THE SHOTS TO TAKE THIS WEEKEND
Friday is here, and depending on your definition of the weekend, we may be in it.
Friday, April 12, 2024
🏴 Bobby Moore would’ve turned 83, 🇿🇦 Lucas Radebe turns 55, 🇮🇹 Christian Panucci turns 51, 🇦🇷 Nicolás Burdisso turns 43, 🇯🇵 Hiroki Sakai turns 34, 🇦🇷 Guido Rodríguez turns 30, 🇵🇱 Przemysław Frankowski turns 29.
🇮🇹 Lazio vs. Salernitana (italian serie a):
Bottom-table Salernitana has two league wins this season, and the first came in a 2-1 home victory against Lazio. Lazio has the opportunity to bounce back at home from last round’s Derby della Capitale defeat to Roma, and also redeem themselves by avenging the 2-1 away loss to Salernitana.
🇵🇹 Gil Vicente vs. Sporting CP (portuguese primeira liga):
With a game in hand and a four-point lead in the Primeira Liga title race, Sporting CP will aim to maintain their advantageous position with another victory. They emerged as 3-1 winners at home against Gil Vicente in the reverse fixture, so they will strive to replicate that result away from home. Gil Vicente has not secured a win in their last six league matches, with the most recent three ending in defeats.
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Saturday, April 13, 2024
🇩🇪 Rudi Völler turns 64, 🇪🇸 Carles Puyol turns 46 🇨🇱 Claudio Bravo turns 41 🏴 Neco Williams turns 23.
🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid vs. Girona (spanish la liga) –
After 30 rounds of the Spanish La Liga, Girona enjoys a 5-point lead over Atletico Madrid. Girona’s position isn’t currently under threat, and they are already exceeding expectations. However, Atletico Madrid is at risk of losing their position if Athletic Club secures a win against Villarreal.
🇪🇸 Mallorca vs. Real Madrid (spanish la liga) –
Real Madrid holds an 8-point cushion in the La Liga title race that they aim to improve or at least maintain with a win at Mallorca.
It was a narrow 1-0 victory for Real Madrid in the reverse fixture. Now, they travel to Mallorca in pursuit of securing league points. Their previous visit to Mallorca resulted in a 1-0 defeat.
🇪🇸 Cádiz vs. Barcelona (spanish la liga) –
It was a good midweek for Barcelona as they came out of Paris with a 3-2 lead in the first leg tie of their Champions League quarterfinal with Paris St. Germain. Barcelona will aim to maintain pressure on Real Madrid by securing a victory against a Cadiz side desperate for points to climb out of the relegation zone.
🏴 Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur (english premier league) –
Tottenham and Aston Villa are both tied on 60 points, but Tottenham has a game in hand. To capitalize on this advantage, Tottenham must secure a win at Newcastle and/or rely on Arsenal to defeat Aston Villa, ensuring the value of their postponed match.
🏴 Manchester City vs. Luton Town (english premier league) –
Manchester City will look to put pressure on Arsenal and Liverpool by starting off with a home win against Luton Town, who are fighting to avoid relegation. The reverse fixture ended in a 2-1 win for Manchester City, but the most recent meeting between the two teams was in the FA Cup fifth round, where Manchester City emerged as 6-2 winner.
🇮🇹 Torino vs. Juventus (italian serie a) –
A Turin derby awaits us – it might be a one-sided local rivalry, but we eagerly anticipate whether the underdogs can surprise us. Torino will host Juventus for the Derby della Mole. The last time Torino secured a victory against Juventus was a 2-1 league win at home in 2015. Prior to that, Torino last won against Juventus with a league double in the 1994/95 season.
🇮🇹 Bologna vs. Monza (italian serie a) –
Bologna is four points away from 3rd place and holds a three-point lead over the 5th place. They will aim for a victory against Monza to maintain their grip on fourth place. The reverse fixture concluded in a goalless draw.
[Bayern Munich and Stutgart are even on points, chasing 2nd place.]
[RB Leipzig and Dortmund are even on points, chasing 4th place.]
🇩🇪 Bayern Munich vs. FC Köln (german bundesliga) –
Bayern Munich defied the odds and clinched the league title last season with a victory away against FC Koln. However, this season, they face the risk of losing the league with a defeat at home to FC Koln. While there is very little Bayern Munich can do to prevent Bayer Leverkusen from becoming champions, they can at least postpone it for a day by defeating FC Koln.
Bayern Munich’s recent form has been concerning, with their last two league games resulting in a 2-0 defeat at home to Dortmund and a loss after blowing a 2-goal lead to Heidenheim. Additionally, they settled for a midweek 2-2 draw in the Champions League against Arsenal. This means Bayern Munich has gone three matches without a win, suffering consecutive league defeats in the process.
🇩🇪 Stuttgart vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (german bundesliga) –
Stuttgart is level on points with Bayern Munich, both competing for second place in the league. While it would be beneficial if Bayern Munich drops more points, Stuttgart will be determined to secure a victory at home against Frankfurt to remain in contention for the second place.
🇩🇪 Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Borussia Dortmund (german bundesliga) –
In the Borussen derby, Monchengladbach finds themselves 22 points behind Dortmund. However, historically, their best results against Dortmund have come when they were playing at home, which is where they will be this weekend.
🇩🇪 RB Leipzig vs. Wolfsburg (german bundesliga) –
RB Leipzig holds a 25-point lead over Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga standings. Despite the considerable gap between the two teams, Wolfsburg emerged as 2-1 winners in the reverse fixture. Additionally, they knocked RB Leipzig out of the DFB Pokal in the second round with a 1-0 victory.
🇳🇱 PSV Eindhoven vs. Vitesse (dutch eredivisie) –
Nine points clear in the Eredivisie title race, with a maximum of 15 more points left for each club, PSV Eindhoven has the opportunity to further solidify their position. A win against Vitesse would bring them even closer to securing the title, considering the significant lead they already hold. With Vitesse currently at the bottom of the league standings, the outcome of the match seems heavily in favor of PSV Eindhoven.
🇵🇹 Vitória de Guimarães vs. Farense (portuguese primeira liga) –
Vitória de Guimarães will exert pressure on Porto and Braga to secure victories in their respective matches if they manage to defeat Farense.
🇵🇹 Porto vs. Famalicão (portuguese primeira liga) –
After suffering defeats against Estoril and Vitória de Guimarães, Porto will be aiming to avoid a third consecutive league loss when they face Famalicao.
Famalicao, who have remained undefeated in their last three matches, are seeking their third consecutive league victory in this streak.
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Sunday, April 14, 2024
🇮🇹 Nicola Berti turns 57 🇦🇷 Roberto Ayala turns 51 🇫🇷 Matteo Guendouzi turns 25
🏴 Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace (english premier league) –
Liverpool trails in the title race by goal difference. It wasn’t a good midweek for Liverpool after they fell flat in a 3-0 home defeat against Atalanta in the Europa League quarterfinal first leg. Liverpool will look for a home win against Crystal Palace to make amends for the midweek defeat. The reverse fixture ended in a 2-1 win for Liverpool.
🏴 Arsenal vs. Aston Villa (english premier league) –
It’s a must-win for Arsenal to maintain their top spot if Manchester City and/or Liverpool come out of their weekend ties with points. Aston Villa emerged as 1-0 winners in the reverse fixture. It’s now up to Arsenal to settle the score by winning at home.
🇪🇸 Las Palmas vs. Sevilla (spanish la liga) –
Pre-season expectations likely did not anticipate this turn of events, but Las Palmas currently sits 6 points ahead of Sevilla in the standings. While mathematically both teams are within the relegation zone, the likelihood of relegation is slim. Nonetheless, securing points is crucial for both teams to further diminish the probability of relegation.
🇪🇸 Athletic Club vs. Villarreal (spanish la liga)-
The newly crowned Copa del Rey champions, Athletic Club, will host Villarreal at home. They will aim for a victory that will bolster their pursuit of a top 4 finish in the league.
🇮🇹 Napoli vs. Frosinone (italian serie a) –
Napoli’s victory against Monza marked their first league win in four games. While Napoli has no chance of retaining the league title, they will aim to build on their success against Monza with another win against Frosinone, a team currently in the relegation zone.
🇮🇹 Sassuolo vs. AC Milan (italian serie a) –
AC Milan will be expected to secure a win against relegation-threatened Sassuolo to keep the competition alive in the Serie A title race with their city rivals Inter Milan, who currently sit 14 points clear.
🇮🇹 Udinese vs. Roma (italian serie a) –
Roma looks to follow their Rome derby win with another victory as they travel to Udine to face Udinese.
🇮🇹 Inter Milan vs. Cagliari (italian serie a) –
14 points clear at the top of the table, Inter Milan will aim for a home victory against Cagliari to further solidify their position and edge closer to clinching the Scudetto.
🇩🇪 Bayer Leverkusen vs. Werder Bremen (german bundesliga)-
All Bayer Leverkusen needs to do is win at home and celebrate their first league title in history. They will face Werder Bremen, a side currently in the bottom half of the league standings.
🇫🇷 Lyon vs. Brest (french ligue 1) –
Brest is one of the teams contributing to keeping the competition alive in the Ligue 1 title race. They currently hold second place, trailing Paris Saint-Germain by 10 points. Brest will require a victory against Lyon to try and maintain pace with PSG. Lyon, despite a dreadful start to their season, has been showing signs of improvement and picking up good form lately.
🇳🇱 Fortuna Sittard vs. Feyenoord (dutch eredivisie) –
It was a goalless draw in Rotterdam when Feyenoord faced Fortuna Sittard in the reverse fixture. Feyenoord, coming off a remarkable 6-0 victory against Ajax, will aim to continue their winning streak with another win by beating Fortuna Sittard.
🇳🇱 Ajax vs. Twente (dutch eredivisie) –
Ajax will be at home, seeking to recover from the crushing ‘6-0’ defeat they suffered against Feyenoord in the last round. However, it won’t be an easy task as they face third-placed FC Twente. A defeat in this match could potentially see Ajax drop out of the top 6 in the Eredivisie standings, if Go Ahead Eagles secure a win against Utrecht.
🇵🇹 Benfica vs. Moreirense (portuguese primeira liga)-
Benfica will be eager to swiftly bounce back from their Lisbon derby defeat to Sporting CP when they host Moreirense. In the reverse fixture, the two teams played out a goalless draw, but Benfica will be aiming for more than just a point this time because their slim chance of defending their league title depends on it.
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Monday, April 15, 2024
🇳🇬 Finidi George turns 53 🇨🇭 Remo Freuler turns 32.
🏴 Chelsea vs. Everton (english premier league)-
Everton has faced sufficient setbacks to potentially relegate them, but they currently hover above the relegation zone, largely due to the struggles of this season’s promoted clubs who seem eager to return to the lower divisions.
Chelsea, on the other hand, has invested significantly in players and contracts, yet finds themselves languishing in mid-table without any real contention for the league title.
The two sides are set to meet at Stamford Bridge on Monday.
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THE PREVIOUS ROUND IN EUROPE’S TOP 7 LEAGUES:
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The top seven European league
🏴 PREMIER LEAGUE: Liverpool dropping two points in a 2-all draw against Manchester United has reshaped the title race again. Arsenal is now top of the table, level on points with Liverpool (71), while defending champions Manchester City are third, trailing the two by a point. Tottenham moved up a position to 4th, on equal points with Aston Villa, who dropped down to 5th.
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🇪🇸 LA LIGA: La Liga resumes after a weekend off for the Copa del Rey final. Real Madrid finds themselves pursued by Barcelona in the title race, while Atletico Madrid is in pursuit of Girona for third place.
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🇮🇹 SERIE A: The top three teams in the league standings secured victories this round, maintaining Inter Milan’s lead in the title race at 14 points with 7 more rounds remaining in the season. Napoli climbed up to 7th position with a win over Monza, while Lazio slipped down to 8th place after their defeat in the Rome derby.
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🇩🇪 BUNDESLIGA: Bayer Leverkusen’s lead grew to 16 points after securing a win at Berlin, while Bayern Munich suffered a defeat in Heidenheim. With only 6 rounds remaining in the season, Bayer Leverkusen is now just one win away from clinching the championship. They could achieve this even sooner if Bayern Munich unexpectedly lose at home to FC Koln.
Last season, Bayern Munich clinched the league title against all odds with a victory away against FC Koln. This year, they risk losing the league with a defeat at home to FC Koln.
