Champions League final: Can Tottenham turn a Liverpool strength into a weakness?

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino are both so adaptable that I am expecting Saturday's Champions League final to ebb and flow, with each of them able to react and change his tactics if the opposition gets on top.

But, however the game develops, one of the key battles in Madrid is going to be out wide.

I have watched Liverpool a lot this season and so much of their attacking threat comes from their full-backs overlapping, putting in dangerous deliveries and making things happen.

If you can stop them doing that, by pushing them back and giving them something to think about defensively, then it changes Liverpool's entire game plan.

Liverpool have the experience of last season’s final to draw upon and a great record over Spurs.  Liverpool have won nine of the last fourteen meetings between the teams in all competitions, losing just one.  We should see goals in another exciting Champions League final and one which sees Liverpool lifting the trophy.

Lazio Vsbologna -will Lazio Deliver A Good Performance In Their Final Home Game?

 Lazio can still finish in the Europa League places if they win both their remaining games and the teams above them slip-up. However, they have sealed European football for next season by winning the cup, so this is not a priority.

Bologna start the weekend with the potential of relegation still hanging over them. If other results go their way on Saturday and Sunday, they could be safe by the time this match starts.
The home fans will be in celebratory mood following the 2-0 win over Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final. Despite the match being played in their own stadium, the allocation of tickets means not all fans may have been inside the ground that night.
That result means Lazio have won four of their last five games in all competitions, three of which have been in Serie A. Trends show they have won four of their last seven on home soil but have lost each of the last two against Chievo Verona and Atalanta.
Five of Lazio’s last six home league games have seen over 2.5 goals scored and they have kept just a single clean sheet in those six matches.
Bologna recorded a crucial 4-1 win over Parma last weekend and that result has left them on the brink of safety. A point will be good enough to secure their place in Serie A should results go against them.

Bologna have been in good form recently and trends show they have won four, drawn one and lost one of their last six Serie A games. There have been wins over Chievo Verona, Sampdoria, Empoli and Parma. However, all four of those victories have come at home.
Away form in the league has not been as good and trends show Bologna have won only one of their last six away Serie A matches. They have lost two and drawn one of their last three, with the defeats coming at Atalanta and AC Milan.
Looking ahead to the team news and Lazio will be without the injured trio of Jordan Lukaku, Valon Berisha and Stefan Radu. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic capped his substitutes appearance with a goal on Wednesday and he will hope to start.
Bologna are still without Mitchell Dijks who is suspended plus Federico Mattiello who is injured. However, Nicola Sansone and Andrea Poli are back from suspension and at least one of them should be in the starting XI.
Lazio will have had plenty of time to recover from the cup win on Wednesday and will want to deliver a good performance in their final home game of the season. Bologna may be safe by the time the game kicks-off and we could see an entertaining affair, with a home win and both teams scoring

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2018/19 Coppa Italia Final

There are two weeks remaining in the Serie A season but this week all the attention is on the Coppa Italia.  The final will take place on Wednesday 15th May at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome between Atalanta and Lazio.

Atalanta could be heading for a double triumph this season as they aim to qualify for the Champions League for the first time and win the Coppa Italia for just the second time in their history.  Lazio are out of contention for Champions League football next season so this is their chance to have something good to show for the campaign.

Atalanta Bergamo could not be coming into this final in much better form. Trends show they have won each of their last five games.  There have been four wins in Serie A and one in the Coppa Italia, the latter of which came at home against Fiorentina.

You must go back fourteen matches in all competitions to find the last time Atalanta lost a match and that was away from home to Torino in Serie A.  Their Coppa Italia run this season has seen them defeat Cagliari, Juventus and Fiorentina on their way to the final.  Atalanta have scored 10 goals in their four Coppa Italia games this season.

Interestingly, they have also defeated Lazio away from home recently in the league, beating them 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico on the 5th May.

Despite this being a cup final, Lazio have an advantage as the game is being played at their home stadium.  However, their overall form going into the match is not great and trends show they have won four of their last nine games in all competitions.

Three of those four wins have come in their last four games and Lazio have defeated AC Milan in the Coppa Italia plus Sampdoria and Cagliari in Serie A. Interestingly, all three of those victories have come away, so perhaps playing in their own stadium is not as much of an advantage as it seems.

