Joshua Oha, Author at Matchplug Blog

Union Berlin vs Bayer Leverkusen: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Bayer Leverkusen will look to continue their impressive match towards a top-six finish when they travel to the capital to face third-placed Union Berlin.

The hosts bounced back from a small dip in form to pick up their first win in four competitive outings last round (D1, L2) by defeating Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-0.

They return to Stadion An der Alten Försterei looking to maintain one of only two remaining unbeaten home records in this season’s Bundesliga (W9, D5) whilst keeping a grip on a place inside the division’s top three.

The gap between them to Freiburg in fourth was just two points after the last round, so securing another victory here could be crucial to their Champions League aspirations. Revenge will also be an added motivation, as opponents Bayer Leverkusen handed Union their heaviest defeat of the season (5-0) back in November. But the hosts might take some comfort from the fact that was their only defeat from each of the last five Bundesliga head-to-heads (W1, D3).

Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen are eight points adrift of their opponents but are still on course to qualify for continental football next season.

The visitors finished the last round in sixth, and their endeavours have been boosted by an impressive run of eight league games without a loss (W6, D2) – only Mainz can match being undefeated for such an extended period.

That unbeaten stretch extends to 13 games across all competitions, shedding light on why manager Xabi Alonso is regarded as one of Europe’s most exciting young managers.

Yet, this contest is set to put Leverkusen’s resolve to the test, given that they’re winless in their four away games against teams currently sitting above them in the Bundesliga table (D1, L3).

Their struggles in those matches are highlighted by the fact they scored just one goal in total across the four games and trailed at the half-time break in each.

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Crystal Palace vs West Ham: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Crystal Palace will continue their fight for Premier League survival this Saturday when they welcome West Ham United to Selhurst Park.

The Eagles have found a new lease of life under veteran manager Roy Hodgson, who cancelled his well-deserved retirement to become Palace manager after the club sacked Patrick Vieira.

Hodgson’s return to the club came with a bang as he won three straight games to steer Palace out of the relegation zone. However, the excitement of the new manager and the positive bounce that came with it has dwindled as Palace are winless and without a goal in their last two games (D1, L1).

Their wait to secure Premier League football continues, as they have yet to reach the magical 40-point margin.

But they have a healthy eight-point advantage over the relegation places, which provides some security.

Meanwhile, West Ham will travel to Selhurst Park looking to rerun to winning ways. David Moyes’ side had a disappointing outing last time, as they were beaten 2-1 by Liverpool in a match marred by late controversy.

While head coach David Moyes could land himself in trouble with the FA for his comments about the referee in the Liverpool game, he will be eager to move on from that result and focus on getting maximum points here.

The Hammers will hit the road in good form, having picked up three wins in their last four away matches (W3, D1), where they conceded only once.

This form hasn’t only resulted in them earning a place in the Europa Conference League semi-final but also doubled their Premier League away points this season with victories over Bournemouth and Fulham.

They will hope to get another positive away result at Selhurst Park against a Palace side yet to click at home.

Meanwhile, both teams have scored in the last eleven head-to-head meetings between both sides. So we can expect BTTS/GG at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Premier League Clubs Alerted over Paulo Dybala Availability

AS Roma attacker Paulo Dybala has been reportedly offered to several Premier League sides this summer as a bargain release clause in his contract at Stadio Olimpico becomes active.

Dybala joined Roma on a free transfer from Juventus last summer and has enjoyed a successful year under Jose Mourinho. He has scored 16 goals and eight assists in 34 appearances, helping take Roma to the Europa League semi-finals.

That form has alerted the top European clubs who will want to sign a player of Dybala’s quality.

According to new reports, the Argentine’s contract at Stadio Olimpico contains a handful of release clauses, making signing him easy, especially for clubs outside of Italy.

According to 90min, fellow Serie A clubs who want to sign Dybala will pay €20m, while overseas teams will pay just €12m for his services.

According to the same report, the Argentine’s representatives have been making sure clubs in the Premier League know the clause in his contract.

As per the report, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all been informed about Dybala’s potential availability.

Although none of the Premier League sides have dismissed the offer, there are long-standing concerns that the player is not interested in moving to the Premier League. So any efforts to sign him would ultimately prove futile even if a club activates his release clause.

Meanwhile, Roma boss Mourinho recently stated that Dybala is good enough to play for ‘the biggest teams in the world’. However, he urged the Argentine to put his happiness first.

“My feeling is that he was seeking joy. He had lost more than confidence,” Mourinho told Sky Sport Italia. “He found it here. He has found a coach who understands him, a crowd that loves him and a space on the field in which to be a leader with his quality and personality.

“Dybala is a nice boy. He has the quality to play for the biggest clubs in the world, but he has found joy here.”

Real Madrid Stepup the Pace in the Race for Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid will look to make their biggest move yet in their race to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.

The Spanish giants are one of the many clubs vying for the signature of the Englishman. They want to ensure they win the race and have sent executives to Germany to convince Bellingham to choose them over Manchester City in the summer.

