Match Preview
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Weekend Preview: (13th May & 14th May)
This weekend we preview top the table toppers in the Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 and also talk about Arsenal’s important fixture with Champions League hopefuls, Brighton and Hove Albion. Before we do, head to our Cross Sport Specials page to check out some of the special offers we have. You can also read about our new feature; the Pick 11 Jackpot Bet here.
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Bayern Munich vs. Schalke
After 31 Match Days in the Bundesliga, the top two teams – Bayern Muncih and Borussia Dortmund – are separated by just one point, which hasn’t happened in 14 years. Bayern Munich is hoping for a different outcome this time, as in the 2008/09 season, they were one point behind Wolfsburg, who went on to win the Bundesliga title for the first time. With only three games remaining this season, the Bavarians are in a similar situation, and a win against Schalke could increase their lead at the top of the table, especially as Borussia Dortmund, currently in second place, faces a tough match against Gladbach.
Schalke have been unable to defeat Bayern Munich in their last 24 games in all competitions, with their last win against the team dating back to 2011. During this time, Schalke have managed only three draws while Bayern have won 21 games in this fixture, including the last 11 in a row. This is Schalke’s longest losing streak against any German team. Bayern Munich will have some key players back for the game against Schalke, including Dayot Upamecano (who has been out with an injury), Leon Goretzka (who was suspended last week), and former Schalke striker, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting who has been dealing with knee and back problems in recent weeks. However, Sadio Mané is expected to retain his place in the starting lineup, and Thomas Müller, who has been somewhat overlooked, is also expected to start. Since Thomas Tuchel became the coach, 12 out of the 13 goals Bayern have scored have come with Müller on the pitch. Although Müller is not the same threat he used to be, he still plays a crucial role in the team’s attack, and his experience will be valuable in the final stretch of the season.
Schalke faces a daunting task in trying to secure a victory against Bayern Munich, but they can take pride in their team and even dream of a remarkable upset that could end their dismal streak against the reigning champions. In the first half of the season, Schalke only managed to accumulate 9 points out of a possible 51, which made them a strong candidate for relegation. However, they have turned things around in the second half of the season, gaining 21 points out of a possible 42. Their latest win, secured in stoppage time against Mainz last weekend, was their third victory in four games and lifted them out of the relegation zone for the first time since Match Day 8. Schalke’s resilience has been crucial to their mid-season turnaround, often leaving it late, with four of their last nine games featuring goals after the 90th minute mark. Marius Bülter, their winger who has scored 11 league goals, has made Bundesliga history by being the first player to score three penalties in added time at the end of a top-flight game, including his 90’+12 spot-kick winner at Mainz. Despite being heavy underdogs in this match, there is value in betting on Schalke to score a goal.
Bayern Munich Form: D-D-L-W-W
Schalke Form: L-W-L-W-W
In Schalke’s last visit to the Allianz Arena in 2020, they suffered an 8-0 defeat to Bayern Munich, with Serge Gnabry scoring a hat-trick while Jamal Musiala’s 81st minute strike saw him become the youngest goalscorer in the club’s history at just 17 years and 205 days.
Predictions:
Chelsea vs. Nottingham Forest
After 6 successive defeats, Frank Lampard finally picked up his first 3 points back at Chelsea with a 3-1 win over Bournemouth. Second-half goals from Badiashile and João Félix in the 82nd and 86th minutes, respectively, swung what looked like a 1-1 draw Chelsea’s way. The Blues have nothing to play for but pride. Stuck in 11th place and with no chance of securing a spot in any of the 3 European Cups for next season, we could see a return to their insipid football that preceded last week’s victory.
Nottingham are still in danger of being relegated despite a 3-point cushion above the drop zone. Their midweek win in the 7-goal thriller against Southampton was their 2nd in a row at home as they continued their impressive scoring record. Steve Cooper’s side has scored 10 goals in their last 5 games and have only been shutout twice in their last 10 league games. However, they know Stamford Bridge is a ground they’ve historically struggled in, having lost in each of their 6 visits in all competitions. Their last Premier League win away at Chelsea came back in 1995 and though they’ve been away from the top flight for much of that period, it’s still a poor record. Perhaps knowing Chelsea are on their worst home run in the league since 1995 could give them some motivation to approach this with more self-belief.
Chelsea Form: L-L-L-L-W
Nottingham Forest Form: L-L-W-L-W
Nottingham Forest has lost each of their last 7 Premier League away games, their longest run in the top flight on the road since a run of 9 games in the 1961/62 season.
