Joshua Oha, Author at Matchplug Blog

Villarreal vs Barcelona: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

La Liga leaders Barcelona will travel to Estadio de la Cerámica this Sunday to face Villarreal in the 21st round of the 2022/23 La Liga season.

The Yellow Submarines are looking to get back to winning ways after losing their last two games and dropping to seventh in the table as a result.

Manager Quique Setién has transformed Villarreal since his appointment in October but faces the enormous task of beating one of his old clubs. This is a contest between two of the league’s sternest defences, with Villarreal’s 17 goals conceded only bettered by Barcelona’s seven conceded.

So we might see a tight encounter that will feature Under 2.5 Goals. However, the goals could also rain here if recent contests are anything to go by, as the last four La Liga meetings at Estadio de la Ceramica have produced an exciting average of five goals per game–Over 2.5 Goals.

Barcelona come into this tie as the clear favourites, given their form and history in this fixture. The Catalan side have won their last ten games in all competitions. They are also unbeaten in 14 competitive games and have kept five clean sheets in their last six games.

Xavi’s men have yet to taste defeat at this venue since October 2007 (W10, D5), so they will fancy their chances of winning here.

Brentford ready to cash in on David Raya after failed contract talks

Brentford coach Thomas Frank has admitted that his goalkeeper David Raya could be sold by this summer after both parties failed to agree on terms of a new contract.

The Spain goalkeeper’s contract expires in 2024, but he has failed to commit to a new deal. Earlier this week, he revealed that he had turned down two new offers from the Bees, leading to speculations that he could be sold this summer.

The 27-year-old has proven to be one of the Premier League’s finest stoppers since Brentford were promoted to the Premier League in 2021, and his performance has attracted the interest of Manchester United and Tottenham.

When asked about the future of his goalkeeper, Brentford’s manager revealed the player wants to leave.

“I think if he turns it [a contract offer] down twice, then unfortunately, that’s a signal,” he said.

“We made two really good offers, but that’s fine; it’s a free world. We can’t force anyone.

“That said, David has been amazing for us, coming from Blackburn three-and-a-half years ago.

“In the first season, for me, he was the best ‘keeper in the Championship and then was involved in the play-off final. He made a mistake there, but we told him, ‘you will come back stronger’, and the year after, we did it.

“He has taken that form into the Premier League, and I think he’s one of the best ‘keepers in this league right now. He’s very focused, and every day he’s here, I’m happy.

“He’s one of the captains, and he is leading with his performances and his behaviour. He’s a top character.

“I hope he will stay forever, but it looks like it could be difficult with the contract situation.

“He must be [worth] at least £40m plus. If he had three years [left on his contract], it would be £70m. How much was Kepa? He is at least as good as him.”

Steven Gerrard ready to become new Leeds United manager after numerous candidates rejected job

Former Aston Villa and Rangers coach Steven Gerrard is keen to occupy the vacant managerial seat at Leeds United.

The Elland Road side are still without a full-time manager after sacking Jesse Marsch last week. The American coach was relieved of his duties after a poor run of results that saw Leeds drop to 17th on the table, one point above the relegation zone.

The club have sought to replace him but have faced rejection from multiple coaches. According to reports, their first-choice replacement, Carlos Corberan, signed a new 18-month deal with West Brom on Monday. Rayo Vallecano’s Andoni Iraola also refused to leave his current side despite Leeds sending a delegation to convince him.

That has left Leeds United with few options, so they have turned their attention to former Liverpool captain Gerrard. The former England international has been out of management since November after being sacked by Aston Villa following six defeats in 11 league games. However, according to Football Insider, he is keen on taking over at Leeds despite the enormity of the task.

Thiago Silva extends Chelsea contract until 2024

Thiago Silva has renewed his Chelsea contract until 2024.

