There are a number of huge derbies for gamblers to look at betting on this weekend, with a huge Merseyside derby in the Premier League and the Milan derby in Italy. But, which soccer predictions should gamblers make for these huge fixtures?
Everton vs Liverpool
It has been ten long years since Everton last claimed a win against their local rivals, but there are indications already this season that this run could be brought to an end.
Everton will go into the first Merseyside derby of the season as the in-form team in the Premier League. The Toffees currently sit at the top of the Premier League having enjoyed their best start to the season for many years. Carlo Ancelotti’s summer business has already had a huge impact on their fortunes on the pitch, with James Rodriguez already looking like one of the signings of the season. Everton will come into this game having won their last match before the international break 4-2 against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin continued his excellent goalscoring start to the season with the opener, while Rodriguez also scored a brace. Meanwhile, Yerry Mina also scored in the game for Everton. However, this will be their first huge challenge of the season.
There will need to be a response from Jurgen Klopp’s side as they were on the receiving end of one of the most embarrassing scorelines in Premier League history in their last game. The Reds were humbled 7-2 by Aston Villa, and defensively they were nowhere near the level expected by champions. If they defend like that again against Everton, then there will be no chance that Liverpool will be winning the derby.
However, it’s incredibly unlikely that they will be as bad defensively again, and there will be a response. Regardless, the pick for this match is the draw.
Inter Milan vs AC Milan
There will also be an interesting Milan derby for football fans to look forward to on Saturday evening, as AC Milan come up against Inter Milan at the San Siro. There is very little between the sides at present, which means that this is a fixture that could go either way.
AC Milan come into the derby in the better form, as they have won all three games that they have played this season. They have scored seven goals in these three games and are the only team to have played three games that are still yet to concede in Serie A. However, this will be the first time that they have come up against a proven team. Their last outing in Serie A was against Spezia, where Milan ran out comfortable 3-0 winners. Rafael Leao scored a brace in that win, while Theo Hernandez also found the back of the net. Milan’s chances of derby success will also be increased with the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has been forced to miss the last couple of games after testing positive for COVID-19.
The target for Antonio Conte and his team this season must be the Serie A title. They finished just one point behind Juventus last term, and their summer business this year has seen the club strengthen their defence. Regardless, they come into this game having already conceded six goals in three games. Going forward, they have been great already, as they have scored ten goals. However, they will go into the Milan derby having being held in their last game by Lazio. Sergej Millinkovic-Savic equalised for Lazio in that game after Lautaro Martinez had put Inter ahead.
This will be another tough fixture to call, with both sides impressing over the opening weeks of the season. However, the pick would be for an AC Milan win as they have been excellent defensively.
Manchester City vs Arsenal
It has been a difficult start to the season for Manchester City, and they already find themselves eight points behind the league leaders. They will come up against an Arsenal team that will be full of confidence this weekend at the Etihad.
City haven’t won in their last two Premier League games, and the defensively issues that were their Achilles heel last term seem to still be apparent. The signings of Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake has done little to stop the flow of goals against them, as they have already conceded seven in three games. City will come into this fixture having been held in their last league game against Leeds United. Raheem Sterling had put City ahead at Elland Road before Rodrigo levelled the scores. City were wasteful in front of goal in that fixture as they hit the target on just two of their 23 attempts.
Mikel Arteta’s aim for the season will be to finish in the Champions League places, and they have already started the season looking like a side that will be capable of doing that. Their only defeat of the season so far came against Liverpool, but they bounced back to winning ways in their previous game before the international break. Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe scored the goals in the win for the Gunners against Sheffield United.
Arsenal haven’t beaten City in the Premier League for five years, but they will take confidence from their FA Cup semi-final win against the Citizens just three months ago. City remains the selection for gamblers, but there will be goals in the game.
