B/R Experts: Big-Game Predictions, April 4-5
League and cup games are on offer during a breathless round of midweek football action.
Premier League matches dominate the headlines in England, and we also have league action in Spain and Germany—while it's the Coppa Italia in Italy.
Bleacher Report's Dean Jones has his finger on the pulse of English football and gives his verdict on the Premier League, while Italian football guru Adam Digby weighs in on the two games in the cup.
Spanish football expert Karl Matchett will look after La Liga, and German football authority Lars Pollmann will select his winners in the Bundesliga.
Manchester United vs. Everton
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Zlatan is back! So that means Manchester United can have no more excuses in front of goal.
He has 15 goals in the Premier League this season, and Jose Mourinho has missed having him as a focal point of the attack.
The Reds battered West Brom on Saturday but could find no path to goal. Mourinho was frustrated afterwards and knows his side should have beaten a team that showed no ambition whatsoever.
Everton also lacked some ambition at the weekend as they lost 3-1 to Liverpool. Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley came in for stick and need to show in this one that they can produce in big games...but don't count on it.
Prediction: 1-0
First goalscorer: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Atletico Madrid vs. Real Sociedad
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Atletico Madrid's impressive recent form shows no signs of abating, and their rise into third place in La Liga has been in part down to much more consistent home form—which will be too much for Real Sociedad to overcome in midweek.
La Real have been hit-or-miss on the road, but their cause is not helped by Willian Jose misfiring of late: He has just one goal in his last 10 matches, despite still contributing to their build-up play.
Atletico's forwards, by contrast, look red hot once again. The competition for places seems to be helping Fernando Torres and Kevin Gameiro push each other, and between them they’ll have enough to again get Atleti over the line.
Prediction: 2-0
First goalscorer: Yannick Carrasco
Roma vs. Lazio
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Last week, the barriers that had divided the Stadio Olimpico were taken down, meaning that finally the fans—who had been boycotting matches in protest against the security measures—will return.
That should provide the usual powder-keg atmosphere in the Italian capital, with AS Roma hoping it can inspire them to overturn their 2-0 deficit in this two-legged tie and earn a place in next month's final.
Lazio are in excellent form, undefeated in their last 10 matches in all competitions, but the Giallorossi have only lost twice in their last 20 "home" games against their crosstown rivals and have scored at least two goals in their last three of those.
Prediction: 2-1
First goalscorer: Radja Nainggolan
Borussia Dortmund vs. Hamburg
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It will be exactly two years since Borussia Dortmund last lost a home match in the Bundesliga when they host Hamburger SV on Tuesday evening in Westfalenstadion.
The visitors will put that impressive record to the test: Not only are Hamburg a bit of a bogey team for the Black and Yellows, having beaten them five times in the last nine meetings, they are also in fine form under head coach Markus Gisdol.
In fact, the club their fans affectionally call "Dino," for Hamburg has never been relegated from the German top flight, have won as many points as Dortmund have in the second half of the season, 17 in nine matches.
Add the fact that Gisdol's counterpart on the home bench, Thomas Tuchel, will be without defensive stalwart Sokratis Papastathopoulos (suspended) and, presumably, team captain Marcel Schmelzer (back issues), and a seemingly lopsided fixture between fourth and 14th in the table should become fairly competitive.
However, Hamburg will be without counter-attacking specialist Nicolai Muller, scorer of both of their goals in the 5-2 defeat in the reverse fixture. In that game in November, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a quadruple after serving a club-imposed one-game suspension in the UEFA Champions League.
With the mercurial Gabonese getting slapped with a hefty fine, per tabloid Bild (in German) for his celebration in the Revierderby, where he put on a mask provided by a personal sponsor, Hamburg will have to hope Aubameyang doesn't wreak his anger on them for the second time this season.
Prediction: 2-1
First goalscorer: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Hoffenheim vs. Bayern Munich
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Seeing as Bayern Munich host rivals Dortmund on the weekend and RB Leipzig have lost some of their mojo in 2017, the trip to face Julian Nagelsmann's high-flying third-placed 1899 Hoffenheim on Tuesday should represent the toughest domestic fixture left on the schedule and a stern test for the Bavarians' sumptuous form.
Led by the brilliant Thiago Alcantara in midfield and the imposing Robert Lewandowski in attack, Carlo Ancelotti's side are running riot through the Bundesliga, leaving but a cloud of dust behind them after waltzing over hapless opponents. Hoffenheim are anything but hapless, however. Rather, they're a well-oiled machine in their own right, inflicting only a second home defeat of the season on Hertha BSC on the previous matchday.
Hoffenheim have yet to lose a single game in front of their own fans and will be as confident as a team can be ahead of a meeting with the overwhelming Bavarians. In the reverse fixture they arguably outplayed the hosts in the Allianz Arena and thoroughly deserved coming away with a point, with an own goal from Steven Zuber costing them a famous win.
