After a thrilling round of midweek European matches, we’re back to domestic football on our screens. Excitement is brewing with the Milan Derby and El Clasico on the horizon, and then, there’s some FA Cup clashes to look forward to. And how could we forget the title race in England? Here are our football predictions on some of the key games this weekend.
Our picks: - Wolves & Arsenal to play out over 9.5 corners + over 3.5 cards in Bet builder. - Man. City to win & Phil Foden to score in Bet builder. - Muniz Rodrigo to score @ anytime vs Liverpool. - Man. United to beat Coventry, Marcus Rashford to score @ anytime and BTTS in Bet builder. - Vinicius Jr. to score @ anytime in Sunday’s El Clasico. - Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund to land you over 1.5 goals & over 8.5 corners in Bet builder. - PSG/Lyon to give you under 3.5 goals & under 10.5 corners in Bet builder. - Inter to beat AC Milan in the Milan derby + Lautaro Martinez to score @ anytime. This 8-game acca will land you ₦2,004,971.41 if you place a ₦500 bet. Now, read on to see why our experts have made these predictions.
**Wolves vs. Arsenal (EPL)** Arsenal head to the Molineux desperately needing a win. Despite a strong start to the season, their recent struggles in April suggest a worrying pattern. Two seasons ago in April, they suffered losses to Crystal Palace, Brighton, and Southampton, and these defeats would ultimately cost them a top-four finish. Last season, April brought another set of challenges with three draws and a heavy defeat to Manchester City, ultimately costing them the league title. This April follows a similar script. Despite two promising wins against Luton Town and Brighton, their Champions League exit at the hands of a supposedly weaker Bayern Munich side and a home loss to Aston Villa have seen them slip to second in the table. It’s a pattern Mikel Arteta would like to break, and facing Wolves, a team they’ve enjoyed a five-game winning streak against, might be the perfect opportunity to do that. The Gunners have scored in each of their last 32 games with Wolves across all competitions, matching their impressive record against West Brom. Their away form in the league has been exceptional, boasting five clean sheets - a feat not seen since 1997. Remarkably, they’ve maintained the tightest defense in the league this season, conceding the fewest goals (26) and keeping the most clean sheets (14). Meanwhile, Wolves have had a respectable season overall but have recently hit a rough patch. A humiliating FA Cup exit at the hands of Coventry City was followed by a four-game winless streak in the league, with two draws and two losses. With nothing to play for again this season, we don’t expect them to put up much of a challenge and we believe the Gunners would leave with all three points. Betting Tips
**Manchester City vs. Chelsea (FA Cup)** Pep Guardiola’s hopes of a double-treble were dashed on Wednesday night as his team fell to Real Madrid in a penalty shootout. Despite dominating possession, Manchester City found it difficult to break down a disciplined Los Blancos defense. While Bernardo Silva faced criticism for his missed penalty, perhaps luck simply wasn’t on City’s side. Now, their attention must be turned to retaining the FA Cup with a somewhat-in-form Chelsea awaiting them. Since their defeat to a depleted Liverpool side in the EFL Cup final, Chelsea seems to have turned things around... sort of. They’ve remained unbeaten in their last 8 games, winning 5 of those matches. What’s noteworthy is their impressive goal-scoring form during this period. With 26 goals in those 8 games, they’ve consistently found the back of the net, netting at least twice in each match, including a remarkable 6-0 thrashing of Everton. A standout performer during this streak is former Manchester City forward Cole Palmer who’s mounting a strong case for the PFA Player of the Year award, thanks to his lethal form in front of goal. Following his first senior hat-trick in the thrilling win over Manchester United, he bagged four goals in Chelsea’s dominant victory over Everton. Currently sharing the league’s top scorer title with Erling Haaland, he’ll be eager to continue his scoring form, especially against his former club. Speaking of Erling Haaland, the goals have dried up a bit. Two goals in seven games is hardly anything to set the alarm bells ringing for any footballer but, for Haaland, his standards are high. Perhaps, and we cannot believe we’re saying this, it’s best to stay away from the Norwegian for now. Nevertheless, a tight contest is expected. While Man City had a 6-game winning streak against the Blues coming into this season, their two meetings in the league have ended in draws. Pep Guardiola will, however, have the upper hand given his experience in this competition. Since taking the job at the Etihad, he has been to seven FA Cup semi-finals in eight years, with his 6-year streak a tournament record. Phil Foden has been the team’s