La Liga Picks Matchday 8

Eibar 1 Cadiz 0

Real 2 Huesca 1

Athletic 1 Sevilla 1

Osasuna 1 Atletico 1

Alaves 1 Barca 3

Betis 2 Elche 0

Celta 0 La Real 2

Granada 2 Levante 1

Valencia 1 Getafe 1

Villarreal 3 Valladolid 0

Last week’s score - 3/10

Premier League Picks Matchday 7

Wolves 0 Palace 1

Sheffield Utd 1 City 2

Burnley 0 Chelsea 2

Liverpool 2 West Ham 1

Villa 1 Southampton 2

Newcastle 1 Everton 1

United 2 Arsenal 2

Spurs 2 Brighton 1

Fulham 1 West Brom 1

Leeds 1 Leicester 1

Last week’s score - 4/10

Marseille City Lineups

No surprises with what AVB is trying to do against City. Keep it tight and rely on Thauvin to provide the magic and Cuisance to add some guile. Pep starts with one of his more attacking lineups in recent times with KDB, Sterling, Foden and Torres all starting. Mahrez and Payet, two of the best players in the 2015-16 EPL season start on the bench. ⚽️

Gladbach Real Lineups

Lucas Vazquez is Real’s starting right back in the crucial game against Gladbach and it has to be the flank that the home side target. Expect Thuram and Plea to alternate out wide to take on Vazquez.

There is also an interesting battle in midfield where Marco Rose has gone for a diamond against Zidane’s midfield three. The increasingly influential duo of Neuhaus and Hoffman will need to be at their best against Kroos, Casemiro and Valverde. ⚽️

Atalanta Ajax Lineups

Gasperini chooses his best starting eleven in line with the team that did so well to get to the quarterfinals last season. Malinovskyi and Miranchuk are the game changing options off the bench.

Ajax have a different forward line compared to last week’s game with Liverpool. Captain Tadic now playing a deeper role to accommodate the fit again Antony and teenager Lassina Traore who scored five goals on the weekend.

Champions League Picks Matchday 2

Lokomotiv 0 Bayern 3

Shakhtar 1 Inter 2

Gladbach 2 Real 2

Porto 1 Olympiacos 1

Marseille 1 City 2

Liverpool 4 Midtjylland 0

Atalanta 2 Ajax 2

Atletico 2 Salzburg 1

Basaksehir 1 PSG 4

Krasnodar 1 Chelsea 1

Sevilla 1 Rennes 0

Brugge 1 Lazio 1

Dortmund 3 Zenit 1

Ferencvaros 2 Dynamo Kyiv 1

Juve 2 Barca 0

United 1 Leipzig 2

Last week’s score — 9/16 

This Football Weekend Oct 23-26

After a satisfying midweek of European football, time to turn our attention back to domestic matters this weekend. Let’s take a look at some of the most intriguing fixtures on offer.

Friday

Villa vs Leeds — Had a lot of needle in the Championship, likely to be just as feisty in the top tier.

Saturday

West Ham vs City — The Hammers are must watch right now while City’s defence remains a problem.

Atalanta vs Sampdoria — In form teams scoring great goals.

Bayern vs Frankfurt — A supreme Bayern hosting one of the few teams who aren’t afraid to attack them.

Leipzig vs Hertha — East German battle between two teams that can score.

Barca vs Real — El Clasico. Both come in to the game on the back of league defeats. Lots of stories as usual.

United vs Chelsea — Rarely meets the hype, but is a big game between top four rivals.

Dortmund vs Schalke — Rivierderby with a growing chasm between the sides.

Atletico vs Betis — Simeone vs Pellegrini and both teams have higher aspirations.

Sunday

Southampton vs Everton — Hasenhuttl vs Ancelotti and a test for Everton without James.

Cadiz vs Villarreal — The yellow battle between overachievers.

Nice vs Lille — Tricky test for both after Europa League exertions, with Lille playing sublime football.

Getafe vs Granada — Two teams hard as nails who’ve already claimed big scalps this season.

Arsenal vs Leicester — Two teams very rarely hard, but a lot of fun to watch on their day.

Lyon vs Monaco — Battle of France’s underachievers who really should be doing better.

Monday

Milan vs Roma — Zlatan, Dzeko and both teams playing really good football.

