Manchester United need to bring an end to a streak that has seen them win just one in four in the league. Newcastle have lost their last two, and could do with stunting a potentially poor run as they head into a tough group of fixtures.
It is Rafael Benitez visiting Jose Mourinho’s home ground. This match is not the be all and end all for the teams, but it sees a return of one of the Premier League’s best rivalries – in the dugout, anyway.
This clash has a lengthy history in the Premier League. From the battle to sign Shearer to famous Kevin Keegan quotes, there have been classics, title fights, and the odd bit of bad blood. These are two different squads, led by different managers, but the respective management should ensure it’s another fierce fixture. Benitez, for sure, will be given a hostile welcome by the Old Trafford crowd.
Amidst Paris Saint Germain rumours, failure to win here is not an option for United. It could see them slip to fourth, and would be almost a decisive blow to their title hopes.
Newcastle present a threat that has troubled this United side. Benitez will bring an organised unit to Old Trafford, and could halt an attack that has been short of creativity since Paul Pogba’s injury. The Frenchman is believed to be close to a return, but this match is likely a few days too soon.
The Magpies troubled Liverpool at St James’ a few weeks ago. Without their bellowing support, though, this is an entirely different situation. Their away form has been poor this season, with three defeats in five league matches away from their northeast home.
Goals have been hard to come by for Benitez’s men, too. Only one has been scored in their last three in the league, as their attack has looked frustratingly short of invention. The 11/20 price on them to fail to score is on the short side, however, given the mistakes that we have seen in this Manchester United defence.
Romelu Lukaku is one of the leading stories coming into this one. The Belgian has seen his flying start to the season come to a spectacular halt. He is in the midst of a goal drought, and is suffering at the head of the dysfunctional Manchester United attack. Chances are not going to be easy to come by on Saturday evening, either. His 11/10 price not to score is longer than I would have expected.
People who suffered through Mourinho and Benitez’s meetings over a decade or so ago should expect this match to be a battle. It might well be an unpleasant watch, and goals are unlikely to fly in. The 19/20 on under 2.5 goals is, as a result, good value.
Even a draw for the visitors would be an upset of sorts. For those that fancy that, it’s at 24/5. Backing a United win is almost impossible to justify at 1/4, but so a draw at half-time, home win at full-time at 3/1 might be the best value.
TIP: Manchester United to win 2-0 @ 22/5
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
With the National Hunt season well and truly underway it is time to have a tentative look at next year’s Grand National and pick out some possible candidates for the Aintree marathon.
As the biggest fans of Merseyside’s historic steeplechase will tell you “Not all roads lead to Cheltenham, some of them go to Liverpool too!”
Here are the profiles of five horses that could be lining up at Aintree next April.
Vicente (current odds 33/1)
The Paul Nicholls trained Vicente would arrive at Aintree as a dual-winner of the Scottish Grand National having been victorious in both 2016 and 2017.
Looking back at his personal 2016/17 season, Sam Twiston-Davies clearly rates Vicente highly saying: "I think Vicente would be very high up there for me, coming back to win the Scottish National. We had a bit of an up and down day and him winning the Scottish National for a second time was massive.”
Vicente’s participation in last year’s Grand National was short-lived as the 16/1 chance fell at the first fence whilst sitting in mid-division.
Undeterred, Nicholas sent the eight-year-old gelding to Ayr a fortnight later and he won the Scottish version in a thrilling finish over the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained Cogry.
"Paul had him primed for the National and that didn't go to plan, but it has worked out great," said Twiston-Davies.
"The boss has turned it around. He is one of the best trainers in the country. Fair play to Vicente. He's a very brave horse, he's tried very hard and saved my day."
Vicente was the first back-to-back winner of the Scottish Grand National since Androma in 1985.
Given the fact that solid Scottish Grand National form has played out well at Aintree in subsequent seasons, Vicente must be a leading fancy for the Grand National 2018, even at this early stage.
