Death. Taxes. And Manchester United losing to Brighton and Hove Albion. On this edition of **The Good, The Bad, The Ugly,** we look at that game, Bayer Leverkusen’s excellent start to the season, Xavi Simons’ brilliant form, the Milan Derby and more, while giving out a few betting tips ahead of this week’s Champions League games. **The Good…** **Terem Moffi Destroys PSG** PSG must be sick of the sight of Nice’s Terem Moffi, and even Kylian Mbappé couldn’t stand the Nigerian striker. The reason is straightforward: a remarkable 11.63% of Moffi’s Ligue 1 goals have been scored against the reigning French champions. On Friday night, he netted twice and provided an assist as PSG suffered a humiliating defeat in front of their home fans. Interestingly, the standout moment of the game wasn’t either of his goals but rather it was his assist, which featured a few dazzling step-overs that left Danilo Pereira bewildered as he spun in circles before the Nigerian forward delivered a precise cross to Gaëtan Laborde. This result marks PSG’s first loss of the season, and with just 8 points from a possible 15, it is their worst start since the 2010/11 season, predating the Qatari takeover. PSG has showed vulnerabilities in their defense, and we expect they will concede in their upcoming UEFA Champions League match against Dortmund. That said, we also expect Kylian Mbappé to continue his impressive scoring form. On **BetKing**, we have the best odds for these props for our online sports betting community.
**Richarlison, The Unlikely Hero For Spurs** Who doesn’t love a good redemption story? Richarlison had endured his fair share of ridicule since joining Spurs last season, primarily because of his goal-scoring struggles. The turning point came during the international break when he was substituted in Brazil’s narrow 1-0 victory over Peru, and tears welled up as he made his way to the bench. Following that match, he openly discussed his intention to seek the help of a therapist, aiming to overcome the mental barriers that had plagued him during an embarrassing goal drought. On Saturday, those efforts appeared to bear fruit. Trailing Sheffield United 1-0 in the 98th minute, Richarlison emerged as the hero for Spurs, contributing a crucial goal and an assist that completely reversed the course of the game. In a remarkable twist, Spurs secured all three points in a match that stands as the latest Premier League comeback in history. This victory also marked Ange Postecoglou’s 50th unbeaten home league match (comprising 42 wins and 8 draws) across three different clubs: Yokohama F. Marinos, Celtic, and now Spurs. **Xavi Simons Shines For RB Leipzig… Again** In a world where players are frequently moving for hundreds of millions of pounds, one of the early standout signings of the summer has been a loan move. After Xavi Simons’ incredible season with PSV, where he finished as the joint-top scorer in the Eredivisie, PSG exercised their buy-back option, acquiring the Dutch forward for a mere €6 million, and promptly loaned him to RB Leipzig to provide him with valuable playing time, a decision that is currently paying off handsomely. Xavi Simons has made an impressive impact, scoring 3 goals and providing 4 assists in just 4 Bundesliga matches, and has registered a goal and an assist in his last 3 games in a row, including Saturday’s 3-0 win over Augsburg. RB Leipzig travel to Switzerland to face Young Boys in the UCL on Tuesday and one of our betting tips today is for them to score over 1.5 goals.
**Xabi Alonso Maintains Leverkusen’s Top Spot** Bayer Leverkusen sit on top of the Bundesliga on goal difference after grabbing a very late draw at Bayern. Twice the Bavarians took the lead through Harry Kane and Leon Goretzka and twice Leverkusen pulled level through Alex Grimaldo and Exequiel Palacios. It’s an incredible transformation in such a relatively short period that Spanish World Cup winner, Xabi Alonso should be proud of. When Alonso assumed the managerial role on October 5, 2022, Bayer Leverkusen was languishing, just one spot from the bottom of the Bundesliga standings, with just 5 points from 8 matches. Now, they find themselves in a strong position to secure a return to the Champions League next season and, perhaps, even put on a title challenge.
