
B/R Experts Predict Top Matches in World Football for Weekend of Dec. 13-14
Neither Manchester United nor Liverpool have enjoyed a consistent start to the Premier League campaign, but the clash of the two north west rivals will still hold the attention this weekend.
Under Louis van Gaal, United have stealthily moved into third place in the table, but Brendan Rodgers and his team have found the form of last season hard to come by ahead of the game at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Arsenal will be looking to bounce back from their defeat at Stoke City last weekend, but Newcastle have the wind in their sails after beating Chelsea in their last game before their trip to the Emirates Stadium.
Barcelona will be aiming to build on their impressive win over Espanyol last time out when they travel to Getafe in La Liga, while AC Milan are in desperate need of a boost against Napoli after their defeat to Genoa.
In Portugal, the top two go head-to-head, with FC Porto aiming to pull level on points at the summit by beating leaders Benfica.
Do you agree with our Bleacher Report experts' predictions for this weekend's games? Let us know in the comments section below.
Arsenal vs. Newcastle
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Alex Livie: Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle
First goalscorer: Danny Welbeck
Newcastle go into the game on a high following their win over Chelsea last week. The Gunners will bring the Magpies down to earth with a bump.
Karl Matchett: Arsenal 4-2 Newcastle
First goalscorer: Olivier Giroud
Arsenal to go behind, prompting angry Claude-esque reactions before Newcastle get overconfident dreaming of the top four and implode in the second half.
Sam Tighe: Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle
First goalscorer: Aaron Ramsey
Arsenal use their Gala win as an injection and cause an upset at home to Newcastle. Yes, a home win is an upset!
Will Tidey: Arsenal 1-1 Newcastle
First goalscorer: Papiss Cisse
Another disappointment for the Gooners predicted here, with Newcastle bringing the fight to Arsenal and holding out for a point.
Michael Cummings: Arsenal 2-2 Newcastle
First goalscorer: Papiss Cisse
Which version of Arsenal will show up? The side that demolished an awful Galatasaray? The side that played the first half (or for that matter, the second half) against Stoke? Not even Arsene Wenger seems to know at this point.
Jerrad Peters: Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle
First goalscorer: Alexis Sanchez
Newcastle will no doubt be buoyant after beating Chelsea at St James' Park, but this is a fixture Arsenal have dominated in recent seasons. After losing to Stoke, they looked in far better nick away to Galatasaray on Tuesday.
Alex Dimond: Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle
First goalscorer: Alexis Sanchez
Castigated after the loss to Stoke City, Arsenal bounced back well against Galatasaray. That should continue in this game, despite Newcastle's impressive recent run of results.
Getafe vs. Barcelona
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Alex Livie: Getafe 0-2 Barcelona
First goalscorer: Luis Suarez
Barca are starting to go through the gears and will prove too strong for Getafe. Luis Suarez is scoring in Europe, and he'll start doing so in La Liga too.
Karl Matchett: Getafe 0-4 Barcelona
First goalscorer: Lionel Messi
A straightforward win with another good second-half performance from Barcelona, which is quickly becoming their season trademark.
Sam Tighe: Getafe 0-3 Barcelona
First goalscorer: Lionel Messi
As ever, Lionel Messi breaks the deadlock and Barca go on to win the game comfortably.
Will Tidey: Getafe 0-3 Barcelona
First goalscorer: Neymar
Neymar or Messi? Neymar or Messi? To be different, I've gone for Neymar. Easy win.
Michael Cummings: Getafe 1-2 Barcelona
First goalscorer: Lionel Messi
Barcelona have won four straight games in the league, and Lionel Messi has netted three hat-tricks in his last five appearances in all competitions. More of the same, then.
Jerrad Peters: Getafe 0-3 Barcelona
First goalscorer: Lionel Messi
Coliseum Alfonso Perez has typically been a happy hunting ground for Barcelona, although they could only manage a 2-2 draw with Getafe in their most recent encounter at Camp Nou. Still, there's a feeling that the Catalan giants are finally hitting a groove, and they should win this comfortably.
Alex Dimond: Getafe 0-3 Barcelona
First goalscorer: Lionel Messi
Predicting anything other than a comfortable Barcelona win is not something I'm willing to do.
AC Milan vs. Napoli
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Alex Livie: AC Milan 1-0 Napoli
First goalscorer: Fernando Torres
There won't be much between the two; Torres can go some way toward silencing his critics with the winner.
Karl Matchett: AC Milan 1-2 Napoli
First goalscorer: Gonzalo Higuain
Every time AC Milan get enough points to get somewhere close to the top five, they come unstuck by playing decent teams. Same again here.
