Rivalries are Reignited on Saturday in European and South American Football
Published November 10, 2018 by Florin P
Football action resumes after a Champions League and Europa League week, with aspiring teams challenging the leaders.
All the important European football leagues are active on Saturday and this is the day when most of the matches will be played. In the Premier League, the Spanish La Liga and the French Ligue 1, the favorites have a relatively easy mission against teams from the second half of the standings. The most exciting matches are scheduled in the German Bundesliga, and on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in South America. Copa Libertadores matches enjoy ample coverage at bet365 Sports and 888 Sport this weekend.
Bayern Munich and Dortmund Play for the Lead
The German Bundesliga has been for many years a family affair, with Bayern Munich dominating the championship with an iron fist. The reigning champions and the main favorites to lift the trophy at the end of the season sit in the third-place with only 20 points. Dortmund are the current leaders with a four-point-lead and they hope to extend the advantage on Saturday evening. At 5:30 PM UK time, they play against Bayern and despite having home pitch advantage they get odds of 2/1 at bet365 Sports. The visitors are at full strength and have an advantage in the head to head record, as reflected by the odds of 11/10 to win.
Boca Juniors and River Plate Rock Copa Libertadores
By far the most important match in the Argentinean first division is the one between Boca Juniors and River Plate. It’s been a while since these two teams have competed for a trophy in the domestic league, but on Saturday they meet in the Copa Libertadores. This is the final act of the competition and it will be played in two legs, with Boca Juniors having home pitch advantage in the first round. They are narrow favorites at odds of 3/2 offered by Winner Sports to win on Saturday night at 7 PM UK time. River Plate get odds of 2/1 for a straight victory and a not so negligible value of 1/2 on a double chance wager.
Difficult Task for Napoli on the Road
Napoli sit in the second place with 25 points and can close the gap separating them from Juventus. Inter Milan have a difficult match on Sunday against Atalanta after playing an equally demanding game on Tuesday against Barcelona. This means that a victory over Genoa will keep Napoli in the race for an elusive trophy, while also bringing them solitary second place. They get odds of 3/5 to prevail on the road, but their opponents are not to be underestimated. They were able to split points in three of the last four home matches, although the last win occurred more than 6 years ago in 2012. In the other matches of the day, Torino play at home against Parma in a match they are expected to win with relative ease.
A Draw is not Enough for Valencia and Atletico
Atletico Madrid squandered an excellent opportunity to claim a rare victory on the road last weekend, when they split points at Leganes. Now they have home pitch advantage and play against Athletic Bilbao, in a match they desperately need to win. Intertops prices them at 1/2 to prevail, while a surprise away victory is rewarded with odds of 7/1. Bilbao are yet to win a match on the road, but were defeated just once and finished four other matches undecided. Valencia has also split points on eight occasions, which makes it the team with the most draws this season. On Saturday at 3:15 PM UK time, they will try to secure the third victory this season, in a match played on the road against Getafe.
