Joshua Oha, Author at Matchplug Blog

Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Bayern Munich will continue their quest for an eleventh consecutive Bundesliga title this Sunday with a visit to BayArena, where they face Bayer Leverkusen.

Fresh from booking their place in the quarter-finals round of the Europa League, the hosts will host Bayern looking to keep up the pace in their race for the top six. The hosts were not expected to compete for a place in the top six this season after they recorded their worst-ever start to a top-flight season.

But an uptick in form since Xabi Alonso’s appointment as manager and recent back-to-back league victories have reignited their chase for the top-six, although they’re still six points adrift ahead of this round.

Their 2-0 win over Ferencváros on Thursday was Leverkusen’s fifth win in their last six competitive games (D1), so they will be confident of getting a good result in this game. But maturity will be necessary here if Alonso’s side are to break a six-game winless H2H streak in the Bundesliga (D1, L5), which included a 4-0 thrashing in this season’s reverse fixture.

That win in the reverse fixture forms part of Bayern’s historical dominance of this fixture, in which they boast a daunting overall H2H advantage (W59, D18, L19).

However, the Bundesliga champions are under pressure here, with Borussia Dortmund trailing by two points heading into the weekend.

Julian Nagelsmann’s men will be desperate to enter the international break with their slender lead firmly secure. They held their nerve last time out to win, with a rollercoaster 5-3 victory over Augsburg, their fourth win in a row.

Having scored their 71st league goal in that Augsburg win, Bayern will be confident of getting a win here. The Bavarians are often similarly ruthless on their travels, with the division’s best away side having lost just once on the road in all competitions since September (W10, D2).

Therefore, all signs appear to point to that run continuing here.

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PSG vs Rennes: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Paris Saint-Germain will look to continue their grip on Ligue 1 top spot when they welcome Rennes to Parc des Princes this Sunday.

The hosts secured their 21st Ligue 1 win of the season and a fourth consecutive league win last time out with a 2-1 over struggling Brest. Despite controlling much of the game, they needed a late Kylian Mbappe goal to establish the win and send themselves ten points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 standings ahead of the round.

Although it was disappointing, coach Christophe Galtier said he was “satisfied” on Saturday, as PSG scored their 3000th goal in Ligue 1. They hope to continue their winning run before the international break.

The Parisians will also fancy their chances at home, given their form at home. The hosts have turned the Parc des Princes into a fortress, as they rank as one of only five clubs in the top five European leagues still unbeaten on home soil in league action (W11, D2) in 2022/23.

Rennes travel to the capital after winning just two of their previous six league outings (D1, L3), capped off by a goalless draw at relegation-battling Auxerre in their last outing.

That result highlighted the recent offensive deficiencies of coach Bruno Génésio’s men, as they’ve now failed to score in their previous two league outings. That is as many scoring blanks as they suffered in their 40 games prior.

So, the visitors are looking anxiously over their shoulders as they battle to hold onto a European place. A game against the champions is unlikely to aid them in that pursuit, yet they’ve actually been one of the most successful sides in recent seasons when taking on PSG by winning four of the last nine H2Hs.

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Arsenal vs Crystal Palace: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Arsenal will continue their quest for their first Premier League title in almost 20 years when they welcome Crystal Palace to Emirates this Sunday.

The hosts kept their place at the top of the table with an impressive 3-0 win over Fulham in their last PL outing. The win made it five consecutive league wins for the Gunners, with 3+ goals scored in four games.

However, Mikel Arteta’s side suffered a shocking loss to Sporting Lisbon on Thursday in the Europa League. After a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time, the Portuguese side beat Arteta’s side on penalties to confirm their exit in the only other Cup competition they are still playing this season.

And so, Arsenal will focus entirely on the Premier League title now. They currently sit five points ahead of their closest challengers Manchester City. And with Pep Guardiola’s side not in league action this weekend, they will now be looking to further open the gap by notching up a sixth successive top-flight win in a single season.

Managerless Palace travel to the Emirates looking to become the second Premier League team to win against the Gunners at home, where Arteta’s side have suffered just one defeat in their last 16 home league outings (W13, D2).

The Eagles sacked their manager Patrick Vieira after a sorry run of form that saw them go winless in eleven competitive games (D5, L6), the longest winless run of any club in the top flight this season.

That run of form has pushed Palace down the table and into the relegation battle. They entered this round of games sitting just three points ahead of the bottom three.

