Weekend Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Preview
Hellas Verona vs Atalanta Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Preview
Action continues in the Italian Serie A as Hellas Verona welcome high-flying Atalanta to the Stadio Bentegodi on Saturday. With the match slated to go underway from 15:15 GMT, the Serie A fans will tune in to see which of the teams acquire all three points
The home side and their fans will be pleased with their performance this season given that it is their first season back in the top flight after relegating in the 17/18 season. They currently sit at 9th after thirty-three round of fixtures with a record of 11 wins and 11 draws against 11 losses, scoring 41 goals and conceding 41 goals during that time. Their main objective will be to maintain their place on the top 10 as they take on Gian Piero Gasperini’s side this weekend.
They’re going into this match-up following a 2-1 loss to 5th place AS Roma. They went behind by two goals in the first half courtesy of a Jordan Vertout penalty and a late Edin Dzeko strike. The team, however, came out of the first half break like a pack of wolves and they managed to nick a goal back in the 47th minute as Matteo Pessina put his team back in it. Ivan Juric and his men, however, couldn’t do enough to equalize as Roma held on to secure all three points. They will be looking to reverse their fortune this weekend against free-flowing Atalanta.
Gian Piero Gasperini and his side can’t stop scoring and are probably the best team in Europe at the moment. They have an outside chance at the Scudetto as they currently are in second place on the league standings behind Juventus who have a 7-point lead. This goal, however, isn’t totally in their own hands as they not only have to win all their remaining matches, but they also have to hope for a couple of slip-ups from the Old Lady.
They must be extremely high in confidence after mauling 19th place Brescia in a convincing 6-2 victory. Mario Pasalic put his team in front in the early stages. Brescia fought back with a goal of their own but after that, Atalanta absolutely ran away with it as Marten de Roon, Ruslan Malinovsky and Duvan Zapata put their names on the score sheet. They came into the second half with the same determination with Mario Pasalic netting two more goals and securing his first match-ball of the season.
In the reverse match earlier on this season, the Orobici also recorded a comprehensive 3-2 victory and will be looking to do the same this weekend. Hellas Verona, however, has a slightly better head-to-head record over the last 13 games with 6 wins out of those games. Atalanta, on the other hand, has just 5 wins in those games. They, however, have won the last three games against their opponents.
Ivan Juric would not be able to field star defender Marash Kumbulla following his injury in their last match against AS Roma. Salvatore Bocchetti, Pavel Dawidowicz and Andrea Danzi are also unavailable for the hosts. Gian Piero Gasperini and his side would travel without Luis Muriel as he’s out through injury. This gives Duvan Zapata the green light as he’s expected to start the match on Saturday.
Hellas Verona vs Atalanta Prediction
Atalanta will be looking to put some pressure on league leaders Juventus with another win and cut the lead to just four points. They go up against Ivan Juric and his men who are unbeaten at home in the last two games. However, with their current form, the Orobici are more than capable of beating anybody and are expected to record another victory this weekend.
Stoke City vs Brentford Predictions, Betting tips and Match Preview
Nine games are scheduled to kick off on Saturday afternoon with most of them in the traditional 15:00 slot. Before most games are played, there’s going to be an exciting match at the Bet365 Stadium as Stoke City take on Brentford from 14:00 GMT.
Brentford enter the weekend involved in a race for the second automatic qualification spot but it is only going to be a difficult task as their destiny isn’t totally in their own hands. They go into that match in 3rd place, two points behind second-placed West Brom. They have to win their remaining two games and hope for a slip-up from West Brom if they are to finish in the second position and escape the playoffs.
They’re coming off the back of a narrow 1-0 win against Preston North End courtesy of a first-half strike from Championship's top scorer Ollie Watkins. This win stretched their impressive run of form to 8 wins in a row. Can they secure another precious three points to stretch their winning run even further and put pressure on Slaven Bilic and his men ???
Stoke City, on the other hand, is currently 16th in the table. They go into round 44 of the season with 14 wins and 8 draws against 22 losses, scoring 57 and conceding 67 in the process. With 5 points off the relegation zone, they only need a draw to retain their championship status for next season.
They welcome Brentford following a 1-1 draw to Bristol City on Wednesday. Micheal O’Neal’s side was behind in the first half after Bristol City’s Filip Benkovic put his side in front in the latter stages. They started the second half fighting to get back into the game and they eventually did with a 64th-minute equalizer as James McClean set up Danny Batth. The match ended as both sides shared the spoils- a point earned rather than two points lost for Stoke City.
Followers of the away side enter with confidence and that is backed up by the stats associated with this fixture. Brentford secured a narrow 1-0 win against Stoke early this year with Emiliano Marcondes scoring the winner for his side. Brentford is now unbeaten in their last four games against their rivals winning two and drawing two. They will be looking to make that three wins from five on Saturday afternoon
Stoke City vs Brentford Prediction
This Match-up might be tricky for the hosts since their opponents are a lot better at home. However, Thoman Frank and his side are well worth backing judging by the fact that they also have a pretty decent away record to boot.
Norwich vs Burnley Predictions, Betting tips and Match Preview
The will be English top-flight action on Saturday as Burnley take on already-relegated Norwich City at Carrow Road. With kick-off set at 16:30 GMT, the away side who are jostling for a top-half finish will be looking to pick up the victory and further strengthen their claim.
The Clarets are currently 10th on the table after 36 round of fixtures with a record of 14 wins and 9 draws against 13 losses, scoring 40 and conceding 48 goals this campaign. They have been in good form of late as they are unbeaten in six games, picking up a couple of precious solitary points against Liverpool, Sheffield United and last time out against Wolves.
Their match at the Molineux ended in a 1-1 draw with both teams sharing the points in a very cagey encounter. Both teams seemed to cancel each other out in the first half and for most parts of the second. It wasn’t until the 76th minute when Wolves striker Raul Jimenez volleyed the ball in the back of the net. Nuno Espírito Santo and his men looked to have done everything to secure all three points until referee Mike Dean penalized Matt Doherty for handling the ball inside the penalty area. Chris Wood tucked away the penalty in the 96th minute to take a point for his side, damaging the Wolves faithful’s champions league dreams.
With regards to the Canaries, they have been utterly dreadful this season. Head coach Daniel Farke just couldn’t find his winning formula as they sit bottom of the table. Any team that wins just five of their 36 games so far should expect to be relegated but were earlier in the season, Norwich were playing some attractive football and putting in plucky performances to stay in touch, they really took a nosedive as their relegation was confirmed in the match last weekend against West Ham. They put up another poor performance as West Ham ran out 4-0 winners courtesy of an impressive Michail Antonio haul.
Teemu Pukki has 11 goals and Todd Cantwell has six but beyond them, not one player in yellow and green has managed to score more than a single goal in the Premier League this season.
When those two dry up, Norwich run out of ideas and it’s become all too easy to simply cancel Farke’s side out by keeping Pukki and Cantwell under wraps. They will, however, will be looking to give their fans something to cheer about as the side welcome Sean Dyche and his men on Saturday.
Matthew Lowton, Ashley Barnes, Ben Mee are all ruled out via injuries. Jay Rodriguez is doubtful for as he was taken off following a Calf injury on Wednesday. Daniel Farke wouldn’t be able to field Grant Hanley, Christoph Zimmermann, Sam Bryan and Moritz Leitner as they’re all nursing injuries.
Norwich City vs Burnley prediction
The reverse fixture ended in a 2-0 win for the Clarets. The Canaries, however, have a victory against their opponents under their belt as they knocked Sean Dyche’s team out in the FA Cup fourth round. Sean Dyche’s team is nonetheless expected to record a victory on Saturday.
Arsenal vs Man City Predictions, Betting tips and Match Preview
The first Semi final game of the FA Cup is set to take place as Arsenal take on holders Manchester City at the Wembley Stadium. With kick off set at 19:45 GMT, both sets of fans will tune in to this game hoping their side will do the most on their road to cup glory.
Manchester City won the title last season hammering Watford 6-0 at Wembley making it their 6th FA cup title. Arsenal on the other hand last won the title in 2017 but have won the coveted cup 13 times- the most by any English club
Arsenal recorded a monumental 2-1 win against already crowned champions Liverpool on Wednesday night. This will serve as a confidence boost as they managed to record their first win against the Reds in 11 games. Jurgen Klopp’s side took the lead early in the first half via a Sadio Mane strike. The Gunners, however, capitalized on a not-so-occasional error from Van Dijk as Alexander Lacazette picked up the loose ball and spotted it past Allison. Reiss Nelson then scored the goal to put his side in front following another mistake by the Liverpool goalie. The Gunners then managed to survive an onslaught on their goal in the second half to hold on for all three points. Arsenal beat Leeds United, Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Sheffield United in the FA Cup this season and they will be looking to enter the final and win the title for the 14th time.
Manchester City won their last match against Bournemouth 2-1 on Wednesday. David Silva and Gabriel Jesus gave Guardiola’s side a 2-0 lead heading into the first-half break. It wasn’t until the 88th minute that Bournemouth put their names on the score sheet through a David Brooks strike. This wasn’t however enough as the Cityzens held on for the three points.
The Cityzens have already lifted the EFL cup and will be looking to lift both the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League, having recorded a first-leg win away at Real Madrid in their last-16 tie. Guardiola and his men beat Fulham, Port Vale, Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle United in their bid to secure their seventh FA Cup on their history.
Arsenal will be without the services of Calum Chambers, Bernd Leno, Pablo Mari and Gabriel Martinelli through injuries. Starlet Eddie Nketiah will also be out via suspension. Mikel Arteta is expected to start with his top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on Saturday as he started the Liverpool game as a substitute on Wednesday. With regards to Guardiola, Sergio Aguero is still out through injury and wouldn’t play Saturday’s semi-final clash. Kevin De Bruyne, Aymeric Laporte was not started against Bournemouth and are expected to be back in the starting XI.
Judging by the team fielded by Mikel Arteta, it was obvious that he is prioritizing the FA Cup as it’s a direct path to qualifying for the Europa League. Man City, however, will be coming into this one with a far more superior head-to-head record with wins in the last seven meetings against their opponents in the League. Arsenals though won the last FA Cup meeting against their opponents with a 2-1 win in the semi-final of the 16/17 campaign. Will history repeat itself on Saturday ??
Arsenal vs Man City prediction
The game is expected to be tight from start to finish. The quality that Guardiola and his men possess is however expected to pull them through in the end.
