Monaco vs Bayer Leverkusen: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Bayer Leverkusen will look to make up for a heartbreaking 3-2 first-leg loss to Monaco when both sides meet for the return leg in Stade Louis II on Thursday. Though controversial, the French side beat their German opponents in the first leg. But regardless, they will feel they’re firmly in the driver’s seat to win this tie. History would certainly back that up, given they’ve successfully progressed from all 14 of their UEFA competition ties when winning the first leg on the road. They simply need to avoid defeat here to progress, and they will be confident of achieving that, considering they are currently riding an eight-game unbeaten streak in all competitions (W6, D2).  Read more: Inter Milan vs Porto: Preview and Expert Football Prediction Bayer Leverkusen will be desperate to win; however, they have a poor record against Monaco, winning just once in seven previous encounters (D2, L4). The odds are stacked against them here, especially since they’ve failed to overturn a first-leg home defeat in a two-legged knockout round tie of any major European competition in all 11 prior attempts. Xabi Alonso’s men are also in poor form, with four losses and just one win in their last five games. However, the visitors have enjoyed some success on the road recently by winning three of their last four away matches (L1), although they failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 11 such games.Therefore, the correct score prediction for this game will be Over 1.5 goals.

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Victor Oshimen coy about his Napoli future

In-form Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has refused to rule out a summer move from the Serie A side. The Nigeria international is currently one of the hottest strikers in the world, as he has scored 18 goals in just 19 league games for Napoli this season. As a result,  many of Europe’s elite sides have become interested in signing him at the end of the campaign. Read more: Alejandro Garnacho close to agreeing new Manchester United deal He is under contract at Armando Diego Maradona Stadium until 2025 and will command a hefty transfer fee if Napoli wants to sell. Chelsea and Manchester United have been heavily linked to the player, while Real Madrid are also credited with interest. Asked about the interest being shown in him, the 24-year-old told ESPN: “When you are doing so well, top clubs around the world are watching, mostly in the top five leagues. “And to be able to attract interest from these top clubs shows that I am doing great, and it gives me the motivation to do even more for myself and my team. “But I am focused on Napoli right now, and they have the final say. I just want to help my team to win matches and win trophies. At the end of the season, we will see what is going to happen, but that is not up to me. It is for the club to decide.” Meanwhile, Napoli will reportedly demand close to €150m (£132m) to sell Osimhen, who is widely accepted to be one of the best strikers on current form.

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City and Tottenham battle for James Maddison

Tottenham Hotspur will compete with Manchester City for the signature of Leicester City midfielder James Maddison this summer. Pep Guardiola wants the England midfielder after another bright season at King Power Stadium despite Leicester’s struggles. However, Guardiola’s attempt to sign him for City this summer will take more work as Tottenham also want him. Read more: Chelsea set to make Zakaria loan permanent in the summer According to Football Insider, City will have to compete with Conte’s side to sign the Leicester City ace. Spurs are looking for a creative midfielder that will suit their system and have identified Maddison as the right player for the job. The 26-year-old is valued at €55 million, which will be easy for City or Spurs to part with. He has scored nine goals and provided five assists in 19 competitive games this season. Asides from City and Tottenham, Newcastle United and Chelsea are also monitoring his situation at Leicester, where his current deal runs till 2024.

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Inter Milan vs Porto: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Inter Milan will begin their latest attempt to progress beyond the UEFA Champions League last 16 for the first time since 2010/11 when they welcome FC Porto to San Siro on Wednesday. The Italian giants qualified for this round of the tournament by finishing second in their group after three games, including a famous win over Barcelona and losing two (D1). They come into this fixture in good form after a five-match unbeaten run in all competitions (W4, D1).  They have lost just one of their last 12 competitive home games (W11), suggesting Simon Inzaghi’s boys could take charge of the tie at the San Siro, where the last seven UCL matches they’ve hosted were won by the side scoring first (Inter: W4, L3). Read more: Porto booked their place in this round of the UCL by finishing top of their group. After starting poorly with two losses in the group stages, the Portuguese side went on a four-game winning run to secure the top spot and book their place here. They have maintained their form ahead of this game as they have won their last ten competitive matches and are unbeaten since late October (W19, D3). Six clean sheets across their last seven competitive away games (W6, D1) also show how tough they are to break down. So we can expect a low-scoring affair here with a high chance of an under 2.5 goals game.

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RB Leipzig vs Manchester City: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Manchester City will travel to Germany this Wednesday to take on RB Leipzig in the first leg of the knockout round of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League season. RB Leipzig finished second in their group to qualify for this round, winning four games, including a 3-2 win over defending champions Real Madrid.  That win over Los Blancos formed part of a four-game winning run for Die Bulen after they lost their first two group-stage games. So they will come into this fixture confident, especially as they have lost just once in 20 games (W15, D4). Manchester City come into this tie on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. The result saw them drop two points behind league leaders Arsenal despite having played a game more.  Read more: Liverpool vs Real Madrid: Preview and Expert Football Prediction They turn their attention to the UCL, though, where they are still unbeaten this season (W4, D2). Overall, their UCL record on the road is one to be admired, losing just five of their last 26 European away games (W15, D6).  However, their form away from the Etihad in recent weeks does raise a few eyebrows. It potentially hints at an upset, with the weekend’s draw against Forest leaving City with just one win from their last five competitive away matches (D1, L3). That said, we can expect an entertaining game at the Red Bull Arena, given that both sides always find a way to score goals. So, a ‘both teams to score/GG‘ prediction will be the best prediction for this game.

