Home of football statistics and historyLast weekend halted a two-month wait for Europe’s elite football as the Premier League, La Liga and Ligue 1 returned to action for the 2023/24 campaign.
Manchester City’s title defence was off to a flying start last Friday, with Erling Haaland’s first-half brace inspiring Pep Guardiola’s side to a 3-0 win over newly-promoted Burnley.
Elsewhere, Lionel Messi’s early life in Florida continues to fill the headlines worldwide after the Argentine scored in his fifth successive game for Inter Miami.
Gerardo Martino’s star-studded squad eased past Major League Soccer rivals Charlotte 4-0 to set up an exciting CONCACAF Leagues Cup semi-final tie versus Philadelphia Union.
If you are betting on sport, Messi seems to have all the odds and the sporting gods behind him, having won the Copa America and the World Cup in 2021 and 2022, and now poised to lead Miami to cup glory in the first time of asking. And if you are interested in more online gaming opportunities such as using real money to play poker online, you can click this link to play now.
Back to the football – there’s more to bank on apart from Messi this week – Man City are in action, the Womens World Cup is in its final week and Tottenham take on Manchester United in the blockbuster tie on the weekend.
Let’s look at the five most exciting matches to watch over the next seven days.
Philadelphia Union vs Inter Miami
Despite languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Inter’s continental fortunes contrast with their underwhelming domestic season.
Messi will lead the line when Martino’s resurgent team lock horns with Philadelphia at Chester’s Subaru Park on Tuesday night.
A place in the Leagues Cup showpiece event is up for grabs as the diminutive Argentine forward looks to guide the Herons past a Philadelphia side they’ve lost two twice in their last three meetings.
The 36-year-old has taken North American football by storm, netting eight goals in only five appearances for the Fort Lauderdale outfit.
Australia Women vs England Women
The 2023 Women’s World Cup has reached the final stages.
With back-to-back champions United States out of the competition, the tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand will soon crown a new champion.
Pursuing their first-ever World Cup title, high-flying England will trade tackles with Australia in a high-stakes semi-final tie on Wednesday morning.
Sydney’s Olympic Stadium forms the backdrop for this highly anticipated encounter.
After overcoming Herve Renard’s France in the quarter-finals, Matildas will be looking to defy the odds again in their maiden semi-final foray.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United
Ange Postecoglou’s touchline debut in the Premier League saw Tottenham Hotspur held to a dramatic 2-2 draw at Brentford.
During a post-match interview with The Guardian, the ex-Celtic boss admitted he hopes ‘Spurs can move forward’ despite losing talismanic striker Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.
Postecoglou won’t have to wait long to test his prayers as the Londoners welcome Manchester United to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening.
If everything goes to plan, these two teams should go head-to-head in a Premier League top-four battle this term, so Saturday’s match-up could give an insight into both sides’ ambitions.
Manchester City vs Newcastle United
A 5-1 thumping of Unay Emery’s Aston Villa in their Premier League opener proved Newcastle United’s fourth-place finish last season was no fluke.
Summer transfer arrivals of Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento have strengthened Eddie Howe’s bid to raise the bar and challenge for the title this year.
Newcastle’s title credentials face a stern test this weekend. They head to the Etihad Stadium to square off against three-time consecutive champions Man City.
These cubs produced one of the most breathtaking matches in the early stages of the 2022/23 campaign, sharing the spoils in a goal-glutted 3-3 draw at St James’ Park.
Connoisseurs of action-packed football will hope they can throw up another spectacle.
Women’s World Cup Final
The winner of the abovementioned semi-final between Australia and England will face off against Spain or Sweden in the title-deciding fixture at the Australia Stadium on Sunday, August 20.
As one of the pre-tournament favourites, Spain should have the upper hand over Sweden in the other semi-final, but they would be wise not to underestimate Peter Gerhardsson’s ladies.
It’s Sweden’s third semi-final appearance in the last four tournaments, though it’s worth noting they failed to make it to the grand final at both previous attempts.
None of the four semi-finalists have won the Women’s World Cup title. On that basis, we’re staring down the barrel of a historic weekend
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