Joshua Oha, Author at Matchplug Blog

Manchester United vs Wolves: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Manchester United will continue their quest for a top-four finish this Saturday when they welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Old Trafford.

The Red Devil’s chances of securing a top-four finish this season took a big hit last weekend as they were beaten by West Ham (1-0) away from home.

The loss was their second defeat in a row and reduced their once-healthy lead over the top four chasing sides to just one point, even though they have one game in hand.

That means they remain in charge of their destiny ahead of this game at home against Wolves. They will fancy their chances here given that they are currently on an unbeaten 26-game run in home matches (W22, D4), with their last home PL defeat at Old Trafford coming against Brighton on the season’s opener.

Meanwhile, Wolves have won only at Old Trafford since 1980 (D3, L10). However, that sole victory came last season. Moreover, Julen Lopetegui’s side should be full of confidence after mathematically confirming their place in the Premier League next season with a huge 1-0 win over Aston Villa.

That means the visitors are just the fourth side in Premier League history to be bottom of the table at Christmas and still survive. And now, with the pressure of relegation lifted from their shoulders, Wolves can target an improvement on their rod trips as they’ve won just two of their last 21 Premier League away matches (D6, L13).

They’ll likely have to build on their poor record of one league clean sheet on the road.

Meanwhile, only one of the last eight H2H meetings with Manchester United have seen both teams on the scoresheet. So, we can expect a low-scoring game at Old Trafford, with under 2.5 goals highly likely.

Click here for correct score tips daily.

Leeds United vs Newcastle: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Leeds United will continue their quest for Premier League survival this Saturday when they welcome top-four hopefuls Newcastle United to Elland Road in the early kickoff fixture of the weekend.

The hosts’ desire to remain in the Premier League beyond this June remains intact despite a 2-1 loss to Manchester City in their last outing.

New manager Sam Allardyce declared after the game that he has hope, given how ‘dogged’ they performed at the Etihad.

However, the Yorkshire club welcome high-flying Newcastle to Elland Road, sitting inside the relegation zone, two points off safety with just three games to play.

But with their relegation rivals playing later, the hosts can provisionally move above Everton to a position of relative safety if they win here. They can take heart from a goalless draw in the reverse H2H, but they have to score their first goal against Newcastle since their Saudi takeover (D1, L1) to boost their fading hopes.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United will look to get back to winning ways here after suffering a rare win in their last outing against Arsenal, who beat them 2-0 at home.

That loss was just their second loss at home and greatly affected their chances of securing Champions League group-stage football for the first time since 2002/03.

Yet, their top-four destiny remains in their hand given that they remain in third spot, three points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool, having played a game less. But they know they must win here to avoid getting caught by the high-flying Reds.

That said, playing away from home is unlikely to faze Eddie Howe’s men after they picked up 12 of the last 15 points available on the road (W4, L1). Providing a further boost to the Toons’ away form is that they’re unbeaten against every side placed ninth or worse at home (W7, D3), which includes scoring 3+ goals against four of the five lowest-ranked sides.

Meanwhile, Leeds have won just one home league game as pre-match home outsiders this season (W1, D2, L4). So, this game is likely to go Newcastlee’s way.

Click here for correct score tips daily.

Lionel Messi sends heartfelt message to Sergio Busquets after he announced his Barcelona exit

Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi sent a heartfelt message to his former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets after the midfielder announced he was leaving the Catalan club.

The Spanish midfielder, who has been in Barcelona since 2007, announced that he would call up his time in Camp Nou when his contract with the club expires this summer.

Messi shared an incredible bond with Busquets during his stint with Barca. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner played a whooping 567 matches alongside Busquets in a Barcelona jersey – more than any other player in his career.

They won three Champions League trophies, eight La Liga titles and seven Copa del Rey titles together before Messi left for Paris.

But despite representing PSG, Messi and Busquets remained friends, and the duo, along with Jordi Alba, was spotted having dinner in Barcelona in April.

But now Busquets has indicated his time at Barca is up after making over 700 appearances.

