B/R Experts: Big-Game Predictions, April 15-17
With Champions League and Europa League action done for the week, it's time for teams to turn their attentions back to their so-called "bread and butter": domestic league action.
Premier League matches dominate our predictions thread this week, with five big games being slid under the microscope, and we also have league action in Spain, Germany and Italy.
Bleacher Report's Dean Jones has his finger on the pulse of English football and will give his verdict on the Premier League, while Italian football guru Adam Digby weighs in on the big games in Serie A.
Spanish football expert Karl Matchett will look after La Liga, and German football authority Lars Pollmann will select his winners in the Bundesliga.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Bournemouth
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Harry Kane is fit again and expected to start, which is bad news for Bournemouth.
Spurs have scored eight goals from three Premier League meetings with the Cherries—and Kane has bagged five of them. Mauricio Pochettino will not let his men lose hope of winning the title, despite trailing Chelsea by seven points with seven games remaining.
This match is played before Antonio Conte's men are in action, so it at least provides an opportunity to close the gap temporarily and pile some pressure on the Blues.
Bournemouth are on a tricky run of games having just drawn 2-2 at Liverpool and lost 3-1 to Chelsea. They encountered some misfortune against the Blues last time out, but it is still difficult to imagine they will take anything from a Spurs team who have won their last seven matches.
Prediction: 2-0
First goalscorer: Harry Kane
Southampton vs. Manchester City
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said the fight for a top-four spot will go down to the final day, but this trip to the south coast provides yet another stern test for fragile Manchester City.
A 3-1 victory over Hull City ended a four-game winless run to restore confidence within a side that never seem to be sure what kind of display they are about to put on. Even when they dominate play, City give up chances at the back. And Saints have the capability to breach any defence so will fancy their chances of an upset.
They are on the back of successive wins over Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion and seem to have improved defensively over the past four games.
Prediction: 2-2
First goalscorer: Raheem Sterling
Sporting Gijon vs. Real Madrid
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Sporting Gijon are fighting for their lives in the relegation zone...just not particularly well, with only one win in their last nine and sitting five points from safety. The last thing they want, then, is to face a buoyant Real Madrid side who will be confident after a midweek turnaround in Europe—but there's a small, slight chance that Zinedine Zidane's teamsheet could offer a chance to Sporting.
Having played the Madrid derby and the first leg in the Champions League in the last two games, Real's next two are the second leg in Europe and El Clasico, making this the one-in-five match where changes can be made and key players rested.
Of course, Real's second string is still far stronger than Gijon's starters, so we're not expecting an upset.
Prediction: 1-3
First goalscorer: James Rodriguez
Atletico Madrid vs. Osasuna
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Out of nowhere, Osasuna have suddenly opted to mount a late bid for survival; having previously taken 11 points from 29 games, they've now taken an additional six from their last two.
Still 10 points adrift of safety, their winning run is surely coming to an end at Atletico Madrid, nine unbeaten in all competitions and looking close to their best of last season, even if the killer edge isn't always there in the final third.
At home, this should be a banker and see Atleti move ever closer to sealing a third-place finish even if Diego Simeone makes changes to his lineup.
Prediction: 1-0
First goalscorer: Fernando Torres
Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad
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It's all falling apart a little for Barcelona at the end of the season; a heavy defeat in Europe, losing at Malaga last week and missing Neymar through suspension—and Real Sociedad are a team who regularly cause them problems.
From a neutral perspective, a Barca win to make El Clasico more exciting would be the best outcome, but they're going to have to work hard to lift the gloom and overcome La Real for that to be the case.
They could struggle here, and Sociedad would do well to go on the offensive early on—and then hope they have enough resilience to hold out against the inevitable late onslaught.
Prediction: 2-1
First goalscorer: Willian Jose
Borussia Dortmund vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
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It's remarkable and, quite frankly, almost inhuman, but here we are. Borussia Dortmund will play their second game in four days after a cowardly terrorist attack on their lives on Tuesday evening.
The repercussions of the horror players and staff lived through on the team coach will surely have an impact on games to come and a meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday will be no different.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel welcomes back Marco Reus, the Germany star is supposed to start in his comeback after his latest muscle injury. One of the leaders on the team and not with his mates during the attack, the 27-year-old should make a huge difference.
Frankfurt, on the other hand, have been in free fall for weeks, losing six of nine Bundesliga matches since their last win in early February. A team that long played beyond its talents, head coach Niko Kovac's side suffers from the unavailability of key players in Makoto Hasebe and Alex Meier.
