Feb 11, 2020
Daniel Storey with a great piece on Richarlision at Optus Sport:
Ancelotti has asked him to do less and concentrate on making a difference in the final third. “Richarlison can also play on the left but we don’t have to give him a lot of defensive work,” he said after Richarlison’s stoppage-time surge gave Everton three points at Watford despite playing with 10 men. “He has to be fresh when we have the ball, he can play right and left, but without thinking too much about defensive work.” Richarlison has made 11 tackles in Ancelotti’s six matches, so he’s hardly shirking his work, but a change has come.
Managers are quick to demand more energy and hard work from players in struggling teams, but it’s more unusual for them to ask for less. Fewer tackles and high-intensity sprints leave Richarlison more able to impact upon the match in its latter stages. See the assists in the last five minutes against Watford and Crystal Palace for evidence. Two of Richarlison’s three goals under Ancelotti have been after half-time. He’s also only missed four minutes under the Italian.
Storey makes plenty of good points in the article, including judging Richarlison by his transfer fee and the striker being a victim of versatility. Regardless of his flaws, I can’t remember many young South Americans coming to England and scoring the number of goals Richarlison has. Everton have wasted a lot of money, but Richarlision is proving to be full value.
Feb 10, 2020
After dishing a thorough humiliation to Valencia, Sid Lowe on Getafe:
It is his example, his obsession. When Bordalás arrived just over three years ago, Getafe were near the foot of the second division. He took them to promotion, then to eighth, then fifth. Now, they’re safe again with 15 weeks to go. Intense, demanding, a little mad but with method, once seen as unsuited to the first division, too unsubtle for the top flight, what he has done is extraordinary. He has revived them all, moulding what might seem to be a motley crew into a hugely impressive football team, achieving beyond their wildest dreams.
Between them, his players have played more seasons in the second division than first and have experienced more relegations than they have winners’ medals, three times as many as they have league titles – and none of those are in Europe’s five biggest leagues. Only two of them are even in Europe, in fact: there’s an apertura and a clausura with River Plate, a Cameroonian title with Cotton Sport, two leagues with Dynamo Kyiv, two in Kazakhstan and that’s that. Yet here they are, third: ahead of Atlético and Sevilla, now five points and an unassailable head-to-head record ahead of Valencia, their 21st century rivals for whom, like most first division teams, they should be no match.
I thought it was remarkable when Getafe finished fifth last season, being deprived of a place in the Champions League on the last day of the league campaign. I’d be lying if I said I expected them to repeat. Remarkably, they’ve only gone on and got better this season. For those who still underestimate what a brilliant manager can achieve with any level of player, Bordalas should make you reconsider your opinions. There are some tough fixtures ahead, but with Sevilla and Valencia getting worse by the week, I am betting on Getafe to fulfil their Champions League dream this season.
Feb 10, 2020
Nicky Bandini in the Guardian:
Ivan Juric has done an astonishing job of moulding a team from a group of cast-offs, loanees and relative unknowns. Some of those – such as the Moroccan midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, who will join Fiorentina in the summer – look destined for bigger things. Most, like Pazzini, are simply role players being put in position to extract the best of what they have.
The character of this team is extraordinary. On 15 December, Verona were 3-0 down to Torino in the 69th minute, and came back to take a point. Since then, they have not lost. They are ahead of Milan and Napoli, and have conceded fewer goals than anyone outside the top three. A European berth could even be in reach.
When making my picks before the weekend, I had suggested that after drawing with Milan and Lazio, Verona had it in them to thwart the champions. I expected a draw at the Bentigodi. What transpired was so much more. Verona dominated and outplayed Juve for at least 70 minutes of the match. It was a thoroughly deserved victory for Juric’s men who are quickly becoming the story of the Serie A season.
Feb 10, 2020
Dermot Corrigan writing on Betis vs Barca in the Indepdenet:
Among the bright spots on Sunday evening for Barca and Setien was maybe the best performance of De Jong’s time as a blaugrana player. The former Ajax playmaker’s stand-out moment was the excellent run, chest control and volley to equalise at 1-1 during a helter-skelter opening period.
De Jong was also much more productively involved in the play than in his first games under Setien, when he seemed to be unclear of where he should be and what he should be doing. Instead the 22 year old did look a €75 million player here, linking the play cleverly despite Betis incessant pressing, and regularly getting forward to look to do damage in the opposition box.
