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B/R Experts Predict Top Matches in World Football for Weekend of Dec. 13-14

Ian RodgersDec 11, 2014

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

1 of 6

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

2 of 6

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

3 of 6

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.

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Manchester United vs. Liverpool

4 of 6

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

5 of 6

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

6 of 6
B/R Experts' Table
 Week's TotalTotal
Mike Cummings10117
Karl Matchett 3100
Alex Dimond 398
Jerrad Peters795
Sam Tighe 1191
Alex Livie 1085
Will Tidey 1377

Correct result: One point

Correct first goalscorer: Two points

Correct scoreline: Three points

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