The two European giants are ahead in the race for the 19-year-old who has been slapped with a massive €150 million price tag by Borussia Dortmund.

According to the Spanish publication Marca, Los Blancos has been working on his transfer for the past ten months. To tilt the odds in their favour, they would take a step further and travel to Germany to convince Bellingham to join them in the summer.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side implemented the same strategy to sign Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco when the Frenchman was chased by Premier League giants Chelsea and Liverpool. But, despite the odds, Madrid won the favour of the Frenchman by travelling to the Principality Stadium and presenting their sporting project. As a result, the 23-year-old was convinced and turned down heavier pay packets in favour of signing for Real Madrid jersey.

As per the report, Madrid have direct contact with Bellingham’s entourage, and they even held discussions with the player’s father last month.

Despite their charm offensive, it is reported that the Santiago Bernabeu side does not want to meet the €150 million price tag from Dortmund and are willing to offer Brahim Diaz on loan at AC Milan as part of a potential transfer in a bid to reduce the asking price.

Bochum vs Borussia Dortmund: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Borussia Dortmund will look to continue their match towards the Bundesliga title this Friday when they travel to Vonovia Ruhrstadion to play struggling Bochum.

The hosts come into this tie wounded and with their confidence shattered after an embarrassing 5-1 loss at home to Wolfsburg.

The result means they are winless in their last four league games (D2, L2), with that being their fourth loss in their last five Bundesliga games.

As a result, they now sit just two points above the relegation zone with just six games left to play. Moreover, their 27-point haul this term is nine points fewer than at the same stage last season. However, only three teams in the last seven seasons have been relegated with as many or more points should serve as a silver lining for Bochum.

Borussia Dortmund will travel to Vonovia Ruhrstadion in a good mood after overtaking Bayern Munich at the top of the table thanks to a 4-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

The result extended their impressive league run this calendar year (W11, D2, L1) and moved them just one point ahead of the Bavarians, who were beaten 3-1 by Mainz.

The last time BVB were top after 29 matchdays was in 2011/12, a season they went on to become champions, and the last leader at this point not to eventually win the title was Schalke in 2006/2007, so history is firmly on their side.

However, Erdin Terzic’s side will likely have to improve their away form to avoid becoming an unwanted record holder. They are winless in their last five away games in all competitions (D2, L3).

A glance at those results and it’s clear to see where Dortmund’s issues lie, and that’s in defence, with each of those five winless games seeing them concede at least twice.

But given that Bochum, with 32 goals this season, has the second-worst attack in the league should provide them with some comfort.

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Osasuna vs Real Sociedad: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

La Liga returns this Friday as Real Sociedad travel to Pamplona to face European hopeful Osasuna.

The hosts are one of five teams hoping to occupy fifth and sixth positions in La Liga at the end of this season.

They kept their chances of doing so alive with a massive 3-2 win over Celta Vigo in their last outing. The win made it two straight wins for Jagoba Arrasate’s side and kept them firmly placed in eighth position, three points behind the available European spots.

Arrasate will be hoping to make it three wins in a row against top-four hopefuls Real Sociedad. But his side has struggled against teams starting this Round above them in the league standings (D2, L7), so it might be another disappointing outing at Estadio El Sadar.

But after beating Real Betis in their last outing at this venue, they hope they’ve finally unlocked the formula required to win the league’s finer clubs.

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad will travel to Pamplona to return to winning ways after being held to a disappointing goalless draw against Real Betis in their last outing.

That result has left their secure position in the top four under threat. Yet, they remain in command of their top-four destiny, leading fifth-placed Betis by six points.

Given their current position, they will fancy their chances of securing Champions League football next season.

However, with upcoming fixtures against the current top three still left to play, Imanol Alguacil knows his side must win this fairly easy game to stand a chance of achieving their goal for the season.

But a run of six away games without a win (D2, L4) will not inspire much confidence ahead of this game. And having scored this La Liga season away to any club starting this Round in the top-eight (D2, L2), Sociedad will likely struggle to get maximum points here.

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Son Admits Tottenham Anger after Newcastle Drubbing

Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-min admitted his side’s comeback against Manchester United on Thursday night was fuelled by “anger” from going 2-0 down a few days after being beaten 6-1 by Newcastle United.

Cristian Stellini’s four-game stint as interim boss ended last weekend after the North London side fell 5-0 at St James’ Park in just 21 minutes. Ryan Mason has been asked to take charge of the team until the end of the season to turn things around, and he began with a credible 2-2 draw with Manchester United.

However, things didn’t start off positively, as Spurs went down 2-0 in the first half against the Red Devils, thanks to goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford.

However, the hosts improved greatly in the second half and eventually claimed a 2-2 draw after strikes from Pedro Porro and Son.

Son, who has had a disappointing season by his lofty standards, admitted that anger from going in behind at the break – less than a week after their away loss to Newcastle – was the catalyst for turning things around against Erik ten Hag’s side.

“We wanted to give everything, and that was the dressing room speech,” Son said. “We couldn’t let the game go. We were really angry about it. We didn’t deserve to be 2-0 down at half-time.