best attacker this season and he’ll once again be leaned on ahead of this game. Betting Tips
**Fulham vs. Liverpool (EPL)** Jurgen Klopp’s farewell season isn’t going as smoothly as he would have hoped. Since lifting the EFL Cup shortly after his announcement to leave Liverpool at the end of the season, he has been eliminated from the FA Cup and Europa League, while dropping 5 points in the Premier League to slip from 1st to 3rd. With Manchester City not in league action this weekend, failure is not an option for the German if he is to leave the Reds with his second league title for them. Liverpool has a good record against Fulham in recent years. They’ve won 8 and drawn 2 of their last 11 meetings, with a 1-0 defeat at Anfield back in 2021, their sole loss to the Londoners. However, they’ve struggled to keep clean sheets at Craven Cottage which could be a worry. To find the Reds’ last league clean sheet when visiting Fulham, you’ll have to go as far back as April 2009 - exactly 15 years. Also, Liverpool has fallen behind in 21 of their 32 league games this season, which is a worrying stat for multiple reasons. When you factor in that Fulham has Rodrigo Muniz, the reigning EPL Player of the Month, who is itching to get back on the scoresheet after not doing so since he was officially handed the award, Jurgen Klopp’s side could be in for a long day. Betting Tips
**Coventry City vs. Manchester United (FA Cup)** The Red Devils have had a disastrous season, and most fans cannot wait for it to be officially over. From a humiliating early exit in the Champions’ League group stage to what might be their worst Premier League season statistically, disappointment has been a recurring theme week after week. However, amidst the turmoil, Manchester United still has a chance to salvage some pride with silverware at the end of the season... if they can avoid self-sabotage. In what will mark their record-extending 32nd FA Cup semi-final appearance, the Red Devils are deemed favourites against Championship side Coventry. Nevertheless, they must approach the match with caution to ensure they don’t squander the opportunity. This will be Coventry City’s second ever FA Cup semi-final, though the last time they were at this stage (1986/87), they won the trophy. Last season, they narrowly missed out on promotion after losing to Luton Town on penalties and they’ve struggled to replicate that form this season. However, they’ve made up for it with a brilliant FA Cup run, highlighted by a remarkable 3-2 victory over Wolves at the Molineux Stadium in the derby. One player worth keeping an eye on is American forward Haji Wright, who has notched up 17 goals and 7 assists in all competitions this season, including two goals in the FA Cup. Erik ten Hag is skating on thin ice at Manchester United, with many believing that he will be sacked in May. But, if he is to stay on for a third season, then he’ll have to deliver a win at Wembley. The club undoubtedly has the players to do this. The big question is do they have the right tactics? One of our betting tips is for them to get the job done in a high-scoring game, with Rashford also to get on the scoresheet. Thanks to our Bet Builder, you can get this for the best odds on BetKing. Betting Tips
**Real Madrid vs. Barcelona (LaLiga)** As both clubs gear up for the third El Clasico of the season, contrasting emotions fill the air. Real Madrid’s triumph over reigning European champions Manchester City at the Etihad, securing their spot in the Champions League semi-final, was fuelled by stellar defensive play, and may now view them as favourites for the tournament. Barcelona, meanwhile, blew a two-goal aggregate lead against PSG, as they were humbled 4-1 in front of their home crowd. Adding to their woes, İlkay Gündoğan’s public criticism of Ronald Araujo following the latter’s early sending off has stirred tension within the squad, potentially creating a sense of disarray in the dressing room. Real Madrid has an 8 point lead in LaLiga and are well aware that victory on Sunday would see them take a huge step towards being crowned La Liga winners. In their two previous meetings this season, they’ve come out on top with Jude Bellingham scoring a brace in the league meeting and Vinicius Jr. scoring a memorable first-half hat-trick in the Supercopa de España final. A third win over their arch-rivals would extend their lead to 11 points at the top of the table, allowing them to shift their focus to securing their third piece of silverware of the season and pursuing a record-extending 15th Champions League title. Xavi received his third red card of the season as his team struggled to maintain composure in the defeat against PSG. With the club legend set to depart at the end of the season, he’ll be eager to secure a victory against his old foes. However, it won’t be a simple task, as Real Madrid hasn’t tasted defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu since April 8th of last year. While Barcelona need the win more and have the advantage of fresher legs, given Real Madrid’s extra-time match on Wednesday, we doubt their ability to secure all three points against Carlo Ancelotti’s side. Betting Tips
**Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga)** Both teams enter this match in buoyant spirits, knowing that dropped points wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Dortmund secured a remarkable and well-deserved victory over Atletico Madrid to clinch a spot in the Champions League semi-finals. Adding to their delight, their current 5th position in the Bundesliga standings might secure them a place in next season’s Champions League, thanks to the strong overall performance of German teams in European competitions this season. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen comes into the match on the back of a hard-earned draw in the Europa League against West Ham, extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to an impressive 44 games and, more importantly, earning them a ticket to the semi-final, and a chance for a potential treble. Xabi Alonso faces a challenging task as he aims to maintain an unbeaten record in the Bundesliga. Dortmund is the only team he has yet to defeat since taking the job, having drawn once and lost the other encounter. The newly crowned Bundesliga champions have shown resilience throughout the season, often staging late comebacks. However, they will be mindful of not overstretching their squad at this stage of the season, considering the ongoing DFB Pokal and Europa League competitions. On the other hand, Dortmund has shown improved form in the league, securing 5 wins in their last 6 games—equalling their number of wins in the previous 15 games. While a 5th place finish might be enough for a return to the UEFA Champions League next season, they aim to finish as high as possible. With recent victories over Bayern and Atletico, they have proven themselves as a team to be reckoned with. Betting Tips
**Paris Saint-Germain vs. Lyon (Ligue 1)** No team in Europe has had a more impressive turnaround than Lyon over the past 4 months. At one point this season, they languished at the bottom of the Ligue 1 table, facing the looming threat of relegation. Credit is due to their owners for making bold decisions during the winter transfer window. They made significant investments, bringing in 8 new signings, including Nigeria’s Gift Orban. Since then, Lyon has climbed from relegation contenders to the 5th position in the league, just two points shy of a Europa Conference League spot. Even more impressive is their brilliant cup run which will see them face PSG in the final. So, consider this a dress-rehearsal of some sort. With a 10-point lead in the league and a game in hand, PSG’s league form has been that of a team with other priorities. While they’ve secured key wins in the French Cup (against Rennes) and the Champions League (against Barcelona), their league form has been average at best. They’ve won just two of their last 5 games, drawing three. Also, Lyon have won on two of their last three visits to Parc des Princes, as many wins as they’ve had in the previous 21 visits. With Kylian Mbappé likely to drop back to the bench as Luis Enrique continues his power play against the Les Blues captain, our bet of the day is for Lyon to leave the nation’s capital with a point in a tightly contested and low-scoring game. Betting Tips
**Milan vs. Inter (Serie A)** Inter have won each of the last 6 Milan derbies across all competitions, a club record. They’ll have the chance to extend that to 6 in a row, something that has been done against them twice in the past; first between 1911 and 1913 and then between 1946 and 1948. There’s no better time than the present to achieve this with their bitter rivals very low on confidence. Milan are coming off a Europa League loss to 10-man AS Roma, which saw them miss out on a chance to advance to the semi-final. Also, there’s the added incentive that victory on Sunday would see Inter officially win the Scudetto. Having their neighbours get front row tickets to their coronation is something Inter will be dreaming of and we expect them to go all out for this win. That said, Milan are actually on a fine run of league form. With just one defeat in their last 17 Serie A games, they’ve soared up to second on the standings and have all but guaranteed a spot in next season’s Champions League. Olivier Giroud has also continued to, permit the cliche, age like fine wine. He leads the team in league goals (13) while his 8 assists are the joint-best in the entire league. Christian Pulisic is another player enjoying a fine season. Since joining from Chelsea, the American forward has scored 13 goals and provided 7 assists. However, facing an Inter team that has conceded the fewest goals in Europe’s top leagues, with only 17 goals conceded in 32 games, we’re inclined to predict a victory for the Nerazzurri. Betting Tips
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