The fact that a midfielder like de Jong hasn’t been able to get going since joining in the summer reveals the extent of problems at Barcelona. We also shouldn’t forget that 22 is not the easiest age to make an immediate impression at the Camp Nou, especially with midfield stalwarts like Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal still at the club. What I will say is that a manager like Setien who wants his midfielders to do more with the ball is a better fit for de Jong than Ernesto Valverde ever was. Lets hope for the sake of Cules and neutrals alike, we get to see the Frenkie de Jong we all loved at Ajax from now on.
Feb 9, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed all the football I watched on Sunday. The Milan derby was the most exciting, closely followed by a superb game between Barcelona and Betis, and the top of the table clash in the Bundesliga delivered as well. For those interested, my player ratings for Inter vs Milan and Bayern vs Leipzig are up on the Through Ball.
Feb 7, 2020
Writing after a truly remarkable set of Copa del Rey quarterfinals, Sid Lowe on ESPNFC:
"I am happy as a partridge. I dreamed of this ever since I was little," Williams said, tears fighting their way through, his voice breaking slightly. "This is the greatest night I have lived here. It is what we all dream of."
In the Athletic club shop, they sell t-shirts bearing a quote from Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier on the front. "To play for the best clubs is a nice challenge but there is a more difficult challenge: to play against them and beat them," it says. "I dedicate myself to this task." On Thursday night, Athletic Club and Real Sociedad did exactly that. And that's what a cup is, the very essence of sport, of competition.
That's what football is.
The Copa del Rey going one-legged all the way till the semifinals has really reinvigorated the competition this year. I won’t forget Real and Athletic’s wins on Thursday for a long time.
Feb 7, 2020
Some idiosyncratic excellence from James Horncastle in his latest column on ESPNFC:
You don't have to go to San Siro to get a flavour of what makes the Derby della Madonnina one of world football's greatest rivalries. It's often there for you on a plate.
I really enjoyed the unique take of this piece, connecting food and football. In Italy, both food and football tell us a variety of stories. Stories of defiance, stories of unification, stories of evolution and stories of long journeys. When I visit Milan, I am certainly going to a few of the restaurants that Horncastle mentioned.
Feb 7, 2020
In a move that doesn’t surprise anyone, the Premier League has decided to move their summer transfer deadline back to the end of August rather than before the season. A common sentiment I have been hearing from managers and journalists alike is that it was a good idea in principle but flawed because the continent didn’t align with the deadline. Now, I have got to be honest, I don’t buy this argument at all.
In the last two seasons, I feel like we have watched the highest quality of opening fixtures in the history of the Premier League and a big reason was that the squads were settled. Importantly, the story was focused on football on the pitch, not off it. Also, which clubs were really unsettled and not secure because of interest from the continent? Significantly, how many clubs on the continent can actually afford to buy good players from the Premier League in a manner that would unsettle a side? Maybe just Real, Barca and Bayern; the fact that none of the trio managed it in two seasons suggest it would always be an anomaly for them to get a big player so late in their window anyway.
The reversion back to the original deadline is not the win that some managers like to believe it is. The real victors over here are the media and lovers of gossip. The big loser — don’t expect quality football in August or September. Here’s the thing with executing good ideas. You have to stick with them even if it takes time and there is plenty of opposition. It seems with this sort of decision-making, football is indeed proving itself to be a mirror of real life governance.
Feb 7, 2020
We enter new territory in England this weekend, with a staggered set of fixtures thanks to the somewhat contrived winter break making its debut in the Premier League. Its really tricky looking ahead to a matchweek that is separated by two weekends, but the powers that be decided this is the best way to go about things. I will separate my picks in keeping with the fixtures for the weekend. In the first set of games the story is primarily set around relegation, with Brighton, Watford, Bournemouth and West Ham in action. The Seagulls hosting the Hornets is the classic six-pointer; despite Graham Potter and Nigel Pearson doing positive things with their clubs, one can’t deny there is huge pressure on both clubs in this game. Here are my picks.
Round 26 Picks Pt. 1
Everton 1 Palace 0
Brighton 2 Watford 1
Sheffield Utd 1 Bournemouth 1
City 3 West Ham 1
Last Round Score - 6/10
Season Score - 35/70
Feb 7, 2020
La Liga has a lot to live up to this weekend, after a seismic midweek of Copa del Rey action in which all four favourites were eliminated. While Valencia, Villarreal and even Real Madrid can move on to other priorities, for Barcelona the cup exit just added to the sense of gloom and doom. Quique Setien may claim to be very happy, but the team is barely playing at any level above Ernesto Valverde’s standards and there is all sorts of disharmony behind the scenes. And now comes a trip to Betis, where Setien won the plaudits for getting his team to play in a style that was a big factor in him getting the Barca job. Imagine if Setien's Barca lost to a Betis team managed by his successor Rubi — who coincidentally, is under no less pressure himself for an underwhelming season at the Benito Villamarin.