Blaklion (current odds 25/1)
Blaklion was favourite for the race twelve months ago and after taking up the running at the third-last fence looked very much like he would win the race before emptying out on the run-in only to finish fourth.
“I had thought we had won it,” said Twiston-Davies, successful with Earth Summit (1998) and Bindaree (2002). “He was travelling so well and jumped lovely.
"We were just cantering and the horse took Noel (Fehily) to the front and everything looked good but we didn't win.
"But where else do you get £44,000 for finishing fourth?
According to Nigel Twiston-Davies, Blaklion will be plotted along a similar route to last year and he will be hoping that the eight-year-old can improve upon his honourable fourth in 2017.
Blaklion showed his appetite for a dogged fight to the finish is very much still there when he narrowly went down to stablemate Bristol De Mai in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.
Twiston-Davies said after the race “Blaklion pleased me. He was getting 6lb so the handicapper shouldn’t be putting him up.
“That should leave him spot-on for the Becher Chase.”
If Blaklion puts in a stellar performance in the Becher Chase on December 9th, you can certainly expect a few points being trimmed off his current odds of 25/1.
Vieux Lion Rouge (current odds 40/1)
Vieux Lion Rouge produced a creditable performance to finish fourth in an eventful renewal of the Charlie Hall Chase and it is now all-systems-go to try to repeat back-to-back wins in the Becher Chase at Aintree according to Pond House.
A good performance in the Becher Chase will probably persuade connections to have another crack at the Grand National in which he finished in sixth place in 2017.
The Caroline Tisdall and John Gent owned eight-year-old was made favourite for the National last year after he backed up his Becher Chase win with victory in the Haydock Grand National Trial.
Drying ground conditions on the day could be attributed to Vieux Lion Rouge’s slightly disappointing showing and there is a suspicion he is at his best with a little more juice in the ground.
If he gets his optimum conditions next April then Vieux Lion Rouge is certainly no 40/1 shot.
Cause Of Causes (current odds 33/1)
The J.P McManus owned and Gordon Elliott trained bay gelding will more than likely have the National on the agenda this season given his previous strong showings in the race.
Cause Of Causes was one of Elliott’s half-dozen winners at the Cheltenham Festival taking the Cross-Country Chase and he then went on to be the gallant runner-up to One For Arthur in the Grand National.
In his previous attempt at the National fences in 2015 he came home in eighth place behind the ill-fated Many Clouds.
Cause Of Causes certainly has stamina in abundance as he showed when scoring in the four mile Toby Balding Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2015.
Given Gordon Elliott’s training dominance in Ireland you almost feel it is a question of when, not if, he will add another English Grand National to his C.V and Cause Of Causes could emulate Silver Birch at Aintree next April.
Our Duke (current odds 33/1)
Down the years Irish Grand National winners have fared well in the English version and Our Duke was the runaway winner of the Fairyhouse race in 2017.
However, after Our Duke's lethargic display in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal last weekend, his trainer Jessica Harrington was at a loss as to why he performed so badly.
The Irish Grand National hero could never get competitive on his seasonal debut and trailed in last of the seven finishers in the Grade One contest over three miles.
Harrington said: "Our Duke is sound, he scoped wrong. He has done it once before. They took some bloods from him (on Sunday morning) and we'll take it from there. I just don't know and I'm scratching my head. He was gone after the first fence."
Whilst there is talk of Our Duke having the Cheltenham Gold Cup as his ultimate target in 2018, there is every chance that those plans may be changed to him having an Aintree target instead.
At the age of seven Our Duke still has plenty of options open to him but he certainly does look a Grand National type should he make it there.
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.
He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.
Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?
He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations.
This international break is a bit frustrating with the Premier League and Champions League getting into decisive periods. It is, also, well worth the domestic action respite. There are a few meaningless friendlies cluttering the schedule, but we have the tension of World Cup playoffs.
