The Previews of the Weekend

Another week of breathtaking football has come and gone. It has provided its own victors and vanquished. The teams now look forward to their domestic league to pick up points and try and improve their placing.

EPL Previews

Stoke City (14) vs. Arsenal (3)

People talk about Stoke’s atmosphere, but it’s only for the ‘big’ games the fans seem up for… or maybe it’s just me. They’ll definitely class this as a big game and they’ll be up for it. They’ve ruffled a few Arsenal feathers a couple of times at the Brittania and they’ll look to continue that.
The away side has gone off the boil a bit- same as their captain, coincidence?- and they played a really uninspiring game against rivals Chelsea. That game ended in a nil-nil draw. The Gunners are three points ahead of fourth, albeit having played a game more, and they’ll realize the importance of picking maximum points here so they can stay clear of the chasing pack.
Draw…

Wigan Athletic (17) vs. Newcastle United (4)

Wigan have been in a good run of form for a while and that has seen them climb up the table making the relegation battle exciting in the process. They lost their last game so they’ll be looking to put one over Newcastle to maintain the gap between themselves and Bolton Wanderes who have played a game less.
You might have noticed that Newcastle didn’t feature here last week, that’s because they went into fourth with a routine win over Stoke while Spurs lost at Q.P.R. Newcastle seem to be hitting peak form at the right time of the season and they look like they could go on and snatch fourth place.
Away win…

Manchester City (2) vs. Manchester United (1)

City are three points behind United, they have a better goal difference, they seem to have found some form of rhythm and they are at home against their arch-rivals.
Away win…

La Liga BBVA

Real Madrid (1) vs. Sevilla (9)

Real Madrid will be reeling from defeat, on penalties, against Bayern Munich in midweek. Right now, all they have to win is the league and they have a handy seven point gap over second-placed Barcelona after last weekend’s Classico victory.
Sevilla are in with a chance of European competition and in seasons gone by, they might give Madrid a bit of stress.  If they concede less than four in this game, I’ll be shocked.
Home win…

Malaga (4) vs. Valencia (3)

Malaga are the rich kids of La Liga,  apart from the two giants of course, and this season seems like the one in which they’ll make the Champions League. They need the Champions league so they can lure quality players to the team.
As Malaga are the rich kids, Valencia are the not-so-rich kids (putting it mildly) and they usually sell their best player every season. Who’s next to go Soldado?
Home win…

Rayo Vallecano (15) vs. Barcelona (2)

Barcelona have announced that Pep Guardiola has decided not to renew his contract which ends at the end of the season. What else is there to be said relating to this game? Real Madrid will win the title if they beat Sevilla and Barcelona lose. I don’t see that happening.
Away win…

The "Welcome Back" Previews

After a hiatus of exactly two years, we are back. And this time, we’re here to stay…
Our last post was about a Premier League title race involving Manchester United and Chelsea (which the later won). How times have changed, Chelsea are in sixth place in the league and Manchester United are in a title race with Manchester City. I guess things haven’t changed completely.
Over in La Liga BBVA, things remain the same with a two-way battle between Real Madrid and Eternal rivals, Barcelona for the title.
EPL Previews

Arsenal (3) vs. Chelsea (6)
What a game to kick start the weekend of Premier League football in England: A London derby. Arsenal are seven points ahead of Chelsea having played a game more and they seem in firm control of the race for third. In Robin Van Persie, they have the league’s highest goal scorer and a player who scored a hattrick when both sides met back at Stamford Bridge.
For the away side, they just ‘dispatched’ Barcelona in midweek so one’s expects that they will be ‘buzzing’. One also expects that they would not have sufficiently recovered from Tuesday night’s effort. They will be without Didier Drogba who-it’s no shock honestly, what with always hitting the deck- is out with injury and will have to replace him with £50m Fernando Torres. Who wouldn’t want to have that kind of backup?
Home win…

Queens Park Rangers (17) vs. Tottenham Hotspurs (4)
QPR have taken some major ‘scalps’ at home recently and they’d want to continue that trend with a win against Spurs- the worst team in the division bar Wolves on recent form- and only a fool would bet against them. Not really, but you get the point. In Adel Taraabt, QPR have a mercurial not-very-dependable player, but on ‘his’ day, he could turn it on. What better day to do it than against the club that brought him to the Premier league?
Home win…

Manchester United (1) vs. Everton (7)
Looking for a home banker? Put some money on United turning over the Blues from Merseyside always. You’ll always win money. A lot has been said, and written, about United’s fantastic recent run so I won’t say too much. They’ll need to be focused and pick the three points available here so as to go into the Manchester derby with at least a five-point cushion at the top.
Home win…

Wolverhampton Wanderers (20) vs. Manchester City (2)
We can just assume that Wolves are down already and not talk about them. Instead we’ll focus on their visitors who’ll have that their city rivals drop some valuable points at home before they kick off.
City will be buoyed by the seeming return to form of David Silva and Sergio Aguero with the rather distasteful Carlos Tevez back in the team.
Away win…

LA Liga BBVA Preview

Barcelona (2) vs. Real Madrid (1)
Barcelona have been dominant over Real Madrid since Pep Guardiola took over the reins of the club from Dutchman Frank Rjikaard. Although they lost at Chelsea in Madrid, I think they’re still massive favourites to go through to the final (yeah, you read it here first). Yes, there may be some tired legs in the Catalan camp, Madrid will also have their own issues having lost away at Bayern in a game they should have lost by more.
The sub plot to this game *might* be the head-to-head duel between the dark side represented by Cristiano Ronaldo and the force of good represented by the saintly Lionel Messi.
Home win…

Valencia (3) vs. Real Betis (12)
I’ve always said I expected Unai Emery to be doing a little bit more with the players he’s got a Valencia. Yes, I do know he’s had to make do with selling players to clear debts. Yes, I do know that the Valencia fans are notoriously hard to please. Yes, the top two are literally* in a league of their own. But he should be doing much better than everyone else. He should have a healthy lead over fourth place. Maybe I’m writing this while high on the drug of over-expectation. Maybe.
Home win…

Osasuna (6) vs. Malaga (4)
The Paupers against the Rich kids?
Draw…

*Not really literally.