September 18, 2024
The European leagues have resumed in multiples, and certainly, the weekend is expected to be busy for bookings.
SixSports presents the top four games to stake for Saturday across Europe’s top four leagues.
The Tractor boys are new in town, and much isn’t expected from them regarding competing in the league. They will be visiting Manchester City in their first EPL away game of the season. The game between both sides would be the first time in 22 years. It was an upset, as City, the championship side, defeated Ipswich Town 4-1 in 2002.
Meanwhile, the last team, West Ham that visited City at the Etihad, was condemned to a 3-1 loss. This game is expected to be handled in fear and trembling by the Blues Boys when they face the defending champions.
City haven’t lost their first home game in the league in four consecutive seasons.
Erling Haaland scored on his 100th appearance for Manchester City in their win against Chelsea. This extends their record-breaking streak of 10 consecutive wins by two or more goals.
Ipswich Town, under head coach Kieran McKenna, began their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 loss to Liverpool. Despite a promising start, they face a tough test against Manchester City, who have been unbeaten at home in the top flight for 30 matches.
However, Ipswich have fond memories of their last two away meetings against Manchester City at Maine Road, winning both matches in 2000.
Expected results: Manchester City 4-0, Ipswich Town
Hansi Flick makes his debut impression as Barcelona’s manager today at the Estadio Olimpic Lluis Companys, where over 50,000 Barca fans are expected to witness the team’s first home game of the season.
Barca won their first game against Valencia 2-1, while Athletic Club played a 1-1 draw with Getafe.
Barcelona is expected to face a hectic end to August, with matches against Athletic, Rayo Vallecano, and Real Valladolid in rapid succession. Given their strong start, it’s not certain they’ll accumulate maximum points heading into the September international break.
We can’t say, it’s early in the season, and Barcelona is expected to receive a boost after Real Madrid dropped points on the opening weekend. This sets the stage for an intense title rivalry between the two powerhouses, with Barcelona eager to capitalise on their opponent’s misstep and gain an early advantage.
However, the Athletic Club needs to fasten its belt if it intends to finish in the top four at the end of the season. They finished fifth last season and a draw to Getafe wasn’t a good start.
Expected result: Barcelona 3-1 Athletic Club
Lazio hopes to continue their winning streak, while Udinese, who survived defeat last weekend, would love to extend their seventh unbeaten streak.
With both sides meeting, Udinese will aim to repeat their surprise 2-1 win over Lazio in March. However, consecutive league wins over Lazio have eluded them for nearly 20 years. New coach Kosta Runjaic’s league debut saw Udinese come from behind to draw 1-1 at Bologna, extending their unbeaten run to seven matches, their best top-flight sequence since late 2022.
Expected results: 1-1 or 1-3
Lille’s first game of the season was an easy ride over Reim last Saturday. They won 2-0 to record maximum points. This is a boost for the Bruno Genesio side ahead of their second game.
However, newly promoted Angers will be seeking their first win in Ligue 1.
Expected result: Lille 2;0 Angers
© Copyrights Sixsports. All Rights Reserved.