AC Milan vs Sampdoria: Preview and Expert Football Prediction  

After their embarrassing exit from the Champions League, AC Milan will turn their attention to Serie A, where they are fighting for a top-four finish.  The Red and Blacks were beaten 1-0 by their city rivals Inter Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday, confirming their exit from the UEFA Champions League. Not even the return of Rafael Leao, who started the game on Tuesday after an injury return, could save Milan from a 3-0 aggregate score. The Portuguese could not also inspire Milan’s attack to score, with their blank on Tuesday the third time in a row they have failed to score, having lost 2-0 to Spezia in their last game. Read more: Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal: Preview and Expert Football Prediction   Falling to Spezia has left them four points behind the top four, with an increasingly tricky three-game battle on their hands to return to the Champions League next term. Under pressure, manager Stefano Pioli won’t be taking anything for granted as he prepares his side to host already-relegated Sampdoria.  But the hosts have sometimes found sides in the bottom half going into this round hard to put away at the San Siro this term (W4, D3, L1), although they’re at least unbeaten here in the league since late January (W4, D3). Meanwhile, having already been relegated, Sampdoria come into this game looking to record their first Serie A win since March 19th (D3, L5).  They were held to a 1-1 draw with Empoli on Monday night, leaving them trailing 19th-placed Cremonese by six points. Therefore, Dejan Stanković’s side now look on course to finish bottom of the top flight for the first time in their history. Their away form has been the primary catalyst for their poor league form, as the visitors have scored just once across their last four Serie A road fixtures (D1, L3). They also lost 3-0 at the San Siro against Inter in October.  Meanwhile, they haven’t beaten Milan here since February 2017 (D2, L3), so another difficult away day looms for La Samp. Click here to get direct win predictions.

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Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal: Preview and Expert Football Prediction  

Arsenal will travel to City Ground this Saturday to face relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest in a must-win game for both sides.  After securing a point in a well-fought 2-2 draw with Chelsea last weekend, the hosts could secure their Premier League (PL) status on Saturday if they win this game.  They will fancy their chances of snatching a result, especially as they are playing at home, where they have enjoyed much of their success this season. Moreover, Steve Cooper’s side scored seven goals across their two most recent home games, which is more than the total they had scored in seven competitive home games prior. So, there is a sense that things have clicked for the Tricky Trees at the crucial point of the season. Read more: AC Milan vs Sampdoria: Preview and Expert Football Prediction   Meanwhile, any Forest success would also see them complete a run of three straight top-flight home wins – a feat not accomplished within the same season since the winter of 1995/96. However, such a feat is unlikely to come easily, with the hosts’ latest home clean sheet dating back to early February.  Meanwhile, Arsenal head to City Ground with a sense of disappointment, having thrown away any hopes of an unlikely title win when Brighton them beat 3-0 in their last game. That result means that Pep Guardiola’s side need just two points to win the league, and they look likely to achieve that this weekend when they play Chelsea. Yet the Gunners will at least hope to ensure that they keep themselves on City’s toes.  Mikel Arteta’s side’s latest road trip saw a 2-0 win over UEFA Champions League chasers Newcastle after a mini-drought on the road (D2, L1). That win would have given them some cause for optimism. However, with the Gunners squandering 2-0 leads in both draws, the Gunners’ PL-best away record after half-time leads (W8, D3) is a stat worth treating with caution. Click here to get today’s football predictions. 

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Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig: Preview and Expert Football Prediction 