With the bottom clubs picking up points more regularly, the visitors know that unless they improve, they will find themselves fully in the bottom three soon. They will be desperate to avoid getting sucked in completely before the international break.

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Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Fresh from qualifying for a place in the Champions League quarter-finals, Real Madrid will turn their attention to La Liga, where they face Barcelona in the 253rd of the El Clasico.

Unlike the visitors, Barcelona didn’t participate in any games in midweek, so they will come into this game fresher. Their last outing was a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao away from home, taking their points tally for the season to 65 points.

That is nine more than their closest rivals Real Madrid, who come into this tie desperate for a win to ensure the Catalan side do not go into the international break with a near-impregnable 12-point lead with 12 La Liga matches left.

But given their form at home in La Liga, Barca will win this game. Barca are unbeaten in 12 home league games (W10, D2) this campaign, which is their best-undefeated start at home at this stage since 2019/20.

Real Madrid might be unbeaten in their last five league games (W3, D2), but two draws in their last three have put them in a difficult position ahead of the last dozen league games.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side are now playing catch-up in the race for the title and will be desperate to win in Camp Nou and avenge their last two defeats to Barca in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.

The good thing, though, is that Los Blancos have won their last two away H2Hs and could make it the second time in history that they’ve won three straight such trips.

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Udinese vs AC Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

AC Milan will travel to Udine this Saturday to face Udinese.

The hosts clung onto their top-half position with just a one-point cushion ahead of this round thanks to a 1-0 victory over Empoli in their last Serie A outing. Manager Andrea Sottil stated that his side “deservedly won” that game.

He will be hoping that his boys can use the confidence gained after ending a six-game winless run by putting together back-to-back victories for the first time since last October.

A return to Dacia Arena could be a good omen for the host’s chances of entering the impending international break on a high as, despite failing to win here this year, they had lost only once (D4, L1).

AC Milan failed to boost their chance of a top-four finish last time when they were held to a 1-1 draw with Salernitana.

The Rossoneri are clinging onto a top-four berth by the skin of their teeth after a pair of winless league games (D1, L1). However, with their closest chasers, Roma playing on Sunday, Milan knows only a win will guarantee a top-four position during the international break.

Improving on some suspect away Serie A form in 2023 (W2, D1, L3) will be vital to securing the visitors’ place in the top tier of European football.

Having won just two of the last six away H2Hs (D2, L2), this game certainly won’t be easy for Milan.

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Borussia Dortmund vs FC Koln: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Borussia Dortmund will look to rekindle their title quest this Saturday when they take on FC Koln at Signal Iduna Park.

The hosts are fighting perennial Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich for this season’s title. But their chances of ending the Bavarians’ run to an eleventh consecutive league title took a big hit last time when they were held to a 2-2 draw with Schalke 04 in the Revierderby.

The draw followed a disappointing 2-0 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, confirming BVB’s exit from the Champions League. However, after a run of ten consecutive wins, two games without a win isn’t enough for Edin Terzić to panic just yet.

But with Bayern now two points ahead, the Dortmund manager will be desperate for his side to bounce back here and keep them within striking distance of Bayern ahead of the international break.

The potential returns of Marco Reus and Karim Adeyemi should help here. As Dortmund have only lost one of the last 22 home H2Hs against Cologne (W17, D4), this could be an ideal opportunity for them to return to winning ways.

The visitors travel to Westfalenstadion in terrible form, having not won in their last four games (D1, L3). In fact, they failed to score in each of those games, resulting in a slide down the standings.

They appear safe from the bottom three for the moment, though, while starting the round seven points from both the relegation zone and the top half means the destiny of their season is now clearly in their own hands.

But having not won here with fans present since April 1991, it’ll be challenging for the Billy Goats to rediscover some goalscoring form.

We suggest a sure home win prediction for this game. Click here to get the best direct win predictions.

Chelsea vs Everton: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Chelsea will look to make it four consecutive wins when they welcome struggling Everton to Stamford Bridge this Saturday.

The Blues have put together a sting run of results to rekindle their top four hopes and buy under-fire manager Graham Potter more time. The Chelsea manager was in danger of getting sacked last month after overseeing a run of just one win in eleven competitive games (D4, L6).

But three straight wins in all competitions have restored the right mood at Stamford Bridge and the fans’ confidence. Additionally, their tally of five goals from their last two games hints that they may have finally overcome the attacking woes that have plagued them earlier.

