Joshua Oha, Author at Matchplug Blog

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Liverpool will continue their quest for an unlikely top-four finish this Saturday when they welcome struggling Nottingham Forest to Anfield.

The Reds are looking to make it two league wins in a row for the first time since early March after ending a run of five games without a win (D2, L3) with an emphatic 6-1 win over Leeds United at Elland Road last time out.

They looked very much like the Liverpool of old in that game, and the remainder of their Premier League season will have to follow suit if they’re to salvage anything tangible, considering they still trail the European spots by six points.

They return to Anfield, where they have enjoyed most of their success this season, looking for another huge win. While they have not enjoyed much success this season, Jurgen Klopp’s men remain solid at home, losing only one of their last 37 home league matches (W27, D9).

They will be confident of recording another win here, given that they are unbeaten in the last 25 home head-to-head meetings with Forest (W18, D7). But, given they lost the reverse fixture 1-0 in October shows, nothing can be taken for granted, while a return of just one clean sheet in their last six games shows their defence can’t be trusted.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest will be keen for another upset against the Reds, having beaten them at City Ground earlier this season. However, the visitors travel to Anfield in terrible shape, having failed to win any of their last ten matches (D3, L7).

They’ve conceded in every one of those games, meaning manager Steve Cooper has only celebrated a league win this season when his side has kept a clean sheet.

The chances of manager Steve Cooper masterminding one of those resilient defensive performances here are slim, given that only two promoted teams have ever claimed a PL double over Liverpool.

Also, Forest’s haul of six points and five goals scored on their PL travels this season (both being league-lows) makes the possibility of a win here unlikely.

Click here to get today’s Football Prediction.

Barcelona agree on deal with Roberto Firmino

Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino will reportedly join Barcelona when his contract at Anfield expires at the end of the season.

After eight successful years at the club, the Reds forward is out of contract at Anfield this summer.

Liverpool wanted to extend his deal, but Firmino decided it was time to end his association with the club. He has offers from several clubs worldwide, including clubs from the Middle East and America’s Major League Soccer.

However, according to the Daily Mail, the Brazilian has opted to switch to Barcelona when he calls it quits at Liverpool this summer.

The Catalan side are looking for an extra striker to reduce the burden on number 9 Robert Lewandowski and have identified Bobby as the perfect option.

The fact that the 31-year-old Brazilian will join for free makes it a low-risk option, especially as Barcelona is struggling financially.

The Catalan club are expected to sell some players to be able to sign new ones, so they are prioritizing players on the bossman list, with Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan and Paris Saint-Germain forward and legendary player Lionel Messi.

Firmino joined Liverpool in 2015 from Hoffenheim shortly before Jurgen Klopp became the club’s manager. After struggling early in his Liverpool career while playing as a winger under Brendan Rodgers, the Brazilian came alive when Klopp began playing him as a false nine. He was part of the famed front-three alongside Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah that led Liverpool to Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Club World Cup titles.

Borussia Dortmund vs Frankfurt: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Borussia Dortmund will look to return to winning ways this Saturday when they face Eintracht Frankfurt at Signal Iduna Park.

Last time, they failed to take advantage of Bayern Munich’s draw with Hoffenheim oas they, were held to a 3-3 draw against Stuttgart after taking the lead in the game.

Edin Terzić can only hope that his side’s failure to defeat Stuttgart in that pulsating draw won’t be a season-defining moment in the title race, as that was a golden opportunity to draw level with Bayern at the Bundesliga summit.

Regardless, the visit of Eintracht Frankfurt may provide some much-needed respite for the hosts, who hope to build on their patchy five-game league form (W2, D2, L1) against the side they’ve defeated more often than any other in the top-flight (W48, D20, L31).

If that’s not enough to inspire confidence, then perhaps boasting the league’s strongest home record (W11, D1, L1) will be enough to rally the troops after last weekend’s disappointment.

Frankfurt enters this clash in terrible form, having suffered an almighty fall from grace in the league, with a seven-game winless run seeing them tumble out of the European places (D4, L3).

Yet, Oliver Glasner’s side have a DFB Pokal semi-final on the horizon, so if they fall further adrift of the top six here, they’re likely to focus more on earning European qualification via the cup competition.

But things don’t look much better on the road for the Eagles, who are enduring their longest wait for an away league win since 2017 (D4, L4). Stopping the rot against this particular opposition will be tricky, to say the least, with Glasner losing each of his seven personal Bundesliga H2Hs with Dortmund. His embarrassment may not stop there, as one more defeat would equal the Bundesliga record for one coach against a specific opponent.

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Angers vs Paris Saint-Germain: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain will look to extend their lead at the top of the league table when they travel to Stade Raymond-Kopa on Friday to face bottom-of-the-table Angers.

The hosts have had a miserable season, with just three wins in 31 games (D5, L23). The 14 points they have won this season are only better than Elche in La Liga, who have won just 13 points after 29 games.

