SSC Napoli vs Inter Milan: Betting Preview

The two go into the weekend’s action as Serie A’s leading sides and meet at Stadio San Paolo on Monday, with the Argentina international eager for a win

Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain says his team-mates are dreaming of the Scudetto ahead of Monday’s visit from Serie A leaders Inter.

Going into the weekend’s Serie A action, Inter sit two points clear of Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli at the summit, although the pair’s closest challengers Fiorentina and Roma are both in action on Sunday.

Inter and Napoli have conceded just seven and eight league goals respectively this term, taking advantage of Juventus’ sluggish title defence to stake an early claim for the Scudetto.

While both camps have been eager to play down their respective title chances so far as they approach the midway point of the season, Higuain admitted his focus was firmly on winning the league.

“It’s only right to dream and anyone who says they’re not dreaming of the Scudetto is lying,” the Argentinean told Corriere della Sera.

“At the same time, what the coach says is also true, we have to take it one game at a time.

“When our fans are behind us we become even stronger. We need them and they need us, this is the perfect tandem to be successful.

“I am still young and think I can still learn a great deal more. That is my only objective. We’ll study Inter, but after that must remain concentrated on doing what we know best.”

Higuain has scored in all three of his home games against Inter, but will come up against a side who have kept four successive clean sheets in the league.

The last time Inter had a longer run without conceding in the same season was back in 2004-05.

While Napoli have seen Lorenzo Insigne shake off fitness concerns, Inter coach Roberto Mancini could be without Geoffrey Kondogbia following a knock to his thigh.

But, off the back of four consecutive Serie A victories, Fredy Guarin is confident Inter can claim a first win in Naples since October 1997.

Asked about the secret to Inter’s success, Guarin told Inter Channel: “A great group of lads all pulling in the same direction.

“We’re all willing to lend each other a hand, both on and off the pitch. Mancini makes sure everyone feels involved, even those who are playing less.”

Opta Facts

  • Napoli and Inter have drawn each of their last three Serie A meetings: last season both games ended 2-2.
  • Inter’s last win at the San Paolo was back in October 1997: they’ve had three draws and six defeats since then.
  • Napoli have won their last seven home games between Serie A and Europa League, scoring 22 goals and conceding just two.
  • Napoli have scored in their last 24 home league games: 60 goals, an average of 2.5 per game.
  • Inter have scored in their last 10 away Serie A games.
  • Napoli have conceded only eight goals so far: the last time they conceded so few goals was back in 1986/87, when they won the Scudetto.
  • Inter and Napoli have scored the first goal of the match 10 times this season, the joint-highest along with Fiorentina.
  • Inter haven’t conceded a goal in their last four league games. The last time the Nerazzurri had a longer run in the same season was back in 2004/05 (5).

NaijaBet Odds

As at this post Napoli has 1.63  odd to win the match on NaijaBet while Inter millan  has 5.02 odd to win the match also, while the odd to draw the match is 3.83

Leicester v Manchester United betting: Preview

No doubt the Match of the Week as the top two in the Premier League goes head to head with each other. Not many would have expected Leicester to be where they are at the moment, top of the standings. Leicester have exceeded all expectations and they have the chance to improve their position at the top of the Premier League and they will hope to repeat last season’s home win over United when they clash on Saturday. The Red Devils do have a strong defence and it remains to be seen if the United defence can prevent Jamie Vardy from scoring in his 11th Premier League match in a row and calming the goal scoring record, which he currently shared with Ruud van Nistelrooy who played for Manchester United before.

Leicester City is playing good football and they are in great form at the moment. They are playing with full confidence and the belief as well as enjoying the games they are playing which gives them the results. Their 28 league goals this season makes them the Premier League top goalscorers and Jamie Vardy has contributed 13 of them in what is turning out to be an incredible season so far for them. Vardy is jointly holding the Premier League record for most consecutive games scored in (10) alongside Ruud van Nistelrooy, so Vardy needs a goal on Saturday evening to beat that record. So, he will be the player to watch for the home side no doubt.