Bayern Munich will continue their quest to retain the Bundesliga title this Saturday when they welcome top-four hopefuls RB Leipzig to Allianz Arena. Bayern come into this tie sitting just one point ahead of Borussia Dortmund in the race for the league title. However, they have just two games to seal the title and must win this game to ensure that their title destiny remains in their hands by the last weekend of the league.  They were expected to choke last weekend when they faced Schalke 04. But Thomas Tuchel’s side ended up recording a massive 6-0 win. Returning to a packed-out Allianz Arena for the final time this season should provide a huge boost for the Bavarians, who scored eight unanswered goals across their last two Bundesliga wins.  Read more: Liverpool vs Aston Villa: Preview and Expert Football Prediction  The hosts have scored in each of their last 56 home league games. However, the last time they failed to do so was in a goalless draw against RB Leipzig back in 2020. So, they will know that this game will not come easy for them, especially as their visitors are desperate to secure Champions League football for next season.  Leipzig comes into this tie sitting in third place, four points ahead of fifth-placed Freiburg. So a win will secure a place for them top-four finish in the Bundesliga. But they could still qualify if they fail to win here and Freiburg fails to win.  Yet winning here and finishing as high as possible with the associated prize money remains a worthy cause. That’s not to mention the importance of maintaining momentum (W3) ahead of their DFB Pokal final against Eintracht Frankfurt next month.   Any continuation of Leipzig’s current four-game winning streak will likely rely on their solid backline playing at their best, as they have done for much of the season. Die Bullen have allowed opposition sides a league-low 284 shots and just 99 on target, making for impressive per-game averages of 8.88 and 3.09, respectively. Despite this, Leipzig are winless in 15 of their 16 competitive H2Hs against Bayern Munich (W1, D6, L9), which includes their longest current winless streak against any side (D5, L6).  Click here to get accurate football predictions. 

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Liverpool vs Aston Villa: Preview and Expert Football Prediction 

Liverpool will look to keep their top-four hopes alive when they welcome Aston Villa to Anfield.  Jurgen Klopp’s side kept themselves in contention for a place in the Champions League next season with a solid 3-0 away win to Leicester City in the last round. The win was their seventh in a row and guaranteed them a place in the Europa League next year. The result also broke a five-game streak of winning by exactly one goal and gave them their third clean sheet in a row. Therefore, The Reds are in red-hot form ahead of their final home game of the season. They’ve made a habit of getting good results in their final match at Anfield, having won their last home game for the last six Premier League seasons. However, Aston Villa travel to Liverpool in a confident mood, having ended a two-game losing streak without scoring a goal with a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.  Read more: Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig: Preview and Expert Football Prediction The result put Unia Emery’s side equal on points with seventh-placed Spurs prior to the weekend. So they remain at the doorstep of European qualification as finishing in seventh will qualify them for the Europa Conference League group stage. That would be a remarkable achievement considering their last top-seven PL finish came back in the 2009/10 campaign. However, Villa have a bad history in the final away game of the season, having lost 23 of their final away game of a league campaign since the 1981/82 season (W5, D12).  Add to that; they have lost nine of their last ten league encounters against Liverpool (W1). Meanwhile, Liverpool have won 14 of their last 15 PL games played in May (D1). Click here for expert football predictions.

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Lyon vs Monaco: Preview and Expert Football Prediction 

Ligue 1 returns this Friday when Olympique Lyonnais hosts Monaco in the 36th Round of the 2022/23 Ligue 1 season. The hosts are looking to get back to winning ways after beginning life under new owner John Textor with a disappointing 2-1 loss to Clermont Foot in their last outing.  The new American investor owner wants his club to become a regular in the Champions League. But that might not be possible this season, given that his side currently sits four points behind the top five with just three games and nine points left to play. However, they can at least narrow the gap between them and the top teams with fourth-placed Monaco, who are currently nine points above them, a good place to begin.  Read more: Cadiz vs Real Valladolid: Preview and Expert Football Prediction  Given their rock-solid competitive home form since February, Les Olympians will fancy their chances here (W5, D3, L1). Furthermore, winning three of their five home league games against sides beginning the round above them (W3, L2) will also give them huge confidence. Meanwhile, Monaco has bigger fish to fry, as they can secure a top-four spot here if they win. A top-four finish would at least guarantee them Europa League, given that Champions League football is looking unlikely, as they are eight points behind third-placed Marseille. Despite this, a win here could be enough to secure a top-four berth with two games to go depending on results elsewhere, given that Marseille will play fifth-placed Lille this weekend. But to achieve this, the visitors must improve their patchy recent away form (W2, D2, L1). A win will be new territory, though, given that Monaco are winless in their last four away games to top-seven sides (D2, L2). Click here to get the best soccer predictions today. 

