It’s that time of the week again when we run through a selection of the most exciting matches taking place this weekend and offer our best bets and value picks.
Leeds v Bournemouth (Saturday)
Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United side were very impressive in their last Premier League encounter, beating Liverpool in front of an Anfield crowd – a feat the Reds hadn’t endured in five years. Now, Leeds returns to Elland Road to host Bournemouth, who have been disappointing on the road, winning just one of their six matches. The Cherries have also conceded 20 times in six games away from home – more than any other team in the Premier League.
Aston Villa v Man United (Sunday)
Unai Emery will take charge of his first game as Aston Villa boss when his team host Manchester United on Sunday. The Spaniard had a decent record against the Red Devils from his time at Arsenal and will hope to get off to a winning start. Man United have shown encouraging signs under Erik Ten Hag but could be jaded from the Thursday-Sunday schedule.
Valladolid v Elche (Saturday)
Valladolid will have the glorious opportunity of hosting the bottom-placed team in LaLiga when they square up against Elche on Saturday. The visitors are the only team in the division yet to win a match this season, boasting just four points to their name after 12 encounters. Valladolid have won successive home games and should earn a hat-trick of home wins.
Barcelona v Almeria (Saturday)
Barcelona have the best home record in the Spanish LaLiga, and that is expected to strengthen further when they host Almeria. Xavi’s men have won five of their six ties, drawing just once, while they are also yet to concede a goal on their turf. Almeria have the complete opposite form, losing five of their six matches away from home, while no team has scored fewer goals on the road than them.
Werder Bremen v Schalke (Saturday)
Schalke suffered their sixth consecutive defeat last weekend and remains rooted to the foot of the Bundesliga table. On the other hand, Werder Bremen returned to winning ways last weekend to move back into the top half of the table. The hosts have the league’s joint-top scorer in their ranks as well in Niclas Fullkrug, who is on nine goals for the campaign.
Dortmund v Bochum (Saturday)
Dortmund will be looking to inflict more misery on Bochum when the two sides meet this Saturday. No team in the German Bundesliga has a worse away record than Bochum this season, who have lost all six of their matches, shipping in a total of 19 goals. Dortmund have won their last two games and will seek a third successive victory to put them back within the title chasers.
Ac Milan v Spezia (Saturday)
Serie A champions, AC Milan, could go back within touching distance of the top of the table when they face Spezia this weekend. The hosts are in great spirit after sealing qualification to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League in midweek. They’ll also take some encouragement from winning five of their six games at home. Spezia have lost all six of their games on the road without a single goal to their name.
Salernitana v Cremonese (Sunday)
Salernitana are gaining experience at the highest level and are proving to be a tough Serie A side to compete against this season. They’ve won their last two matchups on the bounce and seek their fourth win in five games. Cremonese are winless this campaign and have been a disappointing watch, losing seven times.
Lorient v PSG (Sunday)
Lorient have been dropping down the table and are winless in three league games. That isn’t the greatest form going into a clash against the champions and log-leaders, Paris Saint-Germain. The visitors are the only unbeaten team in the division, have scored the most goals, and have the joint-best defence in the league.
Reims v Nantes (Sunday)
Reims aim to keep up their unbeaten run to six matches when they lock horns with Nantes. The visitors are one point behind their opponents and are disappointing without a victory away from home. Despite Reims’ unbeaten run at the moment, four of those matches have resulted in stalemates.