Valencia and Betis each eager to reach Copa del Rey final

Valencia set to reach Copa del Rey final

On Thursday night, Valencia host Real Betis at the Mestalla in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg. The first leg at the Benito Villamarin ended 2-2, which makes Valencia are favourites to make it through to the final.

Valencia CF’s recent form has been decent, as Los Ches are now unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions. In fact, their last defeat in any competition was in the first leg of their quarter-final tie against Getafe at the end of January.

Los Ches have been hard to beat at the Mestalla in recent months, as Marcelino’s team are now unbeaten on home soil in 13 games in all competitions, having recorded nine wins.

Valencia’s recent record in the Copa del Rey is slightly less consistent, as they have a patchy record in the competition. In fact, Los Ches have won four, drawn one and lost two of their last seven matches in the Copa. However, they have won six of their last seven home matches in the competition, including their last three games.

Real Betis’ recent form has been patchy, as a 2-0 win at Real Valladolid last time out ended a winless run of five games for the Andalucian’s in all competitions.

Betis’ recent poor form saw the visitors exit the Europa League at the hands of French side Rennes, so they will be desperate to atone for that exit by making the final of the Copa del Rey.

Incredibly, the visitors have failed to win any of their last five matches in the Copa del Rey, drawing all five games in 90 minutes. They needed extra-time to see off Espanyol in the last round while progressing past Real Sociedad by virtue of away goals in the round before that.

Chelsea vs Tottenham - The Big Match of the Week

Chelseavs Tottenham   - The  Big Match of the Week

 The biggest match of the week in the Premier League is undoubtedly at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea host Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.

Chelsea did not play in the Premier League at the weekend and begin this game in 6th place, 3 points behind 4th place Arsenal but with a game in hand.  Tottenham Hotspur are in 3rd place but know they cannot afford to drop more points if they want to challenge the top two.

Chelsea come into this game on the back of a defeat in the League Cup final to Manchester City. The Blues competed well for the entire 120 minutes of action but were found wanting in the penalty shootout, which they lost.

The defeat means Chelsea have lost four of their last seven matches in all competitions and Maurizio Sarri remains under pressure despite the improved performance at Wembley.

However, home form is good for Chelsea and trends show they have won six of their last eight games in all competitions and have lost just two of their last twenty-nine.  They have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven home Premier League matches and have scored 2 or more goals in nine of their last thirteen league games on home soil.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered a damaging defeat in their bid for the title on the weekend as they went down 2-1 at Burnley.  Having equalised, Spurs were going for the win but left themselves open at the back and Burnley struck the winning goal.

Mauricio Pochettino was furious with the officials at the full-time whistle and his reaction underlined what a bad result it was for his team.

Tottenham Hotspur had previously won four games in a row, including three victories in the Premier League and the impressive win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.  However, away from home they have lost each of their last three matches, going down 2-1 at Chelsea in the League cup and losing 2-0 at Crystal Palace in the FA Cup.

Trends show Tottenham have a poor record when it comes to playing at Chelsea and they have won once in their last twenty trips to Stamford Bridge in all competitions. Spurs have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four away games in all competitions.

Looking ahead to the team news and Chelsea have everyone available and Sarri is expected to make some changes from the weekend.  Gonzalo Higuain, Mateo Kovacic and Marcos Alonso could be the players brought in.

Tottenham Hotspur are still without Dele Alli and Eric Dier has been ill.  Kieran Trippier and Davinson Sanchez could come back into the team having been rested on the weekend and Harry Kane is set to start up-front.

Chelsea remain under pressure and despite their improved showing in the League Cup final, defeat here could prove very costly.  Tottenham Hotspur need to bounce back following their defeat on Saturday and have the ability to come away with maximum points.

Manchester United VERSUS Crystal Palace - UNPREDICTABLE WIN for Solskjaer ?

Manchester United travel to Selhurst Park to play Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. The Red Devils are coming off a hard-fought nil-nil draw with Liverpool on Sunday. The match saw manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer forced to make three substitutions in the first half due to injury.

Ander Herrera, Juan Mata, and Jesse Lingard all came off in the first 45 minutes. Marcus Rashford also suffered an ankle injury, but due to the team being unable to make a change, he was forced to soldier on.

