Joshua Oha, Author at Matchplug Blog

Spezia vs Inter Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Inter Milan will travel to Stadio Alberto Picco this Friday to face Spezia in the 26th Round of the 2022/23 Serie A season.

Struggling Spezia did little to boost their survival hopes at the weekend as they held to a goalless draw by Hellas Verona. That draw means they missed the chance to open up a six-point gap to 18th place, with Spezia currently sat in 17th position, three points ahead of Verona.

But that result did at least extend Spezia’s unbeaten run under new boss Leonardo Semplici to two matches (D2). They will now face one of the biggest occasions Serie A can offer – Inter Milan.

Spezia have not fared well in this fixture, as they have zero wins in their last six encounters with Inter (D1, L5). And considering Semplici’s side are winless in their last nine league home games (D5, L4), failing to score a goal across the previous five, there appears little chance of a maiden head-to-head win here.

Inter Milan look primed to take all three points from this game, considering their form heading into this fixture. The visitors are currently the second-best team in the league, with four wins in their last six league games (D1, L1), giving them a grip on second place as their quest for a sixth successive top-four finish continues.

After suffering a rare 1-0 loss to Bologna on their last away trip, Inter will be desperate to bounce back from that loss which was their first league away defeat of 2023 on their previous road trip.

Considering they come into the round with a joint-second most Serie A goals scored in the opening ten minutes of games (five), they will fancy their chances of ensuring they bounce back very early in this game.

That said, a ‘Goal First Half’ bet will be the correct prediction for this game.

Cadiz vs Getafe: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

It’s a huge battle between two relegation-threatened teams this weekend in La Liga as Getafe travel to Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla to Cadiz in the 25th round of the 2022/23 La Liga season.

Both sides come into this tie separated by one point after 24 rounds of games. They are both sandwiched in the middle of a relegation logjam involving seven teams separated by just three points.

But Cadiz have the advantage in the run-in given that their next three matches all come against clubs one point below them in the standings (Getafe, Almería, Sevilla).

They come into this tie with confidence, given that they currently have the league’s third-longest home undefeated run (W4, D5). Furthermore, the hosts have also won their last three home games – their longest La Liga win streak since 1990/91, so they will fancy their chances of taking maximum points here.

Getafe will hope to continue their unbeaten run against Cadiz when they travel to Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla on Friday. The visitors, who are unbeaten in their last three games against their hosts (W1, D2), gave their survival chances a boost last time courtesy of a 3-2 home win over Girona.

The win made it two wins in three games for Quique Sánchez Flores’ side, who also scored 2+ goals in a La Liga game for the first time since December. Their target will be to build on that win and end their recent winless record away from home. Like Cadiz, most of the visitors’ successes have come at home, with their most recent La Liga away win coming last October (D1, L4 since).

That said, given the low firepower of both teams, we should expect a low-scoring affair with under 2.5 goals scored.

Manchester United to table huge offer for Camavinga

Manchester United are reportedly plotting a bold £115 million (€130m) offer for Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

According to Fichajes, the Red Devils are looking to do business with Real Madrid again this summer after pricing away Casemiro from them last summer.

This time French midfield star, Camavinga is the target, with the Old Trafford side viewing the 20-year-old as a future star despite his struggles in Madrid. Camavinga’s time in Spain has been up-and-down, as he helped Real Madrid win last year’s Champions League but has been less convincing this campaign.

Mbappe refuses to give a clear answer on his PSG future after a painful Champions League exit

Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe refused to clarify where his footballing future lies after his side’s loss in the Champions League to Bayern Munich.

The Parisians were sent out of the Champions League in the Round of 16 after a 3-0 aggregate loss to the German side. A 1-0 loss was recorded in Parc des Princes a fortnight ago before an embarrassing 2-0 loss at the Allianz Arena sealed the exit last night.

The result means that PSG have exited the tournament at the last-16 stage for the fifth time in seven years. Even Mbappe could not inspire them to success after snubbing a move to current Champions League holders Real Madrid last summer.

But after the game, the PSG record top-scorer revealed that he remains committed to the club’s quest for the Ligue 1 title even though he refused to state his long-term position in Paris.

When asked to clarify his future beyond this season, Mbappe told reporters post-match: “No, no, I’m calm. The only thing that matters to me this season is to win Ligue 1, and then we’ll see. At the moment, I’m only talking about this season. Nothing else matters to me.”

“We are disappointed. That’s how it is, and we have to move on, try to challenge everyone,” he added when speaking about the result.