“The last week was unacceptable; we didn’t want to repeat that. We feel really, really sorry for the performance and result, and today we wanted to bring good energy.

“We really appreciated [the fans’] support, and they were fighting with us.”

Spurs remain mathematically in the top four race but can only secure the top four if the teams above them drop points.

They will return in action this weekend when they travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool.

Erling Haaland makes Premier League history

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has made Premier League history when he struck his 33rd goal of the season against Arsenal on Wednesday.

The Norwegian superstar put the icing on the cake for Man City in their 4-1 win over the Gunners. The goal was his 33rd goal of the season in the Premier League and means that Haaland has now broken the previous record held by Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah for a single Premier League season.

The striker now sits top of the goals standings in the PL and Europe. Haaland has 49 goals in 42 games in all competitions for Pep Guardiola’s side and will surely add to that tally before the season ends.

The Cityzens still have seven Premier League matches left to play. They will also face Manchester United in the FA Cup final and Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Meanwhile, Haaland has been directly involved in 57 goals (49 goals, eight assists) in 43 matches in all competitions this season, 15 more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. He is scoring or assisting every 58 minutes on average.

Manchester City are back in Premier League action on Sunday at Fulham.

Jurgen Klopp Dismisses Liverpool Top-Four Chances after Win over West Ham

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has ruled out his side’s chances of breaking into the Premier League top four following their 2-1 win over West Ham on Wednesday.

The Reds made it three league wins in a row in London on Wednesday, returning from an early 1-0 deficit to win 2-1 thanks to pals from Coady Gakpo and Joel Matip.

The result took them six points behind the top four teams, although Manchester United and Newcastle both have games in hand. As such, Klopp is reluctant to put his team in the mix just yet.

After the game, Klopp told reporters:

“I can’t see the race yet; I can’t. That’s because we are not in the position for a race. So the only thing we can do is keep winning football games. If that puts pressure on other teams, that’s not in our hands because we don’t play them.

“We play Tottenham – that’s it from that area, I think, of teams above us. If they win all their games, that’s it for us. But I don’t think about that.

“I want us to finish the season as good as somehow possible. I want to take something out of the season for next year. If that is European competition, great. If not, we have to accept it as well and go from there. That’s what I want now.”

The Liverpool manager added that he is looking for his side to show their real face from their six remaining fixtures.

“I want us, at least for a few weeks, [to] show our real face – and not the nice one, the ugly one, the nice one, the ugly one. It’s really tough to do that. So now we did it for kind of three games – three-and-a-half, the second half against Arsenal was brilliant as well – all in a different way.”

“Tonight, the first half I liked the most for a long, long time, like the way we controlled the game,” he continued.

“We played here plenty of times; it’s always tough. Result-wise, it looked better from time to time, but the goals we scored were then counter-attacks, stuff like that, quick reacting, all these kinds of things. We controlled the game in a way we never did before against West Ham, and I really liked that.”

Liverpool return to Premier League action on Sunday when they host Tottenham, with Klopp’s side having already climbed above Spurs on goal difference.

Everton vs Newcastle United: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Newcastle United will travel to Merseyside this Thursday to take on struggling Everton in the 33rd Round of the 2022/23 Premier League season.

The Toffees are one of nine teams currently locked in a relegation battle. However, despite being reduced to ten men late in their last game, a determined Everton halted an in-form Crystal Palace with a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

The result extended their record to just two defeats in seven Premier League (PL) outings. However, a big four draws within that run contributed to them slipping back into the relegation zone by goal difference heading into this midweek round.

After labelling Saturday’s result as “point earned,” manager Sean Dyche will know just how important it will be to follow that up with a win here. But to do so, the Toffees will have to overcome the psychological hurdle of just one win from the last six PL head-to-head meetings with Newcastle United.

Newcastle put themselves in a commanding position to secure Champions League football next season with a thumping 6-1 win over fellow top-four rivals Tottenham at St. James’ Park last time.

Overall, the Magpies have scored 54 league goals, their most since 2002/03 (also 54), which was a season they finished in third position.

With a yawning gap to fifth place, Newcastle fans are rightfully dreaming of famous Champions League nights back at St James’ Park, and another win here would take them one step closer to that goal.

However, Goodison Park hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for the Toon Army, who have won only one of their last ten visits (D3, L6) – a run that includes last season’s defeat here, which also ominously fell on a Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Sean Dyche has won six of his nine PL meetings with Newcastle’s Eddie Howe (L3), his most wins against any manager in the competition.

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Joshua Oha

Union Berlin vs Bayer Leverkusen: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Crystal Palace vs West Ham: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Premier League Clubs Alerted over Paulo Dybala Availability

Real Madrid Stepup the Pace in the Race for Jude Bellingham

Bochum vs Borussia Dortmund: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Osasuna vs Real Sociedad: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Son Admits Tottenham Anger after Newcastle Drubbing

Erling Haaland makes Premier League history

Jurgen Klopp Dismisses Liverpool Top-Four Chances after Win over West Ham

Everton vs Newcastle United: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

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