Interestingly, Leicester are the only side in the Premier League to have scored in each of their league games this season.That is very impressive and they have scored eight in their last three games.They have only picked up the two clean sheets all season so you can consider for Both Teams to Score here – Yes as well as this game going Over 2.5 goals. The last three meetings between the two of these at Leicester have gone over 2.5 goals and the way Leicester are playing and scoring for fun it is worth to consider going Over 2.5 as well. In the last four games between the two sides, there have been 18 goals scored as well.

However, in their head to head matches, Manchester United do have the better form having won 10 of the last 11 Premier League games against Leicester. However, the Foxes became the first ever side in the history of the Premier League to come back from two goals down in a game and beat United. That was in their 5-3 win over the Red Devils on home soil last season.

Manchester United have only lost one of their last nine Premier League games, winning six of those but even if they do score and go in front and score then they will know that Leicester are the comeback kings having recovered 10 points from losing positions this season. The player to watch for United will be Wayne Rooney but in midweek they fired blanks in their goalless draw against PSV Eindhoven so they are lacking the creativity to get the goals.

As at this post Leicester  has 3.01  odd to win the match on NaijaBet while Manchester United has 2.30 odd to win the match also, while the odd to draw the match is 3.25 .

Betting Preview: Manchester City v Southampton

The Citizens took a right old hammering last time out, getting thumped on home soil by Liverpool. That was a massive blow to them and with them missing a fair few players through injury, can they muster up a response. Southampton were surprised by a home defeat against Stoke last weekend which snapped a good run of form for them. But they aren’t a side which can boast a great away winning record at the moment. Who will find their winning touch again?

The Citizens, still many people’s favourites to claim the Premier League title this season aren’t in title winning form it has to be said. They have won just three of their last six Premier League games now (W3 D3 L1) and already they have been beaten twice on home turf this season. That’s not something you expect from the Citizens, but on the flip side they have won their other five home games. City have returned twenty goals at home in the league so far this season so they have the scoring power and they have produced more shots in the top flight this season than anyone else. Can they rediscover their winning touch though?

The Saints had been going along nicely on a six match unbeaten streak in the top flight, winning four of those and having conceded just one goal in three games. That was until they hosted Stoke last weekend at St Mary’s and lost. No many punters had seen that coming. Southampton are unbeaten on the road in this season’s Premier League which is fantastic, with four draws and two wins, which all speaks very well to their resilience. However they have won just two of their last thirteen away games in the top flight, losing six of those. With a record of just one win in their last eight against the Citizens in the top flight (D2 L5) then a recovery from their loss last week looks a bit of a longer way off.

The Citizens are generally hard to stop at home. They were all over the place at the back last weekend though without Vincent Kompany and they couldn’t deal with Liverpool’s high-tempo pressing game. The Saints have proven difficult to get past this season but they haven’t beaten a side outside of the bottom seven all term. Look for a home win.

NaijaBet Odds

As at this post Manchester City  has 1.48  odd to win the match on NaijaBet while Southampton has 5.97 odd to win the match also, while the odd to draw the match is 4.30

Celtic Vs Ajax: Betting Preview

Ronny Deila’s men are rock-bottom of Group A but the midfielder is confident that they can spring a surprise and progress to the knockout stages in the coming weeks

Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic remains hopeful the Scottish champions can reach the knockout stages of the Europa League as they prepare to take on Ajax at Parkhead.

Ronny Deila’s men are bottom of Group A with just two points from four encounters following 2-2 draws with Ajax and Celtic and a pair of defeats at the hands of leaders Molde.

Anything other than a first victory of the group stage would see Celtic eliminated if Fenerbahce better their result at Molde.

“We have to have the belief that we can win and can still go through in the group,” Rogic told reporters.

“It’s a big opportunity. We’re disappointed with the last couple of results but we’re working hard to make sure we’re as best prepared to go out and get the result we need.

“We go into every game thinking we’ll get a positive result and we especially want to do that at home.

“The last game was disappointing but it won’t change our belief within the squad. We’re looking forward to it.”

Celtic have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last seven meetings with Ajax and are winless in their last nine Europa League games, drawing four and losing five.

One player who will feel confident heading into Thursday’s encounter if he is given the medical green light is Kris Commons, who has had a hand in five of Celtic’s six Europa League goals this season.