The Brazilian has been a mainstay in the Chelsea backline since he arrived at Stamford Bridge from Pasris Saint-Germain two years ago. Despite turning 38 years last September, Silva has shown few signs of slowing down, leading to Chelsea rewarding him with a contract that will last until he is almost 40 years old.

After putting pen to paper on his new deal, Silva told the club’s official website, “I am honestly so happy to continue my career with the Blues.

“When I signed my first contract here, it was to just do one year. Now it is already the fourth! I could not have imagined that, but really it is a very special moment for me to sign and stay at Chelsea.”

AC Milan target Reims loanee Florian Balogun after an impressive spell in France

Florian Balogun is subject to strong interest from Serie A champions AC Milan this summer after his impressive loan spell in Ligue 1.

The forward joined French side Reims on loan from Arsenal and has impressed throughout the campaign. He currently sits top of Ligue 1’s goal charts with 14 goals from 21 appearances, which has attracted AC Milan’s interest.

According to the Daily Mail, the Serie A giants may attempt to land him in the summer to strengthen their attack. Milan previously wanted to sign Balogun while he was still in the Arsenal youth academy but couldn’t land him then, as Arsenal were unwilling to sell.

But with his performance in France, Milan’s interest has been strengthened. However, the Rossoneri are not the only team credited with an interest, with Marseille and Villarreal also monitoring him.

Leeds United vs Manchester United: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Leeds United and Manchester United will meet for the second time in four days when they clash at Elland Road this Sunday.

Both sides played an entertaining 2-2 draw in midweek, with the host throwing away a two-goal lead late in the game.

Despite this, that point against United would have pleased their fans, who would have enjoyed the energy and aggression their side played with despite not having a permanent manager.

However, they hope to turn their energetic and fearless performance into wins as they are currently winless in eight Premier League matches (D4, L4).

That draw was another missed opportunity for Manchester United to close the gap between them and the top two.

The Red Devils currently sit two points behind Manchester City and seven points behind league leaders Arsenal, having played two games more.

They travel to Elland Road, where they are set to receive a hostile reception without a win in their last two away league games (D1, L1). They also have a record of six defeats from their last 11 PL games to be played on a Sunday (W4, D1).

So the omens are pointing to another poor day on the road. But having scored in each of their last 22 games, this should feature goals.

Meanwhile, click here to get the best betting tips today.

Bayern Munich vs Bochum: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Bayern Munich will welcome Bochum to Allianz Arena this Saturday for the 21st round of the 2022/23 Bundesliga season.

The Bavarians ended a run of three consecutive league draws with an impressive 4-2 win over Wolfsburg last round.

Despite being down to ten men for much of the game, the Bavarians went on to win and keep their slender one-point lead at the top.

Although they have drawn their last two games at Allianz Arena, they should win against Bochum, given they have scored fewer than three goals in just one of the last six home league games against the visitors (W4, D2).

Bochum suffered a 7-0 defeat in the reverse fixture. Yet, they come into this tie on the back of a 5-2 win over Hoffenheim in the league.

The win kept them three points ahead of the relegation zone ahead of this round.

They will travel to Munich desperate for a win, and they will fancy their chances, having won two of their three league games against table-topping sides on the day (L1) since their return to the Bundesliga,

Yet, the visitors have never beaten the league leaders of the day away from home in their entire Bundesliga history, a statistic that appears unlikely to change after losing nine of their ten away league games this season.

The best prediction for this game will be a direct win for Bayern Munich. For direct win predictions, click here.

Lazio vs Atalanta: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Lazio will look to continue their impressive Serie A form this Saturday when they welcome Atalanta to Rome.

The hosts’ push towards the UEFA Champions League spots is gathering momentum as they are unbeaten in five Serie A (SA) games (W2, D3). Yet, a 1-1 draw with Verona last time means that Maurizio Sarri’s men are winless in their last three competitive games (D2, L1).

They will hope to end that poor streak here. However, a return to the Stadio Olimpico doesn’t bode well for them, with Lazio winning just two of the last eleven Serie A H2Hs with Atalanta (D5, L4).

