Saturday Puts Form vs Class in the Top European Football Leagues
Published December 19, 2020 by Florin P
Southampton and Leverkusen hope to extend their good runs against vastly superior opponents and cash in on home pitch advantage.
Some of the hottest teams in European football are scheduled to play on Saturday afternoon and evening. They welcome reigning and former champions, teams that have dominated them over the last years, regardless of venues. In the Spanish first division, Barcelona and Valencia lock horns in what used to be a classic derby, but one that has lost much of its shine in recent years.
In-Form Southampton Welcomes Manchester City
Southampton is one of the most in-form teams in the English Premier League, losing just once in the last 10 matches. That heartbreaking defeat occurred in the last minute of overtime against Manchester United and on Saturday they take on the other team from this city. Southampton will try to take advantage of Manchester City’s recent struggles and pick up a rare victory at odds of 6/1 with 888 Sport. City were held to low-scoring draws in December but are favorites to win on Saturday, with odds of 1/2.
Lyon Chases Fourth Road Win in the French Ligue 1
Lyon achieved what many regarded to be next to impossible and defeated PSG on the road last weekend. Euphoria set in that they were unable to double down on that result, and were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Brest. Now they are back on the road where they have won three consecutive games and are expected to pick up another victory. This is reflected by the odds of 1/2 offered by the odds on 888 Sport against a struggling team that hasn’t won back-to-back games in a while. Nice get odds of 5/1 to prevail at home.
Munich and Leverkusen – May the Best Bayern Win!
Bayern Munich and Leverkusen are separated by a single point at the top of the standings, with the former having a narrow advantage. Leverkusen would gladly settle for a point on Saturday at 7:30 PM UK time in spite of having home pitch advantage. That’s because they play on an empty stadium against a team that has consistently defeated them regardless of venue. The odds offered by bet365 Sports on a home win are 3/1, while punters who trust Bayern Munich to continue their dominance will be paid at 7/10.
Barcelona and Valencia Play a Shineless Derby
Barcelona and Valencia have disappointing season starts and hope that this match will help them turn the ship around. Barcelona is better positioned to pick up a victory given Valencia’s struggles on the road, but the head to head record isn’t particularly impressive. Even so, bet365 Sports regards the host as favorites to emerge victorious, as reflected by the odds of 3/10. The odds of Valencia picking up its second win on the road this season are much higher, standing at 15/2 and could further grow as kickoff draws near.
Disclaimer:
The odds mentioned here were accurate at the featured bookmakers at the hour the article was written, respectively on Thursday, December 17 at 11 am UK time.
