Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
While some applauded Tottenham and Postecoglou for risking it all against Chelsea with a high defensive line, others lambasted the Australian as Jackson tapped in three times in the final 20 minutes, but one can be sure that the Spurs boss will continue with such tactics no matter what personnel is at his disposal.
Even with nine men, Tottenham were not without their opportunities on Monday, and given Wolves’ recent propensity for both scoring and shipping goals, we can envisage an entertaining draw being played out on Saturday lunchtime.
Arsenal 2-0 Burnley
Teams that try to attack Arsenal often fare worse than teams who sit back and absorb Gunners pressure throughout the 90 minutes, and it will be fascinating to see if Kompany is willing to compromise his principles in the hope of holding out for a point.
Midweek fatigue and fresh knocks will also work against the Gunners, who have enjoyed little success in this fixture over the past few years, but Arteta’s men ought to find their way through a leaky Burnley defence eventually as they enter the international hiatus on a high.
Crystal Palace 1-1 Everton
While Palace can proudly claim to be one of the three stingiest defences in the Premier League so far this season, Everton have failed to make the net score in five top-flight matches, more than any other team in the division.
As a result, it would be typical of the footballing gods to bless the Selhurst Park crowd with a glut of goals, but a low-scoring draw – potentially even a scoreless one – is the only outcome we can picture.
Manchester United 3-1 Luton Town
Luton’s valiant efforts against Liverpool have provided the Hatters fanbase with optimism that they can compete with the big boys this term, and they should not be taken lightly by an out-of-sorts Man United outfit on Saturday.
Anything other than a victory for Man United could increase speculation over Ten Hag’s future, and although the Red Devils look vulnerable at the back, we believe that the hosts will find a way to come out on top and head into the international break on a much-needed high.
Bournemouth 0-1 Newcastle United
Bournemouth could hardly be facing a decimated Newcastle squad at a more ideal time, but the Cherries’ perennial defensive woes still makes it difficult to envisage Iraola’s side claiming a shock result at the Vitality.
Howe’s squad is stretched incredibly thin right now, but Bournemouth are hardly in tip-top shape either, and as was the case against Arsenal, the Magpies can strike first and hold what they have to prolong their unbeaten run in the Premier League.
Almeria 0-2 Real Sociedad
Almeria are a very, very difficult team to back, and we are finding it tough to predict anything other than an away win here. Almeria will be the fresher of the two teams, but Real Sociedad should have enough quality to secure all three points this weekend against statistically the worst side in the division.
Juventus 2-0 Cagliari
Although they have finally found a way to win, Cagliari have conceded more goals from open play than any other Serie A side this season (18), and they are not the most obvious candidate to end their hosts’ superb sequence of clean sheets. Victory would put Juventus top of the table – if only for a day – and that should inspire them to avoid any complacency.
Lecce 1-2 AC Milan
Lecce’s downward spiral could continue this weekend, as Milan are on a high from their Champions League heroics and have a point to prove in Serie A. While the hosts are far harder to beat on home soil, they rarely score more than once and will also be vulnerable to the Rossoneri’s varied attack.
Stuttgart 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
Stuttgart’s surprisingly excellent start to the season was always likely to come to an end as soon as Guirassy was ruled out through injury for a period of time, and if he is unable to return on Saturday, we expect Dortmund to return to winning ways in the Bundesliga.
Terzic’s side showed excellent resolve to bounce back from their humiliation in Der Klassiker by beating Newcastle in the Champions League in midweek, and they will know that they cannot afford to drop any more unnecessary points if they are to have any realistic hopes of catching Leverkusen and Bayern at the summit.
Bayern Munich 4-1 Heidenheim
Heidenheim have already frustrated Dortmund away from home this term, but they have since struggled in recent games on the road, losing each of their last four and conceding 11 goals in the process, and they head into Saturday’s clash as major underdogs.
Bayern, meanwhile, are enjoying an impressive run of form in the Bundesliga, largely thanks to the efforts of Kane in the final third, and we believe that the Bavarians will have few problems securing a comfortable win at the Allianz Arena.
Reims 1-2 Paris Saint-Germain
Reims will not be taken lightly by PSG considering their recent form and previous meetings with the French champions both home and away last season. However, the visitors will still be regarded as favourites on Saturday and should ultimately have enough quality in their side to claim maximum points.
Le Havre 0-2 Monaco
Monaco have proven to be a versatile side throughout the domestic campaign, and their creative midfielders and consistency in front of goal should be enough to propel them to another away victory.
FC Twente 3-1 NEC
Twente have enjoyed the better of this fixture overall and are huge favourites to get the job done in Saturday’s contest. We can see the home side cruising to maximum points in what should be a largely one-sided affair.
Vitoria de Guimaraes 1-2 Porto
Saturday’s clash between these two clubs could be a high-scoring affair, with Porto ultimately edging it by a solitary goal.
RKC Waalwijk 1-2 Go Ahead Eagles
Go Ahead Eagles are the more in-form team heading into this one and will back themselves to come away with maximum points. While we expect Waalwijk to give their visitors a run for their money, we are tipping Go Ahead Eagles to emerge victorious in the end.
Estrela Amadora 1-1 Moreirense
Despite the full-time result, Estrela showed their mettle against a star-studded Sporting Lisbon side and will look to build on that result. However, they take on an in-form Moreirense side who have been defensively solid this season. That said, we predict that both sides will cancel out each other’s efforts and settle for a share of the spoils.
Hatayspor 0-2 Galatasaray
Galatasaray have conceded just one road goal in six matches, and they could keep another away clean sheet with a routine win over off-form Hatayspor this weekend.
Al Wahda 0-3 Al-Nassr
Al-Nassr turned in another dominant team performance in midweek and will head into Saturday’s game with sky-high confidence. Castro’s men are currently firing on all cylinders, and looking at the gulf in class and quality between the two sides, we are backing them to come away with all three points once again.
Al Fayha 1-2 Al Ettifaq
The teams boast similar defensive records heading into this one but Al Ettifaq have been the better side offensively. We are backing the away side to just about get the job done come the end of the 90 minutes.