All three players are expected to miss the trip to Crystal Palace. Nemanja Matic and Anthony Martial could also miss the trip. Without so many first-team players, Manchester United’s unbeaten run in the Premier League under Solskjaer could be in doubt. The manager has been forced to call-up three under-23 players. James Garner, Angel Gomes, and Tahith Chong are all expected to be on the Red Devils bench.

Crystal Palace are coming off of an impressive win over Leicester in the league, 3-1. They are now four games unbeaten in the Premier League and still alive in the FA Cup. The Eagles are inching away from the relegation zone with six points between them and the drop currently. There unbeaten run has come against teams ninth place or lower.

Manchester United will be aware of Crystal Palace’s ability to rise to the occasion of a big game. The Eagles defeated Manchester City at the Etihad before going to Anfield and giving Liverpool a scare in a 4-3 barnburner.

Selhurst Park has not been the formidable fortress it usually is. Crystal Palace have won just three times in 13 home games. Two of those victories have come in their last six home matches. The Red Devils, on the other hand, have posted the Premier League’s fourth-best away points total. They have won their last five road games in the Premier League.

The two sides met in November at Old Trafford with the game ending nil-nil. Manchester United have dominated Crystal Palace in their last 16 games in all competitions. The Red Devils are undefeated during that span with 11 matches ending in wins. In 10 of those 16 fixtures, Manchester United have kept clean sheets.

Manchester United will pick up another win against Crystal Palace. The Eagles have tallied just 31 goals this term and their inability to find the back of the net will lead Manchester United to another shut out win.

Everton to get much needed win at Cardiff

Marco Silva’s first season at Goodison Park hasn’t gone to plan. Everton have not contended for a European place like they were expected to. Now in 11th place, Everton have lost three straight matches. On Tuesday night, they will travel to Wales to play Cardiff City. Neil Warnock’s Bluebirds are 17th and just one point outside of the relegation zone.

It is a big week for Cardiff   as they host Everton before playing Wolverhampton Wanderers away. If the Bluebirds want to rescue their season, then this week is the perfect opportunity for them.

Goals continue to be hard to come by for Cardiff. They have scored the league’s third fewest strikes (25) and have a goal difference of –27. Cardiff were thrashed over the weekend by a rampant Watford, 5-1. The loss came at home where Cardiff have secured just 17 points from a possible 42.

Everton have lost four of their last six road games. However, Silva’s team has plenty of incentive to win on Tuesday night. The Toffees will play league leaders Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby on Sunday. An Everton win could prevent Liverpool from winning the Premier League. Silva’s team will want to go into the derby on the back of a win at Cardiff.

The teams’ last three meetings have seen Everton win twice while drawing once. Everton have twice held Cardiff to clean sheets. The Toffees have outscored Cardiff 3-1 during that three-match span.

The good news for Warnock is player fitness. The Cardiff boss with have a full-strength squad to select from. However, on-loan striker Oumar Niasse is unavailable due to the match being played against his parent club.

STATISTICS

Cardiff City have lost by 3 or more goals in 3 of their last 5 home all competitions games

Cardiff City score an average of 0.90 goals in their all competitions matches

Everton have suffered 3 straight defeats in their most recent clashes in Premier League

Everton have lost in 5 of their last 7 away league matches

Everton are on a poor run of just 1 wins in 6 matches (all competitions)

In 6 of Everton's last 8 matches of Premier League, have been seen under 2.5 goals

Chelsea vs Malmo - A most win for the Blue to finish and Advance .

Chelsea vs Malmo -  A most win for the Blue to finish and Advance .

Next up for Chelsea: Malmö FF at the Bridge on Thursday, with the Blues holding a narrower than absolutely comfortable 2-1 lead from the first leg. Still, that should be more than good enough to start from and finish the job with ease in the Europa League’s Round of 32 and advance to the last 16.

Presumably, that will mean plenty of squad rotation, especially as the League Cup final against Manchester City is coming up on Sunday and is already taking a lot of focus away.

But this Malmö game could be crucial in its own right. If Chelsea lose, surely not even Teflon Sarri would be able to survive it. A City loss might be understandable; a loss to Malmö probably not.

Sarri will address the media in a few hours, but as far as we know right now, there are no significant injuries — Loftus-Cheek, Drinkwater, Cahill had been dealing with minor knocks — but plenty of significant choices to make

Liverpool vs Bayern Munich Preview, Predictions

Liverpool vs Bayern Munich Preview, Predictions

Liverpool set to start their Champions League knock out stage battle on Tuesday as they face Bayern Munich at Anfield. It will be an exciting and intriguing encounter as both teams will be aiming to pick up positive results in that first leg meeting.