Shortly after the announcement, Messi took to Instagram to congratulate Busquets, hailing him “as a perfect 10.”

“On the pitch, always a five but in reality, as a player and as a person, you are a 10, Busi,” Messi said.

“I wish you the best in your new stage and always, both you and your family. Thank you for on and off the pitch. There were so many moments we spent together, many good and some also complicated…They will stay forever! Big hug, @5sergiob.”

Meanwhile, Busquets might reunite with Messi in the next stage of his career. According to El Chiringuito, the Spaniard will agree to a two-year contract in the Middle East. Meanwhile, AFP have reported that Lionel Messi has already agreed to join Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal after his contract ends with PSG in the summer.

Gareth Bale’s agent SHOOTS DOWN Wrexham Rumours

The agent of former Real Madrid and Tottenham attacker Gareth Bale has dismissed the report that his client might make a shock return from retirement and sign for Wrexham.

Rumours have been spreading in recent weeks of Bale making a sensational return to professional football with Welsh minnows Wrexham.

The League Two side’s fans had been hopeful that the move would happen after the five-time Champions League winner exchanged pleasantries with Wrexham’s co-owner Rob McElhenney on social media last month.

Rob McElhenney and Bale discussed playing a potential round of golf together before the former suggested that he would try and persuade the Welshman to sign for his club, which just gained promotion to the third tier of English football.

However, Bale’s agent has come out to dash the hopes of many Wrexham fans, describing the rumours as ‘tongue in cheek’.

When asked by Sky Sports (via Sportsmail) whether the rumours had been serious, Jonathan Barnett, who represents Bale, replied: “I don’t think so. He’s flattered by the offers, but they’ve all been tongue-in-cheek.

“He’s having a great life at the moment, and it’s well deserved. He’s been the best British footballer, probably ever.”

When quizzed about the exchange between Bale and Wrexham’s owners, Barnett replied: “They haven’t actually spoken to me; they may have spoken to Gareth. But Gareth doesn’t want to play football anymore.

“He’s had a great career, he enjoyed himself, but he’s living a great life now. He’s with his family, which is the most important thing.

“He’s spending a lot of time with his children, and that’s what he wants to do. He’ll obviously do other things later down the line.”

Bale announced his retirement from football at the start of the calendar year, despite having only signed for Major League Soccer side LAFC a few months prior.

Juventus vs Sevilla: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Europa League football returns to Turin this Thursday as Juventus welcome the competition’s record holders Sevilla in the first leg of their semifinals of the UEL.

The Old Lady qualified for this semis thanks to a 2-1 aggregate win over Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon in the previous round. They welcome the Spanish side Sevilla on the back of a massive 2-0 win over Atalanta that kept them firmly planted inside Serie A’s top four.

That win ended their poor away form over the previous month and would have given them the confidence boost they needed ahead of this tie.

Meanwhile, after that win at the weekend, manager Max Allegri declared that his players are “mentally good” ahead of this visit from a Sevilla side they last met in the 2016/17 UCL group stage.

Having not tasted defeat in this edition of the Europa League (W4, D2) despite a series of cagey affairs that averaged less than two goals per game., they will fancy their chances of winning here. Furthermore, the fact that they have never lost a UEL home fixture (W7, D7) will also boost their morale.

Meanwhile, Sevilla travel to the Allianz Stadium in good spirits after returning to winning ways in their last outing.

The Andalusian club suffered their first defeat under new manager José Luis Mendilibar two weeks ago when Girona beat them 2-0 at home. But they bounced back in style at the weekend to all but seal their La Liga status with a 3-2 win over Espanyol 3-2.

So Mendilibar will be hoping his side can produce another magical performance this Thursday at Turin. The Spanish tactician made his UEL managerial debut in Sevilla’s 5-2 aggregate quarter-final win over Manchester United. He will look to secure another win in Sevilla’s 50th match in the UEL’s knockout phase.

The 622-year-old claims that his next opponent Juventus are “stronger” and “more challenging” than the Red Devils, but he’ll fancy his team’s chances of winning after five wins from their last six competitive outings (L1).