A straight, two-legged showdown for a spot in the groups in Russia next summer. Almost as good as non-tournament international matches get.
CROATIA vs GREECE
Croatia looked to have Group I wrapped up for much of the qualifying campaign. It turned out not to be the case, though, when Iceland once again spoiled the party to snatch top spot. As a result, Luka Modric and co are facing the 2004 European champions over two legs to secure a place in Russia.
Greece pipped Bosnia and Herzegovina to second spot in Group H behind the runaway Belgians. Their 17 goals was a couple more than their hosts for this fixture, but they conceded a couple more too.
Croatia were solid in their group, but goals proved hard to come by. Only once – in the opening match against Kosovo – did they score more than two. Only in one of their ten matches did both teams score.
The visitors were just as ineffectual in the final third, having bolstered their goal scoring numbers with eight against Gibraltar.
TIP: Under 2.5 goals @ 4/7
NORTHERN IRELAND vs SWITZERLAND
Northern Ireland leant on a steely defence to grab a playoff berth. They will aim to do so again when they face Switzerland.
The Swiss won nine of their 10 in the group stage. A truly stunning record, yet it’s even more stunning that they ended up in the playoffs. In the same group, Portugal also won nine of 10, but the European champions ended with a far superior goal difference.
Switzerland’s solitary defeat came in the last match of the group stage to Portugal, just to make it even tougher to take. The under 2.5 goal line looks well priced here...
Stoke City’s Xherdan Shaqiri is one of the stars for Switzerland, and could be creative spark to unlock a Northern Ireland defence that kept seven clean sheets in the group stage. Switzerland did keep six of their own, mind.
TIP: Under 2.5 goals @ 21/50
SWEDEN vs Italy
Italy had to settle for second in Group G. The near-perfect Spaniards blocked their direct path to the World Cup, so it’s a challenging tie with Sweden to determine their immediate future.
Sweden had their own challenges to even get this far. The Netherlands’ recent demise contributed to their success, but it still required some hefty goal scoring against the minnows to secure their place in the playoffs. A victory over France was the undoubted highlight, and this Swedish team are every bit as tough to beat as their reputation suggests.
Drawing with Macedonia and scraping past Albania hardly brings the Italians into this on top form. The search for balance in the team is yet to reach a helpful ending, and creativity has been almost non-existent throughout the qualifying campaign.
Unfortunately, we could be in for yet another cagey encounter in this one. First legs are often dictated by a desire to stay in the tie, I can see this being tense, but boring.
TIP: Sweden or Draw @ 16/25
DENMARK vs Republic of Ireland
It took a rearguard action and an almost painfully pressurised victory against Wales, but the Republic of Ireland have made it to the playoffs. Their tie with Denmark is probably as good as they could have hoped for.
Denmark, though, have one of the form players in world football available in the shape of Christian Eriksen. The Spurs midfielder is the man to watch in this match, and could turn the tie in a moment of individual brilliance. Or, if given space, could dictate the match for 90 minutes.
A draw with Romania to end the group stage showed the inconsistency of this Denmark side. They will have fancied their chances in a fairly easy group, but could not keep pace with Poland.
Ireland, meanwhile, will throw their backs straight against the wall and hope to snatch a goal. That has been the general game plan under Martin O’Neill, and will stick with it. Only scoring 12 in their group is a worry, and means a couple of goals for the Danes could as good as kill this tie.
TIP: Denmark to win @ 8/11
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
Since he made his debut as a 17-year-old in 2011, Ross Barkley has been hounded by the weight of English expectation. Whether denounced as the best since Gazza or called ‘the most talented footballer I’ve worked with’ by team-mates, pressure has been cast upon Barkley since his very first taste of professional football.
Improvement has been hard to find. Under David Moyes he was loaned out, under Roberto Martinez there were signs Barkley was ready to break out in a big way, and now under Ronald Koeman he has been cast into the role of isolated star.