Lazio started their Coppa Italia campaign with a comfortable 4-1 win over Novara but faced two difficult ties, firstly against Inter Milan and secondly against AC Milan.  Trends show Lazio have scored only 2 goals across their last three Coppa Italia games.

Team news and Atalanta should be close to full strength for this game.  Their striker, Duvan Zapata, is the key man and he has scored 3 goals in the competition this season plus has found the back of the net in both league games against Lazio.

Lazio are expected to go with much the same team from the weekend win over Cagliari.  However, Ciro Immobile will be hoping to start up-front, possibly in place of Felipe Caicedo.

This could be the start of a huge couple of weeks in the history of Atalanta.  They have what it takes to breakdown Lazio and score the goals to win this game.  If they are at their best, Atalanta should score 2 or more goals to lift the trophy.

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Inter Milan Clinging on to Top Four

There are three rounds of games remaining in the Italian Serie A this season and on Monday night, Inter Milan and Chievo Verona will meet in the final match of the upcoming round

The hosts need a win to keep their place in the top three as they are coming under increasing pressure from Atalanta. Fourth place also qualifies for the Champions League but with AC Milan and Roma also lurking, Inter Milan cannot afford any mistakes.

Chievo have little to play for as they have already been relegated this season. However, they would love a big scalp before they go down.

Inter Milan have been difficult to beat in recent weeks but have also found winning matches to be tough. Trends show they have won two of their last six Serie A games but have drawn the other four.  In fact, you must go back to the home match with Lazio on the 31st March to find the last time Inter Milan lost a league game.

Home form is similar and despite having lost only two of their last fifteen home Serie A matches, Inter Milan have won just two of their last eight and none of their last four at the San Siro. Trends show they have failed to score more than one goal in each of their last four home games but have also conceded just 5 goals in their last fourteen.

Chievo have managed to pick up just one win in their last sixteen games, all of which have been in Serie A. However, they have picked up 4 points from the last 9 available thanks to an away win over Lazio and a draw at home to Parma.

Nonetheless, it has been a dreadful season for Chievo and trends show they have won two of their last thirty-five Serie A matches, which is an awful record.

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David Luiz expects Chelsea future to be decided in 'next few days

David Luiz is optimistic about staying at Chelsea and expects a decision on his future to be made "in the next few days".

The 32-year-old centre-back returned to Stamford Bridge for a second spell in August 2016 after two years at Paris Saint-Germain and was a key figure in that season's Premier League triumph.

He has featured 35 times in the league for Maurizio Sarri during this campaign, making a commendable return after the second half of 2017-18 was ruined by injuries.

He scored in the penalty shoot-out as Chelsea progressed past Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday to reach the Europa League final.

He is now aiming to have his future sorted well before Chelsea's trip to Baku to face Arsenal in the May 29 showpiece, with his contract due to expire a month later.

When asked if he was feeling positive and when a decision will be made, the defender told reporters: "Yes, I am always optimistic, regardless of the decision.

Can Arsenal Qualify for the Europa league final against Valencia Today?

Arsenal came from behind to win the first leg of the Europa League semifinal 3-1. Valencia’s Mouctar Diakhaby opened the scoring from a set piece, but Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette equalised before halftime.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang found the back of the net twice in the second half to give Arsenal the victory and upper hand.

Despite Arsenal’s success in the first leg, they have struggled on the domestic front. The Gunners are winless in five of their last six games in the Premier League. Unai Emery’s team threw away a 1-0 lead at the weekend against Brighton to draw 1-1.

Valencia’s weekend was far more successful than Arsenal’s game against Brighton. Los Che defeated Huesca 6-2 thanks to two goals each from Santi Mina and Rodrigo Moreno. Daniel Wass added another while Huesca’s Xabier Etxeita scored an own goal.

Los Che manager Marcelino should be confident his side can overturn the two-goal deficit on Thursday night at the Mestalla. Arsenal struggle away from the Emirates and until they defeated Napoli away in the previous round, they hadn’t won on the road in the Europa League knockout stage.

Emery has no new injury worries as Aaron Ramsey, Denis Suarez, Rob Holding, Danny Welbeck, and Hector Bellerin are all out of action for the remainder of the season. Ramsey leadership has been missed by the team, however.