However, Sevilla’s away form might worry even the most optimistic fans. The Andalusians haven’t won any of their last six knockout round-away legs (in two-leg ties) played at an opposition venue (D2, L4).

Meanwhile, all but two of Sevilla’s ten UEL matches since the start of 2021/22 saw only the winning team score. So we will likely see a low-scoring affair of under 2.5 goals.

AS Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Bayer Leverkusen will travel to Rome this Thursday to take on Jose Mourinho’s side, AS Roma, in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final tie.

The Serie A giants are one of the favourites to win the Europa League this season, given the experience of manager Mourinho and their recent Europa Conference League win last season. That title win was their first European title in over 60 years.

However, they head into this Europa League semi-final looking to bounce back from a 2-0 loss to Inter Milan at the weekend. That was the fourth-successive game without a win for Mourinho’s side (D2, L2). Still, the Portuguese manager insists he’s “optimistic” his players will return to form, despite admitting they are “tired” due to a hectic fixture schedule.

But in all this, Roma’s poor domestic form has seen them drop out of the Serie A top six. As such, success in the UEL might be their best hope of qualifying for Europe next season. Returning to UEL action perhaps comes as a welcome distraction, and the Roma supporters will be confident of securing a first-leg triumph against Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen side at Stadio Olimpico, where the Serie A club have lost just one of their last 24 European matches (W17, D6).

Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen will look to get back to winning ways when they travel to Rome on Thursday.

Xabi Alonso’s side were dealt a huge blow in their quest for a top-four finish in Bundesliga last outing, as FC Koln beat them 2-1 at home. The result ended a run of 14 consecutive games without defeat for Leverkusen (W10, D4).

However, the visitors look set to get a result here, as they make the trip from Germany on the back of a nine-game unbeaten run away from the BayArena (W6, D3). That run has been built on a water-tight defence that has kept a clean sheet in four of the last five away trips.

Alonso is confident his side can win here as they aim to reach their first European final since 2002. The former Liverpool midfielder has urged his players to make May a month to “forever remember” as they seek a first win in Italy this century (D1, L5).

Meanwhile, both teams have scored in the previous four meetings between these sides, so a BTTS/GG game can be expected.

Tottenham interested in a summer move for £20m rated Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher

Tottenham Hotspur are one of several Premier League clubs reportedly interested in signing Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher.

Despite being a number two for most of his career, the Reds shot-stopper is one of the most highly-rated goalies in the Premier League.

Kelleher has only made 20 appearances in all competitions, including only four in the Premier League, in his five years at Anfield. But he is seen as a Premier League standard keeper after producing world-class performances in his few appearances for Liverpool.

The 24-year-old is under contract until 2026, but Liverpool are reportedly willing to sell him if they find a club that can pay up. The Reds have placed a £ 20 million asking price on Kelleher and believe they can find a club that will pay that sum.

So far, Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as the frontrunners for his signature. The North London club are looking to replace veteran goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, 36, who has made several mistakes this season. They want Kelleher to replace him as number one, with Fraser Forster retained as a backup.

However, according to the Irish Independent via Sportsmail, Spurs are not alone in their interest, as Brighton and Brentford will battle them for the Irishman’s signature.

Kelleher wants regular first-team football to increase his chances of playing internationally.

AC Milan vs Inter Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

AC Milan and Inter Milan will renew their eternal rivalry Wednesday when both sides meet at San Siro in the UEFA Champions League semifinals.

Both sides are facing each other in Europe for the first time since 2005, when Milan progressed after the second leg was abandoned when Inter fans launched flares onto the playing area.

But we can expect things to be better this time, with the two clubs desperate for European success while still battling for a place in the top four in the domestic league.

Milan booked their place in this tournament’s round by beating the more fancied Napoli side 2-1 on aggregate. Rafael Laoa’s brilliant run in the second leg was the talk of the round and ensured Milan’s dream of their first UCL final place since 2007 remains intact.

