Midweek Football Preview

More cups!

FA Cup 5th Round

Peterborough vs. Man City

Peterborough beat QPR in the last round and sit bottom of the Championship. They have since drawn one and lost five. Man City beat Fulham 4-1 in the last round and sit top of the Premier League. They have since won four and lost one of their games. This should be a straightforward win for Man City. Anything else and it would be a massive shock. 

Crystal Palace vs. Stoke City

Palace beat Hartlepool 2-0 in the last round and they sit 11th in the Premier League. Palace have since won one, drawn three, and lost one. Stoke beat Wigan 2-0 in the last round and sit 15th in the Championship. Stoke have won one, drawn two, and lost two since. Palace are the better team on paper and are at home so they should win this even if Stoke cause some problems. 

Middlesbrough vs. Tottenham

Middlesbrough beat United on penalties in the last round and sit 8th in the Championship. They have since won two, drawn one, and lost two. Spurs sit 7th in the Premier League and beat Brighton 3-1 in the last round. They have since won two, and lost three of their games. With Tottenham away and the form that they are in this result could go either way. Spurs though are still favourites on paper.

Southampton vs. West Ham

An all Premier League clash as Southampton take on West Ham. Southampton sit 9th in the Premier League and beat Coventry City 2-1 in the last round. The Saints have since won three and drawn one of their games. West Ham sit 5th in the table and beat Kidderminster 1-2 in the last round. The Hammers have since won two and drawn two. Neither team is unbeaten in their last four but Southampton have won one more game. This should be an interesting game between two good teams and the result can go either way.

Liverpool vs. Norwich

The newly crowned Carabao Cup champions take on another cup as they welcome Norwich City in an all Premier League clash. Liverpool beat Cardiff 3-1 in the last round and have since won five and drawn one of their games. Norwich beat Wolves 0-1 in the last round and sit bottom of the table. Norwich have since drawn one and lost three of their games. This should be a straightforward win for Liverpool.

Everton vs. Boreham Wood

Everton beat Brentford 4-1 in the last round and sit 17th in the Premier League as they take on Boreham Wood. Everton have since won one and lost three of their games. Boreham Wood sit 3rd in the National League and beat Bournemouth 0-1 in the last round. They have since won two, drawn one, and lost two. Everton are at home and even though Boreham Wood will give it their all Everton should win this game. 

Premier League (Games in hand)

Burnley vs. Leicester

Burnley sit 18th in the table as they take on Leicester who sit 13th. A win for Burnley would take them out of the relegation zone and into 15th in the table on goal difference with two games in hand remaining. A win for Leicester won’t mean much movement but it will take them closer to mid table with three games in hand remaining. A big game for both teams Burnley have only lost one of their last five games while Leicester have lost three and drawn two. One game to keep an eye on.

Copa Del Rey Semi-Final 2nd Leg

Valencia take on Bilbao with an aggregate score of 1-1. Betis take on Rayo Vallecano with an aggregate score of 2-1. The Valencia Bilbao game is finely poised and the result can go either way. Betis have a slight advantage but Vallecano are no pushovers and will give it a go. Any team can reach the final. 

Coppa Italia Semi-Final 1st Leg

Milan take on Inter, and Juventus travel to Fiorentina. Two very good games and neither team are clear favourites in their fixture. Milan and Inter are going though a rough patch at the moment while Juventus are inconsistent. Fiorentina are having a decent season. Who will take advantage in the 1st leg?

DFB Pokal Quarter-Final

Union Berlin take on St.Pauli, Hamburger take on Karlsruher, Leipzig travel to Hannover, and Bochum welcome Freiburg. Leipzig are the most high profiel team remaining in the cup. Freiburg are having a very good season though and so are Union Berlin. Anything can happen. 

Coupe De France Semi-Final

Nice take on Versailles, and Monaco travel to Nantes. Nice should beat Versailles and reach the final while Monaco and Nantes will be a more cagey affair. Nice will be favourites though with Monaco and Nantes being at a similar level this season. 

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Midweek Football Review

Some surprises

Carabao Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg

Arsenal 0 (0) vs. (0) 2 Liverpool

Arsenal worked so hard to get this game called off and rescheduled. They got their main players back and fielded their strongest XI. They lost to Liverpool without scoring a goal. Jota scored in the 19th minute and in the 77th minute as they cruised to the final. Liverpool will face Chelsea in the final. Arsenal are now knocked out of all competitions and only have the Premier League to focus on. 

Premier League (Games in hand)

Leicester 2 vs. 3 Tottenham

Daka scored in the 24th minute to give Leicester the lead. Kane equalised for Spurs in the 38th minute. Maddison restored Leicester’s lead in the 76th minute and looked ot be heading for a win. Bergwijn came off the bench to score the equaliser in the 95th minute and get the winner in the 97th minute. Spurs made a brilliant comeback and Leicester again bottled the lead. Leicester remain 10th while Spurs move up to 5th now 11 points clear of Leicester. They are now within eight points of Chelsea with four games in hand. 