“We didn’t miss much when we look at the state of the two teams, [but] they have a team built to win the Champions League. At the start of the season, during the first Champions League press conference, I said that we were going to do our best and give our maximum. We’re going to question ourselves and go back to our day-to-day life in Ligue 1.”

Real Madrid could enter the race for Mbappe again if he becomes available as they continue to look for a long-term replacement for the ageing Karim Benzema.

Manchester United vs Real Betis: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Manchester United will look to get back to winning ways when they host Real Betis in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie.

The hosts suffered their most-embarrassing defeat under Erik ten Hag last time when they were beaten by their fierce rivals Liverpool at Anfield. In a shocking second-half display, the Red Devils conceded six times on their way to a 7-0 loss to Liverpool.

The loss was their biggest loss ever to Liverpool and ended a run of eleven games without defeat for United (W9, D2). Ten Hag declared after the match that his side’s performance at Anfield must not be repeated. However, he will hope that his boys can pick themselves up at Old Trafford, where they have been unbeaten since September (W17, D2).

However, United have a poor history against Spanish teams. The Red Devil’s last defeat on their own turf was to Spanish opposition in the form of Real Sociedad in this season’s group stage. However, optimistic Old Trafford faithful will feel that the loss came too far back as United recently defeated Barcelona 2-1 at this Stadium.

Real Betis will hope to avoid the fate of Barca when they travel to Old Trafford for the first time. The Spanish side come into this fixture in decent form, having not tasted defeat in their last four competitive games (W3, D1).

They held UCL champions Real Madrid to a goalless draw at the weekend to ensure they remain just three points adrift of the top four in La Liga. Los Verdiblancos are strong on the road, where they have won each of their last three road trips, with the last two decided by a 3-2 scoreline.

The Andalusian side are also unbeaten in five UEL matches away from home (W4, D1). Moreover, they qualified through the group stages without tasting defeat (W5, D1), so they’re unlikely to be intimidated by the boisterous Old Trafford crowd.

Click here to get the correct score prediction for this game.

AS Roma vs Real Sociedad: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

AS Roma will welcome Real Sociedad to Stadio Olimpico this Thursday for the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie.

After losing 1-0 in their first leg against Salzburg last Round, Roma qualified for this tournament stage by beating the Austrian side 2-0 at home. That win at home was followed up by another narrow 1-0 win over Juventus last weekend, meaning that the hosts have won their last four home games in all competitions.

They have also kept a clean sheet in all those home games and have only conceded in one home game since the turn of the year. So Jose Mourinho’s men come into this tie in strong defensive form. But considering they have won only one of their last ten UEFA matches against Spanish clubs (D2, L7), they will rely on their home form to see them through this first-ever meeting with Real Sociedad.

The visitors will travel to Rome looking to secure a spot in a European quarter-final for the first time in 34 years. However, they will make the trip to Italy on the back of an indifferent seven-game run (W1, D3, L3), casting doubts on their preparedness to win.

Their most recent outing was a goalless draw against Cádiz on Friday. Though it was a poor result, it was enough to keep them inside the LA Liga top four. The White and Blues qualified for this tournament’s stage directly, thanks to a top-of-the-table finish in their group. In addition, they were the only team to win their first five UEL group games this season, which included three away wins on the trot.

They can become just the third team to win four consecutive UEL matches on their travels. But achieving that feat will likely require an improvement on their recent away form, as the visitors have won just one of their last four competitive away games (D1, L2), alarmingly failing to score on three occasions.

So given Roma’s strong defensive showing at home and Sociedad’s recent inability to score away from home, the best prediction for this game is under 2.5 goals.

Bayern Munich will send Joao Cancelo back to Man City

Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich will not permanently sign on-loan full-back Joao Cancelo this summer.

According to Calciomercato, the German side have determined they would send the Manchester City defender back to the Etihad after the season rather than make his loan permanent.

The Portuguese international joined the Bavarian side on loan in January after reportedly falling out of favour with Pep Guardiola at City. His deal at the Allianz Arena was set to be made permanent at the end of the six-month loan. But as it stands, Bayern are reluctant to sanction a permanent deal given Cancelo’s output so far.

Although his life in Munich started strongly, as he gave an assist in his first game, overall, his time in Germany hasn’t gone as he had hoped. He’s been dealt with the same diminished squad role issue that infuriated him under Pep Guardiola.

Manchester City is ready to move on after he left in January and would be happy to sell him to another club this summer.

