Links

Things to look out for in the Europa League: Matchday Two

Three Premier League teams are in action in the Europa League this week, while Celtic have an early opportunity to wreak some revenge in Glasgow. Here are our Things to look out for in the Europa League on Matchday Two. Bet on the Europa League here.

Arsenal’s injured defenders to get more minutes

Arsenal’s Europa League campaign began in ideal fashion a fortnight ago with a comprehensive win at Eintracht Frankfurt in which, theoretically, was their hardest fixture in the group. They welcome Standard Liege to the Emirates on Matchday Two, where fans will be hoping for another glimpse of defenders Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding and Kieren Tierney. The former duo have spent over eight months on the sidelines through injury, while summer signing Tierney arrived in north London following surgery on a hernia. All three featured in the Gunners’ EFL Cup game last week and could well be in the starting 11 following the international break. More minutes here would give fans something to cheer.

A low-scoring affair between AZ Alkmaar and Manchester United

Although it’s been under two months, it seems as though Manchester United’s 4-0 win against Chelsea was years ago. That was the only game this season in which the Red Devils managed to score more than once and only the second time it’s happened since March. Marcus Rashford made a much-needed return against Arsenal on Monday night but was not convincing, which will have worried manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ahead of their trip to AZ Alkmaar. United lifted the trophy in their last Europa League campaign in 2016/17, when their final eight matches all featured two goals or fewer. It would take a wild change in form for it to be any different here.

Can Wolves follow their first league win with another in Europe?

Wolves picked up their first Premier League win of the season on Saturday as Watford were easily defeated at Molineux. They will be hoping to repeat the trick against Besiktas, who haven’t won any of their last five games in any competition. Defeat to Braga on Matchday One has already left Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in a perilous position, and a second loss would make progression to the knockout stages highly unlikely. Wolves built a reputation last season as a side able to disrupt the well-established top six – can they claim another timely scalp?

In form Dzeko to torment Wolfsberger

A season that started slowly for AS Roma has suddenly burst into life with four wins in five games across all competitions. Lecce were the latest team to fall on Sunday, thanks to a second-half header from Edin Dzeko. The Bosnian has been on the scoresheet in five of Roma’s seven games this term and there is little doubt that hopes will be pinned on him when the Italian side face Wolfsberger. AS Roma last competed in the tournament in 2016/17, when Dzeko finished as joint top scorer. On current form his quality will be hard to tame.

Will Celtic and Cluj serve up another high-scoring game?

Scottish giants Celtic are in the Europa League for yet another campaign after they were eliminated in the Champions League qualifiers. The team that defeated them? CFR Cluj, against whom they can exact revenge tonight after fate placed them together in Europa League Group E. The Romanian side progressed in the Champions League preliminary round after a 4-3 win at Celtic Park, a game in which the hosts had twice led. After the game Celtic manager Neil Lennon admitted that his side had “shot themselves in the foot” and bemoaned their defensive errors. If the Bhoys haven’t learned their lesson, there could be even more chaos this time around.

Big Game Focus: Arsenal v Standard Liege

 

Arsenal will be looking to continue their fine Europa League record at the Emirates Stadium as they take on Belgian side Standard Liège. Like Arsenal, the Belgians also won their first match against Vitória Guimarães. Here’s the Big Game Focus with some betting tips. Bet on the game here. 

The Gunners overcame a tough Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 in Germany and will be looking to make it two wins from two when they host Group F rivals Standard Liège. Arsenal’s run to the final in last season’s competition had a lot to do with their home form. Can it continue tonight?

Standard will be looking for their first win in seven visits to England. They registered a comfortable 2-0 win on Matchday One against Portuguese outfit Vitória Guimarães and a draw or a rare win will be welcome. Can they inflict upon Arsenal their first defeat in this season’s competition?

Betting preview

The Gunners have won all four encounters with Standard Liege in Europe, scoring 15 goals in the process. Arsenal have been ahead at half time in their last five home matches in the Europa League. You can back a Home Win in the First Half at odds of 1.83. 

Seven of Arsenal’s last ten games in the Europa League have seen Over 2.5 Goals. For that reason, you can back over 2.5 Goals in this clash at odds of 1.46. 

Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored eight goals in the Gunners’ last eight matches. He’s scored in all but one of Arsenal eight matches this season in all competitions. You can back Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as Anytime Goalscorer at odds of 1.70. 

Team news

Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney missed Arsenal’s 1-1 draw away to Manchester United on Monday night but should return on Thursday. Rob Holding should also get some minutes under his belt following a spell out injured.

Zinho Vanheusden has returned from injury in recent weeks and his return could allow Merveille Bokadi to move from centre-back to central midfield. Orlando Sa is still unavailable for Standard Liege through injury.

Possible line-ups

Arsenal: Martinez, Bellerin, Mustafi, Holding, Tierney, Torreira, Ceballos, Nelson, Willock, Ozil, Aubameyang

Standard Liege: Milinkovic-Savic, Vojvoda, Vanheusden, Laifis, Gavory, Bastien, Bokadi, M’Poku, Carcela-Gonzalez, Emond, Limbombe

 

Big Game Focus: Tottenham Hotspur v Bayern Munich

 

After a disappointing 2-2 draw with Olympiakos in their first Group B game in the Champions League, Tottenham Hotspur are hoping to bounce back when they host giants Bayern Munich. Can they get their first win tonight? Here’s the Big Game Focus with some betting tips. Bet on the game here. 

The hosts have won once in their last four games. Their weekend win over Southampton was scrappy, while their League Cup exit to Colchester in midweek was embarrassing and a huge blow to their trophy hopes. However, Mauricio Pochettino’s side played in the final last season despite making a slow start in the group stage. They drew 2-2 in their first game against Olympiakos despite being 2-0 up. Can they bounce back tonight?

Bayern Munich head into this week’s game in great form. The Bavarians are top of the Bundesliga and registered their third win in a row in all competitions at the weekend. Niko Kovac’s men won their first Group B game 3-0 against Red Star Belgrade. Much of that is down to the goalscoring form of Robert Lewandowski, who has 13 goals in all competitions this season. Can the Germans snatch a win in London?

Betting preview

This will be the first competitive meeting between these two teams. Bayern have lost only twice in the Champions League since September 2017 and are unbeaten in their last nine away matches in the competition. The hosts have lost three of their last five Champions League matches. Moreover, Spurs are in dire straits at the moment and are yet to hit top, unlike Bayern who are rampant. For that reason, you can back an Away Win at odds of 2.10. 

Three of Spurs’ last five matches in the competition have seen three or more goals scored while four of Bayern’s last five games have seen Over 2.5 Goals. Therefore, you can back Over 2.5 Goals in this encounter at odds of 1.60. 

Lewandowski has scored in 39 different Champions League matches. The Polish striker scored eight goals across his six group stage games last term and he scored in Bayern’s first game against Red Star Belgrade. He’s also scored in every Bayern game this season, with 13 goals in eight matches. Odds of 1.95 for Robert Lewandowski as Anytime Goalscorer look attractive. 

Team news

Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon remain Tottenham’s only injury concerns.

Leon Goretzka is still some way from a return from injury and misses out. Lucas Hernandez is a doubt though David Alaba is expected to get the nod at left-back nonetheless. Ivan Perisic will also be assessed and it could be that Kingsley Coman starts on the left at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Possible line-ups

Tottenham: Lloris, Aurier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose, Winks, Sissoko, Ndombele, Eriksen, Son, Kane.

Bayern: Neuer, Pavard, Süle, Boateng, Alaba Kimmich, Thiago, Gnabry, Coutinho, Coman, Lewandowski.

 

Winners and Losers from Premier League: Matchweek 7

 

Goalkeeping errors, record-breaking performances and plenty of twists and turns – Premier League’s Matchweek seven had everything. Here are some of the Winners and Losers. Bet on the Premier League here. 

Winners 

Jamie Vardy and Leicester City

Leicester continued their terrific start to the season with an emphatic 5-0 win over struggling Newcastle at the King Power Stadium. The win took the Foxes to third in the table and they look like a top-four team at the moment. The highlight of the match was Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, who was unplayable. The 32-year-old scored twice to take his tally for the season to five. Although it’s still early days, Leicester look dangerous and Vardy is showing no signs of slowing down.