Brentford 1 vs. 3 Man United

Brentford dominated Man United for 45 minutes but failed to take their chances. There was only going to be one outcome from there on. Elanga gave United the lead in the 55th minute. Greenwood made it two for United in the 62nd minute and Rashford made it three for United in the 77th minute. Toney got one back for Brentford in the 85th minute. Brentford remain 14th in the table. United remain 7th now only two points from top four with two games in hand. 

La Liga (Games in hand)

Valencia drew with Sevilla 1-1. Sevilla play their game in hand and sit 2nd in the table but still four points behind Real Madrid. Valencia sit 9th in the table. 

Copa Del Rey Round of 16

Real Sociedad beat Atletico 2-0, Real Madrid came from behind to beat Elche in extra time 1-2. Eden Hazard got the winner for them. Bilbao beat Barcelona 3-2 to progress as well. Barcelona and Atletico dumped out and Barcelona especially are having one of their worst seasons ever. 

Coppa Italia Round of 16

Lazio beat Udinese 1-0, Juventus beat Sampdoria 4-1, Inter beat Empoli 3-2, and Roma beat Lecce 3-1. The favorites won their games and progress to the next round to potentially make up some very tasty fixtures. 

DFB Pokal Round of 16

St.Pauli beat Dortmund 2-1, Hannover beat Monchengladbach 3-0, Leipzig beat Hansa 2-0, and Freiburg beat Hoffenheim 1-4. Some big upsets here and the DFB Pokal will be getting a new winner this season. The biggest teams are out and only Leipzig remain among others. Freiburg especially are having a really good season. 

Ligue 1 (Games in hand)

Lille beat Lorient 3-1. Lille play their game in hand and move up to 8th in the table. Only three points behind 4th placed Strasbourg. 

Midweek Football Preview

A mix of games in hand and cup competitions.

Carabao Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg

Arsenal (0) vs. (0) Liverpool

The 1st leg was played last week as Arsenal did well to hold on for a draw after going down to 10 men. Arsenal used a similar loophole to Liverpool to avoid playing during the weekend and will be fresh for this game. Liverpool beat Brentford during the weekend. This should be an interesting game for sure and either team can go through.

Premier League (Games in hand)

Burnley vs. Watford

A relegation battle as 20th placed Burnley take on 17th placed Watford with 3 points seperating the two teams. Burnley have five games in hand going into this game while Watford have three games in hand going into this game. Both teams are in extremely poor form so either team can win this game. The most likely result is a draw. 

Leicester vs. Tottenham

10th placed Leicester have four games in hand as they take on 6th placed Spurs who have four games in hand as well. Both teams did not play during the weekend because of Covid related issues. A win for Leicester would take them to within three points of United while a win for Spurs would take them above Arsenal and a point behind West Ham. Tottenham were abysmal against Chelsea over two legs in the Carabao Cup so there is a need to put in a better performance against Leicester. An interesting game for sure.

Brentford vs. Man United

14th placed Brentford have only won one of their last five games as they take on United who sit 7th and have only lost one of their last five games. This is Brentford’s game in hand while United would have one more after this. United will be favourites but Brentford can get something out of this game especially since they are at home. 

La Liga (Games in hand)

Valencia take on Sevilla amongst other teams.

Copa Del Rey Round of 16

Atletico travel to Real Sociedad, Real Madrid travel to Elche, and Barcelona travel to Athletic Bilbao. Bilbao and Real Madrid just played the Supercopa De Espana final in the Middle East which Real Madrid won. Bilbao will be looking to bounce back while Madrid will want to continue the good form. Some interesting games. 

Coppa Italia Round of 16

Lazio take on Udinese, Juventus take on Sampdoria, Inter take on Empoli, and Roma welcome Lecce. Home games for all these big teams and one woulde expect all of them to progress to the next round. Milan, Fiorentina, and Atalanta are already through.

DFB Pokal Round of 16

Dortmund take on St.Pauli, Monchengladbach travel to Hannover, Leipzig take on Hansa, and Hoffenheim take on Freiburg amongst others. No Bayern in the DFB Pokal so that is a different. Winnable fixtures for most teams with Hoffenheim and Freiburg being the toughest fixture. 

Ligue 1 (Games in hand)

Lille take on Lorient amongst other games. Lille can go up to 8th in the table with a win in this game.

Midweek Football Review

Down to the line!

Premier League (Games in hand)

Man United 1 vs. 2 Leicester

Thomas scored a worldie in the 10th minute to give Leicester the lead. Greenwood equalised in the 15th minute for United but Soyuncu got the winner for Leicester in the 66th minute. United’s B team wasn’t able to beat Leicester as the Foxes rose back to 3rd 4 points within United. United still had the game in hand against Liverpool that they would play with a full strength XI bar Maguire. 

Southampton 3 vs. 1 Crystal Palace

Benteke scroed in the 2nd minute to give Palace the lead but Southampton rose to the occasion. Ings got the equaliser in the 19th minute and scored another in the 2nd half along with Adams to get the win for the Saints. Southampton end a losing streak and move up to 14th in the table while Palace remain 13th now only a point ahead of Southampton. 

Aston Villa 0 vs. 0 Everton

Neither team could beat the other over 90 minute as they both settled for a clean sheet. Villa remain 11th in the table while Everton remain 8th 8 points from top four with 3 games to play. 

Man United 2 vs. 4 Liverpool

Fernandes scored in the 10th minute to give United the lead but Liverpool rose to win the game. Jota scored in the 34th minute to equalise. Firmino got the led for Liverpool right before half time. Firmino made it 3 in the 47th minute. Rashford got one back for United in the 68th minute but Salah sealed the win for Liverpool in the 90th minute. United suffer a 2nd loss in a row this time with their A team as they remain 2nd but with no games in hand and 4 points ahead of Leicester. Big win for Liverpool as they have a game in hand and go within 4 of 4th placed Chelsea. Top four race is on. 

La Liga MW 36

Barcelona drew with Levante 3-3, Sevilla beat Valencia 1-0, Atletico beat Real Sociedad 2-1, and Real Madrid beat Granada 1-4. Atletico remain 2 points clear at the top of the table with Real Madrid behind them. Barcelona fall 2 points behind Real and 4 behind Atletico. Sevilla go within 2 of Barcelona. The race for La Liga is very much still on with 2 games to go and it looks like Barcelona might be stumbling. 

Serie A MW 36

Napoli beat Udinese 5-1, Atalanta beat Benevento 2-0, Milan thrashed Torino 0-7, Inter beat Roma 3-1, Lazio beat Parma 1-0, and Juventus beat Sassuolo 1-3. Wins for all teams involved in the top four race. Inter sit 13 points clear. Atalanta sit 2nd with 75 points while Milan are level with them in 3rd. Napoli sit 2 points behind Milan in 4th while Juventus sit a point behind Lazio in 5th. Lazio are now out of the top four race and I don’t think they can make 5th either. 4 teams fighting it our for top four with 4 games to go. 

DFB Pokal Final

Dortmund have really found form over the last month or so as they thrashed Leipzig 1-4 in the final to win a trophy this season. Sancho got two and Haaland got two in a comfortable win. Leipzig are heading for a quiet end to the season but Dortmund can be proud of winning a trophy although top four is still very much on for them. 

Coupe De France Semi-Finals

Montpellier and PSG drew 2-2 and PSG went through on penalties 5-6 while Monaco fell behind against Rumilly early in their game but fought back to beat them 1-5. PSG vs. Monaco will be the Coupe de France final and one has to say at the moment Monaco look like the in form team. Going to be a fun final to watch. 

Midweek Football Preview

So many games!

Premier League (Games in hand)

Man United vs. Leicester

Man United secured a top four place this season during the weekend but it was only part 1 of a gruelling 3 game week. United take on Leicester who sit 4th now 5 points ahead of West Ham and 7 behind Manchester United. A win in this game would take Leicester back into 3rd until Chelsea play, while reducing the gap to 2nd to 4 points. United would still have a game in hand though. For United it is an opportunity to try and secure 2nd but for Leicester it’s a big game for their top four hopes. United need to rotate so their could be a chance for the Foxes that they face a weaker United team. The reverse fixture was a 2-2 draw. 

Southampton vs. Crystal Palace

16th placed Southampton have not won in 4 games as they take on Palace who sit 13th and finally got a win this weekend. A win would secure Southampton their safety for the season while a loss would make matters a bit tricky. Palace are already safe and are only looking to finish as high as possible at this stage. The reverse fixture was a 1-0 win for Palace. 

Aston Villa vs. Everton

11th placed Villa lost during the weekend while Everton sit in 8th and can go up till 7th if they win this game. Everton are for sure the in form team and they got a crucial win against West Ham during the weekend. These two teams only played the reverse fixture a week ago as Villa were 1-2 winners on the day. A big game for Everton and their chance at a top 7 finish, and a big game for Villa and their top 10 bid.

Man United vs. Liverpool

By the time this game is played United could either be 16 points clear of Liverpool or Liverpool could cut the gap to 10 points. That doesn’t really matter for the away team though. They sit 6th in the table and a win for them would take them up to 5th and within 3, 4 or 6 points of top four depending on results that precede them. Either way it’s a must win game for Liverpool. The two teams will hope that they can play the game after the first one was cancelled due to fan protests and there are rumours that more are planned for the day. United’s incentive will be to further damage Liverpool’s chances at getting Champions League football. The reverse fixture was a 0-0 draw. 

La Liga MW 36

Barcelona travel to Levante, Sevilla take on Valencia, Atletico take on Real Sociedad, and Real Madrid travel to Granada. Atletico remain 2 points clear at the top with 3 games to go. Real and Barcelona are level on points but Real is ahead on goal difference while Sevilla sit 4 points behind Barcelona. It’s all to play for every single team as the race heats up in Spain. La Liga remains the only trophy for 3 of these teams while Barcelona won the Copa Del Rey as well. An interesting week with some egg shell fixtures.

Serie A MW 36

Napoli take on Udinese, Atalanta take on Benevento, Milan travel to Torino, Inter play Roma, Lazio take on Parma, and Juventus travel to Sassuolo. Serie A champions Inter are looking to extend their margin of victory at the top. Atalanta sit 2nd with 72 points 3 clear of 5th placed Juventus. Milan are 3rd level on points with Atalanta while Napoli sit 2 points behind Milan and a point ahead of Juventus. Lazio sit 6th 5 points behind Juventus. Roma are 7th. The race for top four is the big race in Italy and at the moment Atalanta, Milan, and Napoli are in the driving seat. This is a must win game for Juventus while wins for Atalanta, and Milan would all but secure top four for them. 

DFB Pokal Final

Leipzig take on Dortmund for the DFB Pokal final with Dortmund in flying form. Dortmund beat Leipzig 3-2 in the Bundesliga during the weekend and will be looking to make it 2 wins in quick succession. Leipzig will want to win and Nagelsmann will want to go to Bayern having won a trophy. A big game for both teams. 

Coupe De France Semi-Finals

Montpellier take on PSG while Monaco travel to 4th tier side Rumilly Vallieres. PSG are looking dodgy at the moment so either team can reach the final from that fixture. Monaco should reach the final regardless of how good Rumilly have been up till now. 

Weekend Football Review

The races continue with some winners!

Premier League MW 34

Southampton 1 vs. 1 Leicester

Vestergaard was sent off for Southampton in the 10th minute. At the time it looked like Leicester would thrash Southampton once again but the Saints held on. Ward-Prowse scored a penalty in the 61st minute to give Southampton the lead. Evans scored for Leicester in the 68th minute to get a point for the Foxes. Southampton remain 15th in the table while Leicester remain 3rd but now only 2 points ahead of Chelsea who are 4th. 

Crystal Palace 0 vs. 2 Man City

Aguero and Torres scored within 2 minutes of each other in the 2nd half to hand City a comfortable win against Palace. City go 13 points clear of United but United did not play their game due to protests so City’s title day is delayed for another week and could be delayed further. Palace remain 13th in the table. 

Brighton 2 vs. 0 Leeds

Gross scored a penalty in the 1st half while Welbeck scored in the 2nd half as Brighton got a big win against Leeds. Brighton fly up into 14th ending a winless streak and go 10 clear of the relegation zone. Leeds drop into 11th with the loss.

Everton 1 vs. 2 Aston Villa

Watkins scored in the 13th minute to give Villa the lead but Clavert-Lewin scored in the 19th minute to equalise for Everton. El Ghazi then scored the winner for Villa in the 80th minute. Everton remain 8th with the loss while Villa move into 10th with the win. 

Newcastle 0 vs. 2 Arsenal

Elneny scored in the 6th minute to give Arsenal the lead. Aubameyang doubled the lead in the 66th minute and Schar was sent off for Newcastle in the 90th minute. Newcastle drop into 17th 9 points above the relegation zone. Arsenal move into 9th with the win 5 points from a place in a European competition. 

Man United vs. Liverpool

The game was postponed as United fans conducted a massive protest at the team hotel and at Old Trafford. Some fans managed to enter the stadium and got onto the pitch where property was damaged along with pitch and personnel. The game will be played on a later date. United remain 2nd 4 points ahead of Leicester while Liverpool are 7 points from the top four. 

Tottenham 4 vs. 0 Sheffield United

Bale scored a hattrick while Son scored the 4th goal as Tottenham were rampant against relegated Sheffield United. Tottenham move into 6th with the win 5 points from 4th while Sheffield United remain stuck to the bottom. 

West Brom 1 vs. 1 Wolverhampton

Silva scored right before half time to give Wolves the lead. Diagne equalised for West Brom in the 62nd minute. West Brom remain 19th and 10 points from safety as they now need a miracle to survive this season. Wolves remain 12th in the table. 

Burnley 1 vs. 2 West Ham

Wood scored a penalty in the 19th minute to give Burnley the lead. It only served to wake West Ham up and Antonio scored two before half time to seal a comeback for the Hammers. Burnley drop into 16th in the table while West Ham remain 5th in the table 3 points behind Chelsea in 4th. 

La Liga MW 34

Atletico beat Elche 0-1, Real Madrid beat Osasuna 2-0, Bilbao beat Sevilla 0-1, and Barcelona beat Valencia 2-3. Atletico remain 2 points ahead of Madrid and Barcelona who sit 2nd and 3rd. Sevilla remain 4th but now 4 points behind Barcelona. The top four in Spain is sealed though so all 4 clubs will be playing Champions League football next season. The race is heating up with 4 games to go.

Serie A MW 34

Inter beat Crotone 0-2, Milan beat Benevento 2-0, Lazio beat Genoa 4-3, Napoli drew with Cagliari 1-1, Atalanta drew with Sassuolo 1-1, Juventus beat Udinese 1-2, and Sampdoria beat Roma 2-0. Inter go 13 points clear of 2nd placed Atalanta as they are crowned Serie A champions with 4 games to go. Conte ends the Juventus dominance he started and what a season it has been for them. Atalanta, Juventus, and Milan are level on 69 points with 4 games to go as they make up the top four. Napoli sit 5th 2 points behind them while Lazio are 6th 3 points behind Napoli. Roma are 7th and unless they win the Europa League which is unlikely they will not be playing European football next season. 

DFB Pokal Semi-Finals

Leipzig beat Werder Bremen 1-2, while Dortmund beat Holstein Kiel 5-0. Leipzig vs Dortmund will be DFB Pokal final and it will be a proper game to watch. 

Ligue 1 MW 35

PSG beat Lens 2-1, Lille beat Nice 2-0, and Lyon came from behind to beat Monaco 2-3. Lille remain a point clear of PSG at the top of the table. Monaco sit 3rd but now 4 points behind PSG as a slight gap opens up while Lyon are 4th a point behind Monaco. These 4 teams will be playing some sort of European football next season for sure. It’s a two horse race in France for now. 

Weekend Football Preview

Close races everywhere!

Premier League MW 34

Southampton vs. Leicester

Southampton go into this game firmly mid table and sitting in 15th. There is no real threat of relegation but a win would ease those tensions going into the final few rounds of the season. Leicester sit 3rd 5 points behind Man United. United play Liverpool and if Liverpool win this is a good chance for Leicester to cut the gap to 2nd. A win for Leicester would take them a step close to Champions League football. Leicester won the reverse fixture 2-0. 

Crystal Palace vs. Man City

Palace sit 13th and have only won 1 of their last 5 games as they take on City who sit 10 points clear at the top of the table. The result of this game is of no real consequence to Palace but if City win and United lose then City could seal the Premier Leauge title by winning this game. Either way City should win this. Man City won the reverse fixture 4-0.

Brighton vs. Leeds

Brighton sit 17th and 7 points clear of the relegation zone as they take on Leeds who sit and have an outside chance at some form of European football. Leeds are unbeaten for a few games now and came through a run of Liverpool, Man City, and Man United without losing any of those games. This should be an entertaining game of football but Leeds are the team in better form. Both teams have something to gain from a win though. Brighton won the reverse fixture 0-1.

Everton vs. Aston Villa

Everton sit 8th as they take on 11th placed Villa. Villa might not stand a realistic chance at European football but they can still manage a top 10 finish. Everton are still within range of the Champions League but all they can do is get 3 points in this game. Villa have only 1 win in their last 5 while Everton also have 1 win in their last 5 but haven’t lost in 4 games. This should be a close one. The reverse fixture of this game still needs to be played.

Newcastle vs. Arsenal

Newcastle sit 16th and have only 1 loss in their last 5 games as they go through a decent patch of form. Arsenal sit 10th in the table with only 1 win in their last 5. Two teams with two contrasting run’s of form. Newcastle fought hard to get something at Liverpool and I think they can manage something against Arsenal as well. A loss for Arsenal in this game would rule of them out of a top four finish. 

Man United vs. Liverpool

United for the first time in several seasons go into this fixture as the better placed team. United are looking to seal a place in the top four with a win against Liverpool who sit 6th. Both teams are on unbeaten runs of form but United did play a semi-final against Roma during the week. This game can easily a draw and it probably will be but for Liverpool it’s a must win game for sure. A win for United would seal a place in the top four for them. The reverse fixture ended 0-0. 

Tottenham vs. Sheffield United

Tottenham sit 7th and are not out of the top four race as they still stand an outside chance. Sheffield United are relegated and are now just playing for pride as they prepare for a season in the Championship. Pressure on Tottenham especially after losing the Carabao Cup to Man City last weekend. Spurs won the reverse fixture 1-3.

West Brom vs. Wolverhampton

West Brom sit 19th as they take on Wolves who sit 12th. West Brom are running out of time to pull of a miracle and get out fo the relegation zone and Wolves will want to bounce back after the heavy loss to Burnley last weekend. This should be a cagey game with not much separating the two sides. West Brom won the reverse fixture 2-3.

Burnley vs. West Ham

5th placed West Ham sit 3 points outside the top four as they take on 14th placed Burnley who are looking to seal safety in the Premier League this season. Two teams with much to play for although West Ham have the bigger aims. Burnley had a good game last weekend while West Ham want to bounce back after the loss to Chelsea. A close affair that can go either way. West Ham won the reverse fixture 1-0.

La Liga MW 34

Atletico travel to Elche, Real Madrid entertain Osasuna, Sevilla take on Athletic Bilbao, and Barcelona travel to Valencia. Atletico remain two points clear of both Real Madrid and Barcelona at the top of the table. Sevilla sit 4th in the table just a point behind Barcelona. The race for the league is as close as ever in Spain and it’s really anyone’s guess who comes out on top. Barcelona had a great chance to take advantage during the week but they lost to Granada. Real Madrid, and Atletico have favourable fixtures this weekend. 

Serie A MW 34

Inter travel to Crotone, Milan entertain Benevento, Lazio take on Genoa, Napoli take on Cagliari, Atalanta travel to Sassuolo, Juventus travel to Udinese, and Roma travel to Sampdoria. Inter could win the Scudetto this weekend if results go their way as they sit 11 points clear at the top of the table. Atalanta sit 2nd 2 points clear of 3rd placed Napoli. Juventus and Milan along with Napoli are level on points up till 5th place. Lazio have an outside chance at top four while Roma are 7th and well behind everyone else. Mostly all teams have winnable games and it will be interesting to see who slips up. Inter will be the ones in a celebratory mood though if they win. 

DFB Pokal Semi-Finals

Werder Bremen take on Leipzig while Dortmund welcome Holstien Kiel who are 4th in Bundesliga 2. On paper Leipzig and Dormtund should reach the final but Holstien Kiel have taken some scalps on this run while Werder Bremen on their day are a threat. No easy games but there are favourites for sure. 

Ligue 1 MW 35

PSG take on Lens, Lille welcome Nice, and Monaco take on Lyon. Tough games for all teams involved while a loss for Lyon would end any hopes of a title this season. It’s a very close race but Lille, PSG, and Monaco make it up with Lyon a bit behind.

Midweek Football Review

City increase their gap!

Premier League (Various GW)

Man City 4 vs. 1 Wolverhampton

Dendoncker scored an own goal in the 15th minute to give City the lead. Coady equalised for Wolves in the 61st minute. It looked like Wolves would be able to hold on for the point but City shifted gears with 2 goals from Jesus and 1 from Mahrez in the final 10 minutes. City go 14 points clear at the top of the table while Wolves remain 12th in the table. 

Burnley 1 vs. 1 Leicester

Vydra scored in the 4th minute to give Burnley a surprise lead. Iheanacho equalised for Leicester in the 34th minute with a brilliant goal. Neither team could grab the winner though as they settled for a draw. Burnley remain 15th in the table while Leicester remain 3rd but only 3 points ahead of 4th placed Chelsea. 

Sheffield United 1 vs. 0 Aston Villa

McGoldrick grabbed the only goal of the game in the 30th minute for Sheffield United. Jagielka was sent off for the home team in the 57th minute but they managed to hold on with 10 players. Sheffield United manage their 4th win of the season as they remain bottom and 12 points from safety. Villa remain 9th with the loss with 2 game still in hand. 

Crystal Palace 0 vs. 0 Man United

A goalless draw with Palace getting the best chance to win the game late on. Palace remain 13th in the table while United remain 2nd, 5 points ahead of 5th. 

West Brom 0 vs. 1 Everton

Richarlison scored the only goal of the game in the 65th minute as Everton got a big win. Everton move into 5th with the win a point from top 4. West Brom remain 19th in the table, 9 points from safety. 

Fulham 0 vs. 1 Tottenham

Adarabioyo scored an own goal in the 19th minute to give Spurs the lead but Fulham dominated the game from then on out. They had the ball in the net through Maja in the 2nd half but it was ruled out by VAR because it hit Lemina’s hand when the hand was stuck to his body. Lemina could literally not put his hand anywhere else. Tottenham rode their luck and got 3 points. Spurs remain 8th with the win a point behind 7th placed Liverpool now with a game in hand. Fulham remain 18th in the table 3 points from safety. 

Copa Del Rey Semi-Final 2nd Leg

Barcelona came from 2-0 down in the 1st leg to beat Sevilla 3-0 at the Camp Nou to reach the final of the Copa Del Rey. Joining them there will be Bilbao who beat Levante 1-2. Barcelona are having a solid 2021 and their good form continues even with all the internal drama at the club. This should be a fun final. 

Serie A MW 25

Juventus beat Spezia 3-0, Napoli drew with Sassuolo 3-3, Milan drew with Udinese 1-1, Atalanta beat Crotone 5-1, Roma beat Fiorentina 1-2, and Inter beat Parma 1-2. Inter extend their gap at the top of the table to 6 points. Milan remain 2nd 4 points ahead of Juventus while Atalanta make up the top four. Roma, Napoli, and Lazio sit 5th, 6th, and 7th. Inter’s consistency getting them rewards while Milan’s poor form continues. 

DFB Pokal Quarter-Final

Dortmund beat Monchengladbach 0-1, while Leipzig beat Wolfsburg 2-0 to reach the semif finals. Holstein Kiel are the other semi-finalists along with whoever goes through from Werder Bremen and Regensburg. 

Ligue 1 MW 28

Lyon beat Rennes 1-0, Lille beat Marseille 2-0, Strasbourg beat Monaco 1-0, and PSG beat Bordeaux 0-1. Lille remain 2 points clear at the top of the table with PSG behind them. Lyon sit a point behind PSG in 3rd while Monaco are now 4 points behind Lyon in 4th. A 3 horse race for now with Monaco hitting a few hurdles. 

Midweek Football Preview

League football times 2!

Premier League (Various GW)

Man City vs. Wolverhampton

Man City won once again at the weekend and extended their lead at the top to 12 points. Wolves drew at the weekend and sit 12th in the table. Wolves are on a good run of form having gone unbeaten in their last 5 but I think that is going to a end. City should win. 

Burnley vs. Leicester

Burnley sit 15th having lost at the weekend while Leicester also lost at the weekend and remain 3rd in the table. Two teams looking to bounce back and Leicester on paper should win this but Burnley are a hard team to beat. A tough game for both teams. 

Sheffield United vs. Aston Villa

Sheffield United made it 4 losses in a row on Sunday while Villa returned to winning ways and sit 9th in the table. Villa should win this on current form but Sheffield United were pretty solid until the 2nd half. Similar to Burnley, Leicester is going to be defence vs attack. 

Crystal Palace vs. Man United

Palace sit 13th in the table and drew at the weekend as they take on 2nd placed United who also drew at the weekend. United need to win because they play City next and if they lose both these games they could well and truly be in a top four race by the end of this week. Palace will want to win to continue their good run. 

West Brom vs. Everton

19th placed West Brom managed to win at the weekend as they take on Everton who will play on Monday night. Everton could be a point of off 5th going into this game which would make a win against West Brom quite important. An interesting game. 

Fulham vs. Tottenham

London derby time as 18th placed Fulham take on 8th placed Spurs who got a big win against Burnley. Two teams in good form in the last two games although Fulham are unbeaten in their last 5 games. Fulham know a win can bring them level on points with Newcastle. A big derby in context. 

Copa Del Rey Semi-Final 2nd Leg

Barcelona take on Sevilla with Sevilla having a 2 goal lead from the 1st leg. Barcelona have all the work to do in this game. Levante and Bilbao take on each other with the first leg having ended 1-1. 

Serie A MW 25

Lazio take on Torino, Juventus welcome Spezia, Napoli travel to Sassuolo, Milan welcome Udinese, Atalanta take on Crotone, Roma travel to Fiorentina, Inter travel to Parma. Inter remain 4 points clear at the top of the table but all the teams have tricky games during the week. It will be interesting to see which teams trip up while which teams stay consistent. 

DFB Pokal Quarter-Final

Monchengladbach take on Dortmund, and Leipzig take on Wolfsburg among two other games. Arguably the tougher teams take on each other with the other two games played between smaller teams. 

Ligue 1 MW 28

Lyon take on Rennes, Lille take on Marseille, Monaco travel to Strasbourg, and PSG travel to Bordeaux. Lille remain 2 points clear at the top of the table but PSG move into 2nd in the table. It’s quite close at the top with 4 points separating 1st and 4th. Interesting games. 

Midweek Football Review

Some very interesting results. 

Premier League MW 22

Sheffield United 2 vs. 1 West Brom

Phillips scored in the 41st minute to give West Brom a lead and it looked like the gap would open up from Sheffield United. Bogle though equalised in the 56th minute for the Blades and Billy Sharp got a win for Sheffield United in the 73rd minute. Sheffield United go to within a point of West Brom but both remain 19th and 20th with Sheffield United 11 points from safety. 