So mathematically, Angers are the worst team in Europe’s top five leagues this season. Meanwhile, they could be mathematically relegated to Ligue 2 if they lose this game, proving again how poor they have been this season.

Doing whatever it takes to help their team, last weekend, some SCO fans even tried to distract then-opponents Clermont by showing their backside during the two penalties that their team conceded, but it didn’t work as Angers eventually lost 2-1 to remain rock-bottom.

Coach Alexandre Dujeux lamented his players’ “lack of sharpness” during that defeat on Sunday after his team scored first within 30 minutes and even played the whole second half with eleven men against ten. Nevertheless, a return to the Stade Raymond-Kopa will be welcome for Angers, who have taken points in their last two home outings (W1, D1), and their recent 1-0 win against in-form Lille shows that a positive result isn’t impossible.

Paris Saint-Germain extended their lead at the top of the league table thanks to a 3-1 win over closest challengers Lens last time out.

The win ended a return of two consecutive home losses for the Parisians and relieved some pressure off head coach Christopher Galtier.

The French coach stated that his men shouldn’t believe that “it (the title) is already done” after his side opened an eight-point lead at the top. But it seems nigh on impossible that PSG will be denied a record 11th French title considering they will only face teams currently ranked tenth or below until the end of the season.

They travel to this venue in confidence, too, having won their last six visits to Angers, while their last H2H loss here dates back to January 1975.

Click here for the best Over 2.5 Goals odds.

Juventus 15-point deduction temporarily REVOKED

Juventus have successfully appealed their 15-point deduction in Serie A, as the penalty have not been revoked.

The Old Lady were slapped with a 15-point dediti9in February following allegations of financial rascality and mismanagement by the club over some seasons.

They were charged for false corporate communications, false communications to the stock market and obstruction of watchdog agencies. This led to the club’s offices being raided by CONSOB – the finance regulator responsible for monitoring club dealings on the stock exchange – in November 2021 to seize documents relating to the transfers under scrutiny.

An investigation was opened on the club, and the entire Juventus board – including Andrea Agnelli and Pavel Nedved – resigned late last year.

Early this year, they were handed a point deduction due to the charges, taking them out of the top four race.

But that has been revoked, meaning Massimiliano Allegri’s side now have a great chance of qualifying for the Champions League.

With 15 points added back, the Italian giants move up to third with 59 points.

Meanwhile. AC Milan and Inter drop down to fifth and sixth in the Serie A table.

Meanwhile, the number one spot is off the table, with Napoli expected to secure the title imminently. Still, the Bianconeri could steal the second spot from Lazio with a good run of form.

Harry Maguire among THIRTEEN players that could leave Man United ahead of MAJOR summer clear-out

Manchester United are planning a summer clear-out that will see them sell over a dozen players.

The Red Devils have improved under Erik ten Hag, who arrived from Ajax last summer.

The Dutchman has overseen a rebuild of the Manchester United team, and the club is reaping the harvest with one trophy ready in the cabinet and a place in the Champions League almost guaranteed next season.

However, the Old Trafford side wants to completely refresh Erik ten Hag’s squad this summer.

But United are currently in ownership limbo and are also walking a tightrope with Financial Fair Play. They also have an incredibly bloated squad, which needs addressing.

According to the Daily Mail, that will require them to sell off their first team and fringe players.

Anthony Elanga and Eric Bailly are two players that have been attracting interest from other clubs and are first on the list of players that will be moved on.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11956683/Transfer-confidential-Man-United-look-axe-THIRTEEN-players-plus-more.html

Error-prone Man United captain Harry Maguire is another player who could be sold. Meanwhile, Brandon Williams, Alex Telles, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial can also be encouraged to seek a new club.

Youngsters Facundo Pellistri and Amand Diallo could be given a place in the first team next season.

United already have transfer targets in mind and have spoken to the representatives of Bayer Leverkusen full-back Jeremie Frimpong.

Arsenal vs Southampton: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Premier League returns this weekend as league leaders Arsenal welcome bottom-of-the-table Southampton to the Emirates Stadium on Friday.

The Gunners will look to get back to winning ways when they return to the Emirates after back-to-back away games that saw them drop four points from Te’o games.

That came with back-to-back 2-2 draws away to Liverpool and West Ham in their last game, cutting their lead over Man City at the top of the Premier League table to four points.

After dropping points from a strong winning position in those two games, Mikel Arteta will hope his side can see off Southampton without any hitches. The clash with the Saints looks like the ideal fixture to get back to winning ways, given that the Gunners have won each of their seven home games against current bottom-half opponents.

They have also scored a remarkable 27 combined goals in those games while conceding only seven in reply. So they will fancy their chances of extending their winning run at home in the PL to five games.