They have proven that they have a knack for playing big Italian teams, with a 2-0 win over second-placed Lazio at the weekend further confirming that theory.

The win over Maurizio Sarri’s side also made it nine games unbeaten for Stefano Pioli’s side (W4, D5), who will be confident of winning here, having that they have not tasted defeat as a home team since February.

But their rivals Inter Milan have a strong record in San Siro even though they enter this game as the away side. Simone Inzaghi’s side also have the better recent head-to-head record in games between both Milan teams (W3, D1, L1).

Although they seemingly have the advantage based on recent overall H2H meetings, they haven’t won as the ‘away side’ at the San Siro since February 2021 (D2, L1).

However, having beaten Portuguese entertainers 5-3 on aggregate to qualify for this round, the Nerazzurri will fancy their chances here.

They have won their last five matches, four of them without conceding. At the same time, they’re also unbeaten in seven competitive away games (W4, D3).

This game could go either way, given its significance and the form of both sides.

Click here to get correct score predictions.

Chelsea discuss swap deals with Atletico Madrid for Joao Felix

Chelsea are reportedly considering a swap deal involving out-of-favour striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, defender Marc Cucurella, and on-loan Atletico Madrid attacker Joao Felix.

The Blues signed Felix on loan from the Spanish club in January and have seen enough of him that they want to sign him permanently.

However, their financial struggles mean that singing the 23-year-old might be impossible.

They are reportedly looking at a second loan agreement, at around £16 million ($20m), with Chelsea reluctant to meet Atletico’s £100m ($126m) asking price in any permanent arrangement. However, they are still hoping to find a way to reduce that figure.

And now, according to Standard Sport via GOAL, they want to use some of their players as bait to sign Felix permanently. As per the report, Chelsea intends to use Aubameyang or Cucurella as makeweights in a move for the Portuguese international– with Diego Simeone’s side said to be interested in both.

Nothing has been agreed for now, but talks between the Premier League and La Liga heavyweights continue as we approach the summer transfer window.

Felix has made 17 appearances for Chelsea since coming in January. He has registered three goals and seems to have established an understanding with Enzo Fernandez.

The 23-year-old is said to be open to the idea of remaining in west London as he clearly does not figure in the long-term plans of Simeone at Atletico Madrid.

Lionel Messi AGREES to Join Saudi Arabia club

Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi has reportedly agreed to sign for Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

The Argentina superstar’s future has been in the news for months, as his contract at Parc des Princes will end this June. The French club had offered him a contract extension, but Messi rejected it as he has grown tired of life there.

His former side Barcelona are actively working to bring him back to Camp Nou. They have been vocal in their desire to resign Messi two years after letting him go due to their financial struggles.

However, the Bluagrana remain in a tight financial corner and will struggle to sign the attacker unless they can raise over 200 million pounds from reduced wages and player sales.

That has left mega-rich Al-Hilal as one of the front-runners for Messi’s signature. And according to AFP, the 35-year-old has agreed to a switch to the Middle East.

The report claims Al-Hilal has offered Messi a £400 million ($505m) deal. The contract will see him edge back ahead of eternal rival Ronaldo as the highest-paid player on the planet.

However, another report by the French newspaper L’Equipe claims that Messi’s move to Saudi Arabia could be scuppered by his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, as she does not want their family to move to the Middle East.

Anotnela prefers to stay in Europe, with Paris and Barcelona, two cities she has come to love. However, it remains to be seen if that will affect Messi’s move to Saudi Arabia, given that he is an ambassador of the Gulf nation.

Joshua Oha

Manchester United vs Wolves: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Leeds United vs Newcastle: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Lionel Messi sends heartfelt message to Sergio Busquets after he announced his Barcelona exit

Gareth Bale’s agent SHOOTS DOWN Wrexham Rumours

Juventus vs Sevilla: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

AS Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Tottenham interested in a summer move for £20m rated Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher

AC Milan vs Inter Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Chelsea discuss swap deals with Atletico Madrid for Joao Felix

Lionel Messi AGREES to Join Saudi Arabia club

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