Sam Tighe: AC Milan 1-1 Napoli
First goalscorer: Gonzalo Higuain
Both teams are out of form and play out to a cagey, hesitant draw.
Will Tidey: AC Milan 1-1 Napoli
First goalscorer: Jeremy Menez
Milan to scrape a draw in this one, just about withstanding a late Napoli drive for all three points.
Michael Cummings: AC Milan 2-2 Napoli
First goalscorer: Keisuke Honda
Milan have not beaten Napoli in the league since February 2011. Both teams have drawn six matches in the league this season, and their 28 combined league matches have produced 85 goals.
Jerrad Peters: AC Milan 1-1 Napoli
First goalscorer: Gonzalo Higuain
AC Milan were blanked by Genoa the last time out but can pull level with Napoli by winning on Sunday. The Partenopei have drawn each of their last three matches in the league and could well extend that streak at the San Siro.
Alex Dimond: AC Milan 1-1 Napoli
First goalscorer: Jose Callejon
Napoli are brilliantly pragmatic in difficult away games such as this, and that quality should ensure they get something out of this game.
Manchester United vs. Liverpool
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Alex Livie: Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool
First goalscorer: Wayne Rooney
Two sides who are struggling for form, and home advantage will tip the balance in United's favour.
Karl Matchett: Manchester United 1-2 Liverpool
First goalscorer: Steven Gerrard
This game will become known as the Battle of the Bad Defences Who Are Somehow Getting Clean Sheets Lately. It won’t be a classic, and a mistake as much as a moment of quality could win it.
Sam Tighe: Manchester United 2-0 Liverpool
First goalscorer: Robin van Persie
I wouldn't even back Liverpool to score at this rate; they're a sinking ship, and Man Utd will ease past them.
Will Tidey: Manchester United 1-1 Liverpool
First goalscorer: Raheem Sterling
Very tight grudge match between the great rivals, with Liverpool striking first and United battling back for a point.
Michael Cummings: Manchester United 2-0 Liverpool
First goalscorer: Wayne Rooney
Liverpool are a mess and United look to be rounding into form. RvP scored twice last time out, but Rooney will be relishing a chance to score against Liverpool.
Jerrad Peters: Manchester United 3-2 Liverpool
First goalscorer: Wayne Rooney
You really don't know what you'll get from Liverpool these days, and no matter how poorly Manchester United play, they've somehow been able to grind out results of late. Expect plenty of goals in this one.
Alex Dimond: Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool
First goalscorer: Wayne Rooney
Liverpool look bereft of ideas in attack at the moment, but United have a litany of injuries in defence. An end-to-end game might be decided by United's greater array of attacking talent.
FC Porto vs. Benfica
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Alex Livie: FC Porto 1-2 Benfica
First goalscorer: Talisca
The top two in Portugal do battle, and Talisca will fire Benfica six points clear of their rivals.
Karl Matchett: FC Porto 2-2 Benfica
First goalscorer: Talisca
One of the biggest fixtures of the season, but as both the home side and the team playing catch-up, the emphasis is on Porto to go and win. That could suit Benfica, who will be happy to avoid defeat and keep their lead at the top.
Sam Tighe: FC Porto 2-1 Benfica
First goalscorer: Jackson Martinez
Benfica are top of the Liga Sagres, but Porto are too strong at the Dragao.
Will Tidey: FC Porto 2-0 Benfica
First goalscorer: Jackson Martinez
Porto to continue their fine recent form with a home win against Benfica.
Michael Cummings: FC Porto 2-1 Benfica
First goalscorer: Jackson Martinez
Porto need a victory to pull even with their guests atop the table. The good news is that they are unbeaten in their last eight home matches against Benfica in league play, winning six.
Jerrad Peters: FC Porto 2-1 Benfica
First goalscorer: Jackson Martinez
Porto are yet to lose in the Primeira Liga this season but go into this match three points back of first-place Benfica due to four draws from 12 outings. They have the best defensive record in the division and should be able to beat the Lisbon giants to go top of the table on goal difference.
Alex Dimond: FC Porto 2-2 Benfica
First goalscorer: Jackson Martinez
Benfica have found a bit of form after a relatively slow start to the season, but Porto have home advantage. In the end, both sides might cancel each other out.
Latest Standings
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| Week's Total | Total | |
| Mike Cummings | 10 | 117 |
| Karl Matchett | 3 | 100 |
| Alex Dimond | 3 | 98 |
| Jerrad Peters | 7 | 95 |
| Sam Tighe | 11 | 91 |
| Alex Livie | 10 | 85 |
| Will Tidey | 13 | 77 |
Correct result: One point
Correct first goalscorer: Two points
Correct scoreline: Three points









