Match Preview

Midweek Bet Tips

Midweek Preview (23rd – 25th May)

By earning a single point against Chelsea, Man Utd has the potential to secure a comeback to the Champions League. Likewise, if Brighton manages to secure a point against Manchester City, they could potentially secure a spot in the Europa League. Moving on to Italy, the Coppa Italia final will witness a showdown between Fiorentina and Inter, both of whom will compete in European finals next month. We look at these and more, but 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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Al-Nassr vs. Al-Shabab

With just three matches remaining in the Saudi Pro league, Al-Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, find themselves three points adrift of the top position. Initially, they were trailing behind Al-Hilal, led by Odion Ighalo. However, a recent decline in form for both teams allowed Al-lttihad to surpass them both in the standings. Al-lttihad, guided by the league’s top scorer Abderrazak Hamdallah with 20 goals, have recorded three victories and a draw in their last five matches, propelling them to the top of the table. Meanwhile, Al-Nassr (2nd) is set to face Al-Shabab, who are in third place. This upcoming match is crucial for Al-Nassr as they must secure a victory in order to maintain their pursuit of the top spot

Following the dismissal of Rudi Garcia, Al-Nassr appointed former Croatian international Dinko Jeličić as the interim manager. Under Jeličić’s guidance in the past five games, the team has experienced mixed results. They secured two victories, a draw, and suffered two losses. One of those losses was a disappointing 1-0 elimination from the King Cup of Champions against Al-Wehda last month.

Al-Shabab has suffered a dip in form away from home with four losses and three draws in their last 10 games. They didn’t keep a clean sheet in any of those 10 games, however, it is worth noting that they managed to find the back of the net in all but one of those games, making the “both teams to score” betting option quite lucrative for bettors.

Al-Nassr Form: L-L-W-D-W

Al-Shabab Form: W-D-W-L-L

Cristiano Ronaldo may have struggled in the King’s Cup and Saudi Super Cup where he failed to score in three games across those two competitions but in the Saudi Pro League, he’s enjoyed a healthy return of 13 goals in 14 games including two in his last three.

Predictions:

Al-Nassr to win @1.69
Both teams to score @1.50
Al-Nassr to score over 1.5 goals @1.54

Real Valladolid vs. Barcelona

Barcelona suffered an unexpected defeat at home against Real Sociedad, conceding a goal within the first 5 minutes of the match. Real Sociedad, knowing that they needed a win to keep their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League alive, were the more aggressive side and got rewarded for it. They further solidified their advantage in the 72nd minute when Alexander Sørloth, the Norwegian striker, scored their second goal. As anticipated, Robert Lewandowski (22) managed to find the back of the net, increasing his lead in the Pichichi race over Benzema (17) by 5 goals. In their earlier meeting this season, Barcelona emerged as 4-0 victors against Valladolid, with Lewandowski scoring two goals. Considering Valladolid’s current position as the second weakest defense in the league, Lewandowski will strive to enhance his scoring record.

Real Valladolid is currently the most out-of-form team in LaLiga. Despite securing consecutive victories over Villarreal and Girona, they have suffered defeat in their last five matches. Within this dismal stretch, they have conceded a total of 14 goals while only managing to score twice. Occupying the 18th position in the league and facing the threat of relegation, Valladolid, owned by De Lima Ronaldo, face a formidable challenge of finding the net against Barcelona. It is worth noting that Barcelona has not allowed Valladolid to score a single goal in their past four LaLiga encounters. Adding to the concern, Valladolid’s most recent home victory over the newly crowned league champions dates all the way back to 2014 under Ignacio Martinez, constituting their sole triumph in the last nine games against Barcelona at the José Zorrilla stadium (with one draw and seven losses). Currently, Valladolid possesses the third weakest attack in the league, having scored a mere 30 goals throughout the season, and the second worst defense, conceding 62 goals. This unfavorable combination poses a significant challenge when facing a highly formidable Barcelona side.

Real Valladolid Form: L-L-L-L-L

Barcelona Form: L-W-W-W-L

Barcelona have won 15 of their last 16 league meetings against Real Valladolid. In that stretch, Barcelona has scored 43 goals and conceded just 6.