This is the meeting between the two best sides in Germany at the moment and, if nothing else, should be a cracking match.
Prediction: 1-1
First goalscorer: Andrej Kramaric
Swansea vs. Tottenham
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Tottenham suddenly have a sniff that a title charge could still be on so cannot afford to throw away points on this trip to Wales.
Spurs showed good character to beat Burnley at the weekend and are now on a run of five successive wins.
Everyone thought they would struggle without Harry Kane, but it is starting to look like that is not the case. Yes, they are more dangerous with him in the side, but they can still produce results without him. It's the sign of a great team.
Swansea have not won in their last three matches and could only manage a goalless draw with Middlesborough at the weekend.
Prediction: 0-2
First goalscorer: Heung-Min Son
Arsenal vs. West Ham
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Arsenal fans have started fighting with each other in the stands, but the good news is that their team are also showing similar passion on the pitch.
There were signs that Arsenal have rediscovered some pride as they forced a 2-2 draw with Manchester City on Sunday.
The Gunners twice fought back from behind and this is a game when they should prove that they can still make it into the top four this season.
They are sixth, seven points off a UEFA Champions League place, but West Ham are in a much worse state having lost their last four matches.
They have not won a match since a success at Southampton on February 4, and there is no real sign that run of form is going to change as they head to the Emirates.
Prediction: 2-0
First goalscorer: Alexis Sanchez
Chelsea vs. Manchester City
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After a shock 2-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace, Chelsea need to respond.
They had 24 shots at goal against the Eagles, their second-highest total in the league this season, but their lead at the top is now cut to seven points after they were left frustrated by Wayne Hennessey.
Of course Chelsea are still clear favourites to win the title, but this is a serious test for Antonio Conte.
They won 3-1 at the Etihad in December in a feisty affair that saw City have two men sent off.
But Pep Guardiola could head to Stamford Bridge with a tactical plan to surprise us all.
Eyebrows were raised at his attack-minded lineup used against Arsenal and, even though they did not lose the game, you wonder about their defensive strength.
It is likely they will score, given that Chelsea's back line has started to creak, but it is also more likely that they will concede.
Prediction: 2-1
First goalscorer: Diego Costa
Liverpool vs. Bournemouth
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Spirits are high at Anfield after a 3-1 win over rivals Everton on Saturday, but the warning sign should be flashing for this fixture.
This is exactly the type of game they unexpectedly drop points in...so perhaps we should actually expect Bournemouth to get something from the trip to Merseyside.
Wolves, Southampton and Swansea have all won at Liverpool this calendar year, and with Sadio Mane unlikely to figure due to injury, Bournemouth should be confident.
The Cherries have drawn their last two games, at Man United and Southampton, and it could be seen as a likely outcome again.
They will also be buoyed by a 4-3 win over Liverpool earlier in the season.
Prediction: 1-1
First goalscorer: Philippe Coutinho
Barcelona vs. Sevilla
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While Barcelona are hitting their stride and looking comfortable in games once again, it all seems to be unravelling somewhat for Sevilla.
Manager Jorge Sampaoli has been linked elsewhere, sporting director Monchi is leaving and the team haven’t won in four in La Liga, slipping way from the title race and down into fourth as a result.
The fairytale response would be a win at the Camp Nou to kick-start their campaign and push on for a top-three finish…but it’s hard to envisage Barcelona choking in a big game, allowing Real Madrid to pull away. Home win, title fight continues.
Prediction: 3-2
First goalscorer: Leo Messi
Leganes vs. Real Madrid
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With just one defeat in their last six, Leganes have given themselves some breathing room in the battle to avoid relegation and can afford to simply see this as a bonus fixture: still one they’ll play with optimism and desire, but a defeat won’t be season-defining in the slightest.
Real Madrid’s two-point lead at the top still feels somewhat precarious despite having a game in hand, and they simply can’t afford to slip up.
The weekend win over Alaves showed the way forward: score first, bide their time and obliterate teams late on, when power and quality counts most—and which Real have plenty of.
Prediction: 0-3
First goalscorer: Cristiano Ronaldo
Napoli vs. Juventus
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Just three days after their last meeting, Juventus will again visit the Stadio San Paolo, but they will do so holding a 3-1 lead in this Coppa Italia clash.
A measured performance like the one they delivered on Sunday will be more than enough, but Napoli will undoubtedly do everything they can to overturn that deficit.
The match pits Serie A's best defence (Juve) against its best attack, with the likes of Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne routinely among the goals for Maurizio Sarri's men. They boast an impressive record against the Turin giants, undefeated in 11 of their last 12 home matches against the Bianconeri in all competitions.
However, it must be noted that the visitors have lost by a two-goal margin just once this season in all competitions and never by the three goals Napoli would need to secure victory.
Prediction: 2-1
First goalscorer: Jose Callejon
