May 1, 2023 - Matchplug Blog

Jose Mourinho REJECTED Chelsea’s Offer to Return to Stamford Bridge

Former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho reportedly rejected a recent offer from the Blues to stay at AS Roma.

Chelsea are looking for a new permanent manager after sacking Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter this season.

The man currently managing the Premier League side is ex-player Frank Lampard. But the former England midfielder’s reign has been disastrous as he has recorded five consecutive losses while the Blues continue to slide down the table.

The London club are thought to be close to reaching an agreement with former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.

However, they contacted their former boss Jose Mourinho about occupying the vacant managerial seat before settling for the Argentine, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport via GOAL. But they were swiftly told that Mourinho was not interested in returning to London and only wanted to stay in Serie A with Roma.

The former Real Madrid has enjoyed relative success in the Italian capital, leading Roma to their first European title in over 30 years. His side are currently on course to finish in the top four in Serie A and in the Europa League’s semi-finals.

The Portuguese is out of contract at Stadio Olimpico in 2024 and has already been linked with an exit. He is reportedly wanted by French heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain, the Brazil national team this season and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr side.

https://www.goal.com/en/news/jose-mourinho-rejected-chelsea-approach-potential-return-roma-stay/blt978dd6e1c5e64170

Sevilla vs Girona: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

La Liga continues this Monday with rejuvenated Sevilla welcoming in-form Girona in the 32nd Round of the league season.

The hosts have enjoyed a remarkable return to form under the management of 62-year-old Spanish journeyman José Luis Mendilibar.

His appointment has so far been an inspired decision from Sevilla, as Mendilibar has guided the Andalusian club not only to their longest undefeated period (W4, D1) of this La Liga season but also into the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League.

That has translated into an impressive seven games without a loss in his one-month tenure and a ten-point buffer from the relegation zone heading into this Round.

Meanwhile, they come into this tie on the back of a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao. However, they needed some luck to secure that win, as a last-minute penalty was their saving grace in the game.

They will now look to make it five wins in five games in all competitions in this match.

Given that they are yet to lose a La Liga game at home to any club ranked below ninth-placed Vallecano at the start of this Round (W5, D3), Sevilla have every reason to be confident of avenging January’s 2-1 loss at Girona. Moreover, the hosts will be particularly optimistic as they have six wins from eight league home games in 2023 (D1, L1).

Meanwhile, Girona boosted ambitions of eclipsing their highest-ever top-flight finish (tenth in their La Liga debut 2017/18) when they beat Real Madrid 4-2 in their last outing. That win was their third La Liga win over the Spanish giants from six attempts (D1, L2), keeping them in the top half.

The visitors start this round eight points adrift of the top six, so European football could still be within reach if they can build upon that momentum on the run home.

However, closing that gap will require them to do better away from home. They have not enjoyed their road trips since March and recently came back down to earth after following a scoreless draw at Camp Nou with a loss to lowly Valladolid.

While their superior position in the table to Sevilla might suggest they have an advantage, Girona’s league away record against current bottom-half opposition (W1, D2, L5) leaves much to be desired.

Click here to get sure win predictions.

Real Mallorca vs Athletic Bilbao: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

La Liga continues this Monday with Athletic Bilbao travelling to Palma de Mallorca to face Real Mallorca.

The hosts will look to get back to winning ways when they host Bilbao in this game. They suffered their first defeat in April in their last outing as they were beaten 3-1 by Atletico Madrid last weekend.

Head coach Javier Aguirre blamed a “lack of concentration and bad decisions” for his team’s 3-1 defeat in the capital. But a swift return home should suit Mallorca as they bid to return to winning ways, given they’ve lost just one of their last ten matches (W6, D3) on their own turf in La Liga.

The hosts have accumulated an impressive 63% of their points at home, a strong return they’ll be confident of improving against Athletic Bilbao given their solid head-to-head record as the hosts (W14, D10, L8).

Meanwhile, Bilbao travel to Visit Mallorca Estadi on the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Sevilla on Thursday evening. The visitors controlled much of the match but eventually conceded a stoppage-time penalty.

Boss Ernesto Valverde said there’s “no room for regret” over those dropped points as his side continues their hunt for a European finish, something they’re not guaranteed with a top-seven finish thanks to Osasuna’s progression to the Copa del Rey final.

The Lions start this round three points adrift of the top six with just seven games remaining, so they’ll need to start making inroads into that gap as quickly as possible. A trip away from home perhaps comes at the perfect time as Athletic have won each of their last three league games on the road.

However, they haven’t managed four successive away victories this century, so they might struggle to hit that height here.

Meanwhile, Mallorca home matches average just 1.8 goals per game, the lowest in the division. So we can expect a low-scoring game here, with under 2.5 goals the likely outcome.

Click here to get the best football prediction today.

Aston Villa confident of signing Tammy Abraham despite European interest

Aston Villa are reportedly confident of signing AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham this summer despite interest from several top European clubs.

The 25-year-old former Chelsea striker had a hugely successful 2018/19 loan spell as he helped the Villans to gain promotion back to the Premier League.

He transferred to Roma two seasons ago for a reported £34m fee and has enjoyed his time at the club. He has scored 25 Serie A goals during his time in the Italian capital, with eight of those goals coming during the 2022/23 campaign.

The 25-year-old was on the score sheet at the weekend to earn Jose Mourinho’s Roma a 1-1 draw with UEFA Champions League semi-finalists AC Milan at the Stadio Olimpico.

According to reports, that goal was witnessed by several top clubs from around Europe, with 90min claiming that Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea, Newcastle, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain all sent scouts to watch the game.

Although all these clubs are queuing up for Abraham, the report claims that Aston Villa remains confident of signing the England international.

Abraham scored 25 goals in 37 Championship appearances for Villa before returning to parent club Chelsea to become first choice under the management of Frank Lampard.

However, Villa will have to pay up at least £40m to sign Abraham from Roma, which would break the club’s transfer record as it will surpass the £38m Villa paid Norwich City to sign Emiliano Buendia.

Day: May 1, 2023

Jose Mourinho REJECTED Chelsea’s Offer to Return to Stamford Bridge

Sevilla vs Girona: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Real Mallorca vs Athletic Bilbao: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Aston Villa confident of signing Tammy Abraham despite European interest

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