Predictions:

Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano

Real Madrid endured a forgettable week as they suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat against Manchester City in the Champions League, followed by a 1-0 loss to Valencia in LaLiga, resulting in their drop to the 3rd position in the league standings. The loss to Valencia was marred by a controversial incident involving Vinícius Jr., the 22-year-old Brazilian forward. He faced racist chants from Valencia supporters and understandably became upset. Unfortunately, he was sent off for slapping Hugo Duro, while the fact that Duro had initiated the contact by putting him in a chokehold was overlooked. The decision to send off Vinícius Jr. has not been reversed or adequately addressed yet, which indicates that he is likely to miss the upcoming game.

Real Madrid’s performance in LaLiga this season has been below their usual standards. They have suffered 8 defeats in 35 league games, which is their second-highest number of losses in the past 16 seasons. The only time they had more defeats at this stage was during the 2018/19 season when they lost 10 matches. What’s even more concerning is that 5 of these 8 defeats have occurred in their last 10 games, as they faced challenges balancing their participation in the Champions League, Copa del Rey, and LaLiga. However, it is worth noting that only one of those 5 losses has taken place at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Earlier in the season, when Rayo Vallecano hosted Real Madrid, they completed an impressive comeback by overturning a 2-1 deficit to secure a 3-2 victory, thanks to goals from Santi Comesaña, Álvaro García, and Óscar Trejo. In fact, in their recent encounters with Real Madrid, they have had an even record, winning two matches and losing two. However, it’s important to note that in their last 10 visits to the Santiago Bernabéu, Rayo Vallecano has suffered defeats on each occasion, scoring only nine goals while conceding 40. While they may have the desire to achieve a rare double over Real Madrid, it’s worth considering that Rayo Vallecano currently sits in 11th position on the table and has already secured safety from relegation. This may result in them playing with less urgency or pressure in the upcoming match.

Real Madrid Form: W-D-W-L-L

Rayo Vallecano Form: W-L-W-L-L

Real Madrid have lost just one of their last 22 league games at home on a Wednesday (W17, D4) while Rayo Vallecano have won just one of their 17 away games in LaLiga on that day (D3, L13), a 3-1 victory over Atlético Madrid in 1996.

Predictions:

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Manchester City

Despite Brighton’s recent record of losing 10 out of their last 11 Premier League games against Manchester City, it would be unwise to assume an easy victory this time. This current Brighton team is markedly different, and their potential should not be underestimated.

Manchester City, who have their sights set on the Champions League and FA Cup finals, opted to rest players in their 1-0 win against Chelsea. They made 10 changes to the lineup that played against Real Madrid on Wednesday, yet still maintained their superiority over Chelsea. Considering their continued focus on these two upcoming finals, it is likely that Pep Guardiola will introduce some alterations to the starting lineup, giving Brighton an opportunity to exploit potential weaknesses.

A draw in their upcoming match could potentially secure Brighton a spot in the Europa League for the next season, which is a goal that their manager, Roberto De Zerbi, actively desires. In a post-match speech to the home fans after their 3-1 victory against Southampton, De Zerbi expressed his satisfaction with securing European football for the first time in the club’s history. However, he emphasized their ambition to aim for the Europa League rather than the Conference League. On the final day of the season, Brighton will face Aston Villa, who also have a slim chance of qualifying for the Europa League. Brighton currently holds a game in hand over Aston Villa, along with a three-point advantage but even more overwhelming for Villa is the daunting task of overcoming Brighton’s substantial 16-goal advantage. Even if Brighton were to lose to Manchester City, Aston Villa would need an unprecedented victory over Brighton on the final day of the season to surpass them in the league standings.

Manchester City has displayed exceptional performance in Wednesday fixtures within the Premier League, securing a remarkable 25 consecutive victories. This impressive streak, featuring a dominant aggregate scoreline of 68-11, is by far the longest in the history of the competition. However, it is worth noting that Brighton has concluded their past two seasons with victorious home matches. Notably, during the 2020/21 season, they managed a remarkable comeback from being two goals down to defeat Manchester City 3-2 on Matchday 37. Considering the anticipated changes to Manchester City’s starting lineup, it becomes challenging to confidently predict a victory for the reigning champions. Therefore, it may be wise to explore alternative options and seek betting value in other areas.

