There is another round of European fixtures for soccer fans to look forward to this weekend. But, which teams should be included in bettors’ soccer predictions? Here is a rundown of some of the most interesting fixtures taking place this weekend.
Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur
The biggest game taking place in the Premier League this weekend will see Jose Mourinho return to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United. Mourinho was manager of the Red Devils for just under three years, but he is yet to beat his old side since becoming manager of Tottenham Hotspur.
These two sides will both be aiming for a place in the top-four, but it will be hugely unlikely that they will both be able to achieve that feat. Spurs have started the season well, and they have recovered from their miserably opening day defeat against Everton. Since then, they have won against Southampton and drawn against Newcastle United. The latter of those was their most recent outing, and they were cruelly denied all three points in the final moments of the game as Newcastle were awarded a controversial penalty.
There was also a layer of controversy around Manchester United’s first win of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion in their most recent outing. The full-time whistle was blown with the scores at 2-2 before VAR overruled and awarded a penalty to United. Bruno Fernandes scored the spot-kick to ensure the Red Devils got their first three points of the new Premier League season.
Both of these sides have already shown vulnerability in defence, which means that a good bet could be for both teams to score. The most recent meeting ended in a draw, and that could be the most likely result again.
Barcelona vs Sevilla
Two sides that will be playing in the Champions League this season will meet at the Nou Camp this weekend. Sevilla upset the odds to win the Europa League last season, and there is no doubting that the quality within this squad could be enough to see them cut the difference between themselves and the teams competing for the LaLiga title.
It may be a very good time to face Barcelona, as the situation behind the scenes has been well-documented throughout the summer. However, Ronald Koeman put all that speculation behind him on the opening day and eased the pressure on his job by picking up a first three points of the season. Lionel Messi spent much of the summer trying to force a move away from the club, but he soon settled back into playing for the club as he scored in their 4-0 win over Villarreal. Ansu Fati scored a brace in the win, while there was also an own goal from Pau Torres.
Sevilla also got off to the perfect start in LaLiga, as they beat Cadiz 3-1 on the opening day of the season. However, they were made to work very hard for the three points as they went 1-0 down with 40 minutes remaining. However, Luuk de Jong equalised, before goals from Munir El Haddadi and Ivan Rakitic in injury time secured the three points.
Barcelona will be wary of the threat posed by Sevilla, and this should be an entertaining game between two very good sides. However, Barcelona are unbeaten in nine against Sevilla, and that run will continue.
Juventus vs Napoli
Two huge rivals in Serie A meet this weekend, as Juventus welcome Napoli to the Allianz Stadium. But, can the current league leaders cause a minor shock and take the three points off from the defending champions?
Napoli have started the new Serie A season in fantastic form, as they have won both of their opening games. They opened the season with a comfortable 2-0 win away at Parma before they secured a huge 6-0 victory over Genoa in their most recent game. Genaro Gattuso’s side was excellent in that recent fixture, as five of their six goals came in the second half. Hirving Lozano scored a brace, while there were also goals for Piotr Zielinski, Dries Mertens, Elif Elmas and Matteo Politano.
Juventus opened their title defence with a 3-0 win over Sampdoria, with Cristiano Ronaldo inevitably getting himself on the scoresheet. However, they were unable to follow this opening day win up with another success as they were held to a 2-2 draw against AS Roma. Ronaldo scored a brace in that draw, while Roma’s goals were both scored by Jordan Veretout.
This will be the first big challenge that Napoli have faced this season, but their early-season performances would indicate that they could take something away from Turin. The pick is for the draw.
Lazio vs Inter Milan
Lazio and Inter Milan both finished in the top-four last season, and they will be hoping to repeat that finish again this term. But, will it be Inter Milan or Lazio that takes the first bragging rights of the season when they meet at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday afternoon?
Lazio started their 2020-21 Serie A season with a routine win away from home against Cagliari. Manuel Lazzari put Lazio in complete control of the game as he fired home inside the first five minutes of the game. Ciro Immobile made sure of the three points with 15 minutes remaining, as he starts this season just as he ended the last.
It wasn’t such a clear-cut affair for Inter Milan, as they needed to come from behind on two occasions before claiming a 4-3 win at the San Siro against Fiorentina. The travelling side led 3-2 going into the final five minutes, but Inter were able to escape with the three points. Romelu Lukaku equalised for Inter with three minutes of normal time remaining, before Danilo D’Ambrosio won the match for Inter in the 89th minute.
This is an exciting match for neutrals to look forward to, but Inter’s defending against Fiorentina would give gamblers cause for concern. Therefore, the preference for this huge Serie A fixture is for Lazio.
