulusevski
Belgium (4-3-3): Courtois - Meunier, Vertonghen, Faes, Castagne - Onana, De Bruyne, Lavia - Trossard, Lukaku, Carrasco
Belgium have won their last three games against Sweden, with the home side not beating their opponents here since 1961. All things considered, a close game is realistic and our prediction is for the match to end in a draw.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: dazn.com
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS UNION BERLIN
BUNDESLIGA, 26 FEBRUARY @ 16:30 GMT
Union Berlin will visit The Allianz Arena on Sunday for the Bundesliga clash with home team Bayern Munich. Two of the division’s title rivals collide in Bavaria this weekend sitting at the top of the league table with the same number of points 46 from 21 games.
Bayern Munich will be looking for an improved result here following the 3-2 Bundesliga 1 defeat in their last game at the hands of Borussia Mönchengladbach. Although they have suffered just two league defeats The Bavarians have been held to seven draws only one less than Koln who hold the current record.
Bayern’s race to an eleventh consecutive title seems to be much more difficult than in previous years. Not only that Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin are on the same number of points as them, but Freiburg, Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt are also within touching distance.
Last weekend Union were held to a frustrating goalless draw at home with relegation zone team Schalke 04. However Die Eisernen have quickly recovered. One of their dreamsthis season saw another chapter written in mid-week as they defeated Dutch giants Ajax to advance through in the Europa League.
From the last seven encounters between the two, Bayern have not lost any, and scored nine goals in two victories against the capital club last season. But Union held the champions erlier this season. Also to note that Urs Fischer's side are unbeaten in 2023, registering seven more points than Bayern.
The possible start-up lines are:
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Sommer - Cancelo, De Ligt, Pavard, Davies - Kimmich, Goretzka - Coman, Musiala, Sane - Choupo-Moting
Union Berlin (3-5-2): Ronnow - Jaeckel, Leite, Knoche - Juranovic, Haberer, Laidouni, Khedira, Trimmel - Siebatcheu, Becker
The last three encounters between the Bavarians and The Iron Ones featured a whopping 13 goals and we expect to see again plenty of action.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: 90 mins.com
PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM VS CHELSEA
PREMIER LEAGUE, 26 FEBRUARY @ 13:30 GMT
Sunday’s only Premier League game sees London rivals Spurs and Chelsea lock horns at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The two clubs are currently separated by 11 points in the league table. While the hosts are looking to pick up their fourth win in five outings, Chelsea will be hoping to end five winless games run across all competitions.
Despite a season that has seemed to get into a crisis, Spurs sit four in the league table with 42 points from 24 matches, far ahead of their free-spending rivals. However, Antonio Conte's side are currently struggling to find consistency having won three and lost three games out of the last six in the league.
Chelsea is far from meeting expectations. The Blues are currently 10th in the table with 31 points from 23 games. The West Londoners last win was against Crystal Palace back in January. Last weekend, Chelsea lost 1-0 to Southampton at Stamford Bridge although they registered a much superior possession 62% and finished with 17 shots in total.
Out of the last 8 direct games, 6 were won by Chelsea and two ended in draws. The first fixture between the two sides this season, last year in August at Stamford Bridge ended 2-2.
The possible start-up lines are:
Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-3): Forster - Romero, Dier, Lenglet - Emerson, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Davies - Kulusevski, Kane, Son
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Kepa - James, Silva, Badiashile, Chilwell - Kovacic, Fernandez - Mudryk, Felix, Sterling – Havertz
Such has been the level of Chelsea’s form, it is impossible to back them even over an inconsistent Spurs side. Tottenham, on the other hand, have won four of their last six fixtures in league and cup and look particularly strong on home soil.
Our prediction: Tottenham to win
Image credit: indianexpress.com
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS ATLETICO MADRID
LA LIGA, 25 FEBRUARY @ 17:30 GMT
There will be fireworks when Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid face each other in “El Madrileno” on Saturday afternoon.
Los Blancos have won their last two league games and five across all competitions. In the previous round they beat Osasuna thanks to the late goals from Federico Valverde and Marco Asensio. Real continued their impressive form in Champions League Round of 16 first leg on Tuesday, coming back from two goals down to win 5-2 at Liverpool.
Los Blancos are now eyeing their third consecutive league win having Karim Benzema recovered from an injury. Still they will be missing Tchouameni, Diaz, Kroos, and Mendy which are still recovering.
On the other hand, Atletico have also won their last two La Liga games, both by a 1-0 scoreline. In the last weekend a second-half goal from Antoine Griezmann helped them edge Athletic Bilbao 1-0. Los Colchoneros are fourth in the table, four points clear of fifth-placed Real Betis and just two points behind Real Sociedad in third. Without any other competitions concerns their only focus is on claiming a top-four position.
The possible start-up lines are:
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois - Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Nacho - Camavinga, Tchouameni, Kroos - Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius
Atletico Madrid (3-4-3): Oblak - Molina, Savic, Hermoso, Reinildo - Llorente, Barrios, Koke, Carrasco - Griezmann, Morata
Real Madrid need to keep winning to keep the pressure on Barcelona, who are eight points clear at the top of the league table. Atletico have a four point lead over Real Betis and would remain fourth even if they lose.
Our prediction: Real Madrid to win
Image credit: madriduniversal.com
PREDICTION: MAINZ VS BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH
BUNDESLIGA, 24 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Mains will welcome Borussia M’gladbach at Mewa Arena on Friday evening for a meeting of the 22nd round of the Bundesliga. Mainz is currently 9th in the league table with 29 points, while Borussia is sitting in 8th place with the same number of points.
Mainz made reached two wins in a row last last weekend after a hard-fought 3-2 win away at Bayer Leverkusen. The 05ers are on a rising form with 3 victories from the last 5 games. Mainz’s games in 2023 have been full of excitement, averaging a whopping 4 goals per match across 7 games overall.
Borussia Monchengladbach returned to winning ways with a victory against leaders Bayern Munich 3-2 at home. Upamecano was sent off in the 8th minute leaving Bayern in 10 men for the rest of the game. Die Fohlen record of the last few years against Bundesliga champions Bayern is really impressive. They have won 7 of their last 13 meetings against the Bavarians in all competitions, losing only 4 of those matches. On travel M’gladbach have struggled this season having secured only one win and losing four of their last five away games.
The possible start-up lines are:
Mainz 05 (4-4-2): Dahmen - Hanche-Olsen, Bell, Fernandes - Widmer, Barreiro, Stach, Caci - Lee, Ajorque, Onisiwp
Borussia Monchengladbach (4-2-3-1): Omlin - Lainer, Itakura, Elvedi, Bensebaini - Kramer, Kone - Hofmann, Stindl, Plea – Thuram
Gladbach have been poor away from home with just a solitary win, but are unbeaten on their last six trips to Mainz. But the 05ers have not suffered a defeat in 4 successive games against Monchengladbach, registering a total of 2 wins and 2 draws. Therefore, we see this as a very close and balanced match ending in a draw.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: xinhuanet.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS BARCELONA
EUROPA LEAGUE, 23 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
A place in the Europa League Round of 16 will be on the line when Manchester United and Barcelona meet at Old Trafford on Thursday. Last week thriller ended in a 2-2 draw after each side took the lead but got equalized.
Manchester United are third in Premier League 5 points behind the leader Arsenal. The Red Devils began the 2022/23 season in disastrous fashion, losing back-to-back games. But they have steadily improved and they are now in outstanding form. In the weekend United eased past Leicester City by a 3-0 scoreline.
On the other side Barcelona, are at the top of La Liga table and have also been impressive this season. The Catalans failed to reach the Champions League Round of 16, finishing behind Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. But in the domestic championship rising to the top 8 points clear Real Madrid. The Blaugrana team have also won the Spanish Super Cup. In the previous La Liga round they secured a 2-0 victory against Cadiz over the weekend.
The possible start-up lines are:
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea - Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw - Casemiro, Sabitzer - Sancho, Fernandes, Rashford - Weghorst
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen - Kounde, Araujo, Alonso, Alba - De Jong, Busquets, Kessie - Raphinha, Lewandowski, Fati
Although we expect this clash to be really close again, we expect Man United to take advantage of the home soil considering the fact that Barça will miss some of their best players: Pedri and Ousmane Dembélé are out through injury and Gavi is suspended.
Our prediction: Manchester United to win
Image credit: manchestereveningnews.co.uk
PREDICTION: RB LEIPZIG VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE, 22 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Champions League action continues on Wednesday as title-favourites Man City take on German challengers RB Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena. The two teams are not at their best currently. In their past 5 domestic league games, they have similar results 3 win, 1 draw, 1 loss, which shows their similar streak of inconsistency.
RB Leipzig have had an impressive evolution so far this season and are currently in 5th place in Bundesliga In the weekend they defeated VfL Wolfsburg with a categorical 3-0. In Champions League the Germans finished second in Group F just 1 point behind Real Madrid. They scored 13 goals but shipped 9 in 6 group games.
Manchester City, are second in Premier League and have not been at their best this season. Over the weekend The Cityzens were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Nottingham Forest and have failed to 3 points behind the leader Arsenal which have an extra game in hands. In the previous round of Champions League City have clearly won group G with 13 points.
The possible start-up lines are:
RB Leipzig (4-2-3-1): Blaswich - Klostermann, Orban, Gvardiol, Raum - Schlager, Laimer - Szoboszlai, Forsberg, Werner - Silva
Manchester City (3-2-4-1): Ederson - Walker, Akanji, Ake - Rodri, Bernardo - Mahrez, Gundogan, Foden, Grealish - Haaland
The experience that Manchester City has at this level will give visitors an advantage. Moreover, Pep Guardiola's side has been excelling with their form since the start of the new year and has caught the leaders Arsenal thanks to a constantly positive form.
Both teams have seen over 2.5 goals in most of their league games this season: Leipzig 15 and City 16.
Our prediction: Manchester City to win
Image credit: mancity.com
PREDICTION: INTER MILAN VS FC PORTO
PREMIER LEAGUE, 22 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Inter Milan host FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 with high hopes of going deep in the competition.
Inzaghi’s side will want to carry the momentum achieved during the group stages. Back then, Inter finished second in a three-horse race to qualify alongside Bayern Munich at the expense of Barcelona. I Nerazzurri are on a five-game unbeaten run across competitions and won last weekend’s game with Udinese, 3-1, thanks to the goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Lautaro Martinez, and Romelu Lukaku.
On the other side Porto have started 2023 with a series of positive results, winning all but one of their games across competitions. ‘The Dragões’ extended their unbeaten run at a whopping 22 games. In the weekend’ Primeira Liga round they defeated Rio Ave 1-0 at home and are now 5 points behind the leader Benfica in the league table. In the previous round of Champions League Porto won Group B, ahead of Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge and Bayer Leverkusen.
The possible start-up lines are:
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Onana - Skriniar, Bastoni, Acerbi - Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Brozovic, Dimarco - Lukaku, Martinez
Porto (4-4-2): Costa - Mario, Pepe, Carmo, Sanusi - Franco, Eustaquio, Grujic, Pepe - Taremi, Namaso
Inter have kept clean sheets in three of their last four games across competitions. They have won 11 of their last 12 games at home and have won both previous meetings at the San Siro against Porto. Although this should be a tight match we believe Inter will just edge their opponents.
Our prediction: Inter to win
Image credit: covers.com
PREDICTION: FEYENOORD VS AZ ALKMAAR
EREDIVISIE, 18 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
The top two Eredivisie teams are set to lock horns in a massive six-pointer at Stadion Feijenoord, Rotterdamin in Round 22.
Heading into this game, Feyenoord sit at the top the table with 46 points, two points above AZ after 21 matches played. The Rotterdammers won their last match 2-1 against Heerenveen away, reaching a 14 unbeaten games strake. At home they remain among the only two unbitten teams, having conceded only 5 goals in 10 games, the second best after Twente which conceded 3.
In the previous round AZ Alkmaar won 5-0 on home soil against Excelsior with the goals scored by Evangelos Pavlidis, Jens Odgaard, Jesper Karlsson, and Sven Mijnans. Thus, they returned to winning ways after back-to-back draws to Utrecht and Volendam. In three of the previous four games ‘The Kaaskoppen’ have scored four or more goals and they are likely to cause serious problems to Feyenoord’s defense. Moreover, the Cheese Farmers have the best away records in Eredivisie, having gained 25 points from an available 33 on their travels.
The possible start-up lines are:
Feyenoord (4-2-3-1): Wellenreuther - Pedersen, Geertruida, Hancko, Hartman- Wieffer, Kokcu - Dilrosun, Timber, Idrissi - Gimenez
AZ Alkmaar (4-2-3-1): Ryan - Sugawara, Goes, Hatzidiakos, Kerkez - Clasie, Reijnders - Odgaard, Mijnans, Karlsson - Pavlidis
Although the reverse fixture between the teams ended 3-1, it is hard to separate this two sides. Feyenoord is the best team at home in Eredivisie whereas AZ has been the best away.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: utchnews.nl
PREDICTION: SASSUOLO VS NAPOLI
SERIE A, 17 FEBRUARY @ 19:45 GMT
The Serie A clash at Mapei Stadium-Città del Tricolore on Friday sees home team Sassuolo take to the field against Napoli. Napoli are on a six-match winning streak in and will look to make it seven in a row. On the other side, the host team will hope to extend their unbeaten run in the league to five games.
Sassuolo have improved recently after a poor first part of the season and are currently in 15th place, seven points clear of the drop zone. In the previous round The Neroverdi were held to a 2-2 draw at Udinese. Although they will have built a reputation as giant killers Alessio Dionisi’s side need to take it up a notch to come up with a positive result against the leader.
Napoli are at the top of the league table 15 points clear and it seems almost inevitable that Gli Azzurri looks as if they are going to win their third league title. Spalletti’s men are heading into this encounter on the back of a comfortable 3-0 win over Cremonese. The visitors should be in complete control throughout this one and should be able to extend their lead at the top of the league.
The possible start-up lines are:
Sassuolo (4-3-3): Consigli - Zortea, Erlic, Tressoldi, Marchizza - Frattesi, Obiang, Henrique - Berardi, Defrel, Lauriente
Napoli (4-3-3): Meret - Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Kim, Oliveira - Anguissa, Lobotka, Ndombele - Lozano, Osimhen, Raspadori
Both teams are heading into this encounter with a good track record of late. But Napoli have an impressive recent record against Sassuolo and have won 11 out of the last 20 matches losing only 2.
Our prediction: Napoli to win -1.0 Goal Handicap
Image credit: khelnow.com
PREDICTION: PSG VS BAYERN MUNICH
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, 14 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
UEFA Champions League return on Tuesday with the match between the champions of France and Germany in the first leg of the Round of 16 at Parc des Princes.
In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, the two clubs contested the UCL trophy, with Bayern winning 1-0. After that, the Parisians got their revenge in the spring of 2021 in the quarter-final stage. PSG won 3-2 in Bavaria, lost 0-1 at home and as a result progressed to the next round thanks to the extra goals scored away. That criterion is no longer in place today. In total, it is 6-5 for PSG in direct games, none of the meetings ending in a draw so far in "head-to-head" confrontations.
The clash couldn't possibly come at a worse time for PSG which are dealing with a list of injuries that have stymied their domestic form. The Parisian come after two defeats: a shock 3-1 loss at the hands of AS Monaco over the weekend and a 2-1 defeat at their bitter rivals Marseille in Coupe de France.
On the other side Bayern Munich are also at the top of the Bundesliga but have been ineffective since the turn of the year having won just 2 of the last five games. In the weekend The Bavarians eased past Bochum 3-0 at home.
The possible start-up lines are:
Paris Saint-Germain (3-1-3-1-2): Donnarumma - Hakimi, Marquinhos, Ramos – Mendes - Ruiz, Pereira, Verratti – Soler - Messi, Neymar
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Sommer - Cancelo, De Ligt, Upamecano, Davies - Kimmich, Goretzka - Sane, Musiala, Coman - Choupo-Moting
Our prediction: Bayern Munich to Win
Image credit: 90mins.com
PREDICTION: AC MILAN VS TOTTENHAM
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, 14 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Tottenham travel to Milan for the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 matchups. The two clubs are desperate to find their best form seeing their domestic chase for a top four spot falling short in recent weeks.
If Milan had some good moments this season, especially in the first half, the same cannot be said about Tottenham, who have been an inconsistent team throughout the season. Spurs did not convince even after the resumption of the Premier League after the World Cup, Although the Milanese had good moments, such as the 4-0 win against Crystal Palace or 1-0 victory over Manchester City. Spurs are unbeaten in their four matches against the Rossoneri, winning two of these games.
Tottenham Hotspur finished at the top of Group D in Champions League. In Premier League they slumped to a disappointing 4-1 defeat at Leicester City just a week after beating Manchester City 1-0.
AC Milan are currently in 5th place in Serie A standings. Although they managed to edge Torino to a crucial 1-0 victory in the weekend this is only their second win this year. Apart from this The Rossoneri have suffered 5 defeats and draw twice in 2023.
The possible start-up lines are:
AC Milan (3-4-2-1): Tatarusanu - Kalulu, Kjaer, Tomori - Calabria, Krunic, Tonali, Hernandez - Diaz, Leao - Giroud
Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-2-1): Forster - Romero, Dier, Davies - Emerson, Sarr, Skipp, Perisic - Kulusevski, Son – Kane
The two teams are currently on a very even footing and thus we expect to see a draw in this fixture.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: predictiisportive.ro
PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS EVERTON
PREMIER LEAGUE, 13 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Liverpool play host to Everton in the Merseyside Derby on Monday, desperate to get their season back on track with a victory. Considering that there is plenty of action left to be played this season for both clubs match may offer up a hint of what could be in for the rest of the campaign.
The Reds, are currently in 10th place in Premier League and have not been at their best this season. Last week they slumped to a 3-0 defeat with The Wolfes and will need to bounce back in this fixture in order to keep hopes for a European competition place at the end of the season.
Everton, on the other hand are in the relegation zone on 18th place in the league table and have struggled to cope with their opponents this season having gather just 18 points from 21 games. After edging Arsenal to a crucial 1-0 victory in their previous game The Toffees will look to achieve a similar result and gain some momentum.
In the reverse fixture at Goodison Park earlier in the Everton and Liverpool ended in goalless tie, that being the 12th time that this fixture has ended 0-0 between the two sides.
The possible start-up lines are:
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson - Alexander Arnold, Matip, Gomez, Robertson - Henderson, Fabinho, Keita - Salah, Nunez, Gakpo
Everton (4-5-1): Pickford - Coleman, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko - McNeil, Doucoure, Gueye, Onana, Iwobi – Maupay
We are expecting to see a tight derby tonight at Anfield Road. In 5 of the last 7 meetings between the two have been scored under 2.5 goals. Moreover, less than 3 goals have been produced in 2 of Liverpool's last 4 outings and in3 of Everton's last 5 matches.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: sportingnews.com
PREDICTION: PSG VS TOULOUSE
LIGUE 1, 4 FEBRUARY @ 16:00 GMT
PSG play host to Toulouse to the Parc de Princes for the Ligue 1 match on Saturday. The champions are aiming to get their 6th straight victory over Toulouse when the teams meet this weekend.
In the previous round Les Parisiens won away at Montpellier 3-1 managing a 66% possession and 19 shots on goal with 8 on target. They now keep 5 points in hand ahead of second place Marseille. But following the World Cup break PSG have only claimed a mere 10 from 6 games and the gap at the top of the table narrowed considerably. Still, on home soil they have not lost a Ligue 1 contest since April 2021.
Following promotion last season, Toulouse sit firmly in the middle of the table ahead 12th with 29 points. In their previous game Les Pitchouns won 4-1 against Troyes and remain unbeaten in 2023. The goals were scored by Dallinga, Chaibi, van den Boomen and Onaiwu and they registered a 56% possession with six shots on target.
The possible start-up lines are:
PSG (4-4-2): Donnarumma - Mendes, Pembele, Marquinhos, Hakimi - Verratti, Pereira, Vitinha, Soler - Ekitike, Messi
Toulouse (4-3-3): Dupe - Desler, Rouault, Nicolaisen, Suazo - Aboukhlal, Spierings, Van den Boomen - Chaibi, Dallinga, Onaiwu
Although PSG still have defensive issues they are the highest-scoring outfit in Ligue 1 and they have covered a -1.0 goal handicap in 9 of 21 fixtures this season. We are expecting PSG to win by at least two goals against on Saturday.
Our prediction: PSG to win -1.0 Goal Handicap
Image credit: insidesport.in
PREDICTION: EVERTON VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE, 4 FEBRUARY @ 12:30 GMT
Arsenal return to Premier League games on Saturday lunchtime to face struggling Everton at Goodison Park after their FA Cup exit. A new era begins for The Toffees as Sean Dyche begins his bid to save the club from relegation.
The Gunners will be looking to extend their lead at the top hoping that Manchester City will take a wrong step away at Tottenham. With City to come in the league later in February, Arsenal know this is the kind of game they simply cannot drop points. The absence of Thomas Partey due to a rib knock, will most like push Jorginho for a straight debut into the Arsenal squad.
Everton will hope to end their catastrophic run of form in the Premier League this weekend. The Toffees conceded a total of 28 goals and have netted 15 times. But with no new striker coming in during the transfer window, they are likely to continue to struggle in the final third.
Six of Arsenal's last seven Premier League games away from home have also ended in victory, and Arteta's men ended the 2021-22 season with a 5-1 thumping of the Toffees in North London, but they have lost each of their last two against Everton at Goodison Park.
The possible start-up lines are:
Everton (4-3-3): Pickford - Coleman, Tarkowski, Coady, Mykolenko - Iwobi, Gueye, Onana, McNeil - Gray, Calvert-Lewin
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale - White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko - Xhaka, Jorginho - Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli – Nketiah
Even if Dyche can work some of his defensive magic in a few days, it may only affect the margin of victory for Arsenal.
Our prediction: Arsenal to win to nil
Image credit: sportstiger.com
PREDICTION: CHELSEA VS FULHAM
PREMIER LEAGUE, 3 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Chelsea welcome Fulham to Stamford Bridge in a West London Premier League derby in on Friday evening. The Blues are looking for revenge as the London rivals meet again just three weeks after a shock win for the Cottagers (2-1). The team are separated by just 2 points in the league table with Chelsea in 10th place and Fulham in 7.
The Blues made headlines in the January transfer window spending an eye-watering amount of money, but the new players need to integrate as soon as possible and help their team to start picking up points in order to secure a place in European football for next season.
On the other side Fulham have exceeded expectations under Marco Silva this season, throwing their name into the ring for the European places. But since that key win over Chelsea, Fulham have endured a slight dip in form loosing with Newcastle and Fulham.
The possible start-up lines are:
Chelsea (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga - Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Badiashil - Azpilicueta, Kovacic, Hall, Cucurella Mount, Mudryk, Havertz
Fulham (4-3-3): Leno - Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson - Palhinha, Reed, Andreas Pereira - Decordova-Reid, Mitrovic, Willian
We're expecting a tight derby with few goals. Under 2.5 goals have been scored in 4 of the last 7 meetings between the two clubs, including the last clash at Stamford Bridge, the 2-0 victory for Chelsea. 4 of Chelsea's and 5 of Fulham's last 6 away games have seen under 2.5 goals.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: alleysport.com
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS REAL SOCIEDAD
LA LIGA, 29 JANUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Real Madrid play host to Real Sociedad in a huge game at the top-of-the-table in La Liga on Sunday.
Los Blancos will be looking to build on their latest victory after another derby won on Thursday, with Atletico Madrid 3-1 to in Copa Del Rey. But in their last 6 La Liga games, they have emerged victorious in only half, which has allowed Barcelona to open up a three-point lead.
Madrid need to recapture their consistency and keep close to the leader. Their previous round success, 2-0 over Athletic Bilbao, on one of the toughest grounds in Spain for visiting teams should give them a good morale.
On the other side Real Sociedad are in 3rd place just 3 points behind their Sunday’s opponents and a victory would draw them level.
In La Liga, the Basque have 5 consecutive victories and have won 9 out of their last 10 games in all competitions. The narrow defeat in Copa del Rey on Wednesday 1-0 to Barcelona was also the first game in the last 11 when they failed to score.
The possible start-up lines are:
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois – Fernandez, Alaba, Militao, Carvajal – Camavinga, Tchouameni, Valverde – Vinicius, Benzema, Rodrygo
Real Sociedad (4-3-3): Remiro – Rico, Normand, Zubeldia, Elustondo – Barrenetxea, Zubimendi, Mendez – Kubo -Sorloth, Oyarzabal
Real Madrid are unbeaten in all of their last 11 home matches in La Liga. Moreover Real Sociedad have won just 4 of their 31 most recent clashes against Real Madrid in all competitions. Although Sociedad could give them a hard time we back Los Blancos to win this match.
Our prediction: Real Madrid to win
Image credit: marca.com
PREDICTION: NAPOLI VS AS ROMA
SERIE A, 29 JANUARY @ 19:45 GMT
Two in-form sides meet in Italy’s Serie A derby at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday, January 29th.
With a victory over Roma, Napoli would extend their impressive 12 points lead at the top of the table. Luciano Spaletti's side have won their last three games, the most categorical being the huge 5-1 over former champions Juventus. The ‘Partenopei’ only defeats this year were against Inter (1-0) in Serie A and against Cremonese on penalties in Coppa Italia.
On the other hand the Romans are in a very tight fight for a Champions League spot at the end of the season with 5 teams separated by just 3 points. Mourinho's side wenter the match on the back of a six-game unbeaten run in the league and will be looking at extending their positive track.
In the last 37 matches between the two, Roma have won 15 times over Napoli, while losing on 13 occasions. But recently, Gli Azzurri haven't lost to The Romans in all competitions since November 2019, going the next six encounters unbeaten since then.
The possible start-up lines are:
Napoli (4-3-3): Meret - Di Lorenzo, Kim, Rrahmani, Rui - Zieliński, Lobotka, Anguissa - Lozano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Roma (3-4-2-1): Patricio - Mancini, Ibañez, Smalling - Zalewski, Matić, Cristante, Camara - Dybala, El Shaarawy - Abraham
Our prediction: Napoli to win
Image credit: chiesaditotti.com
PREDICTION: SPORTING LISBON VS FC PORTO
TAGA DA LIGA, FINAL 28 JANUARY @ 19:45 GMT
Sporting Lisbon and their bitter rivals Porto meet on Saturday night for the final act of Taca da Liga at the Estadio Dr Magalhaes Pessoa.
Sporting will be hoping to win the competition for the 3rd time in a row and to secure the 5th trophy in 6 years. The Leoes passed Arouca in the semi-finals 2-1, thanks to the goals scored by Paulinho. In Primeira Liga they are currently in 4th place with 32 points, 7 behind their Saturday’s opponent which whom will be fighting for a Champions League spot. Sporting major issue this season seams to be the defence, having kept only 5 clean sheets compared to 18 in the previous one.
Porto secured their place in the final after the categoric 3-0 win against Academico Viseu, goals being scored by Eustaquio, Loader and Folha. In Primeira Liga, Porto are currently 3rd, 8 points behind the leader Benfica. Still they are in a impressive form having gone undefeated in their previous 16 games in all competitions, with 17 goals scored and just 2 conceded in the last 6 matches.
The possible start-up lines are:
Sporting Lisbon (3-4-3): Adan - Inacio, Coates, Matheus - Esgaio, Ugarte, Goncalves, Santos - Edwards, Paulinho, Trincao
Porto (4-4-2): Ramos - Mario, Pepe, Marcano, Wendell - Otavio, Uribe, Eustaquio, Galeno - Martinez, Taremi
Although we expect to see a strong opposition from Sporting, Porto is in a much better form recently and we believe the Dragons will speculate their opponents defensive issues, winning the Taca da Liga for their first time in history.
Our prediction: Porto to Win
Image credit: desporto.sapo.pt
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS ARSENAL
FA CUP, 27 JANUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Arsenal travel to the Etihad Stadium on Friday evening to face Manchester City in the 4th round of the FA Cup. With both teams in excellent form, we should see plenty of action in this much-anticipated clash between the two Premier League heavyweights.
The Gunners have five points ahead and one game ahead leading the Premier League so far, at the halfway stage of the season. But City have won each of the last two years clashes, with Arsenal's last victory being in July 2020 in FA Cup.
Manchester City enter the game with both decisive league meetings to come looking to send a message of intent. In their last nine FA Cup matches, The Citizens have scored at least three goals and won each all of them.
Unbeaten in seven straight games, Arsenal head to the Manchester in high spirits. This is something of a free hit for the record-holding 14-time FA Cup winners. Arteta’s men are averaging 2.4 goals per Premier League game and managed to win the recent derbies against Manchester United (2-1), and bitter rivals Spurs (2-0).
The possible start-up lines are:
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ortega - Walker, Dias, Akanji, Ake - Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne - Mahrez, Haaland, Alvarez
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Turner - White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko - Xhaka, Partey - Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli - Nketiah
We expect to see goals in a game being played between two attacking sides in good form and in which neither team have convinced defensively on a regular basis this season. Two of the last four meetings between the two have ended with both teams scoring over 2.5 goals.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 Goals & Both Teams to Score
Image credit: arsenal.com
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS REAL SOCIEDAD
COPA DEL REY, 26 JANUARY @ 20:00 GMT
The 231st clash between city rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will occur on Thursday night in the quarter-finals of this season's Copa del Rey.
In their last La Liga match Atletico Madrid beat Real Valladolid 3-0. Goals from striker Alvaro Morata, French forward Antoine Griezmann and centre-back Mario Hermoso brought the victory for Diego Simeone's squad.
In the head-to-head games, Atletico haven't won against Real at home since 2016. Moreover, the Cholconeros haven't scored a goal in their last four visits to the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid come into this game on the back of a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the league. Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos secured the win for Carlo Ancelotti's side.
After recently losing the Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona, Real have vowed to try to get revenge in the Copa del Rey where the Catalans are already qualified for the semi-finals.
The possible start-up lines are:
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois - Nacho, Rudiger, Alaba, Mendy - Modric, Camavinga, Kroos - Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jr
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2): Oblak - Molina, Savic, Hermoso, Reinildo - Llorente, De Paul, Kondogbia, Carrasco - Griezmann, Depay
Although we expect a very well balanced match, we can see Real Madrid aligning a strong team and edging Atletico by a small narrow.
Our prediction: Real Madrid win
Image credit: freetips.com
PREDICTION: BARCELONA VS REAL SOCIEDAD
COPA DEL REY, 25 JANUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Barcelona play host to Real Sociedad at the Camp Nou on Wednesday evening in the Copa Del Rey quarter-final with Xavi's side hoping to continue their domestic dominance this season. The are in excellent form and should be able to give The Blaugrana an extremely competitive game.
Real Sociedad are currently third in the La Liga much above their usual route. In the previous game, La Real won against Rayo Vallecano 2-0 margin and will look to achieve a similar result this week. In Copa del Rey last-16 clash with Mallorca, Imanol Alguacil's side passed over Mallorca by a narrow margin 1-0.
Barcelona, are at the top of the league table and have been impressive on the domestic league so far this season. The Catalan outfit edged Getafe to a 1-0 victory over the weekend. In Copa del Rey Xavi’s side trashed Ceuta 5-0 to make it this far. 10 of the last 11 games, have ended in victory for Blaugrana with the outlier being their 1-1 draw with Espanyol on New Year’s Eve.
The possible start-up lines are:
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen - Kounde, Araujo, Garcia, Alba - Pedri, Busquets, De Jong - Dembele, Lewandowski, Raphinha
Real Sociedad (4-3-3): Remiro - Elustondo, Zubeldia, Le Normand, Rico - Mendez, Illarramendi, Zubimendi - Barrenetxea, Sorloth, Oyarzabal
In four of the previous five heads-to-heads both teams have scored. Given that great recent form of both teams we expect that happening on Wednesday.
Our prediction: Both teams to score? Yes
Image credit: marca.com
PREDICTION: FULHAM VS TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
PREMIER LEAGUE, 23 JANUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Fulham and Spurs go head to head in a London derby on Monday night to conclude another weekend of Premier League football. In their previous clash back in September at the start of the season, Spurs won 2-1 thanks to the goals from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Harry Kane.
After losing their last two league games, Tottenham have the chance to get closer to 4th place. The city rivals Arsenal did them a favour by beating Manchester United on Sunday leaving them within reach if Conte’s team was were to win today. In their last game mid-week Spurs suffered a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Manchester City and has a point to prove in this fixture.
Fulham are currently in seventh place having exceeded expectations so far this season. The Cottagers slumped to a narrow 1-0 defeat at the Newcastle United in the previous round and will be hoping to return to winning ways. They should still have some confidence after the impressive run of five consecutive wins (all competitions).
Tottenham Hotspur have a good record against Fulham and have won 53 out of the 101 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Fulham's 18 victories.
The possible start-up lines are:
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno - Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson - Palhinha, Reed - Decordova-Reid, Pereira, Willian - Mitrovic
Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-3): Lloris - Romero, Dier, Lenglet - Emerson, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Sessegnon - Kulusevski, Kane, Richarlison
Both teams are on an even footing at the moment being separated by just 2 points in the league table. Although it would not be the desired result for The Lilywhites, will be hard for them to get more than a draw in this fixture.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: mirror.co.uk
PREDICTION: RB LEIPZIG VS BAYERN MUNICH
BUNDESLIGA, 20 JANUARY @ 19:30 GMT
Title rivals RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich, two of the world's best defenders Dayot Upamecano and Josko Gvardiol meet on Friday night in a heavyweight clash at the top of the Bundesliga.
With four victories in a row and eight games unbitten in the league, the hosts occupy the 3rd place, 6 points behind their opponent. In their previous outing, Leipzig won 2-1 at Werder Bremen thanks to the goals of André Silva and Xaver Schlager. They also have the best home form in the Bundesliga, with six won and one draw in seven matches at the Red Bull Arena. Thus, despite being the uncontestable leader Bayern may find it tough here.
Bayern, have won their last five league games and have won ten straight matches in all competitions. In the previous game The Bavarians beat Shalke 2-0, with the help of the scorers Serge Gnabry and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. With 49 goals scored in the league this season, the visitors have by far the most feared attack in the competition.
Although Leipzig have the best home form in the league, Bayern have the best away form, averaging over two points and almost three goals per game on the road.
The possible start-up lines are:
RB Leipzig (4-3-3): Nyland - Simakan, Orban, Gvardiol, Raum - Schlager, Laimer, Haidara - Szoboszlai, Forsberg, Andre Silva
Bayern Munich (4-3-3): Ulreich - Mazraoui, Pavard, Upamecano, Davies - Goretzka, Musiala, Kimmich - Gnabry, Choupo-Moting, Sane
In their last meeting the two teams scored seven goals, in a 5-2 victory for the Bavarians. Five or more goals have been notched in each of the last three clashes and thus our prediction tips the over 3.5 goals.
Our prediction: Over 3.5 goals
Image credit: bavarianfootballworks.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS TOTTENHAM
PREMIER LEAGUE, 19 JANUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Manchester City play host to Tottenham on Thursday night in a derby from which both teams are hoping to save their 2022/23 seasons. Spurs have had the better of Man City in recent seasons and there is usually a winner when these two sides lock horns.
Man City have lost two games in a row now, exiting the Carabao Cup due to the 2-0 defeat to Southampton, before losing the Manchester derby and are now eight points off the pace in the title race. With Man United equal on points and Newcastle only one point adrift they simply cannot afford to lose points on Thursaday.
Tottenham continues the inconsistent route this season, most recently losing to leaders Arsenal 2-0 on Sunday in the North London derby. They are currently in fifth place 5 points below the last Champions League spot. Although Spurs secured just three victories from their last nine Premier League, Conte's men have struck an eye-catching nine goals in their last three away league matches.
The Lilywhites managed to do the double over the champions last season, prevailing 3-2 at the Etihad and making it four wins from their last five Premier League games against Manchester City.
The possible start-up lines are:
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson - Walker, Akanji, Laporte, Cancelo - Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne - Silva, Haaland, Grealish
Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-3): Lloris - Romero, Dier, Davies - Doherty, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Perisic - Kulusevski, Kane, Son
Both teams have scored in three of Man City's last four league games. Both clubs have only managed to keep two clean sheets in their last six attempts and both teams found the back of the net when the two teams met last time in Premier League. So we are expecting to see goals on both sides.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: sportslens.com
PREDICTION: AC MILAN VS INTER MILAN
ITALIAN SUPER CUP, 18 JANUARY @ 19:00 GMT
The Italian Super Cup sees the ‘Derby della Madonnina’ head to King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, as AC Milan face Inter in the battle for the first trophy of the season. Milan qualified as reigning Serie A champions, whereas their city rivals secured their ticket as last season's Coppa Italia winners.
AC Milan are currently second in Serie A and have been fairly impressive so far this season. In the previous game they were held to a disappointing 2-2 draw by Lecce and will be looking to get back to winning ways.
Inter Milan, are in fourth place in the league table at the moment and have not been remarkable this season so far. Last weekend The Nerazzurri edged Hellas Verona to an important 1-0 victory which keeps them on track for a Champions League spot, 3 points clear form Lazio.
The possible start-up lines are:
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Tatarusanu - Calabria, Tomori, Kjaer, Hernandez - Bennacer, Tonali - Saelemaekers, Diaz, Leao - Giroud
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Onana - Skriniar, Acerbi, Bastoni - Dumfries, Gagliardini, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco - Martinez, Dzeko
Head-to-head Inter have a slight edge having won 85 out of the 233 matches, as opposed to AC Milan's 79 victories.
The last two matches played between the two have produced a total of eight goals. As such, we expect to see over 2.5 goals on regular time.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: sportstiger.com
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
PREMIER LEAGUE 15 JANUARY @ 16:30 GMT
The leader Arsenal travels on Sunday at their bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur for the 193rd North-London derby. The Gunners, are going for a first title in 19 years. A win away at Spurs would be a strong statement of intent. Although Spurs have failed to convince under Antonio Conte, they thrashed their rivals at home back in May with a 3-0 win.
Arsenal’s previous round draw at home with Newcastle have cut their lead at the top over Manchester City back down to five points. In the third-round of FA Cup The Gunners passed Oxford City without any major difficulty (3-0). But the real text are just about to come this month when after Spurs they will be meeting Manchester United and Manchester City in the league. These tough encounters will be telling when it comes to Arsenal's title credentials.
Without Antonio Conte Spurs made a hard work to win in FA Cup on Sunday against the League One side Portsmouth (1-0). In their previous league game they trashed Crystal Palace away 4-0 in a very one-side match. Still The Lilywhites have long way to convince since three of their last four Premier League matches at home ended in defeat, during which time they have shipped at least two goals per game. With 35 points they occupy the 5th position in the table, 2 points below Manchester United and still keep hopes for a Champions League place at the end of the season.
The possible start-up lines are:
Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-3): Lloris - Romero, Dier, Lenglet - Doherty, Bissouma, Hojbjerg, Perisic - Kulusevski, Kane, Son
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale - White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko - Xhaka, Partey - Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli – Nketiah
We are expecting to see goals in this game as five of the last six competitive meetings between these two local rivals have ended with over 2.5 goals being scored.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: football.london
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE 14 JANUARY @ 12:30 GMT
Manchester United will entertain rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford in the 189th edition of the Manchester Derby on Saturday.
United look to avoid a fourth straight defeat against City. This game pits Man Utd as the form favourite but Man City have a much better recent record in this fixture.
The Reds are in an unthinkable run of form, losing just one of their last 18 competitive matches – a defeat at Aston Villa in early November (3-1). Since the World Cup break they have won all six games. Their last success came in the EFL Cup, a 3-0 home win over Charlton Athletic thanks to the goals scored by Marcus Rashford (2) and Antony (1). In their previous Premier League game Man United overcame Bournemouth 3-0 with the goals being scored by: Casemiro, Luke Shaw, and Marcus Rashford.
The Citizens beat Chelsea 4-0 last weekend in FA Cup. Few days later they lost deservedly with Southampton 2-0 having only one shot on target in 90 minutes. Guardiola’s side will be hoping to bounce back in the league title battle and reduce the five-point gap that currently separates them from Arsenal. But this game will be a real exam since they have failed to score in four of their last seven away games across all competitions.
The possible start-up lines are:
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea - Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw - Casemiro, Eriksen - Antony, Fernandes, Rashford - Martial
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson - Walker, Stones, Akanji, Ake - De Bruyne, Rodri, Bernardo - Mahrez, Haaland, Grealish
Although both teams will be looking to put on a solid display, Guardiola’s side really need to take all three points to keep the pressure on league leaders Arsenal.
Our prediction: Manchester City win
Image credit: sports.yahoo.com
PREDICTION: NAPOLI VS JUVENTUS
SERIE A 13 JANUARY @ 19:45 GMT
Serie A is back in action with another round of matches this weekend. Round 18 starts on Friday at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium with the derby between the first two teams in the league table: Napoli and Juventus.
Napoli remains the leader after winning at Sampdoria 2-0 last Sunday after a match they dominated with authority. It was what they needed after the 1-0 defeat at San Siro against Inter Milan. ‘Gli Azzurri’ have extended their lead to 7 points after a very lucky weekend when AC Milan, Inter and Lazio have all concede stoppage time equalisers. But the real tests just begin now for ‘The Parthenopeans’ with the derbies against Juventus and Roma to come, at home in the next fortnight.
Juventus are currently in second place in Serie A and show a great form lately. The Bianconeri have 8 consecutive wins in the domestic championship. This is the first time they have won eight on the spin since 2018, when they won an eighth straight Scudetto. In the previous round they won only by one goal against Udinese and will look to take it up a notch this week.
The possible start-up lines are:
Napoli (4-3-3): Meret - Di Lorenzo, Kim Min-jae, Rrahmani, Olivera - Zambo Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski - Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Juventus (3-5-2): Szczesny - Danilo, Rugani, Gatti - McKennie, Rabiot, Locatelli, Miretti, Kostic - Di Maria, Milik
Although we expect Napoli to dominate possession, Juventus just cannot afford to lose this one as the gap would widen to 10 points.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: blackwhitereadallover.com
PREDICTION: FULHAM VS CHELSEA
PREMIER LEAGUE 12 JANUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Chelsea will be traveling to Craven Cottage on Thursday for an exciting West London derby against Fulham. Not many times before the Cottagers were able to look down in the table at their rivals. Now they are sitting 7th in the league table, there places higher than Chelsea and 3 points clear.
Although Fulham have only won the promotion from the Championship last season, they have adapted very well to the higher level so far. If they avoid defeat on Thursday, they will move above Liverpool into sixth. But the Cottagers are looking for the 4th win in a row a beating Crystal Palace, Southampton and Leicester. Their previous 4 wins streaks dates back to 1966.
Chelsea are struggling mid table 10 points adrift of the top four and 10 clear of the relegation zone. The defeat against Manchester City (4-0) in FA Cup was the fifth in a row in all competitions without even scoring a goal. The Blues will have to return to winning ways if they want to even salvage their European status let alone a place in the Champions League. Still, the Pensioners are unbitten since 2006, in 21 meetings against Fulham (13 wins, 8 draws, 0 losses).
The possible start-up lines are:
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno - Tete, Ream, Adarabioyo, Robinson - Reed, Palhinha - De Cordova-Reid, Pereira, Willian - Vinicius
Chelsea (4-3-3): Kepa - Azpilicueta, Koulibaly, Silva, Cucurella - Kovacic, Zakaria, Jorginho- Ziyech, Havertz, Mount
We're not expecting many goals in this game as in four of the last six league games between the two teams have been scored under 2.5 goals. Furthermore, in three of Fulham's last five matches have also been scored fewer than three goals. The visitors have seen five of their last six matches produce under 2.5 goals.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: fulhamish.co.uk
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS VALENCIA
SUPERCOPA DE ESPANA 11 JANUARY @ 19:00 GMT
Real Madrid and Valencia will meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, in the first semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup of this season.
Los Blancos are present in the final four due to winning La Liga in the 2022-23 season. Ancelotti's side won the trophy last year after beating Athletic Club 2-0 in the final. Valencia qualified for this stage by making it to the last season's Copa del Rey final. They lost to Real Betis, 5-4 on penalties.
Real Madrid enters this game after a surprising 2-1 loss to Villarreal in La Liga over the weekend. It was the first time their starting line-up had zero Spanish players and the defeat meant they lost ground in the title race, sitting now on the 2nd place, 3 points behind the rivals Barcelona. Los Blancos have now the chance to secure this trophy once again, for the 12th time in history.
Valencia are not in great form either after the previous round 1-0 defeat in La Liga. Despite having 74% possession against the relegation battlers Cadiz they only managed two shots on target in the match. Gennaro Gattuso's side are currently 11th in the La Liga table, with only 19 points gained in 16 matches. They are now eight points off the top six in the league table.
The possible start-up lines are:
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois - Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy - Kroos, Valverde, Modric - Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius
Valencia (4-3-3): Mamardashvili - Correia, Comert, Diakhaby, Gaya - Musah, Guillamon, Almeida - Kluivert, Cavani, Lino
Four of the previous five head-to-head meetings between Real Madrid and Valencia have seen over 2.5 total goals. Moreover Real Madrid averaged 3.25 goals per game in La Liga so far, meanwhile Valencia averaged 2.56 goals.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: managingmadrid.com
PREDICTION: ARGENTINA VS FRANCE
QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP FINAL 18 DECEMBER @ 15:00 GMT
France will meet Argentina in the Qatar 2022 World Cup Final on Sunday at Luisail Stadion. For the first time since 1962 the holders will have the chance to defend their title, with no other team since Brazil managing that.
Officially by the FIFA rankings, this is No. 3 vs No. 4. Both teams deservedly made it through to the final where much of the focus is on the two super-stars Messi and Mbappe, the best player in the world and his possible replacement.
Despite a long list of injuries before the tournament started, France have been sensational, crushing teams with constant pace and precision thanks to the great form of Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann. And Olivier Giroud. Although the team suffered a shocking defeat to Saudi Arabia they quickly recovered and then went on to dominate against every other team they faced. The Netherlands were a problem and it was not an easy game but Messi’s side managed win on penalties.
France had no serious challenges in the World Cup path until they met Morocco in the semi-finals. Yes, they lost in the group stage to Tunisia but using most of the reserve team. They wrecked Poland in the Round of 16, then passed through England in the quarter-finals. The match against Morocco was the biggest challenge and France definitely did not look as dominant. Still, they kept a clean sheet but that will be very hard against Argentina.
The possible start-up lines are:
Argentina (4-4-2): E. Martinez — Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Acuna — Paredes, De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister — Messi, Alvarez
France (4-3-3): Lloris —Kounde, Varane, Konate, T. Hernandez —Griezmann, Tchouameni, Rabiot —Dembele, Giroud, Mbappe
We feel like there is no way for this final to go without a couple of goals and at least one per team. Both sides have shown incredible attacking and have scored in almost every single game.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: zeenews.india.com
PREDICTION: MOROCCO VS CROATIA
QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP 17 DECEMBER @ 15:00 GMT
Croatia and Morocco are battling out for the bronze medal of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup in Saturday’s play-off at the Khalifa International Stadium. Some would say the third place is mostly useless, yet for the two countries, there is plenty on the line despite the lack of a true competitive environment.