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Cadiz vs Real Valladolid: Preview and Expert Football Prediction 

La Liga returns this Friday, with relegation strugglers Cadiz and Real Valladolid facing off at Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla. The hosts come into this tie desperate to return to winning ways after recording back-to-back away losses to Atletico Madrid (5-1) and Real Mallorca (1-0). However, despite these losses, Cadiz remain in a relatively strong position regarding their survival prospects.  They sit in 16th place, just one point ahead of 18th-placed Getafe. But they have a better run in given that two of their four remaining La Liga fixtures are at home to current bottom-half opponents. Read more: Lyon vs Monaco: Preview and Expert Football Prediction They come into this round with an unbeaten La Liga home record this season against bottom sides (W3, D4), making them confident ahead of this tie. Meanwhile, Real Valladolid are level on points with their hosts but are a place lower on the table due to a worse goal difference. In addition, they come into this tie on a run of four consecutive losses, with a 3-0 home loss to Sevilla the most recent in that sequence.  They will be desperate to win here against a weaker opponent to ensure that they don’t end this round in the bottom three. It is even more important to win here as they will still play 2022/23 La Liga champions Barcelona in late May. But having won just two of the last ten head-to-head meetings with Cadiz (D5, L3), they will not be so confident going into this tie.  Meanwhile, all but two of Valladolid’s last 13 La Liga games scored more than 2.5 goals. So we can predict over 2.5 goals here. 

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Bayer Leverkusen vs AS Roma: Preview and Expert Football Prediction 

AS Roma will look to book their place in their second European final in two seasons when they travel to BayArena to play Bayer Leverkusen. Leverkusen were beaten 1-0 in the first leg but have the chance at redemption at the BayArena, where they have won five of their last seven games in all competitions (D1, L1). However, the hosts come into this tie in poor form, having not won a game in their last four tries (D2, L2). Their last outing was a 1-1 draw with Stuttgart, which has all but ended their chance of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the UCL next season. Therefore their only chance of playing UCL football next campaign is by winning the UEL this season. Beating Roma here by multiple goals is the first step toward achieving that goal. Read more: Sevilla vs Juventus: Preview and Expert Football Prediction  Coach Xabi Alonso indicated, “Nothing is lost” after their defeat in Rome. But having not scored more than once in their last four games, it could be another disappointing end to what has been a brilliant UEFA Europa League campaign. Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho will look to take Roma to their second European final in as many years when they visit Germany on Thursday. The Portuguese tactician will fancy his side’s chances of winning this tie given that Giallorossi have a tremendous record of winning ten of their last eleven European ties following a 1-0 success in the first leg at home (L1). However, that lone exception did come against a Bundesliga club, but Mourinho will be more concerned about their failure to score in each of their last three European away ties (D1, L2), with both those defeats coming by a 1-0 scoreline. Should this tie end 1-0 in favour of the hosts, then a place in the final in Budapest will be determined in extra time and potentially a penalty shootout. Such an occurrence would be another huge test for a squad that has “reached their limit”, according to Mourinho.  Meanwhile, Roma lost five of their last six (D1) UEFA visits to Germany, including a 3-1 H2H defeat in 2004. Click here to get accurate football prediction. 

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Sevilla vs Juventus: Preview and Expert Football Prediction 