Liverpool vs Bayern Munich Possible Lineups

Here are the possible lineups for both of this sides as they gear themselves up for an exciting Champions League encounter on midweek.  Let’s take a look at the probable lineups and formation setup that they could be preparing to help them in achieving their target.

Liverpool

Expected Formation: 4-3-3

Probable Lineups: Allison(g);Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Matip, Robertson(def);Milner, Keita, Wijnaldum(mid);Salah, Firmino, Mane(att)

Bayern Munich

Expected Formation: 4-2-3-1

Probable Lineups: Neuer(g); Kimmich, Sule, Hummels, Alaba(def);Goretzka, Thiago(mid);Gnarby, J. Rodriguez, Koman(att mid); Lewandowski(att)

Recent Form

Heading into the midweek big match UCL clash, both teams have already been involved in several matches notably in their domestic competitions. Let’s find out what kind of results the two sides have been getting recently to have a clear idea about their current form.

Liverpool

Recent form in all competition (last five matches): WWDDW

Going into the midweek clash, Liverpool will have a bit more confidence getting back on winning ways on their last league fixture. After picking up two draws, The Reds were able to grab all three points by overcoming Bournemouth 3-0.

Jurgen Klopp’s men form in the Champions League have been too convincing this season. The Merseyside based outfit won three matches at home, but loses all of their three away fixtures.

Bayern Munich

Recent form in all competition (last five matches) :WLWWW

After a mini slip they had against Bayer Leverkusen in Bundesliga, Bayern were able to bounce back well. Niko Kovac’s boys won all of their next three games after that loss, including their latest league fixture against Augsburg.

Winning four games out of their last five fixtures are a positive run that should give Die Rotan enough confidence on Tuesday. Just like their opponent, The Bavarians also didn’t put on an impressive display during their UCL group stage.

Team News

Liverpool

The Reds are having another crisis defensively as Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren set to miss out because of injuries. Moreover, Virgil van Dijk reportedly will also be missing because of suspension, which he picked up against Napoli.

That troublesome situation could force Klopp to play Fabinho at center back partnering Joel Matip. However, things are as well as ever up front with Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane all are available.

Bayern Munich

Bayern themselves will also have some absentees with Corentin Tolisso and Arjen Robben unlikely to feature. Fortunately for Kovac, Manuel Neur could be fit to finally start after missing out in several matches for Die Roten.

Thomas Muller set to miss out as well as he is suspended for both legs against Liverpool. James Rodriguez could be taking Muller’s place against The Reds as he has been showing positive performances in recent games.

Head to Head Records:

Surprisingly both teams never really met in any European competitive battle, so their upcoming two leg encounter will be their first.

Their recent encounter happened in a preseason friendly tournament, Audi Cup, back on August 2, 2017 which was won by The Reds.

Match Prediction

Missing several players at the back could be a problem for the home team, but they will try to mask it every way possible. Klopp will be hoping that his team’s attacking prowess will be enough to help them get a win at Anfield stadium

Bayern themselves are looking to take advantage over the mini crisis at Liverpool’s defense. Kovac certainly eager to see his team getting a positive result that they can take home ahead of the second leg battle in Munich.

Chelsea vs Manchester United-A Massive Game to Watch.

FA Cup prediction: Chelsea vs Manchester United- A Match to

To watch..

 United were brought back down to earth by Paris Saint-Germain the other day. It's a hard game. Its one of those where I think Chelsea will win this. I think that Champions League loss will knock Man Utd sideways.

They will miss Jesse Lingard, he's a bit of an unsung hero for them. When he went off against PSG that was it then. The players that are coming in like Alexis Sanchez have flopped.

It's a massive game for both of them. Man Utd are now are under pressure after their first-leg loss to PSG in the Champions League. Their season could go up in flames in a week because if they get beat here they are out of the FA Cup and are facing an uphill task to stay in the Champions League. This period for me is when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is going to get the job or not.

“Juventus vs Frosinone: Match Of the Day”

Juventus face Frosinone at home on Friday evening in Serie A action, looking to extend their lead at the top of the table to 14 points. 

