It’s another huge week in European football for a multitude of reasons.
We’ve picked out highlights from each night this week with match previews from our betting experts. Take this seven-leg multi on betPawa with booking code 7075288 which auto-fills your slip.
? Monday 25th
??????? Crystal Palace vs Leeds
Following a 3-2 win at West Ham in January, Leeds is looking to win consecutive league matches in London for the first time since April 2008 in League One. They’re still not quite out of the woods yet in terms of the relegation picture, but a positive result here for Jesse Marsch’s in-form Peacocks would see a bit of daylight emerging between them and the dreaded trap-door. After a run of six defeats that ultimately led to Marcelo Bielsa’s sacking, Leeds is now unbeaten in four matches, winning three of those. Palace has drawn 13 top-flight encounters this term, the second-highest number in the division, and another stalemate looks an attractive bet on Monday.
? Follow Crystal Palace vs Everton
? Tuesday 26th
? Man City vs Real Madrid
Real have scored three goals in three of their last four away games, including at Stamford Bridge, so the attacking prowess is obvious and they know how to get the job done on the glitzy European nights. It’s also impossible to ignore the form of evergreen Karim Benzema. The 34-year-old is having the season of his life and making a strong case for the Ballon d’Or. City has kept a clean sheet in their last four UCL outings but a shutout against Benzema and Vinicius Jr looks highly unlikely. Get the popcorn ready for what is sure to be a supremely entertaining night of top-shelf football. City engaged in football’s equivalent of a dog fight against Atletico Madrid and beat them at their own game, and now they’ll revert back to type in a battle for the purist, contested by two modern managerial greats.
? Follow Man City vs Real Madrid
? Wednesday 27th
? Liverpool vs Villarreal
The Reds go marching on, aiming for an unprecedented quadruple. Their win over Everton in the Merseyside Derby kept Jurgen Klopp’s men in the Premier League title race, just a point adrift of leaders Man City, and now they face the impressive Villarreal in this season’s final four in the Champions League. The Yellow Submarine disposed of Juventus and Bayern en route to the semifinals and they cannot be discounted. Liverpool might need to summon one of those legendary Anfield nights, and we all know how imposing an atmosphere that can be for managers in the opposite dugout. Villarreal boss Unai Emery has rightly earned plaudits for his achievements this term, and he’s about to face the sternest test of his career.
Follow Liverpool vs Villarreal
? Thursday 28th
??????? Man United vs Chelsea
United’s season went from bad to worse with a 3-1 defeat at Arsenal which more or less leaves them needing a miracle to make this season’s top four. Chelsea ended a string of three home defeats when they got a last-gasp 1-0 win over West Ham at the weekend, so this is a meeting of teams genuinely out of form. That doesn’t mean that it’ll be any less intriguing though. Two of England’s heavyweight clubs always throw up talking points and a good chunk of bad blood too.
? Follow Man United vs Chelsea
? West Ham vs Eintracht Frankfurt
David Moyes’ West Ham eggs seem to now all be in the Europa League basket with the Hammers lying 7th in the Premier League and facing an injury crisis in defence. Craig Dawson was dismissed in their defeat at Chelsea on Sunday but he’ll be available against Eintracht in this UEL semifinal 1st leg, which is just as well, as he’s the only fit and available central defender at the club right now. It’s a huge night for Londoners against an Eintracht Frankfurt side that put Barcelona to the sword in the quarterfinals.
? Follow West Ham vs Eintracht Frankfurt
? RB Leipzig vs Rangers
Leipzig is now marginal favourites to go all the way in this tournament, and much of that is down to the sparkling form of Christopher Nkunku. The 24-year-old Frenchman has bagged and that makes him one of the hottest properties across all of Europe right now. Giovanni van Bronckhorst has done wonderfully to guide Rangers this far, but shackling Nkunku will be arguably the greatest challenge of his young managerial journey to date.
? Follow RB Leipzig vs Rangers
? Friday 29th
?? Sevilla vs Cadiz
Supporters of Cadiz will not so much be biting their nails as much as ripping them out of their fingers after a peculiar string of recent results. The Southwestern Spanish side is a point clear of the relegation zone with five matches to play, and their two most recent wins have come away to high-flyers Barcelona and at home against Europa League semifinalists Villarreal. They’ll be looking at this match, then, with a touch of optimism, even though a trip to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan is never a straightforward assignment.
? Follow Sevilla vs Cadiz
