There is a huge weekend of soccer fixtures from around Europe taking place this weekend, but which teams should gamblers be including in their soccer tips?
Manchester United vs Chelsea
Two sides that will be representing the Premier League in the Champions League will meet at Old Trafford this weekend, with both sides aiming to finish in the top-four once again this term. Neither side has yet found their best form, and this could be a huge fixture for both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Frank Lampard.
Manchester United saved their best performance of the season so far for their last Premier League outing, where they beat Newcastle United 4-1. The win means that Solskjaer is only the second United manager to win at St James’ Park in the Premier League era. United fell behind in that game through an unfortunate Luke Shaw own goal. However, their response was an emphatic one. Harry Maguire ended his week from hell by levelling the scores before three goals in the final ten minutes showcased United’s dominance. Bruno Fernandes, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Marcus Rashford scored the other United goals.
Chelsea’s defensive issues look to have remained from last season, as they were guilty of squandering a two-goal lead to settle for a point against Southampton at Stamford Bridge. Frank Lampard’s Blues now average 1.5 goals against in the Premier League, which is the worst of any Chelsea manager in the Premier League era. Timo Werner scored a brace to put the Blues 2-0 ahead in the match against the Saints, while Kai Havertz restored Chelsea’s lead after Southampton had made it 2-2. However, the Saints had the final say when Jannik Vestergaard levelled in the 92nd minute.
Chelsea lost both league games against United last season but won the FA Cup semi-final fixture between the sides. There will be goals in this game, which means that the both teams to score selection could be a great pick.
Bayern Munich vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt are currently both occupying a spot in the top-four in the Bundesliga, and there is a sense that this season’s Bundesliga title race could be a lot closer than it was last season.
Bayern have started the season well, as they have won three of their four fixtures. However, defeat against Hoffenheim ended their unbeaten 2020 record, but since then, they have bounced back with wins over Hertha Berlin and Arminia in the Bundesliga. The latter of those was their most recent fixture, with Bayern claiming 4-1 success. Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski both scored twice in that win, while Corentin Tolisso was sent off with 15 minutes remaining, which will mean that he will miss the fixture against Frankfurt.
The 2019-20 season was a tough one for Eintracht Frankfurt, but they already seem to be in a much stronger position this season. They are yet to lose a game in the Bundesliga this term, as they have won twice and drawn twice. Their run of two straight defeats was brought to an end in their last fixture in the Bundesliga against FC Cologne. Andre Silva put Frankfurt ahead in that game, before Ondrej Duda equalised early in the second half. Frankfurt will have their sights set on a European finish this season, but this will be a difficult challenge ahead of them against Bayern. The preference is for the home win.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid
The first El Clasico of the season takes place this weekend, as the top two from last season’s LaLiga will both be looking to get back to winning ways after suffering defeat last time out. There will be more pressure on Ronald Koeman going into this fixture, as his position as Barcelona manager hasn’t exactly been secure since he was appointed.
Barcelona have started this season winning just two of their four games. They also come into this fixture having not won in their previous two. They were beaten in their last game by Getafe, with a second-half strike from Jaime Mata being enough for all three points. Barcelona were desperately poor in the final third of that match as they had just one shot on target despite having 73% of the possession.
Real Madrid will also come into El Clasico this weekend having lost their first game of the season. The defeat was also the first time that Real Madrid have lost in La Liga since the games have gone behind closed doors. Their defeat would have come as a huge shock to everybody around the world, as they lost to Cadiz, who have only recently been promoted into LaLiga. Both sides will have to improve heading into El Clasico.
The meeting at the Nou Camp last season ended in a goalless draw, while three of the previous four El Clasico’s have ended in draws in Barcelona. Therefore, the preference is for another draw in this fixture.
AC Milan vs AS Roma
AC Milan could potentially be emerging as one of the contenders for the Serie A title this season after they have started the season in excellent form. However, they will face enough tough assignment this weekend, as AS Roma are the visitors to the San Siro.
Milan are the only team in Serie A with a 100% record, as they have won all four games in the league so far this season. Defensively, they have been exceptional as they have conceded just one goal. The only goal that they have conceded game in their last game, which was a 2-1 win in the Milan derby. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was in excellent form on his return to the starting eleven in that fixture as he scored a first-half brace. The Swedish superstar could once again have a starring role this weekend.
It hasn’t been a terrible start to the season for AS Roma, who have won two of their three games. They will come into this fixture off the back of two straight wins, with those victories coming against Udinese and Benevento. The most recent of their wins was against Benevento as they ran out 5-2 winners. Edin Dzeko scored a brace in that win.
Milan’s form at the start of this season has been exceptional, and they will continue to build on that progressive win with another three points against Roma this weekend.