There’s also the Basque derby this weekend, with both teams basking in the glory of their cup heroics. It could be a dress rehearsal for the cup final, but can La Real still dream of an outside shot at Champions League qualification? Speaking of that race for the top four, Spain’s newest grudge match takes place at the Coliseum where third place Getafe host Valencia in fifth. The two sides played out some acrimonious games in league and cup last season, and with the stakes just as high, I am expecting the same kind of intensity again. Time for my picks.
Round 23 Picks
Alaves 0 Eibar 0
Levante 1 Leganes 1
Getafe 2 Valencia 0
Valladolid 1 Villarreal 2
Atletico 1 Granada 1
Espanyol 2 Mallorca 0
La Real 2 Athletic 0
Osasuna 1 Real 2
Celta 1 Sevilla 1
Betis 1 Barca 1
Last Round Score - 5/10
Season Score - 19/40
Feb 7, 2020
PSG vs Lyon. Even with the vast disparity in wealth between the two clubs, by most measures this should always be first against second in Ligue 1. The fact that the visitors are in sixth, is a damning indictment on what is turning out to be a bit of a shambolic season for Lyon. Rudi Garcia’s men are barely hanging on in the race for Champions League qualification, but a defeat at the home of the champions coupled with Rennes beating Brest is likely to end that quest. Can Lyon do anything to stop the inevitable? Even if Rudi Garcia devises a plan to stifle PSG’s attack, I just can’t see Les Gones having the mental fortitude to withstand any sort of pressure for too long. Time for my picks.
Round 24 Picks
Angers 1 Lille 2
Marseille 2 Toulouse 0
Metz 1 Bordeaux 1
Nice 2 Nimes 0
Amiens 1 Monaco 2
Dijon 1 Nantes 1
Rennes 2 Brest 1
Montpellier 2 St Etienne 1
Strasbourg 2 Reims 0
PSG 4 Lyon 1
Last Round Score - 4/10
Season Score - 17/40
Feb 7, 2020
Lazio got a jolt to their momentum after a midweek stalemate at home against Verona, meaning the Biancocelesti couldn’t take advantage of their game in hand. After drawing against Milan and Lazio, can Ivan Juric’s impressive Verona side stall a giant for the third consecutive time when they welcome Juventus to the Bentegodi? I think there is a possibility. The big game of the weekend though, is the Milan derby. If Inter are to take advantage of any slip-up by the champions, they are going to have to overcome a Milan side that are slowly coming into form. I am intrigued to see if Antonio Conte will start both Brozovic and Eriksen in midfield because that may just give Inter an added sense of guile that they so desperately need. For Milan, Zlatan going up against his former team will grab the headlines, but perhaps more significant is the return of Ismael Bennacer from suspension. Inter are the better team in totality, but the San Siro has seen its fair share of unpredictable derbies, resulting in me sitting on the fence. Time for my picks.
Round 23 Picks
Roma 3 Bologna 2
Fiorentina 2 Atalanta 2
Torino 1 Sampdoria 1
Verona 1 Juve 1
SPAL 1 Sassuolo 3
Napoli 3 Lecce 0
Genoa 1 Cagliari 1
Brescia 2 Udinese 0
Parma 2 Lazio 2
Inter 1 Milan 1
Last Round Score - 6/10
Season Score - 21/50
Feb 7, 2020
After a coruscating round of 16 in the DFB Pokal, we now have a great weekend of Bundesliga football to look forward to. Its clear where the stakes are in this round. Leaders Bayern host second place Leipzig, and third place Dortmund visit Leverkusen in fifth. What was for 20 rounds shaping to be a most unpredictable race for the tile, could see Bayern pull away at the conclusion of round 21. To reiterate a refrain of mine, the cup doesn’t matter in the bigger picture, but the way Dortmund and Leipzig got eliminated is bound to weigh on them. Messrs Nagelsmann and Favre have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to get their teams back on track this weekend. It appears too daunting a task. Time for my picks.
