It’s that time of the week again where we run through a selection of the most exciting matches from Europe’s top leagues taking place this weekend and offer our best bets and value picks.
Southampton v Everton (Saturday)
Southampton host Everton in the Premier League on Saturday looking to consolidate their place in the top half of the table. Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side is unbeaten in three matches despite facing Manchester City, Tottenham, and Manchester United. The Saints drew 1-1 with both Manchester clubs and claimed a thrilling 3-2 win at Spurs. Meanwhile, Everton was in top form last time out, securing a well-deserved 3-0 victory over Leeds United at Goodison Park. Frank Lampard will be looking to get another vital win to drag his side further away from the relegation zone.
Crystal Palace v Chelsea (Saturday)
World champions Chelsea travel to Selhurst Park on Saturday to face a Crystal Palace side still looking for their first Premier League win of 2022. Thomas Tuchel’s side has started to find their rhythm again and will be confident of seeing off their London rivals, having won the last eight meetings. Another boost for the Blues is that Palace’s talisman Connor Gallagher is ineligible to face his parent club due to loan rules.
Real Madrid v Alaves (Saturday)
It’s a real David versus Goliath clash at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid sits four points clear at the top of the Liga table, while Alaves find themselves four points from safety in the relegation zone. Karim Benzema has been in red-hot form for Madrid this season and remains the top scorer in La Liga with 17 goals. The electrifying Frenchman has scored a brace in each of the last two meetings with the Basque side.
Real Betis v Mallorca (Sunday)
Third-placed Real Betis are back in La Liga action on Sunday as Manuel Pellegrini’s side welcomes strugglers Mallorca to the Benito Villamarin stadium. Betis got back to winning ways with a 4-2 win at bottom side Levante last time out, making it three wins in four matches. Mallorca, on the other hand, took another giant step away from the relegation zone with a 3-2 home win over Athletic Bilbao. Now they aim to snap a three-match losing streak away from home.
Mainz v Bayer Leverkusen (Friday)
Bayer Leverkusen is enjoying a purple patch in the league which has them win four straight games against the likes of Borussia Monchengladbach (2-1), Augsburg (5-1), Borussia Dortmund (5-2), and Stuttgart (4-2). Meanwhile, Mainz is in midtable and seeking to improve on their positives – home soil advantage – where manager Bo Svensson’s team have been impenetrable, winning their last four matches without conceding against Wolfsburg (3-0), Hertha Berlin (4-0), Bochum (1-0) and Hoffenheim (2-0). The stage is set for an intriguing 90 minutes of quality football at the MEWA Stadium.
Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig (Sunday)
RB Leipzig makes the trip to the capital to lock horns with Hertha Berlin in search of maximum points that would keep the likes of Hoffenheim, Freiburg, and Union Berlin off their backs and their coveted UEFA Champions League qualification slot. When these teams meet at the Olympiastadion Berlin, Hertha would’ve had seven full days to rest and prepare, while RB Leipzig hosted Spanish club Real Sociedad in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night. However, going by the last match between these sides which finished 6-0 to RB Leipzig and considering Hertha Berlin are winless in six games – this looks like one of the best bets of the weekend.
AS Roma v Hellas Verona (Saturday)
Roma has fallen out of the top-six positions after sharing the spoils with Genoa and Sassuolo, losing four points in the process with Atalanta and Lazio leapfrogging Jose Mourinho’s men on the league standings. Hellas Verona, on the other hand, has won three of their last four games, losing the other tie away to Juventus. The visitors trail Roma by four points and previous meetings between these sides have served goal-filled humdingers, with Roma claiming three wins from four meetings (3-1, 2-1 & 3-1) and Hellas Verona breaking the duck with a 3-2 win last time out.
Fiorentina v Atalanta (Sunday)
Fiorentina return home to the Stadio Artemio Franchi after a successful trip to Spezia that yielded maximum points. In Firenze, manager Vincenzo Italiano’s men have been impressive – winning seven times in nine matches. Atalanta, on the other hand, comes into the clash winless in five games across all competitions, while their midweek UEFA Europa League game with Olympiakos could favour Fiorentina even more, with Gian Piero Gasperini’s side already showing signs of fatigue.
Marseille v Clermont (Sunday)
Marseille entertain Clermont knowing that collecting maximum points is the only option – the hosts find themselves in second place, trailing Paris Saint-Germain by 13 points. Jorge Sampaoli’s men have claimed three wins in four Ligue 1 matches, while Clermont was building momentum in wins over Rennes and Nice, but succumbed to a 2-1 home defeat to Saint-Etienne last time out. Marseille edged a 1-0 win in the last meeting and a similar outcome is expected once again.
Willem II v Ajax (Saturday)
Runaway Eredivisie leaders Ajax travel to Willem II on Saturday looking to continue their stellar run of form with another rampant display. Erik ten Hag’s side is riding a nine-game winning streak, firing on all cylinders. They’ve scored a remarkable 38 goals while conceding just once. The Dutch giants ran out comfortable 5-0 winners when the sides met at the Johan Cruyff Arena in December.