Manchester United and Chelsea target Victor Osimhen admits Premier League dream

Napoli hot-shot striker Victor Osimhen has admitted he is working towards his ‘dream’ of playing in the Premier League amid interest from top Premier League clubs.

The Nigerian striker is one of the most sought-after players in the world after a stellar season in Naples. Has been linked with summer transfers to Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, who are all interested in improving their attacking options.

In a recent interview, the Napoli talisman made it clear that his ambition is to play in the Premier League.

“I think playing in one of the top five leagues in the world (Serie A) is an amazing feeling for me,” he said.

“A lot of people worldwide consider the Premier League as the best and the strongest league, but now I’m in one of the best leagues in the world, which is the Italian Serie A.

“I’m working so hard to make sure that I achieve my dream of playing in the Premier League someday, but like I said, it’s a process, and I just want to keep on this momentum and continue to do well.”

The 24-year-old has already played in three of the ‘top five’ leagues in Europe, beginning in Germany with VfL Wolfsburg before signing for Lille after playing for Belgian outfit Charleroi.

Tottenham vs AC Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Tottenham and AC Milan will face off in North London this Wednesday for the second leg of their Champions League knockout tie.

Tottenham lost 1-0 in the first leg at the San Siro, with an early goal by Brahim Díaz the difference on the night. But, unfortunately, it was by the same scoreline that the hosts fell to defeat in Premier League action at the weekend, too, going down against relegation-battling Wolves.

The latest result has put their chances of finishing in the Premier League top four in jeopardy, with perennial top four chasers Liverpool just three points behind with a game in hand.

So, though highly unlikely, winning this competition is becoming increasingly for Spurs, who are seeking to overturn a first-leg deficit for the third time in four such instances in European competition. The return of manager Antonio Conte to the dugout after a brief spell on the sidelines could be the best omen of all for Tottenham, given the Italian boss has won five of his last six managerial home games against Milan in all competitions.

Like their hosts, AC Milan suffered a similarly poor domestic result at the weekend, going down 2-1 against Fiorentina. As a result, they have lost ground in the race for second in Serie A, with their away form much to blame for their failed title defence this season.

Things could worsen in North London as the visitors have a poor record against Premier League teams. The San Siro side have five defeats from their last six two-legged knockout ties against English opposition. Stefano Pioli’s men have also lost by an aggregate 9-1 score on their previous three visits to the English capital in European competition.

So, they must do better than their previous visits to England to secure their first UCL quarter-final appearance in 11 years. But, with 37 wins out of 43 UEFA competition ties in which they won the first leg at home, Pioli’s side should have some belief.

Click here to get the correct score tomorrow.

Bayern Munich vs PSG: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Bayern Munich will welcome Paris Saint-Germain to Allianz Arena this Wednesday as both sides battle for a place in the quarter-finals round of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League season.

The Bavarians hold a slender advantage going into this second leg after a 1-0 win in Paris a fortnight ago. The win forms part of a run of five wins from their last six competitive games (L1). After reclaiming the top spot in the Bundesliga race thanks to a 2-1 win over Stuggart at the weekend, confidence should be high heading into this clash.

Meanwhile, the Bavarians have been impressive on the European stage this season, with an unblemished seven wins from as many UCL games this term representing their best showing at this stage since lifting the trophy back in 2019/20, when they defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the final. However, Julian Nagelsmann’s side can’t rest on their laurels, though, with a perfectly split head-to-head record against PSG (W6, L6) indicating this tie is far from over.

Paris Saint-Germain made it three wins in a row last weekend when they beat Nantes 4-2. The win showed that their recent wobble is now truly behind them, while the four goals they scored in the game made it three consecutive games they have scored 3+ goals.

And so, they will travel to Munich in a confident mood. They can take heart from their impressive return of five progressions from six overall knockout ties against German opponents.

However, Christophe Galtier’s men have been eliminated in four of their last six round-of-16 ties. Moreover, they have only come back from a first-leg deficit to progress once in 19 such UCL ties, although that was against German opposition Borussia Dortmund in 2019/20.

Click here to get the correct score prediction for this game.

Joshua Oha

Spezia vs Inter Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Cadiz vs Getafe: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Manchester United to table huge offer for Camavinga

Mbappe refuses to give a clear answer on his PSG future after a painful Champions League exit

Manchester United vs Real Betis: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

AS Roma vs Real Sociedad: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Bayern Munich will send Joao Cancelo back to Man City

Manchester United and Chelsea target Victor Osimhen admits Premier League dream

Tottenham vs AC Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Bayern Munich vs PSG: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

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