Brighton & Hove Albion Form: W-L-W-L-W

Manchester City Form: W-D-W-W-W

Manchester City have scored in each of their 11 Premier League games against the Seagulls. In these 11 games, the Citizens have netted 33 goals – an average of 3 goals per game.

Predictions:

Manchester United vs. Chelsea

Manchester United are returning to Old Trafford and are in need of a single point from their next two games in order to secure a spot in the Champions League. This opportunity arose after Liverpool drew against Aston Villa at Anfield. Newcastle’s goalless draw on Monday ensured their top four finish, leaving only one available slot in the Premier League, which the Red Devils are heavily favored to claim. Since their defeat to Brighton at home on the opening day, Erik ten Hag’s team has gone unbeaten in 16 league games at Old Trafford, winning 13 and drawing three. What’s even more impressive is that they have kept six consecutive clean sheets at home, with the last league goal conceded in front of their home fans occurring in early February. Given the ongoing struggle to convert chances and the absence of Marcus Rashford, the team will once again rely on their solid defense to secure at least one point, thus avoiding a tense final day of the season.

Despite showing some signs of improvement against a heavily rotated Manchester City team on Sunday, Chelsea ultimately suffered their 15th league defeat of the season, which equals their highest number of losses since the 1997/98 season. This loss marked the fifth defeat in Frank Lampard’s seven games in charge, with the former midfielder managing to secure only one victory during that period. Chelsea has not managed to defeat Manchester United in their last 10 league encounters, although they have only lost three of those matches. The Blues haven’t beaten Thursday’s hosts at Old Trafford since a 1–0 win 10 years ago. Since then, they have failed to win in their last nine visits, and considering their recent struggles, it appears unlikely that this streak will come to an end.

Manchester United Form: W-L-L-W-W

Chelsea Form: L-L-W-D-L

This meeting has produced the most draws in Premier League history (26). Each of the last five meetings between them have been draws with the last three ending in a 1-1 scoreline.

Predictions:

Draw @4.30
Under 2.5 goals @2.35
Score in the first 30 minutes (NO) @2.13

Fiorentina vs. Inter

Inter’s impressive run of eight consecutive victories came to an end over the weekend with a 3-1 loss to Napoli. However, there’s a sense that they might not have been too disappointed. Having already secured a place in the Champions League final earlier in the week and holding a comfortable position in the top four of the Serie A, the Nerazzurri shifted their focus to the Coppa Italia final, aiming to add another trophy to their collection this season. They made eight changes to the team that played in the Champions League against Milan, and as anticipated, Napoli easily defeated them. One positive aspect for Inter was the outstanding performance of Romelu Lukaku, who continued his remarkable scoring form in the league, netting his sixth Serie A goal in five matches. Defensively, Inter has been exceptional in recent times, keeping clean sheets in six out of their last nine games. With their regular starters expected to return for the upcoming match, we anticipate them posing a formidable challenge for Fiorentina.

Fiorentina, after securing a place in the Europa Conference League final, also made significant changes to their lineup for their recent match in Turin. With 10 alterations from the team that defeated Basel 3-1 on Thursday, they managed to secure a draw against Torino. I Viola, having endured a 22-year trophy drought, now have two opportunities to bring it to an end and are reasonably confident in their chances. In their previous encounter this season, Inter narrowly clinched a victory in a thrilling 7-goal match, thanks to Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s 95th-minute winner. However, Fiorentina got their revenge last month in Milan, securing all three points with Giacomo Bonaventura’s early second-half goal. Despite these promising performances, Fiorentina’s recent form is a bit concerning. After winning 11 out of 13 matches (with two draws) across all competitions between mid-February and mid-April, they have only managed to win three of their last 11 games.

Fiorentina Form: L-L-W-W-D

Inter Form: W-W-W-W-L

Fiorentina’s 1-0 win over Inter is their only win over the Nerazzurris in 14 games.

Predictions: