B/R Experts: Big-Game Predictions, May 27-28
The final throes of the 2016-17 season are upon us. Serie A will be the fifth and final major European league to bring the curtain down this weekend, and we're also looking ahead to domestic cup finals in England, Germany and Spain.
Bleacher Report's Dean Jones has his finger on the pulse of English football and gives his verdict on the FA Cup final, while Italian football guru Adam Digby weighs in on the big games in Serie A.
Spanish football expert Karl Matchett will look after the Copa del Rey final, and German football authority Lars Pollmann will select his winner in the DFB-Pokal.
Arsenal vs. Chelsea
1 of 5
It is difficult to look beyond Chelsea becoming the next FA Cup winners.
Antonio Conte's men have proved themselves as the best team in the country with consistently high-quality performances and a strong mentality. They have been crowned Premier League champions and the Blues manager can expect to land another trophy at Wembley Stadium this weekend.
Chelsea have won seven games in a row, but the nature of their semi-final win over Tottenham Hotspur was an example of how they are also able to win games when they are not dominating.
Spurs had 63 per cent possession and five more shots on goal—yet Conte was clever in his team selection, as Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas were brought on as second-half substitutes to change the game.
It's unlikely he will do that again in this FA Cup final, as Arsenal are likely to be fragile at the back. The truth is that Chelsea could have this game won by half-time.
Gabriel is ruled out, and Shkodran Mustafi is battling to be ready in time after an illness. Laurent Koscielny is suspended, and Kieran Gibbs is doubtful. The signs are not good for the Gunners, but in fairness they haven't looked great since the beginning of this competition.
Arsenal looked like they would falter at the first hurdle as they trailed to Preston North End in the third round. But Olivier Giroud rescued them with an 89th-minute winner, and now the Gunners are preparing for a third cup final in four years. They beat Hull City in 2014 and Aston Villa in 2015 for a back-to-back double, so memories of those occasions can serve them well.
The problem with Arsenal, though, is we often spend time remembering their successes, rather than expecting more.
Prediction: 0-2
First goalscorer: Eden Hazard
Barcelona vs. Alaves
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Aside from perhaps receiving an early red card or something similar, there's no way Barcelona will lose this final.
It's Barca manager Luis Enrique's last game, it's a chance to add some silverware in a season where they've fallen short both in La Liga and the Champions League and, to put it bluntly, it's against Alaves.
Mauricio Pellegrino's side aren't a terrible team by any means. They have good organisation, a lot of determination and perhaps three impressive performers who can go on to much greater things in Spanish football.
However, they don't score enough, don't commit enough players to exploit Barcelona's weaknesses and, in three of the four games this season, have been routinely hammered by Barca and Real Madrid.
In the other, they beat Barca at the Camp Nou, so the Basque side at least have a template to follow. But with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Ivan Rakitic all in great form, even the absences of Luis Suarez and Sergi Roberto shouldn't mean an unexpected outcome.
Barca ended the season with six straight wins and beat Alaves 6-0 only three months ago, and even if the final might not be quite that emphatic, there's still only one name on the Copa.
Prediction: 3-0
First goalscorer: Neymar
Sampdoria vs. Napoli
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With the title, UEFA Europa League berths and two of the relegation spots already decided, the focus for Serie A's final weekend of action will almost certainly be on the battle for second place.
The difference between automatic UEFA Champions League qualification and a place in the play-off rounds cannot be understated, and Napoli will be hoping they can see off mid-table Sampdoria in order to overhaul AS Roma.
They arrive with the division's most prolific attack and also have more away points than any other team, meaning this could be a tough afternoon for the Samp defence, while Napoli have not lost to the Genoa-based side since May 2010.
It is also worth noting the over-2.5 goals market as there have been no fewer than 28 goals in the last six meetings between these two sides.
Prediction: 1-3
First goalscorer: Marek Hamsik
Roma vs. Genoa
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As if the possible ramifications of the result were not enough, Roma will take on Genoa knowing that it will be Francesco Totti's final game for the club, an event that will see a rare sell-out crowd at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
Luciano Spalletti's men know they cannot catch Juventus, but they will look to preserve their cushion over Napoli against a team they last lost to in January 1990.
With two draws and 13 defeats since then, the visitors—who have nothing left to play for—have lost their last 11 consecutive meetings with the Giallorossi, who arrive at the final fixture with no fresh injury or suspension concerns.
Furthermore, Roma have struck at least two goals in 13 of their last 16 Serie A matches, while their opponents have failed to score in six of their last seven away trips.
Prediction: 2-0
First goalscorer: Mohamed Salah
Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Borussia Dortmund
5 of 5
Saturday's DFB-Pokal final is Borussia Dortmund's fourth successive appearance in the showpiece at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
Having lost in the three previous attempts against Bayern Munich (twice) and Wolfsburg, the Black and Yellows will rarely have a better chance to win their first piece of major silverware since 2012.
They are clear-cut favourites against an Eintracht Frankfurt side that has been on a rather wretched run of form throughout 2017, finishing last in the Bundesliga form table for the second half of the season.
Of course, the cup—and especially its finals—has its own rules, and the disparity in quality may not show up too much over the course of 90 minutes, but anything other than a win for Thomas Tuchel in what seems likely to be his final match in charge of Dortmund would count as a massive upset.
Frankfurt are strengthened by the presumed returns of centre-back Jesus Vallejo and talismanic attacker Alex Meier, but the game will probably be more about how Dortmund manage to break down the Eagles' massive defence than anything the underdogs can produce going forward themselves—not least because counter-attacking is not among Frankfurt's strengths.
Niko Kovac's side will presumably hope to keep the game tight for as long as possible and nick it with a set-piece goal or count on goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky's heroics in a potential shootout.
Then again, Dortmund also prevailed in two shootouts on their way to Berlin. If the favourites can finish their chances, BVB should come away with the cup that has eluded them over the last few years.
Prediction: 1-3
First goalscorer: Shinji Kagawa
