The Last Previews of The Season

It’s the finale in the Premier League and La Liga BBVA this weekend.  Although, the title race is over in Spain, the race has gone down the wire in England.

EPL Preview

Manchester City (1) vs. Queens Park Rangers (17)

The home side only needs to make sure their result here is not bettered by their rivals, Manchester United, to claim their first league title in aeons. Only a fool will bet against them claiming all three points here even though QPR will be desperate and Mark Hughes might want to prove a point.
For Mark Hughes side, they need to win to be certain of staying up. If they lose, and Bolton win at Stoke, they go down. If they draw, and Bolton win by a hatful at Stoke, they’ll go down, depending on how many goals are involved (GD: QPR: -22, Bolton:-31). So clearly, there’s a lot riding on this game.

Home win…

Sunderland (11) vs. Manchester United (2)

Sunderland might not have much to play for (except for a few millions from playing higher) but that didn’t stop Norwich from pissing on Arsenal’s chips or West Ham United from stopping Manchester United in THAT race against Blackburn Rovers.
United know what to do: win, score a lot of goals (double figures) and hope that if City win, they don’t win by more than the odd goal (GD: City 63, United 55). The more likely scenario that will play out if United are to win the league is that the better City’s result.
Unlikely.

Away win…

Tottenham Hotspurs (4) vs. Fulham (9)

A victory here for Spurs win guarantee progress into the qualifying stages of the Champions League. Harry Redknapp might do all his best to talk up fourth place but considering they were in control of third place for almost eternity, surely fourth will be disappointing. It could be worse, they could drop points here and allow the Toon army sneak in with a win at in-form Everton.
Fulham’s away record is not the stuff of legends and worse still, their record at White Hart Lane isn’t the best, but Spurs are pretty inconsistent. Hard to call, this…

Home win…

West Bromwich Albion (10) vs. Arsenal (3)

Roy Hodgson’s last game as West Brom manager and it’s a home. He’ll want to end it on a high. The fans will want to give him a decent farewell too. They can’t finish above tenth but they can drop as low as 14th depending on if ridiculous amounts of goals are scored/ conceded on Sunday. Realistically, though, they’ll finish between twelfth and tenth. He’s made a yoyo team into a mid-table team. That’s decent work from him.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have to win to be certain of third place.

Draw…

La Liga BBVA Preview

Real Sociedad (14) vs. Valencia (3)

Valencia finish the season in third place. This is their manager’s last game in charge. They might want to give him a rousing send off, or maybe they won’t. They are probably bored of him.

Away win…

Real Betis (12) vs. Barcelona (2)

Pep’s last league game with Barcelona: what are the odds on him returning?

Away win…

Real Madrid (1) vs. Mallorca (6)

Nothing-to-play Madrid against Europa-chasing Mallorca?

Home win…

Malaga (4) vs. Sporting (19)

With Malaga needing a win to get into the Champions League qualifying stages,

…that’s what they’ll get.

The Weekend’s Previews

 

Real Madrid Jose Mourinho has just wrapped up the La Liga title. What a fantastic season it’s been for him. He must be fatigued from having to play against the other nineteen teams in La Liga all on his own…

EPL Preview

Arsenal (3) vs. Norwich city (14)

Embroiled in a three-way tussle for third, the gunners can ill afford to lose any more points in their last two games. They have a point more, and better goal difference, than their rivals, so, clearly, they’re the favourites for third. This weekend, they team already safe with the players’ minds clearly set on holidays.

Home win…

Newcastle United (5) vs. Manchester City (1)

This, undoubtedly, is the game of the weekend in England: two in-form teams going against each other in a game pivotal in the season of both. Newcastle go into the game knowing Arsenal’s result the previous day. If Arsenal fail to win, they’ll love to better Arsenal’s result to set up a mighty battle for third on the final day. Having just defeated Chelsea on their own turf for the first time in a billion years, it’s hard to bet against them…

But they face a City side that will have all of the best feelings in them after beating the defending champions, and fierce rivals, at home to go top of the table. The game could be explosive. Or it could be drab.

Draw…

Aston Villa (15) vs. Tottenham Hotspurs (4)

A couple of wins over relegation battlers has seen Spurs halt their dismal run of form and get back on track in the race for third. And they face another relegation battler. Surely, there’s only one outcome here?

Away win…

Manchester united (2) vs. Swansea City (12)

They’ve wobbled. They’ve lost to Wigan, drawn with Everton and lost to City. They’ve lost the lead at the top in the process. Now, their destiny is not in their own hands. They’ll watch city’s game at the Sports Direct Arena with plenty of interest and hope City drop points before they face Swansea who, like Norwich, are comfortable with nothing really to play for.

Home win…

La Liga BBVA Preview

Athletico Madrid (6) vs. Malaga (4)

The home side has an outside chance of finishing fourth. They have to hope that Malaga pick up only one point from their remaining matches and Levante fail to win their two matches while they win both their matches.

This weekend, they have a chance of doing something about that: beat Malaga and win a game. If they do that, it’s game on in the battle.

Draw…

Barcelona (2) vs. Espanyol (13)

The league title chase is over. That won’t stop the home team from pissing on the away side in this Catalan derby.

Home win…

Granada (15) vs. Real Madrid (1)

Having finally won the league title-he’s won a league title in four different countries- Jose Mourinho will take a rest and give some playing time to some under-used players like Cristiano Ronaldo who’ll make an attempt to catch Leo Messi in the race for the pichichi.

Away win…

Valencia (3) vs. Villarreal (16)

A couple of years back, this game would be a clash between the third best team in La Liga and the fourth best team. Hell, the away side was in the group stages of the Champions League this season. How it seems like such a long time ago now.

Valencia have stumbled to the finish line this season but they’ll look to finish in solid fashion.

Home win…

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