Ligue 1 Picks Matchday 8

Rennes 2 Angers 0

Lorient 2 Marseille 2

PSG 3 Dijon 0

Lens 2 Nantes 1

Metz 1 St Etienne 1

Brest 1 Strasbourg 1

Bordeaux 1 Nimes 2

Montpellier 0 Reims 0

Nice 1 Lille 2

Lyon 2 Monaco 1

Bundesliga Picks Matchday 5

Stuttgart 2 Cologne 1

Leipzig 2 Hertha 0

Mainz 0 Gladbach 2

Bayern 3 Frankfurt 2

Union 1 Freiburg 1

Dortmund 3 Schalke 1

Wolfsburg 1 Arminia 1

Werder 1 Hoffenheim 2

Leverkusen 3 Augsburg 1

Serie A Picks Matchday 5

Sassuolo 3 Torino 1

Atalanta 3 Sampdoria 2

Genoa 1 Inter 3

Lazio 2 Bologna 0

Cagliari 2 Crotone 0

Parma 1 Spezia 1

Benevento 2 Napoli 4

Fiorentina 2 Udinese 1

Juventus 3 Verona 0

Milan 2 Roma 2

La Liga Picks Matchday 7

Elche 1 Valencia 1

Barca 3 Real 1

Sevilla 2 Eibar 0

Osasuna 1 Athletic 1

Atletico 2 Betis 1

Valladolid 1 Alaves 0

Cadiz 1 Villarreal 2

Getafe 1 Granada 1

La Real 2 Huesca 0

Levante 1 Celta 1

Premier League Picks Matchday 6

Villa 2 Leeds 0

West Ham 2 City 2

Fulham 1 Palace 0

United 1 Chelsea 2

Liverpool 3 Sheffield Utd 0

Southampton 2 Everton 1

Wolves 1 Newcastle 0

Arsenal 2 Leicester 1

Brighton 2 West Brom 0

Burnley 1 Spurs 3

Bayern Atletico Lineups

It’s been a while since we have seen Bayern play with three in midfield. Hansi Flick has talked about trialling different systems to deal with the cramped season, but this could also be based on a need to keep the team’s shape compact in the face of Atletico’s threat on the counter.

With Diego Costa injured and out for a while, this game should be the beginning of a period that sees Joao Felix and Luis Suarez establish themselves as Diego Simeone’s first choice attacking pair.

Ajax Liverpool Lineups

Jurgen Klopp’s team selection for this game is not only an adjustment to Virgil Van Dijk’s injury, but also to the reality of a cramped football calendar. If needed, Henderson can come off the bench.

For Ajax, all eyes will be on youngsters Mohammed Kudus and Ryan Gravenberch as they make their first Champions League starts.

One senses it’s going to be a tough night for both defences.

PSG United Lineups

A few surprises on both sides. Diallo and Kimpembe starting together in the centre of defence with Kurzawa as left back seems risky, while a midfield trio of Danilo, Herrera and Gueye seems cautious. United start with neither Pogba nor Matic, so Fred and McTominay are tasked with screening a defence featuring Axel Tuanzebe next to Victor Lindelof. Looks like the creative burden in the game will belong to Messrs Neymar, Di Maria and Fernandes.

Champions League Picks Matchday 1

Zenit 2 Brugge 1

Dynamo Kyiv 1 Juve 1

Leipzig 2 Basaksehir 0

Rennes 1 Krasnodar 1

Lazio 2 Dortmund 1

Chelsea 2 Sevilla 1

PSG 3 United 1

Barca 3 Ferencvaros 0

Salzburg 2 Lokomotiv 1

Real 1 Shakhtar 0

Ajax 1 Liverpool 2

City 2 Porto 0

Midtjylland 1 Atalanta 2

Olympiacos 2 Marseille 1

Bayern 1 Atletico 0

Inter 3 Gladbach 1

Napoli 4 Atalanta 1

In many respects the scoreline isn’t a surprise. After all, Atalanta play with the sort of risk where every now and then concession of goals against a top team is inevitable. And make no mistake, Napoli are a top team. The passing and interplay was reminiscent of the best of Sarriball and for that Rino Gattuso deserves immense credit. However, Victor Osimhen might just turn out to be the missing piece of the puzzle. The Nigerian 21-year old has the special mix of physicality, flair and an intangible aura that’s so exciting. His development over the season and coming years is bound to be fascinating.

Real 0 Cadiz 1

Not only did Real deserve to lose against their newly promoted opponents, they should have been beaten soundly. Los Blancos finished last season spectacularly to win La Liga after the restart, but while adrenaline and determination may suffice when faced with a compact 12-game stretch in 40 days and the finishing line in sight, its another thing altogether to rely on such intangibles for a complete season. Big problems for Zidane to solve.

This Football Weekend Oct 16-19

After an international break dominated by all sorts of stories including COVID, I am looking forward to watching some club football on the pitch again. Not withstanding any quarantines or postponements, these are the games I am looking forward to this weekend.

Saturday

Granada vs Sevilla — Regional rivalry between two excellently coached teams.

Everton vs Liverpool — Merseyside derby at the top end of the table, not joking.

Napoli vs Atalanta — 8 goals in 2 games welcomes 13 goals in 3 games.

Augsburg vs Leipzig — 2nd hosts 1st in Germany. Seriously, Augsburg are currently 2nd!

Hertha vs Stuttgart — Mid-table high scorers clash.

Hoffenheim vs Dortmund — Lots of firepower, lots of youngsters, what’s not to like.

Inter vs Milan — Milan derby with both teams undefeated and aiming for the top. Again, not joking.

City vs Arsenal — Pep vs Arteta, Partey’s debut and defences there to be exposed.

Getafe vs Barca — As if Koeman needed another early test, here comes Bordalas.

Marseille vs Bordeaux — Historic clash and AVB needs a win big time.