Predictions:
Manchester United vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Back-to-back losses in the Premier League has put Man Utd’s Champions League qualification in serious jeopardy and the Red Devils will aim to get a much-needed win this weekend at Old Trafford. Against Brighton, Luke Shaw gave away a penalty in the 95th minute while David de Gea’s absurd error – his 4th of the season directly leading to a goal – saw West Ham pick up 3 points against them.
Despite the injuries of key center-backs, Lisandro Martínez and Raphaël Varane, the team’s makeshift defense has not been the problem in recent weeks, rather it is their attack. In their last six games, Manchester United scored only three goals and were shut out in four of those games. The team is also struggling with the grueling schedule as they seem to start well but falter in the second halves of games. They have scored only two second-half goals in their last 11 games, compared to the eight first goals they have scored. Additionally, Marcus Rashford’s form is worrying as he has scored only two goals in his last nine league games after scoring ten goals in ten league games following the World Cup break. Having been given a few days off, Erik ten Hag will hope for a change of fortunes on Saturday. For the first time in ages, they had no midweek fixture; the last time they had a full week rest (excluding the World Cup & Internationals) was on the 28th October 2022, 41 games ago.
Wolves’ 1-0 victory over Aston Villa was enough to secure safety from relegation. With 40 points and three games left to go, Julen Lopetegui has successfully achieved what he was brought in to do, and there’s a chance his side may not be as intense as they normally would. Wolves’ away form has left a lot to be desired this season, and they’ll be thankful they secured survival before their trips to Man Utd and Arsenal. Away from home, they’ve only won two games all season and kept just one clean sheet. With an away form this poor, Man Utd’s unbeaten run of 27 games at Old Trafford could be extended. It’s also worth mentioning that this game has been low-scoring in recent years. Just two of the last 10 meetings between these sides in all competitions have produced over 2.5 goals. In fact, five of the last seven games have ended in the same scoreline, 1-0, with the Red Devils winning four of those.
Manchester United Form: W-D-W-L-L
Wolverhampton Wanderers Form: W-L-W-L-W
Man Utd have kept 7 clean sheets in their last 10 league games at Old Trafford including their last 5 in a row. Despite being error-prone and conceding 17 combined goals in 3 games against Brentford, Man City and Liverpool, David de Gea leads the Premier League in clean sheets (15) and is the favorite to win the Golden Glove.
Predictions:
Paris Saint-Germain vs. AC Ajaccio
Despite a tumultuous week filled with drama, PSG secured a comfortable victory against Troyes, who are facing relegation, over the weekend and maintained their 6-point lead at the top of Ligue 1. The absence of Lionel Messi due to suspension and rumors of his departure resulted in protests from club ultras, making the team’s away trip a welcome relief as it created some distance between them and their disgruntled fan base. However, their next opponents are another relegation-bound team, and this time they will have to play at Parc des Princes, in front of what is expected to be an angry home crowd.
One player to keep an eye out for is Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman looked like a favorite to win the Ligue 1 Golden Boot before last weekend but Alexandre Lacazette’s 4-goal haul in the 5-4 victory over Montpellier has seen both players tied on 24 goals. With a tally of 11 goals in his previous 11 league games, Mbappé is expected to extend his streak against Ajaccio, a team that is known to be vulnerable, as he strives to win the Golden Boot.
Ajaccio could officially be relegated this weekend if they fail to win. It’ll be their 4th relegation from the French top tier after 1972/73, 2005/06 and 2013/14. Olivier Pantaloni, the manager who has been at the helm of the club since 2014, notably guided them to promotion from Ligue 2 just last season. However, they have struggled to compete at the highest level. Since mid-October, their performance in away games has been dismal, with only one win, two draws, and nine losses, including six consecutive losses leading up to this weekend. It is also noteworthy that their attack has produced the league’s lowest goal tally this season, with 22 goals in 34 games. At 23 losses so far, they’re one away from their highest ever in the top-flight.
Paris Saint-Germain Form: W-W-W-L-W
AC Ajaccio Form: L-L-D-L-D
PSG’s last loss to AC Ajaccio came in 2005 at the Parc des Princes (2-4), but since then, the Parisians have gone 7 games unbeaten against them (W4, D3), including a 3-0 win at the Stade François Coty featuring a Kylian Mbappé brace and a well-worked team-goal finished by Lionel Messi.