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Eintracht Frankfurt vs Napoli: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

High-flying Napoli will travel to Germany this Tuesday to face Europa League defending champions Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of the knockout round of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League season. The German side qualified for this tournament stage by narrowly finishing second in Group D, one point behind Tottenham. They recorded three wins in their group (D1, L2) while scoring seven goals and conceding eight. Read more: Torino vs Cremenose: Preview and Expert Football Prediction They come into this game on the back of a  2-0 win over Werder Bremen at the weekend, which kept them close to the Bundesliga top four. Head coach Oliver Glasner was able to rest some key players with this game in mind, so he will be desperate for his big hitters to make the difference in this fixture. Haven suffered just four defeats across their last 30 European home games (W17, D9, L4), plus a respectable record against Italian opponents on the European stage (W6, D3, L2); Frankfurt will be confident going into this game. However, Napoli is not a soft side. On the contrary, the Italian side are one of the most in-form teams in Europe at the moment. They will travel to Deutsche Bank Park in supreme confidence after three straight wins, with clean sheets and 2+ goal margins that have left them 15 points clear at the top of Serie A.  The visitors scored the highest goals in the  Champions League group stage (G20) and can be backed to at least find the net in Germany. However, despite their form, victory here would go down in history as only their second on German soil at the tenth attempt (W1, D3, L5). Meanwhile, all six of Napoli’s previous Champions League round of 16 games (W1, D1, L4) have seen both teams score. So we can expect goals from both teams here.

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Alejandro Garnacho close to agreeing new Manchester United deal

Manchester United rising teen star Alejandro Garnacho is reportedly close to agreeing to a new long-term deal with the club. The Argentine has seen his stock at Old Trafford rise in recent times due to some impressive displays, especially off the bench. United want to keep him at the club beyond 2024 when his current deal expires. Read more: Chelsea set to make Zakaria loan permanent in the summer They have been negotiating over a new, improved offer with the player for some time now and have now succeeded in agreeing on a new deal.  According to ESPN, Garnacho and Man United agreed to a five-year deal, and the final stumbling block before the deal is sealed is an issue regarding image rights for the player. However, that isn’t expected to be a concern. The 18-year-old will benefit from a considerable pay rise that will take him from an academy salary to a first-team player’s wage. The deal will see his pay increase progressively as he becomes more involved in the first team.

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Liverpool vs Real Madrid: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Six-time UEFA Champions League winners Liverpool will welcome current holders and 14-time champions Real Madrid to Anfield this Tuesday for the first leg of the round of 16 tie. The struggling Reds qualified for this tournament round after narrowly finishing second in Group A behind a rampant Napoli side. They recorded five wins in six UCL group stage outings, scoring 17 times and conceding six goals. So, despite their poor performance in domestic competitions this season, they have maintained their high standards in Europe. However, things have been better recently, with back-to-back 2-0 wins in league action against Everton and Newcastle, moving them closer to the top four in the Premier League table. But this fixture hasn’t always gone Liverpool’s way in recent times. Jurgen Klopp’s men are winless against their Spanish counterparts in the last six H2Hs (D1, L5). However, they are always strong at Anfield, where they have lost only one of their last 23 home games (W16, D6). Read more: Getafe vs Valencia: Preview and Expert Football Prediction But Real Madrid wouldn’t care about Anfield and its famed atmosphere as they have the psychological advantage in this fixture. Los Blancos beat Liverpool to win the trophy last season despite playing worse than the Reds. They qualified for this tie by finishing top of Group F, with four wins, one draw and one loss, while scoring 15 times and conceding six. Carlo Ancelotti’s side are in good form, too,  as they have won each of their last four fixtures with a mammoth 15 goals amassed in that time. So, they will fancy their chances here even though they have won only once in their last seven UCL visits to England (D2, L4). That said, we can expect an under 2.5 goals outing in this fixture, given how cagey things can get when both sides meet.

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Modric wants to stay at Real Madrid despite Jude Bellingham’s links

Veteran Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric wants to stay at Real Madrid despite his side’s links to Borussia Dortmund wonder kid Jude Bellingham. The 37-year-old, who has won five Champions League trophies and three Spanish league titles since joining Real Madrid from Tottenham eleven years ago, signed a one-year extension with the Spanish champions at the end of last season. But he is approaching the end of his contract and still needs to determine whether this will be his last season with the La Liga club, especially considering his age.  Read more: Manchester United want to sell Scott McTominay Speaking about his future, the veteran midfielder revealed he hasn’t spoken to Madrid about an extension, even if he wants to remain at the club.  “About my new contract, I can’t tell you anything about it as I’ve not spoken to the club yet,” said the Croatia international. “You don’t have these conversations mid-season. I’m very relaxed. I’m not annoyed by it whatsoever. “It’s a bit boring getting asked that question because it’s the same answer. I want to carry on here, I want to stay, I feel good, and I want to continue as part of Real Madrid. “I’d like to deserve to stay on my own merit, not that someone gives it on a freebie. “No one has given me anything for free in my career, and I don’t want that to happen now.

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Manchester United want to sell Scott McTominay

Manchester United are willing to listen to offers for midfielder Scott McTominay according to a report from Football Insider. The Red Devils want to continue their squad improvement and overhaul under Erik ten Hag and have identified some key squad members they will sell this summer. Among them is McTominay, who they hope to sell in the summer to increase the transfer funds. Read more: Arsenal monitoring Frankfurt winger Jesper Lindstrom  The 26-year-old lost his place in the first team to Casemiro this season but has managed to play 25 times in all competitions for the Red Devils. He is valued at €30 million and has attracted interest from Newcastle United. In his place, Manchester United will go for West Ham United captain Declan Rice.

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