A player of Barkley’s teenage talent is expected to become something exceptional, someone you tell your kids about. Management changes and perhaps the enormous expectation have restricted the next step for Barkley and his career has stagnated. Now that Davy Klaassen and Wayne Rooney have been acquired by Everton, Barkley’s immediate future looks set to be elsewhere and Koeman squeezed him towards the door.
It may sound bleak, but Koeman’s lack of interest in Barkley is far from the shock or reflection on the midfielder’s career is could seem. The England international shan’t be cast into the wilderness of mid-table, his promise and underlying ability will see him step up in the footballing world this summer.
A move to Premier League runners-up, Tottenham, is looking likely at 1/2. The required fee is largely unknown, with a variety of prices having already been rumoured. Having recently sold Kyle Walker for around £50 million, however, Spurs are not going to have an issue coughing up even the largest of fees should Mauricio Pochettino and Daniel Levy so wish.
Barkley fits the Spurs profile. Young with plenty of room to grow under Pochettino, the Toffee academy graduate will not find a better home than with the Spurs manager, who has nurtured several gifted youngsters at Spurs already. For Spurs, though, there must be a concern about bringing the best out of Barkley and finding enough minutes for him while Mousa Dembele, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen remain fit. Dropping into the deeper role usually occupied by Dembele might just be one way Pochettino sees he can kickstart Barkley’s career.
Should Spurs fail to complete a deal for Barkley, though, he is at 7/5 to still be a Toffee once the window closes. Even the newly-wealthy Everton are unlikely to retain a player that is clearly not significant in the manager’s plans, which could make the rest of the betting market for Barkley more appealing.
Manchester United, Arsenal and West Ham are currently outsiders at 10/1, while Chelsea – who are short of midfield options – are 11/1 to secure Barkley this summer. Given their transfer revenue of late, the Blues could make a late swoop for the Evertonian having been interested previously. Arsenal could yet join the race for Barkley too and the once-prodigy might thrive in their 3-4-3.
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
Few players can dominate a midfield like Radja Nainggolan. The Roma midfielder is an all-action, versatile monster in the centre of the pitch with a skillset rivalled by few amongst Europe’s elite.
Whether used in a deeper role or with the freedom to attack the opponent’s box, the Belgian is an almost unique asset. Tenacity meets technical prowess and it produces a footballer who excites. Nainggolan’s time at Roma has seen his status swell across the European game, as have his performances in an immensely talented Belgian national team.
Serie A has been in the wilderness of late, but Nainggolan’s penchant for spectacular goals and game changing drives through midfield have caught the eye of many a football fan through the waves of social media. Without scoring Frank Lampard numbers, controlling the tempo like Xabi Alonso or flicking the ball like Dele Alli, Nainggolan is a functional, but enjoyable gem.
Nainggolan has been consistently linked with a move to the Premier League. Last summer it was Chelsea, this summer it has primarily been Manchester United. And few players – without actually appearing in the league – have been more suited to the physicality and intensity of England’s top flight.
Last season, the Belgian functioned in a more advanced role than previously and thrived. Picking up 11 Serie A goals – including a few corkers – his power and energy linked the midfield to the prolific Edin Dzeko. Though this is a position he could dominate in during the hustle and bustle of a Premier League encounter, Nainggolan’s true brilliance in England would be enjoyed from a deeper, box-to-box role that enabled late breaking runs to force his opposite number to turn.
At Manchester United, a 4-3-3 would see Nainggolan operate alongside Paul Pogba. Pogba’s passing range acts as the springboard for attacks, while Nainggolan can expose the space created in between the opposition’s lines. It’s a fearsome prospect to even consider the duo in midfield together, but a disciplined, controlling defensive midfielder has to be the priority for United at the moment.
Roma’s midfield sensation is not only the perfect Premier League midfielder, he also fits the bill for everything Jose Mourinho wants from his eights.
