Portuguese, English and French Teams Usher Football into 2020 on Friday
Published January 10, 2020 by Florin P
Rennes take on Marseille in an unlikely Ligue 1 derby that can determine the names of the teams to play in the Champions League next season.
The second weekend of 2020 marks the return of all the important football leagues in Europe, with the action starting on Friday. A single game is scheduled in the English Premier League and the French Ligue 1, while Portuguese football fans can wager on three matches. Benfica and Porto are expected to claim all three points, while Rennes and Marseille play in the most competitive game of the day.
Sheffield United Take on Depleted West Ham on Friday
Sheffield United are one of the newly promoted teams and their goal is to avoid relegation at the end of the year. So far they are doing a far better job than West Ham, in spite of the Londoners having an overall better starting formation and more depth. Both teams have started the year with victories in the FA Cup, but Sheffield are yet to win their first English Premier League game in 2020.
Home pitch advantage has been huge for Sheffield United this season and they hope to capitalize on it this Friday. The match is scheduled for 8 PM UK time and the hosts are credited with the first chance and odds of 9/10 by bet365 Sports. West Ham are playing better offensively and greatly improved their away record, so punters can consider a double chance wager at even odds.
Rennes and Marseille Play in Surprising Ligue 1 Derby
Rennes and Marseille find themselves in the enviable position of fighting for second place in spite of the slow season start. They are separated by five points, with Marseille having the lead, but their opponents have a game in hand and home pitch advantage in this fixture. Both of them have surged in December and won the vast majority of the games played, with few draws recorded regardless of venue.
Marseille is one of the better traveling teams in the French first division, but they take on an opponent that plays particularly well at home. No team will be happy with a draw in the match starting at 7:45 PM UK time and will push for outright victory. 888 Sport offers identical odds of 17/10 on each team to win and punters should also consider the possibility of many yellow cards to be shown in this match.
Benfica and Porto Resume their Title Chasing in the Primeira Liga
Benfica are at the top of the Portuguese Primeira Liga with an advantage of four points over Porto. On Friday they play at home against last-place Aves who have lost all the away matches this season. This looks like a straightforward job for the reigning champions, but the odds on them to win are dismal. Punters get a slightly better value of 1/2 at 10bet Sportsbook if they back Porto to win on the road against Moreirense. Their opponents have a solid home record and lost a single match in front of their fans.
