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Real Madrid vs Chelsea: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

April 12, 2023 No Comments

Chelsea will travel to Santiago Bernabeu this Wednesday to face Champions League holders Real Madrid in the first leg of their 2022/23 UCL quarter-finals. Both sides have been meeting regularly recently, with this being their third straight meeting in this competition, having faced themselves on their way to the title win in 2021 (Chelsea) and 2022 (Real Madrid). But for this edition, Carlo Ancelottin’s men are the favourites as they come into this tie in better shape than their rivals. This is despite a shocking 3-2 loss to Villarreal last weekend. But they could be forgiven for taking their eyes off that game, given that they were already 12 points behind Barcelona in the title race before the weekend. So this competition has become a must-win for them this season, and they will undoubtedly be throwing everything at winning Europe’s premier club competition to salvage their faltering season. Read more: AC Milan vs Napoli: Preview and Expert Football Prediction Considering that they have won their last four meetings with English clubs, including last year’s final against Liverpool, Madrid certainly shouldn’t fear Chelsea’s arrival. Meanwhile, Chelsea’s Premier League woes continued at the weekend, despite the arrival of former boss and player Frank Lampard. The Chelsea legend could not get them back to winning ways against Wolves, who took home maximum points (1-0 win). The Blues’ 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund to get this far was the high point of Graham Potter’s brief reign, so they can be expected to raise their game again as they search for a third UCL title. Having triumphed 3-2 after extra time here last season despite ultimately losing 5-4 on aggregate, the Blues haven’t lost an away game on Spanish soil since March 2018 (W2, D2), which includes two visits to the Spanish capital to take on Real Madrid (W1, D1). However, they were beaten 1-0 by Dortmund in the first leg of their last-16 match in Germany, so they can take nothing for granted, especially as they’ve won just one of their last 13 competitive away games (D3, L9). Click here to get accurate bet tips today.

AC Milan vs Napoli: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

April 12, 2023 No Comments

AC Milan will square up with Serie A rivals Napoli this Wednesday in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final round. Both sides are part of the six Italian teams still in European club competitions this season, with Inter Milan (UCL), Juventus and AS Roma (both Europa League) and Fiorentina (Conference League) the other four teams. Yet this fixture is the biggest of the clashes involving Italian teams. Milan is at this stage of the UCL for the first time in eleven years and will be eager to grab an all-important first-leg lead. However, with just one win in nine competitive home games (D3, L5) against Serie A’s runaway leaders Napoli, they look set for a stern test. Read more: Real Madrid vs Chelsea: Preview and Expert Football Prediction Despite that, Milan’s confidence will have been boosted by their remarkable 4-0 win away to Napoli earlier this month, even though they followed that up with a disappointing goalless home draw with Empoli on Saturday. But having recorded another clean sheet over the weekend, they will fancy their chances of recording another shutout here. Clean sheets have been a theme of Milan’s UCL journey as they chase a fifth-straight clean sheet in the competition for the first time since the 2004/05 edition. Meanwhile, Napoli bounced back from their heavy loss to Milan by defeating Lecce 2-1 at the weekend. That result kept their dream of finally winning the Scudetto alive ahead of this defining week. They have never reached this stage of the competition but made light work of Eintracht Frankfurt in the last round to qualify for this stage. So with the league title all but in the bag, given their 18-point lead in Serie A, the Blues can focus entirely on this tie which will be their first-ever UCL quarter-final. The away form of Luciano Spalletti’s side has been imposing of late, something highlighted by the fact they’ve won eight straight games on the road, scoring at least twice in each. Their double here earlier in the season was notably the first time they’d scored 2+ times in seven away H2Hs against the Rossoneri. Still, as the UCL’s top-scoring team in this edition with 25 goals scored, a European tie could bring about another glut of goals on Milan turf. Click here to get over 2.5 goals tips.

Man Utd planning HUGE summer clear-out

April 11, 2023 No Comments

Manchester United are reportedly planning to sell as many as 13 players this summer in order to properly replenish Erik ten Hag’s squad. According to the Daily Mail, the Red Devils are keen on a squad overhaul, and have identified at least 13 players that they consider dead weight, who could be sold this summer to generate funds for a squad rebuild. Erik ten Hag’s side are currently facing ownership uncertainty and are also walking a tightrope with Financial Fair Play given their incredibly bloated squad. But they are now planning to address their squad size and are ready to move on over a dozen first team players and popular names. Read more: Erling Haaland compared to Messi and Ronaldo Cheif among those that could be sold is Annthony Elanga. The Swede has attracted plenty of interest, with Borussia Dortmund reportedly keen. Also, defender Eric Bailly is also seti to be moved on at the end of his unsuccessful loan spell at Marseille. Ivorian youngster Amad Diallo is set to be given a chance in the first team next season, while Facundo Pellistri could then be sent on loan for further experience, following his breakthrough season at Old Trafford. United could also try to sell club captain Harry Maguire, Brandon Williams, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Alex Telles, Anthony Martial and Donny van de Beek. The club has transfer targets in mind and have already spoken to the representatives of Bayer Leverkusen full-back Jeremie Frimpong, giving new transfer negotiator Matt Hargreaves plenty to get busy with over the coming months

Jurgen Klopp’s wants Nicolo Barella to strengthen his struggling midfield

April 11, 2023 No Comments

Liverpool are reportedly keen on signing Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barea this summer. The Reds are in the market this summer for a midfielder as they are determined to strengthen that department of their team, given that they have struggled massively in that area this season. They have long been linked with Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, but they face fierce competition from the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City for the signature of the England international. Read more: Joao Cancelo insists Bayern career has been ‘positive’ despite a disappointing start Apart from Bellingham, Brighton star Moises Caicedo is also a target. But the Ecuadorian has been linked with a number of top Premier League sides and might elude Jurgen Klopp’s side given that they might not qualify for the Champions League next season. According to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, Liverpool have now placed Barella at the top of Klopp’s wishlist of midfield reinforcements along with Bellingham and Caicedo. But as it the case with Bellingham and Caicedo, the Premier League side could face competition in the race for Barella. Chelsea are reportedly interested in the 26-year-old, although the Blues might be restrixyed by finances given their £600m spending spree across the last two transfer windows. It’s expected that Barella would cost Liverpool around £65m – a hefty fee, though potentially cheaper than what they could sign Bellingham or Caicedo for. The Italian is happy with life at the San Siro and is contracted there until 2026. But Inter could be forced to sell if a big offer comes in for their midfielder.

Benfica vs Inter Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

April 11, 2023 No Comments

Inter Milan will travel to Portugal this Tuesday to face 22022/23 Champions League dark horses Benfica in the first leg of their quarter-final doubleheader. The hosts have enjoyed a remarkable UCL campaign and come into this tie as one of the four sides yet to lose a game in this campaign. They finished top of their group ahead of PSG and qualified for this stage by beating Club Brugge 7-1 on aggregate. While it could be argued that they faced arguably the weakest team in the last round, the Portuguese side can point to their two-legged draw against PSG and two wins in two group games over Juventus as a proof that they deserve to be here. Read more: Manchester City vs Bayern Munich: Preview and Expert Football Prediction They have lost just once in their last nine games (W8), a narrow 2-1 loss to title rivals FC Porto last Friday, and will fancy their chances here and bid to extend their impressive home record against Italian clubs (W7, D4, L3) when Inter Milan comes to town. Claiming a first-leg advantage in this quarter-final tie will likely be essential to Benfica’s chances of progression. The Eagles are in a position to do so after losing just three of their last 25 European matches on home turf (W16, D6). Meanwhile, Inter Milan will travel to Estádio da Luz in dire form, having failed to win any of their last six competitive games (D3, L3). Furthermore, their last outing was a dour 1-1 draw with lowly Salernitana, which means their top-four quest this season is now officially under threat. That also means that the future of manager Simon Inzaghi is also under scrutiny. The former Lazio man will be desperate to find some reprieve here. But Inter’s record at this stage in the UCL era is uninspiring, as they have fallen at this hurdle in four of their six quarter-final jaunts. However, they qualified for this stage of the UCL by beating Portuguese side FC Porto 1-0 on aggregate in the previous round. Unfortunately, the only win in that tie came at the San Siro, meaning they may struggle again on the road. The fact that only once have they ever won away from home against Portuguese opposition (D5, L4) also makes for grim reading for even the most optimistic Inter fans. Click here to get the best football predictions for today.

