Augsburg vs Borussia Dortmund: Preview and Expert Football Prediction  

Borussia Dortmund will look to keep pace with Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga table when they travel to WWK Arena to face Augsburg. While the visitors are battling at the other end of the table to secure the title, the hosts are involved in a relegation battle. They come into this penultimate round sitting in 13th place, four points ahead of the 18th-placed side. That means they can mathematically secure their Bundesliga future with a win here. However, they could also be secure by the time kick-off comes around if results elsewhere favour them. Regardless of other results, the hosts will hope to improve on their rotten run of one win across the last nine rounds (W1, D4, L4). That sole victory came in their most recent home game against top-four hopefuls Union Berlin.  Read more: Manchester City vs Chelsea: Preview and Expert Football Prediction   Meanwhile, Given that Augsburg have scored in their last 18 head-to-head meetings with Dortmund, this will not be a straightforward tie for the visitors, despite a good record in this fixture (W10, D5, L3). The Back and Yellow come into this tie on the back of a huge 5-2 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach in the last round. That game was expected to be a banana skin for Edin Terzic’s side. But they scaled it in style to keep the pressure on Bayern Munich, who they trail by one point. So any slip-up by the Bavarians will grant Dortmund the chance to win the title. But that will require them to keep winning their own games. There is some precedent that might suggest to Dortmund fans that this is their year. In both 1994/95 and 2001/02, BVB won the league after heading into the penultimate round in second place.  However, to keep themselves in the frame for the title, they must end their rotten six-game winless away run (D3, L3). Click here to get Football Prediction for today.

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Napoli vs Inter Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction  

After securing a date with Manchester City in the Champions League final, Inter Milan will look to guarantee themselves a place in the competition next year when they travel to Naples to face Serie A champions, Napoli. The hosts may have secured the Scudetto, but they come into this tie poorly, having won just two of their last eight games in all competitions (D4, L2). The most recent in that sequence was a 2-0 away loss to Monza. Despite this, the Azzurri have a chance to make a bit of history here as a win over Inter will mean that they have won 19 different Serie opponents in a single season for the first time in their history. Read more: Valencia vs Real Madrid: Preview and Expert Football Prediction   Napoli fans will head to Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, hoping their side will extend a proud H2H record of just one defeat in 16 home league meetings (W9, D6). Inter beat their fierce rivals 1-0 last Tuesday to secure a place in the Champions League final. That win was their eighth consecutive win in all competitions. While their final in Istanbul will likely take the bulk of their attention, there’s still the small matter of wrapping up a top-four Serie A finish to contend with.  Sitting in third with a five-point gap to fifth ahead of the round, Simone Inzaghi’s side will want to continue their fine league form of five-straight wins to keep the chasers at bay. That run is Inter’s longest run of consecutive Serie A wins in a single season since they registered eight back in January of last year. While they could match that streak if they win their remaining games of this campaign, their three defeats against fellow current top-five Serie A sides on the road this term highlights how that’s likely to be a tough feat to achieve. Click here to get Sure Win Prediction Today.

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Frenkie de Jong speaks on relationship with Joan Laporta amid Manchester United interest 

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has insisted that while his relationship with club president Joan Laporta is good, the two did have a ‘situation’ last summer. De Jong was close to leaving Barcelona last summer after he was subject to heavy interest from former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag, who had just become Manchester United that summer.  United were willing to meet Barcelona’s lofty asking price. However, De Jong’s deferred wages from previous years proved a major stumbling block as the Dutchman demanded he be paid them in full before he will agree to leave the club.  Read more: Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard in line for a new contract  That situation resulted in a clash between De Jong and Laporta. The Barcelona chief consistently said in public that he wanted the midfielder to remain at Camp Nou. Still, behind the scenes, he was open to selling the Dutchman given Barca’s financial woes.  Speaking to Ziggo Sport Voetbal in his native Netherlands, De Jong opened up on his relationship with Laporta. “My relationship with the president is good. In reality, it has never been bad,” De Jong said. “Of course, there was this situation last summer, but my relationship with him is good.” De Jong also spoke about the potential return of Lionel Messi to Camp Nou. “Messi is a fantastic player. It would be amazing if he comes back,” De Jong said.  “But I don’t know if it’s going to happen.”

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Erling Haaland’s agent COY on striker’s future amid rumours on ‘mystery’ Man City release clause

Erling Haaland’s agent has refused to clarify the status of the release clause in the Manchester City striker’s contract. The Norwegian superstar joined Man City last summer in a huge deal that makes him the highest-paid player in the Premier League when add-ons and bonuses are factored in. The contract also included a bumper release clause. However, Pep Guardiola’s recent contract extension reportedly triggered a change in Halaand’s terms at the Etihad, perhaps even removing it altogether. Read more: Atletico Madrid want another Barcelona veteran: Jordi Alaba linked with a move to Wanda Metropolitano  However, when asked to give updates about Haaland’s future, the 22-year-old’s agent Rafaela Pimenta, remained coy and, if anything, fuelled the uncertainty surrounding his future. “I have nothing to clarify,” she told Mundo Deportivo via 90min. “The mystery of this story is very cute because you don’t know where it is, like a treasure chest. Anyway, as a lawyer, I can’t reveal the details of contracts.” Haaland is reportedly interested in testing himself across Europe, with Real Madrid keen to sign him down the line. “[Haaland can go] wherever he wants,” Pimenta continued. “He is a player that has never been seen before. “For me, his quality in everything and his ability to evolve are very impressive. He is capable of adapting quickly to a new club, new city, new coach… it’s as if he has always been there. That gives you a lot of peace of mind and allows you to move forward. “He is very calm in his professional and personal life, he has the quality. Today, he is in the right place, with the right team and the right coach. “In Brazil, we say that the sky is the limit. I think he is going to break all the records.” Pimenta, refused to say whether Haaland would ever play in La Liga, instead she spoke about her relationship with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. “Strangely, I have only spoken with Florentino once in my life,” she said. “I cannot explain the reason, but above all I have a good relationship of great respect and admiration with Jose Angel Sanchez and Juni Calafat. They are serious, humble people and I think they do a great job for Madrid.”

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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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Atletico Madrid want another Barcelona veteran: Jordi Alaba linked with a move to Wanda Metropolitano 

Atletico Madrid are reportedly looking to poach Barcelona again as they target veteran left-back Jordi Alba this summer. The Blaugrana are looking to lower their wage bill this summer to allow them to sign new players, including their former star Lionel Messi.  They currently owe Alba around €38 million of salary due to deferred wages this summer, with his contract at Camp Nou set to expire in 2024. As such, Joan Laporta might either offer the 34-year-old a new deal with a pay cut or offload him this summer. Read more: Real Madrid to battle Manchester City for Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies Although the Spanish defender has reiterated his desire to stay at the Catalan club beyond this summer, the emergence of Alejandro Balde at left-back has reduced Alba to a limited role under Xavi this season.  He is no longer the first choice left back, and his prominence in the team will only diminish next season, with Marcos Alonso also an option in that position.  But Atletico Madrid feels that Alba still has a lot to offer and could be tempted to sign him this summer, according to a report by GOAL.  The Madrid-based club will try to test Barca’s resolve to keep the player beyond this summer. But according to the report, the Spanish La Liga champions could use Atletico’s interest in Alba to acquire the services of Yannick Carrasco, who has been one of the key members of Diego Simeone’s side. The Belgian is an experienced head in the Los Rojiblancos saud and was key to their challenge for the second spot in La Liga following tremendous performances since the turn of the year. Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal are also reportedly interested in Alba, but Barcelona have the better option of working a deal with Atletico that benefits both clubs.

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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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