Manchester City, Juventus and Lyon feature in top tips this weekend

 

There is a smell of 90s football in Serie A this weekend, with Diego Maradona set to travel with the Napoli team to their clash with AC Milan. It is also a weekend where Pep Guardiola will try and get some redemption: he can't lose to Tottenham again, can he?

 

JUVENTUS vs LAZIO - Juventus (-1) @2.30

 

Juventus will be determined to get back to winning ways this weekend after slipping to a shock defeat against Fiorentina last weekend. To make things harder for Lazio ahead of their trip to the formidable J Stadium, they were involved in a hard fought Coppa Italia fixture against Genoa on Wednesday. There are some stats behind this fixture that sharply define just how impossible the task is for Lazio despite the fact they come into this fixture in good form. In fact, the visitors have lost each of their last five league games against Juventus and haven't scored a goal in that time. Even bleaker for Lazio, they haven't beaten Juventus in the league since December 2003.

 

Simeone Inzaghi's side have been pretty solid this season and already showed in the reverse fixture against Juventus that they are a hard team to break down. Lazio's main problem here will be trying to find a balance between a solid defence and an attack that can cause Juventus problems at the other end of the pitch. Finding the balance could prove Lazio's undoing this weekend, as the WhoScored Match Forecast predicts Juventus are likely to score as a result of an opposition error. This will most likely be a defensive one by Lazio, who may struggle to assert themselves at both ends of the pitch. Odds of 2.30 from Bet365 for Juventus to win by at least a two goal handicap seem very attractive.

 

AC MILAN vs NAPOLI - Draw @3.30

 

With the title hopes refueled by Juventus’ defeat to Fiorentina, this then becomes something of a playoff to decide the challenger, which could eliminate these two should this tie result in a draw. The plot is known - Napoli will take the game to Milan, while the hosts will soak up pressure and and hit the Naples side on the counter-attack, as they have done so far in the big games this season. However the Rossoneri will suffer from the suspensions of Manuel Locatelli and Alessio Romagnoli, with their replacements Gustavo Gomez and José Sosa nowhere near the same quality. The key could be in the prediction made by the WhoScored Match Forecast, where it’s deemed likely that Milan ‘will make a comeback if they go behind’.

 

Manchester City, Juventus and Lyon feature in top tips this weekend

 

ATHLETIC CLUB vs ATLETICO MADRID - Draw @3.20

 

Diego Simeone has overseen an improvement in results, but not performances and it will be hard to get the better of Athletic in Bilbao, considering the Basque side rarely loses at home. Athletic will be without five players due to injury and suspension, including Aduriz, which will likely see them play a more defensive game on home turf. 

 

Manchester City, Juventus and Lyon feature in top tips this weekend

Click here for detailed match preview news, including predicted line-ups

 

MANCHESTER CITY vs TOTTENHAM - Manchester City to win @2.15

 

Last weekend, Everton equaled the worst defeat of Pep Guardiola's career. There needs to be a reaction from City and if not, there will huge doubts over Guardiola’s managerial quality. Spurs have won six successive league games and will be out to make it seven, a feat they haven’t achieved since 1967.

 

LYON vs MARSEILLE - Draw @3.75

 

Both sides are coming into the tie off the back of a good run of form, which was halted last time out. This will be a level match, both tactically and technically. Lyon have not drawn any of their last 11 home league games, though records are there to be ended...

Manchester City, Juventus and Lyon feature in top tips this weekend

Click here for detailed match preview news, including predicted line-ups

Manchester City, Juventus and Lyon feature in top tips this weekend