European Football Wraps Up Domestic League Matches Before International Break
Published March 16, 2018 by Florin P
Punters prepare for an amazing weekend with lopsided matches that pit reigning champions and big favorites against relegation threatened teams.
After the breathtaking games played in the Champions League, European football leagues prepare for a 10 day break. National teams will step into the spotlight next weekend, so football clubs have one final chance to pick up points. The German, Italian, French and Spanish championships are underway as planned, but the English Premier League is disrupted by the FA cup schedule. Some of the best teams play in this competition so their domestic championship matches were postponed.
The FA Cup Quarterfinals are Underway
Manchester United and Tottenham play on Saturday in the FA Cup and both are expected to win against Brighton, respectively Swansea. The Red Devils have home pitch advantage and are given odds of 3/10 by 10bet Sportsbook, while Tottenham enjoys odds of ½ on the road. Both games are scheduled for Saturday, when a handful of low-profile Premier League matches are also taking place.
On Sunday, Southampton plays the most competitive match of the weekend in the FA cup, away at Wigan. The home team is the only one at this stage that is not from the Premier League and that’s why it got odds of 5/2. Meanwhile, Chelsea travels to Leicester in the most exciting fixture and they are credited with the first chance and odds of 11/10. The head to head record favors the visiting team, but the Londoners had a busy schedule recently, with a dramatic match against Barcelona on Wednesday.
The Race is on for the Second Place in Ligue 1
PSG is head and shoulders above competition and everybody expects them to win the trophy. The reigning champions and current leaders are playing on the road at Nice, a team that has a strong home record. Having said this, it is revealing that PSG is given odds of only 3/10 by 888 Sport to pick up all three points on the road. Far more exciting is the match between Marseille and Lyon where the hosts have odds of 11/10, while the visitors get 5/2. Monaco can take advantage of this schedule and consolidate its second place with what is expected to be an easy victory over Lille on Friday.
Top Italian Teams Embark on a Road Trip
Juventus, Inter Milan and AS Roma all play on the road this weekend and are expected to claim three points. Inter Milan has the toughest opponent in Sampdoria and that’s why 10bet Sportsbook gives them odds above even value to prevail. Juventus can’t afford any false steps away at SPAL if it is to maintain the distance separating it from Napoli. The runners-up play the final match on Sunday against Genoa in a must win fixture, hence the odds of only 1/4.
La Liga Teams Seek a Europa League Berth
Last weekend cemented the hierarchy in the Spanish first division, where the top four places are almost written in stone. Barcelona is virtually the winner of the championship, while Atletico Madrid is very likely to finish in the second place. Real Madrid and Valencia fight for the third-place and with both playing at home, straight victories are expected. Punters who bet on Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia on the same betting slip can expect only even odds for the combo at 888 Sport.
Sevilla lost at home against Valencia and with that defeat their last hopes to play in the Champions League groups next season have vanished. Now they must focus on the fifth place and to achieve that, they need to win on the road against Leganes. 10bet Sportsbook offers spectacular odds of 13/10 for their triumph, rather high given the incredible motivation of the team. The most exciting match of the weekend is the one between Villarreal and Atletico Madrid where the hosts get odds of 3/1.
