As the year draws to a close, the end of December marks a time where football teams aim to end the year on a positive note. We bring you 10 of our best bets and value picks from the most competitive European leagues taking place this weekend.
Aston Villa v Chelsea (Sunday)
Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa side will be looking to stun Chelsea when they host the Blues at Villa Park on Sunday. The Liverpool legend has overseen four wins out of six games for the West Midlands club, while the European champions have been stuttering of late, winning just three of their last eight in the league with Manchester City now six points clear of them.
Wolves v Watford (Sunday)
Wolves host newly-promoted Watford at Molineux on Boxing Day. Bruno Lage’s men, currently eighth in the Premier League table, earned a well-deserved point in their latest league encounter at home to Chelsea and will be aiming to secure all three against the Hornets who find themselves just two points above the bottom three.
Hull City v Blackburn Rovers (Sunday)
An in-form Blackburn Rovers travel to Hull City in the Championship on Sunday. The Riversiders are currently flying high in the table, sitting in third place with five wins in a row as well as five straight clean sheets, and will be aiming to continue their good form against the Tigers who find themselves in a relegation battle.
Derby County v West Bromwich Albion (Monday)
Valerien Ismael’s promotion-chasing West Bromwich Albion will be eyeing a return to winning ways when they visit Wayne Rooney’s Derby County side who languish at the bottom of the Championship table. The Baggies trail league leaders Fulham by four points, and will look to leave Pride Park with all three points on Monday.
Aberdeen v Dundee FC (Sunday)
Dundee FC will be aiming to snap a four-game losing streak away at Pittodrie Stadium this Sunday. The Dark Blues are sitting two points off from being the worst team in the division, however, they were able to claim maximum points in the reverse tie with a 2-1 victory thanks to Leigh Griffiths and Luke McCowan’s goals. Aberdeen has been superb on home soil, winning four of their last five games and with Christian Ramirez in fine goalscoring form, the hosts look a sure bet.
Motherwell v Livingston (Sunday)
Motherwell host Livingston at Fir Park with their sights set on winning their fourth straight home game. Hearts, Dundee United, and St. Johnstone all suffered losses without finding the back of the net, while the visitors have improved in recent games following three successive defeats. Livingston has gone unbeaten in three matches, beating Hibernian & Dundee United (1-0) before sharing the spoils with Ross County last time out.
Standard Liege v Zulte Waregem (Sunday)
Standard Liege entertain Zulte Waregem at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne on Sunday, hoping to continue their recent resurgence. The hosts have been below par, only winning twice in 11 matches while suffering five losses. Zulte Waregem meanwhile ended their three-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over Mechelen, claiming only their third win in 13 league games. The last time these teams met, the hosts edged out a 2-1 victory in the 89th-minute thanks to an Abdoul Tapsoba goal.
Cercle Brugge v Club Brugge (Sunday)
Cercle Brugge’s four-match winning streak came to an end last time out, cruelly suffering a 3-2 defeat to log leaders Union Saint-Gilloise in the 90th-minute after throwing away a 2-0 lead. Meanwhile, Club Brugge has earned three wins in four games on their travels and is looking to close the gap between themselves and the summit of the Division A table. The last four games between these teams have been entertaining goal-filled encounters that are seen both teams find the net.
Goztepe v Adana Demirspor (Sunday)
Adana Demirspor has taken to life in the Turkish Super Lig with aplomb and is right in the mix challenging for a Europa League spot as we approach the league’s halfway point. Vincenzo Montella’s side travels to the Gursel Aksel Stadium to face relegation-threatened Goztepe on Sunday, trying to break out of a two-game losing streak.
Fenerbahce v Yeni Malatyaspor (Sunday)
Fenerbahce host relegation-threatened Yeni Malatyaspor in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday. The Yellow Canaries, captained by ex-Arsenal star Mesut Ozil, are unbeaten in their last three home league games. They trounced Rizespor 4-0 in between 2-2 draws with Kayserispor and Besiktas. The visitors meanwhile are winless in their last four away games (L3 D1), failing to get on the scoresheet.