Chelsea

Frank Lampard and Chelsea registered their first home win in this season’s Premier League following a comfortable 2-0 win over Brighton. Jorginho and Willian got the goals in the second half to send Chelsea up to sixth. This was the Blues’ ninth win out of nine league games against Brighton. Moreover, this was their first clean sheet in ten matches after conceding in their last nine games in all competitions.

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace continued their decent start to the season with a 2-0 home win over Norwich City. Goals from Luka Milivojevic and Andros Townsend sealed the win for Roy Hodgson’s side. Palace’s unbeaten record at home stretches back to April, when they lost to eventual champions Manchester City. Their defence has also conceded just once in four home games. The Eagles won most of their points last season away from home but, this season, they will fancy their chances at Selhurst Park.

Losers

Newcastle and Watford

Newcastle plunged to 18th in the table following an embarrassing 5-0 defeat away to Leicester. The Magpies had won just one of their last five games, the 1-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur. Isaac Hayden’s red card in the first half at the King Power gave Steve Bruce’s side a mountain to climb. After the sending off, the Foxes tore them apart. Not only did the Magpies fail to find the net against Leicester, but they also did not register a single shot on target. They face Manchester United next weekend as they try to kick start their season.

Dean Henderson and Hugo Lloris

Liverpool registered a narrow win over newcomers Sheffield United through a Georginio Wijnaldum goal. However, the Reds will have to thanks Blades keeper Dean Henderson who spilled the shot through his legs. Despite that unfortunate moment, the Blades were arguably the better side for the 90 minutes.

Spurs captain Hugo Lloris was another keeper that had a weekend to forget as he gifted Southampton a goal in their clash. The 2018 World Cup winner was inexplicably dispossessed inside his own six-yard area by Danny Ings for the Saints’ equaliser following a back pass. The French goalkeeper made two excellent saves that redeemed him.

Manchester United and Arsenal

Manchester United and Arsenal played another dull, uninspiring and mediocre game at Old Trafford evidence of how far the two former giants have fallen. The game ended in a 1-1 stalemate but both sides were disgraceful. United dominated possession in the first half but lacked quality. Arsenal dominated the second 45 but they lacked the cutting edge. With Leicester and West ham pushing for the top four and top six respectively, these two sides will have to work even harder. United are tenth and have now made their worst start to the season in 30 years. Despite spending big in the summer, Arsenal are yet to hit the ground running under Unai Emery. It will take years for these two to start challenging again.

 

Things to look out of for in the Champions League: Round two group fixtures

The Champions League second round of fixtures will continue this week as Liverpool, Barcelona and Chelsea all seek to redeem themselves. Bet on Champions League football here.

First big test for Inter Milan

Barcelona and Inter Milan will square it off against each other at Camp Nou in their Group F fixture. Both sides shared the spoils with Borussia Dortmund and Slavia Prague respectively in their first round of European fixtures, meaning that we are likely to see both of them going for the win here. The Italians have had an impressive start to their local campaign but this will be their first real test of the season. Can Antonio Conte gain a positive result away to Barca?

Liverpool to bounce back 

Liverpool suffered a 2-0 loss to Napoli at Stadio San Paolo in their Champions League opener, meaning that the European Champions are desperate to get back to winning ways. Jurgen Klopp’s charges are likely to go all guns blazing at home to Salzburg and they are favourites to pick up vital points in this one. The hosts have an incredible record at home following seven wins in eight home games and they will be looking to extend that record.

A strong display from Cristiano Ronaldo

Bayer Leverkusen will head to Turin to meet Juventus and the home side will be eager to pick up all three points. As is expected all eyes will be fixed on Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo who has an impressive record in this competition. He has scored 26 goals in 24 appearances against teams from Germany in the UEFA Champions League. It is worth noting that no other player has more against teams from a specific nation. With the Portuguese on form, we can expect a very strong display for him.

Another shaky outing for Spurs?

