April 11, 2023 - Matchplug Blog

Man Utd planning HUGE summer clear-out

Manchester United are reportedly planning to sell as many as 13 players this summer in order to properly replenish Erik ten Hag’s squad.

According to the Daily Mail, the Red Devils are keen on a squad overhaul, and have identified at least 13 players that they consider dead weight, who could be sold this summer to generate funds for a squad rebuild.

Erik ten Hag’s side are currently facing ownership uncertainty and are also walking a tightrope with Financial Fair Play given their incredibly bloated squad.

But they are now planning to address their squad size and are ready to move on over a dozen first team players and popular names.

Cheif among those that could be sold is Annthony Elanga. The Swede has attracted plenty of interest, with Borussia Dortmund reportedly keen. Also, defender Eric Bailly is also seti to be moved on at the end of his unsuccessful loan spell at Marseille.

Ivorian youngster Amad Diallo is set to be given a chance in the first team next season, while Facundo Pellistri could then be sent on loan for further experience, following his breakthrough season at Old Trafford.

United could also try to sell club captain Harry Maguire, Brandon Williams, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Alex Telles, Anthony Martial and Donny van de Beek.

The club has transfer targets in mind and have already spoken to the representatives of Bayer Leverkusen full-back Jeremie Frimpong, giving new transfer negotiator Matt Hargreaves plenty to get busy with over the coming months

Jurgen Klopp’s wants Nicolo Barella to strengthen his struggling midfield

Liverpool are reportedly keen on signing Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barea this summer.

The Reds are in the market this summer for a midfielder as they are determined to strengthen that department of their team, given that they have struggled massively in that area this season.

They have long been linked with Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, but they face fierce competition from the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City for the signature of the England international.

Apart from Bellingham, Brighton star Moises Caicedo is also a target. But the Ecuadorian has been linked with a number of top Premier League sides and might elude Jurgen Klopp’s side given that they might not qualify for the Champions League next season.

According to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, Liverpool have now placed Barella at the top of Klopp’s wishlist of midfield reinforcements along with Bellingham and Caicedo.

But as it the case with Bellingham and Caicedo, the Premier League side could face competition in the race for Barella. Chelsea are reportedly interested in the 26-year-old, although the Blues might be restrixyed by finances given their £600m spending spree across the last two transfer windows.

It’s expected that Barella would cost Liverpool around £65m – a hefty fee, though potentially cheaper than what they could sign Bellingham or Caicedo for. The Italian is happy with life at the San Siro and is contracted there until 2026.

But Inter could be forced to sell if a big offer comes in for their midfielder.

Benfica vs Inter Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Inter Milan will travel to Portugal this Tuesday to face 22022/23 Champions League dark horses Benfica in the first leg of their quarter-final doubleheader.

The hosts have enjoyed a remarkable UCL campaign and come into this tie as one of the four sides yet to lose a game in this campaign. They finished top of their group ahead of PSG and qualified for this stage by beating Club Brugge 7-1 on aggregate.

While it could be argued that they faced arguably the weakest team in the last round, the Portuguese side can point to their two-legged draw against PSG and two wins in two group games over Juventus as a proof that they deserve to be here.

They have lost just once in their last nine games (W8), a narrow 2-1 loss to title rivals FC Porto last Friday, and will fancy their chances here and bid to extend their impressive home record against Italian clubs (W7, D4, L3) when Inter Milan comes to town.

Claiming a first-leg advantage in this quarter-final tie will likely be essential to Benfica’s chances of progression. The Eagles are in a position to do so after losing just three of their last 25 European matches on home turf (W16, D6).

Meanwhile, Inter Milan will travel to Estádio da Luz in dire form, having failed to win any of their last six competitive games (D3, L3). Furthermore, their last outing was a dour 1-1 draw with lowly Salernitana, which means their top-four quest this season is now officially under threat.

That also means that the future of manager Simon Inzaghi is also under scrutiny. The former Lazio man will be desperate to find some reprieve here. But Inter’s record at this stage in the UCL era is uninspiring, as they have fallen at this hurdle in four of their six quarter-final jaunts.

However, they qualified for this stage of the UCL by beating Portuguese side FC Porto 1-0 on aggregate in the previous round. Unfortunately, the only win in that tie came at the San Siro, meaning they may struggle again on the road. The fact that only once have they ever won away from home against Portuguese opposition (D5, L4) also makes for grim reading for even the most optimistic Inter fans.

Click here to get the best football predictions for today.

Manchester City vs Bayern Munich: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

The Champions League returns this week as Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich travel to the Etihad to face Manchester City in the first leg of the quarter-final round.

Both teams are among the few favourites to win the title this year, given their quality and wealth of resources, and will have a go at each other on Tuesday when they face off in the UK.

But Pep Guardiola’s side come into this tie slightly ahead of their rivals on the form table. The Cityzens are on a run of eight consecutive wins in all competitions and are unbeaten in their last 12 games (W10, D2).

They have scored a whopping 21 goals in their last four games and will fancy their chances of continuing their brilliant run in the Champions League. City have finished first in their UCL group for a sixth successive season and holds an impressive 24-game unbeaten run in European home games (W22, D2). They can make history here as one more win, or a draw will set a new record for the longest UCL undefeated home run of any Premier League side.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich and Thomas Tuchel will travel to the Etihad in a good mood, having won each UCL game this season. They are the only team to do so in this UCL campaign, beating PSG 3-0 on aggregate in their last round.

However, the manager that led them to seven straight UCL wins this season, Julain Nagelsmann, has since been sacked and replaced by former Chelsea boss Tuchel.

But the German has a good record against City and Guardiola, having pipped them to the UCL title when he was Chelsea’s boss in 2021. So he will hope for another solid performance in this fixture. His side have claimed a result from five of their last seven away games against English (W3, D2, L2) and have progressed from 63% of their UCL quarter-final ties (W20, L12).

However, Bayern have been eliminated at this stage of the UCL in the last two seasons and are at risk of failing to reach the semi-final stage for three straight seasons since 2008/09.

That said, we can expect an entertaining game between both sides.

Click here to get accurate match predictions and correct score predictions today.

Day: April 11, 2023

Man Utd planning HUGE summer clear-out

Jurgen Klopp’s wants Nicolo Barella to strengthen his struggling midfield

Benfica vs Inter Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Manchester City vs Bayern Munich: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

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