Speaking of fitting bills for managers, there are few midfielders who would sum up Antonio Conte’s Chelsea more than Nainggolan. A Nainggolan and Kante midfield would be a whirlwind, and it would be complemented supremely by the serene play of Cesc Fabregas. Tiemoue Bakayoko’s arrival has as good as discounted Chelsea from the race for Nainggolan realistically, but Chelsea’s current summer crisis could yet see a late panic move for a player custom-made for the electric Blues.
Any Premier League club would make space for Nainggolan in their side. His price tag will be steep, but the seemingly muted interest from the league’s biggest clubs is surprising.
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
Alexis Sanchez was unfortunate to miss out on Player of the Season in 2016/17. Even with his heroics, Arsenal fell far short of their minimum Premier League target as they finished fifth after a turbulent, immensely frustrating period in the early months of 2017.
An apparent training ground strop and rumours about difficulty getting him to scribble on a new contract overshadowed the closing weeks of the Chilean’s stellar season. His importance in Arsenal’s team – regardless of the setup – was surely a concern for Arsene Wenger, and there were few teams as dependent on one individual last term as the Gunners.
Missing out on Champions League football has, bizarrely, made Alexis’ future more important for Arsenal. Decline could beckon if their best player departs and their annual last 16 date with Bayern is no more. Arsenal have worked hard in recent summers to change their reputation in the transfer market, and that could be undermined by losing Sanchez. Signing the Chilean, Mesut Ozil and other stars has helped the Gunners to shake off the ‘sellers’ tag.
The spending has continued this summer. Alexandre Lacazette – who has scored goals prolifically in Ligue 1 – and Sead Kolasinac – who is a versatile free transfer – meet two of the crying needs for this Arsenal squad. The prospect of Ozil, Alexis and Lacazette lining up in the final third together is fearsome, and will rival the best forward lines in European football next season.
The motive for leaving Arsenal is supposedly about a competitive squad. The lure of Manchester City – who are at Evens to sign Alexis – is based on a loaded attacking group, Pep Guardiola’s revolutionary management and an immediate return to Champions League football. Money would have been a decisive factor in the past, but all murmurings suggest the Gunners are willing to at least match any contract they will table.
Trophies have hardly been common at the Emirates Stadium, however. A penchant for FA Cup success in recent years may keep the medal cabinet growing in the Sanchez household, but that is not enough to retain the interest of a player of his calibre at this stage of his career. Manchester City, who finished only three points above Arsenal, are perceived as title contenders next season, while Wenger’s Gunners are not.
Whether this is an unfair evaluation or not is a matter of opinion at this stage. However, we can look at Chelsea, Leicester and Liverpool’s campaigns without the burden of Champions League football in recent years as perhaps a guideline for where Arsenal could be aiming.
Wenger does, unfortunately, remain the factor that may well hold back even a squad as gifted as the current one. It’s the Guardiola versus Wenger issue that may sway Sanchez in the end. That does come with its own risks, though, given the depth in City’s attacking positions. Sanchez will be a squad member and rotated frequently, and he is not a player who takes too kindly to being on the bench.
Arsenal’s summer to date – which could yet see the arrival of another big name forward – should do enough to suggest to Alexis that they are realistic competitors next season. A move to Manchester City could jeopardise the peak years of the Chilean’s career amidst the talents of Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling.
He’s still at 3/5 to remain at Arsenal this summer, and it would be a mistake for Sanchez to go elsewhere. Manchester City, too, could spend the enormous fee on a player with longer left at the top, and Arsenal simply must not sell to their Premier League rivals at any cost.
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
Manchester United have one foot in the Europa League final. Marcus Rashford’s sensational free-kick earned the Red Devils a crucial 1-0 win away at Celta Vigo last Thursday and United boss Jose Mourinho will expect his side to do enough on home soil to book their spot in the Stockholm showpiece at the end of May.