Round 21 Picks
Frankfurt 2 Augsburg 0
Schalke 2 Paderborn 0
Freiburg 1 Hoffenheim 3
Hertha 2 Mainz 0
Bremen 1 Union 0
Wolfsburg 1 Fortuna 1
Leverkusen 2 Dortmund 2
Gladbach 3 Cologne 2
Bayern 3 Leipzig 1
Last Round Score - 3/9
Season Score - 15/27
Feb 4, 2020
I don’t tend to take domestic cups too seriously until the semifinals, unless there are some big draws earlier in the competition. In comparison to other cup competitions, the DFB Pokal has managed to retain a sense of occasion even in their earlier rounds. Partly this is because the competition is well-staggered, so there is anticipation when it actually comes around. On top of that, the games are always played midweek and decided in one leg.
Then you have the matchups that in their own way, intertwine with the story of the league. For example, Leipzig are visiting Frankfurt in their round of 16 clash, just ten days after a damaging defeat in the league at the same venue. In addition to progression, it's also a chance for Leipzig to make a statement that they can handle tough occasions mentally. There’s also a repeat of last year’s game when Werder Bremen knocked out Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund should have won after leading three times, but contrived to lose on penalties. It was no surprise that BVB then drew their next three league games to throw away the initiative in the title race. Will they exorcise those demons this time around? Bayern are hosting Hoffenheim which serves as a good reference point for Hansi Flick, considering Niko Kovac lost the same fixture in the league rather embarrassingly. These are just some of the interesting storylines.
To top it all off, the DFB is live streaming these matches legally on YouTube the world over. I think this an example of great outreach by a federation and league that are fan friendly at their core. Instead of selling tv rights for a cup competition that might not have natural viewership around the world, they are going directly to the fans. Football fans get to watch some quality football played out in front of some great atmospheres free of charge and the DFB gets to promote their cup while generating more interest in German football. It truly is a win-win and I hope other federations follow in the DFB’s footsteps when it comes to broadening access.
Feb 4, 2020
It was an incredible weekend for Rennes last time out. Julien Stephan’s side started the fun with an incredible 3-2 comeback win over Nantes and then saw all their rivals for third lose. Could they further entrench their position in the top three when they visit fourth-placed Lille? Time is running out for the chasing pack if they want to keep their champions league dreams alive. On to my picks for this midweek round.
Round 23 Picks
Lille 1 Rennes 1
Monaco 2 Angers 1
Nantes 0 PSG 3
Toulouse 1 Strasbourg 1
Reims 1 Nice 2
Nimes 2 Dijon 1
Montpellier 0 Metz 1
Lyon 2 Amiens 0
Brest 1 Bordeaux 1
St Etienne 1 Marseille 1
Last Round Score - 3/10
Season Score - 13/30
Feb 3, 2020
By now, most people have heard about the ambitions of Lars Windhorst to make Hertha Berlin a serious contender. With new investment into the club thanks to his 49% stake, Windhorst believes Hertha should be regulars in European football. It is clear to see that manager Jurgen Klinsmann buys into the ambition as well. Hertha won’t be dining at the top table of transfers anytime soon, possibly never, but for a Bundesliga club that is in the bottom half of the table, spending £64.2 million in January is significant. I won’t talk about the £20.3 million spent on Lucas Tousart for now, since the Frenchman has been loaned back to Lyon. The other three signings are excellent additions considering where Hertha are at this stage of their evolution.
While Hertha’s bravado has been rightly laughed at in some cases, there is no denying the upturn in form since Klinsmann has been in the dugout. They’ve lost only two games out of eight, to Dortmund and Bayern. Take away those two defeats, and Hertha have conceded only three goals in six games. While the defence has improved, the signing of Santiago Ascacibar adds some much needed steel at the base of midfield. The Argentinean terrier has already made an impact in his three games, providing bite to stop the opposition, while also maintaining good possession and taking up smart positions to relieve pressure on the defence. At his age, Ascacibar can end up being Hertha’s midfield totem for years to come.
Then there’s the two signings further up the pitch. First, Krzysztof Piatek. The Polish hotshot was seemingly on the radar of every big club last winter after a fantastic first half of the season with Genoa. After moving to Milan, he hit the ground running with goals in his first six games and then…AC Milan happened. As the Rossoneri struggled to develop any discernible pattern of play, many started to see Piatek’s limitations. Maybe it was just a case of leaving a mid table team that he was perfect for, too soon. Now that he’s back at a club that’s not going to be too fussed about style of play, Piatek could conceivably replicate his form for Genoa without worrying about how he links up with midfielders. And finally, the joker in the pack, Matheus Cunha. The young Brazilian winger showed fleeting glimpses of outrageous talent at Leipzig, but such a free spirit was unlikely to be a fundamental part of a system manager like Julian Nagelsmann. If Klinsmann’s greatest strength lies in motivating players, then Cunha may just be the ideal breaker of games for Hertha when they are chasing a result. As things stand, all three winter signings serve a purpose and there is no reason for pessimism amongst fans of the capital side.