The Bianconeri remain unbeaten in the league, and despite slipping to a draw against Parma, and being knocked out of the Coppa Italia in embarrassing fashion to Atalanta, Massimiliano Allegri's side remain on course for yet another successful campaign. 

With the Italian boss likely to keep an eye on Juventus' upcoming Champions League last 16 clash against Atletico Madrid just days later, making sure his side does the required job on Friday will be vital.

Here is the line-up Allegri is likely to select for Friday's encounter

Wojciech Szczesny (GK) - After the departure of Juventus and Italy icon Gianluigi Buffon to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, former Arsenal goalkeeper Szczesny has firmly established himself as the Turin side's number one shot stopper. 

Joao Cancelo (RB) - A real attacking outlet for Juventus from full-back, Cancelo has added an extra dimension to Juventus' attack. His technical ability and much improved crossing has seen him pick up two assists in his 14 Serie A appearances this season.

Leonardo Bonucci (CB) - Max Allegri has confirmed that Bonucci will start on Friday following a spell on the sidelines.

Daniele Rugani (CB) - Named the Serie B Footballer of the Year in 2014 whilst with Empoli, Rugani hasn't quite been able to cement a place at the heart of Juventus' backline. But with injuries taking their toll, the 24-year-old will get another chance on Friday to impress his manager.

Mattia De Sciglio (LB) - ,With first choice left-back Alex Sandro suspended due to picking up another yellow card against Sassuolo, versatile defender De Sciglio will likely operate from the left-hand side on Friday.

2. Midfielders

Sami Khedira (CM) - A World Cup winner with Germany and a Champions League winner with Real Madrid, the vastly experienced midfielder is still an effective force at the age of 31.

Miralem Pjanic (CM) - For all their attacking strengths, the Bianconeri just do not look the same side without their Bosnian playmaker running things in midfield. Despite Allegri perhaps looking to rest him ahead of the pivotal European clash against Atletico just days later, Pjanic's creativity would be far too big of a miss to leave out.

Blaise Matuidi (CM) - One of the most energetic midfielders in the game, Matuidi's arrival from Paris Saint-Germain looks like shrewd piece of business from the Old Lady. The Frenchman has recently found himself on the left of a midfield four, but his athleticism and ability to cover the ground quickly has offered greater defensive protection for Allegri's side.

1. Forwards

Paulo Dybala (RW) - Max Allegri has confirmed that Dybala will start on Friday after missing out last weekend. 

Mario Mandzukic (ST) - One of the heroes of Croatia's remarkable run to the World Cup final this year, Mandzukic is one of the first names on Allegri's team sheet. A workaholic up front, the ex-Bayern Munich forward is tireless in his pressing and has learned to dovetail well with Ronaldo this season.

Cristiano Ronaldo (LW) - One of the absolute greatest of all time, Ronaldo has proven his ability to adapt to a new league after his arrival from Real Madrid in the summer. The Portuguese star has fired in 18 goals in 23 Serie A appearances this season.

Michael Owen is tipping Arsenal to draw or lose their Europa League clash with BATE Borisov on Thursday night

Michael Owen is tipping Arsenal to draw or lose their Europa League clash with BATE Borisov on Thursday night.

The north London side are preparing to travel to Belarus for the first leg of their last 32 clash as they look to try and take a step closer towards reaching the last 16 of Europe’s second tier club competition.

The Gunners head into the game after having claimed a 2-1 win over Huddersfield Town in the Premier League over the weekend to keep alive their hopes of finishing in the top four this season.

The north Londoners have been in stuttering form in recent weeks after having made a solid start to life under new boss Unai Emery at The Emirates.

Former Liverpool FC star Owen feels that Arsenal are likely to have to settle for a draw at the very best when they take on BATE Borisov away from home on Thursday night.

Writing in his column for BetVictor, Owen said: “The sides met in the Group stages of the competition last season with the Gunners winning both games, scoring 10 times in the process.

“Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in their last five Europa League games, but I feel they will have to settle for a draw at best on Thursday such is their current away form in the Premier League.

“BATE have lost all three previous home games against English opposition, but I feel they will get a positive result against Unai Emery’s side although I fully expect the Premier League outfit to qualify for the last 16.”

Arsenal will then have the weekend off before the return leg against BATE Borisov at The Emirates next Thursday night.

The north London side’s next Premier League game is a home clash against Southampton on Sunday 24 February.