Manchester City vs Bayern Munich: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

April 11, 2023 No Comments

The Champions League returns this week as Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich travel to the Etihad to face Manchester City in the first leg of the quarter-final round. Both teams are among the few favourites to win the title this year, given their quality and wealth of resources, and will have a go at each other on Tuesday when they face off in the UK. But Pep Guardiola’s side come into this tie slightly ahead of their rivals on the form table. The Cityzens are on a run of eight consecutive wins in all competitions and are unbeaten in their last 12 games (W10, D2). Read more: Barcelona vs Girona: Preview and Expert Football Prediction They have scored a whopping 21 goals in their last four games and will fancy their chances of continuing their brilliant run in the Champions League. City have finished first in their UCL group for a sixth successive season and holds an impressive 24-game unbeaten run in European home games (W22, D2). They can make history here as one more win, or a draw will set a new record for the longest UCL undefeated home run of any Premier League side. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich and Thomas Tuchel will travel to the Etihad in a good mood, having won each UCL game this season. They are the only team to do so in this UCL campaign, beating PSG 3-0 on aggregate in their last round. However, the manager that led them to seven straight UCL wins this season, Julain Nagelsmann, has since been sacked and replaced by former Chelsea boss Tuchel. But the German has a good record against City and Guardiola, having pipped them to the UCL title when he was Chelsea’s boss in 2021. So he will hope for another solid performance in this fixture. His side have claimed a result from five of their last seven away games against English (W3, D2, L2) and have progressed from 63% of their UCL quarter-final ties (W20, L12). However, Bayern have been eliminated at this stage of the UCL in the last two seasons and are at risk of failing to reach the semi-final stage for three straight seasons since 2008/09. That said, we can expect an entertaining game between both sides. Click here to get accurate match predictions and correct score predictions today.

Barcelona vs Girona: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

April 10, 2023 No Comments

Barcelona will welcome fellow Catalan side Girona to Camp Nou on Monday for the 28th Round of the 2022/23 La Liga season. The league leaders will be hoping to bounce from their astonishing El Clasico defeat in midweek when they host Girona, having suffered a 4-0 loss to Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final. They won the first leg at Santiago Bernabeu 1-0 but were blown away in the second leg by Carlo Ancelotti’s men, who became the first Spanish team to score more than two goals in a single game at Camp Nou this season. Head Coach Xavi Hernadez will be desperate for his side to perform well on Monday as they target a solid finish to their La Liga campaign. Having been kicked out of every competition this season, winning the league has become Barca’s only priority. Read more: Lorient vs Marseille: Preview and Expert Football Prediction They hold a massive 12-point lead at the top of the table ahead of this weekend’s games, but Xavi has insisted that there are “11 finals left.” He will hope that his men will win the first of those finals against their Catalan rivals Girona on Monday. The visitors have enjoyed a superb season by their own standards, with their attractive brand of football getting them as much attention as their esteemed neighbours. Girona’s average of 3.11 goals per game is the best in La Liga, while only the top-three clubs have scored more than their 42 goals this season. Despite this, they aren’t completely clear of relegation, given that they are only seven points above the bottom three coming into this match. Nevertheless, manager Michel will hope his side can continue to pick up points, including in this game against a Barcelona side that has conceded only two goals at home this entire league campaign (W11, D2). Girona’s recent away from might give their supporters some hope that their team can get something from this tie, while the 14 goals featured in their last three away games will provide neutrals with the belief that another entertaining game will be witnessed at Camp Nou on Monday night. That said, Barca’s clean sheet record at home in the league suggests that an under 2.5 goals bet will be the best prediction for this game.

Haaland compared to Messi and Ronaldo

April 10, 2023 No Comments

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has likened Erling Haaland to five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo and his eternal rival Lionel Messi. The Norwegian striker has been in hot form since joining Man City from Borussia Dortmund last summer. He is already City’s all-time leading goalscorer in a single season, having scored twice in his side’s 4-1 over Southampton on Saturday. That brace took his tally in the Premier League this season to 30 in only 27 appearances. With nine games still to play in the PL this season, Haaland could score ten more goals, given his current ratio of goals per game. That would put the Norwegian on 40 goals this season. Should he achieve that, he would smash the existing single-season Premier League record of 32 goals held by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. Read more: Man United make decision of Marcel Sabitzer Speaking after the game against Southampton on Saturday, Haaland’s coach Pep Guardiola quickly praised the superstar’s goal-scoring ability, comparing him to Ronaldo and Messi. However, he insisted that the Argentine was a more complete player. “In terms of the thesis of scoring goals. He’s quite similar in terms of Cristiano, but Messi is the more complete player,” Guardiola explained. “Messi can play wherever while Cristiano and Erling are machines. Erling knows those two guys dominated over two decades, not just one or two seasons, winning titles and doing everything. Football is a better place for Cristiano and Messi for what they have done for our business and the traction of these two guys competing at the big clubs. “Erling is arriving in the toughest league in the world. I can talk as I’ve been in other leagues, and doing what he has done is remarkable.” The Catalan coach worked extensively with Messi at Barca and is better placed than most to directly compare Haaland to the World Cup winner. And according to Pep, it seems that Haaland has the edge on the all-time great in terms of his positive mindset. “Haaland is always happy, always smiling. Lionel Messi scored two but not three and was a bit sad because he didn’t score the third!” Guardiola explained. “Erling is all the time in an incredible mood. Even in the bad moments at the beginning of this season, when people said he couldn’t adapt, he arrived at training with a big smile and said hi to everyone. He has had an incredible impact, not just on the pitch. “Every day in training sessions, in the locker room. I have the feeling that he is so happy with us. He never complains about [being taken off]. He respects me a lot.”