Mourinho’s men, currently 1/2 to win outright on Thursday, know that a draw is enough to see them through but United fans will demand an exciting performance after their sub-par effort against Arsenal on Sunday. Reaching the final is the main objective but supporters are within their rights to expect a much improved effort at Old Trafford.
Celta Vigo are a decent outfit
United cannot afford to take Celta lightly; the Spanish side were disappointing last Thursday but they will go for the jugular this time around. Defensively, the Reds have been better in recent months but they are prone to making the odd mistake. If Celta’s potent attack are firing on all cylinders, Mourinho’s men may need to be at their best.
With that in mind, I’ll be backing both teams to score at a very reasonable 9/10. Celta might not come out all guns blazing but they will be quietly confident of snatching a goal on the counter attack. If they can keep things tight for the first hour or so, the Spanish side will go all out in a bid to take this contest to extra-time.
Marcus Rashford: United’s difference maker
Every now and then, a talented young star comes along – United have a real diamond on their hands in Marcus Rashford. At just 19 years old, he has already achieved more than most will in their careers and his sublime effort last week will live long in the memory of United’s adoring supporters.
Rashford is priced at 33/25 to get his name on the scoresheet for the second European game in a row and it would take a brave man to back against the United youngster. With Zlatan Ibrahimović out of action, he is now leading the line at Old Trafford and fans will be confident of more Rashford success in the near future.
Score prediction
Both teams to score looks likely here but it may prove prudent to stick with United on home soil. Old Trafford isn’t what it used to be in terms of drama and excitement but the Reds are still capable of winning easily in front of their home fans. The 49/20 on offer for Mourinho’s men to win with both sides scoring is my best of the day...
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
Real Madrid already have one foot in the Champions League final but victory over arch rivals Atletico would go down a treat with their supporters. Barring a miraculous turnaround, the Spanish giants will be joining Juventus in this year’s main event at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff – and it would take a brave man to back against Zinedine Zidane’s side.
As of May 10th, Real are 17/20 to lift the European Cup this campaign. With first leg hat-trick hero Cristiano Ronaldo in fine form, Zidane’s side will be favoured ahead of what could be a memorable contest. Meanwhile, Juventus are 11/10 to win the competition and head coach Massimiliano Allegri will do his utmost to slow Real’s offensive juggernaut down.
Can Real score? They always score...
But before that, there is the second leg. Can Atletico do the unthinkable? They are priced at 6/4 to win on Wednesday night and restoring some pride will be their primary objective. In theory, an early goal could change things but it is difficult to envision Real NOT scoring right now; Zidane’s side have scored at least once in 60 consecutive matches.
In fact, the visitors are now just one game from equalling Bayern Munich’s record of netting in 61 successive contests. It would be very fitting for Real to accomplish this against Atletico, especially as it will eliminate any slim chance of the hosts advancing to the next stage of the competition.
Ronaldo to do more damage?
For me, 5/3 on Real is a little short considering their situation but their recent form against Atletico is solid. The 11-time European Cup winners have won three of the last four clashes involving the two sides, scoring three times in all three of those victories. With that in mind, and Ronaldo’s record in the Madrid derby, it may prove prudent to back a few goals.
The Portugal legend is well priced at 26/25 to score during Wednesday’s clash and Zidane’s side should see plenty of chances fall their way on the counter attack. Whilst he will be wary of risking any potential injuries in a pretty dead contest, the Real boss will be desperate to win and build momentum ahead of the impending trip to Cardiff.
Score prediction
A tough one to call. Atletico will have to come out and attack but Diego Simeone’s side will be wary of leaving themselves exposed at the back. I fancy both teams to score in what may end up being an entertaining affair. A score draw (1-1 @ 6/1) looks a decent shout...
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
A few years ago, I’d have been all over Ajax in this fixture. Unfortunately, the Dutch outfit aren’t the force that they were back then and Lyon will fancy their chances of advancing to the final in Stockholm. Ajax have been in decent form as of late but Lyon are much better than the vast majority of sides competing in Eredivisie.