The battle for a place in the final of the UEFA Europa League resumes this Thursday as Juventus travel to Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán to to face Sevilla in the second leg of their semi-final tie. The first leg at the Allianz Stadium ended level, with Juventus coming from a goal down to rescue a 1-1 draw in the 97th minute.  Despite narrowly missing out on a win in the first leg, José Luis Mendilibar’s side will come into this tie as the favourites, given that they play at their famed Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, where they have enjoyed remarkable success. Sevilla beat Manchester United 3-0 on this ground in the last round after securing a credible 2-2 draw at Old Trafford. However, after winning a 3-0 win away to Real Valladolid in their last outing, they will fancy their chances to win this game.  Read more: Bayer Leverkusen vs AS Roma: Preview and Expert Football Prediction  The Andalusian side can bank on an almost perfect home record in all UEL football since 2018/19 (W15, D2) to push them through this tie. That run includes six clean sheets in the post-group stage phase (W5 D1). Meanwhile, Juventus will feel lucky to still be in this tie after a lucky escape in the first leg. They come into this tie on the back of a 2-0 win over Cremonese at the weekend. That win means they need just two points in their remaining three Serie A games to secure a place in the next UEFA Champions League group stage. That should allow them to throw everything they have at this tie. Having rested key players like Filip Kostić, Manuel Locatelli and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny in the last game, they will hope that they can continue their decent away run in the competition this season (W2, D1).Meanwhile, the first period has been the highest-scoring half in just one of Sevilla’s last 12 competitive games. So, we suggest a first-half goal prediction here.

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Manchester City vs Real Madrid: Preview and Expert Football Prediction 

Manchester City and Real Madrid will renew their UEFA Champions League rivalry this Wednesday when both sides meet at the Etihad for the second leg of their semi-final tie. The Cityzens went to Madrid in the first leg and snatched a decent draw, with a thunderbolt from Kevin De Bruyne cancelling Vinicius Junior’s equally great strike. So this tie is finely poised ahead of this second leg at the Etihad, which City will feel confident of winning, given their recent record at the Etihad.  Pep Guardiola’s side have won their last 14 games at home in all competitions. Added to that is an unbeaten UCL run at the Etihad Stadium that stretches back to September 2018 (W22, D2).  Read more: Inter Milan vs AC Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction  Overall they are unbeaten in 22 competitive games (W18, D4), with a 3-0 win over Everton the most recent in that sequence. That win kept their match towards the Premier League title alive, as they require just one more win to secure it. However, it is this competition that they crave the most, and Guardiola will be desperate to do all it takes here to overcome Madrid and book a place in Istanbul, where they will face either AC Milan or Inter Milan. But Madrid are no easy opponent and will come into this tie in a confident mood after resting many of their players at the weekend. Los Blancos are looking to book a place in their final for the second year in a row, while manager Carlo Ancelotti is aiming for five consecutive UCL wins over British opposition on foreign soil. However, that run only started after they lost 4-3 here last season, so the Italian knows how difficult it is to play City away with Madrid winless in four away trips to the Etihad (D2, L2). Click here to get accurate soccer predictions.

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Inter Milan vs AC Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction 

The Champions League return this Tuesday with Inter Milan and AC Milan facing each other for the second time in a week when they meet at San Siro in the second leg of their UCL semi-final tie. Inter come into this tie in serious form, having won each of their last seven games in all competitions. The most recent in that sequence was a 4-2 win over Sassuolo at the weekend. That result kept them on course to finish in the Serie A top four, as they ended the round sitting in third position, five points ahead of fifth-placed AC Milan.  Read more: Real Betis vs Rayo Vallecano: Preview and Expert Football Prediction They will not turn their attention to the Champions League, where they will look to secure their first European final since 2010. Inter put one foot in the final thanks to a 2-0 win in the first leg of this tie, with goals from Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan giving Simone Inzaghi’s men a commanding first-leg lead. They only need to secure a place in Istanbul to avoid defeat here. They will fancy their chances here because they have kept four clean sheets from their five 2022/23 UCL knockout games.  Meanwhile, having been humbled in the first leg of this semi-final, things went from bad to worse for AC Milan, as they were humiliated by relegation-battling Spezia in the league.  That result leaves their hopes of UCL qualification for next season through a top-four finish in Serie A in tatters. So their best chance to play in the UCL is to win this tournament in this campaign. Stefano Pioli will be hoping his side can run this around at San Siro, where they enjoyed good form in Europe this season, despite a 2-0 loss in the first leg.  However, the Rosenneri haven’t won a UCL knockout game when they are the designated away side since 2006/07 (D4, L6). And their record of just one win in their last eight away games (D4, L3) also complicates their chances here. Meanwhile, AC Milan’s last eight games in all competitions have produced exactly two total goals. So, we can expect an under 2.5 goals game here. 

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