Celtic will head into Thursday’s crunch tie without Stefan Johansen and Nir Bitton, who are both suspended, while captain Scott Brown is doubtful after picking up a knock against Kilmarnock at the weekend.

Ajax, meanwhile, will have to make do without the services of South Africa international Thulani Serero, Riechedly Bazoer (both hamstring) and Daley Sinkgraven, who underwent knee surgery on Tuesday and will be out of action for the remainder of 2015.

Frank de Boer’s men still have every chance of reaching the next round, but they cannot afford to spill points against Celtic if they are to keep up with second-placed Fenerbahce, who hold a two-point lead over the Amsterdammers.

Victory in Glasgow will not come easy, however, as Ajax have  been struggling to find their best form in Europe in 2015-16.

Ajax are winless in the Europa League this season, though three of their four games have ended level and they have failed to score in their last two European fixtures.

NaijaBet Odds

As at this post  has Celtic 2.41  odd to win the match on NaijaBet while Ajax  has 2.77 odd to win the match also, while the odd to draw the match is 3.35 .

Juventus Vs Manchester City : Betting Preview

Manuel Pellegrini’s troops bruised will be “super-eager for redemption” at Juventus following their weekend thrashing against Liverpool, according to the Juve man

Giorgio Chiellini fears Juventus could feel the brunt of a Manchester City backlash when they host the Premier League side in Champions League Group D.

Manuel Pellegrini’s team lost their place at the summit of England’s top flight in brutal fashion on Saturday as they were thrashed 4-1 by Liverpool, producing a display that made their manager “more than angry”.

Juve beat City in Manchester at the start of the group campaign but consecutive draws against Borussia Monchengladbach have seen them cede the initiative, as their opponents beat the Bundesliga side before chalking up home and away triumphs over Sevilla.

A dominant 3-1 victory in Spain secured qualification for the knockout stages with two matches to spare for City, and another win in Turin would seal top spot and a seeded place in the last-16 draw.

Having been paired with and beaten by Barcelona after qualifying as runners-up over the past two seasons, City are expected to place significant value on topping the pile in the round-robin stage this time around.

Nevertheless, Chiellini – who scored an own goal when the teams met at the Etihad Stadium – believes it will be wounded professional pride rather than this ambition that lends an edge to City at Juventus Stadium.

“I’d have preferred to see a more peaceful and secure Manchester,” Chiellini told Sky Italia.

“They’re a squad of great talents, maybe it would be easier to take advantage of an opportunity if they were more relaxed.

“Having already qualified, at this point they could be a bit more relaxed. Now though they’ll be super-attentive, super-eager for redemption.

“So we’ll play a great match, because we want to get through on Wednesday.”

Pellegrini’s tactics and selection came under considerable scrutiny after the Liverpool loss – a far cry from the praise he earned when a dynamic midfield dismantled Sevilla earlier this month.

The decisions to leave defender Nicolas Otamendi and midfield lynchpin Fernandinho on the bench after travelling back from World Cup qualifying action in South America backfired on Pellegrini, as Liverpool overran his team in central areas, City centre-backs Martin Demichelis and Eliaquim Mangala in particular turning in shambolic displays.

Pellegrini does not expect to be able to bolster his defence by selecting Vincent Kompany, a troublesome calf injury again the source of his captain’s woes, while playmaker David Silva (ankle) is also set to miss out alongside hamstring injury victims Wilfried Bony and Samir Nasri – the latter having recently undergone surgery.

“The important thing is to try to recover our performance,” said Pellegrini, who insisted the weekend experience will not force him to abandon his attacking instincts.

“It’s important to try to win, we always try to win.

“If you can’t win then, of course, it’s always good to get a point, but we are not going to go to Juventus just to try to draw.”

Juve have injury problems of their own ahead of the match, with Hernanes (groin) and Sami Khedira (muscular injury) ruled out.

Former Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra was substituted after 29 minutes of a 1-0 Serie A win over AC Milan on Saturday and will be assessed alongside Martin Caceres (thigh).