But Atalanta come into this tie in poor shape, having suffered back-to-back, scoreless defeats to Inter Milan in their last league game in the Coppa Italia and Sassuolo.

Gian Piero Gasparini’s men, like Lazio, are also chasing the top four but currently sit in sixth position, one point behind their fifth-placed hosts.

They can leapfrog Lazio with a win here and be confident of doing so, given that they are currently on a run of five unbeaten away matches against Lazio (W2, D3).

But with just two wins from seven away league games since (D3, L2), Atalanta are a bit of a mixed bag on the road.

Leicester vs Tottenham: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Tottenham Hotspur will look to make it three wins in three league games when they travel to King Power Stadium this Saturday to face Leicester City.

The hosts produced one of their best-attacking displays of the season last time as they recorded a 4-2 win over Aston Villa, courtesy of a winner by January signing Tete.

The win, which Brendan Rodgers described as “what I have been talking about for 18 months”, was their first since the restart, ending a run of five league games without a win (D1, L4).

They will hope to make it two consecutive wins ahead of a difficult run of fixtures that will see them face Manchester United (away) and Arsenal (home) after facing Tottenham.

Should they fail to take maximum points from these games, they could again return fully to the relegation zone after battling hard to come out just before the World Cup.

Tottenham will happily send them down to the red zone with a win. The visitors beat Leicester 6-2 the last time both sides met and have confidence and momentum after an impressive 1-0 win over Manchester City.

The win over the defending champions was their third consecutive win and third consecutive clean sheet in all competitions. They are back in the top four race and hoping to take maximum points here, ahead of a tight fixture schedule that includes a midweek Champions League game against AC Milan at the San Siro.

The last twelve head-to-head meetings between both sides have all produced a winner (Tottenham W9, Leicester W3), with seven of Tottenham’s nine wins coming by a multiple-goal margin. So we can expect Over 2.5 Goals in this fixture.

Monaco vs PSG: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Monaco will welcome run-away league leaders PSG to Stade Louis II this Saturday, with both sides battling for maximum points.

Monaco continued their impressive post-World Cup run of form with a 2-0 win over Clermont Foot last weekend. The win extended their unbeaten run in the league to seven games (W5, D2) and kept them firmly planted in fourth position, ten points behind first-placed Paris Saint-Germain.

The result was also their first clean sheet since a 1-0 over Brest on New Year’s Day. So they will look for another strong defensive showing here to avoid dropping points.

Having beaten PSG 3-0 in this fixture last season, and with just one loss in their last eight home Ligue 1 fixtures (W6, D1), they will fancy their chances here.

After a disappointing midweek outing, PSG will focus on their league defence, hoping for maximum points.

The Parisians were beaten 2-1 in the Coupe De France by fierce rivals Marseille in midweek, their third loss since after the World Cup.

So they will travel to the principality desperate to bounce back and avenge their loss here last season. But they will be doing so without former Monaco star Kylian Mbappe, who misses out through injury, and Lionel Messi, who sustained a muscle injury in the midweek defeat to Marseille.

With the likely absence of the duo, this could be a tight affair. However, Monaco’s home league fixtures this term have produced a Ligue 1-high average of four goals per game, so we could expect a high-scoring affair that will feature Over 2.5 Goals.

Joshua Oha

Villarreal vs Barcelona: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Brentford ready to cash in on David Raya after failed contract talks

Steven Gerrard ready to become new Leeds United manager after numerous candidates rejected job

Thiago Silva extends Chelsea contract until 2024

AC Milan target Reims loanee Florian Balogun after an impressive spell in France

Leeds United vs Manchester United: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Bayern Munich vs Bochum: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Lazio vs Atalanta: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Leicester vs Tottenham: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Monaco vs PSG: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Instagram Feed

Stop Playing and Start Wining.

Contact us

Quick Links

Categories

Information

Follow Us