Lyon have been simply sublime in Europe so far this season and the French side will be full of confidence ahead of their trip to Amsterdam. On paper, Lyon are marginally better, both in attack and defence, and I’d find it difficult to back against Bruno Genesio’s men over two legs. While they may find beating Ajax on home soil a step too far, there should be plenty of goals and the 33/25 available for Lyon to score two or more looks well priced.
With star striker Alexandre Lacazette in fine form, Lyon will be quietly confident of notching an away goal or two. If the French outfit can breach the Ajax defence early on, a goal-fest could be on the cards. Lacazette has 30 goals in 39 appearances this season and he is great value at 11/9 to add another to his tally on Wednesday evening.
TIP: Lyon to score over 1.5 goals @ 33/25
ANYTIME SCORER: Alexandre Lacazette @ 11/9
OUTSIDE CHANCE: Lyon to win and both teams to score @ 4/1
CELTA VIGO vs MANCHESTER UNITED
Celta Vigo have more or less given up in La Liga and they will place all of their efforts into winning the Europa League. On their day, the Spanish side are capable of holding their own against elite opposition but this could be a step too far. While they have secured positive results against Barcelona and Real Madrid in the past, their form this year has been patchy at best...
By the same token, United will more or less wave goodbye to their own hopes of finishing in the Premier League’s top four. The Red Devils were held to a 1-1 draw by Swansea City on Sunday and their best bet now may be to focus on winning the Europa League. With Marcus Rashford, scorer of United's late winner against Anderlecht in the previous round, leading the line, Jose Mourinho will be confident of coming away with a positive result.
At the time of writing, Rashford is 49/20 to score during 90 minutes on Thursday and United know that one away goal could be crucial in this contest. The iconic Zlatan Ibrahimović will miss the remainder of the campaign and Rashford has been tasked with leading the line. An away goal here will help to further boost his stock with United supporters.
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
With voting done far earlier than is desirable, Chelsea’s players dominate the PFA Player of the Year betting odds. Despite Spurs seeing four of their players named in the Team of the Year (Danny Rose, Kyle Walker, Harry Kane and Dele Alli), only one player – Kane – has been nominated for the main individual award.
Eden Hazard and N’golo Kante represent Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku for Everton, Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Manchester United and Alexis Sanchez for Arsenal. Kante and Hazard unsurprisingly lead the market, with Kante 1/10 to pick up the trophy as he closes in on his second successive Premier League winners medal. The Frenchman has experienced a late dip in form, but his dominance in midfield over the last two seasons has likely earned sufficient respect from his opponents to see him win it.
Hazard – who has scored 14 league goals already this season – is comfortable second favourite. Despite being 5/1 for the award, the 2014/15 winner is a decent bet from this market given his recent performances and mesmeric moments. Chelsea are still comfortable favourites for the Premier League title – understandably given their fixture list – and Hazard is undoubtedly the player that makes them tick in the final third. It would be a shock, but it’s not impossible Hazard pips his Chelsea team-mate to the award.
Oddly, Ibrahimovic sits in third place at 20/1. We are entering longshot territory with the Swede, even with his reputation and impact on Manchester United. Their apparent reliance on him might be of concern to Mourinho, but it is his missed chances that make it hard to envisage too many votes for the former Juventus man. His goal scoring exploits have been impressive, though, United’s underwhelming campaign does him no favours.
The real longshot (that has next to no chance of winning it) is Alexis Sanchez. Out at 50/1 after Arsenal’s turbulent second half of the season, the Chilean was a strong contender for the award up until Christmas when everything headed south for the Gunners.
The other two – Lukaku and Kane – are at 25/1 and 33/1 respectively. Both are nominated for the Young Player of the Year award, too, and have considerably better chances at taking that home unsurprisingly despite Dele Alli being clear favourite. The league’s two leading goal scorers might have to settle for a late golden boot duel rather than any PFA acclaim this time around.
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