Koulibaly opens up on his future amid uncertainty around Chelsea stay

April 10, 2023 No Comments

Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly has insisted he wants to remain at the club despite uncertainty around his future at Stamford Bridge. The Senegal defender has not enjoyed a comfortable season, with Chelsea struggling. Since joining from Napoli last summer, Koulibaly has played 20 Premier League games as the Blues sit 11th in the table. The Senegalese centre-back spent eight years at Napoli before switching to Stamford Bridge for a reported 33 million Euro deal. He was one of Todd Boehly’s first signings as Chelsea owner and scored on his home debut against Tottenham. Read more: Joao Cancelo insists Bayern career has been ‘positive’ despite a disappointing start While he has admitted he has not been in the best form, the defender insists he wants to remain at Chelsea for as long as possible. “I know I’m not at 100 per cent yet, but I think I’m coming to my level,” he said. “Chelsea made a big decision to sign me, and there’s a big desire in me to give back. I want to be part of this club for many years. This is not the year Chelsea were expecting, but sometimes when you have big changes, new proprietors, and half the team is new, everybody has to adapt. “But we know how big the ambition is here, and we’re going to work to win back the confidence of the supporters.” In his short time at Stamford Bridge, Koulibaly has seen three managerial changes, with Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard all brought in his nine months at the club. He will be hoping that after his side’s 1-0 loss to Wolves in Lampard’s return, his side will be able to get back to form as they target a top-seven finish.

Lorient vs Marseille: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

April 9, 2023 No Comments

Marseille will travel to Stade du Moustoir this Sunday, hoping to keep their quest for an unlikely Ligue 1 title alive against Lorient. The hosts are looking to regain the momentum they gathered just before the international break, having suffered a 3-1 defeat and a red card against Lille in their last outing. That wasn’t the ideal start for Régis Le Bris’ men after his contract extension until 2027. However, the loss will unlikely dampen the mood as this remains Lorient’s best-ever points return after 29 Ligue 1 rounds (44). Read more: Rayo Vallecano vs Atletico Madrid: Preview and Expert Football Prediction That point haul has eclipsed their 43-point haul from the 2012/13 season when finishing in eighth, yet with an eight-point gap to the top-five ahead of the round, European qualification may be a bridge too far. Regardless they will give it a shot and will be buoyed by a return home as Lorient are unbeaten in all but one home league game since the turn of the year (W3, D2, L1). But games against Marseille don’t always go in the way of the hosts, who have lost their seven clashes against Marseille. The visitors enter this round of games just six points behind league leaders, PSG, following a four-game unbeaten run of league games (W2, D2). Igor Tudor’s men don’t have a problem playing away from home, as they are on the longest current winning streak of away league games across the top five European divisions (W8). Moreover, the visitors scored at least twice in seven of those victories, whilst four of the last six came without reply, a compelling stat indeed for a side that haven’t lost away to Lorient in over a decade (W5, D2). That said, an under 2.5 goals bet will be the best prediction for this game.

Real Madrid vs Chelsea: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

AC Milan vs Napoli: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Man Utd planning HUGE summer clear-out

Jurgen Klopp’s wants Nicolo Barella to strengthen his struggling midfield

Benfica vs Inter Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Manchester City vs Bayern Munich: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Barcelona vs Girona: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Haaland compared to Messi and Ronaldo

Koulibaly opens up on his future amid uncertainty around Chelsea stay

Lorient vs Marseille: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

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