Decisive Matches Scheduled for Friday in Germany, Portugal and Spain
Published March 5, 2021 by Florin P
Sporting Lisbon and Villarreal chase big dreams on Friday afternoon against teams struggling at the middle of the tables in Primeria Liga and La Liga.
An amazing week is about to conclude for football fans, with games scheduled from Monday to Sunday in all the important football leagues. There are only a handful of matches on Friday evening, but they could have a major impact on the teams involved. The Spanish first division schedules a single match between Valencia and Villarreal, teams with divergent objectives. Equally exciting matches will take place in Germany and Portugal, with teams playing potentially decisive games.
Last Chance for Villarreal to Reach the Champions League
Villarreal are among the favorites to win the Europa League, but they have higher expectations than that. The goal is to make it to the Champions League next season and so far they are not in a good spot. In order to close the gap separating them from the leading four teams, they need victory over Valencia. The match will be played on the road, but without spectators, so home pitch advantage won’t mean much. It is the visitors who start with the first chance at odds of 11/10 at bet365 Sports. They’ve been the stronger contender throughout the season, while Valencia are struggling and get odds of 28/10.
Schalke and Mainz Fight for their Bundesliga Lives
The relegation battle is heating up in the German first division where Schalke and Mainz occupy the last two places. Schalke are in desperate need of victory as anything short of three points will pretty much seal their fate. With only 9 points in 23 matches, they need a miracle to survive for another year in the German Bundesliga. They will play at home, but without fans and given their horrible performance throughout the year, odds of 23/10 are easy to explain. Mainz have alternated positive and disappointing results, so they are only slight favorites and benefit from tempting odds of 12/10 at bet365 Sports.
Victory can Deliver Sporting’s First Trophy in 20 Years
Sporting Lisbon are well-positioned to win the first trophy in two decades. They have a commanding lead over Porto and Benfica, the most successful Portuguese teams in history. Braga currently sit in the second place, so if Sporting picks up all three points on Friday, they will get a commanding advantage. This is the last match of the day, starting at 8:45 PM UK time and will pit the leaders against Santa Clara. The visitors comfortably sit at the middle of the standings and are known for being a mediocre traveling team. Under these circumstances, Sporting are priced at 9/20 by 888 Sport while the visitors get odds of 6/1.
Disclaimer:
The odds mentioned here were accurate at the featured bookmakers at the hour the article was written, respectively on Wednesday, March 4 at 6 A.M. UK time.
