Our pick of the weekend has returned after the mid-week games in Europe and some teams have turned their fortunes around and will hope to transfer the form into their league matches. Players who have been rested will also make a return after a deserved rest and also look to make immediate impact for their club.
Tobi Olubiyi’s (@tobipreety) predictions:
SPANISH LA LIGA
Sevilla Vs Celta – Both teams to score (BTTS): Sevilla had a fantastic game in the Champions League at home against German club Borussia Monchengladbach scoring 3 goals. Unai Emery’s men have not won a league game this season but I believe they will score at least a goal against high flying Celta Vigo who are yet to loose this season and have scored 8 goals. I expect both teams to get a get at least a goal each in this game.
Real Madrid Vs Granada – Real Madrid win: Real Madrid have been in fine form this season scoring goals without remorse. They scored 4 against Ukraine giants Shaktar Donesk with Attacker Cristiano Ronaldo scoring 8 goals in his last 2 games and is close to setting a new goal scoring record in Real Madrid. Granada have lost twice this season conceding 7 goals. Los Blancos would be too strong for Granada especially at the Bernabau.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
![Chelsea's Eden Hazard takes on Norwich City's Jonny Howson photo credit: Ben Sutherland https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode](https://finixsports.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/chelseas-eden-hazard.jpg?w=474&h=267)
photo credit: Ben Sutherland
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Chelsea Vs Arsenal – Arsenal win/draw : Chelsea and Jose Mourinho are having their worst possible start to a League campaign in decades and they are currently in 17th place , winning just once in 5 league games but the Blues had an emphatic 4-nil victory mid week against a poor Maccabi Tel Aviv at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal rested a few players in their Champions league game and lost to Dynamo Zagreb who have not tasted defeat in their last 47 matches.
Arsenal have been the in-form team compared to Chelsea so far this season and I believe arsenal will do enough to get at least a point from Chelsea.
![Aaron Ramsey Arsenal Vs Liverpool photo credit: joshjdss https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode](https://finixsports.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/aaron-ramsey-arsenal-vs-liverpool-football-epl-bpl.jpg?w=474&h=267)
Arsenal Vs Liverpool
photo credit: joshjdss
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Swansea Vs Everton – Both teams to score (BTTS): Ayew and Gomis have made Swansea an overly attacking team this season contributing to the lot of the teams’s goals so far this campaign. Swansea have scored in 4 of the 5 games they have played this season. Roberto Martinez got a well deserved victory against Chelsea last match day scoring 3 goals against the defending Champions.
I expect both teams to go all out for maximum points, this will be an interesting game with both teams getting on the score sheet.
ITALIAN SERIE A
Roma Vs Sassuolo – Roma win : Stadio Olympico is a fortress for Roma and their form this season has seen them undefeated so far including a victory against defending champions Juventus. Sassuolo will have to show something special to get anything in this game.
Chievo Vs Inter milan – Under 2.5: Second placed Chievo have had a dream start to the season so far winning 2 games and conceding just 2 goals and are having a uphill task against Inter Milan who have an 100% record this season. Inter have not scored much and the also do not give away a lot of goals, this will be a cagey game and both teams would want to avoid a defeat and concede few or none. I see this as a tight game between the top 2 teams and there will be less than 3 goals scored by both teams.
GERMAN BUNDESLIGA
Wolfsburg Vs Hertha BSC – Wolfsburg win : Wolfsburg have invested wisely in the summer after the departure of star player De Bruyne. They have started life without him positively by remaining unbeaten in 4 league games. Dardai’s Hertha have also been impressive with just 1 defeat in 4 league matches, but the firepower of Schurlle, Verinha, Draxler behind Bas Dost will be too ferocious for the Hertha defense line lead by Plattenhardt. Wolfsburg will do enough to get the victory at the Volkswagen arena
![Borussia Dortmund](https://finixsports.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/borussia-dortmund1.jpeg?w=474)
Borussia Dortmund Vs Bayern Leverkusen – Both teams to Score (BTTS) : Dortmund are one of only 2 teams in Bundesliga with a 100% record this season and a tie against Leverkusen could be tricky especially after the visitors scored 4 goals against BATE Borisov in the Champions League. Both teams would get goals in this game as they are both good attacking sides.
