Match Preview
Special Bet Tips
Special betting tips for the weekend’s games
Just 8 days separate the final Premier League game on Sunday and the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The same applies for the Ligue 1, Serie A and Eredivisie while a few leagues like the Spanish La Liga afford their players the luxury of an extra 2 days’ rest.
With the World Cup so close, players know that any injuries picked up, however minor, could end their hopes of playing in football’s most prestigious tournament.
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English duo Reece James & Ben Chilwell are some of the high-profile players to have been ruled out due to relatively short-term injuries while N’Golo Kante, Diogo Jota, Marco Reus, Paul Pogba, Mike Maignan and Timo Werner – who normally would have recovered in time if the World Cup was held in the summer rather than the winter – have all been ruled out.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve heard rumours that high-profile players like Lionel Messi requested to be excluded from the last few games ahead of the World Cup to minimize the possibility of getting injured.
Other players like Manchester United’s Antony, Juventus’ Angel Di Maria, Spurs’ Richarlison, Manchester City’s Kyle Walker and the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, Karim Benzema have all been very cautious with their return from injuries. Who can blame these players? The World Cup comes around once every four years, and it’s a dream of every professional player to win (or at least play in) the World Cup.
Players holding back and prioritizing their health is the price that has to be paid for stuffing the biggest sport tournament in the World in the middle of an already congested season and with players like the reigning African & Asian Players of the Year, Sadio Mane and Son Heung-min, both picking up injuries over the past 7 days that could rule them out of the tournament, more players are expected to hold back a little to avoid the same fate.
One major ripple effects of players holding back is the increased number of upsets, and a perfect example of this is Real Madrid.
After starting the season unbeaten in the first 10 weeks, they have lost 2 and drawn 1 of their last 4 games in all competitions over the last 14 days in the absence of captain and talisman, Karim Benzema.
While the effort their opponents have given in that stretch has to be acknowledged, they will also have been aided by any precautions the Real Madrid players have taken to remain injury-free ahead of the World Cup.
With all these in mind, here are a few games to watch out for due to the change in mindset many players will have due to participation (and non-participation) at the World Cup:
PSG v Auxerre
PSG would most likely be fielding a different front 3 or 2 when they host Auxerre on Sunday. In their 2-1 win over Lorient last weekend, Messi was rested while Mbappé didn’t complete 90 mins. On Sunday, this trend is set to continue, and we could see Mbappé, Neymar and maybe Sergio Ramos sit the game out or have limited minutes. While PSG are still overwhelming favorites for the game, it might be worth risking Auxerre leaving Paris with something.
Newcastle United v Chelsea
Having won 4 Premier League games in a row, Newcastle are heavy favorites for this, while Chelsea – with no league win in 4 games – are the underdogs. However, Newcastle has the added advantage of their top performer Miguel Almiron (Paraguay) not going to the World Cup. Other players like Joelinton and Saint-Maximin are also going to be absent, and the Magpies are almost a lock to make it 5 wins in 5.
Tottenham v Leeds United
A Spurs side featuring Harry Kane, Ivan Perišić, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Eric Dier and a returning Richarlison suffered a shock loss to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday in the third round of the EFL Cup. Against a Leeds United side that have won two in a row and are looking to put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone, the game could get tricky for the hosts.
Wolves v Arsenal
Wolves are 19th on the table and are level on points with 20th place Nottingham Forest. However, aided by their new manager bounce from Julen Lopetegui, they will be hoping to get something from this game ahead of the World Cup break.
However, Arsenal are top of the table, have the momentum and most importantly, have the advantage of youth.
As evident by William Saliba’s fully committed tackle on Broja to win the ball in the closing stages at Stamford Bridge last weekend, these young Gunners are aware that they are on the verge of something great. If they fail to win against Wolves, it won’t be because of any of their players holding back.
Liverpool v Southampton
There will be some holding back by a few players in Liverpool but with Mo Salah (Egypt) not going to the World Cup and Bobby Firmino not making the Brazil roster, they should have enough firepower to beat a Southampton team who are 18th in the Premier League and needed penalties to get by League One’s Sheffield Wednesday in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
Borussia Gladbach v Borussia Dortmund
The first Borussen Derby of the season will be hosted by 9th-placed Gladbach as they take on 6th place Dortmund. Gladbach may have come out on top in this fixture the last two times they played at home, but Dortmund have generally had the upper hand, including a 6-0 win the last time they met (at the Signal Iduna Park). Dortmund has a few players who may want to take it easy in this game, but the continued absence of Yann Sommer (Switzerland) in goal for Gladbach is a huge boost for the visitors and could swing the result their way.