Valencia have one new injury issue as Moreno suffered a knock to his ankle against Huesca. Moreno has been included in Marcelino’s team after suffering the injury scare and will be on the bench at the very least.

The in-form striker has been brilliant for Valencia over the last 24 months. Several clubs are lining up to pluck him from Valencia in the summer. Denis Cheryshev and Geoffrey Kondogbia are out for the rest of the season and will play no part on Thursday.

ValenciaCF have not lost to Arsenal at the Mestalla in their last three meetings. All three meetings ended in Valencia wins. But Arsenal are in the driver’s seat and an away goal should seal progression to the final.

It was the second leg of their Europa League semifinal 12 months ago that Arsenal slipped up in Spain. The Gunners fell to Atletico Madrid after drawing 1-1 in the first leg at the Emirates.

Emery has experience winning the Europa Leaguewww.westernbet.com as he won three in a row with Sevilla. He knows how to get the job done in the competition.

Valencia must go for goal in the second leg and due to their need to score and they will be open at the back. Arsenal should get the away goal they need to progress.

Both clubs will score at the Mestalla as over 2.5 goals go into the back of the net. Arsenal will move on with either Eintracht Frankfurt or London rivals Chelsea waiting for them

DEMI-FINALE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – Ajax vs Tottenham- Expectation!!!

 Ajax are having a dream season that could see them win a historic treble. While pundits have talked about Barcelona possibly winning multiple trophies, Ajax could do the same.

If Ajax are to win a treble, they must get past Tottenham Hotspur first in the Champions League semifinal. The Dutch club defeated Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in London a week ago and will feel confident they can finish off the job at home on Wednesday.

Tottenham Hotspur have been universally praised for their play and results this season. But they are out of form and have been since striker Harry Kane went down with a season-ending ankle injury.

Spurs have lost five of their last six games in all competitions. Mauricio Pochettino’s players look incredibly tired as his thin squad is unable to cope with the stresses of the Premier League and Champions League at the moment.

Tottenham lost at the weekend 1-0 to Bournemouth. Spurs did benefit from both Arsenal and Manchester United dropping points, which has allowed them to remain fourth.

Centre-back Jan Vertonghen is a major doubt for Spurs. He suffered a head injury in the first leg and looked to have passed out when attempting to go back onto the pitch. His absence will be a major loss for the side.

Harry Winks, Erik Lamela, and Serge Aurier are also listed as doubts, and will join Kane in the stands to watch the game at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Ten Hag doesn’t have the same injury worries as Pochettino. He should be able to call upon the same players for Wednesday night when the teams play the second leg in Amsterdam.

AFC Ajax’s progression in the Champions League should be commended. They progressed through the qualifying rounds just to reach the group stage. Ajax have been an underdog throughout the tournament, but on Wednesday night, they will be the favourite.

The second leg should be a higher scoring affair than the first leg in London. Tottenham Hotspur must go out and score to have any hope of progression to the final.

Spurs’ attack will leave them open at the back and Ajax should be able to pass their way through to goal. The second leg will see both sides score with Ajax coming out on top. The game should feature over 2.5 goals as Ajax advance to the final in Madrid

Liverpool vs Barcelona: 'Can Reds win 4-0' today's Champions League battle?

Liverpool would register their “greatest result ever” if they were to complete a Champions League comeback against Barcelona, says Mark Lawrenson, with victory over the Liga giants topping a memorable turnaround against AC Milan in 2005.

The Reds are set to welcome the Blaugrana to Anfield on Tuesday trailing a European semi-final 3-0 on aggregate.

Barcelona have already sealed the La Liga title and they rested their first choice XI on the weekend at Celta Vigo. Barcelona lost the match but it has no consequence to their season and all their efforts are focused on the Champions League.

Ernesto Valverde’s team rode their luck at times in the first leg but struck when it mattered most to come out on top 3-0.  It is a healthy lead to take to a difficult place for away teams.

Barcelona’s defeat to Celta Vigo was their first away loss in twelve games in all competitions.  They had won seven and drawn four prior to the defeat and are unbeaten in their last five away matches in the Champions League.