FRENCH LIGUE 1
Monaco Vs Lorient – Monaco win : Leandro Jardim’s men have started the season slowly with 2 wins from 5 games. They lost their last home match against high flying Champions PSG in a 3 nil white-wash. I see them returning the smiles to the grim faces of the Stade Louis Faithfull with a victory against Lorient who have won just once this season.
Marseille Vs Lyon – Over 2.5 goals : This is the biggest fixture in the French Ligue Un this weekend and I expect it to live up to expectations with both teams giving us an exciting match with lots of goals. Marseille have scored 10 goals which is the highest in the league so far this season while Lyon have scored 6 goals.
Ademola Adejuwon’s (@demydemo) predictions:
English Premier League
![Barclays Premier League](https://finixsports.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/barclays-premier-league.jpeg?w=474)
Chelsea vs Arsenal- Double Chance on Chelsea: Chelsea are not in good form in the league at the moment where they have lost 3 games in 5. The defending Champions got back to winning ways against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the UCL on Wednesday and they would hope they can bring that sort of form to the table when they play against their London neighbours Arsenal who are not in Scintillating form themselves. Jose Mourinho has never lost to Arsene Wenger in the league and I think this will continue this weekend when the Gunners visit the Bridge.
Liverpool vs Norwich- Liverpool win:
Liverpool would want to put the woes of their last two games behind them when they welcome the Canaries. Norwich would be happy that Suarez no longer plays for Liverpool. Coutinho is back for this one after serving his suspension and in him they have someone that could lead the team going forward. Benteke has two goals so far this season with a wonder against Manchester united and if he wants to get plenty of goals for Liverpool he needs to start scoring against smaller teams like Norwich.
Manchester City vs WestHam- Over 1.5goals:
Giant killing West-Ham United visit league leaders Manchester City. The Citizens have yet to concede a goal in the league this season with a sturdy defence made up of Kompany, Kolarov,Sagna and Mangala. West Ham have defeated Arsenal and Liverpool away from home this season and they won’t be scared facing City at the Etihad. An over 1.5 is a safe bet knowing both sides are capable of getting a goal or two in this fixture.
Spanish La Liga
![Cristiano Ronaldo photo credit Jan S0L0 https://www.flickr.com/photos/jansolo09/4533171216/in/photolist-7UzFSq-7P639K-8LsFur-8LsGsF-9gdRX1-h5R4b-8cbK2Q-7UzsUq-6TTLXN-9gdSCo-71ftqN-8Rqkv4-bwnd6A-r7cyNT-8dQJqW-9gaHrv-8LsGnp-8LvFvY-9h4zam-7p4MFn-8aVGvd-7p8DZQ-8vmzUa-73M6bH-73R3wS-73R3As-6TTQvC-7iwmvQ-7y7apx-8LvKz5-9nKgN5-8LsCvD-7p4MDP-7p4MUv-7yb16C-7UzsCE-7uKBaz-7p4Nzk-m5WvA4-8vpEBs-7UwaMB-7p8Dwm-71ftnm-9gaLd2-9gdP1s-qdxGo7-8vmBrz-8vmBN4-7p4MAg-7ZK2Ch](https://finixsports.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-e1430456483970.jpg?w=474&h=356)
photo credit Jan S0L0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jansolo09/4533171216/in/photolist-7UzFSq-7P639K-8LsFur-8LsGsF-9gdRX1-h5R4b-8cbK2Q-7UzsUq-6TTLXN-9gdSCo-71ftqN-8Rqkv4-bwnd6A-r7cyNT-8dQJqW-9gaHrv-8LsGnp-8LvFvY-9h4zam-7p4MFn-8aVGvd-7p8DZQ-8vmzUa-73M6bH-73R3wS-73R3As-6TTQvC-7iwmvQ-7y7apx-8LvKz5-9nKgN5-8LsCvD-7p4MDP-7p4MUv-7yb16C-7UzsCE-7uKBaz-7p4Nzk-m5WvA4-8vpEBs-7UwaMB-7p8Dwm-71ftnm-9gaLd2-9gdP1s-qdxGo7-8vmBrz-8vmBN4-7p4MAg-7ZK2Ch
Real Madrid vs Granada- Real Madrid win and over 2.5 goals: Real Madrid are in red hot form at the moment especially their talismanic winger Cristiano Ronaldo who has banged in 8 goals in two games. Rafael Benitez side have yet to concede a goal which means they have found a way to balance attack and defence. Trust Ronaldo to get a goal or two in this one at the Bernabeu.
German Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen- Both teams to score(BTTS):
Dortmund have been doing fine in the league this season with an 100% record so far. This weekend they welcome a very tricky side in Leverkusen who are basking in the euphoria of their 4-1 victory in the Champions league. Dortmund have scored a lot of goals this season but they’ve also manage to ship in a little which means Leverkusen will have joy going forward especially with the kind of quality they possess offensively in Chicharito, Bellarabi, Hakan and Kiessling. Both team to score will be a safe bet here and trust this game not to disappoint.
Wolfsburg vs Hertha Berlin- Wolfsburg win:
Wolfsburg are in good form at the moment which sees them sit in 3rd position in the Bundesliga at the moment. They lost De Bruyne to Manchester City but in Draxler they have found a perfect replacement for the young Belgian. Hertha has not been bad themselves losing just one games so far but I don’t think they have the squad to push Wolfsburg all the way.
Darmstadt vs Bayern Munich- over 1.5 goals:
Unbeaten Darmstadt welcome defending Champions Bayern to their home. Bayern thus season have found goals easy to come by with Muller,Lewandowski and Costa doing the damage upfront for the Bavarians. Darmstadt have scored 4 and Conceded 3 goals this season which means they might not be given Guardiola’s men too many chances.
French Ligue 1
Monaco vs Lorient (Monaco double chance)
Monaco are in good form in the league at the moment and this weekend they welcome 17th place Lorient who win their first game last week at home to newly promoted Angers. Monaco’s team play has helped them a lot so far this season after losing key players like Abdennour,Kondogbia Carassco and Martial. They may suffer from fatigue due to their Europa league engagement on Thursday but trust them to at least get a point from this game.
![Laurent Blanc Pic by Mohan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode](https://finixsports.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/laurent-blanc-psg.jpg?w=474&h=288)
Pic by Mohan
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Reims vs PSG- double chance(Win or draw) on PSG:
League leaders PSG travel to 3rd place Reims. PSG form is good at the moment with Di Maria and Cavani doing the needful for them. Reims are no pushovers themselves being in third place but trust the Paris Landlords to get something from this game . It’s going to be tough but with the quality PSG possess they should at least get a draw in the encounter.
Italian Serie A
Roma vs Sassuolo- Roma win:
Roma hosts Unbeaten Sassuolo who were held to a draw last time out against Atalanta. Roma held Barcelona to a draw in Rome during the week and their attack of Dzeko, Salah Gervinho is strong enough to defeat any Italian team especially when they play at home.
Paul Ayorinde’s (@El_pauleta) predictions
French Ligue 1
Reims V PSG- PSG win: Paris Saint-Germain will be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s draw against Bordeaux. Reims are a very compact and disciplined side, PSG have won once in the last three meetings at the Stade Auguste Delaune II. I tip PSG to dig deep and get a slim away win.
Rennes V Lille- Double chance(Win or draw) on Rennes: Rennes are in top form in the Ligue 1 this season losing just one game while Lille has been struggling in the league with just one win in the last 5 matches. I expect Lille to be defensive and Rennes might find it hard to break them down. I am predicting a win or draw for Rennes on Friday night.