Feb 3, 2020
One of the earliest moves of the winter transfer window saw Weigl move from Dortmund to Benfica. I still remember Euro 2016, when observers and fans were perplexed that Weigl wasn’t starting for Germany following an excellent debut season under Thomas Tuchel at Dortmund. Weigl looked set to be one of the finest central midfielders of the next generation thanks to his ability to orchestrate play with his meticulous passing. But the constant managerial upheaval at BVB hasn’t been kind to Weigl’s development, culminating with Lucien Favre using him as a centre back in the last season and a half. Considering Dortmund’s defensive shambles under Favre, we all know how that has turned out.
Weigl clearly needed a change of scenery. Back playing in the deep midfield position he so loves, Weigl has started the last four league games for Benfica and already feels like a crucial player for the Portuguese champions. While it's still early days in Lisbon, Weigl is already averaging a 90% pass success rate, enabling his new team to control games better.
There is a bigger picture to this transfer that I really like. Over the course of his nascent career, Weigl had been linked to many big clubs. When he was playing really well, even Pep’s City were interested in him, while Tuchel fancied a reunion with him just last summer. The fact that he chose to move to Portugal instead, tells me that Weigl thought a lot about this decision. While playing for Benfica has its own set of pressures, Weigl has joined a team where he will play consistently and where the manager Bruno Lage already considers him an integral part of the team. Pertinently, it's also a reminder that there is plenty of opportunity outside Europe’s top five leagues. After all, Liga NOS has been the breeding ground for many players that have gone on to great things elsewhere. It sure is nice to see a transfer happening the other way round for once.
Feb 3, 2020
Since transfer windows always end on a Friday, its hard for independent writers like me to react as soon as business is done. After all, I am looking forward to a weekend of football. Given a choice, I will always consider on-pitch action the real story. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t intrigued by the transfer window. In fact, for the first time in a long time, I have started to enjoy transfer windows again because it's easy to tune out the nonsensical gossip and clubs are increasingly becoming smart rather than simply throwing money at a wall to see what sticks. Over the course of the week, I think I would like to do some short posts on the transfers that were slightly less talked about. After all, Minamino, Zlatan, Haaland, Bruno Fernandes, Ighalo and others have been analyzed to death.
Feb 2, 2020
I was rather dumb-struck watching the first half of the Madrid derby, never having imagined that Atletico would dominate and create more chances than their hosts. What didn’t surprise me though, was Zinedine Zidane making adjustments at half time and turning the tide of the game. I still don’t know how to classify Zidane as a manager. Maybe in some way he’s a throwback, when we didn’t really categorize managers by a philosophy as regularly as we do now. But what I do admire about Zidane — and I did even during the Champions League three-peat — is his ability to read situations in-game and make the right substitutions.
I will go one further on this. What I love about Zidane’s substitutions is I that I can never see them coming and yet they end up making so much sense. Think about how regularly we criticize managers for wrong substitutions or not making obvious changes. Zidane is the complete opposite of this problem. Not only does he make changes soon, he makes them ruthlessly and with a tactical approach that not many can read.
Toni Kroos has been Real’s best midfielder in the past six weeks, returning to the imperious form that made him pivotal to Germany and Madrid’s success. Yet at half time against Atleti, Zidane felt Real were lacking balance and in stead of making a safe substitution, he removed Kroos and Isco, bringing on Vinicius and Vazquez. How managers at top sides would remove a key central midfielder at half time? Not many, if any at all. The move paid dividends, Real got more width, pinned in Atletico, got a winner from a cross out wide and the visitors didn’t get a shot on goal in the second half. It looked so easy and effortless. Simply put, it was another triumph for Zidane’s in-game troubleshooting.
Feb 2, 2020
As I was watching the stalemate between United and Wolves at Old Trafford, it struck me that maybe Nuno got the balance wrong between caution and intent. This may sound churlish considering very few sides in the history of the Premier League have performed as well as Wolves have against the top sides in the division since their promotion in 2018. After all, Nuno’s men have already done the league double over City and could arguably have drawn twice against Liverpool. I do wonder though, whether Nuno can get his team to play in a more dominant style even in big games.