Under normal circumstances Dortmund would be overwhelming favourites, but it's anyone's guess how well they can concentrate on football in a week that was about anything but sport for them.
Prediction: 1-1
First goalscorer: Branimir Hrgota
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich
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Bayer Leverkusen's first win under caretaker manager Tayfun Korkut during the Bundesliga's midweek matchday last week came at an opportune time, seeing as the Rhinelanders were set to face second-placed RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich in the next two games.
It also gave the team that had started the season with UEFA Champions League ambitions some much-needed breathing room in the fight against relegation. Since then, Bayer lost in embarrassing fashion to Leipzig—conceding the winning goal in the third minute of stoppage time against 10 men—and saw the Bavarians suffer an important defeat against Real Madrid on Wednesday.
With the league leaders surely out for revenge against whichever poor team would stand in their way next and Leverkusen's sliver of confidence being torn to pieces by their Leipzig defeat, this game could well get ugly.
One possible saving grace for Leverkusen: The Bundesliga is all wrapped up for Bayern anyway, so Carlo Ancelotti might think about resting as many players as possible for the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Prediction: 0-3
First goalscorer: Thomas Muller
Inter Milan vs. AC Milan
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One of Italian football's most eagerly anticipated fixtures takes place on Saturday lunchtime, with the latest edition of the Milan derby seeing the city's two teams both desperately in need of points.
Milan sit sixth, just two points ahead of their crosstown rivals in the chase for Serie A's final Europa League berth. Inter are undefeated in 11 of the last 12 derbies in which they have been the "home" side but have registered a win, a draw and a loss in the last three league clashes overall.
The Nerazzurri have also lost their last two matches in Serie A, while Milan arrive for the game on a three-match unbeaten run.
Prediction: 1-1
First goalscorer: Ivan Perisic
Pescara vs. Juventus
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Buoyed by their emphatic UEFA Champions League win over Barcelona, Juventus make a trip to Pescara this weekend, a match pitting Serie A's best team against its worst.
Indeed, while the Bianconeri sit six points clear at the top of the table, their next opponents sit rock bottom, 10 points from safety and almost certain to be relegated in the next few weeks.
Pescara have failed to win 14 of their last 15 home matches in the league, while Juventus have won their last five matches against them in all competitions and scored over 2.5 goals in each of their last three meetings between these two sides.
Prediction: 0-3
First goalscorer: Miralem Pjanic
West Brom vs. Liverpool
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Liverpool managed their first away league win of 2017 when they produced a comeback to beat Stoke 2-1. It took the magic of Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino to turn the game in their favour, but you still wonder whether this team will manage to finish in the top four without the injured Sadio Mane.
He has been their best player this season, and without him, Liverpool still seem to lack spark and urgency in the final third.
West Brom will attempt to do to Liverpool what they did to Arsenal, where they used prowess from set pieces to perfection in a 3-1 win. However, that win was the only time they have collected all three points in their last six outings.
Prediction: 1-2
First goalscorer: James Milner
Manchester United vs. Chelsea
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It's the Jose Mourinho derby, but don't expect anything special in terms of entertainment. He is promising to field his strongest available side, despite admitting the Europa League is his priority, as reported by the Telegraph. The likelihood is he will send out a side designed to stifle and frustrate his old employers.
Chelsea had 73 percent possession when the two sides met last month in the FA Cup, and while United were cut to 10 men after Ander Herrera was sent off, it was only a goal from N'Golo Kante that separated them.
The Blues are unbeaten in 12 across all competitions against United, and it is likely that run will extend to 13. One main difference from the FA Cup tie is that United have Zlatan Ibrahimovic available this time, so that should give United fans hope of a goal at least.
Prediction: 1-1
First goalscorer: Pedro
Middlesbrough vs. Arsenal
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Even Arsenal can't mess this one up, can they? Boro have become the Premier League's most boring side to watch this season, and the likelihood is they will be relegated. They have only scored three times from their last seven matches, and have not won a league game since December 17—and only bottom club Sunderland have a worse home record.
Arsenal have won six games on the road this season but the last of those came at Swansea three months ago. A 3-0 pummelling at Crystal Palace will have done little to help their confidence but at least there is some good news: Boro have conceded more goals against Arsenal than they have against any other opponent in the top flight.
This will probably be a tighter game than Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger would welcome, but the Gunners should get the points to keep a Champions League finish alive.
Prediction: 1-2
First goalscorer: Alexis Sanchez