The Catalan giants have not had everything all their own way on the road in the Champions League this season and have been held at Inter Milan and Lyon.  They also lost 3-0 at Roma last season and will be keen to avoid a repeat of that disaster.

Team news and Liverpool could be without Mohamed Salah who suffered a head injury on the weekend. With Roberto Firmino and Naby Keita ruled out, the fitness of Salah will be key but with a head injury, he surely cannot be risked?

Barcelona are without injured midfielder Rafinha and Ousmane Dembele is a doubt having picked up a hamstring injury.  Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique will return to the team having been rested on the weekend

Everton vs Burnley H2H 3 may 2019 Head to Head stats predictions

The English Premier League season is rapidly coming to a close and we have an early kick-off to enjoy this weekend as Everton host Burnley at Goodison Park.

Everton are enjoying a strong season to a largely underwhelming 2018/19 campaign ahead of their clash with Burnley.

The Toffees have lingered in the bottom half for much of the season despite spending big money last summer.

However, Marco Silva’s men have racked up some tremendous victories in recent weeks to Trends show Everton are unbeaten in five of their last six PremierLeague games and have picked up home wins against Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United during that run.  Everton are undefeated in their last four matches at Goodison and in addition to the three wins above they held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw.

One of the strong aspects of Everton’s recent home form has been their defense and trends show they have kept a clean sheet in each of their last four home Premier League games.  Considering the quality of the opposition, that’s a very good return and they will be hoping to extend that sequence in this match.

Team news and Everton are without Andre Gomes who is suspended.  Theo Walcott, Lucas Digne and Richarlison are doubtful but the latter two players should be fit to start the game.

Burnley continue to monitor the fitness of Phil Bardsley and he could come back into the team at right-back if available.  Peter Crouch, Steven Defour and Aaron Lennon are unlikely to play any part.

Everton have been good at home in recent weeks and both the fans and players will be looking forward to this match. Burnley have the ability to make things tough for the hosts but expect to see Everton take maximum points with over 2.5 goals scored.

How Chelsea could line-up against Eintracht Frankfurt today.

Eintracht Frankfurt have been enjoying a good season and currently sit in 4th place in the Bundesliga. That is the final Champions League qualifying spot but they face stiff competition from the teams below them.

On the weekend, Eintracht Frankfurt were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Hertha Berlin and that was their second draw in succession.  Prior to that they picked up a point in a 1-1 draw at Wolfsburg and those results have given the teams below them some hope.

Their only win in their last five games has come in the Europa League and it was a 2-0 victory at home against Benfica.  It was the perfect result for Eintracht Frankfurt, who came into the match 4-2 down from the first leg and they went through on away goals.

Trends show Eintracht Frankfurt have been in good form in the Europa League and have lost only one of their last sixteen matches in the competition, a run which stretches back to 2013.  They have won nine and drawn two of their last eleven Europa League home games and have kept a clean sheet in four of the last five.

Chelsea make the short trip to Frankfurt having picked up a point in a 1-1 draw at Manchester United in the Premier League. The Blues are battling for a Champions League place and currently have the 4th position under their control.

However, they have won only one of their last four games in all competitions and that was the 3-2 home success against Slavia Prague.  Prior to that they lost 2-0 at Liverpool and were held at home by Burnley in the Premier League.

Trends show Chelsea are unbeaten in their last fifteen Europa League matches and have yet to taste defeat in the tournament this season.  Their away form is excellent and they have won seven and drawn one of their last eight away Europa League matches.

They have scored in each of their last nine away Europa League games, including 2 or more goals in four of the last five.

Team news and Eintracht Frankfurt have Evan Ndicka returning from a ban but now Ante Rebic is suspended.  Mijat Gacinovic is doubtful while Sebastien Halle is out, meaning a possible place up-front for Goncalo Paciencia.

Chelsea will be without central defender Antonio Rudiger who is injured and that means Andreas Christensen will join David Luiz in central defence.  Ruben Loftus-Cheek or Ross Barkley will hope to start in midfield and Olivier Giroud may get the nod up-front

Eintracht Frankfurt have been strong at home in the Europa League this season but this will be their toughest test to date.  Chelsea have the attacking talent to score a goal and we could see a draw, with both teams scoring.