It’s that time of the week again when we run through a selection of the most exciting matches taking place this weekend and offer our best bets and value picks.
Chelsea v Southampton (Saturday)
Following three straight draws in the Premier League, Chelsea will look to get back to winning ways when they host Southampton on Saturday. The Blues have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks, with new faces Joao Felix and Enzo Fernandez forming a good link-up. As for Southampton, the St Mary’s club languish at rock bottom and have lost nine of their last 10 games in the league.
Brentford v Crystal Palace (Saturday)
Following their impressive draw away at Arsenal, Brentford will be confident of claiming maximum points against Crystal Palace on Saturday. The Bees have won their last three home games in the league, beating Liverpool, Bournemouth and Southampton. Palace, on the other hand, are winless in seven and have lost their last two away outings.
Real Betis v Valladolid (Saturday)
Real Betis will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in La Liga when they host Valladolid on Saturday. Manuel Pellegrini’s men registered a 3-2 win at Almeria last time out and will fancy their chances against a Valladolid side who have lost three of their last four away games.
Barcelona v Cadiz (Sunday)
La Liga leaders Barcelona will aim to put Cadiz to the sword when they meet at the Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday. The Catalan giants are unbeaten in their last 12 league games with 11 victories, including six in a row, and beat Cadiz 4-0 at the Nuevo Mirandilla Stadium in their last meeting.
Sassuolo v Napoli (Friday)
Runaway Serie A leaders Napoli look to make it seven straight wins in the league when they visit 14th-placed Sassuolo on Friday. The hosts have lost two of their last three home games, and Luciano Spalletti’s side will be confident of claiming all three points.
Atalanta v Lecce (Sunday)
Atalanta will be looking to make it three wins in a row at the Gewiss Stadium when they host 15th-placed Lecce on Sunday. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side, who sit third on the league standings, beat Salernitana 8-2 and Sampdoria 2-0 in their last two home games.
Borussia Dortmund v Hertha Berlin (Sunday)
Following their impressive victory over Chelsea in the Champions League, Borussia Dortmund will return to Bundesliga action to face 16th-placed Hertha Berlin looking to make it eight straight wins in all competitions. Expect a comfortable win for BVB against the Berlin outfit who have lost four of their last five league games.
Union Berlin v Schalke (Sunday)
High-flyers Union Berlin will expect to continue their fine form when they host rock-bottom Schalke on Sunday. The hosts are riding a six-match winning streak across all competitions, while the visitors are yet to register their first win on the road.
Paris Saint-Germain v Lille (Sunday)
Paris Saint-Germain return to Ligue 1 action on Sunday when they welcome Lille to the Parc des Princes. Christophe Galtier’s side are on a slump, losing their last three games in all competitions, but the Ligue 1 leaders have won the last three meetings with Lille convincingly, including a 7-1 victory the last time they met.
Lorient v Ajaccio (Sunday)
Lorient have struggled for form of late but will be confident of securing all three points against an Ajaccio side who have lost six of their last seven games. Lorient won 1-0 at the Stade Francois Coty when the sides met in September.