RB Leipzig climbed to 4th position with a win at Freiburg, pushing Dortmund down to 5th after their loss at home to Stuttgart. With Stuttgart’s victory, they are now level on points with Bayern Munich.
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🇫🇷 LIGUE 1: Paris St. Germain’s lead in the title race was reduced by two points after they dropped points in a draw with bottom-tabled Clermont. They remain with a healthy 10-point lead with 6 more rounds of the season to go.
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🇳🇱 EREDIVISIE: Ajax dropped to 6th position after suffering a heavy 6-0 defeat by Feyenoord. NEC Nijmegen claimed 5th place with a comfortable win over Vitesse, who now find themselves at the bottom of the league standings, replacing Volendam. PSV Eindhoven maintained their 9-point lead with a victory that widened the gap between AZ Alkmaar and third place.
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🇵🇹 PRIMEIRA LIGA: Sporting CP extended their lead in the Primeira Liga title race by defeating their sole competitors, Benfica. The gap now stands at 4 points, and if they maintain consistency with victories, they will secure the league title by a margin of at least 7 points.
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THE TITLE RACE IN THE TOP 7 LEAGUES:
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen with a 16-point lead.
🇮🇹 Serie A: Inter Milan with a 14-point lead.
🇫🇷 Ligue 1: Paris Saint-Germain with a 10-point lead.
🇳🇱 Eredivisie: PSV Eindhoven with a 9-point lead.
🇪🇸 La Liga: Real Madrid with a 8-point lead.
🇵🇹 Primeira Liga: Sporting CP with a 4-point lead and a game in hand.
🏴 Premier League: Liverpool lead on equal points with Liverpool, with both having a 1-point lead on Manchester City.
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HIGHLIGHTED FIXTURES
Your football watchlist for this weekend:
Apr 12.
🇮🇹 Lazio vs. Salernitana (italian serie a)
🇳🇱 Excelsior vs. Volendam (dutch eredivisie)
🇵🇹 Gil Vicente vs. Sporting CP (portuguese primeira liga)
Apr 13.
🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid vs. Girona (spanish la liga)
🇪🇸 Mallorca vs. Real Madrid (spanish la liga)
🇪🇸 Cádiz vs. Barcelona (spanish la liga)
🏴 Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur (english premier league)
🏴 Manchester City vs. Luton Town (english premier league)
🇮🇹 Torino vs. Juventus (italian serie a)
🇮🇹 Bologna vs. Monza (italian serie a)
🇩🇪 Bayern Munich vs. FC Köln (german bundesliga)
🇩🇪 Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Borussia Dortmund (german bundesliga)
🇩🇪 RB Leipzig vs. Wolfsburg (german bundesliga)
🇩🇪 Stuttgart vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (german bundesliga)
🇳🇱 PSV Eindhoven vs. Vitesse (dutch eredivisie)
🇳🇱 AZ Alkmaar vs. RKC Waalwijk (dutch eredivisie)
🇵🇹 Vitória de Guimarães vs. Farense (portuguese primeira liga)
🇵🇹 Porto vs. Famalicão (portuguese primeira liga)
Apr 14.
🇪🇸 Las Palmas vs. Sevilla (spanish la liga)
🇪🇸 Granada vs. Alavés (spanish la liga)
🇪🇸 Athletic Club vs. Villarreal (spanish la liga)
🏴 Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace (english premier league)
🏴 Arsenal vs. Aston Villa (english premier league)
🇮🇹 Napoli vs. Frosinone (italian serie a)
🇮🇹 Sassuolo vs. AC Milan (italian serie a)
🇮🇹 Udinese vs. Roma (italian serie a)
🇮🇹 Inter Milan vs. Cagliari (italian serie a)
🇩🇪 Bayer Leverkusen vs. Werder Bremen (german bundesliga)
🇫🇷 Lyon vs. Brest (french ligue 1)
🇳🇱 Fortuna Sittard vs. Feyenoord (dutch eredivisie)
🇳🇱 Ajax vs. Twente (dutch eredivisie)
🇳🇱 NEC Nijmegen vs. PEC Zwolle (dutch eredivisie)
🇵🇹 Benfica vs. Moreirense (portuguese primeira liga)
Apr 15.
🏴 Chelsea vs. Everton (english premier league)
🇵🇹 Vizela vs. Chaves (portuguese primeira liga)
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