Top Match Tips: The smart money on this week's biggest games
The Premier League, Serie A and Ligue 1 offer some of their most important fixtures of the season this weekend. AC Milan and Juventus are historic rivals in Italy and this weekend the table points towards the direct challengers for the title, which has not been the case in many years.
MILAN VS JUVENTUS – Draw @3.70
Very few people in the summer would have thought AC Milan would have entered this game one place below Juventus and even fewer people would have imagined that after their first league games in which they lost two of those. However, all of the turmoil off the field looks to have actually benefitted them on it. Vincenzo Montella has a squad capable of finishing high in the table and they appear to have been underestimated up until this point. Everyone, that is, apart from league leaders Juventus. Max Allegri’s men may not be playing the finest football of their last three years but they have got to this point thanks to talent and experience.
In San Siro Juventus’ struggles away to Lyon in midweek have to be accounted for. Montella would have learned some lessons from the way the Ligue 1 outfit approached that match. However, Milan have their own problems, particularly on either side of the defence and Juventus will certainly look to take advantage down the flanks.
There are two very likely scenarios in the WhoScored Match Forecast and they assign a goal each. A draw is a possibility and Bet365 prices that up at 3.70.
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CHELSEA VS MANCHESTER UNITED – Draw First Half @2.10
Antonio Conte vs Jose Mourinho is the kind of epic battle that every football geek should eagerly look forward to. There has only been one previous encounter between the two, a 1-1 draw between Atalanta and Inter in December 2009. Interestingly, both managers enter this game as an insecure version of themselves, nothing like what has defined their careers up until this point.
Mourinho’s United have simply got no soul, while Chelsea’s Conte are performing so far off the standard of the league’s title challengers. There has also been another similarity between the two managers: both have lost out in the important matches they have played this season.
Apart from the absence of captain John Terry, both sides should have their best possible XIs to accommodate their formations. There are key battles all over the pitch but Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs David Luiz and Diego Costa vs Eric Bailly will be fascinating. These defences concede too much and that’s why they will both start with the aim of remaining tight at the back to begin with. In fact, three of the last four meetings between the teams have finished as a draw at half time.
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VALENCIA VS BARCELONA – Draw first half @2.75
Cesare Prandelli started with a win but Barcelona are completely different beasts. He can tactically limit Barcelona’s effectiveness, but will mostly have to hope Manchester City took some energy out of them in midweek. Concentration could prove Valencia’s undoing towards the end of the match, but they have a good chance to stay level until the interval.
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PSG VS MARSEILLE – Draw First Half @2.75
Good luck to Rudi Garcia, who starts his spell as Marseille manager with their most difficult game of the season. However, he is fortunate that this is not the PSG of the last few seasons. They have not been totally dominant in matches and have been level in four of nine Ligue 1 matches this season. Bet on that result at @2.75 on Bet365.
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SEVILLA vs ATLETICO MADRID – Under 2.5 Goals @1.75
What a fantastic Argentinean science of football clash between Jorge Sampaoli and Diego Simeone we have on Sunday. They have both had to deal with the stress of Champions League but must now focus their attention on this huge game, between two teams challenging at the top. There have been under 2.5 goals in five of Atletico’s last six matches in all competitions
Click here for the detailed match preview, including predicted team line-ups