Now of course, it makes a lot of sense to aim to be a high performing counter-attacking team when you possess the ever improving speedy brilliance of Adama Traore on the wing combined with the understated intelligence, movement and touch of Raul Jimenez. No manager can be faulted for devising a game plan based on such strengths. But can Wolves be a more proactive team with the ball and still utilize the advantages that Traore and Jimenez provide them?
I think the answer is yes. Moutinho, Neves, Doherty, Jota, Johnny, Dendoncker, among others in the side are technically excellent with the ball and could conceivably thrive even more if they were encouraged to express themselves. The arrival of the exciting Daniel Podence should also help add another dimension with the ball. Against a static midfield like United’s, Nuno really should have taken the initiative with the players at his disposal. Its a small blemish on what is largely a success of football management, and I only bring it up because when I watch Wolves play, they appear to me like a team who could already be in the Champions League. With a little more tactical variation and a bit of gumption with the ball, I think they can be in Europe’s premier competition sooner than maybe even they themselves realize.
Jan 31, 2020
While there is no standout fixture in Italy this weekend, the pressure remains in the title race, battle for fourth and the fight against relegation. Here are my picks.
Round 22 Picks
Bologna 2 Brescia 0
Cagliari 1 Parma 1
Sassuolo 1 Roma 2
Juve 2 Fiorentina 1
Lazio 3 SPAL 1
Atalanta 3 Genoa 1
Milan 2 Verona 1
Lecce 1 Torino 1
Udinese 1 Inter 2
Sampdoria 1 Napoli 2
Last Round Score - 4/10
Season Score - 15/40
Jan 31, 2020
Its the battle for fourth that is the focus of this weekend and possibly the next few as well. Can Chelsea pull away or is this the match day where we finally get a proper race? Chelsea visit Leicester, United host Wolves and Spurs welcome City. The ramifications for that Champions League place are obvious. With that in mind, here are my picks.
Round 25 Picks
Leicester 2 Chelsea 2
Liverpool 2 Southampton 0
Bournemouth 2 Villa 1
Newcastle 1 Norwich 1
Watford 1 Everton 2
West Ham 1 Brighton 1
Palace 0 Sheffield Utd 0
United 1 Wolves 2
Burnley 1 Arsenal 2
Spurs 1 City 1
Last Round Score - 5/10
Season Score - 29/60
Jan 31, 2020
When Diego Simeone first became manager of Atletico Madrid, they were the laughing stock of the city, always losing to Real. The brilliance and inspiration of their Argentinian manager changed that story completely. And now, in the past few seasons, Real have started to beat Atletico again. Can Simeone reignite his spark for the Madrid derby on Saturday? That is the question of the weekend in Spain. Time for my picks.
Round 22 Picks
Granada 1 Espanyol 2
Real 1 Atletico 0
Mallorca 0 Valladolid 0
Valencia 2 Celta 1
Leganes 0 La Real 2
Eibar 1 Betis 1
Athletic 1 Getafe 0
Villarreal 3 Osasuna 1
Sevilla 2 Alaves 0
Barca 3 Levante 1
Last Round Score - 7/10
Season Score - 14/30
Jan 31, 2020
Lyon seem like they are beginning to get their act together as they chase third spot and a place in the Champions League. With Rennes also hosting sixth place Nantes, it feels like a vital weekend in the battle for third, provided Lyon can repeat their midweek cup win away at Nice. Time for my picks.
Round 22 Picks
Rennes 1 Nantes 1
PSG 3 Montpellier 0
Angers 0 Reims 0
Strasbourg 2 Lille 1
Amiens 1 Toulouse 1
Dijon 1 Brest 1
Nimes 0 Monaco 3
Nice 1 Lyon 3
Metz 1 St Etienne 2
Bordeaux 1 Marseille 1
Last Round Score - 6/10
Season Score - 10/20
Jan 31, 2020
No time for a big preface this weekend. The big game is Leipzig vs Gladbach, with both teams in with a chance of being on top of the table at the end of the match day. Here are my picks.
Round 20 Picks
Hertha 2 Schalke 1
Mainz 0 Bayern 2
Dortmund 3 Union 1
Hoffenheim 2 Leverkusen 1
Fortuna 0 Frankfurt 2
Augsburg 1 Bremen 2
Leipzig 3 Gladbach 1
Cologne 1 Freiburg 1
Paderborn 2 Wolfsburg 0
Last Round Score - 6/9
Season Score - 12/18