Sunday

Bologna vs Sassuolo — De Zerbi’s Sassuolo are must watch and it is a regional derby.

Monaco vs Montpellier — In form Ben Yedder against in form Savenier.

Villarreal vs Valencia — Derbi de la Comunitat with Emery and Gracia facing unique pressures.

St Etienne vs Nice — Puel’s exciting young team vs Vieira’s exciting young team.

Spurs vs West Ham — Maybe Bale, but really these two London teams are just unpredictable.

Schalke vs Union — Goal difference of -14 after 3 games. Can Baum halt the Schalke car crash?

Leicester vs Villa — The two Midlands rivals have combined to score 23 in 7 games. More please.

Betis vs La Real — Darlings of the neutrals, unexpectedly 2nd vs 3rd.

Lille vs Lens — Long-awaited Derby du Nord, again unexpectedly 2nd vs 3rd.

Monday

Verona vs Genoa — Sign me up for Juric getting more justice against his former employers.

Leeds vs Wolves — The two best promoted teams of recent times face off.

Champions League Group H

Paris St Germain

Manchester United

RB Leipzig

Istanbul Basaksehir

The best saved for the last. This is unquestionably the group of death, that too with a fair bit of recent history thrown in. PSG were terribly scarred by that spectacular collapse at home against United in 2019, and both teams will be eager to make a statement against each other this time around. It feels like PSG and Leipzig squared off in last season’s semifinals just yesterday! All the good work that Thomas Tuchel and Julian Nagelsmann did with their teams in those deep runs will be cruelly forgotten if they fail to make it out of the group. The two Germans are considered superior managers to the Norwegian in United’s dugout, though the Red Devils do possess individual quality in the final third that gives them a chance against two defences that aren’t necessarily the best in Europe. Finally, the new Turkish champions have waited a long time to debut in the group stages, but there won’t be much room for romanticism as Basaksehir have started their new campaign terribly and they simply don’t stack up anywhere close to the other three teams in the group.

Champions League Group G

Juventus

Barcelona

Dynamo Kiev

Ferencvaros

The headline as Pedro Pinto alluded to after this draw was made — Messi vs. Ronaldo. It’s the first time that the Argentinian and Portuguese face off since the latter’s departure from Madrid. That’s a clash that we can all get behind, but just as intriguing is the battle in the dugout between Andrea Pirlo and Ronald Koeman as they try to put an imprint on their new teams. Dynamo Kiev had some great nights against both Barca and Juve in their heyday in the 90’s, but are now several leagues below in football’s increasingly stratified hierarchy. It’s great to see Ferencvaros back in the Champions League, though their best hope is probably getting a home win against Kiev to challenge for a Europa League spot.

Champions League Group F

Zenit St Petersburg

Borussia Dortmund

Lazio

Club Brugge

Dortmund are the clear favourites to progress here. They had an exciting round of 16 tie against Zenit in 2013-14, but the Russian champions while solid, don’t possess the same firepower they had back then. I had my reservations about Lazio before the draw, but as things have transpired, the Biancocelesti don’t face any big-hitters, meaning their squad should have enough to finish above Zenit and Brugge. The Belgian champions however do thrive on being underestimated and one can’t rule out their ability to pick up surprise points that could impact the outcome of this group.

Champions League Group E

Sevilla

Chelsea

FC Krasnodar

Rennes

Just like last season, Frank’s Lampard’s Chelsea are drawn in a deceptively tricky group. Despite the Blues’ significant transfer spend, there will be a deficit in European experience against Europa League record winners Sevilla. Julen Lopetegui’s men should be the favourites not only because of their continental history, but also because they are playing some excellent football and are on a long run of good form. Rennes’ debut campaign is going to be interesting amidst their excellent start to the domestic season where they top the table in France. Many of us will also get to see a first global peak at their highly touted midfield sensation, 17-year old Eduardo Camavinga. Finally, Krasnodar have gone through a lot of heartache over the years in trying to get to the promised land, so expect them at the very least to make things difficult when their vaunted opponents visit them in Russia.

Champions League Group D

Liverpool

Ajax

Atalanta

Midtjylland

This is the group that the purists likely most want to see. Liverpool vs Ajax probably should have been the final in 2019, and one can’t help but feel this clash has come at least a season too late as the entertaining Dutch side have inevitably been stripped of some very fine talent. It is Atalanta however who bring the x-factor with their daring approach regardless of opponent. Gasperini vs Klopp sounds mouth-watering and expect to see all sorts of creative attacking combinations when their teams face off. The Reds and La Dea are the favourites to progress, but Ajax’s attacking traditions ensure an element of mystery remains alive in this group.

Champions League Group C

Porto

Manchester City

Olympiacos

Marseille

Outside of City being the clear favourites to progress, this group does possess a lot of European history. I wouldn’t want to be a betting person when it comes to choosing who is going to come second. Andre Villas-Boas comes up against the team where he made his reputation when winning the Europa League with Porto in 2011 — that is if he survives a tumultuous start to the season with Marseille. Olympiacos are always a tricky opponent especially in Greece, making it extremely likely that the battle to finish second will go all the way to the final matchday.