The two teams only met twice in history. Once it was in the groups stage on 23rd of November, when the match ended in a 0-0 draw after a well-balanced game. Previously, they have met back in 1996 when the game ended in a 2-2 draw.
Having reached the finals in Russia four years ago, the Croatians were hoping for a new appearance in the last stage clash, but the 3-0 loss to Argentina ended their run. ‘The Vatreni’ will be playing up for one last rodeo for their ageing stars: Ivan Perisic, Dejan Lovren, Domagoj Vida, Marcelo Brozovic, Andrej Kramaric and the super-star Luka Modric (37) for whom it is almost surely a final dance in the national’s final tournaments.
On the other side Morocco have already made history by becoming the first African and Arab team to reach a World Cup semi-final. The Atlas Lions have only conceded three goals in this tournament, two of which have come in the defeat against France. The other goal conceded was in fact an own goal with Canada in the group stage.
The possible start-up lines are:
Morocco (4-3-3): Bounou – Halkimi, Darl, Yamiq, Mazraoui – Ounahi, Amrabat, Ezzelzaouli, - Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal
Croatia (4-3-3): Livakovic – Sosa, Cvardiol, Lovren, Juranovic -Kovacic, Bozovic, Modric – Vlasic, Petkovic, Majer
The first match in the group stage ended in a 0:0 draw. We expect something similar to happen this time. Both sides have shown that they can play attacking football but prefer to be defensive. Therefore, we expect to see few goals in this clash.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: dknation.draftkings.com
PREDICTION: ENGLAND VS FRANCE
QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP 10 DECEMBER @ 19:00 GMT
England and France meet on Saturday at Al Bayt Stadium for a place in the semi-finals. A match that is potentially big enough for a World Cup final itself, should deliver plenty of action, as the two are among the top scoring teams.
In the Round of 16, The Three Lions defeat Senegal 3-0 courtesy of goals from Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka. Their opponent, Senegal only manged one shot on target.
England is now at a three-game streak without conceding a goal at the World Cup. However, they have been dumped-out at this stage six times and six of their last eight eliminations have come against fellow European teams.
On the other side France realized a good performance against Poland, winning 3-1. Kylian Mbappe was once again the star of the match with two goals scored and one assist for Olivier Giroud. Lewandowski’s penalty only gave Poland a late consolation.
France have reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in five of the last seven editions. Although they have lost both of their previous meetings with England at the World Cups in 1966 and 1982, in the recent history Les Bleus have much better results. England's only wins over France in their last 10 attempts were in a friendly game in 2015 and in the 1997.
The possible start-up lines are:
England (4-3-3): Pickford - Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw - Bellingham, Rice, Henderson - Saka, Kane, Foden
France (4-2-3-1): Lloris - Kounde, Varane, Upamecano, T. Hernandez - Tchouameni, Rabiot - Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe - Giroud
Both teams have scored goals in Qatar relatively easy with England being the top scorer. Moreover in 18 of the last 31 games both teams have scored.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: telegraph.co.uk
PREDICTION: NETHERLANDS VS ARGENTINA
QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP 9 DECEMBER @ 19:00 GMT
After winning against USA and Australia, Netherlands and Argentina meet in the second World Cup quarter-final at Lusail Iconic Stadium.
This is the seventh meeting between the two in the history of World Cup and the third-most frequently played fixture of the competition. Although the two nations have produced some of the most iconic moments in time, their two previous meetings, in 2006 and 2014, ended goalless.
Argentina began the competition with a defeat to Saudi-Arabia, the second-lowest ranked nation at the tournament. Since then, they have improved with each outing. The ‘Albicelestes’ beat Argentina in Round of 16 with the goals of Lionel Messi (35’) and Julian Alvarez (57’). Enzo Fernandez unlucky own goal gave Australia dreams of an improbable turnaround (77’). Emiliano Martinez’ s vital save in front of Newcastle’s Garang Kuol send Argentina through to the last eight.
The Netherlands have also rose to the hights so far at the World Cup and emerged as a serious candidate for the trophy. After winning group A with 7 points ‘The Oranje’ defeated the USA with 3-1 and will look to achieve a similar result on Friday.
The possible start-up lines are:
Netherlands (3-4-1-2): Noppert - Timber, Van Dijk, Ake - Dumfries, De Jong, De Roon, Blind – Klaassen - Gakpo, Depay
Argentina (4-3-3): Martinez - Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Acuna - Fernandez, De Paul, Mac Allister - Di Maria, Messi, Alvarez
We are expecting at least three goals to be scored in this game. At least three goals have been scored in five of Argentina's last seven matches and over 2.5 goals were produced in Netherlands game against USA.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: bleacherreport.com
PREDICTION: CROATIA VS BRAZIL
QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP 9 DECEMBER @ 15:00 GMT
Croatia go up against Brazil on Friday in an intriguing encounter in the quarter-final stage at the Fifa World Cup, at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan. The winner will meet in the semi-finals either Argentina or the Netherlands.
Brazil reaffirmed their status as the World Cup favorite with a 4-1 win over South Korea. The Selecao’s second-round match was over as a contest after 12 minutes, the first half eventually ending with four goals ahead. Vinicius Junior, Neymar, Richarlison and Lucas Paqueta completed the list of gola-scorers for Tite’s squad. 15 minutes before the final whistle Paik Seung-Ho brought the South Korean supporters a small consolation.
For the second successive World Cup and for the third time in their history, Croatia qualified in the quarter-finals. After a very close and tough combat in the last 16 on Monday the ‘The Blazers’ won against Japan 3-1 on penalties.
The possible start-up lines are:
Croatia (4-3-3): Livakovic - Juranovic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Sosa - Kovacic, Brozovic, Modric - Kramaric, Petkovic, Perisic
Brazil (4-2-3-1): Alisson - Militao, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Danilo- Casemiro, Paqueta- Raphinha, Neymar, Vinicius Jr- Richarlison
Brazil have picked up three wins in four games against Croatia two of which have been at World Cup tournaments. Although Croatia will offer a test to Brazil and will be hard to crack, we back-up the five time champions to win-to-nil.
Our prediction: Brazil to Win-to-Nil
Image credit: dknation.draftkings.com
PREDICTION: MOROCCO VS PORTUGAL
QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP 9 DECEMBER @ 15:00 GMT
After sending home one of the World Cup’s favourites, Spain, Morocco takes on the impressive Portugal in
a crucial knock-out tie at the Al Thumama Stadium on Saturday.
After resisting Spain’s thousand passes and denying La Roja a goal in normal time, extra time or even the penalty shootout, Morocco line up against Portugal on Saturday afternoon for their first-ever World Cup quarter-final. The Atlas Lions managed to win Group F undefeated, overtaking favourites Croatia and Belgium.
Portugal thrashed Switzerland by a stunning 6 in the previous round and will look to achieve a similar result this weekend. Having one of the best squads at the World Cup ‘The Selecao’ have emerged as favourites for the trophy this year.
So far, the two teams are on an even footing as far as the head-to-head record is concerned and have won one game apiece out of a total of two matches played between the two teams.
The possible start-up lines are:
Morocco (4-3-3): Bounou - Hakimi, Saiss, Aguerd, Mazraoui - Ounahi, Amrabat, Amallah - Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal
Portugal (4-3-3): Costa - Dalot, Pepe, Dias, Guerreiro - B. Silva, Carvalho, Otavio - Fernandes, Ramos, Felix
Although Morocco have kept seven clean sheets in their last eight games in all, surely cannot keep one of the tournament's most potent teams at bay. Portugal have scored 12 goals in four games at the 2022 World Cup, only netting more in a single tournament back in 1966.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: Olympics.com
PREDICTION: FRANCE VS POLAND
QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP 4 DECEMBER @ 15:00 GMT
After topping Group D, France meet Group C second place Poland in the 2022 World Cup Round of 16, at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, on Sunday. Both nations advanced despite losing their final group games.
France managed to break the defending champions curse at the World Cup but they couldn’t finish a perfect group run, after the surprizing 1-0 defeat against Tunisia. Up next Deschamps' team is a last 16 tie against Poland.
In the last group stage game, Poland was defeated 2-0 by Argentina and qualified thanks to goal difference. For a while it looked to be even tighter than that, as at full-time in their match Poland had been going through on fair play having picked up fewer yellow cards than third-placed Mexico. A late goal for Saudi Arabia saved the day for the Polish. Levandowski and co will have to perform much better than they have done so far in this competition if they want to make it through to the Quarter-Finals.
The possible start-up lines are:
France (4-2-3-1): Lloris - Kounde, Varane, Upamecano, T Hernandez - Tchouameni, Rabiot - Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe - Giroud
Poland (4-2-3-1): Szczesny - Cash, Glik, Kiwior, Bereszynski - Krychowiak, Bielik - Frankowski, Zielinski, Kaminski – Lewandowski
The two countries have played one another 16 times in total. France won 8 games, Poland won 3 and 5 ended in draws. France have kept clean sheets in the last three meetings with Poland. The Polish failed to score in two of their three group games at the World Cup. Therefore, we back-up France to win to nil.
Our prediction: France to win to nil
Image credit: sportingnews.com
PREDICTION: ARGENTINA VS AUSTRALIA
QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP 3 DECEMBER @ 19:00 GMT
After the shock defeat to Saudi Arabia, Argentina secured the top spot in Group C and have been rewarded with what looks like an easy tie against Australia.
The Aussies exceeded all expectations to progress from their group, beating Denmark 1-0 in their final match to secure their place in the last 16. But in this round Arnold's well-drilled unit will be outsiders toa more formidable Argentina and will need to put in a lot more effort and concentration to make the it to the final eight for the first time ever.
Argentina overcame after the surprising defeat against Saudi Arabia in their first group game to finish at the top of Group C and qualify for the round of 16. The Albiceleste secured an important 2-0 victory against Poland this week and will be confident ahead of this fixture.
Both Argentina and Australia should have no injury concerns coming into this game.
The possible start-up lines are:
Argentina (4-3-3): E. Martinez - Molina, Otamendi, Romero, Tagliafico - Mac Allister, Fernandez, De Paul - Alvarez, Messi, Di Maria
Australia (4-1-4-1): Ryan - Karacic, Souttar, Rowles, Behich – Mooy - Leckie, Irvine, McGree, Goodwin - Duke
We're expecting to see plenty of goals, most likely in favour of Argentina. In four of Argentina's last six games in all competitions there have been scored over 2.5 goals. Australia let in 4-goals against France in their first group game and their defence is likely to take another hammering at the hands of Messi and co in the last 16.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: kathmandupost.com
PREDICTION: SERBIA VS SWITZERLAND
QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP 2 DECEMBER @ 19:00 GMT
Serbia and Switzerland will play in the last round of group stages, to determine who gets to the Round of 16. Previously the two teams met in the same tournament stage, 4 years ago in Russia. In that game The Rossocrociati made it to the next round after a 2-1 victory with a late 90’ goal.
Serbia are the only team without a win in Group G and have just one point from two games. In their open group match The Eagles fell to an expected defeat against Brazil although they managed to hold on for quite some time. In the second game they draw 3-3 against Cameroon, after leading with a 2 goals advantage.
Switzerland are in a very good position to progress to the knockout stages, courtesy of a 1-0 victory against Cameroon in their first game in Group G. Even a draw would be enough for them to book a spot in the knockout round but if Cameroon defeat Brazil, the second-placed team will be decided on goal difference.
Serbia have no injury concerns for the game. On the other side Noah Okafor will need to be assed after an injury.
The possible start-up lines are:
Serbia (3-4-3): Milinkovic-Savic - Milenkovic, Veljkovic, Pavlovic - Zivkovic, Maksimovic, Lukic, Kostic- Tadic, Milinkovic-Savic, Mitrovic
Switzerland (4-2-3-1): Sommer - Widmer, Akanji, Elvedi, Rodriguez - Xhaka, Freuler - Shaqiri, Sow, Vargas - Embolo
This match will most likely be a tight contest and we expect to end in a draw.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: theguardian.com
PREDICTION: INTER MILAN VS SAMPDORIA
SERIE A 29 OCTOBER @ 19:45 BST
Inter will be hosting Sampdoria at San Siro on Saturday afternoon. The too teams are in different situations now. Inter have manged to pick-up after a mediocre start of the season while Sampdoria are struggling in the relegation zone.
Inter are unbeaten in their last 7 games in all competitions and are playing catch-up with the rest of the Serie A title challengers. They are currently 8 points behind the leader Napoli so that for now a Champions League position seams more reasonable. With a victory in this match they could climb up to the fourth place depending on the other league results.
Sampdoria have recently appointed a new manager Dejan Stankovic, with whom they obtained their first victory of the season. Though they had to resist a tough from the newly promoted, Omar Colley’s 78th minute strike brought the 3 points to Sampdoria. With only one victory in their last 20 league trips to face Inter, ‘I Blucerchiati’ will have a very hard mission.
The possible start-up lines are:
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Onana - Skriniar, De Vrij, Acerbi - Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco - Correa, Martinez
Sampdoria (4-2-3-1): Audero - Bereszynski, Amione, Colley, Augello - Rincon, Villar - Gabbiadini, Sabiri, Djuricic - Caputo
Inter have picked up four wins from their last six league games against Sampdoria and have kept a clean sheet in their last three home games.
Our prediction: Inter to Win-to-Nil
Image credit: serpentsofmadonnina.com
PREDICTION: LEICESTER VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE 29 OCTOBER @ 12:30 BST
Manchester City will be traveling to King Power Stadium in Leicester for a new round of action in Premier League.
Leicester are currently 17th in the league table with 11 points from 12 games, just 2 points clear off the relegation zone. In the previous round they trashed Wolverhampton away 4-0 after an enchanting game and with two wins in a row their morale is high for the match against the champions. The three consecutive clean sheets also shows The Foxes are in the right direction, having eased some of the pressure of them. Furthermore they are unbeaten at home this month taking 7 points out of 9 possible.
The visitors are 2nd in the league and have been impressive so far this season. Being 2 point’s behind the leader Arsenal they will be looking to keep up with them. In Champions League The Citizens were held to a disappointing 0-0 at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. Pep Guardiola’s side have gone without a single victory or a single goal in their last three away games. More Worries for the fans is the possible absence of Erling Haaland.
The possible start-up lines are:
Leicester City (4-5-1): Ward - Castagne, Faes, Amartey, Justin – Soumare - Maddison, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall, Barnes- Vardy
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson - Cancelo, Dias, Akanji, Laporte - Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne - Foden, Alvarez, Grealish
The last four league meetings between the two teams have ended with at least 7 goals. Moreover three of the host's last six outings have also produced 4 or more goals.
Our prediction: Over 3.5 goals
Image credit: marca.com
PREDICTION: WERDER BREMEN VS HERTA BERLIN
BUNDESLIGA 28 OCTOBER @ 19:30 BST
Werder Bremen and Hertha Berlin lock horns at the Wohninvest Weserstadion on Friday. Both teams will hope to gain points and stay above the relegation zone.
Werder Bremen will try to bounce back after a series of three defeats in all competitions. They are currently in the 11th place with 15 points, 4 more than their opponents. ‘Die Werderaner’ have earned most of their points on the road, obtaining just one victory on home soil. On the bright side Bremen have scored 2 goals or more in of the 11 games in Bundesliga.
The visitors are 3 points clear the relegation zone after their only second league win last week against Schalke (2-1). Second-half goals from Lucas Tousart and Wilfried Kanga helped them to bounce back after five winless games.
The possible start-up lines are:
Werder Bremen (3-5-2): Pavlenka - Pieper, Veljkovic, Stark - Weiser, Schmid, Bittencourt, Stage, Jung - Fullkrug, Ducksch
Hertha Berlin (4-4-2): Christensen - Kenny, Rogel, Kempf, Plattenhardt - Tousart, Serdar - Lukabakio, Ejuke - Kanga, Jovetic
We expect to see an entertaining encounter with plenty of goals. There have been over 2.5 goals scored in Hertha Berlin's last 3 games in Bundesliga. Moreover, Werder Bremen have seen over 2.5 goals in their last 3 matches against Hertha Berlin in all competitions.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: beinsports.com
PREDICTION: FIORENTINA VS INTER MILAN
SERIE A 22 OCTOBER @ 19:45 BST
The final game to be played on Saturday, October 22nd in Serie A, is an important clash at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
The host are currently in 13th place in the Serie A after an inconsistent evolution this season so far. They have only taken 4 points out of the last 5 games in the domestic league. In their previous match Fiorentina drew 1-1 away at Lecce. In the past few years, Fiorentina have failed to win against Inter in any of the clubs' last 10 league meetings and they are currently 8 points behind.
Inter are in seventh place in the league table. In the previous game they have past Salernitana by a 2-0 margin. The Nerazzurri will look to achieve a similar result this weekend. In Champions League they have managed to take 4 points off their rivals Barcelona and stand a very good chance to qualify for the knockout stage of the competition.
The possible start-up lines are:
Fiorentina (4-5-1):Terracciano - Dodo, Milenkovic, Igor, Biraghi - Amrabat, Bonaventura; Gonzalez, Barak, Kouame Cabral
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Onana - Skriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni - Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco - Martinez, Dzeko
We saw three or more goals in three of the last five head-to-head duels. Moreover Inter have scored and conceded in all of their last nine Serie A away matches - each game ending with a total of at least three goals scored. Therefor we expect to see over 2.5 goals scored in this match.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: violanation.com
PREDICTION: CHELSEA VS MANCHESTER UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE 22 OCTOBER @ 17:30 BST
Chelsea is in the fourth position in Premier League, only separated by one point from Manchester United currently fifth. We expect a very close match and a tight result as both teams have had good performances lately.
Although Chelsea have shown marked improvement under Graham Potter, they played out a 0-0 stalemate against Brentford this week. The Blues will be hoping to get all the three points and continue chasing the leader Arsenal which is already 7 points ahead. Previously Chelsea had an impressive run with 5 consecutive wins in all competitions and will be a tough nut to crack for United.
Manchester United obtained a massive victory against Tottenham Hotspur midweek and will be intent on establishing their top-four. The Red Devils haven't lost any of their last five matches in all competitions and they are undefeated in 10 of their last 11 games against Chelsea.
The possible start-up lines are:
Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Kepa - Azpilicueta, Silva, Chalobah - Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho, Kovacic, Chilwell - Sterling, Mount - Aubameyang
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea - Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw - Casemiro, Fred - Antony, Fernandes, Sancho – Rashford
The last four meetings between the two clubs have ended in stalemates than have produced under 2.5 goals. These two sides are perfectly matched and Saturday's encounter. We expect this match to end in a draw.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: 90min.com
PREDICTION: PORTO VS BENFICA
PRIMEIRA LIGA 21 OCTOBER @ 20:15 BST
Porto and Benfica meet on Friday night at Estádio do Dragão in one of the classic Portuguese derbies. The two teams occupy the first two places in the league table and are only separated by 3 points. In case of a victory Porto would equalize the current leader Benfica.
Porto come into this game on the back of a 6-0 win over Anadia in the third round of the Taca de Portugal. Previously they won 3-0 at Leverkusen in Champions League continuing their excellent run of 5 wins in all competitions. Sergio Conceicao's side have scored 17 goals, while they have kept four consecutive clean sheets.
On the other side Benfica, beat Caldas 1-1 (3-5 after penalties) in the third round of the Taca de Portugal. They are still yet to lose this season, in all competitions after 18 games. In Premeira Liga, they have won eight of their nine matches. Benfica draw in four out of their last five games, but two of those have come against a top European club PSG in the Champions League.
The possible start-up lines are:
Porto (4-4-2): Costa - Mario, Cardoso, Carmo, Zaidu - Otavio, Uribe, Eustaquio, Pepe - Evanilson, Taremi
Benfica (4-2-3-1): Vlachodimos - Gilberto, A. Silva, Otamendi, Grimaldo - Fernandez, Aursenes - Goncalves, Mario, R. Silva – Ramos
Benfica were unable to win at Estádio do Dragão since 2019 and will face a highly motivated FC Porto. Still they will be keen to protect the three point advantage in the league table. We expect the match to end in a draw.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: sportingpedia.com
PREDICTION: ALANYASPOR VS ANTALYASPOR
TURKISH SUPER LIG 14 OCTOBER @ 18:00 BST
Antalyaspor travels to Bahçeşehir School Arena for the Super Lig game, round 10, against Alanyaspor on Friday night. Neither of these teams are in particularly good form and, as such, both could really do with three points.
Alanyaspor have only taken 4 points from their last five games and they are currently on the 11th place in the league table with 9 points from 9 games. In the previous round, on Sunday they have lost 1-0 at Hatayspor after Burak Oksuz scored in the 72nd minute, resulting in a third away defeat. On the bright side Alanya have lost just one of their last five games on home soil which give them hopes for the Friday’s match.
Although Anatalyaspor have won 2 of their first 3 opening games Nuri Sahin’s further evolution is disappointing. In the last 5 games they have 4 defeats and 1 draw. The Scorpions are occupying the 16th place with 7 points form 8 games and they are currently in the relegation zone.
The possible start-up lines are:
Alanyaspor (4-3-3): Runarsson - Pereira, Bayir, Aksoy, Balkovec - Doumbia, Gunes, Bekiroglu Karaca, Aydin, Koka
Antalyaspor (4-2-3-1): Usyal - Balci, Sari, Toprak, Vural - Fernando, Akyol - Gumus, Adriano, Ghacha - Wright
Although the have lost their last 3 heads-t-o heads against Antalyaspor, Antalyaspor is in a much better shape lately picking up some points. Moreover their opponents have lost three of their five on the road games including their last two.
Our prediction: Alanyaspor to win
Image credit: aa.com.tr
PREDICTION: NETHERLANDS VS BELGIUM
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 25 SEPTEMBER @ 19:45 BST
Belgium will be travelling to Amsterdam, for the UEFA Nations League match on against Netherlands on Sunday. The Dutch only need one point in this match to qualify in the competition finals. Back in June Netherlands have won 4-1 away in Belgium.
Holland won in the previous round in Poland 2-0 and are currently the leader of League A, Group 4, three points clear from their Sunday opponent. Louis van Gall remains unbeaten in an impressive series of 14 games since taking over in August 2021
Belgium are sitting in the second place in Group 4 and will be hopping to overtake the top spot from Netherlands. Earlier this week The Red Devils edged Wales 2-1, in an important win.
Out of 138 games played between the teams, Netherlands have won 56 whereas Belgium have managed 41 victories, 41 ended in a draw.
Team news
Netherlands are missing Tim Krul while other 4 players are doubtful: Teun Koppmeiners, Mephis Depay, Steven Berghuis and Frenkie de Jong. Belgium have no absent players.
The possible start-up lines are:
Netherlands (3-5-2): Pasveer - Timber, van Dijk, Ake - Dumfries, De Roon, De Jong, Berguis, Blind - Bergwijn, Gakpo
Belgium (3-4-2-1): Courtois - Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Theate - Castagne, Tielemans, Witsel, Carrasco - De Bruyne, Hazard – Batshuay
We expect to see an open, entertaining clash on Sunday with many goals as three of the last seven meetings between the two have witnessed at least four goals scored. Moreover, four of the Netherlands' last five games in the Nations League have produced over 2.5 goals and in Belgium’s last six games there were scored at least three goals.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: english.news.cn
PREDICTION: CZECH REPUBLIC VS PORTUGAL
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 24 SEPTEMBER @ 19:45 BST
Czech Republic are set to play Portugal at the Eden Arena on Saturday in the UEFA Nations League. Back in June Portugal won 2-0. In four head-to-head encounters between the two sides, Portugal hold a clear advantage. They have won three games and lost one.
Czech Republic will aim to keep their top flight position, currently being third in the group, three points below their visitors. In the previous round the ‘The Locomotive’ lost 2-0 against the leader Spain.
Portugal will attempt to keep their hopes for the final. They currently occupy the second place in League A, Group 2, just one point below Spain. Previously, ‘The Navigators’ lost 1-0 in Switzerland.
Team news
Cristiano Ronaldo, the leading goalscorer for his country is back after missing the first 4 games in Nations League. For Czech Republic there are no absents among the top selected players.
The possible start-up lines are:
Czech Republic (3-4-3): Vaclik - Zima, Brabec, Jemelka - Coufal, Kral, Soucek, Zeleny - Cerny, Schick, Hlozek
Portugal (4-3-): Patricio - Dalot, Dias, Pereira, Mendes - Neves, Carvalho, Fernandes - B. Silva, Ronaldo, Leao
Portugal have the ambition of a top spot and a final in Nations League this year. Despite their absences in defence, a strong midfield should be enough to allow them to control the game. On the other side Czech Republic will be looking to maintain their group position and avoid relegation.
Our prediction: Portugal to win
Image credit: portugoal.net
PREDICTION: ITALY VS ENGLAND
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 23 SEPTEMBER @ 19:45 BST
Italy will host England in the UEFA Nations League today, looking to pick up a morale-boosting victory on home soil.
The Azzurri still hold a chance of making it to the finals of the competition. They are currently third in the group, just one point behind the second place. In the previous game they lost with a categorical score, 5-2 in Germany.
England head into this contest on the back of some disappointing performances, and they are still winless from their last four games. With just two points earned, England are the last in Group 3 and stand very little chances of moving to the next round. In the previous game The Three Lions have been trashed by Hungary 4-0 at home.
Back in June the two teams butted heads in front of a youthful Molineux crowd, with only children and their guardians permitted to attend. The game ended in a draw 0-0 with England’s team in possession 58% of the time.
The possible start-up lines are:
Italy (4-3-3): Donnarumma - Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Bonucci, Emerson - Barella, Tonali, Jorginho - Gnonto, Immobile, Grifo
England (3-4-3): Ramsdale - James, Tomori, Maguire - Trippier, Rice, Bellingham, Chilwell - Sterling, Kane, Foden
Neither team have been in great form of late with both having serious trouble in the previous games. Moreover, three of the last four head to heads have ended level.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: uefa.com
PREDICTION: ATLETICO MADRID VS REAL MADRID
LA LIGA 18 SEPTEMBER @ 20:00 BST
Real Madrid will be the visitors at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday for the La Liga local derby against Atlético Madrid. In the Champions League earlier this week, both clubs faced German teams but endured and enjoyed contrasting nights.
Real Madrid go into this clash after a 2-0 Champions League victory with the eclipse of RB Leipzig in their last match. With a brilliant start of a season, they are the leader in La Liga with maximum of points. A win on Sunday would boast a perfect track record for the previous 6 games.
Atlético Madrid will be looking to improve on their last match, a 2-0 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen in Champions League. In La Liga they have ten points, and a +5 goal difference from three wins, a draw and a loss in the five matches played, currently sitting on the 7th place. In their last league match, Los Colchoneros beat Celta Vigo 4-1.
Atletico are missing the injured Stefan Savic, Jan Oblak and Jose Gimenez. Thomas Lemar and Sergio Reguilon are also doubtful. Real has one missing player Karim Benzema. Eder Militao and Lucas Vazquez are doubtful for Los Blancos.
The possible start-up lines are:
Atletico Madrid (3-5-2): Grbic- Reinido, Lemar, Llorente, Paul, Niguez - Morata, Felix
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois- Mendy, Alaba, Rudiger, Carvajal – Modric, Tchoameni, Kroos – Hazard, Junior, Valverde
Real Madrid are on an eight-game winning streak in all competitions after beating Mallorca 4-1, and RB Leipzig 2-0. Their firepower and current shape looks unstoppable for any defence.
Our prediction: Real Madrid to Win
Image credit: dailysabah.com
PREDICTION: WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE 17 SEPTEMBER @ 12:30 BST
Premier League is back in action this weekend. Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester City lock horns at Molineux Stadium on Saturday.
The Citizens return to the domestic league after two Champions League victories, 2-1 at home against Dortmund and 4-0 away at Sevilla. They have made an impressive start of season winning six out of the eight games and drawing two. In Premier League, City sits 2nd, 1 point behind the leader Arsenal. A win in this match could take Guardiola’s team in the first place of the League Table.
The hosts have not been in action since beating Southampton 1-0 on September 3. Currently they occupy the 14th place and are yet to hit their stride this season. Although they possess a three-game unbeaten run, a lack of firepower is felt in Lage’s side is felt, having only scored 5 goals this season.
The new transfer Sasa Kalajdzic and Chiquinho are out injured, whereas Diego Costa is doubtful for the Wolfes. The Citizens have two doubtful players: Aymeric Laporte and Kyle Wlker.
The possible start-up lines are:
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sa - Jonny, Kilman, Collins, Ait-Nouri - Nunes, Neves, Moutinho - Neto, Jimenez, Podence
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson - Stones, Akanji, Dias, Cancelo - Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne - Silva, Haaland, Foden
In four out of the last six encounters in Premier League between the two team have been scored over 2.5 goals. Furthermore, in City’s six of the last eight games there have been seen over 2.5 goals.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: manchestereveningnews.co.uk
PREDICTION: MAINZ VS HERTHA BERLIN
BUNDESLIGA 16 SEPTEMBER @ 29:30 BST
Mainz and Hertha Berlin meet tonight in the Bundesliga at the MEWA ARENA. With a win, Mainz could move into the league top four. The 05ers are targeting their third victory in a row over Hertha.
Mainz have mixed results this season. They are sixth in the league table with ten points from six games after winning three games, drawing one and loosing two. In the previous round Mainz lost away at Hoffenheim (4-1), playing in 10 after the 41’ dismissal of Alexander Hack.
In the previous round Hertha recorded a 2-2 draw at Leverkusen. Under the new coach Sandro Schwartz, they managed to get four points from their last two matches after a difficult start of a season.
Mainz are missing Alexander Hack (after the previous round red card) and Marcus Ingvartsen wit a knee injury. Burkardt is doubtful. On the other side, Hertha are missing Kelian Nsona and Linus Gechter which are both injured.
The possible start-up lines are:
Mainz (3-4-3): Zentner - Tauer, Bell, Leitsch - Widmer, Kohr, Barreiro, Caricol - Lee, Burgzorg; Onisiwo
Hertha Berlin (4-3-3): Christensen - Kenny, Uremovic, Kempf, Plattenhardt - Tousart, Sunjic, Serdar - Lukebakio, Kanga, Ejuke
There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 8 of Mainz's last 10 games in Bundesliga. Moreover, in the previous season clash between the two, there were score three goals (2-1 win for Mainz).
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: Bundesliga.com
PREDICTION: RENNES VS FENERBAHCE
EUROPA LEAGUE 15 SEPTEMBER @ 20:00 BST
One of the most interesting matches in the upcoming round of Europa League is the Rennes vs Fenerbahce taking place at Roazhon Park tonight.
Both teams have won their first-round games in Europa League group stages. A second victory would give a good head-start in the qualifications for any of the two. In the domestic championship both teams are also doing well so far.
Rennes have won in the previous round with a late 94’ goal at AEK Larnaca in a very balanced game against a tough and well-organized team. In Ligue I, Les Rennais obtain a very clear victory 5-0 against Auxerre. Currently they sit six in the league table 2 points below a European competition place.
Fenerbahce have also won in the previous round with a late goal (92’) against Dynamo Kiev. In Super Lig the Yellow Cannaries won the last game against Kayserispor 2-0 and are occupying now the 7th place in the table, but with one game played less. A victory would allow them to climb up to the 2nd position.
The possible start-up lines are:
Rennes (4-2-3-1): Mandanda - Traore, Rodon, Theate, Meling - Ugochukwu, Tait - Bourigeaud, Majer, Sulemana - Abline
Fenerbahce (3-5-2): Bayindir - Henrique, Szalai, Peres - Kadioglu, Kahveci, Arao, Crespo, Alioski- King, Pedro
Both teams have scored in their first-round matches. Fenerbahce scored at least 2 goals in their last 3 Europa League games. Rennes have scored at least 2 goals in 3 of their last 4 games in all competitions. We expect this to be a close match and to see goals on both sides.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: aa.com.tr
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS BARCELONA
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 13 SEPTEMBER @ 20:00 BST
Barcelona will play away tonight at Allianz Arena in Munich against Bayern in a classic European derby. In the first round of UEFA Champions League, groups stage, both teams have won their games.
The Bavarians won 2-0 at Inter Milan. Sane scored the first goal, followed by an own goal of Inter’s center-back Danilo D’Ambrosio. In Bundesliga, Bayern have won 3 games and draw 3, currently sitting 3rd in the table. After a brilliant start, they have only managed to draw the last 3 matches, including Saturday’s 2-2 at home against Stuttgart.
Barcelona are in a better shape with an impressive start of the new season, winning 5 of their last 6 games in all competitions. In Champion’s League they trashed Victoria Plzen 5-1 at home. In La Liga on Saturday, The Catalans won without any doubts 4-0 at Cadiz. Moreover, Xavi’s team have scored 20 goals and only conceded 2.
Bayern is missing Kingsley Coman (injured) which most probably will be replaced by Jamal Musiala. Bouna Sarr is also doubtful. Barcelona has no missing players.
The possible start-up lines are:
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Pavard, De Ligt, L Hernandez, Davies - Kimmich, Sabitzer - Gnabry, Muller, Sane - Mane
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen - Kounde, Araujo, E Garcia, Balde - Gavi, Busquets, Pedri - Raphinha, Lewandowski, Dembele
Bayern Munich averaged 4 goals/game in Bundesliga so far whereas Barcelona averaged 3.2 in La Liga. Furthermore, in the last 5 H2H matches, the two teams averaged 6.2 goals. Therefore, we expect to see plenty of goals tonight.
Our prediction: Over 3.5 goals
Image credit: dw.com
PREDICTION: INTER MILAN VS TORINO
SERIE A 10 SEPTEMBER @ 17:00 BST
Inter Milan and Torino lock horns at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Serie A today.
Inter aims to bounce back after two defeats: 2-0 at Bayern Munich in Champions League and 3-2 with the city rivals Milan, last weekend. The Milanese team seats 8th in the table after five games, 4 points below the leader Atalanta. Still, looking at the previous games Inter have won each of their last six in Serie A, scoring at least two goals. Moreover, they have gone unbeaten against Torino since 2019, winning five games and drawing one.
Torino returned to winning ways last week against Lecce with a 1-0 win. Previously, the Turin team picked up three wins and one draw from their first four games across all competitions. They have only suffered one defeat away, against the leader Atalanta (3-1) on the 1st of September.
The possible start-up lines are:
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Handanovic - Skriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni - Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Darmian - Correa, Martinez
Torino (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic - Djidji, Buongiorno, Rodriguez - Lazaro, Lukic, Linetty, Vojvoda - Radonjic, Vlasic – Sanabria
In Inter’s five of the last six games this season there have been scored at least three goals, with their last four Serie A tussles averaging 4.0. Torino have scored in 5 of the last 6 games this season.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: football-italia.net
PREDICTION: INTER MILAN VS BAYERN MUNICH
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 7 SEPTEMBER @ 20:00 BST
Inter Milan host Bayern Munich at San Siro today in the first round of Group C of UEFA Champions League. The two European giants meet for the first time in the last 5 years in all competitions. In Champions League they have previously met in the season 2010/2011 when Inter eliminated Bayern in the 16th round thanks to an away goal after 3-3 on aggregates.
This season both clubs are in a good shape although the last round didn’t see any of the teams winning.
Nerazzurri won three games and lost two in Serie A currently sitting 8th in the league table. On Sunday they lost in the Milanese derby 3-2 against Milan in a well balanced game. Still Inter are the division's second-top scorers and have won each of their last six league games as hosts.
Bayern have won four of their last six games in all competitions this season and they are 3rd in Bundesliga, just one point behind Freiburg and Dortmund. In the previous round The Bavarians only managed a 1-1 draw away at Union Berlin. But with an impressive number of 26 goals scored in all competitions, Inter’s defence should have some serious concerns.
The possible start-up lines are:
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Handanovic - Skriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni - Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Dimarco - Martinez, Dzeko
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Pavard, De Ligt, Upamecano, Davies - Sabitzer, Kimmich - Coman, Musiala, Sane – Mane
Bayern have won 3 of their away matches against Inter in all competitions and are still unbeaten this season. Inter lost 2 out of the last 5 games and have a fragile defence. Therefore, we expect Bayern to win the game.
Our prediction: Bayern Munich to win
Image credit: footballtoday.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE 4 SEPTEMBER @ 16:30 BST
Manchester United host the leader Arsenal at Old Trafford in a classic derby on Sunday, which is the real test for both teams.
Arsenal have started the season with five straight wins getting the maximum points on offer in Premier League. However, they have not met yet any of the top teams and they are struggling with injuries in midfield.
Manchester United have won their last three league games. With the three consecutive wins over Liverpool, Southampton and Leicester, The Reds sit 5th in the table league before this round. Still, they have only scored five goals so far which is the least of any teams in the first half,
In the last six direct game, Arsenal have won three games, draw two and lost just one.
The possible start-up lines are:
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea - Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Malacia - Casemiro, Eriksen - Sancho, Fernandes, Ronaldo - Rashford
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale - White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko - Xhaka, Lokonga - Saka, Smith Rowe, Martinelli – Jesus
Although Arsenal have made a phenomenal start of season, they are facing some serious injuries issues and meeting a top rival which appears to be finding their feet recently. Therefore, we predict the game will end in a draw.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: bleacherreport.com
PREDICTION: CHELSEA VS WEST HAM
PREMIER LEAGUE 3 SEPTEMBER @ 15:00 BST
West Ham makes a short trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday for a new London derby with Chelsea. The two team are having a hesitating start of season and it’s time for both to get to wining ways.
Chelsea is having the worst start of season since 2015/2016 occupying the 10th place with just 7 points from 15 on offer. In the previous round The Blues lost at Southampton 2-1 on Tuesday night. On the bright side the acquisition of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (who is currently injured with a broken jaw) and Thomas Tuchel should bring a much needed improvement.
West Ham have lost three of the five matches in Premier League so far. Still, The Hammers are getting a momentum after collecting four points from the last two games with Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.
Heads-to-heads, Chelsea have secured three wins from their last four matches against West Ham having a higher morale to their opponents.
The possible start-up lines are:
Chelsea (3-4-3): Mendy - Fofana, Silva, Koulibaly - Azpilicueta, Gallagher, Jorginho, Cucurella - Mount, Sterling, Broja
West Ham United (4-2-3-1): Fabianski - Coufal, Kehrer, Zouma, Palmieri - Rice, Soucek - Bowen, Benrahma, Fornals – Antonio
There have been over 2.5 goals scored in Chelsea's last 4 games in Premier League. Therefore we expect to see over 2.5 in this game.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: theathletic.com
PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR VS FULHAM
PREMIER LEAGUE 3 SEPTEMBER @ 15:00 BST
Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham meet on Saturday in their first London derby after The Cottagers returned in the top flight.
Tottenham are third in the table heading into the weekend. They will be hoping to return to winning ways after the 1-1 draw at West Ham in midweek. The hosts are yet to lose this season in Premier League, picking up three wins and two draws, scoring 10 goals and receiving 4.
Fulham have won at home on Tuesday this week, 2-1 against Brighton & Hove Albion. The Cottagers have gained eight points from the first 15 points on offer and held a respectable 7th place in the table. But on the road they are yet to win this season in all competitions. They also failed to win any of their last three Championship games on the road last term.
In the previous clashes Tottenham was clearly the better team having won 6 of the last 7 games in all competitions.
The possible start-up lines are:
Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-3): Lloris - Sanchez, Dier, Davies - Emerson, Hojbjerg, Bissouma, Sessegnon - Richarlison, Kane, Son
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno - Tete, Ream, Adarabioyo, Robinson - Reed, Palhinha - Decordova-Reid, Pereira, Kebano – Mitrovic
In four of the last six encounters between Tottenham and Fulham we have seen goals on both sides.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: standard.co.uk
PREDICTION: FENERBAHCE VS AUSTRIA VIENNA
EUROPA LEAGUE PLAY-OFF 25 AUGUST @ 18:00 BST
Austria Vienna travel to Ulker Stadyumu Fenerbahce in Istambul for the second leg of the Europa League qualifiers. After a doubtless 2-0 win away for Fenerbahce, the mission for the Austrian team to outturn the qualification seams close to impossible.
In the first leg Joshua King scored early (8’) announcing a clearly controlled game for The Yellow Canaries with 63% possession. The Viennese team struggled to come back in the game having only 2 shots on target in the whole match. To make things more frustrating Serdan Dursun expanded the difference on the scoreboard with an 89’ goal.
Fenerbahce are on a three-game winning streak and have not lost any of the last six in all competitions, with the last defeat dating back in July against Dynamo Kiev.
On the other side Austria Vienna have won the last two games in Bundesliga but the overall performance this season is mediocre: 3 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw in all competitions.
The possible start-up lines are:
Fenerbahce (3-4-3): Bayindir - Lemos, Szalai, Peres - Kadioglu, Yuksek, Crespo, Alioski - Rossi, Dursun, Valencia
Austria Vienna (5-3-2): Fruchtl - Ranftl, Handl, Muhl, Koumetio, Da Graca - Braunoda, Fischer, Holland - Gruber, Fitz
Fenerbahce showed the difference in between them and Austria Wien in the first leg and we expect them to have an even easier job in the return game on the home soil.
Our prediction: Fenerbahce to win to nil
Image credit: aa.com.tr
PREDICTION: PSV EINDHOVEN VS GLASGOW RANGERS
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFIERS FINALS 24 AUGUST @ 20:00 BST
PSV Eindhoven host today Rangers at Philips Stadion for the second leg of the Champions League qualifiers final. In the first leg PSV were able to get a hard-earned draw with a late goal. This leaves the qualification to be decided in tonight’s match. However the losing team will play in the Europa League Groups stage.
In last week’s match PSV took the lead in 37’ with Ibrahim Sangare’s goal, but the host equalised just three minutes later through Antonio Colak. The 70th minute saw the hosts edge in front with a strike from Tom Lawrence. Armando Obispo’s header brought the equaliser in 78’.
In Eredivisie, PSV won 3-1 at Eagles in the previous round and 4-1 home with Emmen. They are undefeated the season so far in all competitions.
Rangers have 1 draw and 3 wins in Premiership and stand 2nd in the table 2 points behind Celtic. In the previous round of Champion’s League qualifiers, The Gers had encountered serious opposition from the Belgium team Royale Union and managed to pass over with 3-2 on aggregate.
The possible start-up lines are:
PSV (4-3-3): Benitez - Teze, Ramalho, Obispo, Max - Sangare, Veerman, Gutierrez - Saibari, De Jong, Gakpo
Rangers (4-3-3): McLaughlin - Tavernier, Goldson, Sands, Barisic - Lundstram, Davis, Jack - Tillman, Colak, Kent
After the draw from the first leg, PSV should be able to make use of home advantage and pick up a slender advantage, progressing to the next stage.
Our prediction: PSV to win the match
Image credit: footballscotland.co.uk
PREDICTION: BENFICA VS DYNAMO KIEV
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFIERS FINALS 23 AUGUST @ 20:00 BST
Benfica and Dynamo Kyiv meet today at Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica stadium, for the second leg of the Champions League qualification final. In the previous match last week, the Portuguese club, secured a comfortable two-goal advantage.
The Eagles head into the game after a 11-game winning streak across all competitions, having lost the last time back in May, 1-0 against Porto in Primeira Liga. This season they are going without losses in the championship having won all three games so far.
Dynamo Kiev is in a difficult situation due to the war in Ukraine. Most of their previous season squad has left the team, meaning that the current team is far from being competitive. Moreover, the domestic championship is suspended and the European games are being played away.
The possible start-up lines are:
Benfica Lisbon (4-2-3-1):
Vlachodimos; Gilberto, Otamendi, FMorato, Grimaldo - Luis, Fernandez - Mario, Silva, Neres - Ramos
Dynamo Kiev (4-3-3): Bushchan - Kedziora, Zabarnyi, Syrota, Dubinchak - Shaparenko, Andriyevskiy, Shepeliev - Buyalskyi, Tsygankov, Besedin
With both team heading into attacks we expect to see a total of more than 2.5 goals.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
PREDICTION: OSASUNA VS SEVILLA
LA LIGA, 12 AUGUST @ 20:00 BST
Sevilla will look to kick off their La Liga campaing in style when they take on Osasuna at Estadio el Sadar. Los Sevillanos were having their ups and downs in pre-season, but they did well to beat Cadiz thanks to Thomas Delaney’s goal. The Andalusian outfit are undefeated in the previous five meetings with Osasuna in Pamplona, which is surely giving fans a reason for optimism ahead of Friday’s clash.
New signing Marcao is likely to make his La Liga debut against los Rojillos, as well as loanees Isco and Alex Telles. Osasuna, on the other hand, will rely on new recruit Moi Gomez, who is likely to prove a handful for the opposition back-line. Anyhow, away win should be considered as Osasuna suit Sevilla. All Kike Saverio, Aitor Fernandez, and Ante Budimir are injured for the hosts, while there are no absentees in the away side.
Our prediction is: Draw
Image credit: sportzcraazy.com
PREDICTION: FREIBURG VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND
BUNDESLIGA, 12 AUGUST @ 19:30 BST
Europa-Park Stadion will host Friday’s Bundesliga game between Freiburg and Borussia Dortmund. Freiburg could not have wished for a better start to the season, with the team rolling over Augsburg 4-0 on the road, and they must be high on spirits ahead of the visit of Borussia Dortmund. A man to watch in the home team will be Italian winger Vincenzo Grifo, who continues where he left last season. All Kimberly Ezekwem, Lukas Kubler, Lucas Holer, and Kevin Schade should miss out with injuries for the home side.
Borussia Dortmund, on the other hand, defeated Bayer Leverkusen thanks to Marco Reus’ goal. The club chiefs are still searching for Erling Haaland’s replacement as new signing Sebastien Haller remains on the sidelines alongside Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Karim Adeyemi, Tom Rothe, and Niklas Sule. Anyhow, beating Freiburg on the road is easier said than done.
Our prediction is: Draw
Image credit: dw.com
PREDICTION: PSV VS MONACO
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFIERS SEMI-FINALS 8 AUGUST @ 19:30 BST
PSV and Monaco meet today at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven for the second leg of the Champions League Qualifiers Semi-Final.
In the first leg, the match was very tight ending 1-1. Although PSV hoped to secure a good advantage taking the league through Joey Veerman (39’), they were equalized by Axel Disasi (80’). This leave everything to today’s match, with both sides standing fair chances to qualify in the playoff.
The season started very encouraging for PSV with a 5-3 win over Ajax in the Super Cup final and a 4-1 win at home against Emmen in Eredivisie. Monaco started with a 2-1 win at Strasbourg in Ligue 1.
The possible start-up lines are:
PSV Eindhoven (4-3-3): Benitez - Hoever, Teze, Obispo, Max- Sangare, Veerman, Til - Bakayoko, De Jong, Gakpo
Monaco (4-2-3-1): Nubel - Vanderson, Disasi, Maripan, Jakobs - Matazo, Fofana - Diop, Volland, Golovin - Ben Yedder
PSV Eindhoven have no losses in their last five matches, with four wins and a draw. In that five-game stretch they scored a lot of goals averaging over three goals per game. PSV scored four or more goals on three occasions. On the other side, Monaco had no wins in four games prior to last weekend’s victory. Having that said, we are predicting that PSV will win the match.
Our prediction: PSV to win
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PREDICTION: PSG VS NANTES
FRANCE, SUPER CUP 31 JULY @ 19:00 GMT
There will be fireworks when PSG and Nantes face each other at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv in the French Super Cup. Les Parisiens regained the Ligue 1 trophy without any difficulties last term, and, no doubt, they want to kick off the new season in great manner as well. Angel Di Maria is no longer part of the team, but the club chiefs did well to keep hold of attacking trio Messi – Mbape – Neymar in the summer transfer window.
New signings Vitinha and Nordi Mukiele should make their PSG debuts in the Super Cup. Les Canaris, on the other hand, head into the match following back-to-back wins over Caen and Lorient in pre-season, but the star-studded capital club will pose a much bigger threat for the nominal visitors than their previous rivals. Defender Charles Traore should be the only absentee in the away team, while there are no injury worries in the home team.
Our prediction: PSG win the match
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PREDICTION: RB LEIPZIG VS BAYERN MUNICH
GERMANY, SUPER CUP 30 JULY @ 19:30 GMT
There will be fireworks when Leipzig and Bayern Munich face each other at Red Bull Arena in a highly-anticipated German Super Cup. Leipzig did well to win the DFB Pokal last season, with the team booking their place in the Champions League as well, but keep in mind that the likes of Nordi Mukiele, Tyler Adams, and Brian Brobbey are no longer part of the team.
As always, a man to keep an eye on in the home team will be France international Christopher Nkunku, who scored 20 goals in the Bundesliga last term. The Bavarians, on the other hand, did well to sign the likes of Sadio Mane, Ryan Graveneberch, and Noussair Mazraoui in the summer, but key striker Robert Lewandowski is no longer part of the team. Since new FCB recruits will need time to adapt to the new surroundings, we believe that there is a big value in betting on draw.
Our prediction: Draw
Image credit: sportingnews.com
PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS MANCHESTER CITY
ENGLAND, COMMUNITY SHIELD 30 JULY @ 17:00 GMT
All eyes will be on King Power Stadium when Liverpool and Manchester City go head to head in the 2022 Community Shield. The Reds did well to crush Leipzig 5-0 in their last warm-up game, with summer signing Darwin Nunez scoring four goals, and, no doubt, the former Benfica man will lead the line for Jurgen Klopp’s team against Man City. Sadio Mane is no longer part of the team, but the opposition back-line should have Mohamed Salah at bay.
The Citizens, on the other hand, will rely on big-money signing Erling Haaland in the upcoming season. The Norway rising star scored the winner in a friendly against Bayern Munich, and we predict that he will make life difficult for Liverpool defenders as well. Given the attacking potentials of the two sides, both teams to score betting option should definitely be considered. Aymeric Laporte remains in the recovery room, while Jurgen Klopp should have a full squad to choose from for the trophy game.
Our prediction: Both teams to score and 3+ goals in match
Image credit: liverpool.com
PREDICTION: LOS ANGELS FC VS NEW YORK RED BULLS
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER 26 JUNE @ 20:00 GMT
Los Angeles FC will play in this game after a 1-1 MLS draw vs Seattle Sounders FC. In that game, Los Angeles FC had 47% possession and 11 attempts at goal with 7 of them on target. The only player on the scoresheet for Los Angeles FC was Cristián Arango (79'). For their opponents, Seattle Sounders FC got 13 shots at goal with 5 of them on target. Albert Rusnák (58') was the scorer for Seattle Sounders FC.
It has been all too rare in recent times where Los Angeles FC have kept a clean sheet. The reality is that Los Angeles FC have seen their defense breached in 5 of their previous 6 clashes, leaking 10 goals along the way. We will find out whether or not that trend can be continued on here.
New York Red Bulls will come into the clash following a 3-0 Open Cup win in the defeat of New York City FC in their previous outing. Through-out their six latest matches, Gerhard Struber's New York Red Bulls have had reason to celebrate scoring 9 times - yielding them a goals scored per game average of 1.5.
The last league clash between the two was MLS match day 30 on 12/08/2019 when it ended Los Angeles FC 4-2 New York Red Bulls. In that match, Los Angeles FC managed 60% possession and 12 shots on goal with 6 on target. The goal-scorers were Jordan Harvey (23'), Latif Blessing (25'), Tyler Miller (45' Own goal), Carlos Vela (61') and Eddie Segura (72').New York Red Bulls got 11 attempts at goal with 4 of them on target. Cristian Cásseres (42') was the scorer.
Our prediction: Under 1.5 goals scored in the match
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PREDICTION: WALES VS BELGIUM
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 11 JUNE @ 19:45 GMT
Wales play host to Belgium in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday evening having suffered back-to-back defeats in Group A4. Although the Dragons will be satisfied with their World Cup spot, they require a result against a Belgium side who have just hit six past Poland.
Having matched the highs that they achieved during Euro 2016 with qualification for the World Cup, it was always going to be a big ask for Wales to collect a result against the Netherlands on Wednesday. To the credit of Rob Page and his team, they came within seconds of earning a hugely credible result in Cardiff, equalizing through Rhys Norrington-Davies in the 92nd minute. However, the visitors went straight up the other end, Wout Weghorst netting the decisive goal to earn his team a 2-1 win and condemn Wales to their second successive Nations League setback. With Belgium and the reverse fixture with Netherlands still to come before June 14, no-one would be quick to criticize Wales if they continue to fall short, a five-match period over two weeks a brutal end to an already-exhausting campaign. Nevertheless, Page will want to ensure that their stint in the top tier in this competition is not a brief one, heaping the pressure on at least a draw being recorded against their familiar foes. Since September 2012, these two teams have met on seven occasions, playing each other in three qualification campaigns and that famous Euro 2016 quarter-final. Wales have more than held their own - only losing one of the last six games - but Roberto Martinez's side seemingly have an extra edge about them having been trounced 4-1 at home to the Netherlands last week.
In response, Belgium came from behind to put six goals past Poland on Wednesday, the demolition occurring in the absence of the injured Romelu Lukaku. The Red Devils still sit three points adrift of group leaders Netherlands, although they will certainly have a spring in their step when they take to the pitch in Cardiff. Belgium are also closing in on scoring in every fixture over a four-year period, the last time that they drew a blank coming against France in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals scored in the match
Image credit: 90 mins.com
PREDICTION: ROMANIA VS FINLAND
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 11 JUNE @ 19:45 GMT
Romania head into their UEFA Nations League fixture with Finland having started life in Group B3 with successive defeats. In sharp contrast, Finland have collected four points from two games, and victory on Saturday evening would realistically ensure that relegation from the third tier is no longer a possibility.
When the draw was made, there was every expectation that the four nations would take points off one another, promotion and relegation being decided by small margins. To a large degree, that has proven to be the case with Finland, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro all collecting one win apiece from their opening two games. However, Romania remain rooted to the bottom of the table with two losses and no goals, Edward Iordanescu left under pressure to try to instigate a change in fortunes over the next week. That may prove far easier said than done, Romania's only two wins in nine attempts coming against the likes of Armenia and Liechtenstein. For balance, three of their last four games have come away from home, a draw in Israel being posted before the defeats to Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In sharp contrast, Finland have largely been on an upward trajectory, with two of their four defeats since Euro 2020 coming at the hands of France. At the end of last year, Markku Kanerva witnessed his team win in Kazakhstan and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and they head into this fixture on the back of an excellent 2-0 win over Montenegro. Both goals came from Joel Pohjanpalo, the Bayer Leverkusen man now in double figures for his country and assisting the efforts of legendary teammate Teemu Pukki.
This game will represent just the fourth-ever competitive game between the nations, the last occasion coming in October 2015 when they played out a 1-1 draw in qualification ahead of Euro 2016.
Our prediction: X2 Finland does not lose the match
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PREDICTION: FEROE ISLANDS VS LITHUANIA
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 11 JUNE @ 17:00 GMT
Following two defeats each in their opening UEFA Nations League fixtures, something must give when Faroe Islands and Lithuania go head to head on Saturday. The outcome in Torshavn could well play a huge part in deciding who suffers relegation from Group C1, after both sides have failed to score a single goal during the 2022 campaign so far.
Following an unbeaten campaign in Group D1 of the 2020 Nations League, the Faroe Islands earned an impressive promotion to the third tier of the competition ahead of the 2022 edition. However, the step up in quality has proved to be a step too far for Saturday's hosts as things stand. As mentioned above, the Faroe Islands have lost each of their opening two games over the course of the past week, failing to score in either encounter. Beginning with a heavy 4-0 defeat to group favourites Turkey in Istanbul was to be expected, but manager Hakan Ericson will have expected more from his side when they hosted Luxembourg on Tuesday evening. The odds were slightly in their opponent's favour anyway, but little else could have gone wrong for Ericson's men during their 1-0 defeat. Rene Shaki Joensen saw red midway through the second half for a professional foul as the last man, before Gerson Rodrigues converted from the spot for the visitors just seven minutes later. Solvi Vatnhamar then became the second Faroe Islands player to receive his marching order 10 minutes from time to round off a miserable evening, but Ericson will be expecting his team to get their Nations League campaign up and running when they welcome fellow strugglers Lithuania to Torshavn on Saturday.
Meanwhile, as previously alluded to, Lithuania have also suffered a disappointing opening week to their 2022 Nations League campaign. Like their hosts at the weekend, Lithuania have also been on the receiving end of two defeats without finding the back of the net themselves. First, Valdas Ivanauskas' men were downed 2-0 at home to Luxembourg on the opening matchday, before being humiliated in a 6-0 thrashing to Turkey on Tuesday. After falling 2-0 behind to a Dogukan Sinik brace inside the opening 14 minutes, Ivanauskas' side had recovered well to keep the scoreline as it was for the remainder of the first half, but after Serdar Dursun found a third from the penalty spot before the hour mark, Lithuania collapsed late on as pride and energy levels drained from their players. Like the Faroe Islands, a much-improved performance and result will be targeted on Saturday, with each side viewing the other as the perfect opponent in Group C1 to kickstart their campaign. Promotion was never a likely option from the third tier with a hugely talented Turkey side within the group, but avoiding relegation to League D will be the priority when these two struggling nations take to the field here.
Our prediction: Faroe Islands to win the game
Image credit: vavel.com
PREDICTION: ITALY VS GERMANY
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 4 JUNE @ 19:45 GMT
After a dismal few months abruptly ended an incredibly successful cycle, Italy kick off their latest UEFA Nations League campaign against old rivals Germany on Saturday evening, in Bologna. The European champions missed out on qualification for Qatar 2022 due to a humbling playoff defeat and were heavily beaten in midweek, while their neighbors cruised into this winter's World Cup, where they will seek a fifth global crown.
An era ended in Palermo, just over two months ago, as Italy's Euro 2020 winners repeated the same mistakes as their predecessors back in 2017, when the Azzurri failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia. Amid recrimination and calls, from some quarters, for the axe to fall on coach Roberto Mancini - previously lauded for leading his nation to an improbably long unbeaten run and winning the Euros - a painful 1-0 defeat to North Macedonia ended hopes of making the upcoming finals in the playoffs' semi-final stage. After a relatively meaningless friendly win over Turkey just a few days after, Italy's most recent get-together commenced in embarrassing fashion, as the 'Finalissima' clash with Argentina - bringing together the reigning champions of Europe and South America - saw them suffer a 3-0 loss at Wembley. Their new Nations League campaign now starts at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, as Mancini's transitional squad tackle League A Group 3, which also features England and Hungary. With a flurry of fixtures to come in the following fortnight - a total of four in 10 days - Italy will have to quickly forget their Finalissima fiasco and hit the ground running against the most formidable of opening opponents.
No strangers to being overturned by the Macedonians - who they strode past during qualifying to secure a spot in Qatar, despite losing 2-1 to them at home - Germany arrive in Emilia-Romagna full of optimism under the fresh management of coach Hansi Flick. Having helped his predecessor Joachim Low to lead Die Mannschaft to World Cup glory eight years ago, the former Bayern Munich manager - a Champions League winner in 2020 - now oversees an exciting crop of young players. Following the relative failures of a last-16 exit at the Euros, and being beaten to a place in the Nations League finale by Spain, the new-look Nationalelf will prepare for November's global gathering by measuring themselves against the two Euro finalists and a Hungary side which caused them such problems in a 2-2 draw last summer. Stating that his squad's aim is to top their Nations League group, Flick now takes his men to Dall'Ara with Germany unbeaten in their last four games against the Italians, who are undergoing a rebuild which could rival the size of that performed by Low and company prior to 2014.
Our prediction: Germany to win the match
Image credit: telecomasia.net
PREDICTION: BELARUS VS SLOVAKIA
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 3 JUNE @ 19:45 GMT
Belarus and Slovakia will kick off the new UEFA Nations League campaign on Friday, when they square off in Serbia. The visitors find themselves in League C after their relegation last term, while Belarus will again aim for promotion after just falling short last time around.
Belarus' push to rise to League B in the UEFA Nations League in the 2020 campaign went down to the final day, as they topped the group after five games with three wins and 10 points. They headed into the last game against Albania, with the winner sealing top spot, and the White Wings fell to a narrow defeat away from home, as Max Ebong's 80th-minute goal was not enough to trigger a turnaround after a Sokol Cikalleshi brace and a Rey Manaj goal had their hosts 3-2 up. That saw Georgy Kondratiev's men drop from top spot and miss out on promotion by a point, before they had to endure a tough World Cup Qualifying campaign, picking up just three points from eight outings. The White Wings most recently returned to action in March with a pair of international friendlies against India and Bahrain, and they were able to put consecutive victories together, firstly triumphing 3-0 in Riffa before Andrey Solovey hit the only goal in a 1-0 win over the latter. They will now look to begin the new continental term in a positive manner with what would be an impressive win to kickstart their bid to rise to the second tier of the Nations League this time around.
Their visitors, meanwhile, will aim to bounce back after their relegation and kick off with a victory in Serbia. Slovakia had a tough Nations League campaign in 2020, beginning life in group B with defeats to Czech Republic and Scotland and a loss and a draw against Israel. A 1-0 win over Scotland kept them in contention to survive on the final day, but they went on to lose the reverse fixture against Czech Republic, dropping to League C as a result, before they fell short in World Cup Qualifying. Two draws and a defeat left them unable to catch second-placed Russia, before Stefan Tarkovic's men were at least able to finish on a high with a 6-0 thrashing of Malta as Ondrej Duda hit a hat-trick alongside a brace from Albert Rusnak and a Vernon De Marco goal. Now on the back of a 2-0 win away at Finland in a friendly in March, and coming in as favourites, the Falcons will look to begin the new campaign on the front foot with a positive result.
Our prediction: Slovakia to win the match
Image credit: telecomasia.net
PREDICTION: LICHTENSTEIN VS MOLDOVA
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 3 JUNE @ 19:45 GMT
Two of European football's underdogs meet as Liechtenstein welcome Moldova to the Rheinpark Stadion on Friday evening during the opening matchday of the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League. The visitors have joined their hosts in the bottom tier of the competition - League D - after suffering relegation last year and will be looking to return to the third tier at the first attempt.
The world's 192nd-best men's football team - at least according to FIFA's rankings - will have a rare opportunity of a victory when they take on the 180th-ranked team. Liechtenstein were unable to grab their chance of an unlikely promotion during the 2020-21 campaign, having been drawn in League D Group 2 alongside lowly San Marino and Gibraltar - the only European teams ranked below them. They did manage a 2-0 win over the Sammarinese but could only finish second in the group, three points behind Gib, who snatched a crucial 1-0 victory during the pair's first meeting. Martin Stocklasa's side will face a slightly tougher task this time round as they enter a group also featuring Latvia and Andorra, but they will fancy their chances of grabbing an opening win on Friday. The Blues-Reds may have only won two of 67 World Cup qualifying matches and lost 13 of their last 14 games, but they are coming up against a side with similarly-unimpressive statistics and one whom they have beaten once and drawn with once in their two previous meetings.
Indeed, Moldova can go one better than their upcoming opponents, having lost 14 of their last 15 matches, including each of the last 11. That form saw them relegated from League C last campaign, finishing bottom of Group 3 having taken just one point from a draw with third-placed Kosovo. Manager Engin Firat left his post without a win to his name after 11 games in charge of the Moldovan national side and was replaced by Roberto Bordin. The Libyan has at least managed one win from his 12 games in the dugout, but The Selectionata's slide down the world rankings has continued. Moldova have never qualified for a major international tournament in their 28-year history and now face a battle simply to move up from the bottom rung of the Nations League ladder.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals scored in this match
Image credit: 101greatgoals.com
PREDICTION: HUDDERSFIELD VS NOTTINGHAM FOREST
CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF 29 MAY @ 16:30 GMT
There is one place left in the Premier League for next season and on Sunday Huddersfield and Nottingham Forest will battle it out for that final spot in the Championship play-off final.
This will be the fourth meeting between these two sides this season and Forest have the edge. The City Ground club won the first meet 2-0 in Huddersfield back in September, the Terriers then won 1-0 away in December and Forest claimed a 2-1 FA Cup victory in March.
Championship play-off finals tend to be close games, which should be no surprise considering what is at stake, and four of the last six have been decided by one-goal margins, while one went the full distance and required penalties. I’m expecting another close clash on Sunday between two fairly evenly-matched teams and one market that stands out here is both teams to score.
Both teams to score may have only been a winning bet in one of the three meetings between these two sides this season, but there are a few reasons to expect both to find a way through at Wembley.
Huddersfield have scored in each of their last nine games and there have been goals at both ends in three of their last five. Forest have only failed to score in three of their last 18 games across all competitions, and both teams have scored in four of their last five.
There were goals at both ends in Forest’s two games against Sheffield United in the semi-finals and in the away leg of Huddersfield’s tie with Luton, so at evens backing both teams to score looks a strong option for the main bet.
Forest go into the game as favourites but I think these teams are fairly evenly matched and this game could well be all square after 90 minutes. The Terriers finished the season with 82 points and Forest managed 80, and both enjoyed strong finishes to the campaign. Huddersfield go into the play-off final on the back of a nine-game unbeaten run, while Forest have lost just three of their last 21 games against Championship opposition – and one of those was against the Blades last time out as they ultimately went on to win the tie via a penalty shootout.
Huddersfield Town predicted lineup (3-5-2): Nicholls (GK) – Lees, Hogg, Colwill – Pipa, Holmes, Russell, O'Brien, Toffolo – Sinani, Ward.
Nottingham Forest predicted lineup (3-4-1-2): Samba (GK) – Worrall, Cook, McKenna – Spence, Yates, Garner, Colback – Zinckernagel – Johnson, Surridge.
Our prediction: Both teams to score? Yes
Image credit: examinerlive.co.uk
PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS REAL MADRID
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL 28 MAY @ 20:00 GMT
Liverpool and Real Madrid face off in Paris on Saturday as the two European giants meet in the final of the Champions League for the second time in five years.
Real emerged victorious when the two sides clashed at this stage of the competition back in 2018, with Gareth Bale scoring twice for the Spanish outfit in a 3-1 victory.
Los Blancos claimed a 3-1 aggregate win over Liverpool in the quarter-finals last season but they go into the game as the underdogs, which is perhaps unsurprising given the Reds’ form over the last few months.
Liverpool may have fallen short in their quadruple bid despite beating Wolves 3-1 in the final round of Premier League fixtures but they still have the chance to secure a treble, and they go into the game unbeaten in their last 18 games – winning 15 of those.
Real’s only injury concern is Eden Hazard, who is rated as a doubt at this stage, while Liverpool have midfield worries as Thiago and Fabinho are considered doubtful and forward Divock Origi is definitely missing.
Player-for-player it is hard to argue against Liverpool being the better team in this match-up but this Real side simply don’t know when they are beaten. The La Liga champions have been behind at some stage but fought back to win in all of the previous knockout rounds so rather than focus on a result for the main bet the goals markets stand out, and over 2.5 goals looks an excellent option.
Under 2.5 goals has been a winning bet in each of the last three Champions League finals but that run is likely to end on Saturday. There have been at least three goals scored in four of Liverpool’s last six games and in seven of Real’s last 10. The goals have eased off for the Spanish outfit of late and only one of their last four games has gone over 2.5 goals – but that happened after they had claimed the La Liga crown, and in the 12 games prior to that four-game streak 11 produced three or more goals.
Since the Champions League knockout stages began, five of Real’s six games have seen over three goals and over 3.5 goals would have been a winning bet in all five of those clashes, while three of Liverpool’s last four European fixtures have produced at least three goals.
Liverpool's predicted line-up (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahim Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita; Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Luis Diaz.
Real Madrid's predicted line-up (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy; Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Luka Modric; Fede Valverde, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior.
Our prediction: Both teams to score and Over 2.5 Goals
Image credit: bleacherreport.com
PREDICTION: MARSEILLE VS STRASBOURG
LIGUE 1, 21 MAY @ 20:00 GMT
Two sides still left with plenty to fight for on the final day of the Ligue 1 season lock horns at the Orange Velodrome on Saturday night, as Marseille face off against Strasbourg. The hosts will seal a top-three finish with just a point on their own turf, while Julien Stephan's side have not given up hope of a place in the Europa League.
Despite recovering from the Europa Conference League heartbreak in ideal fashion against Lorient, Marseille's final away game of the season saw them easily put to the sword by Rennes, who crucially kept their Champions League hopes alive with a 2-0 success. At one stage, Jorge Sampaoli's side were seemingly cruising towards a second-placed finish behind runaway champions Paris Saint-Germain, but Monaco have since overtaken the third-placed Olympiens on goal difference in the table, and defeat in Saturday's final game would open the door for Rennes to leapfrog them into the top three. However, Marseille's Champions League destiny remains in their own hands, and a draw would be enough to see them dine at Europe's top table next term, but winning just one of their last five games in all competitions is hardly a confidence-boosting run of form. Sampaoli's side have also been anything but consistent on home soil this season, and with a devastating injury to star man Dimitri Payet to work around, Marseille's clash with Strasbourg will not be the walk in the park the form book would have suggested 12 months ago.
The magic that Julien Stephan has woven at Strasbourg was not enough to see him award the Manager of the Year accolade - that title went to his Rennes replacement Bruno Genesio - but the Coureurs boss now has the chance to pip his former club to the post on the final day. Both sets of players were celebrating at the end of Strasbourg's clash with Clermont last Saturday, with Adrien Thomasson's header sealing a 1-0 win for Stephan's side, while results elsewhere meant that their visitors were safe from the drop. Strasbourg will begin the final day just about clinging onto fifth spot by the skin of their teeth, but Nice and Lens can still usurp Les Coureurs into the Conference League Qualifying spot, with the former away to Reims while Les Sang et Or take on Monaco. Les Aiglons are only behind Stephan's side on goal difference, but losing just one of their 15 Ligue 1 games since February certainly spells optimism for this weekend's visitors to the Orange Velodrome, even if a tally of one win from their last six away from home may lower expectations somewhat. Marseille eased to a 2-0 win at the Stade de la Meinau earlier this term to extend their unbeaten league run against Strasbourg to 12 games since a 1-0 loss in April 2005, and it has been 25 years since Les Coureurs won away in the league against Marseille, but the absence of Payet could threaten that stellar streak for the hosts here.
Our prediction: Draw game
Image credit: sportingpedia.com
PREDICTION: LILLE VS RENNES
LIGUE 1, 21 MAY @ 20:00 GMT
Dethroned Ligue 1 champions Lille end their disappointing 2021-22 campaign at home to Champions League hopefuls Rennes on Saturday night at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. The hosts got the better of Nice in a confidence-boosting 3-1 rout last time out, while Les Rouge et Noir kept their Champions League hopes alive by beating Marseille 2-0.
Lille's downhill struggle since the departure of Christophe Galtier has seen the 2020-21 champions languish in mid-table obscurity throughout the season, but Les Dogues were at least able to get one over their former manager during their trip to the Allianz Riviera. Justin Kluivert's smart finish put Les Aiglons ahead, but Jonathan David ended his goal drought with a second-half brace before Timothy Weah rounded Walter Benitez to complete the job for Les Dogues, who ended Galtier's hopes of leading Nice into the Champions League next season. However, Jocelyn Gourvennec's side will also not be present in the first, second or third tier of European football, as Les Dogues sit smack-bang in the middle of the table in 10th and can only rise as high as ninth on the final day, with Nantes only ahead of Les Dogues on goal difference. The small consolation of a guaranteed top-half finish will not mask the disappointment of the underwhelming campaign for Lille, whose win against Nice represents only their second from their last eight in Ligue 1 - a streak that also includes four defeats from their last six.
Bruno Genesio may not have been able to lead Rennes past Leicester City in the Europa Conference League, but the 55-year-old's domestic exploits saw him crowned the Manager of the Year as he prays for results across the country to go his way this weekend. Taking advantage of Dimitri Payet's absence through injury, Rennes eased to a 2-0 win over Marseille last time out through Benjamin Bourigeaud and Lovro Majer's first-half efforts - keeping their hopes of a top-three finish alive in the process. Les Rouge et Noir start the day three points behind both Marseille and Monaco in fourth, so nothing less than a victory will do on Lille's turf, while they must also hope for a massive favour from Lens and/or Strasbourg to qualify for the Champions League. On the other hand, Rennes could still plummet out of the top six as Nice and Strasbourg remain close behind, and they travel to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy without a Ligue 1 clean sheet away from home in 2022 - losing back-to-back away games to Strasbourg and Nantes in the past few weeks.
Our prediction: Rennes to win the match
Image credit: ligue1.com
PREDICTION: SUNDERLAND VS WYCOMBE WANDERERS
LEAGUE ONE PLAY-OFF, 21 MAY @ 15:00 GMT
Seeking to secure promotion to the Championship, Sunderland will lock horns with Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley Stadium in the League One playoff final on Saturday afternoon. The Black Cats are looking to escape the third tier at the fourth time of asking, while the Chairboys will be looking to make an immediate return to the second tier following their relegation 12 months ago.
The appointment of Alex Neil in February has worked wonders for Sunderland, who head into the playoff final full of confidence and boasting an impressive run of form. The 40-year-old boss suffered a 2-1 defeat at home against MK Dons in just his second game in charge, but the Black Cats have since put together a 15-game unbeaten run, including nine victories. After finishing fifth in the League One table, Sunderland beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 on aggregate in the playoff semi-finals, with Patrick Roberts scoring a 93rd-minute winner in the second leg at Hillsborough to set up a showpiece event with Wycombe in the capital. Sunderland fans will not want to be reminded of their poor record in the playoffs, which has seen them fail to secure promotion in each of their last seven attempts over the last 35 years. Sunderland have won two and drawn one of their last three meetings with the Chairboys and have scored 10 goals in the process, so they should be confident of finding the net once again this weekend.
While many may feel that Wycombe Wanderers are punching above their weight once again, they have reached this year's playoff final on merit and manager Gareth Ainsworth deserves all the plaudits that come his way. The Chairboys secured the final playoff spot on the last day of the season with victory away at Burton Albion, before beating MK Dons 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals to book their place at Wembley for the second time in three years. A slender 1-0 defeat to the Dons in the second leg brought an end to their 13-game unbeaten run, but nevertheless, Wycombe remain in high spirits and will use their recent triumph at Wembley to spur them on this weekend. Wycombe, who beat Oxford United 2-1 in the 2019-20 final, could become the first team in League One playoff history to win the final twice within a three-year period. Ainsworth and co know what it takes to win on the big stage, but they head into Saturday's contest having won only one of their six previous meetings against Sunderland, a narrow 1-0 win at Adams Park in October 2019.
Our prediction: Sunderland to win the match
Image credit: chroniclelive.co.uk
PREDICTION: FREIBURG VS RB LEIPZIG
DFB POKAL, 21 MAY @ 19:00 GMT
The Olympiastadion in Berlin will play host to the DFB-Pokal final on Saturday evening as Freiburg and RB Leipzig lock horns for a chance to clinch domestic silverware. Freiburg will be competing in their first ever German Cup final in their 118-year history, while Leipzig are taking part in the showpiece event for the third time in the last four years.
A memorable 2021-22 campaign for Freiburg has seen Christian Streich's side qualify for the Europa League after securing sixth place in the Bundesliga, the club's highest top-flight finish for nine years. Die Breisgau-Brasilianer were in the hunt for Champions League football heading into their final two league games, but defeats against Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen, losing to the latter 2-1 away from home last weekend, quashed their top-four hopes. Nevertheless, Freiburg could end the season on a real high as they bid to win their first ever domestic cup on Saturday. Freiburg will not be phased by making the trip to Berlin, as they have played all of their previous five matches in this season's DFB-Pokal away from home. Victories against third-tier outfits Wurzburger Kickers and Osnabruck in the first two rounds were followed by a comfortable 4-1 win over Hoffenheim in the middle of January. Freiburg then edged past Bochum 2-1 after extra time – with Roland Sallai netting a dramatic 120th-minute winner on that occasion – before claiming a 3-1 victory against Hamburg in the semi-finals. Freiburg's hopes of success on Saturday could prove challenging, however, as they have failed to win any of their last five meetings against Leipzig, although their last two encounters in the league this season both ended as 1-1 draws.
After a rocky start to their Bundesliga campaign under Jesse Marsch, RB Leipzig have since turned their fortunes around under current boss Domenico Tedesco, who has successfully guided the club to their fourth successive top-four finish, ending the campaign just one point clear of Union Berlin in fifth and three points clear of Freiburg in sixth. Leipzig have reached the final twice in the last three years but lost on both occasions, suffering a 3-0 defeat against Bayern Munich in 2019 before losing 4-1 to Borussia Dortmund last season; only MSV Duisburg (four) and Alemannia Aachen (three) have participated in more German Cup finals without lifting the trophy. Die Roten Bullen have comfortably progressed through each round to reach this year's final, with their first four victories against lower-league quartet Sandhausen, Babelsberg, Hansa Rostock and Hannover 96, before beating top-four rivals Union Berlin 2-1 on home soil in the semi-finals. Leipzig head into Saturday's final after winning only two of their last six matches across all competitions, but considering that they have won three and drawn three of their last seven meetings against Freiburg, scoring on each occasion, they will be confident of success in Berlin.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
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PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS CHELSEA
PREMIER LEAGUE 14 MAY @ 16:45 GMT
Not for the first time this season, Liverpool and Chelsea renew hostilities at Wembley Stadium with a trophy on the line, this time doing battle in the final of the 141st FA Cup final. For the London club, the FA Cup represents the only piece of domestic silverware left on the line this season, and fellow capital side Crystal Palace were no match for the Blues' superiority in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Liverpool won one of their many battles of dominance with Manchester City to make it to the showpiece event, and the prospect of a four-trophy haul is still lingering in the minds of the travelling Merseyside fans.
The top-flight title is therefore out of their own hands, but the EFL Cup has already been placed in the trophy case, a journey to Paris for another Champions League final with Real Madrid awaits, and the Reds are potentially only 90 minutes away from ending a 16-year drought in the FA Cup. For all of his successful endeavours in other tournaments, Klopp had never taken Liverpool beyond the fifth round of the FA Cup before the 2021-22 edition, as the Reds saw off Shrewsbury Town, Cardiff City, Norwich City, Nottingham Forest and Man City to book their Wembley appearance.
Starting the season as European champions before adding the world label to their name tag, Chelsea can only enjoy another couple of weeks as reigning Champions League holders, and even third place in the Premier League was not all that safe for a long while. However, on the back of Todd Boehly's consortium being confirmed as the club's new owners, the Blues ended a three-game winless run in the Premier League with a straightforward 3-0 success over Leeds United on Wednesday, as Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and Romelu Lukaku deepened the Whites' demotion fears. Chesterfield, Plymouth Argyle, Luton Town and Middlesbrough have also been sent packing at the hands of Chelsea in this year's tournament, although they made hard work of more than one of those ties against lower-league opposition, and a ninth FA Cup crown would see them become the outright third-most successful team in the tournament - currently sharing that accolade with Tottenham Hotspur. Since Liverpool last got their hands on the cup 16 years ago, Chelsea have triumphed in the 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2018 editions - even beating Liverpool in the London Olympics year - and they have found the back of the net at least twice in all of their FA Cup games this term, amassing 14 in total. Ending the season with another FA Cup in the glass case would be a surefire way for Tuchel to write his name into the new owners' good books early doors. Chelsea can breathe a little easier in the knowledge that they should now wrap up a top-four finish in the Premier League with minimal difficulty, and ending the season with another FA Cup in the glass case would be a surefire way for Tuchel to write his name into the new owners' good books early doors.
Our prediction: Liverpool to win the cup
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PREDICTION: EMPOLI VS SALERNITANA
SERIE A 14 MAY @ 14:00 GMT
With their 'Great Escape' from Serie A relegation just two games from fruition, Salernitana tackle their final away game against Empoli on Saturday. After both sides were promoted together just over a year ago, they have experienced contrasting fortunes, as this week's hosts started spectacularly before slumping down the standings, while their visitors have won four of their last six to finally haul themselves out of the drop zone.
On the cusp of a fifth victory since their stunning revival started in mid-April, Salernitana were cruelly denied an important three points last weekend, as relegation rivals Cagliari fought back to equalize in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time at Stadio Arechi. Still a point clear of their Sardinian counterparts in the standings, though, after a win over rock-bottom Venezia three days beforehand, the Granata have their destiny in their own hands before taking on Empoli and then Udinese - both of whom have relatively little left to play for - in the final two rounds. Going unbeaten in six games - quite a feat for a side more accustomed to weekly defeats since their top-flight return last summer - a run of 14 points from a possible 18 has helped survival specialist Davide Nicola to steer his men to within touching distance of Serie A salvation. Having previously kept both Genoa and Torino up against the odds, Nicola has recently engineered victories over Sampdoria, Udinese and Fiorentina. As a result, Salernitana fans can dream of extending their stay among the elite to a second season, after suffering more than two decades in the lower leagues. If they can now gain a measure of revenge for their 4-2 defeat to Empoli last October by winning Saturday's reverse fixture, then the Granata faithful really can plan a party at the Arechi next week.
Despite returning empty-handed from Milan, Aurelio Andreazzoli's side have lost only seven of their 18 away fixtures in the top flight this season, and have actually fared worse at home than on the road; picking up five points fewer at Stadio Carlo Castellani while conceding a bucketful of goals. Though mathematically safe from relegation, which was surely the Tuscan club's main aim after last year's promotion, a long tail to their 2021-22 campaign has left something of a bitter taste. Therefore, posting just a fifth home victory of the season would at least sweeten the pill on Saturday.
Our prediction: Salernitana to win the game
Image credit: time24tv.com
PREDICTION: RENNES VS MARSEILLE
LIGUE 1: 14 MAY @ 18:00 GMT
Two teams with plenty to fight for in the final stages of the 2021-22 Ligue 1 campaign that will lock horns on Saturday night, as Rennes welcome Marseille to Roazhon Park. Rennes are currently fifth in the table, one point behind fourth-placed Nice, while Marseille sit second, three clear of third-placed Monaco with two games of the season left.
Rennes have actually lost three of their last five Ligue 1 matches, including a damaging 2-1 reverse at Nantes on Wednesday night, but they have won their last two home games against Lorient and Saint-Etienne, scoring seven times and keeping two clean sheets in the process. A total of 62 points from 36 matches has left them in fifth spot in the table, which would mean qualification for the Europa Conference League playoff round, but they are only two points clear of sixth-placed Strasbourg with two games left, so a lot could still change. Rennes could actually still finish second, sitting six points behind second-placed Marseille ahead of this match, so the Champions League and Europa League are still on offer heading into the next set of fixtures. Bruno Genesio's side can only look after themselves and see where that takes them, but a poor result on Saturday would put them under major pressure leading into their final game of the season away to Lille, which has the potential to be a tough fixture despite the struggles of last season's champions. Rennes have been excellent at home this season, picking up 40 points from 18 matches, with only Paris Saint-Germain (48) securing more points in front of their own supporters in 2021-22.
Marseille, though, have the best away record in Ligue 1 this season, collecting 39 points from 18 matches, and they could potentially secure second spot in the table with a victory this weekend. Jorge Sampaoli's side are three points clear of third-placed Monaco with an identical goal difference, but they have a better head-to-head record over the team directly below them, which could potentially be used to separate the sides depending on what happens in their next two matches. Finishing second could ensure that they qualify for the group stage of the Champions League alongside PSG, while third would put them in the third qualifying round of the European Cup. Marseille, who lost to Feyenoord in the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League, will enter this match off the back of a 3-0 victory over Lorient last weekend, and they have now been victorious in three of their last four games in France's top flight. Les Olympiens have a tough end to the season, though, taking on two teams that have European ambitions of their own, with final-day opponents Strasbourg currently just two points behind Rennes in sixth.
Our prediction: Rennes to win or draw
image credit: ligu1.com
PREDICTION: LUTON TOWN VS HUDDERSFIELD
CHAMPIONSHIP: 13 MAY @ 19:45 GMT
Luton Town and Huddersfield Town will look to move a step closer to the Premier League when they square off in the first leg of their Championship playoff semi-final at Kenilworth Road. While the visitors have long been guaranteed a place in the top six of the standings, the hosts only secured their spot on the final day, even if they did ultimately finish with a five-point cushion.
Having witnessed his team suffer a 7-0 defeat at Fulham in their penultimate fixture, Luton boss Nathan Jones would have naturally had doubts over how his players would rock up for such a pressure-filled contest against Reading on the final weekend. Such was the results elsewhere that Luton could have lost to the 21st-placed team in the division and still made the playoffs, but a 1-0 victory was the morale-booster that they required heading into the upcoming double-header. Harry Cornick's decisive goal was opportunistic in the extreme, the forward lurking behind the goalkeeper to dispossess him and score into an empty net, and it ensured that the second half was more comfortable than it could have been. The Hatters were not at their best during the run-in, claiming just three wins from eight matches and one of their two defeats coming away at their next opponents. Nevertheless, everyone associated with the club will simply be satisfied to still be in the mix for a surprise promotion to the top flight, just eight years after they were leaving the fifth tier of English football. From Huddersfield's perspective, Carlos Corberan has transformed the club from relegation possibilities into favourites to reach the Championship playoff final in less than a year, an achievement which should not be overlooked when award ceremonies take place over the coming weeks. What Huddersfield have achieved since December is quite remarkable, a total of 54 points coming from 26 games during a period which has included just two defeats, those disappointments coming back-to-back in March.
Since returning from the international break, the Terriers have posted six wins from seven, including prevailing in their last four outings and scoring twice in each of them. This squad of players have been efficient and shown character to end the season in third position, but it remains to be seen how they will cope with heading into this contest as favourites, even if there will be an acceptance that they will become underdogs should they reach the final. Left-sided player Harry Toffolo has scored in his last three appearances, doubling his total for the season, while top goalscorer Danny Ward ended a five-game drought with a strike against Bristol City on the final day.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals scored in the match
Image credit: examinerlive.co.uk
PREDICTION: FREIBURG VS UNION BERLIN
BUNDESLIGA: 7 MAY @ 14:30 GMT
Freiburg could confirm a remarkable Champions League qualification when they host Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday. The hosts climbed into the top four after coming out on top in a seven-goal thriller last weekend, whilst the visitors dropped points against bottom of the table to fall out of the top six ahead of the penultimate weekend in Germany's top flight.
Freiburg have certainly thrilled spectators as the surprise package for much of the campaign so far, but after playing out encounters containing 13 goals across their last two outings, they have certainly provided another form of entertainment recently. Saturday's hosts bounced back to come out on top at fellow European hopefuls Hoffenheim last weekend. Roland Sallai got the ball rolling midway through the first half, but after an even opening 45, Christian Streich's side had to settle for a 1-1 scoreline heading into the break. However, despite falling behind just four minutes after the restart, Christian Gunter, Lucas Holer and Woo-Yeong Jeong netted in a clinical second-half display to provide a crucial three points in Freiburg's season. RB Leipzig's surprise defeat to Gladbach at Borussia-Park later in matchday 32 means that Freiburg occupy fourth spot heading into their final home game of the season at the Europa-Park Stadion. Just one point is keeping Streich's men in the final Champions League qualification spot however, so any slip-up on Saturday, or in next weekend's tough trip to third-placed Bayer Leverkusen, could well prove costly.
A raucous home atmosphere will be roaring on the Black Forest side against Union, when a first-ever qualification for Europe's grand stage could be confirmed depending on results elsewhere too, and if their last two fixtures are anything to go by, there could well be plenty of entertainment on display too. Meanwhile, Union fell behind in the race for continental qualification after unexpectedly being held by already-relegated Greuther Furth last weekend. Union's home record has been exceptional over the last couple of seasons, but their bottom-of-the-table opponents stood firm to restrict Die Eisernen to very little in front of goal. After falling behind during an extremely disappointing opening 45, Urs Fischer's side improved after the interval, but Sven Michel's equaliser just two minutes after coming off the bench was all that Union could manage. A fourth-straight victory for FC Koln elsewhere on the weekend saw Union drop down into seventh ahead of matchday 33 this weekend, meaning their destiny would be now out of their control. However, Freiburg's participation in the DFB-Pokal final later this month means that another continental qualification spot has been opened up in seventh place.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals scored in the match
Image credit: fc-union-berlin.de
PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
PREMIER LEAGUE: 7 MAY @ 19:45 GMT
Liverpool's relentless quadruple quest continues on Saturday evening when they welcome top-four chasing Tottenham Hotspur to Anfield. Fresh from booking their place in a third Champions League final from the last five seasons, Jurgen Klopp's side play their penultimate home game of an unforgettable campaign against a team with plenty riding on the fixture themselves.
Whispers about the possibility of a fabled quadruple have grown louder and louder in recent weeks, and Liverpool are now closer to achieving that mythical feat than any other English club in history. With the EFL Cup already under their belts, Liverpool have an FA Cup final against Chelsea coming up next Saturday and a Champions League final against Real Madrid looming on May 28 in what will be their 63rd game of the season. The Reds are the first club to have ever reached the final of all of those competitions in a single season, but no sooner had they booked their place in the latter than minds would have started drifting towards Saturday's visit of Spurs. Such is the unforgiving nature of a quadruple push that every single game for Liverpool is now a must-win, and even that may not be enough with Premier League matters still in Manchester City's hands. Liverpool will be hoping that the devastating nature of Man City's latest Champions League exit carries over into their meeting with Newcastle United on Sunday, but first the Reds must do their own job and keep the pressure on Pep Guardiola's defending champions.
The potent Tottenham attack of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski will be as great a threat to Liverpool's unbeaten, league-leading home record this season as any they have faced so far, although the Reds do boast a formidable record in this fixture. Liverpool have lost only one of their last 18 meetings with Tottenham, winning 12 of those, while at Anfield that record extends to no defeats in 10 and just one in their last 27. However, manager Antonio Conte has drawn 1-1 on both of his own previous league visits to Anfield, and the wily Italian's winning experience may be Tottenham's best hope of halting the Liverpool juggernaut this weekend. The majority of focus will understandably be on the potential implications of this match on the title race, but it is a huge game for Tottenham too as they look to book their place in the Champions League next season. Spurs currently sit two points adrift of Arsenal either side of the dotted line, with a blockbuster North London derby between the pair looming next week.
Our prediction: Liverpool to win the match
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PREDICTION: REAL BETIS VS BARCELONA
LA LIGA: 7 MAY @ 20:00 GMT
Barcelona will be looking to strengthen their grip on second spot in the La Liga table when they make the trip to Seville on Saturday evening to take on fifth-placed Real Betis. The Catalan giants are currently two points clear of third-placed Sevilla, while Real Betis are three points behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid in the race for a top-four finish.
Real Betis lifted the Copa del Rey for just the third time in their history last month by beating Valencia in the final, while they are also very much in the argument for a top-four spot heading into the final straight. Indeed, a total of 58 points from 34 matches has left them in fifth spot in the table, just three points behind fourth-placed Atletico on the same number of games, and a victory in this match would leave them in a confident mood ahead of their final three fixtures against Valencia, Granada and Real Madrid. The Green and Whites, who have not claimed a top-four spot in La Liga since 2005, were held to a goalless draw by Getafe in their last match on May 2, and they have only actually picked up just two points from their last three league fixtures, last winning away to Cadiz on April 9. Manuel Pellegrini's side have won nine, drawn two and lost six of their 17 home league games this season to collect 29 points, and they will be welcoming a Barcelona side with the second-best away record in Spain's top flight this term, having picked up 31 points from their 17 matches. Real Betis recorded a 1-0 victory at Camp Nou in the reverse game earlier this season, but they suffered a 3-2 defeat when the pair locked horns in Seville last term.
Over the last week, Barcelona have had to watch Real Madrid win the La Liga title and then book their spot in the Champions League final, which would certainly have been difficult for the Catalan outfit. Xavi's side will finish the season trophyless but will be determined to secure the runners-up spot in La Liga, and they are in pole position to finish immediately behind Real Madrid, currently sitting two points clear of third-placed Sevilla and five ahead of fourth-placed Atletico.
Real Betis would move to within five points of Barcelona if they triumphed on Saturday, though, and the Catalan giants are not yet sure of a top-four finish despite sitting eight clear of fifth spot ahead of the next set of fixtures. Xavi's team have actually lost three of their last five matches in all competitions, including two of their last four in the league against Cadiz and Rayo Vallecano, but they will enter this match off the back of a 2-1 win over Mallorca last weekend, where Memphis Depay and Sergio Busquets were both on the scoresheet.
Our prediction: Both teams to score in the match
Image credit: marca.com
PREDICTION: LILLE VS MONACO
LIGUE 1: 6 MAY @ 20:00 GMT
Monaco will be looking to snatch a spot on the Ligue 1 podium when they travel to face dethroned champions Lille in the weekend's opening game at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Friday evening. The hosts are now out of the running for the European spots, sat down in 10th in the standings, whilst Monaco come into the weekend in fourth.
The most optimistic Lille fans may still have fancied their teams chances of breaking into the top five after they bounced back from two defeats thanks to a late winner from Zeki Celik at home to Strasbourg on April 24. That optimism will have come crashing down with a disastrous performance, though, away against a relegation-threatened Troyes side last weekend. Jocelyn Gourvennec's side may have dominated much of the first half but things would crumble after ESTAC took the lead through a penalty just before the break. First, Renato Sanches talked himself into a second yellow card, then the hosts put a second penalty away, then Burak Yilmaz's wild lunge saw Lille reduced to nine, and finally, salt was applied to the wound as Troyes made it 3-0 with a third penalty. The performance earned Les Dogues the unwanted statistic of becoming the first team to receive two red cards and give away three penalties in a Ligue 1 game for 30 years and saw them all but officially drop out of the running for a spot in Europe, now nine points behind fifth-placed Nice with three to play.
Life on the South Coast, on the other hand, continues to get brighter - not just in terms of the improving weather, but as a result of Monaco's impressive recent performances. They picked up another comfortable 2-0 win over struggling Angers at the weekend as top scorer Wissam Ben Yedder's goal on the hour mark sealed the result after an own goal from the unfortunate Abdoulaye Bamba late in the first period. The win extends Les Monegasques' winning streak to seven matches - stretching all the way back to their surprise 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in mid-March - which is the best ongoing run across all of Europe's big five leagues.
Two consecutive wins for Rennes leaves the pair glued together, level on points in the battle for the final step of the podium and the Champions League football which that provides. With Les Rennais boasting the far superior goal difference, Philippe Clement will have to hope that they slip up in the remaining three games and that his side can stretch their impressive run a bit further.
Our prediction: Monaco to win the game
Image credit: zimbio.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS BRENTFORD
PREMIER LEAGUE: 2 MAY @ 20:00 GMT
In their last home game this season Manchester United hosts Brentford. In order to secure a place in Europe, The Red Devils have to close the 6 points gap to Tottenham. Having 2 games extra including todays’ game victory is a must.
In the previous round United managed to avoid a third loss in a row by equalising Chelsea in a 1-1 draw last Thursday. After a disappointing season, they will welcome Erik ten Hag as a new head coach this summer, keeping Rangnick as a consultant. In the last two games, United will paly away at Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace, but even with 3 wins these last 3 games they can only accumulate a total of 64 points, their lowest ever in all Premier League seasons.
Brentford hope to secure a place in the first half after an amazing series of positive results. They have won 5 of the last 7 games, drew one and won one. In the last three games Brentford will play against Southampton, Everton and Leeds United. For Brentford this is the first presence in the top flight since 1947-1947 and their first visit at Old Trafford for 1975.
Team news
Manchester United have 6 absent players: Pogba, Shaw, Maguire, Sancho, Cavani and Greenwood. Fred and Wan-Bisaaka are doubtful. Brentford are missing Zanka, Onyeka and Canos. Ajer and Norgaard are expected to return after missing the Tottenham game.
The possible start-up lines are:
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea - Dalot, Lindelof, Varane, Telles - Matic, McTominay - Rashford, Fernandes, Elanga - Ronaldo
Brentford (3-5-2): Raya - Ajer, Jansson, Sorensen - Roerslev, Eriksen, Norgaard, Janelt, Henry - Mbeumo, Toney
In 6 of the last seven matches between the two, have been scored over 2.5 goals. Three of Man Utd's last four outings and three of Brentford's last five games have also witnessed over 2.5 goals scored.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: manutdnews.com
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS ESPANYOL
LA LIGA: 30 APRIL @ 15:15 GMT
Real Madrid will welcome Espanyol to Bernabeu on Saturday afternoon knowing that a point would be enough to win the La Liga title with four matches to spare. Los Blancos will enter the contest off the back of a 4-3 defeat to Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final in Manchester, while Espanyol, who are 13th in Spain's top flight on 39 points, suffered a 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano in the league last time out.
Real Madrid have been, by a distance, the best team in La Liga this season, winning 24, drawing six and losing three of their 33 matches to collect 78 points, which has left them 15 points ahead of second-placed Barcelona. As a result, a point against Espanyol on Sunday would be enough for them to be confirmed as Spanish champions for the 35th time in their history and allow them to enter their final four league games of the season against Atletico Madrid, Levante, Cadiz and Real Betis under no pressure. Los Blancos have work to do in the Champions League semi-finals, though, following their 4-3 defeat to Man City in the first leg on Tuesday night; in truth, the La Liga outfit could have been blown away in the first half, but they managed to stay in the clash, with Karim Benzema netting twice during another brilliant performance. The second leg of the last-four clash takes place at Bernabeu next Wednesday, so it will be fascinating to see how head coach Carlo Ancelotti approaches this match, with the Italian looking to balance keeping his players fresh with potentially suffering a morale-damaging result.
Espanyol will be hoping to spoil the party this weekend, but the Catalan outfit will enter the match off the back of a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Rayo Vallecano on April 21. A total of 39 points from 33 matches has left Vicente Moreno's side in 13th position in the table, nine points clear of the relegation zone, so they are going to be a top-flight side again next term unless something incredible happens in the final weeks of the campaign.
Our prediction: Under 3.5 goals scored in the match
Image credit: marca.com
PREDICTION: SPEZIA VS LAZIO
SERIE A: 30 APRIL @ 19:45 GMT
Still in the thick of a battle for European qualification, Lazio travel to mid-table Spezia on Saturday evening seeking a fourth win from four against them in Serie A. Beaten by Milan's late goal last weekend, Maurizio Sarri's side have taken just a point from their last two matches and are clinging onto sixth place in the standings, while their hosts have all but secured their stay in the top flight.
Denied at the death last Sunday, crestfallen Lazio were defeated for the third time by Milan this season, as the league leaders struck in stoppage time to render Ciro Immobile's fourth-minute opener meaningless. Only similar setbacks for fellow top-six contenders Atalanta and Fiorentina allowed the Biancocelesti to retain their place above both in the table, while arch-rivals Roma remain two above them in fifth. Representing only their third Serie A loss as hosts this term, that 2-1 reverse leaves Lazio in an almighty scrap for a Europa League spot, with Sampdoria, Juventus and Verona being their final three opponents of an inconsistent campaign. Only of late has the Aquile's away form improved, after being the main factor behind their inability to contend for the top four, and they have won on four of their last six road trips in the top flight - as many as from their previous 16. Perhaps their most straightforward remaining engagement, at least on paper, Lazio will expect to continue that trend in La Spezia this weekend, having won each of their three Serie A matches against their latest opponents. Indeed, a 6-1 victory for the Biancocelesti in August's reverse fixture - when Capocannoniere leader Immobile bolstered his tally with a first-half hat-trick - indicates their supremacy since Spezia were promoted two years ago.
Having lost 11 times and conceded at a rate of over two goals per game away from home this season, Spezia will no doubt be delighted to return to the familiar environs of Stadio Alberto Picco, following a 2-1 defeat at Torino last weekend. Two goals down heading towards the game's conclusion, the Aquilotti's consolation - a 97th-minute strike by Rey Manaj - means that 18% of their goals in Serie A this term have been netted in second-half injury time; the highest percentage of any side. They are certainly persistent, then, but late goals alone have not been enough for Thiago Motta's side to pull comprehensively clear of the bottom three. With a cushion of eight points between them and 17th-placed Genoa, the Ligurian outfit should still preserve their top-flight status for a further year, which would complete the club's objective when the former Barcelona midfielder took charge last summer, following Vincenzo Italiano's departure for Fiorentina. A meagre tally of six goals from their last eight outings will trouble Motta though, ahead of Lazio's arrival, as their visitors are more than adept in the attacking department and will most likely find the net themselves.
Our prediction: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals scored in the match
Image credit: thelaziali.com
PREDICTION: LEEDS UNITED VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE: 30 APRIL @ 17:30 GMT
Manchester City will be looking to remain in the driving seat for the Premier League title when they travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United on Saturday evening. The Citizens came out on top in a seven-goal thriller against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals in midweek, while the Whites played out a goalless draw away at Crystal Palace on Monday.
When Jesse Marsch took the reins from Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road in February, Leeds were positioned in the relegation zone and hopes of clambering their way to safety seemed slim. While demotion to the Championship still remains a possibility, fears of the drop have eased since Marsch's arrival. The American started out with back-to-back league defeats against Leicester City and Aston Villa, but he has since made his mark with the Whites, accumulating 11 points during a five-game unbeaten run.
Leeds remain 16th in the Premier League table and five points clear of the bottom three, though Everton in 18th place still have one game in hand. Marsch has notably tightened up what once was a leaky defence, with Leeds conceding only four goals in their last five games and keeping successive clean sheets in their last two matches against Watford and Crystal Palace, just their fourth and fifth shutouts in 2021-22. Considering that they shipped 21 goals in their previous six matches, Leeds have made vast improvements defensively, but their backline will now face the "ultimate test" according to Marsch, when they come up against league leaders Man City, who thumped the Whites 7-0 earlier this season.
Despite victory, City supporters came away from the Etihad Stadium slightly aggrieved that their side had not scored more against the Spanish giants, after carving out a plethora of chances throughout the 90 minutes. Nevertheless, City remain on course to reach their second successive Champions League final. Guardiola and co will now put their European efforts to one side as they turn their attention back to the Premier League title race. At the time of writing, City currently sit one point clear of Liverpool in second, though the Reds could momentarily climb to the summit if they were to beat Newcastle United in Saturday's lunchtime kickoff, before the Citizens aim to jump back to the top five hours later.
Our prediction: Man City to win the match
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PREDICTION: ATHLETIC BILBAO VS ATLETICO MADRID
LA LIGA: 30 APRIL @ 20:00 GMT
Atletico Madrid will be bidding to strengthen their grip on a top-four spot in La Liga when they head to San Mames on Saturday evening to take on Athletic Bilbao. Diego Simeone's side are currently fourth in the table, four points clear of fifth-placed Real Betis, while Athletic occupy eighth, seven points behind sixth-placed Real Sociedad in the race for a European finish.
Athletic will enter Saturday's contest off the back of a 3-2 victory at Cadiz last time out, with first-half goals from Raul Garcia, Iker Muniain and Mikel Vesga proving enough to secure all three points despite the relegation-threatened hosts launching a late response at Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla.
Marcelino's side currently sit eighth in the table, now just four points behind seventh-placed Villarreal, but they are seven points behind sixth-placed Real Sociedad, so a Europa League spot looks beyond them. The Basque outfit have not finished higher than eighth in Spain's top flight since 2017, so seventh would certainly be a big step in the right direction, and they will fancy their chances of picking up a respectable amount of points in their final five games of the campaign. Athletic have matches against top-four outfits Atletico and Sevilla, in addition to facing Valencia, Granada and Osasuna, with three of their final five games coming in front of their own supporters. The Lions have secured 27 points from their 16 home league games this term and will be taking on an Atletico side that have been inconsistent on their travels this season, picking up just 24 points from their 16 fixtures away from Wanda Metropolitano.
Atletico have been unable to defend their La Liga title this season, and bitter rivals Real Madrid could actually win the league this weekend; Simeone's side are instead focusing on securing a top-four spot, currently sitting fourth in the table, four points ahead of fifth-placed Real Betis.The Red and Whites are just two points behind second-placed Barcelona, meanwhile, and the runners-up spot in the league would go down as a successful campaign considering their issues during stages of the season. Atletico have only won one of their last three in the league and will enter this match off the back of a goalless draw at home to Granada on April 20.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals scored in the match
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PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS EVERTON
PREMIER LEAGUE: 24 APRIL @ 16:30 GMT
Liverpool are hoping to win again after their last result, a 4-0 Premier League triumph versus Manchester United. In that game, Liverpool had 72% possession and 14 attempts on goal with 5 of them on target.
Liverpool haven’t been able to stop scoring goals, netting in each and every one of their last 6 matches. They’ve claimed a sum of 17 during that period while also conceding a total of 8. Going into this one, Liverpool have not been beaten in their last 20 league matches at home. What a fortress.
The Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp doesn’t have any fitness worries to speak of ahead of this clash thanks to a fully healthy squad available for selection.
Liverpool possible starting line-up line is: Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Andrew Robertson; Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson; Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane
In their previous fixture, Everton drew 1-1 in the Premier League tie with Leicester City. In that match, Everton managed 36% possession and 13 shots at goal with 3 on target.
Throughout their 6 latest matches, Frank Lampard's Everton have seen their efforts on goal rewarded 6 times, giving them a goals scored per game average of 1. Going into this encounter, Everton haven’t won away from home in the past 13 league games. Their travelling supporters must be so depressed.
Everton possible starting lineup: Jordan Pickford; Seamus Coleman, Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey, Lucas Digne; Fabian Delph, Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure; Richarlison, Demarai Gray, Andros Townsend
Inspecting their most recent head to head meetings stretching back to 04/12/2019 shows that Liverpool have won 3 of them & Everton 1, with the tally of drawn matches being 2. In all, 19 goals were shared by the two clubs throughout the course of those matches, with 12 for The Reds and 7 coming from The Toffees. That’s an average goals per game of 3.17.
Our prediction: Liverpool to win and both teams to score
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PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS MANCHESTER UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE: 23 APRIL @ 16:30 GMT
Arsenal will be looking for a repeat result of a 2-4 Premier League triumph vs Chelsea. In that match, Arsenal had 32% possession and 14 shots at goal with 4 on target.
It has been seldom in recent times where Arsenal have kept a clean sheet. The reality is that Arsenal have seen their defence breached in 5 of their previous 6 games, letting in 10 goals along the way. In any event, we’ll just have to find out if that trend might be maintained in this upcoming game.
A look at their previous results shows us that Arsenal have left without a victory over Manchester United in their last 2 league matches and are without a win at home for the past 2 league matches.
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Tavares; Xhaka, Elneny; Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Nketiah
Following on from suffering a loss in their previous game against Liverpool in Premier League competition, Manchester United will be hoping to turn things around here. In that game, Manchester United managed 28% possession and 2 attempts at goal with 1 of them on target. Liverpool got 14 attempts at goal with 5 on target.
The numbers tell their own story, and Manchester United have been scored against in 6 of their last 6 games, seeing their opponents hit 11 goals in total. At the back, Manchester United just haven’t been too solid at all.
Analysis of their past results shows that Manchester United have not beaten Arsenal when having played them away from home in the previous 3 league games.
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Telles; Matic, McTominay; Elanga, Fernandes, Sancho; Ronaldoir last 3 league games.
Our prediction: Both teams to score? Yes
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PREDICTION: INTER MILAN VS AS ROMA
SERIE A: 23 APRIL @ 21:00 GMT
Inter Milan will be hoping for a repeat of their last result, following a 3-0 Coppa Italia success versus AC Milan. In that match, Inter Milan managed 48% possession and 10 shots on goal with 4 on target.
Their most recent results shine a light on the fact that much respect should be given to the Inter Milan backline. Inter Milan have given the opposition little, resulting in the number of goals that have gone past their goalkeeper during their last six matches standing at 3. We shall soon see whether or not that trend will be continued on here.
Looking at their past form shows that Inter Milan have not been beaten in the league by Roma in their last 9 matches. A long run without a loss and are unbeaten in their last 3 home league matches.
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Handanovic; De Vrij, Skriniar, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Perisic; Martinez, Dzeko
In their last game, Roma drew 1-1 in the Serie A tie with SSC Napoli. In that match, Roma had 51% possession and 8 shots on goal with 6 on target. The only player on the scoresheet for Roma was Stephan El Shaarawy (91'). For their opponents, SSC Napoli got 9 shots on goal with 4 on target. Lorenzo Insigne (11') scored for SSC Napoli.
In their previous half-dozen clashes, Roma have bagged the sum of 12 goals. Roma have also scored on each one of those occasions. During those fixtures, they have seen 4 goals go into their own net.
Checking on their most recent head to head clashes stretching back to 06/12/2019 shows that Inter Milan have won 3 of these and Roma 0, with the tally of drawn matches standing at 3.
Roma possible starting lineup:
Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez; Karsdorp, Cristante, Oliveira, Zalewski; Pellegrini, Mkhitaryan; Abraham
Our prediction: Over 2.5 Goals
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PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND
BUNDESLIGA: 23 APRIL @ 21:30 GMT
Bayern Munich will want to continue from where they left off last time out with the 0-3 Bundesliga 1 triumph over Arminia Bielefeld. In that game, Bayern Munich had 76% possession and 22 shots on goal with 8 of them on target.
Their more recent scorelines really do illustrate the point that quality has been evident in the Bayern Munich backline. Bayern Munich have been miserly, resulting in the number of goals that have flown into the back of their net over the course of their last 6 matches standing at 3.
Leading up to this clash, Bayern Munich have not lost a league tie with Borussia Dortmund in their previous 6 games and are undefeated in their previous 5 home league matches.
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Pavard, Upamecano, Hernandez, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Gnabry, Muller, Coman; Lewandowski
Borussia Dortmund will go into the clash following a 6-1 Bundesliga 1 win against VfL Wolfsburg in their most recent outing. In that game, Borussia Dortmund had 60% possession and 12 attempts on goal with 8 of them on target.
Over the course of their last six clashes, Borussia Dortmund have helped themselves to a tally of 12 goals. Borussia Dortmund have also scored on each one of those occasions. In that time, they’ve seen 6 goals go against them. Having said that, time will tell if such a trend shall be replicated in this upcoming game.
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Hitz; Pongracic, Akanji, Zagadou; Wolf, Bellingham, Can, Guerreiro; Brandt, Reus; Haaland
Checking on their past head to head meetings going back to 06/04/2019 tells us that these fixtures have not been happy ones for Borussia Dortmund. They’ve not managed to come away with any victories at all while Bayern Munich have maintained the edge over them, getting wins in 100 per cent of those matches played.
There were also goals galore in those games, with 26 overall which averages out at 4.33 goals per match. The last league meeting between these sides was Bundesliga 1 match day 14 on 04/12/2021 which ended up with the score at Borussia Dortmund 2-3 Bayern Munich.
Our prediction: Bayern Munich to win and Over 2.5 goals
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PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS LIVERPOOL
PREMIER LEAGUE: 16 APRIL @ 15:30 GMT
Having both booked their spots in the Champions League semi-finals, Manchester City and Liverpool renew hostilities in the final four of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon at Wembley Stadium. The two sides played out a pulsating 2-2 draw in last weekend's Premier League encounter at the Etihad and are bidding to meet either Chelsea or Crystal Palace in the showpiece event this weekend.
Perhaps giving Atletico Madrid a taste of their own medicine somewhat, Man City kept a cool head while Diego Simeone and co lost theirs at the Wanda Metropolitano, and the Champions League crown is now within touching distance for the reigning Premier League champions. Twice City went ahead against Liverpool in last weekend's top-of-the-table Premier League battle, and twice they were pegged back, but the destiny of the trophy is still in their own hands, and they have enjoyed a relatively simple run to the FA Cup semi-finals. Swindon Town, Fulham, Peterborough United and Southampton have all been no match for Guardiola's men in this year's competition, but they have bowed out in the semi-finals two seasons in a row, and the Catalan coach will be wary of the final-four curse striking again. City have only managed to claim one FA Cup in Guardiola's tenure so far in 2018-19, but they bring a 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions to Wembley Stadium.
Never before have Liverpool managed to reach the semi-finals of the EFL Cup, FA Cup and Champions League in one season, and aspirations of a remarkable quadruple are very much still a possibility, even though they will be relying on Man City dropping points to have a shot at Premier League glory. The Reds have knocked Shrewsbury Town, Cardiff City, Norwich City and Nottingham Forest out of the tournament to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2014-15 - before Klopp had arrived - and they have made the final on eight of the last 10 occasions that they have reached the final four. The draw with Benfica marked a seventh game without defeat in all competitions for the Reds - who have found the back of the net at least twice in six of those games - but they have now gone five games without a win versus Man City after the Etihad spectacular earlier this month. City and Liverpool have not been familiar foes in the FA Cup down the years, with the most recent meeting between the two clubs in the competition coming all the way back in 2002-03.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals scored in the match
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PREDICTION: BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS WOLFSBURG
BUNDESLIGA: 16 APRIL @ 14:30 GMT
Borussia Dortmund could confirm their qualification for next season's Champions League when they welcome Wolfsburg to Signal Iduna Park in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Both sides returned to winning ways last weekend after suffering winless streaks, with the hosts retaining a glimmer of hope in the title race, whilst the visitors pulled further away from danger at the other end of the table.
Dortmund put their heavy 4-1 defeat to RB Leipzig behind them when they visited relegation-threatened Stuttgart last Friday evening. Despite initially being named as a substitute, Julian Brandt was the difference after replacing the injured Giovanni Reyna just six minutes into the contest. The former Bayer Leverkusen man got his first goal within six minutes of his arrival after being set up by the unselfish Erling Braut Haaland, before sealing the three points midway through the second half. The result was far from comfortable however, with Die Roten unfortunate not to take something from the game after missing a host of chances against BVB in the second 45. Those three points briefly pulled Marco Rose's side to within six points of Bayern Munich at the summit ahead of their game against Augsburg a day later, and when the Bavarians looked to be heading towards a frustrating goalless draw, Dortmund appeared to have been given another lifeline in the title race. However, Robert Lewandowski netted from the penalty spot inside the final 10 minutes to spare Bayern's blushes, and to leave Dortmund nine points behind once more heading into matchday 30 this weekend. With the leaders not due to play until Sunday, Dortmund once again have the opportunity to temporarily close the gap, and were they to better their result this weekend, the Bundesliga title race could well be blown open ahead of Der Klassiker next Saturday.
Meanwhile, Wolfsburg picked up only their second win in seven Bundesliga outings when they hammered Arminia Bielefeld 4-0 at the Volkswagen Arena last time out. Three successive defeats prior to it had left Die Wolfe looking over their shoulders once again during their dismal season, but a much-improved showing and result has all but put those fears to bed. Eight points separate Florian Kohfeldt's men from last weekend's opponents in the relegation playoff spot, so with only five games to play at the time of writing, it would take an almighty disaster for Wolfsburg to suffer a catastrophic drop out of the top flight. As a result, the focus will be turning towards a positive finish to this poor campaign in order to head into the summer on a high note before looking to make a return to European football next season.
Our prediction: Dortmund to win the match
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PREDICTION: FIORENTINA VS VENEZIA
SERIE A: 16 APRIL @ 15:30 GMT
With one side pursuing European ambitions and the other scrapping for survival, seventh-placed Fiorentina meet relegation-threatened Venezia on Saturday. The teams convene at Stadio Artemio Franchi having endured vastly differing fortunes of late, as the Viola have won three of their last four, while the Venetians suffered a sixth straight defeat last weekend.
Adding to their victory in the Derby dell'Arno at the start of April, a remarkable season for Fiorentina reached a new high last Sunday, as they returned from Naples with all three points from one of their toughest assignments so far. As a result, Vincenzo Italiano's men have now won five of their last eight league matches, a period during which they have added 17 points to their tally - fewer only than fellow form side Roma (18) in Serie A. Indeed, they are now 23 points better off than they were at this stage last season. Fiorentina sit seventh in the standings - two points behind Lazio in the final European qualification spot, but with a game in hand - and are also in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, in which they also won away to Napoli at the start of the year. Their aspirations of returning to continental football will be tempered, however, by an upcoming fixture list that pits them against Milan, Roma and old foes Juve, the latter of whom they not only meet in the second leg of the Coppa semis but also in a potentially explosive final day fixture in Florence.
Following a heartbreaking stoppage-time loss to Udinese last week, Venezia have now gone 11 matches without recording a home win, but one of their two league victories at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo this season came against Fiorentina back in October. The last time the Lagunari won both Serie A fixtures against the Viola was as long ago as the 1941-42 season, but they are in acute need of pulling off such a feat on Saturday, with time running out to retain their top-flight status. Currently sitting three points adrift of safety, but with a game in hand on most of their survival rivals, Paolo Zanetti's side have now lost each of their last six league games; the last time they endured a worse streak within a single Serie A season was in 1966-67. In all, one victory from 18 attempts leaves Venezia in dire trouble, and in that spell they have scored only 14 goals. French forward Thomas Henry has been directly involved in seven, including three of their last four, but his supporting cast - assembled from far and wide as part of a scattergun transfer policy - have failed to perform.
Our prediction: Fiorentina to win the match
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PREDICTION: RENNES VS MONACO
LIGUE 1: 15 APRIL @ 20:00 GMT
Roazhon Park in Brittany will be the site of a critical Ligue 1 fixture between Rennes and Monaco, who are each targeting a place in Europe next season. Stade Rennais come into this contest on Friday unbeaten in their previous five matches in all competitions, while Les Monegasques have won their last three domestic encounters and are only a single point behind Nice for a place in the Europa Conference League.
Winning the league is probably out of reach, but nonetheless Bruno Genesio and his team are on pace for a record-setting top-flight campaign, with 56 points after 31 fixtures, equalling their highest-ever tally at this stage of the competition in 1998-99. Throughout 2021-22 they have been incredibly potent in the final third, scoring 67 goals, three fewer than league leaders Paris Saint-Germain. Their deep attacking side have been extremely clinical on home soil, scoring 20 goals domestically at Roazhon Park in their previous five games played there, while conceding just two. Rennes have only competed in the Champions League group stage once before (2020-21), and at the moment, they find themselves with a chance to guarantee they make it back to at least that point next season, currently trailing Olympique de Marseille by three points for second place. Genesio has always been keen on attacking football, and the slick collective style of play that he has brought to this side seems to be what they needed to reach the next level. Les Rouge et Noir have effectively executed a preventative marking style when they hit the field, an approach that focuses on anticipating the loss of a ball to counter the opponent quickly.
When Monaco were knocked out of the Europa League last month, it appeared as though that would be the last European match we would see them play until at least the 2023-24 campaign. Since their exit from that competition however, their fortunes in the league have changed dramatically, with Philippe Clement's side currently on their longest winning run since he took over, sitting two points behind Strasbourg for a place in the qualifying portion of the Europa League next season. In what has been a tumultuous campaign in the principality featuring a team that have been hot and cold, Les Monegasques seem to be finding their footing in the nick of time. While they have done what is needed to pick up three points in each of their previous three encounters, it has not been easy, as they narrowly defeated relegation-threatened sides Metz and Troyes, both times by a 2-1 score. Their individual class has carried them through numerous matches, and that quality will be put to the test over the next seven days as they face two teams (Rennes and Nice) who stand in their way of a return visit to European competition. Those upcoming encounters could determine their European fate, and Les Rouges et Blancs will fancy their chances against Stade Rennais, a side that they have defeated 49 times in Ligue 1, more than any other top-flight opponent.
Our prediction: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals scored in the match
Image credit: sportingpedia.com
PREDICTION: ATLETICO MADRID VS MANCHESTER CITY
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 13 APRIL @ 20:00 GMT
Manchester City travels to the Wanda Metropolitano stadium for the second leg clash against Atletico Madrid having with the one goal ahead advantage from the home game match.
Atletico’s mission of overturning the 1-0 deficit is far from being an easy one. Although the first leg result left them with decent chances for a come-back, in reality The Citizens had far more scoring chances and controlled the game from an end to another.
After the entertaining 2-2 draw against Liverpool in the top of the table clash on Sunday, City are now unbeaten in their last 9 games and have won 6 of their last 7 away matches. In Champion’s League they kept a clean sheet in the last 3 games and have high hopes for securing a spot in the semi-finals.
In La Liga, Atletico suffered a disappointing defeat 1-0 to Mallorca allowing Betis and Sociedad to come 1 point close and 3 points respectively, hastening their battle for the 4th place. In today’s match, Atletico must score against a very well-organized defence which didn’t even allow them to fire a shit on target in the first leg.
Team news
Hector Herrera is out for Atletico, whereas Jose Gimenez is doubtful. Yannick Carrasco returns.
City has 3 absent players: Ruben Dias, Cole Palmer and Gabriel Jesus. Kyle Walker returns after his suspension.
The possible start-up lines are:
Atletico Madrid (3-5-2): Oblak - Savic, Felipe, Reinildo - Vrsaljko, Llorente, Koke, Lemar, Lodi - Griezmann, Felix
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson - Walker, Stones, Laporte, Ake - Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne - Mahrez, Foden, Sterling
Madrid have gone under 2.5 goals in four of their last five games whereas City have seen under 2.5 in four of their last five away matches. Thus, we expect at tight match.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals on regular time
Image credit: sportsmax.tv
PREDICTION: EVERTON VS MANCHESTER UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE: 9 APRIL @ 12:30 GMT
Two teams in desperate need of the three points will lock horns for a key Premier League contest on Saturday afternoon, as Everton welcome Manchester United to Goodison Park. Everton's relegation fears deepened on Wednesday when they lost 3-2 at fellow strugglers Burnley, while Man United saw their top-four hopes take a hit last weekend, dropping points at home to Leicester City.
Everton are one of six teams to have never been relegated from the Premier League, but there is no question that the Merseyside giants are locked in a battle for their lives heading into the final straight, and the pressure is already firmly on head coach Frank Lampard despite his recent arrival. The Toffees picked up a vital 1-0 win over Newcastle United before the international break but have lost their last two in the league, going down 2-1 at West Ham United last weekend before suffering a damaging 3-2 reverse away to fellow relegation candidates Burnley on Wednesday night. Everton are currently 17th in the table, just one point clear of 18th-placed Burnley on the same number of matches, while they are only three ahead of 19th-placed Watford, but the Hornets have played a game more. The Merseyside club are now heading into a tough run of fixtures, facing Man United, Leicester (H), Liverpool, Chelsea and Leicester (A) before a trip to Watford on May 11, and there is no question that the home supporters will be demanding a response at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon.
Man United will not be in the mood to hand out any favours this weekend, though, as the Red Devils require three points to keep their top-four hopes alive heading into the final straight. Last weekend's 1-1 draw with Leicester, coupled with the other results in England's top flight, has left Ralf Rangnick's side in seventh spot, three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on the same number of matches; it is not an impossible task, but they will also likely have to finish above Arsenal and West Ham. Man United have only won one of their last six matches in all competitions during a disappointing run, while they suffered a 4-1 loss at Manchester City in their last away league fixture towards the start of March, but they should be in a confident mood heading into this game, having only lost once to Everton in all competitions since April 2015.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals scored in the match
Image credit: skysports.com
PREDICTION: VILLARREAL VS ATHLETIC BILBAO
PRIMERA DIVISION: 9 APRIL @ 17:30 GMT
A key battle in the race for top six spots in the La Liga table will take place at El Madrigal on Saturday, as Villarreal host Athletic Bilbao. The seventh-placed hosts currently sit one place and one point better off than their visitors while they come into the game on the back of a victory over Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final tie.
After an underwhelming first half to the season, Villarreal bounced back to put themselves in a strong position for a high finish in La Liga, as they picked up nine wins and 29 points from a span of 13 league games between mid-December and mid-March. However, their hopes of a top-six finish took a major hit recently, as Unai Emery's side have suffered defeats in each of their last two La Liga outings, firstly falling to relegation-threatened Cadiz as Ruben Sobrino hit the only goal of the game in the dying embers. Following a damning 2-0 defeat to basement side Levante, the Yellow Submarine headed into the first leg of their tricky Champions League quarter-final meeting with Bayern Munich on home turf, and they took a somewhat surprising advantage, as Arnaut Danjuma hit the only goal of the game in Spain inside the first 10 minutes. Now turning their focus back to the Spanish top flight, Emery's men will aim to move further clear of their visitors and cut the six-point gap between themselves and sixth-placed Real Sociedad with a home victory at the weekend.
Athletic Bilbao make the trip aiming to leapfrog their opponents after an important victory in their push for the top six. While Marcelino's men have impressed at various points throughout the season, they have often struggled for consistency and went into a recent meeting with Elche having lost two and won one of their previous four league outings. They were able to return to winning ways, though, as Alex Berenguer and Asier Villalibre got on the scoresheet in a 2-1 win on home turf, with Josan's late goal for the visitors not enough to salvage a result. That win saw the Basque outfit move back within a point of Saturday's opponents and seven points behind the top six with eight games to play, and they will now be keen to establish a winning run to boost their claim for continental qualification.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: sportingpedia.com
PREDICTION: CAGLIARI VS JUVENTUS
SERIE A: 9 APRIL @ 19:45 GMT
Following the latest hammer blow to their ambitions last weekend, Juventus look to bounce back and consolidate their top four spot with a win at Cagliari on Saturday. The Bianconeri travel to Sardinia after Derby d'Italia defeat to Inter effectively ended their Scudetto hopes for another year, while their hosts have lost four successive Serie A matches to slip into acute danger near the foot of the standings.
Having crashed out of the Champions League in ignominious fashion last month, Juventus may have returned from the international break with a win over rock-bottom Salernitana, but it was last Sunday's clash with old foes Inter that would test their mettle - with victory all but essential if they were to stay in the title race. Their second successive loss in the Derby d'Italia, after January's Supercoppa Italiana also went the way of the Nerazzurri, sees Max Allegri's men with only the Coppa Italia and securing a return to the Champions League to play for, but at least the latter objective remains on course due to their consistency over the past few months. Winning six games and drawing three on the road, the Bianconeri have averaged two goals per game during that time, so will be confident of maintaining their five-point buffer to Roma in fifth when they tackle their favourite prey on Saturday. Juve have won 10 of their last 11 Serie A meetings with Cagliari - including December's reverse fixture in Turin - and have kept eight clean sheets in the process.
Not only have their latest visitors been generally dominant in recent clashes between the two very different clubs, but Cagliari have also lost nine of their last 10 league games at home to the Old Lady - conceding at least three goals on five of those occasions. They also enter the weekend amid a worrying downturn in fortunes, as Walter Mazzarri's men have lost each of their last four outings; conceding 11 goals. That equals the club's worst run since the start of last year, with a previous five-match unbeaten run that clawed them out of the bottom three fading fast in the memory. Joao Pedro's opener in the Rossoblu's chastening 5-1 defeat to Udinese last weekend has been their only goal during that fruitless spell, and the manner in which his side subsequently folded at the Dacia Arena will be of serious concern to both the club captain and Mazzarri. Still hovering precariously above the drop zone - leading 18th-placed Venezia by three points, but having played a game more - Cagliari are definitely not out of the woods yet and have a long way to go before retaining their top-flight status. Upcoming clashes with Genoa and Venezia - the latter a potential demotion decider on the final day - are more likely to define their destiny than events on Saturday evening, though, when they start as long-shot outsiders.
Our prediction: Juventus to win the match
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PREDICTION: LORIENT VS SAINT-ETIENNE
LIGUE 1: 8 APRIL @ 20:00 GMT
Lorient will welcome Saint-Etienne to the Stade du Moustoir for their crucial Ligue 1 relegation battle on Friday night. Both sides head into this contest off the back of heavy defeats against the league's top two sides last weekend, with Lorient conceding five against Paris Saint-Germain, while Saint-Etienne let in four against Marseille.
Lorient suffered their heaviest Ligue 1 defeat for over five years when they were beaten 5-1 away at league leaders Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday. Christophe Pelissier's side still remain in a precarious position in the Ligue 1 standings, currently hovering just one point above the bottom three with eight games remaining. While Lorient were not expected to cause an upset at the Parc des Princes, they will fancy their chances of success on Friday against fellow strugglers Saint-Etienne. Encounters with basement club Bordeaux, Metz and Troyes will also be viewed as winnable games as they head into the final stretch.
Les Merlus have won more Ligue 1 games on home soil against Saint-Etienne than any other team in the division, coming out on top in seven of their 12 meetings at the Stade du Moustoir. However, in this season's top flight, Lorient have accumulated the fewest points against teams currently in the bottom half of the table (11). Pelissier's men have also won only one of their last 11 league matches at home, winning 2-0 against Lens in February, so they will need to be on top of their game if they are to claim maximum points on Friday.
After claiming five points from three league matches in March, Saint-Etienne began the month of April with a 4-2 home defeat against Marseille. With the other four teams around them at the bottom of the Ligue 1 table also failing to win last weekend, Pascal Dupraz's men remain in 18th place, four points above Metz in the bottom two and one point behind both Clermont and Friday's opponents Lorient in the two positions above them. Saint-Etienne head into Friday's contest having won only one of their last six Ligue 1 away games. Les Verts have also lost their last two encounters at the Stade du Moustoir, losing both by a 2-1 scoreline. Dupraz's side played out a 1-1 draw against Les Merlus in the reverse fixture back in August, but they will be hoping to improve in the final third this time around, after seeing only three of their 20 shots on goal hit the target in that game.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals scored in the match
Image credit: sportzcraazy.com
PREDICTION: CHELSEA VS REAL MADRID
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 6 APRIL @ 20:00 GMT
The two giants of the European football Chelsea and Real Madrid face each other at Stamford Bridge tonight in the first leg of the quarter-finals of UEFA Champions League. This is a reiteration of the 2020-21 semi-finals when Chelsea made it to the finals after 3-1 on aggregates.
Real Madrid is in a terrific shape winning 6 of their last 7 games and running away with La Liga title. With just 8 rounds left, Los Blancos have a consistent 9 points ahead of the second place Barcelona. In the previous Champions League round, Real overpassed PSG, one of the title favourites with 3-1 on aggregates.
In Premier League, Chelsea lost surprisingly 4-1 at home with Brantford, suffering only the second defeat in the league this year from 9 games. In Champions League In Champions League, The Blues eliminated Lille in the last 8 after 2-1 on aggregates.
Team news
Chelsea’s only confirmed absence is Ben Chilwell (injured). Cristian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi are doubtful and unlikely to start. For Real Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic are injured. Isco is doubtful. Ferland Mendy and Casemiro are returning following suspension.
The possible start-up lines are:
Chelsea (3-4-3): Mendy - Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger - James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso - Ziyech, Havertz, Pulisic
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois - Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy - Kroos, Casemiro, Modric - Asensio, Benzema, Vinicius Junior
In three of the last four meetings between Chelsea and Real Madrid in all competitions both teams scored.
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: digisport.ro
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS ATLETICO MADRID
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 5 APRIL @ 20:00 GMT
In the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals Atletico Madrid travels to Etihad to face Manchester City tonight. After sending home the city rivals United (2-1 on aggregates) in the previous round, Atletico will be hoping to return with a positive result from Manchester, having the advantage of playing the second leg on home soil.
Manchester City pasted Sporting Lisbon In the last 16 with an impressive 5-0 on aggregates giving The Lions no hope even from the first leg. In Premier League, The Citizens maintain their leader position after the Saturday win (2-0) at Burnley, extending their unbeaten streak to seven games. But the battle with Chelsea is as tough as it can be as the Stanford Bridge team is only following them close with just one point behind.
In La Liga, Atletico sits 3rd, equal to 4h place Sevilla and 2nd place Barcelona. Last weekend the Colchoneros beat Alaves 4-1 at home extending their winning run to 6 games in all competitions including the 1-0 victory at Old Trafford.
The possible start-up lines are:
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson - Cancelo, Laporte, Stones, Zinchenko - Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne - Mahrez, Foden, Sterling
Atletico Madrid (3-5-2): Oblak - Savic, Hermoso, Reinildo - Llorente, De Paul, Kondogbia, Koke, Lodi - Griezmann, Felix
Today’s game is the first ever competition meeting between the two clubs. With a second leg at Madrid, Atletico will do whatever it takes to keep this tight, so we expect a game lacking goals.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: thekonversation.com
PREDICTION: CRYSTAL PALACE VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE: 4 APRIL @ 20:00 GMT
Arsenal continues the battle for a top four place at the end of Premier League season today, when travelling to Selhurst Park in South London to meet Crystal Palace. The game brings face to face two of the top previous Arsenal’s midfielders Patrick Vieira and Mikel Arteta.
Before the game Arsenal and their city rivals Tottenham are equal in the league table with 54 points, but The Gunners have one more game in hand. Two victories in the remaining games would offer them a solid option for securing at least a 4th place with just 8 round left.
Arsenal’s shape this year is impressive having lost just 2 games against the top two Manchester City and Liverpool, drew once and won 6. In the previous match before the World Cup qualifiers break, they have won 1-0 at Villa Park, returning home with 3 huge points.
Crystal Palace is 12th in the league table with 34 points after a series of mixed results this year in Premier League: 5 draws, 2 wins and 3 victories. The Eagles mores is still on the upwards trend after the 4-0 win against Everton in FA Cup and the previous league game draw at home 0-0 against the leader Manchester City.
Team news
The absent players at Crystal Palace are Ferguson, McArthur, Olise and Zaha. At Arsenal are missing the international England’s star Ramsdale and Tomiyasu, but Saka might return following a COVID-19 test.
The possible start-up lines are:
Crystal Palace (4-3-3): Guaita - Clyne, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell - Gallagher, Kouyate, Hughes - Eze, Mateta, Edouard
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Leno - Cedric, White, Gabriel, Tierney - Xhaka, Partey - Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli – Lacazette
Arsenal have won 5 of their 5 away matches in Premier League. Crystal Palace have seen over 2.5 goals in 8 of their last games against Arsenal.
Our prediction: Arsenal to win and Over 2.5 goals scored in the match
Image credit: paininthearsenal.com
PREDICTION: JUVENTUS VS INTER MILAN
SERIE A: 3 APRIL @ 19:45 GMT
Juventus are hoping to win again after their last result, a 2-0 Serie A victory against Salernitana. In that game, Juventus had 57% possession and 12 shots at goal with 7 of them on target.
Massimiliano Allegri's Juventus have hit the back of the net 10 times in their last six outings. At the other end, the tally of goals that they have conceded in those games amounts to 6. Analysis of their past results shows that Juventus have not beaten in the league by Inter Milan in their previous 2 games and are undefeated in their last 8 league matches at home. A run that they’ll hope to extend here.
Juventus: Szczesny; Danilo, De Ligt, Rugani, De Sciglio; Cuadrado, Arthur, Locatelli, Rabiot; Dybala, Vlahovic.
In their previous fixture, Inter Milan drew 1-1 in the Serie A match with Fiorentina. In that game, Inter Milan managed 51% possession and 13 attempts on goal with 5 of them on target.
A sequence of outstanding displays by the Inter Milan defensive players has resulted in the number of goals they’ve conceded standing at 2 from their last 6 fixtures in total. During the same period of time, their forwards have scored 8. That being said, we must now wait to see if the trend shall be replicated in this next game or not.
Pre-game facts show that Inter Milan: haven't been defeated in their previous 4 league matches away from home and have not won away from home in their last 4 league matches.
Inter Milan: Handanovic; D’Ambrosio, Skriniar, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Perisic; Lautaro, Dzeko.
Looking at the statistics for their head to head duels dating back to 17/01/2021, there has been little to separate the clubs with Juventus winning 2 of those games, Inter Milan 2 and 2 being draws after 90 minutes of play. A sum of 15 goals were shared by the two clubs in these games, with 7 of them from Juve and 8 belonging to Nerazzurri. The average goals per game has been 2.5.
Our prediction: Under 2.5 Goals
Image credit: bleacherreport.com
PREDICTION: BARCELONA VS SEVILLA
LA LIGA: 3 APRIL @ 20:00 GMT
Barcelona will be looking for a repeat result of a 0-4 La Liga success against Real Madrid. In that match, Barcelona managed 59% possession and 18 attempts on goal with 10 on target. For Barcelona, goals were scored by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (29', 51'), Ronald Araújo (38') and Ferrán Torres (47'). On the other side, Real Madrid CF got 14 shots at goal with 4 of them on target.
Their most recent results highlight the fact that huge efforts have been put in by the Barcelona rearguard. Barcelona have been miserly, seeing the total number of goals that have gone past their goalkeeper during their past six matches standing at 2.
In their last fixture, Sevilla drew 0-0 in the La Liga match with Real Sociedad. In that match, Sevilla managed 60% possession and 10 attempts on goal with 0 on target. Real Sociedad got 13 attempts at goal with 2 of them on target. Their past results show that Sevilla are winless against Barcelona when they have played them away from home in the previous 18 matches in the league. A shocking away run it has been.
For 5 of the previous 6 clashes involving Sevilla, a comparatively low number of goals have gone in between them and their opposition. The overall average goals scored per game within that period comes out as just 1.33, with the average goals for Sevillistas standing at 0.67. It will be interesting to find out whether or not that trend will be continued on into this next match.
An examination of their past head to head clashes going back to 19/06/2020 shows us that Barcelona have won 2 of these games and Sevilla 1, with the tally of drawn games being 3. A total of 11 goals were scored between the two sides in these games, with 7 for Barça and 4 created by Sevillistas. This gives an average number of goals per game equal to 1.83.
Our prediction: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals
Image credit: football-espana.net
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS LEICESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE: 2 APRIL @ 17:30 GMT
Manchester United will be looking to improve on their last outing here after the 0-1 Champions League losing effort in their last game against Atlético Madrid.
It has been a rare occasion in recent times that Manchester United have shown defensive steel. The reality is that Manchester United have seen their defence breached in 5 of their previous 6 games, giving up 10 goals during that time. That kind of trend isn’t assured to be continued into this game, of course. Their past results show that Manchester United have left without a victory over Leicester City in their last 3 league matches but they haven’t been defeated in their previous 5 league matches at home.
Manchester United possible starting lineup: De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Fred; Rashford, Fernandes, Sancho; Ronaldo
Leicester City go into this match after a 2-1 Premier League win versus Brentford in their previous fixture. In that match, Leicester City managed 53% possession and 12 attempts at goal with 4 of them on target. For Leicester City, the goals were scored by Timothy Castagne (20') and James Maddison (33'). On the other side, Brentford got 15 shots on goal with 6 on target. Yoane Wissa (85') was the scorer for Brentford.
Brendan Rodgers's Leicester City have fired home a total of 8 times throughout their previous 6 matches. The number of goals that have been scored against them during those same clashes equals 5.
Leicester City possible starting lineup: Schmeichel; Fofana, Evans, Soyuncu; Justin, Dewsbury-Hall, Tielemans, Castagne; Maddison, Daka, Barnes
A glance at their most recent head-to-head clashes dating back to 14/09/2019 shows that Manchester United have won 2 of these games and Leicester City 3, with the number of drawn matches being 1. In all, 20 goals were scored between the two sides throughout the course of those matches, with 9 from The Red Devils and 11 created by The Foxes. This gives an average number of goals per game equal to 3.33.
Our prediction: Manchester United to Win
Image credit: sportyreport.com
PREDICTION: BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS RB LEIPZIG
BUNDESLIGA: 2 APRIL @ 17:30 GMT
Borussia Dortmund prepare for this fixture coming off the back of a 1-1 Bundesliga 1 tied result vs Cologne.
In that match, Borussia Dortmund managed 45% possession and 9 attempts on goal with 3 of them on target. The only player on the scoresheet for Borussia Dortmund was Marius Wolf (8'). For their opponents, 1. FC Köln had 11 attempts at goal with 1 on target. Sebastian Andersson (36') scored for Cologne.
Borussia Dortmund have been on a persistent run of goalscoring form, finding the back of the net every time they’ve gone out to play in their last 6 matches. They have claimed a sum of 12 during that time while seeing the number of goals scored against them stand at 4. However, time will tell if the trend might persist in this game or not.
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup: Kobel; Can, Akanji, Hummels, Guerreiro; Witsel, Bellingham; Reus, Reyna, Hazard; Haaland.
In their last fixture, RB Leipzig drew 0-0 in the Bundesliga 1 tie with Eintracht Frankfurt. In that game, RB Leipzig had 55% possession and 15 attempts on goal with 7 of them on target. Eintracht Frankfurt got 6 attempts on goal with 0 of them on target.
A succession of resolute performances from the RB Leipzig defensive unit has resulted in the number of goals they’ve conceded standing at 3 from their past 6 outings overall. In that period of time, their own forwards have managed to score 15.
RB Leipzig possible starting lineup: Gulacsi; Simakan, Orban, Gvardiol; Henrichs, Laimer, Haidara, Angelino; Olmo, Nkunku; Silva.
Looking over their most recent head-to-head meetings dating back to 17/12/2019 tells us that Borussia Dortmund have won 4 of them & RB Leipzig 1, with the number of draws being 1. Loads of goals were seen in those games, too - 25 in all at an average of 4.17 goals per meeting.
Our prediction: Both teams to score? Yes
Image credit: sportsgamingwire.com
PREDICTION: SWEDEN VS CZECH REPUBLIC
WORLD CUP EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS: 24 MARCH @ 19:45 GMT
Sweden will be hosting Czech Republic tonight at the Friends Arena in Stockolm – Solna, looking at a place in the finals where the winning team will meet Poland which is already qualified.
After a disappointing evolution in the last two group stage games – 1-0 loss in Spain and 2-0 loss in Georgia- Sweden is playing their last chance for a place at the Qatar World Cup 2022. The support of their home fans is a huge asset, since the yellow-blues haven’t lost a game at home since September 2020. But the absence of the suspended super-star Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the main concern of coach Janne Andersson.
Czech Republic finished third in Group E, behind Wales and Belgium, although they won the last 2 games. Still the Czechs advanced to the play-offs due to their UEFA Nations League finish. From the defeat against Belgium in September, Czech Republic have been undefeated for 5 games and they are now in a clear shape growth trend. Still, the 8 missing players is a serious reason of concern for coach Jaroslaw Silhavy.
The possible start-up lines are:
Sweden (4-4-2): Olsen - Lindelof, Danielson, Helander, Augustinsson - Kulusevski, Ekdal, Olsson, Forsberg - Isak, Quaison
Czech Republic (4-2-3-1): Vaclik- Brabec, Kalas, Zima, Mateju - Sadilek, Soucek - Masopust, Barak, Pesek - Hlozek
Both teams have scored in each of their three previous meetings. Sweden have scored 5-goals in their last two home games. The Czech Republic have scored in each of their last five international matches.
Our prediction: Both team to score in the regular time
Image credit: sportpaedia.com
PREDICTION: PORTUGAL VS TURKEY
WORLD CUP EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS: 24 MARCH @ 19:45 GMT
Portugal hosts Turkey in the World Cup 2022 European Qualifiers semi-final at Estadio do Dragao on Thursday. Both teams finished second in their groups are now forced to take the play-off route in order to secure a spot in the final tournament.
Portugal finished second in group A, 3 points behind Serbia after a dramatic defeat in the last round, produced by Alexandar Mitrovic 90’ goal. The defeat at Estadio da Luz was the first one at home in the World Cup Qualifiers since 2008. The goalless draw in Ireland from the previous round also proved to be decisive for the group’s final configuration.
But even if ‘The Navigators’ manage to pass to the finals, they will be facing an even tougher opponent, Italy, which are expected to have a quite facile game against North-Macedonia. This means that one of the two heavy-weights will watch the Qatar World Cup from TV.
On the other side Turkey finished second in group G, just 2 points behind Netherlands. Although winning their last 3 games in a raw, the points lost at home in the draw with Norway and the 6-1 humiliating defeat in The Netherlands proved to be crucial. Still, Turkey is on an up-rising trend since their Euro 2020 crash when they left from the group stage without any points. In the World Cup Qualifiers they have lost just 1 out of the last 7 games.
The possible start-up lines are:
Portugal (4-3-3): Patricio - Cedric, Fonte, Inacio, Guerreiro - Moutinho, Pereira, Fernandes - B. Silva, Ronaldo, Jota
Turkey (4-4-2): Cakir - Celik, Soyuncu, Demiral, Erkin - Under, Calhanoglu, Antalyali, Akturoglu - Yilmaz, Yazici
Over 2.5 goals were scored in the last clash between the two. At least three goals have been scored in five of Portugal's last six games. Five of Turkey's last six fixtures have also witnessed over 2.5 goals.
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals scored
Image credit: telecomasia.com
PREDICTION: MIDDLESBROUGH VS CHELSEA
FA CUP: 19 MARCH @ 17:15 GMT
Seeking yet another memorable scalp in the FA Cup, Middlesbrough welcome Chelsea to the Riverside Stadium for Saturday's quarter-final battle. The Championship side made it this far by overcoming Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the fifth round, while the Blues had to do it the hard way to beat Luton Town 3-2.
As if victory at Old Trafford over Manchester United was not remarkable enough for them, Middlesbrough were paired with another Premier League Big Six side in Tottenham for a place in the last eight, and the Riverside giant killers ensured that Spurs' barren run without a trophy would be extended to 14 years. Attempting to get one over the European champions is a slightly different kettle of fish to an inconsistent Man United or Spurs side, but Boro are on an incredible nine-game winning run at the Riverside Stadium in all competitions and have only let in four goals in that stretch.
While off-the-pitch issues continue to bedevil Chelsea - whose inexplicable request to have the quarter-final played behind closed doors led to an amusing response from Middlesbrough - Thomas Tuchel's side are continuing to do their talking on the turf. Tuchel will inevitably be forced to bat away questions regarding the club's ownership, but his side head into the quarter-final on a five-game winning streak away from home and will endeavour to make the final four for the third season running this weekend.
Chelsea and Middlesbrough have not locked horns since the Blues eased to a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge in the 2016-17 Premier League season - their eighth win and eighth clean sheet on the bounce versus the Championship side, whose most recent win in this fixture came all the way back in 2006 under Gareth Southgate.
Prediction: Middlesborough to win or draw on regular time
Image credit: chelseafclatestnews.com
PREDICTION: LENS VS CLERMONT
LIGUE 1: 19 MARCH @ 16:00 GMT
Lens and Clermont will both be aiming to bounce back from underwhelming results last weekend in Saturday's Ligue 1 showdown at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Sang et Or were held to a 0-0 draw by Metz in their most recent outing, while the visitors went down 2-0 to fellow relegation candidates Lorient.
Starting off the month of March with no wins and no goals from two games has done Lens' European aspirations no favours whatsoever, and Sang et Or are now rank outsiders for a top-five finish, currently sitting ninth in the table and six points adrift of Strasbourg in the final continental spot.
Furthermore, with Lyon and Montpellier HSC breathing down their necks, Lens are at a very real risk of losing their grip on a top-half spot should their underwhelming run of form - which has seen them win just two of their last seven in the top flight - continue much longer. Ironically, Lens have also won just two of their last seven Ligue 1 games at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis and have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four in front of their own fans, so Clermont may sense an opportunity to derail Sang et Or's continental bid further here.
As is the case with Lens, Clermont are also winless and goalless since the start of the month and are far from safe when it comes to the relegation dogfight - currently five points above the bottom two in 16th but just two clear of Saint-Etienne in the relegation playoff spot. Only the hapless Bordeaux (41) have conceded more goals on the road than Pascal Gastien's side (29) in the current Ligue 1 season, and not since October 3 have Les Lanciers played out a draw away from home, but they would probably accept such a result at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
Clermont and Lens played out an entertaining 2-2 draw on Les Lanciers' turf back in December - the fourth stalemate from the last six meetings between the two sides - but not since 2018 have this week's visitors come up trumps against Sang et Or in any competition.
Prediction: Clermont scores in the match
Image credit: maligue2.fr
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS UNION BERLIN
BUNDESLIGA: 19 MARCH @ 17:30 GMT
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will be looking to return to winning ways when they welcome Union Berlin to the Allianz Arena on Saturday evening. The Bavarian giants have won only two of their last five top-flight matches, while the Iron Ones have won only one of their last six league games.
While Bayern Munich remain strong favorites to clinch their 10th successive Bundesliga title, back-to-back 1-1 draws against Bayer Leverkusen and Hoffenheim has provided a glimmer of hope for second-placed Borussia Dortmund. Bayern's exceptionally high standards have recently taken a dip, as they have won only three of their last seven games across all competitions.
Union Berlin's inconsistent run of form has continued after they followed up their 1-0 loss at Wolfsburg with a disappointing 1-1 draw at home against relegation-threatened Stuttgart last weekend. Urs Fischer's men have slipped down to eighth in the Bundesliga table, six points behind Hoffenheim in sixth, who currently occupy the final European qualification spot.
Union Berlin have struggled away from home so far this season, accumulating only 13 points from as many league matches. They can, however, take confidence from their last visit to the Allianz Arena where they claimed a 1-1 draw in April last season, with Marcus Ingvartsen scoring an 85th-minute equalizer.
The Iron Ones will be seeking revenge against Bayern on Saturday, after the latter secured a 5-2 victory in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
Prediction: Over 3.5 goals scored in the match
Image credit: bavarianfootballworks.com
PREDICTION: ELCHE VS VALENCIA
LA LIGA: 19 MARCH @ 15:15 GMT
Valencia will be bidding to continue their impressive run of form in Spain's top flight when they travel to Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero on Saturday afternoon to take on Elche. Los Che are currently ninth in the La Liga table, 10 points behind sixth-placed Real Sociedad, while Elche occupy 14th position, eight points clear of the relegation zone.
Elche finished 17th on their return to Spain's top flight last season, but they are more comfortable in the La Liga table at this moment in time, currently sitting 14th, eight points clear of the relegation zone. Los Franjiverdes are far from certain of a spot in La Liga for next season but will fancy their chances of avoiding the drop from this position, and they are only actually three points behind 10th-placed Celta Vigo at this stage. Elche have struggled for consistency in the league in recent weeks but will enter this match off the back of a victory, beating Granada 1-0 on March 12 courtesy of a first-half goal from Fidel.
Valencia, meanwhile, will enter this match off the back of a goalless draw with Getafe on March 12, which ended a three-game winning run in all competitions for Jose Bordalas's side. Valencia have a relatively kind fixture list between now and the end of the campaign, and they are certainly well-placed to improve on last season's disappointing 13th-place finish in Spain's top flight. A record of 37 points from 28 matches has left Valencia in ninth position in the table, three points behind eighth-placed Athletic Bilbao, but they are 10 points off sixth-placed Real Sociedad, so a European finish this season is extremely unlikely.
Prediction: Under 2.5 goals scored in the match
Image credit: blazetrends.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
PREMIER LEAGUE: 12 MARCH @ 17:30 GMT
A mouthwatering encounter between two top-four rivals takes place at Old Trafford on Saturday evening, as Manchester United face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. The Red Devils fell to pieces in a 4-1 defeat to rivals Manchester City last time out, while Antonio Conte's side put five unanswered goals past Everton.
If the cracks were not already apparent for Rangnick at Man United, they certainly are now, as amid multiple reports of discontent behind the scenes, the Red Devils were outclassed and outfought at the Etihad last weekend in a humbling 4-1. The Red Devils were clinging onto fourth spot in the table but have now been surpassed by a blistering Arsenal - who also possess three games in hand - but victory for fifth-placed Man United here will see them return to the Champions League spots before the Gunners face Leicester City a day later. There is also the small matter of the second leg of their Champions League knockout tie with Atletico Madrid to come, but having now failed to win any of their last three in all tournaments, optimism cannot be high among the Old Trafford fanbase right now.
Antonio Conte is the name, inconsistency is the game. The Premier League and Serie A-winning coach has overseen a batch of impressive as well as dismal results in North London, but his side needed no second invitation to sweep aside Everton last time out. Conte's side have reignited their pursuit of a top-four place after claiming emphatic back-to-back Premier League wins - also putting four past Leeds - and Spurs could rise back into the top four with a win at Old Trafford, but they would need to do so by a five-goal margin.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals scored in the match
Image credit: covers.com
PREDICTION: HOFFENHEIM VS BAYERN MUNICH
BUNDESLIGA: 12 MARCH @ 14:30 GMT
Bayern Munich will be looking to extend their advantage at the top of the Bundesliga when they travel to high-flying Hoffenheim on Saturday. The hosts have won four on the bounce as they go in search of a surprise return to the Champions League, whilst the visitors silenced a few doubters with a thumping win in Europe in midweek. Hoffenheim strengthened their chances of returning to Europe's grand stage by recording a hard-fought win at fellow top-four hopefuls FC Koln last weekend.
The Rhein Energie Stadion is one of the toughest venues to visit in Germany, but despite missing a host of glorious opportunities, Sebastian Hoeness' side came away with all three points thanks to Stefan Posch's goal just after the hour mark. As mentioned above, the impressive result stretched Hoffenheim's winning streak to four in the Bundesliga, and was one that lifted Die Kraichgauer into fourth place in the table.
The Bavarians had only lost once in their previous five, which is hardly a disaster, but considering the standards that have been set at the Allianz Arena across the nine consecutive title wins, the drop in performance levels and results has certainly stood out. A shock 4-2 defeat at newly-promoted VfL Bochum was the most remarkable result of the Bundesliga season so far, and after stumbling to a 1-1 draw at Salzburg thanks to Kingsley Coman's late equaliser a few days later, doubts began to creep in regarding Bayern's complacency. Although the back-to-back setbacks were followed up by successive wins over Greuther Furth and Eintracht Frankfurt, both results were far from convincing, and Julian Nagelsmann's league leaders were some distance away from their usual excellence.
However, when doubts begin to surface around this Bayern machine, their true brilliance is unveiled, and that is exactly what was put on show for the doubters to witness when they welcomed Salzburg to the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.
Prediction: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals scored in the match
Image credit: bayernstrikes.com
PREDICTION: AS ROMA VS ATALANTA
SERIE A: 5 MARCH @ 17:00 GMT
Separated by just one place and three points in the Serie A standings, Roma and top-six rivals Atalanta BC convene at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday. Following wins for both last time out, victory for the sixth-placed hosts would draw them level with their visitors from Bergamo, but neither side has convinced in recent weeks.
After three successive Serie A draws and four games without a win, Jose Mourinho's main emotion - as he watched remotely during a two-match touchline suspension - would surely have been relief: not only have Roma posted a six-game unbeaten run in Serie A for the first time under his management, victory also keeps them within six points of a Champions League place. While the controversial coach will remain sidelined on Saturday, his side now has the opportunity to reel in a direct opponent for a top-four finish - and one which he masterminded a shock 4-1 win over earlier this season. Having come out on top in December's reverse fixture against Atalanta - with Abraham and Zaniolo both on target that day - Roma ended a run of failure in their previous seven encounters with the Lombardy side. The last time the Giallorossi did the league double over this weekend's visitors was as long ago as the 2012-2013 campaign, though, and a brittleness against fellow European contenders leaves doubts about their ability to do so now: in meetings between top-eight teams, Roma have gained the fewest points - just seven in nine matches, while losing on six occasions.
Curiously, the Nerazzurri's home form has been a major problem this term, but on the road they have generally excelled, and before they head south to the capital, a record of nine wins and one loss away from Bergamo should see them travel in a confident mood. Repeatedly stricken by injury and other absences, Gasperini's men have not scored in three of their last four Serie A away games, though, and are still far from their free-flowing best.
Prediction: Atalanta to win or draw and minimum 3 goals in the match
Image credit: news.ro
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS BAYERN LEVERKUSEN
BUNDESLIGA: 5 MARCH @ 14:30 GMT
First meets third in the standout Bundesliga fixture on Saturday, with Bayern Munich hosting Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena. The hosts are well on track to record a 10th consecutive league title after extending their lead at the summit last weekend, whilst the visitors returned to winning ways to strengthen their hold on a top-four spot.
Having held similar considerable advantages on two separate occasions earlier in the season, manager Julian Nagelsmann will be eager for his side to get the title wrapped up at the earliest possible opportunity and avoid any potential slip ups to allow Dortmund back in once more. Despite the step up in calibre of opponent on Saturday, Bayern will be expected to make it three wins in a row when Leverkusen visit the Allianz Arena, especially when recent meetings are taken into account. The 5-1 hammering of their opponents back at the Bay Arena in October was a statement victory for Bayern, and was a wake up call for Leverkusen in their early-season title challenge at the time.
Meanwhile, despite a drop off in form after that humiliation back in October, as well as another concerning dip prior to the winter break, Leverkusen have picked themselves up at the beginning of 2022. Although their unexpected title challenge prior to the heavy defeat to Saturday's opponents is well in the past now, with a 14-point gap between the sides heading into their meeting, Gerardo Seoane's men have still undergone a successful season up to this point. Sixteen points from a possible 21 to begin the new year mean Die Werkself find themselves in third place ahead of their trip to the Allianz Arena, with a four-point advantage over Leipzig, Freiburg and Hoffenheim directly below them in the table in the race for a Champions League place. A difficult trip to the league leaders on matchday 25 this weekend means that gap is likely to be cut, but Leverkusen look set to end a two-year absence from Europe's grand stage if they can maintain their strong form between now and May.
Prediction: Both teams to score and minimum 3 goals in the match
Image credit: en.as.com
PREDICTION: LEICESTER CITY VS LEEDS UNITED
SERIE A: 5 MARCH @ 12:30 GMT
Leeds United will begin life under their new head coach Jesse Marsch with a trip to the King Power Stadium on Saturday afternoon to take on Leicester City. Marsch has taken charge of a Leeds side that currently sit down in 16th position in the Premier League table, while an inconsistent Leicester occupy 12th heading into the next set of fixtures.
Leicester have been some way short of a top-four challenging team this season, with a total of 30 points from 24 matches leaving them down in 12th position in the table, but they will enter Saturday's contest off the back of a morale-boosting 2-0 success at Burnley on Tuesday night. James Maddison and Jamie Vardy were both on the scoresheet in the latter stages of the contest at Turf Moor, and the victory proved to be Leicester's first in the Premier League since the end of December. The Foxes are only actually three points behind 10th-placed Brighton & Hove Albion and have two games in hand on the Seagulls, while they have three in hand on Crystal Palace directly above them. As a result, there is still plenty for Brendan Rodgers's side to play for this season, with a top-half finish certainly achievable, while they will face Rennes in the next round of the Europa Conference League, with the first leg set to take place at the King Power Stadium on March 10.
Leeds have one of the worst away records in the Premier League this term, though, collecting just 10 points from 13 matches, while they have conceded a worrying 35 goals on their travels in 2021-22. Marcelo Bielsa has now left his position at the helm, with former RB Leipzig head coach Marsch confirmed as his replacement on February 28, and the 48-year-old will be aware of the size of the task at Elland Road. The visitors will enter this match off the back of four straight losses in the league, conceding 17 times in the process, with their last success in England's top flight coming away to West Ham United on January 16.
Prediction: Leicester City to win
Image credit: leedsunited.com
PREDICTION: AC MILAN VS INTER MILAN
COPPA ITALIA: 1 MARCH @ 20:00 GMT
Engaged in a close battle for the Serie A title this year, only being separated by 2 points, the city rivals also meet in Coppa Italia. In the first leg of the semi-final AC Milan hosts Inter tonight, at San Siro. In their previous clash, earlier this year in February, in Serie A, AC Milan have won away 1-2. The all times results in the Cup competition is slightly favourable for the Rossoneri with 10 wins, whereas Nerrazurri have won 8 games.
Having made it to the semi-finals, both teams are now eager to add another trophy to their Palmares. AC Milan have won the Cup 5 times until now while their opponents have won it 7 times. Although quite impressive overall, neither of the teams have won the trophy in recent years, Inter last did in 2010 and Milan 2003! In the final, the winning team will meet either Juventus or Fiorentina -both redoubtable competitors.
Team news
AC Milan still cannot count on their star Ibrahimovic, and on two other players Kjaer and Tonali. The good news for Stefano Piolli’s squad is the return of Ismael Bennaser.
Inter have only two improbable players Correa and Gosens but can rely on the services of recovered Vecino; Martinez and Skriniar both rested in the previous round.
The possible start-up lines are:
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan - Calabria, Romagnoli, Tomori, Hernandez - Kessie, Bennacer - Saelemaekers, Krunic, Leao - Giroud
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Handanovic - Skriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni - Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Gosens - Martinez, Dzeko
Although both teams have excellent defences, we usually see more over 2.5 goals in Derby Della Maddolina. In 5 of the last 6 clashes this has happened.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: sempremilan.com
PREDICTION: ATALANTA VS SAMPDORIA
SERIE A: 28 FEBRUARY @ 19:50 GMT
After an impressive success in Europa League Play-Off, where they sank Olympiakos 5-1 on aggregates, Atalanta returns to Seria A games, hosting 15th place Sampdoria.
Although the last week qualification for the knock-out phase of Europa League is a boost of morale, Atalanta have been struggling this year in the domestic competition, having taken just 3 points from the last 15, and being without victory in the last 5 rounds. A win tonight would consolidate Gasperini’s team 5th place still having one game less then 6th place AS Roma and keeping them hopes for the 4th place.
Sampdoria on the other side is on a positive turn under the new manager Giampaolo, having won 2 of the last 3 games and only loosing 1-0 at AC Milan. With more than a whole free week to recover and practice their new tactics, Sampdoria is the fresher team. Although being 4 points clear from relegation, this is far from being comfortable and Giampaolo’s team still need to build up on the recent positive results.
Team news
Both teams have a full infirmary for the game with 6 absents on each side. Atalanta are missing: Palomino, Zapata, Muriel, Miranchuk, Djimsiti and Demiral. At Sampdoria are missing Damsgaard, Giovinco, Sensi, Askildsen, Candreva and Bereszinski.
The possible start-up lines are:
Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Musso - Zappacosta, Toloi, Cittadini - Hateboer, De Roon, Freuler, Maehle - Pasalic, Boga - Malinovskyi
Sampdoria (4-3-1-2): Falcone - Conti, Ferrari, Colley, Augello - Rincon, Ekdal, Thorsby – Sabiri - Caputo, Quagliarella
Atalanta come into this match on the back of a good performance in Greece and will try to build on that momentum and win.
Prediction: Atalanta to Win
Image credit: forzaitalianfootball.com
PREDICTION: BRENTFORD VS NEWCASTLE
PREMIER LEAGUE: 26 FEBRUARY @ 15:00 GMT
Newcastle United will be looking to stretch their unbeaten run of form in the Premier League to seven matches when they travel to Brentford on Saturday afternoon.
The Magpies have moved out of the relegation zone into 17th position due to their impressive run of results in recent weeks, while Brentford sit 14th, just four points above the bottom three. Thomas Frank's side have not been victorious in the league since the start of January, picking up just one point from their last seven matches, which came at home to Crystal Palace on February 12. Brentford have not actually beaten Newcastle in the league since January 1948, but the points were shared in a pulsating 3-3 draw at St James' Park earlier this season.
Since losing 4-0 at home to Manchester City on December 19, Newcastle have been excellent in the league, winning three and drawing three of their matches to move out of the relegation zone. Eddie Howe's side are currently 17th in the table, two points clear of 18th-placed Burnley and only five points behind 12th-placed Leicester City, which is an indication of how quickly things can change. Newcastle recorded three straight wins over Leeds United, Everton and Aston Villa between January 22 and February 13 before playing out a 1-1 draw with West Ham United last weekend.
Newcastle simply cannot afford to be relegated to the Championship due to their takeover, and it does appear that the club's January business could help propel them up the table, as the improvement over the last few weeks has been substantial, and confidence will certainly be high in the camp.
Prediction: Newcastle win
Imager credit: premierleague.com
PREDICTION: NAPOLI VS BARCELONA
EUROPA LEAGUE PLAY-OFF: 24 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Barcelona travels to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Napoli, for the second leg of the Europa League Play-Off. The first leg ended in a draw (1-1) at Barcelona, with Napoli opening the score and host equalizing at the end of the first half from a penalty. The abolition of the away goal advantage rule, leaves the two teams perfectly equal and obliged to play for a victory until the end.
Although being unbeaten in the last six games, Napoli have draw the last three game with the same score 1-1. Luciano Spalletti’s side will want to avoid being eliminated again at this stage from Europa League for the fourth time in seven seasons. In Serie A, Napoli is in the run for the title with just 2 points behind the leader Ac Milan. But with quite a few injured players they will have to face some tough challenges in the next two rounds against Lazio and AC Milan.
Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 5 games and have a good confidence after Sunday’s clear win 4-1 at Valencia. After being eliminated in the early stages of Champion’s League, Blaugrana’s fans will not accept the shame of being dumped from Europa League at this stage. In La Liga, Barça still holds good chances to get hold of the third place, with just 4 points behind Betis but one game less. A victory today will give them a boost for todays home test against Bilbao.
The possible start-up lines are:
Napoli (4-2-3-1): Meret - Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Koulibaly, Jesus - Ruiz, Demme - Elmas, Zielinski, Mertens - Osimhen
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen - Dest, Araujo, Pique, Alba - Pedri, Busquets, Gavi - Traore, Aubameyang, Torres
Undefeated in the last 5 games against Napoli and obliged to avoid the disaster of being knocked-out of all European competitions this season, we back Barcelona to win on regular time.
Prediction: Barcelona to Win
Image credit: 90min.com
PREDICTION: VALENCIA VS BARCELONA
LA LIGA: 20 FEBRUARY @ 15:15 GMT
The La Liga match at Estadio de Mestalla on Sunday sees hosts Valencia fighting it out with Barcelona. Our Valencia v Barcelona predictions and statistics can be seen below.
Valencia won’t want a repeat of their last result here following a 2-1 La Liga loss in their previous game against Alaves. It’s been a rare occasion in recent times where Valencia have kept a clean sheet. The facts show that Valencia have failed to prevent opponents from scoring in 5 of their previous 6 games, giving up 8 goals during that time. Such a trend might not follow through into this match, however.
In the game prior to this, Barcelona drew 1-1 in the Europa League tie with SSC Napoli. In their previous 6 outings, Barcelona have bagged a tally of 12 goals. Barcelona have additionally got on the scoresheet in every single one of those games. Over that period, they have seen 11 goals go into their own net. Going into this encounter, Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 8 league matches away from home. What a good run they have put together.
The possible start-up lines are:
Valencia (4-4-2): Mamardashvili - Correia, Comert, Diakhaby, Gaya - Foulquier, Soler, Moriba, Gil - Guedes, Duro
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen - Dest, Mingueza, E Garcia, Alba - F de Jong, Busquets, Pedri - Traore, Torres, Gavi
Although Barcelona have some serious defensive issues, they are unbeaten the last 8 away games. With Valencia in a poor from we back the visitors to win.
Prediction: Barcelona to win
Image credit: en.as.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
PREMIER LEAGUE: 19 FEBRUARY @ 17:30 GMT
Manchester City will be looking to further strengthen their grip on first spot in the Premier League table when they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening. The Citizens are currently nine points clear of second-placed Liverpool at the summit, while Tottenham occupy eighth position, seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester United.
Man City all but secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League courtesy of a stunning performance away to Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday evening, running out 5-0 winners in the first leg of their last-16 tie, with Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling on the scoresheet. The Citizens are also chasing FA Cup success this term, preparing to travel to Peterborough United in the fifth round of the competition at the start of March, while they are in a strong position to retain the Premier League title, sitting top of the pile with 63 points from 25 matches.
Tottenham will be the underdogs heading into this weekend's contest, but the capital side have won three of their last four Premier League matches against Man City, with each of the victories coming in London. Spurs have not overcome the Citizens in Manchester since February 2016, and they will enter this match off the back of defeats in their last three Premier League games, losing at Chelsea on January 23 before home reverses to Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The possible star-up line are:
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson - Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo - De Bruyne, Rodri, Bernardo - Mahrez, Foden, Sterling
Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Lloris - Romero, Dier, Davies - Emerson, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Reguilon - Lucas, Kane, Son
Prediction: Both Teams to score
Image credit: see.news
PREDICTION: JUVENTUS VS TORINO
SERIE A: 18 FEBRUARY @ 19:45 GMT
The latest edition of the Turin derby will take place at Allianz Stadium on Friday evening, as Juventus welcome rivals Torino for a key match in Italy's top flight. Juventus are currently fourth in the Serie A table, nine points behind leaders AC Milan, while Torino occupy 10th position, boasting 32 points from their opening 24 matches of the 2021-22 campaign.
Juventus have an excellent record in the Derby della Mole and have won 92 out of 205 matches played between the two teams. Torino have managed 56 victories against Juventus and will need to cut the deficit on Friday. The previous meeting between the two teams took place in October last year and ended in a 1-0 victory for Juventus. Torino were wasteful on the day and will need to be more clinical this weekend.
Torino have not actually beaten Juventus in any competition since a 2-1 home success in April 2015, while their last away victory over their rivals came during the 1994-95 Serie A season, which is an indication of the size of their task heading into Friday's contest. The Bull have been present in each of the last 10 Serie A seasons, but they have finished 16th and 17th in their last two campaigns, surviving relegation by just four points last term.
The possible star-up line are:
Juventus (4-3-3): Szczesny - Cuadrado, Bonucci, De Ligt, De Sciglio - McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot - Dybala, Vlahovic, Morata
Torino: (3-4-3): Savic - Zima, Bremer, Rodriguez - Singo, Linetty, Lukic, Vojvoda - Pjaca, Sanabria, Brekalo
There have been under 2.5 goals scored in 13 of the Juventus last 14 games in Serie A and in the last 9of the last 10 Torino’s away games.
Prediction: Under 2.5 Goals
Image credit: football-italia.net
PREDICTION: ATALANTA VS JUVENTUS
SERIE A: 13 FEBRUARY @ 19:45 GMT
Atalanta will be looking to improve on their last outing here following the 2-3 Coppa Italia defeat in their last game at the hands of Fiorentina.
Gian Gasperini's Atalanta have managed to score 11 times in their prior 6 outings. The corresponding number of goals that they have conceded in those fixtures stands at 7.
Their previous form shows that Atalanta:
are unbeaten in the league by Juventus in their previous 4 games.
are without a win at home for the past 2 matches in the league.
Bryan Cabezas (Cruciate Ligament Rupture), Josip Ilicic (Depression), Giuseppe Pezzella (Back trouble), Aleksey Miranchuk (Muscle Injury) and Duván Zapata (Pulled hamstring at the adductors) won’t be available for Atalanta boss Gian Gasperini. Juan Musso is ineligible for this match because of suspension.
Juventus go into this game after a 2-1 Coppa Italia win to defeat Sassuolo in their last match.
A run of dependable performances by the Juventus defensive players has resulted in the number of goals they’ve conceded amounting to 4 from their past 6 outings overall. During the same time, the number of goals that they have scored themselves amounts to 11. We will have to find out whether or not that trend will end up being sustained into this next match.
Going into this encounter, Juventus have not been beaten in their last 6 away league matches.
Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has a number of players out of action. Federico Bernardeschi (Muscle Fatigue), Giorgio Chiellini (Calf Injury) and Federico Chiesa (Cruciate Ligament Rupture) are those who can’t be considered.
Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals
Image credit: blackwhitereadallover.com
PREDICTION: PSG VS RENNES
LIGUE 1: 11 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
PSG, following on from their previous result, will be hoping for more of the same after the 1-5 Ligue 1 victory versus Lille.
Their latest results show that much respect should be given to the Paris Saint-Germain rearguard. Paris Saint-Germain have been mean at the back, with the number of goals that have gone past their goalkeeper during their past six games standing at 2.
Their past results show that Paris Saint-Germain:
- haven't beaten Rennes in their previous 2 matches in the league.
- have not been beaten in their last 14 league matches at home. An amazing run.
Edouard Michut (Corona virus), Alexandre Letellier (Corona virus) and Nathan Bitumazala (Corona virus) aren’t available for PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino.
It seems likely that Les Rouge-et-Bleu look set to line up in a 4-3-3 formation in the match and select Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes, Ander Herrera, Danilo Pereira, Marco Verratti, Julian Draxler, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
Rennes come into this encounter following a 2-0 Ligue 1 win over Brest in their last game.
In the course of their six latest matches, Bruno Génésio's Rennes have found the back of the net a total of 11 times therefore giving them a goals scored per game average of 1.83.
Leading up to this clash, Rennes:
- have left without a victory over Paris Saint-Germain when having played them away from home in the previous 2 league games.
- are without a win away from home in their last 3 league games.
Rennes boss Bruno Génésio has not got a full squad to pick from. Romain Salin (Calf Injury), Jérémy Gélin (Cruciate Ligament Rupture), Jérémy Doku (Hamstring Injury) and Lesley Ugochukwu (Injury to the ankle) miss out here.
We are inclined to think that Rennes might make use of a 4-3-2-1 lineup, starting Dogan Alemdar, Hamari Traore, Naif Aguerd, Loic Bade, Birger Meling, Lovro Majer, Jonas Martin, Baptiste Santamaria, Benjamin Bourigeaud, Martin Terrier and Gaetan Laborde.
Prediction: Over 3.5 Goals
Image credit: lookcharms.com
PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS LEICESTER
PREMIER LEAGUE: 10 FEBRUARY @ 19.45 GMT
Leicester travels to Anfield Road for a Premier League game against Liverpool. In their previous encounter, The Foxes managed to sink The Reds 1-0 at the King Power Stadium back in December in a league match. But we expect today’s game to have quite an opposite outcome as Liverpool is in match better shape their opponents.
At the weekend, Jurgen Klopp’s team made it to the fifth round of the FA Cup by beating Cardiff City with a comfortable 3-1. In Premier League Liverpool are well-positioned to fight Manchester City in the title race, currently sitting 12 points behind but with two games in hand.
The Reds won the last four matches across all competitions and their morale is high. Moreover the success over Cardiff also marked a 10th win from 11 at Anfield Road in all competitions.
Leicester were humiliated by Nottingham Forest 4-1 on Sunday in FA Cup. In Premier League the occupy the 12th place with 10 points down of sixth-placed Arsenal with a game in hand. It is quite unlikely they will mange to secure a Europe competition place this season. Furthermore, The Foxes have lost five games in a row in the away games in all competitions.
Team news
For Liverpool Sadio Mane and runner-up Mohamed Salah returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty. Allison and Fabianho also returned for international duty with Brazil. The only doubtful are Divock Origi and Jordan Henderson.
Leicester have 5 absents: Timothy Castagne, Wesley Fofana, Ryan Bertrand, Jamie Vardy and Johny Evans. Naphalys Mendy is doubtful.
The possible start-up lines are:
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson - Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson - Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago - Jota, Firmino, Diaz
Leicester City (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel - Pereira, Vestergaard, Soyuncu, Thomas - Ndidi, Tielemans - Albrighton, Maddison, Daka - Iheanacho
Three of the last five encounters between the pair have produced over 3.5 goals, while three of Liverpool's and four of Leicester's last six fixtures have also witnessed at least 4-goals scored.
Prediction: Over 3.5 goals
Image credit: marca.com
PREDICTION: ATHLETIC BILBAO VS ESPANYOL
LA LIGA: 7 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Athletic Bilbao will host Espanyol tonight at San Manes Stadium and will be hoping to continue their good run after the 3 wins in the last 3 games.
The host are currently 8th in the league table. They have a good morale after the last week surprizing victory at Real Madrid which got them the revenge after the Super Copa defeat. A victory today will get them at just one point behind 6th place the last one for European participation next season.
Espanyol is currently 13th in La Liga. Their performance hasn’t been great this year with just one victory in Copa del Ray with the Segunda Division Ponferradia, after penalties. In La Liga, Los Periquitos have won their last game on the 31st of December at Valencia. Thus their hopes will be to get to the winning ways but there are facing a tough disciplined opponent in this round which have boosted 31 points from 22 games in La liga.
Team news
For Athletic there are no missing players but Unai Vencedor and Nico Williams are both doubts, but they remain in contention. Espanyol is missing De Tomas (suspended) a key player who has scored 12 goals this season. Yangel Hererra is doubtful.
The possible start-up lines are:
Athletic Bilbao (4-4-2): Simon - Lekue, Vivian, Martinez, Balenziaga - Berenguer, Zarraga, D Garcia, Muniain - R Garcia, I Williams
Espanyol (4-3-1-2): Diego Lopez - Gil, Gomez, Cabrera, Pedrosa - Embarba, Darder, Morlane – Puado - Moron, Wu Lei
Espanyol have failed to win 19 of their last 20 away matches in La Liga and without their top scorer Raul de Tomas will have hard times at San Manes.
Prediction: Athletic Bilbao to Win
Image credit: sportsmaza.com
PREDICTION: BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS BAYERN LEVERKUSEN
BUNDESLIGA: 6 FEBRUARY @ 14:30 GMT
Borussia Dortmund fans will want a repeat of their previous result, being the 2-3 Bundesliga 1 success against Hoffenheim.
Three or more goals per match have been seen in 6 of the past 6 meetings where Borussia Dortmund have been involved. Opposing sides scored 10 of them in these games while Borussia Dortmund totted up 17. Nevertheless, time will tell whether that pattern shall be maintained in this next game.
Their previous form shows that Borussia Dortmund:
have not lost a league tie with Bayer Leverkusen in their previous 2 games.
are undefeated in their previous 2 league matches at home.
Emre Can (Muscle Injury), Mats Hummels (Infection), Erling Haaland (Muscular problems), Manuel Akanji (Calf Problems), Thomas Meunier (Muscular problems), Marcel Schmelzer (Knee Surgery) and Mateu Morey Bauzà (Cruciate Ligament Injury) are unavailable for Borussia Dortmund manager Marco Rose.
Bayer Leverkusen come into this encounter after a 5-1 Bundesliga 1 win as they beat Augsburg in their most recent match.
Bayer Leverkusen have attacked well in their most recent fixtures, scoring 14 times in their last 6 matches. While their manager Gerardo Seoane will no doubt take that as a positive sign, Bayer Leverkusen can also improve defensively after being scored against in 6 of those same clashes.
Going into this one, Bayer Leverkusen have not emerged victorious against Borussia Dortmund when having played them away from home in the previous 6 league matches. Not good.
With a fully injury-free group to choose from, the Bayer Leverkusen manager Gerardo Seoane has zero fitness concerns to speak of coming into this match.
Prediction: Over 3.5 Goals
Image credit: telecomasia.net
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS LEIPZIG
BUNDESLIGA: 5 FEBRUARY @ 17:30 GMT
Bayern Munich will want to continue from where they left off last time out with a 1-4 Bundesliga 1 victory vs Hertha Berlin.
At least three goals per match have been seen in 6 of the last 6 meetings where Bayern Munich have played. Opposition teams scored 4 of them in this period while Bayern Munich amassed a tally of 20.
Alphonso Davies (Heart Condition) and Leon Goretzka (Hip problems) will not be able to play for Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann. The players ineligible for this match because of suspension are Bouna Sarr and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
We think that Bayern should line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation this time, beginning the first half with Manuel Neuer, Benjamin Pavard, Niklas Süle, Lucas Hernandez, Leroy Sane, Joshua Kimmich, Corentin Tolisso, Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, Thomas Müller and Robert Lewandowski.
RB Leipzig come into this game following on from a 2-0 Bundesliga 1 win over VfL Wolfsburg in their last fixture.
In 5 of the previous 6 games involving RB Leipzig, a notably low volume of goals have been scored between them and their opponents. The overall average goals scored per game during that spell comes out as just 2.5, with the average goals for Leipzig standing at 1.83. We shall soon find out if that trend can be sustained here.
Pre-game facts show that RB Leipzig:
remain undefeated by Bayern Munich in away games against them for the last 2 league games.
haven't been defeated in their previous 2 away league matches.
Due to a mostly full-strength group, there’s just the lone fitness issue for the RB Leipzig gaffer Domenico Tedesco to be concerned with. Marcel Halstenberg (Tear in a joint capsule) misses out for this game. Amadou Haidara cannot play in this game through suspension.
We are inclined to think that Leipzig could decide to begin the game with a 3-5-2 formation with a starting lineup of Peter Gulacsi, Mohamed Simakan, Willi Orban, Josko Gvardiol, Lukas Klostermann, Konrad Laimer, Christopher Nkunku, Kevin Kampl, Angeliño, Yussuf Poulsen and Andre Silva.
Prediction: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals
Image credit: bleacherreport.com
PREDICTION: MARSEILLE VS ANGERS
LIGUE 1: 4 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Marseille will be hoping to bounce back here after a 2-1 Ligue 1 loss in their previous game against Lyon.
Their latest results show that much solidity has been shown by the Marseille backline. Marseille have given the opposition little, seeing the total number of goals that have gone past their goalkeeper during their past six matches standing at 4. Despite that, we’ll just have to find out if that pattern will persist here in this match or not.
Looking at their past form shows that Marseille:
are unbeaten in the league by Angers SCO in their previous 2 matches.
- are unbeaten in their previous 2 league matches at home.
haven’t won at home in the past 3 matches in the league.
There is just the lone fitness concern for the Marseille gaffer Jorge Sampaoli to contend with thanks to an almost full-strength set of players. Konrad de la Fuente (Knock) misses out.
In all likelihood, Les Olympiens may well opt for a 4-3-2-1 formation this time and select Pau Lopez, Pol Lirola, William Saliba, Duje Caleta-Car, Luan Peres, Valentin Rongier, Boubacar Kamara, Matteo Guendouzi, Cengiz Under, Dimitri Payet and Cedric Bakambu.
Since being beaten in their last game against St Etienne in Ligue 1 action, Angers SCO will be hoping to turn things around here.
Looking at their form, and Angers SCO have been scored against in 5 of their last 6 matches, conceding 9 goals overall. Defensively, Angers SCO certainly have room for improvement.
Analysis of their past results shows that Angers SCO:
have left without a victory over Marseille when having played them away from home in the previous 5 league games. They'll be keen to stop this run.
are without a win away from home in their last 2 league games.
With a fully healthy squad to pick from, the Angers SCO boss Gérald Baticle doesn’t have any fitness worries to report before this match.
We believe Les Scoïstes seem most likely to make use of a 3-5-2 lineup, starting Danijel Petkovic, Batista Mendy, Vincent Manceau, Ismael Traore, Jimmy Cabot, Nabil Bentaleb, Thomas Mangani, Angelo Fulgini, Souleyman Doumbia, Mohamed-Ali Cho and R. Casimir Ninga.
Prediction: Under 3.5 Goals
Image credit:archyworldys.com
PREDICTION: BURKINA FASO VS SENEGAL
AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS: 2 FEBRUARY @ 19:00 GMT
After an impressive road in the Africa Cup of Nations, Burkina Faso and Senegal fight today for a place in the final at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Cameroon. Both teams dream about obtaining their first continental title in history. This is only the third game between the two nations. The previous two ended up in draws.
Against the odds, The Stallions of Burkina Faso have made it to the semi-finals. They first passed the group stage from the second place with 4 points. In the round of 16 round Burkina Faso won against the resilient team of Gabon at penalties. The biggest surprize produced was the victory over the favourite Tunisia in the quarter finals. The West-African team are heading into tonight’s game being unbeaten in 10 of their last 11 games.
Senegal have won Group B with 1 victory and 2 draws. The Teraga Lions secured a place in the quarter finals after passing over Cape Verde 2-0. In the next round they won against Equatorial Guinea, in their most convincing win at AFCON. Senegal is in a clear increase in shape and are heading into the semi-finals with a much confidence.
Burkina Faso will be missing two key players Dango Quattara (suspended) who scored the winning goals against Tunisia, and Djibril Quattara with a good evolution in the tournament. On the other side, Senegal luckily has no staff issues.
The possible start-up lines are:
Burkina Faso (4-3-3): Koffi - Kabore, Tapsoba, Ouattara, Yago - Nikiema, Guira, Sangare - Bande, Ouattara, Traore
Senegal (4-3-3): E Mendy - Sarr, Koulibaly, A Diallo, Ciss - Kayoute, N Mendy, I Gueye - Diedhiou, Dia, Mane
While Burkina Faso seam to be playing at their limits, Senegal are getting stronger every game and now have the best team to line-up. We consider Senegal to be favourites in this game.
Prediction: Senegal to win
Image credit: besoccer.com
PREDICTION: LYON VS MARSEILLE
LIGUE 1: 1 FEBRUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Olympique Lyon host Marseille at Groupama Stadium in a Ligue 1 classic derby. The game was initially schedule for Round 14, back in November, but had to be postponed due to a fan incident. Tonight’s match will take place behind close door for public.
The host returned to winning ways with 2 victories in the last two rounds and have been unbeaten in their last 7 games in all competitions. Although the 11th place in the Ligue 1 table is far from what the fans have been used to in the previous season, Lyon seams to be regaining some strength. With a victory today, they would equal 5th place Rennes and re-enter the fight for a European Cup position.
Marseille have extended their unbeaten run to 9 games in all competitions after beating Montpellier at penalties in Coupe de France on Saturday. The Olympians are 5 points clear the 4 places and if they continue their good progresses chances are high to finish in top 3 this season.
For Olympique Lyon there will be some notable absences which will give Peter Bosz some serious troubles in setting the line-up. Houssem Aouar, Jason Denayer, Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Lenny Pintor are injured. Damien Da Silva and Tino Kadewere are suspended. Lucas Paqueta and Karl Toko-Ekambi were selected for their national teams’ games.
Olympique Marseille is missing 3 players. Konrad de la Fuente is injured while Gerson, Pape Gueye and Bamba Dieng are busy with the national teams.
The possible start-up lines are:
Lyon (3-4-2-1): Anthony Lopes - Castello Lukeba, Jerome Boateng, Castello Lukeba - Leo Dubois, Habib Keïta, Maxence Caqueret, Henrique - Xherdan Shaqiri, Bradley Barcola - Rayan Cherki
Marseille (4-2-3-1): Pau Lopez - Valentin Rongier, William Saliba, Duje Caleta-Car, Luan Peres - Boubacar Kamara, Matteo Guendouzi - Cengiz Under, Dimitri Payet, Luis Henrique - Cedric Bakambu
There have been under 2.5 goals in Lyon’s last 5 games and in Marseille’s last 9 away matches. Moreover, in the last 3 heads-to-heads had been scored under 2.5 goals.
Prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: cbssport.com
PREDICTION: EGYPT VS MOROCCO
AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS: 30 JANUARY @ 15:00 GMT
Egypt go into this match after a 0-0 Africa Cup of Nations drawn match against Ivory Coast. In that game, Egypt had 45% possession and 13 attempts on goal with 3 on target. Ivory Coast got 11 attempts at goal with 7 on target. After a tense 5-4 penalty shootout, Egypt were victorious.
Their most recent results really do illustrate the point that it has been a great time for the Egypt backline. Egypt have been stingy, seeing the number of goals that have gone past their goalkeeper during their last six games standing at 4.
Morocco come into this match after a 2-1 Africa Cup of Nations win against Malawi in their most recent fixture. In that match, Morocco managed 75% possession and 24 shots at goal with 10 of them on target. For Morocco, goals were scored by Youssef En-Nesyri (45') and Achraf Hakimi (70'). For their opponents, Malawi got 4 shots on goal with 2 on target. Mhango (7') scored for Malawi.
In their last six outings, Morocco have helped themselves to a total of 13 goals. Morocco have also scored on each one of those occasions. During that period, their defenders have had 3 goals go against them. We will just have to find out if that trend will end up being continued on into this next match.
Mohamed El-Shennawy will undergo further tests on a hamstring strain after the goalkeeper was forced out of the last-16 game against Ivory Coast. Hamdi Fathi also had to come off and is a doubt for this game.
Morocco are once again waiting on Ilias Chair, the midfielder having sat out the win over Malawi due to a problem picked up against Gabon in the group stage.
Prediction: Under 2.5 Goals
Image credit: lookcharms.com
PREDICTION: BURKINA FASO VS TUNISIA
AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS: 29 JANUARY @ 19:00 GMT
In what looks like arguably the most evenly contested of the quarter-finals, Tunisia’s shock win over Nigeria in the round of 16 could well spark their AFCON challenge. In that game, Tunisia managed 47% possession and 7 attempts on goal with 3 on target. The only player to score for Tunisia was Youssef Msakni (47'). On the other side, Nigeria had 13 attempts at goal with 1 on target.
In many ways, it’s the perfect example of tournament football. Teams simply don’t have to run riot, it’s about grinding out results at the right time.
A tendency of at least one team not scoring a goal in games featuring Tunisia has been evident in recent matches. Examining their last 6 meetings shows that it has happened 5 times. In those clashes, their opponents have managed a goal total of 4 and Tunisia have scored 8. We will see whether or not that trend can be continued on here.
Burkina Faso, meanwhile, should have beaten Gabon within 90 minutes in their round of 16 tie and will hope to convert more of the chances they’re able to create. If they don’t, you feel Tunisia have the kind of quality to punish them before it gets to penalties. In that match, Burkina Faso managed 47% possession and 15 attempts on goal with 6 on target. For Burkina Faso, the goals were scored by Bertrand Traoré (28') and Guira (90' Own goal). For their opponents, Gabon got 17 shots on goal with 3 on target.
Over their prior six games, Kamou Malo's Burkina Faso have hit the back of the net a total of 6 times, with that being an average number of goals scored per match equal to 1.
No major changes are expected on either side although Tunisia captain Wahbi Khazri could come back into the starting lineup, having started the Nigeria game on the bench.
Burkina Faso, meanwhile, did have a lengthy battle in the last round, but will seemingly not look to change too much.
It looks to us that this Tunisia will probably create a decent amount of chances and shots on target.
At the same time, Burkina Faso may well struggle to find the back of the net but we do fancy them hitting back at some stage here.
Prediction: Under 1.5 Goals
Image credit: cafonline.com
PREDICTION: COLOMBIA VS PERU
WORLD CUP 2022 QUALIFIERS: 28 JANUARY @ 21:00 GMT
Colombia will be looking for a repeat result of the 2-1 International Friendlies victory vs Honduras. Colombia have won three, drawn eight and lost three of their 14 qualification matches to collect 17 points, which has left them fourth in the section, six points behind third-placed Ecuador and level on points with fifth-placed Peru ahead of Friday's clash between the two sides.
La Tricolor have actually drawn four of their last five qualification fixtures 0-0, in addition to suffering a 1-0 defeat to Brazil back in November, so they have not been victorious since recording a 3-1 victory over Chile in September.
Colombia's starting XI will again include a number of familiar faces, with Juan Cuadrado, Davinson Sanchez, James Rodriguez, Luis Diaz and Radamel Falcao all in line to start.
Diaz is enjoying an impressive season for Porto, which has led to suggestions of Premier League interest, and the 25-year-old is expected to line up in a left-sided midfield area, with Falcao potentially being joined by Miguel Borja in the final third of the field.
Peru, meanwhile, have won their last two World Cup qualification fixtures, beating Bolivia 3-0 before recording a 2-1 victory over Venezuela in their two matches back in November.
The White and Reds are firmly in the picture for a top-four finish at this stage, boasting 17 points from 14 matches, which has left them in fifth position in the table heading into Friday's contest.
Ricardo Gareca's side would go above Colombia with a win in this match, and the fact that they have picked up nine points from the last 15 available should mean that confidence is high in the camp.
As for Peru, the starting XI is expected to be similar to the one that took to the field for the first whistle against Venezuela in their last qualifier back in November.
A 4-5-1 formation should see Gianluca Lapadula lead the line, with the 31-year-old looking to add to his five international goals, while an experienced midfield is likely to include Yoshimar Yotun and Christian Cueva.
Pedro Gallese will again captain the team from the goalkeeping position, while Luis Advincula and Miguel Trauco are likely to line up in the full-back positions for the visitors.
Prediction: Colombia to win
Image credit: larepublica.pe
PREDICTION: IVORY COAST VS EGYPT
AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS: 26 JANUARY @ 16:00 GMT
In the penultimate game of the 16 round of AFCON Ivory Coast and Egypt play tonight for a place in the quarte-finals at Douala Stadium in Cameron. The two countries had met before 11 times and the final results are very balanced: Ivory Coast 4 wins, Egypt 3 wins and 4 draws.
Ivory Coast won Group E without loosing any game (2 wins and 1 draw), scoring 6 goals and conceding 3. After this good run The Elephants will go into tonight’s confrontation with a high morale and confidence that they can win a new African Cup after the one in 2015.
Egypt finished second in Group D with 6 points (2 victories), only 2 goals scored and 1 conceded. The Pharaohs expectations are high being the team with the most African Cup titles won (7), the last one happening in 2010 against Ghana.
The missing players for Egypt are Ahmed Abou El Fotouh and Akram Tawfik both injured. Ivory Coast has no absents.
The possible start-up lines are:
Ivory Coast (4-3-3): Sangare - Aurier, Kossounou, Deli, Konan - Kessie, Seri, Sangare - Zaha, Haller, Pepe
Egypt (4-3-3): El-Shennawy - Kamal, Hegazi, Hamdi, Ashraf - Fathi, El-Sulya, Elneny - Mohamed, Marmoush, Salah
Although Egypt has an excellent defence, Ivory Coast is in an excellent form and we expect them to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
Prediction: Ivory Coast to win
Image credit: minifeednews.com
PREDICTION: SENEGAL VS CAPE VERDE
AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS: 25 JANUARY @ 16:00 GMT
Senegal and Cape Verde are playing today for a place in the quarter finals at Kouekong Stadium in Bafoussam, Cameroon. The experimented team of Senegal is the clear favourite but Cape Verde, the competition surprise, might prove to be a hard nut to crack.
Senegal came to AFCON 2022 as one of the tournament favorites to win the title after making it to the final in the previous competition. However their game so far is not impressive, having scored just one goal in 3 matches in the previous round. Still this was enough to make it to Round 16 and winning group B with one victory and two draws having collected 5 points.
The team of the tiny island Cape Verde qualified form the 3rd position of group A with 4 points after beating Ethiopia and drawing with Cameroon. They scored 2 goals and conceded 2.
For Senegal, the only missing player is Cheikhou Kouyate, suspended after his booking form the previous game. Cape Verde have no injured or suspended players.
The possible start-up lines are:
Senegal (4-3-3): Mendy - Ciss, Diallo, Koulibaly, Mbaye - Gueye, Mendy, Sarr - Balde, Mane, Dia
Cape Verde (3-4-3): Vozinha - Fortes, Pico, Stopira – Fortes, Andrade, Santos, Tavares – Rodriguez, Tavares, Monteiro
In the previous head-to-head games, Senegal obtained 3 victories with the same score 2-0.
Although having a modest start, Senegal boast a star-studded squad capable of finally winning the continental trophy.
Prediction: Senegal to win
Image credit: telecomasia.net
PREDICTION: CHELSEA VS TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
PREMIER LEAGUE: 23 JANUARY @ 16:30 GMT
Chelsea prepare for this game after a 1-1 Premier League draw against Brighton & Hove Albion. In that game, Chelsea had 57% possession and 15 shots on goal with 3 on target. The only player to score for Chelsea was Hakim Ziyech (28'). Brighton & Hove Albion got 9 attempts at goal with 2 of them on target. Adam Webster (60') was the scorer for Brighton & Hove Albion.
Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea have celebrated scoring a sum total of 11 times over their prior 6 outings. At the other end, the tally of goals that they have conceded in those same games is 5.
Trevoh Chalobah (Hamstring Injury), Andreas Christensen (Corona virus), Reece James (Hamstring Injury) and Ben Chilwell (Ruptured cruciate ligament) will not be able to play for Chelsea’s boss Thomas Tuchel.
Tottenham Hotspur will go into this meeting following a 2-3 Premier League win over Leicester City in their most recent outing. In that game, Tottenham Hotspur managed 51% possession and 27 shots on goal with 10 of them on target. For Tottenham Hotspur, goals were scored by Harry Kane (38') and Steven Bergwijn (95', 97'). Leicester City had 13 attempts at goal with 4 on target. Patson Daka (24') and James Maddison (76') scored for Leicester City.
The stats don’t lie, and Tottenham Hotspur have been scored against in 5 of their last 6 games, seeing opposing sides hit 7 goals overall. In defence, Tottenham Hotspur have been far from perfect. That sort of pattern might not be sustained into this game, however.
Going into this one, Tottenham Hotspur are winless against Chelsea when having played them away from home in the previous 3 matches in the league.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has a number of players out of action. Cristian Romero (Hamstring Injury), Eric Dier (Ill) and Heung-min Son (Muscle Injury) are not ready for selection.
Prediction: Both teams to score? Yes
Image credit: 90 mins.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS WEST HAM
PREMIER LEAGUE: 22 JANUARY @ 15:00 GMT
Manchester United will be looking for another win after the 1-3 Premier League victory against Brentford.
In that match, Manchester United had 57% possession and 13 shots at goal with 5 of them on target. For Manchester United, the goalscorers were Anthony Elanga (55'), Mason Greenwood (62') and Marcus Rashford (77'). At the other end, Brentford had 18 shots at goal with 8 on target. Ivan Toney (85') was the scorer for Brentford.
It’s not been often in recent games where Manchester United have shown defensive steel. The reality is that Manchester United have failed to prevent opponents from scoring in 5 of their previous 6 clashes, leaking 6 goals during that time. Ahead of this clash, Manchester United have not been beaten in the league by West Ham United in their last 4 matches.
Scott McTominay was withdrawn in the dying embers against Brentford with a back issue but is expected to be available for Saturday, which is more than can be said for Paul Pogba and Africa Cup of Nations representative Eric Bailly. Luke Shaw and Edinson Cavani are also likely to miss out once more after suffering issues in training, while Jadon Sancho is still doubtful with personal issues and Aaron Wan-Bissaka's illness is set to keep him sidelined again. Cristiano Ronaldo was less than pleased with his 71st-minute substitution at Brentford, but the five-time Ballon d'Or winner ought to keep Rashford out of the XI as Rangnick refuses to fix what is not broken.
Since tasting defeat last time out to Leeds United in Premier League competition, West Ham United and their travelling supporters will be hoping that they can get a better result in this one.
In that match, West Ham United had 48% possession and 15 shots at goal with 5 on target. For West Ham United, the scorers were Jarrod Bowen (33') and Pablo Fornals (52'). Leeds United got 18 attempts on goal with 5 of them on target. Jack Harrison (10', 37', 60') was the scorer for Leeds United.
Proving their penchant for productive encounters, goals have been seen as many as 24 times in the prior 6 matches in which West Ham United have taken to the pitch, yielding an average of 4 goals each clash. Opposition teams have managed 9 of these goals. Such a trend might not follow through into this match, of course.
Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals
Image credit: cbssport.com
PREDICTION: ESPANYOL VS REAL BETIS
LA LIGA: 21 JANUARY @ 20:00 GMT
Espanyol have not won a game in normal time in 2022, with their defence a serious area for concern as they continue to concede too many goals. They are without a win in the last three games. In the previous match, Espanyol played 2-2 on the road against Cadiz. That game was fairly even, so it is no wonder that the teams split the points.
Vicente Moreno’s side have not kept a clean sheet in their last ten games, shipping 18 goals in the process, while that back line has been breached 26 times in 21 La Liga games. They still manage to win games though. Despite the current sticky run, they have won six of their last 13 in normal time, showing that they are capable of scoring plenty of goals.
Espanyol have no fresh injury concerns from their 2-2 draw with Cadiz on Tuesday, while they will be boosted by the returns of Adria Pedrosa and Keidi Bare from suspension. Fit-again David Lopez could feature in the middle of the defence, but head coach Moreno is expected to resist the temptation to shuffle his pack following the relatively quick turnaround. Indeed, Raul de Tomas will again lead the line for the hosts, while Adri Embarba and Javi Puado should feature in the final third, with Loren Moron starting on the bench on Friday night.
Real Betis have moved into third place in La Liga. Surprisingly, they could finish in the top four and receive a valuable ticket for the Champions League. They manage to win three of their last four games and losing just three times in 14 outings in all competitions.
Their free-scoring attack is certainly one to be feared. They have scored in 13 of their last 14 outings, with ten of those fixtures including three or more goals.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side have been reasonably tight in defence, keeping seven clean sheets over that period, but Espanyol are a side who tend to find a way to score.
As for Betis, Martin Montoya, Marc Bartra and Joaquin remain on the sidelines through injury, but Alex Moreno is available after serving a suspension against Alaves. Head coach Pellegrini is expected to make a couple of changes from the side that started last time out, with Moreno in line to return at left-back, while William Carvalho could feature in central midfield. Willian Jose has also returned to offer another option in the final third, but Iglesias scored twice against Alaves on Tuesday and should again lead the line in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Prediction: Both teams to score? Yes
Image credit: sofascore.com
PREDICTION: ALANYASPOR VS HATAYSPOR
TURKISH SUPER LIG: 20 JANUARY @ 14:00 GMT
The 8th place Alanyaspor host Hatayspor, currently 5th at Alanya Oba Stadium in the 22nd round of the Turkish Super Lig. The two team are only separated by 3 points in the table league and in case of a victory for Alanyaspor they would be level at points.
Hatayspor won the previous game at home against a struggling Galatasaray (4-2). But their away matches have been inconsistent this season having 6 wins 4 losses and 1 draw in the Super Lig. They have scored 8 fewer goals on their travels then on home soil.
Alanyaspor results at home are also inconsistent with many points given away this season: 5 victories, 3 losses and 2 draws. In the previous round the won away at 18th place Altay 0-2 so their morale it’s on an uptrend being unbeaten the last 4 games.
The missing players for Alanyaspor are Awaziem, Dedhiou and Tetah all of them playing at African Nations Cup. At Hatayspor are missing Camoglu, El Kaabi, Munir and Traore- the last three also playing for their national teams.
The possible start-up lines are:
Alanyaspor (4-1-4-1): Marafona - Borja, Aksoy, Bayir, Juanfran – Novais - Davidson, Bekiroglu, Akbaba, Karaca - Eduardo
Hatayspor (4-4-2): Yigiter - Adekugbe, Oksuz, Kurucuk, Corekci - Kamara, Ribeiro, Ergun, Lobzhanidze - Diouf, Saint-Louis
Although the two teams are quite equal in strength we say Alanyaspor will take advantage of the poor evolution of their opponents on their travels.
Prediction: Alanyaspor to Win at full time
Image credit: fanatic.com.tr
PREDICTION: BOLOGNA VS NAPOLI
SERIE A: 17 JANUARY @ 17:30 GMT
Bologna and Napoli will meet today in the 22nd round of Serie A, at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara. Both teams have lost their previous match and will be looking to get back on track.
Bologna lost 2-1 to Cagliari. They had 47 percent possession and 9 shots on goal, three of which were on target, in the encounter. Riccardo Orsolini (54') scored the goal for Bologna. Cagliari had a total of 13 shots on goal, four of which were on target. Cagliari's goals came from Leonardo Pavoletti (71') and Gastón Pereiro (93').
Napoli and its fans will be hoping for a better result this time after losing to Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia competition. SSC Napoli had 48 percent possession and 14 shots on goal, five of which were on target, in the encounter. Dries Mertens (44') and Andrea Petagna (90') scored the goals for SSC Napoli. Fiorentina had 17 shots on goal, eight of which were on target. Fiorentina scored through Duan Vlahovi (41'), Cristiano Biraghi (57'), Lorenzo Venuti (105'), Krzysztof Pitek (108'), and Youssef Maleh (119'). Fiorentina finally prevailed in extra time to win the match.
A review of their most recent head-to-head meetings, which date back to May 25, 2019, reveals that Bologna has won two and Napoli has won three, with one tie. During those matches, they scored a total of 18 goals, with Rossoblu scoring seven and Partenopei scoring eleven. That equates to an average of three goals per game.
The possible start-up lines are:
Bologna (3-5-2): Skorupski - Bonifazi, Binks, Theate - Silvestri, Soriano, Dominguez, Svanberg, Hickey - Orsolini, Arnautovic
Napoli (4-2-3-1): Meret - Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Rui - Demme, Lobotka - Politano, Mertens, Elmas - Petagna
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: ilroma.net
PREDICTION: BESIKTAS VS GAZIANTEP
TURKISH SUPER LIG: 14 JANUARY @ 17:00 GMT
Besiktas and Gaziantep will meet today at Vodafone Park in Istanbul for the second round of this year. The two teams are only separated by 2 points in the league table and could swap places in case the hosts obtain the victory.
Gaziantep will be hoping to get their 4th consecutive victory after wining in the previous round 3-1 to Karagumruk on home soil. The visitors are unbeaten in their last 6 games in all competitions and will be looking at extending their performance. Still, Gaziantep are facing a real challenge when playing away. With only one victory in 10 games, they only score in 5 of the on the road games this season.
On the other side Besiktas come after a disappointing draw (2-2) away at the penultimate Rizespor. However we are expecting a different evolution tonight as The Black Eagles have had impressive evolution at home this season. They secured 22 of the 29 available points and only failed to score in one game. The hosts will be looking at closing the 4 points gap to the first European competition place.
The possible start-up lines are:
Besiktas (4-5-1): Destanoglu - Rosier, Welinton, Saatci, Yilmaz - Ghezzal, Josef, Pjanic, Ozyakup, Larin - Batshuayi
Gaziantep (3-5-2): Guvenc - Ersoy, Tosca, Pehlivan - Kitsiou, Soyalp, Merkel, Maxim, Mendyl - Figueiredo, Demir
There have been over 2.5 goals in the Besiktas’s last 8 home games as well as in their last 5 home games against Gaziantep.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: gettyimages.com
PREDICTION: SOUTHAMPTON VS BRENTFORD
PREMIER LEAGUE: 11 JANUARY @ 19:45 GMT
After the third FA Cup round last weekend where both teams managed to qualify, Southampton and Brentford return to Premier League games, tonight at Saint Mary’s Stadium.
Southampton were unbeaten in the last 3 Premier League matches, and in the last 6 home ground games. Thus, Brentford would be happy to get away with a draw at Saint Mary’s.
In their first 2022 test, Brentford managed to win over their league table neighbours Aston Villa 2-1 and climb a few spots. Still, tonight’s game will be a tough challenge as their route in the away games has been anything but enchanting. Thomas Frank’s squad conceded 2 goals in the last 5 away matches and did not win any of them.
The missing players for Southampton are Livramento, Smallbone, Valery, Walker-Peters, Small and Djenepo. Brendford are missing 7 players: Raya, Goode, Dasilva, Henry, Zanka, Jeanvier and Onyeka.
The possible start-up lines are:
Southampton (4-4-2): Forster - Salisu, Bednarek, Stephens, Perraud - Redmond, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Elyounoussi - A. Armstrong, Broja
Brentford (3-5-2): Fernandez - Ajer, Jansson, Pinnock - Canos, Norgaard, Baptiste, Jensen, Roerslev - Mbeumo, Toney
In 8 of the last home games at Southampton in Premier League, there have been under 2.5 goals. Moreover, in the last three direct matches on The Saint’s ground there have been less than 3 goals.
Prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: sportsudate365.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS ASTON VILLA
FA CUP: 10 JANUARY @ 19:55 GMT
Monday’s football game between Manchester United and Aston Villa will bring down the curtain on round 3 of the FA Cup campaign. The competition is currently third on the team's list of priorities this season, but it represents their best chance to win the trophy. United have won the trophy 12 times in history, whereas Aston Villa have lifted the trophy 7 times.
The Red Devils aim to make amends for a heart-breaking 1-0 loss to Wolverhampton, and they are likely to fight tooth and nail against the Villans. Eric Bailly is on international duty with Ivory Coast, while Paul Pogba remains in the recovery room. All Elanga, Fred, Bruno, and Rashford are pushing for a start.
The Villans, on the other hand, suffered a 2-1 loss to Brentford in their first game of the year. Steven Gerrard’s troops are not regarded as good travellers, and seeing that Man Utd aim to save the season by going all the way in the FA Cup, home win should be considered. Leon Bailey is sidelined through injury, while Ollie Watkins should recover in time to face the Red Devils.
The possible start-up lines are:
Manchester United (4-2-2-2): Henderson - Dalot, Lindelof, Jones, Shaw - Fred, McTominay - Fernandes, Sancho - Ronaldo, Rashford
Aston Villa (4-3-3): Martinez - Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett - Ramsey, Luiz, McGinn - Buendia, Watkins, Ings
In Aston Villa’s 3 of the last 5 games have been scored over 2.5 goals. United have scored in 5 of their 6 home games in all competitions.
Prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: en.as.com
PREDICTION: LYON VS PSG
LIGUE 1: 9 JANUARY @ 19:45 GMT
There will be fireworks when Olympique Lyon and PSG face each other in the Ligue 1 derby at Parc Olympique Lyonnais. PSG currently sit 10 points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table, while their opponents are down in 13th following a disastrous start of the 2021-2022 season.
Les Gones have drawn each of their last three league fixtures, and, no doubt, they would be happy with one point from Sunday’s clash as well. Anyhow, we do not recommend you to bet on the hosts as all Toko Ekambi, Slimani, and Kadewere are on international duty. Key midfielder Lucas Paqueta is a major doubt following his positive test for coronavirus.
Les Parisiens, on the other hand, faced no difficulties in the Coupe de France win over Vannes (4-0). Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick, will be the man to watch in the away team, and given the number of absentees in the home side, we are tempted to put our money on the league leaders. Keep in mind, though, that Leo Messi has been tested positive for COVID-19, while Hakimi, Diallo, and Gueye are on Africa Cup of Nations.
The possible start-up lines are:
Lyon (3-4-2-1): Lopes - Lukeba, Boateng, Da Silva - Gusto, Guimaraes, Caqueret, Emerson - Shaqiri, Aouar - Dembele
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Navas - Dagba, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Bernat - Wijnaldum, Paredes, Verratti - Simons, Icardi, Mbappe
Lyon have seen over 2.5 goals in 6 of their last 7 home matches against PSG in all competitions.
Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals
Image credit: ol.fr
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS VALENCIA
LA LIGA: 8 JANUARY @ 20:00 GMT
All eyes will be on Estadio Santiago Bernabeu when Real Madrid and Valencia face each other in the La Liga round 20. Real Madrid are currently top of the table with 46 points, 5 points clear of second place Valencia, while Valencia is only the 9th with 28 points.
Los Blancos aim to make amends for a 1-0 loss to Getafe, and seeing that Sevilla are breathing down their neck, Saturday’s football match is of big importance for the league leaders. Both Luka Jovic and Sergio Arribas remain quarantined, but important winger Vinicius Junior is back, as well as Eduardo Camavinga, who missed the local derby through suspension.
Los Che, on the other hand, suffered a shocking 2-1 loss to Espanyol in their last league match. Considering that Valencia often struggle on the travels, we do not believe that Real Madrid will have a better chance than this to return to winning ways. Valencia forward Hugo Duro is banned for the match, while both Dimitri Foulquier and Antonio Latorre miss out through injuries.
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois - Vazquez, Militao, Alaba, Mendy - Kroos, Casemiro, Modric - Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius
Valencia (4-2-2): Cillessen - Correia, Diakhaby, Alderete, Gaya - Soler, Guillamon, Wass, Cheryshev - Guedes, Gomez
The previous match was won by Real Madrid away at Mestalla 1-2 in September. Four of the previous five head-to-head duels between Real Madrid and Valencia have gone over 2.5 total goals.
Prediction: Correct score 2-1
Image credit: sportskeeda.com
PREDICTION: CHELSEA VS TOTTENHAM
EFL CUP: 5 JANUARY @ 19:45 GMT
Chelsea and Tottenham meat on Wednesday night at Stanford Bridge in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals. This Antonio Conte’s first return at Stanford Bridge as an opponent.
In the quarter-finals Chelsea passed Brantford 2-0 while Spurs eliminated West Ham 2-1. Tottenham are looking at playing the second League Cup final in two years.
Chelsea are running through a poor run of form lately, having won just 4 of their past 10 games, although they had lost just one. Still in their last match against Liverpool the Blues showed a much better face. In the two previous heads-to-heads Chelsea obtain clear victories.
On the other side Tottenham are in an increasing shape since Antonio Conte took over, having won 3 of their last 4 games in all competitions. In Premier League, Spurs won with a late goal 0-1 at Watford.
The missing players for Chelsea are: Christensen, James, Chilwell, Loftus-Cheek and Mendy. For Tottenham are missing Romero, Bergwijn and Sessegnon.
The probable start-up lines are:
Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Kepa - Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Sarr - Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso - Ziyech, Pulisic - Havertz
Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-3): Lloris - Tanganga, Sanchez, Davies - Emerson, Winks, Hojbjerg, Reguilon - Son, Kane, Gil
In 9 of their past 10 games both teams have scored at least once. Our prediction is both teams to score.
Prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: premierleague.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
PREMIER LEAGUE: 3 JANUARY @ 17:30 GMT
Wolves will be visiting Old Trafford on Monday for the Premier League meeting with hosts Manchester United. Just one place separates the two, but United have 6 points lead over the Wolves. A win tonight would take them Red Devils into the top 6 teams and narrow the gap to the top 4 to just 1 point, having also a remaining game.
Manchester United have been on a persistent run of goalscoring form, finding the back of the net every time they’ve gone out to play in their last 6 matches. They’ve totted up the amount of 10 during that time while seeing the number of goals scored against them stand at 5. Coming into this contest, Manchester United are unbeaten in the league by Wolverhampton Wanderers in their previous 5 matches.
A series of dependable showings by the Wolverhampton Wanderers defence has resulted in the number of goals they’ve conceded standing at 2 from their last 6 fixtures combined. During the same period, their own forwards have managed to score 1. Previous results aside, we must now wait to see whether such a trend might persist in this game or not.
The Reds are missing their top scorer Paul Pogba, Eric Baily and Victor Lindelof. The absent players for the Wolves are Yerson Mosquera, Pedro Neto, Jonny, Hwang Hee-Chan. Therefore the probable start-up line are:
Manchester United (4-4-2): De Gea - Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Maguire, Shaw - Greenwood, McTominay, Matic, Fernandes - Ronaldo, Cavani
Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-4-3): Sa - Kilman, Coady, Saiss - Hoever, Neves, Moutinho, Marcal - Traore, Jimenez, Podence
Prediction: Both teams to Score
Image credit: bleacherreport.com
PREDICTION: CHELSEA VS LIVERPOOL
PREMIER LEAGUE: 2 JANUARY @ 16:30 GMT
Chelsea failed to make full use of their home advantage in their last game against Brighton. Lukaku put Tuchel's men in front just before the half-hour mark after good work from Mount, but Chelsea failed to make the most of their chances and ended up getting punished by a stoppage-time equalizer from Welbeck.
Chelsea have now taken just nine points from the last 18 available after drawing 1-1 with Brighton on Wednesday. Thomas Tuchel continues to lament Chelsea's injury and COVID problems and things just aren't clicking on the pitch as they were earlier in the season. They have only managed one clean sheet from their last eight league games and Edouard Mendy leaves for AFCON after this game.
Liverpool were also dealt a hammer blow in the title race in midweek after losing 1-0 to Leicester on Tuesday. They are now 12 points behind the leader after Manchester City’s win over Arsenal on Saturday (1-2), albeit with a game in hand, but that gap may be too big to overcome even at the halfway mark in the season.
The missing players for Chelsea are: Chilwell, James, Werner, and 3 player are doubtful Havertz, Silva, Loftus-Cheek. Liverpool are missing 7 players: Origi, Minamino, Thiago, Adrian, Eliott, Philips, Robertson.
The probable start-up lines are:
Chelsea (3-4-3): Mendy - Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Rudiger - Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho, Kante, Alonso - Mount, Havertz; Lukaku
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson - Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas - Henderson, Fabinho, Oxlade-Chamberlain - Salah, Jota, Mane
Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals
Image credit: theprideoflondon.com
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE: 1 JANUARY @ 12:30 GMT
Manchester City will be looking to record their 11th Premier League victory in a row when they head to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon to take on Arsenal. The Citizens are currently eight points clear of second-placed Chelsea at the top of the table, while Arsenal occupy fourth position, four points clear of fifth-placed West Ham United.
Arsenal have had a full week to prepare for this game but Mikel Arteta testing positive in midweek has certainly been far from ideal for the Gunners. Arsenal have won five in a row heading into Saturday's game and are certainly better placed compared to the reverse meeting back in August when they lost 5-0.
Manchester City made the most of Liverpool's defeat to Leicester and Chelsea's draw with Brighton to pull further clear at the top of the table ahead of what could already be a defining weekend in the title race. City are already eight points clear and could be as many as 11 by the time Chelsea face Liverpool later in the weekend.
The probable start-up lines are:
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale - White, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney - Xhaka, Partey - Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe - Lacazette
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson - Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Ake - B Silva, Gundogan, De Bruyne - Mahrez, Foden, Sterling
Prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: arise.tv
PREDICTION: CHELSEA VS BRIGHTON
PREMIER LEAGUE: 29 DECEMBER @ 19:30 GMT
Chelsea will host Brighton, tonight at the Stamford Bridge London, for the last game of the year 2021. They have the opportunity to overhaul Liverpool which lost yesterday at Leicester (0-1) and become the main chaser of Manchester City in the race for the title this season.
Chelsea managed to get a vital 3 points at Villa Park on Boxing Day with a 3-1. After two previous rounds which ended in a draw, this could give them the much-needed boost of morale. Anything but a win might surge the 6 points gap between them and Manchester City, which are expected to win today at Brantford.
Brighton will be looking at building-up on the Sunday win over Brantford (2-0), after a series of 11 games in Premier League without a win! But they will be facing a tough challenge since Chelsea are undefeated in their last 9 matches against Brighton, in 6 of which The Pensioners kept a clean sheet.
The missing players for Chelsea are Thiago Silva, N’Golo Kante, Ben Chilwell and Timo Werner. Brighton are missing three players: Jeremy Sarmiento, Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy.
The probable start-up lines are:
Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Mendy - Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger - James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso - Ziyech, Mount - Lukaku
Brighton (4-3-1-2): Sanchez - Lamptey, Webster, Burn, Cucurella - Bissouma, Lallana, Mwepu - Mac Allister - Welbeck, Maupay
While Chelsea is undoubtedly the clear favourites, we don’t expect to see many goals. There have been under 2.5 goals in Brighton’s last seven Premier League games.
Prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: si.com
PREDICTION: LEICESTER VS LIVERPOOL
PREMIER LEAGUE: 28 DECEMBER @ 20:00
Less than a week after the EFL Cup clash won by Liverpool after penalties the two teams meet again tonight, this time at King Power Stadium in Leicester.
So far in Premier League the two have had quite different evolutions. Liverpool is in the run for the championship, with a win tonight will come just 3 points close to the leader Manchester City. Whereas Leicester is far from being the team of the last two seasons, struggling in the mediocrity of mid table.
Liverpool drew in the previous round 2-2 at Liverpool after 6 wins in a raw in Premier League. Klopp’s team has the advantage of being the more rested team after their weekend match with Leeds United was postponed.
Leicester lost on Boxing Day at Etihad Stadium 6-3 harder than the final score shows after having an incredible comeback from 4-0 to 4-3. The Foxes though have only 48 hours to recover until tonight’s home game.
The probable start-up lines are:
Leicester (4-3-3): Schmeichel - Daley-Campbell, Amartey, Vestergaard, Castagne - Ndidi, Tielemans, Soumare - Perez, Vardy, Maswanhise
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson - Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas - Henderson, Fabinho, Keita - Salah, Jota, Mane
Leicester lost 4 of the last five games against The Reds. Liverpool has scored at least one goal in the first half, in 9 of their last 11 league games.
Prediction: Liverpool to win first half
Image credit: football365.com
PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE VS MANCHESTER UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE: 27 DECEMBER @ 20:00
Monday’s clash between Newcastle United and Manchester United will bring down the curtain on day 19 of the Premier League campaign.
The Magpies are having a nightmare season, with the team sitting in the relegation zone with only ten points in their pocket. Newcastle is on a three-game losing run ahead of the visit of Man Utd, and given their shaky defence, home win should not be considered. Isaac Hayden is banned for the match, while all Dummett, Lewis, and Fernandez continue to miss out with injuries.
The Red Devils, on the other hand, aim to extend their winning run to four games. Manchester United are eager to climb to the Champions League berth, and given their attacking potential, we believe that punters from all four corners of the world can find value in betting on Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. Both Cavani and Martial are rated doubtful for the match, while Pogba and Varane are sidelined with injuries.
Team News:
Isaac Hayden is suspended for Monday's welcome of Manchester United due to an accumulation of bookings.
Allan Saint-Maximin wasn't risked from the start in defeat to Manchester City but will likely return to the fold here.
Ralf Rangnick has revealed he expects to have a full squad to pick from against Newcastle aside from an injured Paul Pogba.
Raphael Varane, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial were injury concerns prior to the club's COVID outbreak but will be better placed to return here.
Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals
Image credit: crowdwisdom.live
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY VS LEICESTER
PREMIER LEAGUE: 26 DECEMBER @ 15:00
Manchester City will be aiming to extend their winning run to nine games in the Premier League when they host Leicester City to their Etihad Stadium on Matchday 19. The Citizens have been scoring goals for fun of late, and, no doubt, they have improved offensively ever since Kevin De Bruyne returned from injury. Ferran Torres remains on the sidelines with injury, but the Spaniard should be the only absentee in the home team.
The Foxes, on the other hand, were not in action at the weekend, meaning that tired legs should not prove to be a big problem for the visiting side. Anyhow, home win should be considered as the title holders look unstoppable in the English top fight at the moment. All Iheanacho, Perez, Lookman, Choudhury, and Vestergaard are rated doubtful following their positive tests for coronavirus, but Jonny Evans is back from injury.
Team News:
Jack Grealish and Phil Foden were dropped by Pep Guardiola last time out for a lack of discipline and it wouldn't be a surprise if both were kept on the naughty step here.
Bernardo Silva may be used as a false nine against Leicester to accommodate Ilkay Gundogan in midfield.
Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez would therefore be in competition for a start on the right wing, with the latter keen to face his former club.
Jamie Vardy, Ricardo Pereira and Caglar Soyuncu all picked up muscle injuries in Wednesday's penalty shoot-out defeat to Liverpool.
Brendan Rodgers will desperately hope to have former Manchester United defender Jonny Evans available, though he has struggled with injuries all season now.
Harvey Barnes and Timothy Castagne didn't even make the matchday squad in midweek raising doubts over their availability to face Manchester City.
Prediction: Half Time/Full Time Manchester City
Image credit: 90min.com
PREDICTION: TRABZONSPOR VS ISTAMBUL BAŞAKŞEHIR
SUPER LIG: 25 DECEMBER @ 16:00
Trabzonspor haven’t been able to stop scoring goals, finding the back of the net every time they’ve gone out to play in their last 6 games. They have totted up the amount of 12 during that period and have conceded a total of 3.
Heading into this fixture, Trabzonspor are undefeated in their last 14 home league matches. What a fantastic run!
A run of very capable performances from the İstanbul Başakşehir’s defence has resulted in the number of goals they’ve conceded standing at 4 from their last 6 outings overall. In that period of time, their forwards have scored 11. That sort of pattern might not follow through into this game, however.
Looking at the pre-match facts, İstanbul Başakşehir, haven't been defeated by Trabzonspor in the games played away for the previous 6 matches in the league - solid away record against them. They are undefeated in their previous 4 league matches away from home.
A look at their prior head to head clashes dating back to August 2018 shows that Trabzonspor have won one of these games and İstanbul Başakşehir three, two games ending in a draw.
An aggregate of 17 goals were produced between them in these games, with 6 of them for Karadeniz Fırtınası and 11 being from Belediye. That’s an average goals per game of 2.83. The last league encounter between these sides was in a Super Lig match on 19th of February, 2021 when the final score was İstanbul Başakşehir -Trabzonspor 0-1.
Looking at these two teams, we feel that İstanbul Başakşehir will likely create enough chances to break down Trabzonspor’s lineup, but that realistically there won’t be too many goals they could concede. Both sides scoring looks probable here. We are anticipating a very close game.
Prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: turkishpress.com
PREDICTION: SEVILLA VS BARCELONA
LA LIGA: 21 DECEMBER @ 20:30
In round 18 of La Liga, Sevilla meets Barcelona tonight at Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.
In an unusual season Barcelona stands on the 8th place with 16 points behind the leader Real Madrid and 10 behind their today’s opponent. Still they come after a much needed last minute win (3-2) over Elche in the weekend. Having a completely new team than next season Barcelona’s youngsters will face a real test tonight against a much more mature team.
Sevilla seats on the second place with 6 points behind the leader, currently being the only team able to fight with Los Blancos. The Andalusians come after three wins in a row in La Liga and they posses the strongest defence this season. Julien Lopetegui’s team will definitely be looking to get the three points against a suffering Barcelona.
For Sevilla the absent players are Lavela, Navas, Suso, Torres whereas Montiel and Acuna are doubtful. Barcelona is missing Braithwaite, Depay, Fati, Pedri, Riberto and Alves.
The probable start-up lines are:
Sevilla(4-3-3): Bounou - Augustinsson, Kounde, Carlos, Rekik - Jordan, Fernando, Rakitic - Ocampos, Mir, Gomez
Barcelona (3-4-3): Ter Stegen - Araujo, Garcia, Lenglet - Busquets, De Jong, Alba, Gavi - Coutinho, Gonzalez, Ezzalzouli
Sevilla have won 9 of the last 10 games on the home ground in La Liga. Therefore we expect Sevilla to win.
Prediction: Sevilla to win
Image credit: barcablaugranes.com
PREDICTION: LEVANTE VS VALENCIA
LA LIGA: 20 DECEMBER @ 20:00
Levante take on city rivals Valencia in the at Stadion Ciudad de Valencia this Monday.
If ever Levante could do with a win in this fixture it is right now. After 17 rounds they are bottom of La Liga and 8 points off safety zone. Their dreadful season continued last weekend when they blew two leads to lose 4-3 to Espanyol. They need to really start taking advantage of their home games if they are going to get out of trouble.
Valencia will be looking at making it three, after wining the last two games in La Liga. They are currently 7th, picking -up 25 points in the first 17 rounds. The Bats will enter the match full of confidence, as they have won last for games in all competitions and haven’t lost in the last eight.
Levante have drawn 8 of their last 10 home and they have failed to score in 5 of their last 6 home matches (La Liga) which leads us to believe the match will be heavily one sided towards Valencia.
The absent players from Levante are Mustafi, Malsa, Son, Radoja. Valecia is missing Paulista, Wass and Gomez.
The probable start-up lines are:
Levante (4-2-3-1): Cardenas - Miramon, Vezo, Pier, Clerc - Campana, Pepelu - De Frutos, Bardhi, Morales - Marti
Valencia (4-4-2): Cillessen - Foulquier, Diakhaby, Guillamon, Gaya - Soler, Musah, Racic, Duro - Guedes, Costa
Prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: sportskeeda.com
PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM VS LIVERPOOL
PREMIER LEAGUE: 19 DECEMBER @ 16:30
Tottenham vs Liverpool kicks off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday, 19th December 2021 at 04:30 PM GMT.
Liverpool stands on the second place with 40 points, just 1 behind the leader Manchester City and will be hoping to regain the first place with a victory over Spurs. On the other side, Tottenham is on the 7th place but having three games less.
With the reopening of Tottenham’s training ground and players returning to training, optimism that the clash with Liverpool will go as planned is high. Tottenham seemed to have a bad run under Nuno Espírito Santo’s regime, but just as things were looking up since Conte took charge, disaster struck again, this time in the form of a virus.
With Liverpool Having won their last 7 matches against Tottenham and 11 of their poast away games, hopes arent high for a win on Tottenham’s side. Liverpool have been winning at both half time and full time in their last 4 away matches against Tottenham in all competitions but Tottenham has scored in 4 of their 6 home matches against Liverpool.
The probable start-up lines are:
Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-1-2): Lloris - Sanchez, Dier, Davies - Tanganga, Ndombele, Hojbjerg, Reguilon - Lo Celso - Kane, Bergwijn
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson - Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Konate, Robertson - Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Thiago - Salah, Jota, Mane
Prediction: Both team to score
Image credit: si.com
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS WOLSBURG
BUNDESLIGA: 17 DECEMBER @ 19:30 GMT
Bayern Munich will be hoping to make it seven victories in a row in all competitions when they host Wolfsburg on Friday night in the Bundesliga.
The German champions lead the Bundesliga by nine points over second-placed Borussia Dortmund, with Wolfsburg in 11th place with 20 points from their first 16 games.
Bayern completed a perfect Champions League group-stage campaign earlier this month with a 3-0 win over Barcelona, and they have since added two more Bundesliga victories, defeating Mainz 2-1 on December 11 and Stuttgart 5-0 on Tuesday night.
Bayern will again be without the services of Corentin Tolisso, Leon Goretzka, Josip Stanisic, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Joshua Kimmich for Friday's affair.
Wolfsburg finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season, losing only seven of their 34 games, but they have already lost eight league games this season and appear to be out of contention for a top-four spot at this point.
As for Wolfsburg, Lukas Nmecha, Luca Waldschmidt, Paulo Otavio, Admir Mehmedi, Xaver Schlager and William will be absent for this match.
The prospect of facing Bayern after six straight defeats is not ideal for Wolfsburg, and we are finding it impossible to forecast anything other than a comfortable victory for the reigning champions, who, despite their injuries, should have an easy game.
The probable start-up lines are:
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Pavard, Sule, Hernandez, Davies - Roca, Musiala - Gnabry, Muller, Sane - Lewandowski
Wolfsburg (4-2-3-1):
Casteels - Baku, Lacroix, Bornauw, Brooks - Vranckx, Arnold - F Nmecha, Steffen, Lukebakio - Weghorst
Prediction: Bayern Munich Win
Image credit: 90mins.com
PREDICTION:ARSENAL VS WEST HAM
PREMIER LEAGUE: 15 DECEMBER @ 20:00 GMT
Arsenal and West Ham United play tonight at the Emirates Stadium in a crucial London Derby with fourth place back in sight. The two teams are only separated by 2 points. In case of a win Arsenal could take West Ham’s current fourth place. The Gunners cannot afford to lose this one as the gap with the top table teams would widen to 5 points.
In the weekend Arsenal finally managed to get the free points against Southampton (3-0) after 2 consecutive losses putting the end to their misery. The result slightly eased the pressure on Arteta’s shoulders with the team returning to top six.
In the previous round The Hammers draw disappointingly at Burnley (0-0) with one of the relegation candidates. Still, this is a big game for West Ham, starting the match week fourth in the table. A win against The Gunners will get them closer to the big three in premier League.
At Arsenal, the missing players are Kolasinac and the star Aubameyang. West Ham are missing Zouma, Ogbonna, Johnson, Fredericks.
The probable start-up lines are:
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale - Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney - Xhaka, Partey - Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe - Lacazette
West Ham (4-2-3-1): Fabianski - Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Masuaku - Rice, Soucek - Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma – Antonio
Arsenal and West Ham have seen three over 2.5 goal games out of the last four they played together. In this Premier League season, more than half of West Ham’s matches ended with over 2.5 goals scored. Arsenal has had a lot of those recently as well.
Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals
Image credit: firstsportz.com
PREDICTION:STUTTGART VS BAYERN MUNICH
BUNDESLIGA: 14 DECEMBER @ 17:30 GMT
On Tuesday, local team Stuttgart will face Bayern Munich at Mercedes-Benz Arena in the Bundesliga 1 match. Before round 16, the two team are in opposite states in the league table, Bayern occupying the first place while Stuttgart is only on the 15th.
This season, the defending champions have been dominant once again, and they appear to be on their way to another championship via a record-breaking season. This season, the Bavarian giants have collected 47 points out of a possible 51 and have won their past nine league matches in a row.
Stuttgart, on the other hand, has won just one of their previous five league games and has started the second half of the season with a disappointing 2-1 home setback to Mainz. They are now in 15th place in the table, three points clear of the relegation playoff berth and five points ahead of the bottom two. However, if the hosts win their game in hand, they will move up two places to tenth, leapfrogging Werder Bremen and Hannover.
The probable start-up lines are:
Stuttgart (3-4-2-1):
Muller - Mavropanos, Anton, Ito - Stenzel, Endo, Karazor, Coulibaly - Forster, Mangala - Marmoush
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Pavard, Upamecano, Sule, Davies - Musiala, Tolisso - Coman, Muller, Gnabry - Lewandowski
Prediction: Bayern to Win
Image credit: 90mins.com
PREDICTION:AS ROMA VS SPEZIA
SERIE A: 13 DECEMBER @ 19:45 GMT
The final match of Serie A, day 17 takes place at Stadio Olimpico between Roma and Spezia. Despite a 3-0 setback to Inter, the Giallorossi are still considered strong favorites to defeat the Bianconeri, in front of their home fans.
Mancini and Zaniolo have been suspended for the encounter, while Spinazzola, Pellegrini, and El Shaarawy have been relegated to the treatment room. Spezia, on the other hand, is on a five-game losing streak on the road. The Romans defeated the Bianconeri 4-3 in their last meeting in the "Eternal City." The lone omission from the away side should be Leo' Sena.
AS Roma's manager, should provide encouragement to his team, which has won three of their eight top-flight matches at the Stadio Olimpico. Spezia appear to be ideal opponents, having only picked up two points on the road this season out of a potential 44.
In 15 of Spezia's last 19 away Serie A matches, under 3.5 goals have been scored. Not only that, but no more than three successful strikes have been scored in 13 of AS Roma's last 15 home games at this level, so it's hard to see this trend altering.
The probable start-up lines are:
AS Roma (3-5-2): Patricio - Kumbulla, Smalling, Ibanez - Karsdorp, Veretout, Cristante, Mkhitaryan, Vina - Shomurodov, Abraham
Spezia (4-3-3): Provedel - Amian, Erlic, Nikolaou, Bastoni - Kovalenko, Sala, Maggiore - Verde, Nzola, Gyasi
Prediction: Under 2.5
Image credit: chiesaditotti.com
PREDICTION: PSG VS MONACO
LIGUE 1: 12 DECEMBER @ 19:45 GMT
When PSG and Monaco meet in Ligue 1 round 18 at Parc des Princes, Sunday, there will be fireworks.
Paris Saint-Germain have made the Ligue 1 title their own lately, guaranteeing trophies in seven of the beyond eight seasons, however they must battle to hold their crown this time around.
Monaco stunned PSG in a five-goal thriller at the Stade Louis II in November and their attacking quality gives them every chance of inflicting more misery on the Parisians this weekend. Attacking trio Wissam Ben Yedder, Kevin Volland and Aleksandr Golovin are performing at the peak of their powers and they should cause plenty of problems for the Ligue 1 heavyweights again. Monaco has a bright future ahead of them, but they have a history of defensive flaws in their games, and those flaws will undoubtedly be exposed.
In the absence of injured teammate Neymar, PSG are brimming with confidence following their 4-1 Champions League victory over Barcelona in midweek, and they have a man playing at the top of his game in French youngster Kylian Mbappe, who leads the Ligue 1 scoring charts with 16 goals in 21 appearances.
The probable start-up lines are:
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Donnarumma - Hakimi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Bernat - Verratti, Gueye, Wijnaldum - Di Maria, Messi, Mbappe
Monaco (4-2-3-1): Nubel - Aguilar, Disasi, Maripan, Henrique - Fofana, Tchouameni - Martins, Diop, Golovin - Ben Yedder
Prediction: PSG +0.5,+1
PREDICTION: ATALANTA VS VILLARREAL
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 9 DECEMBER @ 18:00 GMT
Atalanta and Villarreal are battling for the second place of Group F, tonight at Gewiss stadium in the last match of the group stage.
In group F, Manchester United is already qualified for the knockout stage from the first place while Young Boys Berna are eliminated. Thus the only question is which of the two opponents will continue their road in Champions League and which will shift to Europa League. Currently the are only being separated by 1 point.
Atalanta have 6 points from 5 games with one win, three draws and one defeat, which has left them in third position in the section, but they would advance to the last-16 stage of the Champions League with a victory over the Yellow Submarine.
Villareal have 7 points after winning two games, drawing one and loosing two. This allows them to secure the second position by only avoiding a defeat.
The missing players for Atalanta are Robin Gosens and Matteo Lovato. Villareal are also missing 2 player Yeremi Pino and Serge Aurier, Arnaut Danjuma being doubtful.
The probable line-ups are:
Atalanta (3-4-3): Musso - Toloi, Demiral, Palomino - Zappacosta, De Roon, Freuler, Maehle - Pasalic, Zapata, Malinovskyi
Villarreal (4-3-3): Rulli - Foyth, Albiol, Torres, Estupinan - Parejo, Capoue, Coquelin - Trigueros, G Moreno, Danjuma
Atalanta’s recent form has been substantially better and the club have picked up four wins in the last five games. Villareal have lost their last game in La Liga and their last one in Champions League. Although is a very difficult game to call, Atalanta’s recent form has been very impressive.
Prediction: Atalanta to Win
Image credit: telecomasia.net
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS BARCELONA
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 8 DECEMBER @ 20:00 GMT
In the last round of the group stage Barcelona plays away at the Allianz Arena for their last chance to get in the knockout round of the UEFA Champions League.
Although Bayern is already qualified from the first place of group E, La Blaugrana faces a massive challenge. Their direct competitor for the second place, Benfica, has a much easier mission at home against Dynamo Kyiv, which accumulated only 1 point in 5 games so far. In case of the very likely victory for Benfica, Barcelona will be forced to win in order to secure the second place, as the direct result between the two are advantaging The Eagles.
Though having a new couch in the person of the legendary Xavi, Barcelona travels to Munich not very high on confidence after the weekend defeat at home against Betis 0-1.
On the other side Bayern has won the classic derby away against Dortmund (2-3) and consolidated their first place in Bundesliga after 14 rounds.
The probable line-ups are:
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Pavard, Sule, Nianzou, Richards - Roca, Tolisso - Sane, Muller, Musiala - Lewandowski
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen - Dest, Araujo, Pique, Alba - Gonzalez, Busquets, De Jong - Dembele, Depay, Coutinho
No team in the 2021-22 Champions League has scored more goals than Bayern's 19 in the group stages, with the German champions scoring at least two per game. Therefore we expect to see over 2.5 goals in tonight’s clash.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: marca.com
PREDICTION: REAL MADRID VS INTER MILAN
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 7 DECEMBER @ 20:00 GMT
Tonight we are looking forward to an intense match between top teams Real Madrid and Inter Milan at Santiago Bernabeu, in the last round of the groups stage. Both teams are already qualified to the KO phase of the competition and are now competing for the first place of Group D.
The teams met in last season’s Champions League group stages, but 12 months on and the dugouts are completely different for both clubs. Italian champions Inter now have Simone Inzaghi at the helm instead of Antonio Conte, while Carlo Ancelotti has returned for his second Real stint after leaving Everton.
Both teams have won their past 3 games but there have been over 2.5 goals scored in Real Madrid's last 4 games of which they have scored at least 2 goals in their last 3 matches, making them clear favorites.
Real Madrid are missing top players for the match: Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Dani Ceballos. On the other side Inter are missing 6 players: Matteo Darmian, Stefan de Vrij, Joaquin Correa, Alexander Kolarov, Andrea Rannochia and Cristian Eriksen.
The probable line-ups are:
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois - Vazquez, Militao, Alaba, Mendy - Valverde, Camavinga, Kroos - Vinicius, Jovic, Asensio
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Handanovic - D'Ambrosio, Skriniar, Bastoni - Dumfries, Barella, Sensi, Vidal, Perisic - Dzeko, Martinez
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: therealchamps.com
PREDICTION: EVERTON VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE: 6 DECEMBER @ 20:00 GMT
Monday's Premier league match has Everton competing with number 7 Arsenal at Goodison Park. The two team are separated by 10 points in the league table.
The Gunners are undefeated in 9 of their last 10 matches, and are coming in with a 2-0 win against Leeds, having gathered 17 goals this season of the Premier League. They will aim to bounce back into the top 5 with a victory tonight.
The home team has been on a losing streak recently, having faced strong opposition in their past 3 matches, loosing the past 3 home games and failing to score in 3 out of the past 6 games in all leagues. Everton lost 6 out the last 7 games in Premier League. We believe the game will be a loss for Everton but there have been less than 3 goals in 4 of their past 6 head to head matches.
Everton are missing 5 players: Gomes, Calvert-Lewin, Davies, Rondon, Sigurdsson and Mina (doubtful). Arsenal are only missing 2 players: Kolasinac and Xshaka whereas Leno is doubtful.
The probable line-ups are:
Everton (4-4-1-1): Pickford - Coleman, Godfrey, Keane, Digne - Townsend, Doucoure, Allan, Gordon – Gray - Richarlison
Arsenal (4-5-1): Ramsdale - Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tavares - Partey, Lokonga; Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe - Aubameyang
Prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: covers.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS CRYSTAL PALACE
PREMIER LEAGUE: 5 DECEMBER @ 14:00 GMT
Sunday's Premier league fixture sees giants Manchester United coming head to head with Crystal Palace. The two teams are separated by 5 points and 5 places in the league table.
Man Utd are heading into the match undefeated in 19 of their last 21 matches against Crystal Palace in all competitions, they won 3-2 against Arsenal in Michael Carrick's final game in caretaker charge on Thursday. Ralf Rangnick now takes over as interim manager with United three points adrift of the top four and with a decent run of Premier League fixtures ahead of them.
Crystal Palace were left to rue Christian Benteke's missed chance against Leeds in midweek as they ended up conceding from a late penalty to lose the game 1-0. That is now back-to-back defeats for the Eagles for the first time this season.
Of the past 4 meeting 3 have seen both teams scoring at least once and we believe this result is likely in their coming meeting at Old Trafford.
The probable line-ups are:
Manchester United (4-3-1-2): Gea – Telles, Maguire, Lindelorf, Dalot – Beek, Fred, Mc Tominay – Fernandez – Martial, Ronaldo
Crystal Palace (4-3-3): Guaita – Tomkins, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell – Gallacher, Milivojevic, Kouyate – Ayew, Benteke, Zaha
Prediction: Both teams to score
Image credit: goal.com
PREDICTION: BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS BAYERN MUNICH
BUNDESLIGA: 4 DECEMBER @ 17:30 GMT
Saturday in the Bundesliga derby the giants Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich will battle for the first place. After 13 rounds the two rival clubs are only being separated by 1 point in the league table.
Germany's great competitive rivals go head to head at the top of the table as well, with the hosts looking to overtake the champions at the summit, in their quest to end the Bavarians' nine-year domestic dominance.
Despite their recent H2H record and the historical bias, Dortmund will be confident of upsetting their great rivals and stealing top spot in the standings with victory, after making their third-best start to any Bundesliga campaign in history. That start has been underpinned by their perfect home record this season, and another three points here at Signal Iduna Park would equal their longest ever run of 12 consecutive Bundesliga home wins that was set back in 1994.
Dortmund head into Der Klassiker just a single point behind Bayern, with a win taking them to top spot for the first time this campaign, which would see them in a strong position to finally put together a consistent challenge for their opponents' crown and prevent a 10th-consecutive Bundesliga title.
The probable line-ups are:
Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1): Kobel - Meunier, Akanji, Hummels, Guerreiro - Can, Witsel, Brandt - Reus, Malen - Haaland
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Pavard, Upamecano, Hernandez, Davies - Tolisso, Goretzka - Coman, Muller, Sane - Lewandowski
Prediction: Dortmund +0.5,+1
Image credit: besoccer.com
PREDICTION: UNION BERLIN VS RB LEIPZIG
BUNDESLIGA: 3 DECEMBER @ 19:30 GMT
The weekend's Bundesliga action begins on Friday evening at the An der Alten Forsterei, with an intriguing clash that sees Union Berlin hosting a troubled RB Leipzig.
Union will be looking to bounce back from a last-minute defeat last weekend, they are heading into this clash with just one point less after 13 rounds than in their 2020 Bundesliga season. However the 2-1 loss at Frankfurt was their first defeat of this Bundesliga season against opposition sitting below them. An outcome the top-four chasers will hope to avoid a repeat of here as the division’s two youngest clubs meet with RB Leipzig sitting two points below the capital club.
While their visitors have numerous concerns on and off the pitch following another defeat themselves last Sunday, eighth placed RB Leipzig have started slowly domestically under new coach Jess Marsch winning and losing five games.
Four of the last five H2Hs have featured a total of over 2.5 goals and the same we would be looking for in this match. Despite two defeats in the last five outings, Leipzig have been able to produce a total of ten goals in that course. Union Berlin has accumulated seven goals in the last five meetings and has scored five times in the last three home games.
The probable line-ups are:
Union Berlin (3-5-2): Luthe - Friedrich, Knoche, Baumgartl - Trimmel, Haraguchi, Khedira, Promel, Giesselmann - Awoniyi, Kruse
RB Leipzig (3-4-3): Martinez - Klostermann, Orban, Gvardiol - Mukiele, Adams, Kampl, Angelino - Nkunku, Forsberg; Silva
Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals
Image credit: xinhuanet.com
PREDICTIONS: CHELSEA VS MANCHESTER UNITED, REAL MADRID VS BETIS SEVILLA, NAPOLI VS LAZIO
28 NOVEMBER
Chelsea vs Man Utd
KO: 28/11/2021 16:30 GMT
Chelsea got back to winning ways in the Premier League in emphatic fashion last weekend, beating Leicester 0-3 away from home before returning to Stamford Bridge in midweek and thrashing Italian giants Juventus 4-0 in the Champions League group stage.
Unfortunately, Chelsea’s win over Juventus was overshadowed by injuries to midfielder N’Golo Kante and left-back Ben Chilwell, the latter having suffered ACL damage and may miss the rest of the season.
Michael Carrick tasted victory in his first match in temporary charge of Man Utd midweek in the Champions League, this following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after United’s humiliating 4-1 beating away at Watford in the Premier League.
The Red Devils head to Stamford Bridge short in central defence, with Raphael Varane injured and captain Harry Maguire suspended after being sent off at Vicarage Road, whilst Man Utd will also be without Paul Pogba (injury), Mason Greenwood (Isolating after contracting Covid-19) with both Luke Shaw (injury) and Edinson Cavani (injury) likely to miss out as well.
Our prediction: FT Chelsea
Real Madrid - Sevilla
KO: 28/11/2021 20:00 GMT
This match is more than just massive for the title race, it is also the return of Julen Lopetegui to the Bernabeu. Real Madrid hammered Sheriff Tiraspol by three goals to nil in midweek in the UEFA Champions League and they now come into this at the top-of-the-table in La Liga but just two points above Sevilla. Lopetegui has performed impressively as Sevilla manager but the Andalusians can often drift into an overly conservative mindset which has hampered them in one off individual matches such as this one. This is expected to be a tense encounter and it should be a low-scoring affair.
Our prediction: Under 2.5
28.11.2021: Napoli - Lazio
KO: 28/11/2021 19:45 GMT
This is a huge game, not just for the league itself but also the context that surrounds the match. Maurizio Sarri returns to Naples after departing Napoli in 2018. Sarri has been the man closest to leading Napoli to a post-Maradona Scudetto until maybe this season whereby Luciano Spalletti’s side sit at the top-of-the-table. They did, however, lose 3-2 away to Inter Milan last weekend. Lazio also lost last week at home to Sarri’s other former club Juventus with Leonardo Bonucci scoring two penalties. It has been difficult for Sarri with a lack of cohesion in his side’s play and a failure to adapt to his complex style. However, there have been signs of improvement and a 3-0 hammering of Lokomotiv Moscow was another example of that. This should be an entertaining and intriguing affair which should be full of goals.
Our prediction: FT Napoli
Image credit: marca.com
PREDICTION: CHELSEA VS JUVENTUS
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 23 NOVEMBER @ 20:00 GMT
Tuesday’s Champions League action will see Chelsea coming up against Juventus.
Juventus has a bad outlook in their next fixture, with a recent return of just one point from a possible 34 serving as opposed to Chelsea which excluding the playoffs have enjoyed nine wins in 15 home games at this level of late, so they will fancy their chances of chalking up another victory here.
Chelsea enter this match coming off the back of a 1-1 Premier League drawn match vs Burnley, their most recent results illustrating the point that Chelsea’s defence stands extremely solid. The team having given the opposition very little, resulting in the number of goals that have gone past their goalkeeper during their last 6 clashes to be a measly 2.
Juventus goes into this meeting following a 1-0 Serie A win in the defeat of Fiorentina in their most recent outing. Juventus’ offence has helped them to tally up 9 goals. And they have also managed to score in every single one of those games. In that time, their defenders have seen 7 goals scored by their opponents showing a clear high risk high reward play-style.
With more than 3 goals scored in 3 of their last 5 meetings we have high hopes for a tense match this Tuesday and believe a similar result is imminent.
The probable line-ups are:
Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Mendy - Rudiger, Christensen, Silva - James, Jorginho, Kante, Alonso - Hudson-Odoi, Mount - Havertz
Juventus (4-4-2): Szczesny - Danilo, Bonucci, De Ligt, Sandro - Cuadrado, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot - Morata, Chiesa
Prediction: Goals Over 2.5
Image credit: 90mins.com
PREDICTION: INTER MILAN VS NAPOLI
SERIE A: 21 NOVEMBER @ 17:00 GMT
Inter and Napoli, the two title-chasing teams, face each other at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in a highly-anticipated Serie A clash. Inter are eager to melt Napoli’s advantage in the Serie A standings, and they are likely to fight tooth and nail against Napoli.
Inter Milan are the latest side trying to bring Napoli’s unbeaten Serie A (SA) run to an end and they will attempt to do so on a four-match unbeaten league run of their own (W2, D2). They come into this fixture having drawn 1-1 against bitter rivals AC Milan prior to the international break, a game heavy on first-half action with an own goal, a converted penalty and a missed penalty before half-time!
Inter Milan went up against their rivals AC Milan before the international break. Everyone expected this game to be tight and our expectations were met with how the 90-minutes played out. Napoli would have been expecting to beat Verona, especially in their own backyard, but instead, they had to settle for a share of the spoils despite the best efforts of the home side.
With Napoli having won against Inter considering the aggregate score of their past 6 meetings we believe the odds are on their side but Inter has only lost twice with a gap of more than one goal.
The probable line-ups are:
Inter Milan (5-3-2): Handanovic - Skriniar, Ranocchia, Bastoni - Darmian, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Perisic - Dzeko, Martinez
Napoli (4-2-3-1) :Ospina - Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Koulibaly, Rui - Anguissa, Ruiz - Lozano, Zielinski, Insigne - Osimhen
Prediction: Asian Handicap Napoli +1
Image credit: cultofcalcio.com
PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS ARSENAL
PREMIER LEAGUE: 20 NOVEMBER @ 17:30 GMT
One of the standout fixtures of the Premier League season will take place on Saturday evening when Liverpool welcome Arsenal to Anfield. Just one place and two points separate the two teams in the standings, with Liverpool sitting fourth and Arsenal fifth after 11 games of the campaign.
Liverpool had their 20-game unbeaten streak, cut short prior to the international break, losing to West Ham. That makes welcoming opponents Arsenal to Anfield all the more enticing, with the small gap, and as Liverpool's last three league defeats having come against London clubs!
At the end of August Arsenal sat relatively low having lost all three of their games, losing 0 to 9 in aggregated scores, while Liverpool had taken seven points from a possible nine and had been scored against only once. Today the Premier League picture has changed significantly. Mostly caused by a two-game winless streak on Liverpool’s side before the international break.
With an even split of wins, losses and draws in their last 6 head to head meetings Saturday’s fixture could lean either way but we feel positive that the odds lean in the favor of the home team.
The probable line-ups are:
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson - Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson - Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho, Thiago - Salah, Jota, Mane
Arsenal (4-4-1-1): Ramsdale - Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney - Saka, Thomas, Lokonga, Smith Rowe – Lacazette - Aubameyang
Prediction: Half time – Liverpool
Image credit: see.news
PREDICTION: AUGSBURG VS BAYERN MUNICH
BUNDESLIGA: 19 NOVEMBER @ 19:30 GMT
Bayern Munich will be looking to take home their fifth Bundesliga victory in a row when they resume their 2021-22 campaign with an away match against Augsburg on Friday night.
Augsburg stood in the Bundesliga relegation playoff place after a total of just two wins from 11 games and a difficult season. It doesn't get any easier this meeting as German giants Bayern Munich come to town, a team that is undefeated by Augsburg in 12 straight Bundesliga head-to-head competitions albeit they did breach the Bayern defence in eight of those meetings.
Bayern, meanwhile, scored a 2-1 victory over Freiburg before the international break, the German champions having won each of their four league matches since a surprising 2-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt at the start of October, including a 5-2 win in their last away match.
Coming in with a record of nine wins, one draw and one defeat from 11 matches has seen Bayern collect 28 points, which has left them at the summit, four points clear of second-placed Dortmund, having scored in 58 straight league matches and accumulated 100 goals in total in the Bundesliga in 2021. On the other hand Augsburg have managed only five goals in their other 10 games this season. This overwhelming goal disparity leads us to believe we will see a heavily one-sided fixture.
The probable line-ups are:
Augsburg (4-5-1):
Gikiewicz - Gumny, Gouweleeuw, Oxford, Pedersen - Hahn, Vargas, Maier, Gruezo, Caligiuri - Niederlechner
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer- Pavard, Upamecano, Hernandez, Davies - Kimmich, Goretzka - Coman, Muller, Sane - Lewandowski
Prediction: Total goals scored will be over 3.5
Image credit: 90min.com
PREDICTION: WALES VS BELGIUM
WORLD CUP 2022 QUALIFIERS: 16 NOVEMBER @ 19:45 GMT
In the penultimate round of games before the November international break, the Dragons of Wales face the Red Devils of Belgium.
Wales
With a playoff place on the line, this game means everything to the Welsh. By all accounts, this would be a life-or-death situation for them. Belgium defeated them 3-1 in their first WCQ group E match in March of this year. With such a large home crowd and so much on the line, things may be different at the Cardiff Stadium.
Belgium
With each passing year, Roberto Martinez's mission becomes more difficult. With Belgium's golden generation on the risk of fading away owing to the passage of time, World Cup appears to be the final opportunity for elite players like Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard to win the Jules Rimet trophy. Belgium made the qualifications look easy. They have confirmed qualifying with plenty of time to spare in a group that includes good teams like the Czech Republic, Wales, Estonia, and Belarus.
The probable line-ups are:
Wales (4-4-2): Ward - Mepham, Rodon, Davies, Williams - C Roberts, Ramsey, Allen, Wilson - James, Bale
Belgium (3-4-3): Courtois - Castagne, Denayer, Vertonghen - Meunier, De Bruyne, Witsel, T Hazard - Mertens, Benteke, Carrasco
Belgium has scored at least 2 goals in 19 of their last 24 matches of the World Cup. Wales will have to score at least as many goals as their opponents to qualify. Therefore, we expect over 2.5 goals.
Prediction: Total goals scored will be over 2.5
Image credit: sportskeeda.com
PREDICTION: NORTHERN IRELAND VS ITALY
WORLD CUP 2022 QUALIFIERS: 15 NOVEMBER @ 19:45 GMT
When the Azzurri travel to the British Isles to face Northern Ireland, they will have an opportunity to show why they are European Champions once more. The UEFA Euro 2020 champions are leading Group C, but Switzerland is a close second.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is in mixed form in Europe WC Qualification Europe and they won no home games at Windsor Park. In their previous four matches, Northern Ireland has never beaten Italy.
As he prepares to return to Northern Ireland duty, Jonny Evans hopes his injury problems are behind him. Evans has not represented his country since March, and he has only made nine appearances for Leicester this season due to plantar fasciitis, which causes discomfort in the sole, heel, and arch of the foot, and has troubled him since he walked out of the FA Cup Final in May.
Italy
Italy defeated Northern Ireland 2-0 in March of this year and will be hoping for a repeat performance in Belfast this weekend. The Italians have a perfect record against their opponents, having only fallen to them once in 1958. In WC Qualification Europe, Italy is in good form, having won two away games.
The probable line-ups are:
Northern Ireland (3-5-2): Peacock-Farrell - Cathcart, J. Evans, McNair - Dallas, McCann, Davis, Saville, Lewis - Washington, Magennis
Italy (4-3-3): Donnarumma - Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Acerbi, Emerson - Barella, Jorginho, Locatelli - Chiesa, Belotti, Insigne
Prediction: Total goals scored will be under 2.5
Image credit: cultofcalcio.com
PREDICTION: PORTUGAL VS SERBIA
WORLD CUP 2022 QUALIFIERS: 14 NOVEMBER @ 19:45 GMT
When Portugal and Serbia were paired together in Group A of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, they were always going to be the favourites. Luxembourg, Ireland, and Azerbaijan never had a chance. The two countries hold a commanding lead over the other teams in their group.
Portugal
Finishing second and earning a spot in the playoffs is something no one wants to do over winning their group. The uncertainty would be uncomfortable, and the Serbians would be well aware of this heading into their away encounter in Portugal. In this group game in March 2021, the two teams played to a 2-2 tie, but a similar outcome may not be optimal for one team or the other. Furthermore, in their previous seven head-to-head games, Serbia has never beaten Portugal.
Serbia
Serbia has traditionally been regarded as a dark horse. In the last decade or two, the underdogs have had a very capable team filled with elite players from all over the world. However, they consistently fall short. They now have an opportunity to put years and decades of agony behind them by defeating Portugal for the first time in their history in what would be their eighth head-to-head meeting. Assuming they achieve this, they will be automatically qualified for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar next summer so the stakes are high.
The probable line-ups are:
Portugal (4-3-3): Patricio - Cancelo, Danilo, Dias, Mendes - Fernandes, Palhinha, Moutinho - B Silva, Ronaldo, Jota
Serbia (3-4-1-2): Rajkovic - Milenkovic, S Mitrovic, Pavlovic - Radonjic, Milinkovic-Savic, Gudelj, Kostic – Tadic - A Mitrovic, Vlahovic
Prediction: Total goals scored will be under 2.5
Image credit: en.as.com
PREDICTION: GREECE VS SPAIN
WORLD CUP 2022 QUALIFIERS: 11 NOVEMBER @ 19:45 GMT
Spain will endeavour to keep the pressure high when they travel to face Greece in the World Cup 2022 Qualifying Group B on Thursday night.
We’re expecting an exciting finish in the last two rounds of Group B. Greece are sitting in third place with nine points with no way to take the top spot, but their hopes of conquering second place all come down to pulling off an win over opponents Spain here, with failure to do so resulting in missing their second World Cup finals in a row.
Spain face Sweden in their final qualifier of Group B in what will probably decide the top spot. Spain still need to deal with Greece to at least guarantee second place. They have previously defeated Greece 2-1 in the reverse fixture, but another win is needed here.
Greece are coming into the match with Anastasios Bakasetas suspended due to an accumulation of bookings. He is a big miss as he has played a direct hand in four goals in six qualifiers, paired with Spain’s streak of 20 matches in the world cup. However, in the past 5 matchups Greece has not lost with more than 1 goal difference making for a small gap they’d have to cover.
The probable line-ups are:
Greece (5-2-1-2): Vlachodimos - Androutsos, Goutas, Tzavellas, Tsimikas, Giannoulis - Bouchalakis, Siopis – Mantalos - Pavlidis, Masouras
Spain (4-3-3): Simon - Carvajal, P. Torres, Laporte, Alba - Koke, Busquets, Gavi - Sarabia, Morata, Olmo
Prediction: Greece +1.0 & +1.5 (Asian Handicap)
Image credit: en.as.com
PREDICTION: IRELAND VS PORTUGAL
WORLD CUP 2022 QUALIFIERS: 11 NOVEMBER @ 19:45 GMT
Portugal will be hoping to return to the top of Group A with a win on Thursday night, as they currently sit 1 point behind Serbia. Ireland only have 5 points to their name from six qualifiers, but could pass Luxembourg with a win.
Weak performances ended Ireland’s hopes of reaching their first World Cup since 2002 a few matches ago, but recently they’ve experienced significant improvement. While a four-match unbeaten streak may not sound so spectacular it represents their best run under manager Stephen Kenny, directly after a spell of one win in 15 games.
Portugal struggled against Ireland earlier in the campaign, needing two very late Cristiano Ronaldo headers to secure a 2-1 victory. Nevertheless, they are still on track to win having won their last 4 matches in the World Cup. That being said in their past 5 matchups Ireland has only lost once with more than 1 goal difference.
The probable line-ups are:
Republic of Ireland (3-5-2): Bazunu - Omobamidele, Duffy, Egan - Doherty, Hendrick, Cullen, Browne, McClean - Robinson, Idah
Portugal (4-3-3): Patricio - Dalot, Pepe, Dias, Cancelo - Moutinho, Palhinha, Fernandes - B. Silva, Ronaldo, Jota
Prediction: Ireland +1.5 (Asian Handicap)
Image credit: rte.ie
PREDICTION: GERMANY VS LIECHTENSTEIN
WORLD CUP 2022 QUALIFIERS: 11 NOVEMBER @ 19:45 GMT
Four-time world champions, Germany, welcome Liechtenstein to the Volkswagen Arena for their penultimate game in World Cup qualifications on Thursday.
It’s been smooth sailing have for Germany who became the first team to qualify for Qatar 2022 by beating North Macedonia in the last round of WCQ fixtures. This encounter with Liechtenstein promises to be an easy match on paper and the historical data would back that up too, with the five previous head to head meetings all resulting in a German victory and an aggregate scoreline of 29-3.
Liechtenstein is coming into the match with a player down as Martin Marxer is suspended after his red card in their 4-0 defeat to Iceland last time out in qualification, and taking in account their past 21 losses in the FIFA World Cup, the upcoming fixture is bound to be far from a balanced match. With Liechtenstein having failed to score in 13 of their last 15 matches (FIFA World Cup) and Germany having been winning at both half time and full time in their last 3 matches against Liechtenstein in all competitions we don’t feel any possibility for an upset.
The probable line-ups are:
Germany (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Hofmann, Rudiger, Kehrer, Raum - Gundogan, Goretzka - Draxler, Muller, Sane - Nmecha
Liechtenstein (5-3-2):
B. Buchel - Wolfinger, Grunenfelder, Malin, Hofer, Goppel - M. Buchel, Sele, Hasler - Meier; Salanovic
Germany have already qualified for the 2022 World Cup so pressure is greatly relieved off their coach and players, still there have been over 2.5 goals scored in Germany's last 4 games (FIFA World Cup) which leaves the final score in a relatively clear bracket.
Prediction: Total Goals Over 2.5
Image credit: footballexpress.in
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS WATFORD
PREMIER LEAGUE: 7 NOVEMBER @ 14:00
Arsenal hosts today Watford, after a series of positive results in the last round. A victory will lead The Gunners back to top 5 in Premier League.
Arsenal is undefeated in nine games and has won seven of them. Mikel Arteta's side has finally gotten rolling after their injury difficulties. In each of their past five games at the Emirates, they have scored two or more goals. The North Londoners must maintain their momentum with the matchups coming thick and fast. After the international break, they will face Liverpool, and Mikel Arteta must guarantee that things do not deteriorate under his guidance.
Claudio Ranieri has lost 5-0 to Liverpool, 5-2 to Everton, and 1-0 against Southampton in his first three games. Going ahead, expect a lot more volatility from this Watford squad. As a manager, Ranieri has only won one of his 18 matches against Arsenal.
The probable line-ups are:
Arsenal (4-4-2):Ramsdale - Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tavares - Saka, Partey, Lokonga, Smith Rowe - Aubameyang, Lacazette
Watford (4-2-31):Foste - Ngakia, Cathcart, Troost-Ekong, Masina - Sissoko, Kucka - Sarr, Cleverley, Denni - King
Arsenal scored over 2.5 goals in 13 of their last 15 matches against Watford in all competitions.
Prediction: Total Goals Over 2.5
Image credit: dailycannon.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS MANCHESTER CITY
PREMIER LEAGUE: 6 NOVEMBER @ 12:30
Manchester United hosts their local rivals, City, for the derby of the round 11 in Premier League. The two team are separated by 3 points and 2 positions in the league table.
After a 5-0 loss to Liverpool, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was supposedly given three matches to save his job at Manchester United, and he has since beaten Tottenham and drew with Atalanta. The back three performed admirably against a mediocre Tottenham team, but fell short against Atalanta. That defense looks much more shaky on Saturday with Raphael Varane ruled out.
Manchester City defeated Club Bruges 4-1 on Wednesday night, but Pep Guardiola picked a surprisingly powerful lineup. Given the short break between matches, it will be intriguing to watch how they perform here, despite the fact that both games are in Manchester.
At Manchester United are missing the top scorer Pogba and Varane. City is missing 4 players Delap, Laporte, Mendy and the Torres.
The probable line-ups are:
Manchester United (3-4-1-2): De Gea - Bailly, Lindelof, Maguire - Wan-Bissaka, McTominay, Fred, Shaw – Fernandes - Ronaldo, Cavani
Manchester City (4-3-3):Ederson - Walker, Dias, Stones, Cancel - Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne - Jesus, Foden, Grealish
In the last 5 games between the two team were scored two goals or less. With the perspective of a tight and tense game we expect to see less than three goals
Prediction: Total Goals Under 2.5
Image credit: topmercato.com
PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL VS ATLETICO MADRID
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 3 NOVEMBER @ 20:00
Liverpool meets Atletico on Wednesday at Enfield Road in the forth round of the groups stage of the UEFA Champions League. In their previous clash, the Reds won 3-2 at Madrid with a 78’ goal from Salah. In the group table, Liverpool has a much more comfortable position with the maximum points (9) whereas Atletico has only 4 points, same as Porto.
Madrid will come into the match the fresher side as the Spanish league allowed their most recent game to be postponed on the grounds of missing players from international duty. However, Liverpool comes into the game undefeated in the past 15 matches whereas Atlético has tasted defeat much more recently as well as the defensive record of Atlético in the competition as they have only conceded one goal. This coincides with the tactics that Simeone loves to use as he often deploys a low block to stifle any attacks from the opposition.
Liverpool has three injured players: Keita, Eliott, Millner. Atletico is missing two players: Lemar, Lorrente.
The probable line-ups are:
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson – Robertson, Dijk, Matip, Alexander-Arnold – Jones, Henderson, Chamberlain – Mane, Jota, Salah
Atletico Madrid (3-4-2-1): Oblak – Savic, Gimenez, Hermoso – Trippier, Koke, Knondogbia, Carrasco – Correa, Felix -Suarrez
This game will be a big test for whatever combination of midfielders start as they will need to be the creative force to break down the deep defence of Diego Simeone. The last game between Liverpool and Atlético de Madrid ended with a 2-3 win for Liverpool. Moreover, Liverpool scored at least 3 goals in their last 3 matches in Champions League. This gives us confidence that at least 3 goals will be scored.
Prediction: Total Goals Over 2.5
Image credit: intothecalderon.com
PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH VS BENFICA
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 2 NOVEMBER @ 20:00
The first two teams of Group E meet on Tuesday in the fourth round of Champions League. If Bayern is pretty sure to qualify to the next round having maximum of points from their firsts three games, Benfica only has one point more than the third place Barcelona.
Bayern Munich has been so strong in their attack of late, lashing 19 goals past the opposition during the course of their last six outings. In those meetings, Bayern Munich has also seen the aggregate sum of goals scored against them total 8. Nonetheless, time will tell if such a trend might continue on in this upcoming match.
Benfica comes into this match following on from a 0-1 Primeira Liga win with the downing of Vizela in their last game. During their 6 latest matches, Jorge Jesus's Benfica has turned their attacks into goals 10 times, therefore, yielding them the goals per game average of 1.67.
Missing players are Sven Ulreich for Bayern and Valentino Lazaro, Haris Seferovic, Gil Dias, Andre Almeida, Rodrigo Pinho for Benfica.
The probable line-ups are:
Bayern Munich (4-5-1): Neuer - Pavard, Sule, Upamecano, Davies - Kimmich, Sabitzer; Sane, Muller, Coman - Lewandowski
Benfica (3-4-3): Vlachodimos - Verissimo, Otamendi, Vertonghen - Goncalves, Weigl, Mario, Grimaldo - Silva, Yaremchuk, Nunez
Although in the previews round Bayern smashed Benfica 4-0 in Portugal - we expect the Eagles to be cautious in their progress. On the other side, Bayern have kept a clean sheet in their last 4 UEFA Champions League matches.
Prediction: Total Goals Under 3.5
Image credit: 90min.com
PREDICTION: WOLVES VS EVERTON
PREMIER LEAGUE: 1 NOVEMBER @ 20:00
Wolves will host Everton in the Premier League on Monday. The two teams are separated by 1 point and two places in the league table.
Following several losses manager, Wolves’ coach Bruno Lage has managed to steady the ship with four wins, but they are still way behind their goals. The departure of Nuno Espirito Santo delayed things at the club, and it will take time to stabilize things it seems. Still, a victory would allow them to move ahead of the Toffees.
Everton is currently winless in the last three matches, and they have slipped to eighth place with 14 points from nine matches. They were thrashed 5-2 by Watford and Rafa Benitez needs to plug the leak in his side. His team has not seen a victory since a 2-0 home success over Norwich City at the end of September.
The Wolves are missing 4 players: Johny, Pedro Neto, Hugo Bueno, Yerson Mosquera. Everton has 2 injured players: Abdoulaye Doucouré and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The probable line-ups are:
Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-4-3): Sa - Kilman, Coady, Saiss - Semedo, Neves, Moutinho, Ait Nouri - Traore, Jimenez, Hwang
Everton (4-4-1-1): Pickford - Holgate, Keane, Godfrey, Digne - Townsend, Davies, Allan, Iwobi – Gray - Richarlison
In five of the last six games between the two, there had been scored over 2.5 goals. In three of the last five matches have been scored at least three goals, in both teams’ cases.
Prediction: Total Goals will be over 2.5
Image credit: yourstelecast.com
PREDICTION: INTER MILAN VS UDINESE
ITALIAN SERIE A: 31 OCTOBER @ 11:30
Inter Milan are set to play Udinese at the San Siro on Sunday for their next Serie A fixture. The two teams are separated by 10 points and 11places in the league table.
Inter Milan got back to winning ways in Serie A (SA) in midweek by getting the better of Empoli 2-0 and in doing so, opened the scoring for the seventh time across their ten league fixtures this season. Coach Simone Inzaghi would’ve been biting his nails until the second goal went in, having seen his side drop nine points from winning positions this campaign, already more than double the amount from their title-winning season last term.
Udinese played out a fourth consecutive SA draw and a third in a row against Verona (1-1) in the last round, making their five stalemates this season a league-high. The visitors clearly paid close attention in algebra class as their results have followed a distinct sequence, as their drawn SA opener was followed by two wins, three losses, and now four draws.
The probable line-ups are:
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Samir Handanovic - Milan Skriniar, Stefan de Vrij, Alessandro Baston - Matteo Darmian, Nicolo Barella, Stefano Sensi, Hakan Calhanoglu, Federico Dimarco - Joaquin Correa, Edin Dzeko
Udinese (3-4-2-1): Marco Silvestri - Rodrigo Becao, Bram Nuytinck, Samir - Jens Stryger Larsen, Jean-Victor Makengo, Mato Jajalo, Marvin Zeegelaar - Roberto Pereyra, Isaac Success - Fernando Forestieri
Over 2.5 goals have been scored in three of Inter Milan's last five games in all competitions. Last year Inter won 5-1 against Udinese. Therefore we’re expecting plenty of goals.
Prediction: Total Goals will be over 2.5
Image credit: serpentsofmadonnina.com
PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM VS MANCHESTER UNITED
PREMIER LEAGUE: 30 OCTOBER @ 17:30
Tottenham Hotspur hosts Manchester United on Saturday night for what we expect to be the most interesting match of round 10 in the Premier League.
Neither are in the best of form and both teams will be desperate to make a return to winning ways. We're confident that at least three goals will be scored as that’s been the case in four of the pair's last five encounters in all competitions.
Tottenham’s defeat slipped under the radar somewhat amid Manchester United’s woes as fans streamed out of Old Trafford well before their 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool last Sunday. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appears safe for now, but the pressure is building after they suffered a shocking home defeat by 5+ goals ‘to nil’ for the first time since 1955.
We expect to see a very balanced game. The two teams are only separated by 1 point in the league table and eager to keep up with the top teams. A defeat would widen the gap to 5th place for any of them.
The Red Devils are missing their top striker Paul Pogba and the Spurs’ Sessegnon will not be playing.
The probable line-ups are:
Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Lloris – Reguilón, Dier, Romero, Royal – Højbjerg, Skipp – Heung-Min, Ndombele, Moura - Kane
Manchester (4-2-3-1): Gea – Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Maguire, Shaw – Matic, Fred – Cavani, Fernandez, Rashford – Ronaldo
Both teams will need to open up and score. The two managers are under pressure and need a win to ease calls for their sacking.
Prediction: Total Goals will be over 2.5
Image credit: fanduel.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS LIVERPOOL
PREMIER LEAGUE: 24 OCTOBER @ 16:30
In the headliner of the 9th round of the Premier League, Manchester United hosts Liverpool at Old Trafford. The two teams are separated in the league table by 4 points and 4 places before Sunday’s clash.
The objective for both of teams is simply, victory. Liverpool has to stay close to Chelsea. The Reds are just one point behind the leader, but the Blues have an easy mission at home with last place, Norwich. Liverpool comes after an easy victory in the previous round away with Watford. In the Champions League they won against Atletico Madrid 2-3, after a challenging game.
United cannot afford anything but a victory if they are to keep up with the top 5 teams. After a good start, they have only earned 1 point in the last three rounds in the league. Another negative result means the beginning of a crisis. Still the Red Devils have good morale after Wednesday’s comeback from 0-2 to 3-2 in the Champions League against Atalanta.
The absent players for United are Raphael Varane and Armand Diallo. Liverpool is missing Harvey Elliot and Curtis Jones.
The probable line-ups are:
Manchester (4-2-3-1): De Gea - Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw - McTominay, Pogba - Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford - Ronaldo
Liverpool (4-3-3):
Alisson - Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson - Henderson, Fabinho, Milner - Salah, Firmino, Mane
Although Manchester United’s confidence will be high after their Champions League performance, Liverpool is a tough opponent. They are undefeated in their last 18 games in the Premier League. Facing the fragile defence of United, which conceded 9 goals in the last 5 games, Liverpool is expected to score more than once. The Reds have scored at least three goals in all seven of their away matches this season.
Prediction: Liverpool win.
Image credit: unitedinfocus.com
PREDICTION: BOLOGNA VS AC MILAN
ITALIAN SERIE A: 23 OCTOBER @ 19:45
AC Milan travels to Bologna’s Renato Dall'Ara Stadium for the 9th round of Serie A. This match is a tricky one for the Rossoneri as they enter the match after a disappointing defeat at Porto (1-0) earlier this week in the Champions League. Meanwhile, their opponents beat Lazio (3-0) in their last home game.
In an excellent start with 7 victories and 1 draw in 8 rounds, Milan stands just two points behind the leader Napoli and dreams about their first title in 10 years. Last week in Serie A, Milan managed to comeback from 2 goals down against Hellas Verona, which is offering them a spark of optimism after their poor go in the Champions League.
Bologna are in 8th place in the table this season with an inconsistent campaign so far. After their encouraging victory with Lazio, they only managed to draw 1-1 at Udinese. However, being unbeaten in their last four games at home, Bologna might prove a hard nut to crack for Milan.
Bologna is missing just 2 players for the match (Bonifazi K. and Michael K.) whereas Milan has a worrying number of 8 players (Diaz B., Florenzi A., Hernandez T., Maignan M., Messias J., Plizzari A., Rebic A.).
The probable line-ups are:
Bologna (3-4-3): Skorupski - Soumaoro, Medel, Theate - Silvestri, Dominguez, Svanberg, Hickey - Soriano, Barrow; Arnautovic
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Tatarusanu - Calabria, Tomori, Romagnoli, Ballo-Toure - Bennacer, Kessie - Saelemaekers, Krunic, Leao - Giroud
In four of their last five meetings between Milan and Bologna they’ve scored over 2.5 goals. Moreover, in four of Bologna's last five games, we have seen at least three goals. In Milan’s four over the last 5 matches there were over 2.5 goals scored.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: sportskeeda.com
PREDICTION: BENFICA VS BAYERN MUNICH
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 20 OCTOBER @ 20:00
In the third round of the Champions League, Benfica hosts Bayern Munich at Estádio da Luz. The two teams hold the first two spots in the group and are separated by two points.
In the last round, Benfica won against Barcelona 3-0 at home after an impressive match. Benfica hold the #1 spot in the Primeira League, the top flight of Portuguese football. They have an almost perfect record with 7 victories in 8 games. Their only defeat was in the previous round at home with Portimonense (0-1). In the Portuguese Cup (Taça de Portugal) Benfica won on Saturday against Trofense after extra-time.
In the Champions League Bayern won the first two rounds scoring an impressive 8 goals against Barcelona and Dynamo Kiev. In the Bundesliga, Bayern are in first position, having won 6 out of the 8 rounds, and only losing and drawing once.
Benfica are missing 2 players (Seferovic and Lazaro) whereas Bayern are missing 3 men (Ulreich, Davies and Goretzka).
The probable line-ups are:
Benfica (3-4-3): Vlachodimos - Verissimo, Otamendi, Vertonghen - Gilberto, Weigl, Mario, Grimaldo - Silva, Yaremchuk, Nunez
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer - Pavard, Sule, Upamecano, Hernandez - Kimmich, Sabitzer - Sane, Muller, Gnabry - Lewandowski
Although Benfica have kept a clean sheet in 5 of their last 6 matches in the Champions League, Bayern have won 21 of their last 23 matches in the competition. Our prediction is Bayern to win.
Prediction: Bayern Win
Image credit: 90min.com
PREDICTION: FC PORTO VS AC MILAN
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 19 OCTOBER @ 20:00
AC Milan faces Porto today at Estadio do Dragao in a desperate search for their first win. Both teams lost in the last round so for both teams it’ll be one of their chances to reach the knockout phase of the competition.
In the domestic league, Porto won 6 out of the last 8 games and stands just 1 point behind the leader Benfica. The humiliating 1-5 loss against Liverpool in the Champions League is their only defeat at home this season.
Milan have won the last 4 games in Serie A and are also very close to the leader Napoli, 2 points behind. In the last round, Rossoneri battled back from 2-0 down to beat Verona 3-2. However, their impressive campaign from the domestic league is shadowed by the mediocre one in Champions League where they’ve lost their last 4 matches.
Player news is not great for Milan which are missing 8 players: Bakayoko, Rebic, Florenzi, Maignan, Kessié, Mirante, Hernández, Díaz. On the other side of the pitch, Porto has only one absence - Esteves.
The probable line-ups are:
Porto (4-4-2): Marchesin - Corona, Pepe, Marcano, Sanusi - Otavio, Oliveira, Uribe, Diaz - Martinez, Taremi
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Tatarusanu - Calabria, Tomori, Kjaer, Ballo-Toure - Bennacer, Tonali - Saelemaekers, Krunic, Leao - Giroud
In the last 3 of Milan’s games in the Champions League, they’ve scored over 2.5 goals. Porto scored 7 goals in their last 2 games. Therefore we expect to see plenty of goals tonight.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: middleeast.in-24.com
PREDICTION: BARCELONA VS VALENCIA
SPAIN LA LIGA: 17 OCTOBER @ 20:00
In the Spanish La Liga’s derby, Barcelona hosts Valencia at Camp now on Sunday. The match is expected to be very balanced with the two teams sharing the same number of points 12, only being separated in the league’s table by the total scored goals.
Barcelona lost the last two games, 2-0 at Atletico Madrid in the domestic competition and 3-0 at Benfica Lisbon in Champions League, continuing their disastrous route with just one victory in the last six games. Moreover, the Catalans won just once at home in the past three appearances.
Valencia doesn’t stand any better either, having won just one of the last 5 games, over one month ago at Osasuna. On the bright side, Valencia remained unbeaten in 13 of their previous 17 fixtures after the last round draw 0-0 at Cadiz.
Barcelona is missing 5 players: Martin Braithwaite, Ronald Araujo, Pedri, Ousmane Dembélé, Sergio Agüero. On the other side Valencia only misses Omar Alderete and Cristiano Piccini.
The probable line-ups are:
Barcelona (4-3-3): Stegen – Alba, Garcia, Pique, Dest – Gavi, Busquets, Jong – Depay, Jong, Fati
Valencia (4-4-2): Cillessen – Correia, Paulista, Diakhaby, Lato – Soler, Wass, Guillamon, Duro – Guedez, Gomez
The last class between the two teams ended with a 2-3 victory for the Catalans. Five of the former six clashes had three or more goals. Therefore we expect to see plenty of goals in Sundays’ derby.
Image credit: barcauniversal.com
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
PREDICTION: LAZIO VS INTER MILAN
ITALY SERIE A: 16 OCTOBER @ 17:00
Champions of Italian football, Inter Milan, travel to Rome for the 8th round derby in Serie A. Nerazzurri hope to extend their record of seven unbeaten games at Stadio Olimpico against their old rival Lazio.
In Serie A, Inter earned 17 points in 7 rounds and scored 22 goals so far- the most since 1950! Although having scored just once in 2 games and gaining only 1 point in the Champions League, Inter’s morale is high. In the last game they managed to turn around the result and win at Sassuolo after a 78’ goal.
