Sunday Brings Back European Derbies after the Saturday Respite
Published February 23, 2018 by Florin P
Days after the Champions League and Europa League fixtures, European teams return to domestic championship action.
From Tuesday to Thursday, the best European teams were involved in Champions League and Europa League action. Now they return to pick up valuable points in their domestic championships and it all culminates with Sunday fixtures. On Friday and Saturday the leaders take on weaker teams, but on the final day of the weekend, they lock horns in breathtaking derbies.
Manchester United and Chelsea Fight for the Podium
After the tough matches against Spanish opposition in the Champions League, Chelsea and Manchester United play the Sunday Derby. The Reds have home pitch advantage and that’s why they enjoy favorite status with 10bet Sportsbook and odds of 11/10. They lost a single match at home against their city rivals and have no injury concerns ahead of this fixture. Meanwhile, Chelsea has alternated positive and negative results and there’s some turmoil in the locker rooms between players and manager Conte.
Arsenal and Manchester City had their match postponed for Thursday while Liverpool and Tottenham face London teams on Saturday and Sunday. Despite playing on the road, Tottenham is given odds of 1/2 by 888 Sport to pick up all three points against Crystal Palace. There is even less value in betting on Liverpool to win at home against West Ham since the odds don’t surpass 1/4.
Sevilla and Villarreal Push for a Champions League Berth
In the Spanish La Liga, Real Madrid and Barcelona are expected to pick up easy points at home against Alaves and Girona. Valencia will have a slightly more difficult match at home against Real Sociedad who is slowly returning to form. Even so, 10bet Sportsbook offers odds of 7/10 on the home side to win. The same odds are available for Athletic Bilbao to extend Malaga’s misery and defeat them at home.
The most exciting match in the Spanish football this week is the one betweenSevilla and Atletico Madrid on Sunday. Atletico plays on the road, but it is credited with the first chance and odds of 13/10 by 888 Sport. Those who choose to bet on the hosts can expect amazing odds of 23/10 while the draw increases the profits threefold. Villarreal is also trying to secure the fourth place which sends the team directly to the Champions League. To come closer to their goal, they must defeat Getafe at Estadio de la Ceramica.
Rivalry is Reignited in Ligue 1 on Sunday
Monaco sits in the second place and it is likely to consolidate its position, as it plays against Toulouse on the road. The odds of them winning are 9/10, which is decent value given their recent form. The best news for the former French champions is that the leaders PSG play against Marseille on Sunday evening. 10bet Sportsbook gives them odds of 3/10 to win, an outcome that will keep Marseille in the third place.
Lyon are not within striking distance, but they can take advantage of this opportunity to close the gap separating it from the top. If they defeat St Etienne at home, they will virtually secure the Europa League berth and keep the Champions League hopes alive. Their victory is priced at 1/2 and given St. Etienne’s poor record on the road, the home side is likely to prevail.
Rome and Milan Teams Involved in Sunday Derbies
In the Italian first division, the best teams from Rome and Milan play against each other for a shot at the Champions League places. Juventus and Napoli have easy fixtures and are expected to secure victory with relative ease and continued their race for the trophy. AS Roma welcomes AC Milan on Sunday in a match they need to win to remain in the third-place. The odds on their victory are 9/10 at 10bet Sportsbook.
Meanwhile, their city rivals Lazio travel to Sassuolo for a match they can’t afford to lose despite the busy schedule. Inter Milan is also expected to pick up all three points against Benevento at home and break the losing streak. At the bottom of the standings, Crotone and SPAL play a potentially deciding match in their quest to avoid relegation this season.