Predictions:
Arsenal vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
Mikel Arteta has a knack for finding even the smallest of comments from opposing teams and using them to motivate his Arsenal side. From using Ivan Toney’s “Nice kick about with the boys” tweet to get his side pumped up for a game against Brentford, to rewatching last season’s defeat at St. James Park ahead of last weekend’s win over Newcastle, Arteta seems to have mastered using the anger of his players as fuel for positive results. Ahead of this weekend’s crucial clash with Brighton, he seems to have been handed one with Roberto De Zerbi claiming: “I think on Sunday (vs. Arsenal), we will show our quality and be back to playing our style. You will see the true Brighton.” shortly after the embarrassing 5-1 defeat to Everton.
Following Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Newcastle, their fans are once again filled with hope and optimism. This is understandable, given that Newcastle has had a successful season so far, having reached the League final and all but secured a return to the Champions League. Despite Newcastle starting strongly against Arsenal and appearing to be favorites to win, the Gunners managed to secure three crucial points thanks to a stunning long-range strike by Martin Ødegaard and a Fabian Schär own-goal. This victory also marked their first clean sheet since William Saliba’s season-ending injury in mid-March. Heading back to the Emirates where they’ve won 5 games in 6 league while scoring 3 or more goals in each of those 6, they will be full of confidence. However, they will need to be wary of Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma, who has scored in both of his team’s previous encounters against Arsenal this season.
Brighton had a golden opportunity to leapfrog Spurs and claim the 6th position in the standings, but they missed out after failing to defeat Everton. Despite dominating possession with 78% and taking a total of 23 shots, they suffered their most heaviest home defeat since a 5-0 loss to Manchester City during the lockdown period in July 2020. As they prepare for their third encounter with Arsenal this season, Brighton will be determined to secure a second victory at the Emirates, having previously won in the third round of the EFL Cup back in November. They did, however, lose the reverse fixture 4-2 at the Amex stadium with two quick goals at either halves (Bukayo Saka in the 2nd minute and Eddie Nketiah in the 47th minute) proving too much to overcome.
Arsenal Form: D-D-L-W-W
Brighton & Hove Albion Form: L-L-W-W-L
Brighton have won 3 of their last 4 away games against Arsenal in all competitions including a 3-1 win in this season’s EFL Cup.
Predictions:
Everton vs. Manchester City
A goal after just 34 seconds provided the boost for Everton in their surprise 5-1 win away at Brighton. Despite having won only one away game all season, Sean Dyche’s team recorded their biggest road win since 2018, coincidentally against a Burnley side managed by Dyche himself. The win lifted Everton out of the relegation zone, with a 2-point lead over 18th placed Leicester City. However, Everton has not won back-to-back games in the Premier League since October 1, and a significant upset will be required to achieve this feat this weekend. One player they’ll be relying on if they are to do this is Dwight McNeil. The former Burnley winger has struggled for form since signing for Everton but his switch from the right-wing to left-wing in recent weeks has yielded positive results. In his last 4 games, he’s scored 4 goals and provided an assist. To put that in perspective, in the previous 71 games before this run, he had 3 goals and 3 assists.
Man City’s were held to draw at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday but will now have to turn their attention to the Premier League where Arsenal are eagerly awaiting a slip up. The Citizens have won each of their last 10 league games, which is the 5th time they’ve had a winning streak of 10 or more games since Pep Guardiola became their coach. This is an exceptional achievement that highlights their dominance, especially when compared to other successful coaches like Jürgen Klopp (3), Sir Alex Ferguson (2), and Arsène Wenger (2), who are longer tenured.
Man City have dominated this fixture in recent years, with 13 wins, 5 draws and just 1 loss in their last 19 league meetings. They have won each of his last away league visits to Goodison Park and are a win away from being the first visitors to win 6 league games in a row on that ground since Portsmouth between 1948 and 1956. A heavily rotated side is expected, with Real Madrid coming over next on Wednesday. Pep Guardiola uncharacteristically didn’t make a substitution in the draw with Los Blancos, so we expected to see some of the unused players like Julian Alvarez, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez start.
Everton Form: L-D-L-D-W
Manchester City Form: W-W-W-W-D
Historically, Everton has struggled against teams topping the Premier League, and have won just 4 of those games (46). However, one of those was their 1-0 win over Arsenal earlier in the season in Dyche’s first game in charge of the club.
Predictions:
