1. Tottenham vs Liverpool
Tottenham has regained their form since Antonio Conte took over in November. Spurs have 3 wins and 1 draw under the Italian manager. After back-to-back clean sheet wins against Norwich and Brentford, they sit seventh in the Premier League standings.
Liverpool is in second, one point shy of the leading Manchester City. The Reds have won the last eight games in all competitions and eight of the last ten against Tottenham. Seven of their last ten head-to-heads have seen at least three goals. Liverpool has scored in their last 46 games and that run will not stop in London on Sunday.
2. Barcelona vs Elche
Winning 3-1 against Villareal on the road was a sign that things were heading in a better direction for Barcelona but they have failed to win in the next three games. Last week, they drew 2-2 against Osasuna after allowing a late goal.
Only a win will be acceptable on Saturday when Elche visits Camp Nou. Barcelona has won the last ten games against Elche and continuing that run will definitely help to improve from eighth place on the table.
Elche is 16th with 3 wins in 17 rounds and are only two points away from the relegation zone.
3. Sevilla vs Atletico Madrid
Sevilla is having one of the best seasons in La Liga in recent years, currently standing in second place, 8 points shy of the leading Real Madrid. After failing to advance in the Champions League, Jorge Sampaoli’s team will fully focus on La Liga. The reigning champions Atletico Madrid made it to the next stage of the elite competition but have lost the last two games in La Liga, one against Real Madrid and the other against Mallorca. They are in fourth place in the standings. Five of the last six games between these two have finished under 2.5 goals.
4. Bologna vs Juventus
Juventus is struggling this season in Serie A, currently standing in seventh place with a 12 points deficit compared to league leaders Inter Milan. Manager Massimiliano Allegri is under pressure after the team failed to win last week in Venice where they played to a 1-1 draw. The game in Bologna is a must-win for the ‘Bianconeri’. Juventus has won the last 11 games against Bologna veho sit in tenth place, four points fewer than Juve. The last time these two teams met in Bologna, Juventus won by 4-1. Sinisa Mihajlovic’s team has lost the last two Serie A games against Torino and Fiorentina.
5. AC Milan vs Napoli
Two of the top four teams in Serie A will face each other on Sunday evening in Milan. The home team is second in the standings with 39 points, only one point shy of their inter-city rival. Napoli started the season with 9 wins but has dropped significantly. They currently is fourth with 36 points. Both teams failed to win in the last round. AC Milan scored in the last minutes for a 1-1 draw in Udinese while Napoli lost 1-0 at home to Empoli. Two of the last five games between these two have ended in a draw.
WORDS: Marko Mitevski.