Italian Serie A
Chievo V Inter Milan- Double chance(win or draw) on Inter: Chievo were denied a 100% start to their season because of a number of poor refereeing decisions at the Juventus arena. Inter maintained their winning run with an important win over city rivals AC Milan. Chievo and Inter are in good form, so i expect the match to be tight. I tip Inter Milan to get a least a draw away from home.
Napoli V Lazio- Both teams to score(BTTS): Napoli continue to struggle in the league while Lazio got their second win of the season last weekend. Both teams are blessed with attacking talents,so i expect a great game of football. I tip both teams to score at Stadio San Paolo on Sunday.
German Bundesliga
Darmstadt 98 V Bayern Munich- Bayern Munich win with over 2.5 goals: Darmstadt have been impressive this season getting good results away from home but I expect Bayern Munich “fire power” to be too much for them. I tip Bayern to win with lots of goals.
Cologne V Borussia Monchengladbach- Double chance(Win or draw) on Cologne: Monchengladbach can’t seem to get a good result this season and i don’t expect them to get a win at the RheinEnergie stadion on Saturday. I am tipping Cologne to get at least a draw at home.
Borussia Dortmund V Bayer Leverkusen- Dortmund win with over 2.5 goals: Dortmund are in top form while Leverkusen are yet to hit top-gear in the league. I expect Dortmund to dominate the match and get a win in an high-scoring game.
Spanish BBVA Liga
Real Madrid V Granada- Real Madrid win with over 3.5 goals: Real Madrid and 2014 Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo are scoring goals with ease. I expect the game at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu to be a goal fest. I tip Real Madrid to win with over 3.5 goals.
![Lionel Messi, photo credit Nathan Rupert https://www.flickr.com/photos/nathaninsandiego/14307985524/in/photolist-nNmaBA-9kvmyi-f16Xt6-gGhfC-bbQpdK-6wCZ9J-om9h3n-8iSbb4-531B8T-aJBkwp-6tF6hH-aYaW3z-qCifcz-4FYTwf-3GuT6f-aVRCP2-51fGWF-bciVop-duhSwE-7YRoNs-ao44m5-9yg77c-ccF5K1-nkVUQg-2TkMHq-5WBfgp-6nxKbV-pABb72-8iVtV9-a4FggC-aJYY2x-aixQd6-c87EGm-2iuKWn-aJBkY2-mF9VG2-9ufmyM-8iSdn8-aJYY3H-8iVmy5-6NnzXT-8iSKAp-cNruM9-dT4RFb-oMYKu-8iRJDz-HBDMQ-diGsUZ-4cSrsj-8aP7ud](https://finixsports.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/lionel-messi-nathan-rupert-e1425897714552.jpg?w=474)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nathaninsandiego/14307985524/in/photolist-nNmaBA-9kvmyi-f16Xt6-gGhfC-bbQpdK-6wCZ9J-om9h3n-8iSbb4-531B8T-aJBkwp-6tF6hH-aYaW3z-qCifcz-4FYTwf-3GuT6f-aVRCP2-51fGWF-bciVop-duhSwE-7YRoNs-ao44m5-9yg77c-ccF5K1-nkVUQg-2TkMHq-5WBfgp-6nxKbV-pABb72-8iVtV9-a4FggC-aJYY2x-aixQd6-c87EGm-2iuKWn-aJBkY2-mF9VG2-9ufmyM-8iSdn8-aJYY3H-8iVmy5-6NnzXT-8iSKAp-cNruM9-dT4RFb-oMYKu-8iRJDz-HBDMQ-diGsUZ-4cSrsj-8aP7ud
Barcelona V Levante- Barcelona win with over 2.5 goals: Barcelona got an important win away from home last weekend and i expect them to continue their La Liga winning run against Levante on Sunday. I tip Barcelona to win convincingly at the Camp Nou.
English Premier League
Manchester City V West Ham: Man City win: Manchester City have got off to a perfect start to the season winning all 5 of their opening fixtures without conceding a single goal. I expect them to defeat an high-flying West Ham United in a tight match at the Etihad on Saturday.