Inter’s coach Simone Inzaghi returns at Olimpico, his former home for many years, after winning the Scudetto with the Nerazzurri. Rest assured he will receive a hostile welcome from Lazio’s tifosi.
Lazio stand 6 points and three places below their rivals in the league table. The home team line-up is missing a couple of key players: Acerbi, Zaccagni, Adekanye and Immobile. Although winning their last two home games against AS Rome (3-2) and Lokomotiv Moskow (2-0), Biancocelesti suffered a humiliation in the last round losing 3-0 at Bolognia.
Probable line-ups:
Lazio (4-3-3): Reina - Marusic, Felipe, Patric, Hysaj - Alberto, Milinkovic-Savic, Leiva - Pedro, Immobile, Anderson
Inter (3-5-2): Handanovic - Skriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni - Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Perisic - Martinez, Dzeko
Lazio are unbeaten in their last 16 home matches in the Italian top flight (winning 14). Although Inter looks like the better team at the moment, it won’t be easy to break Lazio. The Aquile have won only two of their last 10 Serie A matches against Inter. We expect a tight and tense match.
Prediction: Under 2.5 Goals
Image credit: serpentsofmadonnina.com
PREDICTION: SPAIN VS FRANCE
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE: 10 OCTOBER @ 19:45
Spain and France meet on Sunday evening at San Siro in Milan for the final stage of the UEFA Nations League competition in front of 80,000 fans.
Although both France and Spain are two of the most successful and titled European teams, they both come after unsatisfactory results in the last major tournament Euro 2020, which took place this summer. Acceding to the final stage of Nations League gives them a good chance to make up for it in front of the fans. Certainly, the continental trophy is much desired by both sides.
In the semi-finals the two teams had an opposite evolution but they both managed to secure a victory with emotions. Spain controlled much of the game against Italy after the early 17’ goal. After Bonucci’s 42’ red card and Ferran Torres 45+1’ goal things became clear. However the 83’ goal scored by Pellegrini raised the tension for the last 10’.
On the opposite, France was led by 2 goals at half time by Belgium and few people had believed in a comeback. But the 2 goals scored in 6 minutes by Benzema and Mbappe brought them back in the game. After Lukaku’s cancelled goal (87’) with a VAR decision, Hernandez brought the victory in the last minute of the regular time.
The probable line-ups are:
Spain (4-4-2): Simon - Azpilicueta, Laporte, P. Torres, Alonso - Koke, Busquets, Gavi - Sarabia, Torres, Oyarzabal
France (3-4-1-2): Lloris - Kounde, Varane, L. Hernandez - Pavard, Pogba, Tchouameni, T. Hernandez – Griezmann- Mbappe, Benzema
The Nations League Final is expected to be a very balanced game where both sides are eager to win. Although is to close too call, we expect both team to score.
Prediction: Both Teams to Score
Image credit: bleacherreport.com
PREDICTION: BELGIUM VS FRANCE
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE: 7 OCTOBER @ 19:45
In the second semi-final of UEFA Nations Cup, Belgium meets France at Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy. Both teams are eager to win the competition after a disappointing campaign at the Euro 2020 this summer. Belgium lost the quarter-final match against the trophy winner Italy (2-1). France did not even manage to pass the Round 16 after losing at penalties against Switzerland.
Earlier in the competition, the Red Devils won Group A2 with 5 victories and just 1 defeat, having Romeo Lukaku as a top scorer with 5 goals. The ‘Les Bleus’ won Group A3 with an even better performance: 5 victories and 1 draw. Their best scorer in the competition so far is Olivier Giroud with 3 goals.
In the World Cup Qatar 2022 Qualifiers Belgium claimed three victories from three with Estonia (5-2), the Czech Republic (3-0) and Belarus (1-0). France had a not so convincing campaign with two 1-1 draws against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Ukraine, and just one victory with Finland at home (2-0). Antoine Griezmann scored both and is one player to be watched. The Atletico Madrid’s star is now ahead of Zinedine Zidane, as all-time scorers for the French squad.
The all-time head-to-head records between the two teams, including friendly games, show that France won 25, Belgium won 30 and 19 ended in a draw.
The probable line-ups are:
Belgium (3-4-2-1): Courtois - Alderweireld, Boyata, Vertonghen - Castagne, Witsel, Tielemans, Carrasco - E. Hazard, De Bruyne - Lukaku
France (4-3-1-2): Lloris - Pavard, Varane, Kimpembe, Hernandez - Rabiot, Pogba, Tchouameni – Griezmann - Mbappe, Benzema
France has just ended a worrying run of five matches without a victory across all competitions whereas Belgium has eight wins from their last nine in all tournaments. With the missing of Chelsea’s defender N'Golo Kanté and the great shape of Lukaku it will be hard for the French defence to get away without one or more goals. Therefore we expect Belgium to win and enter the final of Nations League.
Prediction: Belgium to Win
Image credit: sillyseason.com
PREDICTION: ITALY VS SPAIN
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE: 6 OCTOBER @ 19:45
Nations League returns this week with the last two phases of the competition which take place in Italy. Tonight, hosts Italy meet Spain in the first semi-final at Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro) in Milano.
Luis Enrique’s squad is seeking a revenge over Italy after their European Championship 2020 semi-final defeat 4-2 at penalties (1-1 after 90’) earlier in July. This is the 39th episode of the Spanish-Italian encounter, including friendly matches. Both teams have won 11 games and drew 16 times - the balance between the two is perfectly equal. Still, Italy scored 44 goals, 3 more than Spain in their direct games.
Previously in the competition Spain won 3 games, had a draw in 2 and lost 1, finishing 1st in League A Group 4. Italy went 6 games unbeaten with 3 wins and 3 draws n League A Group 1. Spain’s top scorer so far is Ferran Torres with 4 goals while Domenico Berardi scored twice for Italy.
But the last matches in the Nations League took place in November 2020. Since then, the Euro 2020 took place this summer and the first rounds of the Qatar 2020 World Cup Qualifiers. In the last three matches, Spain lost in Sweden (1-2) and won without doubt against Georgia (4-0) and Kosovo (2-0).
Mancini’s players drew against Bulgaria and Switzerland, before winning 5-0 against Lithuania. The Azzurri continue their unbelievable streak across all tournaments with 37 games in a row without defeat. Their last downfall was over three years ago, 1-0 against Portugal.
The probable line-ups are:
Italy (4-3-3): Donnarumma - Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Emerson - Barella, Jorginho, Verratti - Chiesa, Kean, Insigne
Spain (4-3-3): Simon - Azpilicueta, Torres, Laporte, Reguilon - Koke, Busquets, Merino - Sarabia, Torres, Oyarzabal
In six of the last seven meetings between the two teams scored under 2.5 goals. Moreover, their last clash in the Euro 2020 semi-final ended 1-1 after 90-minutes.
Prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: football-italia.net
PREDICTION: ATLETICO MADRID VS BARCELONA
SPAIN LA LIGA: 2 OCTOBER @ 20:00
In an expected fierce derby, the match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona sees the two teams are separated by only two points in the La Liga table.
Barcelona will arrive after a harsh 3-0 defeat at Benfica in Champions League on Wednesday. The morale is down and Ronald Koeman’s coach position is seriously at risk. In these circumstances, anything but a victory might be fatal for him.
On the other side of the pitch, although they lost in their previous round at Alaves, Atletico’s players are in good shape and with much higher morale after their Champions League game midweek. They managed to get all three points after a dramatic 2-1 victory against Milan at San Siro with a 97th minute goal.
Do note, Barcelona’s former strikers Suarez and Griezmann will be keen on getting a small revenge and scoring against their old club.
The probable line-ups are:
Atletico Madrid (3-4-2-1): Oblak- Giménez, Hermoso, Savic- Carrasco, Lorrente, Koke, Tripier- Lemar, Griezmann- Suárez
Barcelona (4-3-3): Stegen- Mingueza, García, Piqué, Dest- Pedri, Jong, Busquets- Coutinho, Fati, Depay
Barcelona are undefeated in their last 7 games in La Liga whereas Atletico are undefeated in their last 10 games at home. Barcelona just cannot afford another loss as this will most likely result in the dismissal of Koeman. Therefore our prediction is Barcelona to win or draw.
Prediction: Barcelona Win or Draw.
Image credit: barcablaugranes.com
PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED VS EVERTON
ENGLAND PREMIER LEAGUE: 2 OCTOBER @ 12:30
After a fantastic 95th minute win against Villareal in the Champions League, the Red Devils will be seeking another victory at Old Trafford. This time they will host their Premier League rivals Everton.
In the previous round, Manchester United suffered a late defeat at Aston Villa, after a goal received in the 88th minute. Still they hold on to 4th position in the table, one point behind leaders, Liverpool. The match is expected to be balanced as their current opponent earned the same number of points so far and is just one position behind in the table.
Everton have impressed with their evolution in the Premier League this season with four wins and a draw out of six games. Their only defeat was away at Aston Villa 3-0 after a good first half and an unexpected collapse in the second one.
United is missing three players for the game, the most significant being England’s Euro 2021 star Rashford. On the other side, Everton has five absent players. The probable line-ups are:
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Gea- Shaw, Varanes, Lindelöf, Wan-Bisaaka - Fred, Matic- Pogba, Lingard, Greenwood- Ronaldo
Everton (4-4-1-1): Pickford- Godfrey, Mina, Kean, Digne – Townsend, Doucouré, Allan, Iwobi- Grey- Rondón
In their previous encounter at Old Trafford in February 2021 the two teams draw (3-3) after a dramatic late goal scored by the Blues. However Everton have not won at United in any competition since 2013. The Red Devils have scored at least 2 goals in their last 4 matches against Everton in all competitions, whereas Everton have scored at least two goals in 5 out of their six Premier League games. Therefore our prediction is: Over 2.5 goals.
Image credit: 90min.com
PREDICTION: AC MILAN VS ATLETICO MADRID
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 28 SEPTEMBER @ 20:00
In the second round of UEFA Champions League, AC Milan plays against Atletico Madrid at San Siro. Both teams are in search of their first win of the competition.
In the first round, Milan lost 3-2 at Liverpool, whereas Atletico drew at home 0-0 with Porto. Another misstep will diminish their chances of succeeding to the knockout phase, especially for Milan which has a difficult next round at Porto’s Estádio do Dragão.
AC Milan, have won the last three games from the season opening at San Siro, scoring eight goals and conceding just one. On the down side, Rossoneri triumphed in only one of the last 17 encounters with Spanish teams.
Atletico Madrid has won just one of their last seven games in the Champions League. Do note - they managed to score and win three of their last four away games in La Liga. Moreover, Atletico secured the three points in the last two clashes against Milan in 2013-2014 tournament, 2-1 at San Siro and 4-1 at Madrid.
Milan is missing no less than 4 players: Bakayoko, Krunic, Florenzi, Ibrahimovici. Atletico misses Lemar and Savici. Therefore the probable line-ups are:
AC Milan(4-2-3-1): Maignan- Hernández, Tomori, Kjaer, Calabria- Kessié, Bennacer- Rebic, Díaz, Saelemaekers- Giroud.
Atletico Madrid (3-5-2): Oblak- Giménez, Felipe, Hermoso- Tripier, Lorrente, Koke, Paul, Carrasco- Suárez, Félix.
With Atletico scoring under 2.5 goals in their last 7 games in this competition and Milan with an average of 2.5 goals in Serie A, we don’t foresee a flurry of goals tonight.
Prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Image credit: latintimes.com
PREDICTION: ARSENAL VS TOTTENHAM
ENGLAND PREMIER LEAGUE: 26 SEPTEMBER @ 16:30
Arsenal host city rivals Tottenham at Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon in a classic Premier League derby. Fans are eager to watch as this is the first north London derby to be played in front of a full house in two years.
After a disastrous start with three defeats in the first three rounds, Arsenal managed to make a comeback, winning their last two. On the other side of the pitch, after a flying start with three wins, Tottenham lost in the last two rounds 3-0. Therefore this match brings face-to-face two teams with mixed starts to the season, both eager to get the three points.
In the case of a win by two or more goals, Arsenal will climb above Spurs in the league. For Tottenham, a win over the Gunners will allow them to get up to the top 5, depending on the other games’ results. Neither manager can afford a defeat. The pressure would build up on either of them.
Probable line-ups:
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale- Thierney, Magalhães, White, Tomiyashu- Kshaka, Partey- Rowe, Ødegaard, Saka- Aubameyang
Tottenham (4-3-3): Lloris- Royal, Romero, Dier, Reguilón- Højbjerg, Skip, Alli- Heung- Min, Kane, Celso
Arsenal conceded 9 goals and The Spurs 6 goals, in the first 5 rounds of Premier League. The last three league meetings at The Gunners’ Emirates, have produced over 2.5 goals. We’re expecting at least the same number of goals on Sunday.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Image credit: soccer.nbcsports.com
PREDICTION:SEVILLA-VALENCIA
SPAIN LA LIGA: 22 September @ 19:00
This Wednesday, Sevilla’s Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium will host the sixth round of La Liga with Sevilla vs Valencia. Both teams headline the round and are currently top six in the table.
With one round less, Sevilla stands behind Valencia at two points and could swap places in the case of a victory. However, both teams are eager to win following mediocre results in their last match. Sevilla comes after two draws away, whereas Valencia lost at home against Real Madrid (1-2).
With some absent players, Suso at Sevilla and five other at Valencia- Gayà, Cheryshev, Piccini, Correia, Soler, the probable line ups are:
Sevilla (4-3-3): Bounou-Acuña, Carlos, Koundé, Navas- Fernando, Jordán, Navas, Rakitic- Ocampos, Mir, Rodríguez
Valencia (4-4-2): Mamardashvili- Folquier, Paulista, Alderete, Lato- Musah, Guillamón, Wass, Duro- Guedes, Gómez
Sevilla are undefeated in 19 of their last 21 matches against Valencia at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. They’ll be looking to maintain their record and reach third place in the league table with a win. With a much easier match next round, again at home against Espanyol(which haven’t won any of the first five games) Sevilla could stand up next to Real Madrid in the case of a double victory. Valencia has scored in each of their last four league games, in both winning and losing games. Sevilla has scored in four out of five of their previous five rounds. our prediction is that both teams will score at least once.
Prediction: Both teams score
Image Credit: sportingpedia.com
PREDICTION: EURO 2020 FINAL
KO: 11 July @ 19:00 GMT +1
After weeks of football action on the world stage - it all comes down to this spectacular moment when Italy or England take home the title of EURO 2020 Champions.
Despite squandering a one-goal lead and being put under immense pressure throughout their semi-final match against Spain, Italy survived a penalty shootout to advance to the final at Wembley.
Attacking wideman Federico Chiesa scored the Azzurri's goal for the second time in the knockout stage, while left-back Emerson filled in admirably for the injured Leonardo Spinazzola and is expected to do so again in the final, despite striker Ciro Immobile failing to score for the first time since Italy's second group game of the tournament.
Despite conceding first in their semi-final match against Denmark, England came back to win after extra time, with captain Harry Kane missing a penalty won by the tireless Raheem Sterling before slotting home the rebound in front of a raucous Wembley crowd to send the Three Lions to their first major final in 55 years. Sterling was fantastic against Denmark, and his direct running ability will make him a huge attacking threat in the final, while forward Kane is now just one goal away from tying Cristiano Ronaldo for the tournament's top goalscorer, despite facing a tough night against veteran Italian centre-backs Chiellini and Bonucci.
So far in the competition, Italy has not trailed at any point, combining veteran defensive steel with a flamboyant attack. After losing their first goal of the tournament in the semi-final before rallying to win in extra time, England once again demonstrated to the doubters why they deserve a top spot in the competition.
Match Notes: Roberto Mancini may be tempted to start Domenico Berardi as part of the front three with the intention of bringing Chiesa off the bench as an impact substitute.
Gareth Southgate must decide whether to stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation he has used for the majority of EURO 2020, or switch to the 3-4-2-1 formation he used against Germany in the round of 16. This would see Walker revert to central defense and Kieron Trippier start at right-wing-back. However, this would mean Mason Mount or Bukayo Saka would be dropped to the bench.
Prediction: Total goals scored will be Under 3.5
PREDICTION: England vs Denmark
KO: 7 July @ 19:00 GMT +1
Will it be history in the making? Tonight England has the chance to reach the EURO 2020 Final - for the first time ever. It was 25 years ago since England reached the EUROS Semi-Finals - but this time they're playing with unrivalled confidence following their 4-0 triumph against Ukraine. That was their first win by 3+ goals in a major tournament knockout match since 2002, when England beat Denmark 3-0 in their last competitive H2H win.
England have made defensive solidity the bedrock of their EURO 2020 run. They remain the only side yet to concede (W4, D1) and have gone seven matches overall without conceding a goal for the first time ever. That said, England have conceded an average of one first-half goal per match across their last four games vs sides ranked inside FIFA’s top ten (W1, D1, L2).
Denmark’s team spirit has shone through following Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest, as they continue to improve after battling through a tough quarter-final vs the Czech Republic. Captain Simon Kjær has said they are playing “with Christian Eriksen in our hearts”, and that’s propelled them into their first semi-final appearance since winning this competition in 1992. Having beaten England at Wembley as recently as October 2020, Denmark may feel mildly confident of an upset too, especially after scoring ten goals across their previous three matches (W3), and leading ‘to nil’ at HT in each of the last four.
Denmark have also netted six goals after the 75th minute across their last nine internationals, making them a constant threat. If any late goals see this clash reach a shootout - like both of these sides’ last respective Euro semis - then that may favour Denmark as they have a 50% success rate (W1, L1) in 12-yard duels at the Euros, compared to England’s 25% (W1, L3).
Players to watch: Harry Kane has registered three goals across England’s knockout matches, moving him one behind Gary Lineker’s national record of ten major international tournament goals. As for Denmark, Kasper Dolberg also has three Euro 2020 goals, all were scored during the knockout stage between the 25th and 50th minutes of play.
Prediction:Total Goals Scored Over 1.5
PREDICTION: England vs Germany
KO: 29 June @ 17:00 GMT +1
England host old rivals Germany at Wembley in this Euro 2020 Round of 16 game having started a major international tournament with three clean sheets for the first time since 1966 (W2, D1). Coincidentally, that was the last time they beat Germany/West Germany in a knockout match (Euros or World Cup), with two of the three subsequent defeats coming via the dreaded penalty shootout, including one in London at Euro ‘96.
Encouragingly, the ‘Three Lions’ have won eight of their last nine matches (D1), with the last four victories coming via a 1-0 scoreline - by which they also beat Germany in a Euro 2000 group game. They didn’t concede before HT during that sequence whilst interestingly six of their last eight fixtures have featured exactly one goal between the 50th and 70th minute.
Curiously, that same period produced five (50%) of the last ten goals witnessed in Germany’s matches! Inconsistent en route to the second round, the three-time champions struggled against France, dominated against
Portugal, yet needed an 84th-minute goal to stay in the tournament via a draw with Hungary (W1, D1, L1).
While this stage of the competition five years ago saw an average of 2.38 goals per fixture (including ET), this could prove to be a tighter affair as three of the last four H2Hs witnessed under 1.5 goals (W2, D1, L1). Although ‘Das Mannschaft’ netted the opener in three of those, they went behind inside 25 minutes of all three group games so the first goal could prove pivotal, particularly as ten of their last 11 fixtures saw the same HT/FT outcome.
Players to watch: Although Harry Kane is yet to score in this tournament, he netted a 61st-minute goal the last time England beat Germany in March 2016. Another second-half threat, Kai Havertz has scored two Euro 2020 goals, both coming between the 50th and 70th minute.
Hot stat: England have lost their last four Euros knockout matches despite netting an opener inside five minutes in three of them. Three defeats therein came via a penalty shootout!
Prediction:Total Goals Scored Over 1.5
PREDICTION: France vs Switzerland
KO: 28June @ 20:00 GMT +1
The Arena Națională in Bucharest hosts its very first European Championship knockout tie, as France and Switzerland meet for a fifth time in nine major tournaments going back to 2004, with the latter still seeking a first H2H win since the start of this century (D4, L3).
A 2-2 draw against Euro 2016 winners Portugal on matchday three saw France progress to the knockout stages, and do so for a sixth time in their last seven Euro appearances. Confident after finishing first in Euro 2020’s ‘group of death’ (W1, D2), the world champions are richly expected to be quarter-finalists in a fifth successive major tournament.
France are also enjoying a run of 19 consecutive competitive matches without a loss (W14, D5), with ten of those wins being accompanied by a HT lead. Speaking of the HT break, France have also shut out their quiet neighbours in the opening 45 minutes during each of the previous five H2Hs.
Switzerland could only finish third behind Italy and Wales during the group stage (W1, D1, L1), despite being the second-highest FIFA-ranked team in Group A. In a trend that further justifies their underdog status, the Swiss have been eliminated at the round of 16 in each of their last three major tournaments.
If the match goes as widely expected, the first ‘nail’ in Switzerland’s coffin may be quick to arrive, with eight of Switzerland’s previous 11 competitive matches (excluding walkovers) witnessing the opening goal scored within 15 minutes.
Players to watch: With his two strikes against Portugal last time out, France’s Karim Benzema has scored four braces across his last six goalscoring international appearances. Meanwhile, Switzerland have won 12 (an 85.71% majority) of the 14 competitive matches to see talismanic Xherdan Shaqiri get on the scoresheet.
Hot stat: Switzerland have drawn 45% (nine) of their previous 20 matches against any reigning world champions (W3, D9, L8).4
PREDICTION:Croatia vs Spain
KO: 28June @ 17:00 GMT +1
Now into the business end of Euro 2020, Croatia shouldn’t need any extra motivation, although revenge may be an added incentive given Spain handed them their heaviest ever defeat in international football back in September 2018 (6-0). They’ve beaten the Iberian side once since then (3-2, November 2018) and will be hoping for more of the same as they bid to improve on a record that’s seen them lose at this stage on each of the previous three occasions they’ve reached a Euro knockout phase.
Zlatko Dalić’s men secured qualification out of Group D with a professional 3-1 victory over Scotland, as their results gradually improved with each match. Given that they’ve now failed to score in just one of their last ten games at major tournaments (Euros and World Cup), ‘Vatreni’ should fancy their chances of getting on the scoresheet. They have, however, failed to beat any team currently ranked in FIFA’s top ten since that 3-2 win over Spain in 2018 (P7, L7 since).
Spain have ambitions to win a third European Championship in four attempts, however a more pressing matter is ensuring that they avoid elimination at the last 16 stage for a third successive major tournament (Euro 2016 vs Italy, World Cup 2018 vs Russia). Interestingly, both those games saw them concede a goal in the period between the 30th minute and HT and fail to score thereafter.
Despite that, Luis Enrique’s men are now unbeaten in 11 internationals (W5, D6) and haven’t conceded before HT in any of their previous six matches (W3, D3) whilst at the other end of the pitch, each of the three victories in that six-game sequence also saw them score 3+ goals.
Players to watch: Ivan Perišić has been directly involved in six goals in his last five appearances at major tournaments for Croatia (four goals, two assists). Whilst Spain’s Ferran Torres scored last time out, taking his tally to six goals across his last eight international appearances.
Hot stat: Only Switzerland won more corners than Spain (20) in the group stages.
PREDICTION: Czech Republic vs England
KO: 22 June @ 20:00 GMT +1
With four Euro 2020 points to date, the Czech Republic only need a draw here at Wembley to progress as group winners. A draw in Group D’s other finale (CRO v SCO) would see these sides lock out the top two regardless, but the group winner has the advantage of staying in London for the last 16.
The counter-attacking style they’ve adopted so far in this tournament might mean a cagey affair here against a goal-shy England, but
you’d have to go back to 2014 to find the last time they drew two straight matches. England have qualified for Euro 2020 knockout stages after Ukraine and Finland both finish third in their groups with three points, meaning that even if Gareth Southgate's side lose to Czechs they will reach the last 16.
The prospect of home advantage should inspire England. Their last two ‘matchday three’ Euro games (W1, D1) yielded a 0-0 HT scoreline, as have their last four international matches this year. Players to watch: After being the first goalscorer against Scotland and Croatia, Patrik Schick could become the first Czech to net in every group game at a Euro finals since Milan Baroš in 2004.
Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick for England in the last H2H here, including a 61st-75th minute brace.
Hot stat: Going back to 1992, England are unbeaten in first halves across their last six ‘matchday three’ Euro fixtures (HT: W4, D2).
Prediction: Total goals scored will be Over 1.5
PREDICTION: Finland vs Belgium
KO: 21 June @ 20:00 GMT +1
Finland heads into their last group game at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg knowing that only a win would secure them a place in the Round of 16. However, a draw will suffice if Russia loses to Denmark in their final match. Belgium are unbeaten in their last 11 games, winning 9 of them. We expect Kevin de Bruyne to start against their foes, setting the pace.
Despite only winning one of their previous eight games (D2, L5), Finland might take encouragement from Euro 2016, when four of the five debutants qualified from the groups.
Belgium's comeback win over Denmark qualified them for the knockout stages of Euro 2020, with only a draw necessary to finish first in Group B. No team has won all three group games at Euro 2016, giving Finland optimism. However, Belgium did so in the World Cup group stages in 2014 and 2018.
They've also won their previous four major championships' final group game, and haven't lost a game to a team presently outside FIFA's top 20, since losing to Japan in 2013.
Interestingly, the ‘Eagle-owls' haven't lost to Belgium since 1968 (W4, D3), could they have a chance against a flawless Belgium?
None of the last five encounters between Finland and Belgium have produced more than two goals. We predict that there will be some goal action in this face-off tonight.
Prediction: Total goals scored will be Under 2.5
PREDICTION: Italy vs Wales
KO: 20 June @ 17:00 GMT +1
Italy has already qualified for the round of 16 and is one of the favorites for Euro 2020, in terms of winning the trophy. Mancini's national team does not want to let its guard down in the last round of the groups.Two victories out of two possible, 6 goals scored and 0 conceded. This is what Mancini's national team looks like, without a doubt the strongest from Euro 2020 at the moment. In the opening match of the European Championship, the Italians had fun with the Turkish defense. They prevailed without much trouble - score 3: 0.
A few days later, Italy repeated the feat - on the same stadium - this time with Switzerland. Locatelli started in the 26th minute, with the goal scored on the Sassuolo line - from Berardi's pass. The same Locatelli scored for 2-0 immediately after the break, with a superb shot from outside the box and Immobile also put his name on the scoreboard, in the 89th minute. Wales has an excellent new final tournament and is very close to a qualification in the eighth. In the first round, the Welsh faced Switzerland - drawing 1: 1. Moore then managed to score in the 74th minute, and Gavranovic had a goal canceled out in the end with the VAR. Last stage, Bale & co. they achieved an extremely important victory against Turkey.
The Real Madrid player (he will return this summer on loan) passed decisively to both goals of Ramsey and Roberts. However, he missed the chance to score, after wasting a penalty kick in the 61st minute. Although Wales is not among the favorites of Euro 2020, the team can attack the upper stages of the competition. Wales can also qualify with 4 points, from the 3rd place. A draw in front of Italy, it ensures their second position and implicitly the qualification in the eighth.
Prediction: Total goals scored will be under 1.5.
PREDICTION: Portugal vs Germany
KO: 19th of June @ 17:00 GMT +1
A hydro-powered Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Portugal to a 3-0 victory over Hungary on match day one, in what was their best ever-win in an opening game of a European Championship. Their previous two opening day wins in 2000 and 2008 were followed by victory in their next match, and Portugal will hope for a continuation of that despite taking on opponents Germany with a negative Euro H2H record (W1, D1, L2). The reigning champions have now extended their unbeaten run in this competition to 12 fixtures (W5, D7 - 90 minutes) and are yet to trail at the break in 13 (HT: W2, D11). There’s been talk in the Portuguese camp that this side is in even better shape than during their 2016 triumph, and with an average of one goal scored during regulation time in that campaign - compared to their three scored vs Hungary - there could be truth to that.
Three-time European champions Germany fell to a 1-0 loss on match day one as they scored an own goal, and subsequently suffered an opening day group stage defeat for the first time in this competition. Incredibly, that own goal - Germany’s first in a major finals since 1978 - was the third of the tournament, equaling the number registered after all 51 matches of Euro 2016! The Euro 1996 winners (at Wembley) have also won just one of their previous five match-day two group stage fixtures (W1, D2, L2), and were eliminated on the last two occasions in which they didn’t secure at least one win after two games. However they have won four H2Hs in a row.
Prediction: Total goals scored will be under 2.5.
PREDICTION: England vs Scotland
KO: 18 June @ 20:00 GMT +1
It’s a huge game and perhaps the pick of fixtures in Group D as England take on traditional rivals Scotland at Wembley. Coincidentally, their only other previous meeting at a major tournament was in the group stages of Euro 1996, also at Wembley. England won that game 2-0, and have scored 2+ goals in five of the six meetings since (W4, D1, L1). That’s a far cry from the 0-0 in the first H2H back in 1872 - football’s first-ever international.Beyond wanting to get one over their rivals, a victory for Gareth Southgate’s men will likely be enough to see them into the knockouts. They’ll make history if they do secure that win as the ‘Three Lions’ have never won their first seven matches in a calendar year, as they attempt to move closer to the national record of ten consecutive wins that has stood since 1909.
Scotland suffered defeat on match day one (2-0, Czech Republic), ending their scoring run of five consecutive matches (W2, D3). That result means Scotland have never netted after going behind in a Euro finals match, and they’ve now failed to score in five of their seven all-time European Championship matches. Unfortunately for the Scots, both games in which they did score were match day three encounters (3-0 vs CIS in 1992, 1-0 vs Switzerland in 1996). Anything but a positive result would make qualification unlikely for Scotland, therefore their recent record of just one win in their last 11 matches vs England will be a worry (D2, L8). No matter the result, fans from both sides should anticipate excitement given the four H2Hs this century have averaged a high four goals per match.
Prediction: England to win.
PREDICTION: Netherlands vs Austria
KO: 17 June @ 20:00 GMT +1
Netherlands is today looking to build on their winning start to Euro 2020 as they take on Austria. After failing to qualify for the last European Championships and the 2018 World Cup, the Dutch are back at a major tournament for the first time since 2014. They got off to a winning start, beating Ukraine 3-2 in perhaps the game of the tournament so far, and can now book their place in the last-16 with a game to spare by beating Austria.
The Austrians also have three points on the board already after beating newcomers North Macedonia in their opener, though this is likely to prove a much tougher test. For the Netherlands, much will depend on the fitness of defender Matthijs De Ligt, who missed the opener against Ukraine. For Austria, Michael Gregoritsch is pushing for a start after scoring off the bench against North Macedonia but Marko Arnautovic is suspended.
The Netherlands are an entertaining outfit to watch at both ends of the field - largely because their deficiencies at the back mean they tend to afford plenty of chances to their opponents. Virgil Van Dijk's presence in the heart of the defence is certainly a big miss, with De Boer's men having kept just three clean sheets in the nine matches since the Liverpool man's season-ending injury in October. Indeed, those three shut-outs came against Gibraltar, Georgia and Latvia, and the Oranje have conceded four goals to Turkey, and two against both Scotland and Ukraine during that time as well. Although Austria are not the most prolific side in the tournament, they have scored in 18 of their last 23 matches and backing goals at both ends makes plenty of sense.
Prediction: Total goals scored will be Over 1.5
PREDICTION: Italy vs Switzerland
KO: 16 June @ 20:00 GMT +1
Italy entertain Switzerland at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome in Euro 2020 on Wednesday night. Italy easily saw off Turkey in the opening game of the tournament, with an own goal, Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne doing the damage. The 3-0 win for Roberto Mancini’s side underlined a dominant performance, and the Azzurri can essentially secure progression to the last 16 with a win over Switzerland. The Swiss drew 1-1 with Wales in their opening game, with Kieffer Moore’s header snatching a point for the Dragons after Breel Embolo had opened the scoring.
The game will likely come too soon for Marco Verratti, who has overcome a knee injury but may not be match fit. Manuel Locatelli, linked with a move to the Premier League, will join Jorginho and Nicolo Barella in midfield. Giovanni Di Lorenzo will start in place of Alessandro Florenzi, who has a calf issue. Vladimir Petkovic may bring in Denis Zakaria to counter Italy’s strength in midfield. The Swiss also called up goalkeeper Gregor Kobel to replace the injured Jonas Omlin as cover for Yann Sommer.
Mancini will surely want to keep changes to a minimum after such an impressive opening display against Turkey. However, Paris Saint-Germain full-back Alessandro Florenzi was replaced at half-time by Napoli's Giovanni Di Lorenzo on Friday and subsequently diagnosed with an inflammatory muscle injury to the right calf. Key midfielder Marco Verratti returned to training on Sunday five weeks after suffering a knee injury at PSG, though it remains to be seen if he will be fit enough to play any part against Switzerland.
Prediction: Total goals scored will be Over 1.5
PREDICTION: France vs Germany
KO: 15 June @ 20:00 BST
After a bitter runners-up finish at Euro 2016, reigning world champions France come into this competition as serious candidates to win Euro 2020 as they attempt to become the first side to be world and European champions at the same time on two occasions. ‘Les Bleus’ are known to be strong starters in European Championships, losing just one of their nine opening games of the tournament (W5, D3), with that single loss dating back to 1960!
Although this game will be held in Munich, France’s confidence should be high as they’re unbeaten in five H2Hs on German soil (W3, D2). The world’s number two ranked nation are also enjoying a run of four consecutive wins ‘to nil’, and notably, a fifth successive shutout would mark their longest run without conceding since June 2008.
Reaching at least the semi-final stage in all international competitions between 2006 and 2016, Germany (#12) were humbled at the 2018 World Cup, finishing last in their group. Three-time Euro winners, the Germans may have never lost an opening game in this competition (W7, D5), but they’re now winless in 11 international matches against nations currently ranked better than them by FIFA (D7, L4).
This will be Joachim Löw's last tournament in charge of the German national team who were humiliated 6-0 by Spain in November, and in March lost 2-1 at home to North Macedonia (#62). The H2H history makes for worrying reading too, as the ‘Mannschaft’ are winless in five meetings with France (D2, L3) - including a semi-final defeat in Euro 2016 - with four of those featuring a 1-0 HT scoreline either way.
Prediction: Total goals scored will be Over 1.5
PREDICTION: Spain vs Sweeden
KO: 14 June @ 20:00 BST
The Estadio de La Cartuja will become the first Spanish venue to host a major international tournament since the 1982 World Cup, as three-time European champions Spain make a seventh successive Euro finals appearance. They are favoured to extend a perfect competitive return here (W2), which includes a 6-0 thrashing of another side currently in FIFA’s top 20 (Germany) only last November.
After netting 12 goals across their final two Euro 2020 qualifiers, ‘La Roja’ certainly have the momentum to claim a third Euro title in four editions. Speaking of dozens, both of Spain’s previous two Euro triumphs this century saw them finish with exactly 12 goals and with the overall top scorer (joint or outright).
Sweden are flying under Janne Andersson, with the Halmstad-born head coach boasting a win rate of 50.91% after a five-game winning run. They finished top in their 2018 World Cup group under him, but wider history is against the ‘Blågult’, who’ve bowed out at the group stage in four of five Euro appearances since their semi-final appearances at Euro ‘92 and the 1994 World Cup.
The Swedes lost 2-1 to Spain in the only prior Euro finals H2H (2008), and coincidentally, it’s that same scoreline by which Sweden have lost both prior Euro battles vs ‘host’ nations. Both losses were also campaign openers, contributing to a combined progression rate of 0% from four World Cup and Euro tournaments to see Sweden lose their opener (1970-2012).
Prediction: Total goals scored will be Over 2.5
PREDICTION: Austria vs North Macedonia
KO: 13 June @ 17:00 GMT+1
Austria make only their third appearance at the European Championship finals. By beginning their campaign against a lower-ranked side, they will be hopeful of winning a game at a major tournament for the first time since the 1990 World Cup. So too will they aspire for a first goal at a Euro finals before the 60th minute, after logging a previous group stage record of: D2, L4.
Though favorites in this clash at the Arena Naţională in Bucharest, Franco Foda’s side are without a win or a goal in three matches (D1, L2). However, you would have to go back to November 2019 to find the
last time the Austrians failed to beat an opponent currently ranked outside FIFA’s top 50.
Amid a last minute kit change due to fan outrage, North Macedonia enter the Euro finals for the very first time as an independent nation, reaching this historic moment via the UEFA Nations League playoffs.
‘Euro 84’ was the last occasion at which any Macedonian (playing for the now-defunct Yugoslavia) was eligible to participate, but Yugoslavia lost all three group games on that occasion.
Coach Igor Angelovski has set the goal of a place in the last 16, and confidence should be sky-high, as his charges come into this game unbeaten in four - including a famous win against Germany. The
outsiders in Group C, coming from ‘Pot 4’, North Macedonia did suffer two H2H defeats in the Euro 2020 qualifiers, although they scored in each, with both fixtures witnessing a match goal in the first 20 minutes.
Prediction: Total goals scored will be UNDER 2.5.
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PREDICTION: Wales vs Switzerland
KO: 12 June @ 14:00 BST
Wales will begin their Euro 2021 campaign against Switzerland on Saturday, hoping to repeat their great European Championship run. At Euro 2016, the Dragons advanced all the way to the semi-finals before falling to eventual champions Portugal. While the Welsh may not be at the top of their game, players like Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, and Dan James still have enough talent to pose issues for most teams - but they must get points this weekend.
The Swiss are in a similar situation to Wales in that a poor performance here might spell the end of their Group A chances, with Turkey and Italy rounding out a well-balanced group. This might be a close game settled by a single goal, though both teams would probably settle for a point to start.
Prediction: Total goals scored will be Over 0.5
PREDICTION: Turkey vs Italy
KO: 11 June @ 20:00 BST
After a year of anticipation, the European Championship begins on Friday night with Turkey against Italy. Due to the outbreak, Euro 2020 has been pushed back a year, but Europe is finally ready for a summer of football.
Burak Yilmaz had a fantastic season with Lille, leading them to the Ligue 1 Championship and defeating PSG. With 16 goals in Ligue 1, he was Lille's leading scorer, with only three players in the league scoring more, and he finished the season with seven goals in his last seven games.
In major tournament football, however, Italy is undefeated in the Stadio Olimpico, having won six and drawn two. Turkey, on the other hand, is infamous for being a sluggish starter at European Championships, having lost all four of its first games, including a 2-1 loss to Italy to open Euro 2000.
It's also worth noting that Mancini was dealt another setback in the build-up to the game as Lorenzo Pellegrini was forced out with a muscular injury and will be replaced by Gaetano Castrovilli. Given Italy's four World Cup victories, they are regarded as the dark horses for any tournament but they are flying under the radar this summer and could get off to a great start.
Prediction: Total goals scored will be Over 1.5
EURO 2020: Overall Predictions
KO: 11 June in Rome
The football tournament will kick off on Friday, June 11th, in Rome, with what could be one of the best matches of the round: a Group A clash between Italy and Turkey. Here's everything you need to know about every group at the tournament.
Group A: Italy, Turkey, Switzerland and Wales.
Arguably the competition's most balanced group, Italy headlines a quartet featuring four teams that will each have sights on the knockout stages. They could benefit from playing all of their group games in Rome, have been fluid and exciting under Roberto Mancini, and they come into the event unbeaten in 27 matches.
Turkey, which has been slapped with the dark-horse label, can spoil Italy's party in the tournament's opening contest, while Switzerland and Wales both boast high-end talent capable of winning matches.
Players to watch:
Federico Chiesa (Italy): After taking his game to the next level during a stellar debut season with Juventus, the blistering winger will be crucial in driving an attack-minded, exuberant Italy forward this summer.
Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland): Granit Xhaka will be vital, too, but for Switzerland to really thrive, Shaqiri needs to shine in a likely No. 10 role. It's a lot to ask of someone who started only five league matches this past season, though.
Burak Yilmaz (Turkey): Fresh off leading Lille to a stunning Ligue 1 title, veteran striker Yilmaz will now look to carry that momentum over to his national team. The 35-year-old scored 16 league goals this past season.
Gareth Bale (Wales): Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order? The Welsh better hope so. There's some excitement for the next generation of talent, but the 31-year-old is still the guy. If Bale doesn't dominate, Robert Page's team will struggle.
Group B: Denmark, Finland, Belgium and Russia.
Belgium's golden generation is facing its moment of truth. With star players Romelu Lukaku , Kevin De Bruyne , Eden Hazard , and Dries Mertens well into the prime of their careers, anything less than a run to the final would be considered a disappointment.
But the Red Devils shouldn't take the opposition lightly. Denmark has one of its best rosters since winning Euro 1992, and Russia remains a threat with home-field advantage throughout the group stage. Who knows, even tournament rookie Finland could cause an upset along the way.
Players to watch:
Romelu Lukaku (Belgium): The 28-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, having made 35 goal contributions on the way to winning the Serie A title with Inter Milan. Belgium needs the same production from its target man.
Christian Eriksen (Denmark): The playmaker is the brains of Denmark's operation. A threat on set pieces and in open play, the midfielder can single handedly decide matches. Denmark's lackluster front line depends on Eriksen's wizardry for chances.
Teemu Pukki (Finland): The 31-year-old scored 10 goals in Euro qualifying - only behind Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Eran Zahavi - and he did it with an average squad around him.
Aleksandr Golovin (Russia): The Russian dynamo inspired his country at the 2018 World Cup, kicking things off with a goal and two assists in an opening-day thrashing of Saudi Arabia.
Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria and North Macedonia.
The Netherlands should consider itself the favorite to win Group C. Memphis Depay has recovered from a serious knee injury, he's in the form of his life, and he has a strong supporting cast in Georginio Wijnaldum, Frenkie De Jong, and young gun Donyell Malen. The Dutch have more than enough swagger to recapture the public's imagination after missing out on the last two tournaments.
But defensively stout Ukraine and sneaky-talented Austria also have the potential to take points off them. Andriy Shevchenko's men secured a respectable draw against France in Euro qualifying, and the Austrians can always bank on the shapeshifting David Alaba, as well as powerhouse midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, for moments of genius. Even North Macedonia is capable of an upset, having toppled Germany in March.
Players to watch:
David Alaba (Austria): The 28-year-old is one of Europe's most versatile players. Though he usually plays somewhere along the backline, Alaba moonlights as an attacking midfielder for his country.
Memphis Depay (Netherlands): A player with street skills and a knack for the spectacular, Depay is the Netherlands' primary scoring threat. The 27-year-old bounced back from a serious knee injury to score 20 goals for Lyon in the 2020-21 Ligue 1 season.
Goran Pandev (North Macedonia): At 37 years of age, Pandev is one of football's elder statesmen, a veteran of Italy's Serie A, and a celebrated icon in his native North Macedonia. He's spent 20 years with the national team, and his participation in Euro 2020 is the peak of his enduring career.
Ruslan Malinovskyi (Ukraine): The Ukrainian midfielder has arguably the hardest shot in the tournament. He can strike the ball with either foot, making him as unpredictable as he is lethal in possession. Malinovskyi is also excellent in dead-ball situations.
Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic and Scotland.
This quartet's opening match - England versus Croatia at Wembley Stadium - should be a good indicator of how Group D will shape up. Croatia triumphed when the two teams met in the 2018 World Cup semifinals, but it's still reliant on an old guard headlined by Luka Modric. England, meanwhile, is a bold pick to win the whole tournament.
Scotland's first match against the Czech Republic could be similarly decisive, as the teams will likely battle it out to become one of the best third-placed finishers. The Scots are poised for their first major tournament appearance since 1998, while the Czechs hope their strong Slavia Prague presence will lead them into the knockout rounds.
Players to watch
Luka Modric (Croatia): The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner turns 36 in September, so this could be his final competition for his country. Expect the usual blend of artistry and industry from the most successful player in Croatia's history.
Tomas Soucek (Czech Republic): The popular, lanky midfielder was a crucial cog in West Ham United's impressive 2020-21 campaign. The Czechs will look to take advantage of Soucek's aerial presence in their bid to emerge from the group.
Harry Kane (England): There are plenty of game-changers in the England squad, but none are more important than its captain. Kane enters the Euros after logging both the most goals and assists in the Premier League this past season.
Andy Robertson (Scotland): Scotland is overstocked at left-back, but Robertson is arguably one of the world's best in his position. He never looks out of breath as he hares up and down the flank, and his delivery from out wide can unlock the most stubborn defenses.
Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden and Slovakia.
Luis Enrique caused controversy by failing to name a single Real Madrid player in his squad - including defender Sergio Ramos, Spain's record appearance holder with 180 caps. Instead, there's a youthful look to the Iberian nation, with the likes of Dani Olmo, Pedri, and Ferran Torres all possessing the quality to propel themselves to superstardom.
Slovakia is the rank outsider to advance to the knockout rounds, so Sweden and Poland (positioned 18th and 21st in FIFA's rankings, respectively) are expected to squabble over a runner-up spot. Poland boasts the best striker on the planet in Robert Lewandowski, while Sweden's attackers will need to step up in the absence of injured showman Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Players to watch:
Robert Lewandowski (Poland): Who else? The Bayern Munich star recently collected the European Golden Boot after breaking the all-time record for most goals in a single Bundesliga season with 41 strikes.
Martin Dubravka (Slovakia): With many writing off Slovakia's chances of getting out of Group E, there will be a lot of pressure on Dubravka to be in peak form between the sticks.
Gerard Moreno (Spain): The Villarreal frontman scored or assisted a combined 40 goals across La Liga and Europa League play last season, and he's undoubtedly the most intelligent attacker in Enrique's squad.
Emil Forsberg (Sweden): The excitement around the RB Leipzig star has died away in recent years, but Forsberg enters Sweden's campaign after a much-improved Bundesliga season.
Group F: France, Portugal, Germany and Hungary.
The proverbial Group of Death. There's always one, and this time around it's perhaps the most vaunted in recent tournament history. The defending World Cup champion, the reigning Euro titleholder, and a decorated perennial contender. Spare a thought for Hungary, which did extremely well to reach Euro 2020, but will need a minor miracle to see the knockout stages.
France, the tournament favourite, will battle with Portugal and Germany for Group F supremacy. Don't take your eyes off this quartet.
Players to watch:
Kylian Mbappe (France): You could pick anyone from France's starting XI - and several players from its bench - to highlight here. However, you can't go wrong with Mbappe, who, at 22, is already in the conversation as the world's best player.
Timo Werner (Germany): Germany, unsurprisingly, is well-balanced across the pitch, but it lacks a prototypical No. 9 to lead the attack. Werner, after a horribly unlucky debut season at Chelsea, needs to revert to his RB Leipzig scoring form.
Willi Orban (Hungary): In a group so loaded with attacking superstars, Orban is going to have a lot of work to do. The RB Leipzig center-back, along with defensive peer Attila Szalai, will be busy over the next couple of weeks.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): Now 36, there's a very real argument to be made that Portugal shouldn't still be built around Ronaldo. That said, he is coming off a prolific season with Juventus, and he'll be flanked by some serious talent with the Selecao as he chases down Ali Daei's scoring record.