NaijaBet Odds

As at this post has Juventus 2.21 odd to win the match on NaijaBet while Manchester City has 3.53 odd to win the match also, while the odd to draw the match is 3.42 .

Atletico Madrid vs Galatasaray’s : Betting Preview

Atletico Madrid vs Galatasaray Preview: Hosts out to finish the job at Vicente Calderon

Diego Simeone’s side only need a draw to progress to the knockout stage of the Champions League and are presently on an eight-game unbeaten run

Atletico Madrid have domestic momentum on their side as they seek to gain the point they need to book a place in the Champions League’s last-16 at Galatasaray‘s expense on Wednesday.

Diego Simeone’s men extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight matches with a 1-0 victory against Real Betis on Sunday, as Atleti moved second in La Liga ahead of rivals Real Madrid.

Their last defeat came against Group C leaders Benfica, with Simeone’s men now requiring just a point to ensure qualification this week – likely alongside the Primeira Liga side.

Simeone has doubts over the fitness of Jackson Martinez (ankle) but will be confident his side can gain at least the point necessary to ensure a top-two finish, having seen Juanfran return to training following a groin problem.

Gala – who have caretaker manager Claudio Taffarel in charge following Hamza Hamzaoglu’s exit last week – need a win to have any hope of progression, but Atleti’s weekend match-winner Koke says confidence is high at the Vicente Calderon.

“Today, we sit second [in La Liga] and with both feet on the ground,” he told reporters.

“We know that Barcelona and Madrid are one step above, but step by step, we’re getting there.

“I came from an injury and little by little I’m finding myself in my best shape. Today [Sunday] I have been able to help the team with a goal, with good work, and I hope to continue playing well.”

Turkish champions Gala parted company with former boss Hamzaoglu after almost a year in charge – former Brazil international Taffarel overseeing Saturday’s frustrating 3-3 draw with Antalyaspor.

Taffarel’s men led three times in Istanbul only to come away with a single point and will be without suspended pair Burak Yilmaz and Selcuk Inan as they seek to avoid a repeat of their 2-0 defeat in the reverse fixture.

Hamit Altintop (knee) is also doubtful for Wednesday’s visitors and, after Mbilla Etame’s last-gasp equaliser at the weekend, Taffarel told a news conference: “We’re sorry to see [Hamzaoglu] go, but to question the decision of the management is not up to us.

“The defensive aspects of the game we did not do well. We talked in the locker room about how we improve our defensive mentality.

NaijaBet Odds

As at this post Atletico Madrid  has 1.32  odd to win the match on NaijaBet while Galatasaray‘s has 11.38 odd to win the match also, while the odd to draw the match is 5.56.

Schalke 04 vs Bayern München :Betting Preview

The in-form Bavarians take on the side from Gelsenkirchen in the Bundesliga, with their forward eyeing all three points

Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller says his side’s return to Bundesliga action after the international break will be “decisive” in their quest to retain the title.

The champions begin a sequence of eight fixtures in the space of a month with a difficult trip to Schalke, where they will face a side who have not won in their last six matches in all competitions.

Schalke, though, have lost just once at Veltins Arena in the league this season, and Muller expects Andre Breitenreiter’s side to be hungry for a scalp.

Muller told FC Bayern TV:  “They will have their backs to the wall at home in front of their own fans.

“There are easier fixtures coming off the back of the international break.

“We have to take all three points. We are entering a decisive phase in the season.”

Bayern will be without midfielder Thiago Alcantara, who picked up a knee injury during Spain’s 2-0 friendly victory over England and is expected to be out for four weeks. He joins Franck Ribery (ankle), Mario Gotze (hamstring) and Juan Bernat (groin) in the treatment room.

Schalke coach Breitenreiter welcomed 10 internationals back to his squad with no new injury problems, but he will be unable to call on midfielder Johannes Geis, who is suspended for the visit of Bayern.

Breitenreiter conceded his side would need to be at their very best to claim a result against Bayern, saying: “We have to play with heart and passion. We need to try and have a faultless match.

“FC Bayern are one of the best teams in the world, with a lot of individual quality. Every mistake will be punished.

“It is absolutely necessary against Bayern that we can use our opportunities. We will have some chances and we want to use them.

