Premier League and Ligue 1 Favorites Play on Saturday
Published August 21, 2021 by Florin P
The best English and French teams play at home this Saturday as the quest for the Premier League and Ligue 1 trophies resumes.
English football is back in the spotlight with half a dozen matches scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Some of the main candidates for the trophy are scheduled to play on the first of the weekend and will have home pitch advantage. The same happens in France, where Ligue 1 top teams will welcome stringy opponents in matches they can’t afford to lose.
Manchester United Welcomes Leeds at Old Trafford
Manchester United have revamped their starting formation and have high expectations for the season about to start. Kick starting the year with a victory over Leeds is of critical importance and the hosts will settle for nothing short of outright victory. In spite of having a few injured players, they are firm favorites with odds of 11/20 at bet365 Sports. Leeds are winless in the last six matches and will travel to Old Trafford with a defensive minded attitude.
Chelsea Expected to Crush Crystal Palace in London
Chelsea won the European Super Cup at penalties and will aim for a positive start in the domestic league. The fact that they play against Crystal Palace at home greatly increases the odds of the Blues winning. Punters who consider backing them in the match scheduled for 3 PM UK time will only benefit from odds of 1/4 at bet365 Sports. That’s the consequence of Chelsea winning the last seven direct matches, as well as the clear difference in squad quality.
Lille Seeks Second Win in Ligue 1 against Nice
Lille won the French top division last season but will have to play even better to defend the trophy. It is imperative for them to start with a victory at home over Nice, a team that only defeated them once on the road in the last seven matches. The hosts are prone to splitting points but the draw is not acceptable and they will be aiming for all three points. 888 Sport offers odds of 9/10 on the hosts to prevail, while an upset victory for Nice is priced at 3/1 by the same bookmaker.
PSG under Pressure ahead of Strasbourg Visit
PSG saw their winning streak interrupted last season when they were unable to win the Ligue 1. Now that they also have Messi in their rotation, the Parisians should be able to outshine Lille in every imaginable way. The first challenge is to win the opening match against Strasbourg in convincing fashion in the opening round. 888 Sport expects them to crush the opponents and offers odds of 1/5 on a home win.
Disclaimer:
The odds mentioned here were accurate at the featured bookmakers at the hour the article was written, respectively on Thursday, August 12 at 8 A.M. UK time.