Wolverhampton 2 vs. 1 Arsenal

Pepe scored in the 32nd minute during what was a dominate half for the Gunners up until the Luiz red card. It was a massive VAR decision though with Luiz barely having touched Willian Jose but since he didn’t make a proper challenge it was red for some reason. Either way Neves stepped up and equalised before half time. Moutinho then gave Wolves the lead in the 49th minute with what was the goal of the season probably an absolute screamer from outside the box. Leno was sent off for Arsenal in the 72nd minute after coming out of the box and punching the ball for a throw in with Traore chasing it. It was foolish and no one really knows what he was doing. Wolves remain 14th in the table while Arsenal remain 10th in the table. 

Man United 9 vs. 0 Southampton

Debutant Jankewitz got a red card for Southampton in the 2nd minute and it was curtains after that. Wan Bissaka, Rashford, Bednarek own goal, Cavani, Martial double, McTominay, Fernandes penalty, and Daniel James all scored a total of 9 goals over the next 88 minutes with Bednarek also being sent off for Southampton in the 86th minute. The Bednarek decision has been reversed and arguably the scoreline could have been limited to 6-0 if he had stayed on the pitch. United remain 2nd 3 points behind City while Southampton suffer a 9-0 defeat once again and drop down to 12th after losing their last 4 games. 

Newcastle 1 vs. 2 Crystal Palace

Shelvey scored in the 2nd minute but Riedewald and Cahill scored in the 21st and 25th minute to give Palace a lead. Palace held onto the lead over the next part of the game to get 3 big points. Newcastle drop into 16th in the table while Palace remain 13th in the table. 

Burnley 0 vs. 2 Man City

Jesus scored in the 3rd minute and Sterling added a 2nd in the 38th minute as City got another routine win against Burnley. Burnley drop down to 17th in the table after 2 losses in a row while City remain top of the table with a game in hand. 

Fulham 0 vs. 2 Leicester

Iheanacho scored in the 17th minute while Justin scored in the 44th minute to seal a simple win for Leicester. Fulham remain 18th in the table 8 points from safety while Leicester move back into 3rd as they return to winning ways. 

Leeds 1 vs. 2 Everton

Sigurdsson scored in the 9th minute to give Everton the lead while Calvert-Lewin got another in the 41st minute. Raphinha got one back for Leeds in the 48th minute but Everton held on for 3 big points. Leeds actually move one up into 11th thanks to goal difference while Everton move up into 7th with 2 games in hand. 

Aston Villa 1 vs. 3 West Ham

After what was a tight 1st half the game went crazy in the 2nd with several goals. Soucek got West Ham the lead in the 51st minute, while Lingard made it 2 in the 56th minute. Watkins got one back for Villa in the 81st minute but Lingard scored a 2nd on his debut for West Ham in the 83rd minute to get 3 big points for West Ham. Villa remain 9th in the table while West Ham remain 5th in the table 2 points behind Liverpool. 

Liverpool 0 vs. 1 Brighton

Alzate got the only goal of the game in the 56th minute and that was for Brighton as Liverpool’s good run of two wins came to a crashing end. Liverpool looked clueless in attack and their defence continues to leak in goals. Liverpool drop down to 4th as they struggle while Brighton continue their great run as they climb up to 15th in the table. 

Copa Del Rey Quarter-Finals

Sevilla beat Almeria 0-1, Levante beat Villarreal 1-0, Barcelona beat Granada 3-5 in extra time during what was a chaotic game with several goals, while Bilbao beat Betis on penalties. Barcelona and Sevilla should be favourites to reach the semi final but Villarreal will be the big team to drop out of this round. 

Coppa Italia Semi-Finals 1st Leg

Juventus beat Inter 1-2 in the 1st leg while Atalanta and Napoli drew 0-0. Two games finely poised for the 2nd leg but Juventus will have the away goal advantage against Inter. 

DFB Pokal 3rd Round

Essen beat Leverkusen 2-1 in a massive upset, Dortmund beat Paderborn 3-2, Wolfsburg beat Schalke 1-0, Leipzig beat Bochum 4-0, and Monchengladbach beat Stuttgart 1-2. Apart from Leverkusen the top teams all move onto the next round of the tournament. 

Ligue 1 MW 23

Lille beat Bordeaux 0-3, Lyon beat Dijon 0-1, Monaco beat Nice 2-1, PSG beat Nimes 3-0. Lille remain 2 points above Lyon at the top of the table. PSG and Monaco sit 3rd and 4th in the table. Ligue 1 continues to entertain with teams around PSG finally stepping up with some consistency.