**Barcelona’s New Signings Shine** Barcelona secured a memorable 5-0 victory over Real Betis, marking their 18th win in 21 encounters against Los Verdiblancos. However, the spotlight of the match shone brightly on the club’s new Portuguese duo, João Félix and João Cancelo, who both scored on their full debuts for Los Cules. Adding to the goal fest, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha also contributed with a goal each, while Ferran Torres continued his fine form by scoring a cleverly taken free-kick. This free-kick was Barcelona’s first since 2021 (scored by none other than Lionel Messi). With an attack producing goals at will, our bet prediction ahead of the Catalan’s UCL fixture is for this trend to continue.
**The Bad…** **Atlético Madrid** In one of the puzzling results of the weekend, Atlético Madrid suffered their first defeat of the season away to Valencia, with the home side securing a convincing 3-0 victory. A series of comical defending saw Hugo Duro grab a first half brace before Javi Guerra put the game to bed with a sublime strike early in the second half. The result saw Atlético drop to 7th on the league standings, though they have a game in hand.
**Milan’s Struggles Against Inter Continue** Milan lost a record 5th Milan Derby in a row as Inter humiliated them on Saturday. Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored a brace while Marcus Thuram scored the goal of the game - a ferocious long range effort that left Mike Maignan looking helpless. Adding to Milan’s woes, former employee, Hakan Çalhanoğlu converted from the penalty spot, and Davide Frattesi poured salt on the wound with a late stoppage-time goal to make it 5-1. The result left a section of the fans calling for Stefano Pioli’s head, but it was always going to be a tough game, especially with Fikayo Tomori serving a suspension. Up next, the Rossoneri host Newcastle in the UCL and our betting tip is for both teams to find the back of the net.
**Juventus’ Off Pitch Woes** On the pitch, Juventus actually had a good weekend. [As predicted in last weekend’s preview,](https://m.betking.com/blog/betting-tips/weekend-betting-preview/) they beat Lazio (3-1) and, of course, hit the **Over 1.5 Goals** prop. However, off-pitch troubles are accumulating for the club. Beyond the concerning news of Paul Pogba testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone and facing a four-year ban, former players Leonardo Bonucci and Cristiano Ronaldo will take legal action against the team. Bonucci’s lawsuit is centered on claims of damages stemming from inadequate training conditions during the pre-season, which had a detrimental impact on the player’s image. Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s lawsuit revolves around unpaid wages, specifically the reported amount of over £17 million that he deferred during the Covid pandemic. Tough times for the Old Lady.
**The Ugly: Erik ten Hag’s Gameplan** **Dementors.** Ever heard of them? They’re dark, hooded creatures from the **Harry Potter series,** known for their ability to feed on the happiness and positive emotions of humans. Their presence induces an overwhelming sense of despair and hopelessness in those nearby, often leading to vivid and traumatic memories resurfacing. When a Dementor gets too close, individuals may experience a chilling cold and can even lose consciousness as their worst fears and memories consume them. If you’re a fan, watching Manchester United play can have this exact effect on you. If you’re a neutral, or a rival, you’re in luck! Watching the Red Devils play brings as much joy as watching Bradley Cooper’s **The Hangover**… part one, of course. Manchester United’s remarkable 13-month unbeaten streak at Old Trafford ended on Saturday evening when Brighton convincingly defeated them 3-1. This is the first time since the 1989/90 season that Man Utd have lost 3 of their first 5 Premier League games and, expectedly, the boos were heard as the final whistle came. The match showcased a tactical masterclass by De Zerbi, who completely outwitted Erik ten Hag, even though he rested six of the players who had contributed to their 3-1 victory over Newcastle just two weeks prior, including hat-trick hero Evan Ferguson. Brighton delivered Erik ten Hag’s first ever defeat on the opening day of last season and it felt poetic that they were the guys to end his 13-month streak. The game unfolded as expected with us [successfully hitting all three of our props](https://m.betking.com/blog/betting-tips/weekend-betting-preview/), but the extent of Brighton’s dominance was truly unexpected. This victory marked the Seagulls’ fourth consecutive win against Manchester United in the league, a feat achieved by only two other teams in Premier League history, bitter rivals Liverpool and Manchester City. Things could get worse for Erik ten Hag as his boys travel to Germany to face Bayern Munich - a team that hasn’t lost a Champions League group stage game in 5 years, winning 27 and drawing 3 in that process while averaging a staggering 3.2 goals per game in that period. Manchester United fans better learn how to conjure a Patronus.
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