“The fans will see players on the pitch who will give their hearts into the game. The team will play with passion and they’ll try to implement our plan in the best possible way.”

Following the announcement that matchday security at Veltins Arena will be stepped up for the match, Breitenreiter backed the decision for Bundesliga action to continue in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris.

He said: “There are many countries all over the world where it is not possible to live in freedom. We should never give our freedom up.

“That’s the reason why I’m convinced that it was the right decision that our game takes place.

“There is always the risk of an attack, so we have to trust our security authorities and especially we should trust security measures that the game can take place without any problem.”

NaijaBet Odds

As at this post  has Schalke 11.29  odd to win the match on NaijaBet while Manchester City has 1.29  odd to win the match also, while the odd to draw the match is 6.49

Juventus vs Milan betting preview

Juventus will be looking to rejoin the race for Scudetto with a win over Milan at their Juventus Stadium on day 13 of the 2015/2016 Serie A campaign. The Bianconeri are two points behind the Rossoneri in the standings, meaning that a close encounter is on the cards.

Juventus made a slow start to the season, but new signings obviously need time to adapt to the new surroundings. The Bianconeri have been producing much better performances in recent weeks and they will be looking to build on back-to-back wins over the likes of Torino and Empoli when they square off against Milan in Saturday’s Serie A derby. Juve are nine points behind league leaders Fiorentina, meaning that the hosts need to grab something from the Milan game if they are to keep their hopes of defending the domestic trophy alive. Max Allegri’s troops are after their fourth consecutive win at home ground and there is every chance the defending champions will pick up all three points from the Serie A derby. Mario Mandzukic helped Croatia record a 3-1 win over Russia on Friday and he will be the man to watch in the home team.

Stephan Lichsteiner is a major doubt and he will be assessed on the match day. The likes of Asamoah, Pereyra and Padoin remain in the recovery room.

Probable starting line-up (4-3-3): Buffon – Lichtsteiner, Chiellini, Bonucci, Evra – Khedira, Marchisio, Pogba – Cuadrado, Dybala, Mandzukic.

Following three consecutive wins over the likes of Sassuolo, Chievo and Lazio, Milan played out a goalless draw with Atalanta in their last Serie A fixture. The Rossoneri remains in sixth place in the standings, but it remains to be seen if they will retain their spot after match day 13. Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men take on Juventus in Turin on Saturday and they certainly face an uphill task in the Serie A derby. Milan have already suffered three defeats on the road in the 2015/2016 Serie A campaign and that is the main reason why I am not tempted to put my money on the Rossoneri. Carlos Bacca has been in a thrilling form this season and he is likely to lead the attack for the visitors against Juventus. Anyhow, give Juve’s recent form, there is every chance Sinisa Mihajlovic’s troops will return to Milano empty-handed. In their last meeting in Turin Juventus recorded a 3-1 win over Milan.

The likes of Menez, Balotelli, Diego Lopez, Bertolacci and De Jong are all sidelined with injury, but there are no suspended players in the away side. Sinisa Mihajlovic should stick to the 4-3-3 formation.

Probable starting line-up (4-3-3): Donnarumma – Abate, Mexes, Romagnoli, Antonelli – Kucka, Montolivo, Poli – Cerci, Bacca, Bonaventura.

NaijaBet Odds

As at this post  has  Juventus 1.56  odd to win the match on NaijaBet while  has Milan 5.93 odd to win the match also, while the odd to draw the match is 3.74.

 

Premier League preview – Manchester City vs Liverpool prediction

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini can look forward to the return of Sergio Aguero, Samir Nasri and David Silva while Vincent Kompany is expected to be fit after being sidelined from international duty with a calf strain. Pablo Zabaleta is back in training following a three week absence with knee ligament problems. Fabian Delph and Wilfried Bony picked up knocks against Aston Villa and there are no dates set for their return

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho injured his knee against Crystal Palace and joins Jordan Henderson, Dean Sturridge, Joe Flanagan, Danny Ings and Joe Gomez on the absentee list.   James Milner is expected to have recovered from a hamstring injury and will be in contention for a place in midfield while Jordan Ibe is expected to have shaken off his knock. Kala Toure and Jordan Rossiter are also due back from their respective injury problems but not sure to figure in Klopp’s plans .

