It’s that time of the week again when we run through a selection of the most exciting European matches taking place this weekend and offer our best bets and value picks.
Brentford v Nottingham Forest (Saturday)
Brentford’s hopes remained alive after the Bees beat Chelsea 2-0 to claim bragging rights in the London derby. They return to the Gtech Stadium where they have lost just twice all season. Nottingham Forest moved out of the relegation zone with their emphatic win over Brighton, but they’ve won just once away from the City Ground, carrying the unwanted record of having the worst away form in the Premier League.
Suggested bet: Brentford to win
Value bet: Brentford to win to zero
Fulham v Man City (Sunday)
Manchester City moved within touching distance of the top of the Premier League and can reclaim their place atop the table. Man City have won seven successive matches, while Erling Haaland hopes to extend his goal tally of 33 goals, averaging a goal every 70 minutes. Fulham lost their fifth match in seven encounters last Friday and will find it hard to break City down here.
Suggested bet: Man City to win
Value bet: Haaland to score first
Barcelona v Real Betis (Saturday)
Barcelona remain in control of their own destiny despite losing their last game to Rayo Vallecano. Xavi’s men currently boast an 11-point lead over Real Madrid with just seven games to go, with it now being just a matter of time before Barca are crowned champions of Spain. Real Betis are still in with a shout to make top four, but after just one win in their last five matches, things are not looking good for the visitors.
Suggested bet: Barcelona to win
Value bet: Barcelona to win both halves
Real Madrid v Almeria (Saturday)
Real Madrid will be hoping to take their title charge to the final days of the season and gain enough momentum to scare Barcelona into crumbling at the death. Almeria have lost two of their last three encounters, while only Barcelona have a better home record than Real Madrid. With their UEFA Champions League games against Man City some distance away, Los Blancos can focus solely on the league.
Suggested bet: Real Madrid to win
Value bet: Real Madrid to win and over 3.5 goals
Vfl Bochum v Dortmund (Friday)
Dortmund overtook their arch-rivals, Bayern Munich, last week to lead the Bundesliga standings with just five games to go. They’ve won two-thirds of their matches and have been an absolute joy to watch this term. The hosts are without a win in four league games and could find themselves back in the relegation zone if they don’t start picking up points again.
Suggested bet: Dortmund to win
Value bet: Dortmund to score in both halves
Bayern Munich v Hertha Berlin (Sunday)
Bayern Munich surrendered the top spot last weekend and knows that a win has never been more important in their season when they welcome bottom-placed Hertha Berlin to town. The champions are still unbeaten on their turf and will need to show their fans a response after dropping out of the UEFA Champions League and losing first place domestically.
Suggested bet: Bayern Munich to win
Value bet: Bayern Munich to win by 3+ goals
Napoli v Salerninata (Saturday)
Napoli seem destined for the Italian Scudetto now and it won’t be long until they get to celebrate that achievement for the first time since the days of Diego Maradona. The Naples have scored a staggering 67 goals in 31 matches. To possibly win the league with so many games to spare shows how remarkable Napoli have been. Surely they will want to get the job done in front of their own fans.
Suggested bet: Napoli to win
Value bet: Napoli to win both halves
AS Roma v AC Milan (Saturday)
The race for UEFA Champions League football heats up when Roma and AC Milan do battle this Saturday. The visitors have another way of earning a Champions League spot, which is by winning the competition this season, where they meet Inter Milan in the semis. They’re ahead of Roma in fourth with the same amount of points and goal difference but have found the back of the net far more than Jose Mourinho’s men.
Suggested bet: Both teams to score
Value bet: Draw
Rennes v Angers (Sunday)
Rennes have the most favourable fixture in the league when they host Angers this weekend. The visitors are destined for Ligue 2 football after winning three games in 32 attempts. On the road, they’ve scored just eight goals, while Rennes have the second-best defensive record at their turf. The hosts have won 12 of their 16 matches at home and should add to that with relative ease.
Suggested bet: Rennes to win
Value bet: Rennes to win to zero
PSG v Lorient (Sunday)
Paris Saint-Germain are finding their rhythm at the right time of the season, claiming a third successive victory last weekend. Their opponents, Lorient, are winless in their last five league encounters, while the thought of facing Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi will send more shivers down their spine.
Suggested bet: PSG to win
Value bet: PSG to win and over 3.5 goals