Home of football statistics and historyFollowing action-packed midweek jammed-full of cracking fixtures in the Champions League and Europa League, top European sides will turn back to domestic affairs.
For those looking to check on betting opportunities for this weekend, make sure you check the odds calculator on bet-pa.com and check out our previews for the five most intriguing match-ups to look forward to this weekend.
Bundesliga – RB Leipzig vs Bayer Leverkusen
RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen go head-to-head in a mouth-watering Bundesliga showdown at the Red Bull Arena.
Both sides were impressive in midweek European action, setting themselves up nicely for this contest.
While Leverkusen turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 home win over Celtic in their Europa League outing, Leipzig recorded a scintillating 5-0 romping of Club Brugge in their penultimate Champions League fixture.
Against this high-scoring backdrop, the recent Bundesliga match-ups between these two sides have been a bit cagey, with none of the previous four producing more than two goals.
Interestingly, three of those four H2H clashes have yielded the identical 1-1 scoreline, which has been the case in two of Leverkusen’s last three competitive games on hostile turf.
While they look likely to get on the scoresheet after scoring in all nine competitive away matches under current boss Gerardo Seoane, Die Werkself could have problems keeping Leipzig at bay here.
Jesse Marsch’s men have scored in all ten historical Bundesliga fixtures against Bayer, though it’s worth noting that they’ve netted precisely once in four of their five league H2Hs at home.
La Liga – Real Madrid vs Sevilla
Since a 3-0 victory away to Sheriff Tiraspol in midweek sealed their place in the Champions League knock-out stages, Real Madrid can switch their focus to domestic commitments.
Los Merengues’ undivided attention will be required this weekend as high-flying Sevilla arrive at the Stadio Santiago Bernabeu for a mouth-watering La Liga fixture.
With just two points separating the sides ahead of the kick-off, the third-placed visitors could dethrone top-placed Madrid with what would be a massive upset in the capital.
Though they enter this round undefeated in their last six La Liga games (W4, D2), the Andalusians have to defy history to maintain their eye-catching start to the season.
Since an enthralling 4-3 triumph in December 2008, Sevilla have gone winless in their last 12 La Liga visits to the Bernabeu (D1, L11), conceding an average of 3.25 goals per match.
Given Barcelona’s well-documented on and off-field issues and Atletico Madrid’s underwhelming showings in the early exchanges, this could be Madrid’s season-defining fixture.
A potential victory over Julen Lopetegui’s side would send a clear message to other title contenders that Los Blancos mean business this term.
Ligue 1 – Saint-Etienne vs Paris Saint-Germain
Sunday’s Ligue 1 action kicks off at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard with a handsomely-looking clash between Saint-Etienne and Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite their household status in French football, it’s been a nightmarish start to the season for St Etienne so far, as they head into proceedings languishing in the drop zone.
After going winless in their opening 12 Ligue 1 fixtures, Les Verts have won their last two league outings in a row and are doing everything in their power to lift themselves away from the relegation territory.
A noticeable upturn in form may not be enough for the hosts to defy underdog status here, given that they last defeated PSG in a home Ligue 1 encounter in September 2008.
Unbeaten in their last 12 top-flight visits to St Etienne (W6, D6), Les Parisiens will be keen to get back to winning ways following a frustrating 2-1 loss to Manchester City in midweek Champions League action.
However, Mauricio Pochettino’s men have blown hot and cold away from home lately, picking up just one win in their last three Ligue 1 road trips (D1, L1).
Premier League – Chelsea vs Manchester United
Stamford Bridge is the venue as Chelsea and Manchester United lock horns in a clash of the Premier League titans.
That’s at least on paper due to the Red Devils’ horrendous start to the season, which culminated with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking last weekend on the back of a 4-1 thrashing away to Watford.
Unlike the Old Trafford outfit, the Londoners have been nothing short of exceptional this season, as they take the field sitting atop the Premier League standings.
Except for a 1-0 home defeat to Man City in late September, Thomas Tuchel’s side have gone unbeaten in their remaining 11 league games this term (W9, D2).
Chelsea’s outrageous domestic form is a stark contrast to Man United’s recent performances in the Premier League, where they’ve lost five of their last seven matches (W1, D1).
Caretaker manager Michael Carrick can draw some confidence from United’s remarkable recent record in London, as they’ve not lost any of their last 11 top-flight fixtures in the capital (W7, D4).
Serie A – Juventus vs Atalanta
Rocked by an embarrassing 4-0 Champions League defeat at the hands of Chelsea, Juventus will be seeking redemption against fierce Serie A rivals Atalanta.
A return to the Allianz Stadium, where they’ve won three of their last four league matches (L1), should inject much-needed confidence into Massimiliano Allegri’s under-fire side.
Juventus will have to muster their defensive stubbornness and clinical finishing that earned them a 2-0 away win over Lazio last weekend if they are to beat an in-form Atalanta.
The record-time Italian champions have racked up just two victories in their last nine top-flight encounters against La Dea (D6, L1) while they won none of their two Serie A meetings last season (D1, L1). In the meantime, fourth-placed Atalanta could undo Juventus’ recent upturn in domestic form with a win in Turin as it would extend their seemingly bridgeable four-point gap on the Bianconeri.
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