Tottenham are set to host Bayern Munich in the Champions League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This has been a challenging spell for Spurs, who have won just once in their last four games. Their weekend success over Southampton was not all that convincing, while their League Cup exit to Colchester was just plainly disappointing. Bayern Munich head into this week’s game with some great Bundesliga form behind them and they will have a few questions to ask. It remains to be seen how Tottenham will respond.

Osimhen to trouble Chelsea

Chelsea have little choice but to go for glory at Lille in their second group game, following their home loss to Valencia in the first match. For all their exciting forward play, Chelsea have looked really vulnerable in defending counter-attacks and set pieces. They will have to worry about the threat posed by Lille’s forward Victor Osimhen. The young Nigerian has six goals in seven appearances for Lille in Ligue 1 and he will have instructions to hurt the opposition.

Premier League Team of the Week: September 28-30

No Manchester United or Arsenal players make our Team of the Week – do you agree? Bet on the Premier League here.

Ederson Moraes (Manchester City)

While City’s defence remains ravaged by injury, we should not forget that they possess a world class player in goal. With the result still in the balance at 2-1 against Everton, the Brazilian did well to deny Dominic Calvert-Lewin his second of the evening, before diving low to turn away Yerry Mina’s goalbound header.

Matt Doherty (Wolves)

Wolves saw off fellow strugglers Watford to claim their first league win of the campaign and move two points clear of the relegation zone. Doherty put his side ahead in the first half as he darted into the area to convert Pedro Neto’s low cross. It was then his cross from the right flank that resulted in Wolves’ second.

Joel Matip (Liverpool)

While Liverpool struggled to break down a resilient Sheffield United defence on Saturday, it should be noted that Jurgen Klopp’s side were also put under pressure. Matip ensured that Liverpool kept their third clean sheet in seven league games with five clearances. His composure and range of passing from the back also caught the eye.

Gary Cahill (Crystal Palace)

Cahill had become somewhat of a forgotten man at Chelsea and it is only right to see his talents recognised once again at Palace. The centre back played a key role as the Eagles saw off Norwich to maintain their unbeaten start at Selhurst Park. The veteran is proving a shrewd acquisition for Roy Hodgson’s side.

Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)

Injury to Emerson saw Alonso return to the Chelsea team for the visit of Brighton and, on this performance, could reclaim the spot permanently. He should have done better when free to score in the first half, but gave an otherwise promising performance at both ends of the pitch. The Blues finally have a home win!

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

The Belgian midfielder is fast becoming a fixture in our Team of the Week and it’s not difficult to see why. He registered his eighth assist of the season as his cross found Gabriel Jesus at the far post. He really is an early contender for the Player of the Season.

Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester)

Leicester made the most of their numerical advantage against Newcastle with a resounding 5-0 win on Sunday. Their Super Eagles midfielder won nine tackles and made five interceptions (both match highs) before rounding off the scoring with a neat half volley. The Foxes are third.

John McGinn (Aston Villa)

Some players struggle to adapt following promotion from the Championship, but it seems as though such issues aren’t affecting McGinn. Having opened the scoring against Arsenal last week, the Scot thought he had done the same against Burnley, only to see his strike chalked off by the VAR. He did, however, add his name to the scoresheet after half time. With four dribbles and two tackles, he showed he can do it all.

Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)

Mahrez’s mazy dribbles caused Lucas Digne problems all evening on Saturday and it was no surprise that it was one that led to City’s opening goal. He should have already claimed an early assist, only for Ilkay Gundogan to somehow turn his low cross onto the woodwork. His key contribution finally came with 15 minutes remaining as he scored a free kick reminiscent of his AFCON strike against Nigeria.

Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)

Vardy’s rich vein of form continued with a second-half brace against a sorry Newcastle. One of the few remaining members of Leicester’s 2015/16 title winning side, the striker has been enjoying life with his newer attack-minded team mates. No player has scored more Premier League goals since Brendan Rodgers took over as his coach.

Jay Rodriguez (Burnley)

When a striker is introduced with his team a goal behind, the usual reason is so that they can find an equaliser. Rodriguez did just that at Villa Park, drawing his side level with 20 minutes to play. Considering he had joined Burnley this summer from Villa’s rivals West Brom, he had even more reason to celebrate.

 

*Stats via WhoScored