Possible Line-ups

Manchester City: 4-2-3-1 formation: Hart; Sagna, Kompany, Otamendi, Kolorov; Toure, Fernando; Silva, Sterling, De Bruyne, Aguero

Liverpool: 4-3-2-1 formation: Mignolet; Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Moreno; Milner, Lucas, Can; Lallana, Coutinho; Benteke

Statistics

  • Manchester City have won 7, drawn 2 and lost 1 of their last 10 matches
  • Liverpool have won 4, drawn 5 and lost 1 of their last 10 matches
  • Over the course of their previous 10 matches, Manchester City have scored an average of 2.9 goals and conceded an average of 0.8 goals per game
  • There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 8 of Manchester City’s previous 10 matches
  • There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 3 of Liverpool’s previous 10 matches

Prediction

Manchester City can draw on more fire power after the disappointing 0-0 draw at Aston Villa in the previous game. The return of David Silva and Sergio Aguero will provide more creativity and a bigger goal threat as City look to maintain their lead in the Premier League title race. Pellegrini’s side has won five out of six home league games and the visit of Liverpool will provide the biggest test since the 2-1 defeat against West Ham in September as the majority of visitors to the Etihad have been struggling to find any consistent form this season.

Liverpool lost for the first time under Jurgen Klopp when beaten 3-1 by bogey team Crystal Palace at Anfield last time. The Reds dominated possession and territory but failed to test the Palace keeper often enough due to some wayward shooting. Klopp has set up his team to press high up the pitch but individual error continue to be a cause for concern. Liverpool have kept one clean sheet in the last nine league games so are likely to have to score at least twice to leave with all three points, which they have only achieved one this season when beating Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge at the end of October.

Manchester City have won the last four league meetings against Liverpool at the Etihad and both teams have scored in each of the last eight head to heads in all competitions. There’s good reason on current form to think this trend can continue and forms the basis of the match predictions

NaijaBet Odds

As at this post  has Manchester City 1.59  odd to win the match on NaijaBet while  Liverpool has 5.07 odd to win the match also, while the odd to draw the match is 4.01.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Betting Preview

Another El Clásico match will treat the fans on November 21st as Spain’s top two clubs Real Madrid (7-1-3, 24 points) and FC Barcelona (9-2-0, 27 points) meet at the Camp Nou for an epic clash of the Titans in the 2015-2016 La Liga season.

This derby is time and again considered as the greatest matchup in football and it remains to be seen whether Lionel Messi will be available against Cristiano Ronaldo’s squad in this highly-anticipated event.

The last time these two clubs met was in March of this year in a battle won by Luis Enrique’s side, 2-1, as striker Luis Suárez scored the winner at the 56th minute after Ronaldo equalized it at the half hour mark.

However, Barça had Messi that time and it seems like they are going to miss the three-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner in this weekend’s episode as team doctors advised him to not hurry in returning from a knee injury.

Real will be coming off a disappointing 2-3 upset loss to Sevilla at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán before the international break as Los Blancos failed to stop a 3-0 spurt by the Sevillistas during mid-game, as reported by The Guardian.

Meanwhile, Barça smashed Villarreal, 3-0, at the Camp Nou on November 8th as Suárez and Brazil captain Neymar continue to be in top form for the Catalonia giants, via SkySports.

As always, the match is projected to be another historic event as Blaugrana escapes with a close one to hand Rafa Benitez his first losing streak in La Liga.

The prediction is a highly-entertaining 3-2 victory for Barcelona over Real Madrid.

Real Madrid starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Navas; Danilo, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Rodríguez, Kroos; Isco, Bale, Ronaldo

Barcelona starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Bravo; Alves, Pique, Mathieu, Alba; Roberto, Busquets, Iniesta; Munir, Suárez, Neymar

NaijaBet Odds

As at this post Real Madrid has 2.34  odd to win the match on NaijaBet while Barcelona has 2.68 odd to win the match also, while the odd to draw the match is 3.64