Their target will be to build on that brilliant run against a struggling Everton side who haven’t won in the league at Stamford Bridge since 1994–an incredible 27 Premier League games (W15, D12).

However, given how tough they seem to be under Sean Dyche, the Toffees will fancy their chances of getting a result. The visitors have become less vulnerable under the former Burnley coach and recorded three wins under his watch.

They defeated top six hopefuls Brentford 1-0 last time, meaning that since Dyche’s arrival, only five PL teams have picked up more points than them (ten – W3, D1, L3). But the fact that none of those wins came on the road will be a cause for concern. Also, Everton have earned fewer points on the road (18) than any of the 17 PL sides to feature across both seasons.

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Southampton vs Tottenham: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Tottenham will take their fight for a top-four finish to Saint Mary’s Stadium this Saturday, where they will face a struggling Southampton side.

The Saints remain rooted at the bottom of the Premier League table but are fighting hard to ensure they escape the drop. Despite scoring just two goals, they have scrapped hard to collect seven points from their five Premier League fixtures under interim manager Rubén Sellés.

But their increasingly desperate bid to get off the bottom of the table will face some stern tests in the next month when they host top-four clubs Tottenham and Manchester City. However, some positive upsets, such as their 1-0 triumph at Chelsea on Sellés’ PL debut, could be key to saving the team from relegation.

But delving deeper into their miserable campaign suggests it’s not likely to happen consistently. In fact, against the nine clubs ranked above Chelsea going into this round, Southampton lamented a winless D2, L9 PL record, conceding 3+ goals on six occasions, including a 4-1 loss away to Tottenham in the opening round.

Meanwhile, Tottenham strengthened their grip on fourth position with a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest last time out. The win was their fourth consecutive win at home in the Premier League.

However, embarrassing losses to both Wolves (1-0) and Leicester City (4-1) in their last two PL trips has shown that when travelling to clubs with survival as their sole focus, they have the potential to be overwhelmed.

But given that they have won four of their last six meetings with Southampton, they will fancy their chances of ending their four consecutive losses away from home here.

Meanwhile, two of the last 30 PL matches involving either club ended in a draw. So we can expect a direct win in this game. Click here to get direct win predictions.

Liverpool enter race to sign Julián Brandt

Premier League giants Liverpool have reportedly entered the race to sign Borussia Dortmund’s in-form midfielder Julian Brandt.

According to reports in the 90min, the Reds want the German international who has been in red-hot form this season. Brendt has scored nine goals and five assists across all competitions and has been vital for Dortmund’s good run of results.

This is not the first time the Reds will be interested in Brandt. They were interested in the 26-year-old when he was still at Bayer Leverkusen before he joined Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2019.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are looking to reinvent their forward line after a poor season and would like Brandt to be part of their new-look attack. But they are not alone in their pursuit of the player. They will have to compete with Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle for the 26-year-old.

Meanwhile, Dortmund continue to make efforts to extend his deal at Signal Iduna Park, meaning that it will take a decent sum to prise him away from the German side.

Crystal Palace sack Patrick Vieira after terrible run of results

Crystal Palace have sacked their manager Patrick Vieira after a poor run of results that has seen the Eagles sit just three points off the relegation zone.

Palace started the season brightly under the former Arsenal captain and were at the top half of the table briefly. But a run of 12 games without a win has left them staring down the barrel of relegation, leading to the sack of their manager.

The south London club released a statement on the club website confirming the sack.

“It is with enormous regret that this difficult decision has been made,” Palace chairman Steve Parish said in a statement.

“Ultimately, results in recent months have placed us in a precarious league position, and we felt a change is necessary to give us the best chance of retaining Premier League status. Patrick has given his all to the club, and we all thank him and his team for their service.”

The Selhurst Park club also confirmed that Vieira’s coaching staff of Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson and Said Aigoun had also left the club, claiming that “the process to appoint a new manager is underway.”

Vieira spent less than two years in charge at Selhurst Park when he took over from Roy Hodgson in 2021. Palace’s next game is away at league leaders Arsenal on Sunday

Joshua Oha

Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

PSG vs Rennes: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Udinese vs AC Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Borussia Dortmund vs FC Koln: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Chelsea vs Everton: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Southampton vs Tottenham: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Liverpool enter race to sign Julián Brandt

Crystal Palace sack Patrick Vieira after terrible run of results

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