Meanwhile, Southampton travel to London in dire form. The Saints come into this tie without a win in six Premier League games (D2, L4).

Their last outing was an embarrassing 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace, meaning that they come into this Round sitting four points from safety, despite the tight nature of this season’s relegation fight.

Apart from being rooted at the bottom of the table, Southampton have not beaten Arsenal away from home in their last 27 head-to-head meetings.

So, this game is a huge mountain for Rubén Sellés’ side, who are running out of time to secure their Premier League status beyond this season.

Click here to get Sure Home win Prediction.

Pep Guardiola says his players are exhausted after Man City reach third straight Champions League semi-final

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated that his players are exhausted after they secured their place in the semi-final round of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

The Cityzens saw off Bayern Munich 4-1 on aggregate at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday to book their place in the next round, where they will meet holders Real Madrid.

The result means that Guardiola’s side remains on course to win the treble this season.

However, the manager says their success is taking its toll on his players.

“We are exhausted,” he told newsmen via GOAL.

“I don’t know how we recover to play against Sheffield United [in the FA Cup semi-final]. Now is a tough moment for the game on Saturday,” he told BT Sport. “Three years in a row in the semi-finals of the Champions League. We struggled in the first half. Upamecano broke all the lines down our left side, and we struggled with Coman. We were fortunate before the penalty miss, they had one or two chances, and anything could happen, but we defended really well.”

The Premier League holders will play 13 more matches in all competitions if they reach the FA Cup final and beat Real Madrid.

Manchester United remain the only English team to win the treble, but the Etihad side will fancy their chances of achieving that feat in the current campaign.

Meanwhile, Guardiola will be expected to heavily rotate his side when they face Championship side Sheffield United in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Saturday at Wembley.

Sporting Lisbon vs Juventus: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Sporting Lisbon and Juventus will square up this Thursday in Portugal for the second leg of their 2022/23 Europa League quarter-final tie.

The hosts lost 1-0 in their first leg, where the breathing difficulties of Juventus ‘keeper Wojciech Szczęsny grabbed the headlines. However, the Pole has since been declared fit for this tie and should be back between the sticks.

But this tie is far from over as the discontinuation of the away goals rule gives the hosts a chance to reach the UEL semis for only the second time ever, with coach Rúben Amorim reassuring fans that “the margin is so slim and we must have faith” after the loss in Turin.

A much-changed Sporting side drew 1-1 in their league match with Arouca on Sunday, losing ground on European qualification, making the progression from this tie vital.

Yet, with the Lions having failed to win at Estádio José Alvalade across their last four European home matches (D2, L2) and considering they have lost each of the last six two-legged ties with Italian clubs, home fans may not be bullish.

Juventus also lost ground in their push for the European spots after falling 1-0 to Sassuolo on Sunday ahead of a troika of key matches in three different competitions (UEL, Serie A and Coppa Italia) that could decide where their season is heading.

But they should be confident after the first-leg win made it four consecutive European victories with a clean sheet for the first time since the 2016/17 Champions League campaign. However, coach Massimiliano Allegri identified “a few mistakes” and some areas where “the lads can improve” following that leg.

The Old Lady needs those improvements to stabilise their away form that has landed three losses across five competitive trips (W2), including two in a row. Four of those results have come by a single-goal margin, meaning we can’t rule out another tight game.

So an under 2.5 goals game is a possibility here.

PSG is ready to enter the race to sign Harry Kane

Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly entered the race to sign Tottenham striker Harry Kane this summer.

The England man is one of the best strikers in the world and is wanted by many top clubs, including Bayern Munich and Manchester United.

Kane’s contract at the North London club expires in 2024, though the club are confident of tying him down to a new deal.

According to reports, Spurs will resume talks with Kane’s entourage once the club appoints a permanent head coach to succeed Antonio Conte.

However, Tottenham’s position has not stopped top clubs from continuing to circle the 29-year-old.

The England captain wants to break Alan Shearer’s record for Premier League goals. However, Bayern Munich are ready to offer him a route out of England should his desire to win trophies slightly outweigh his ambition, and they believe they can lure him to mainland Europe.

PSG have also joined Bayern in the queue and are ready to reignite their interest in Kane should he be open to a move abroad.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has always admired Kane, with PSG making their interest in the 29-year-old known when he wanted to leave Spurs in 2021.

Joshua Oha

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Barcelona agree on deal with Roberto Firmino

Borussia Dortmund vs Frankfurt: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Angers vs Paris Saint-Germain: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Juventus 15-point deduction temporarily REVOKED

Harry Maguire among THIRTEEN players that could leave Man United ahead of MAJOR summer clear-out

Arsenal vs Southampton: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Pep Guardiola says his players are exhausted after Man City reach third straight Champions League semi-final

Sporting Lisbon vs Juventus: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

PSG is ready to enter the race to sign Harry Kane

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