Best Of Bets

Author: Mudeet Arora

  • Man Utd vs Real Betis – Europa League last 16 preview, TV channel, lineups and prediction

    Man Utd vs Real Betis – Europa League last 16 preview, TV channel, lineups and prediction

    After a humiliating 7-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, Manchester United will hope to recover and find themselves again as they take on Real Betis in the Europa League last 16 first leg.

    Best of Bets takes a look at the preview of this game.

    Manchester United vs Real Betis Match Details

    When: Thursday 9 March – 20:00 UK time kick-off

    Where: Old Trafford, Manchester

    Referee: Daniel Siebert (GER)

    VAR: Marco Fritz (GER)

    Where to watch Manchester United vs Real Betis in the UK?

    Fans in the UK can watch the game on the BT Sport website, app and BT Sport 1 TV channel.

    Manchester United vs Real Betis Team News

    Casemiro has reportedly picked up an injury and is expected to miss the first leg, especially considering the fact that he is one yellow card away from a one game suspension in the Europa League. Lindelof, Shaw and Varane are all suffering knocks, with the latter two especially sitting out this one. Anthony Martial remains a continued absence for United, along with Donny van de Beek and Christian Eriksen.

    Real Betis will be without their talisman and captain Nabil Fekir, who suffered a season ending injury. Another creative midfielder Juan Cruz is out through injury too. However, one positive news is that Sergio Canales returned to training on Monday after missing the draw against Real Madrid.

    Manchester United vs Real Betis Probable Lineups

    Manchester United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Martinez, Malacia; Sabitzer, McTominay; Sancho, Fernandes, Garnacho; Rashford

    Real Betis: Bravo; Sabaly, Felipe, Pezzella, Miranda; Carvalho, Rodriguez; Canales, Rodri, Perez; Iglesias

    Prediction

    Betis have shown this season that they are more than capable to hurt and beat any opposition on any given day.

    Manchester United may be vulnerable, but with Erik ten Hag at the helm, it is quite possible that we see a totally different mentality from the Red Devils, one which will lead them to victory.

    Manchester United 2-0 Real Betis

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  • Juventus vs Freiburg – Europa League last 16 preview, TV channel, lineups and prediction

    Juventus vs Freiburg – Europa League last 16 preview, TV channel, lineups and prediction

    Juventus will begin their Europa League knockout stage journey in a clash against Freiburg on Thursday, with the Old Lady playing the first leg at home.

    Best of Bets takes a look at the preview of this game.

    Juventus vs Freiburg Match Details

    When: Thursday 9 March – 20:00 UK time kick-off

    Where: Allianz Stadium, Turin

    Referee: Tasos Sidiropoulos (GRE)

    VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)

    Where to watch Juventus vs Freiburg in the UK?

    Fans in the UK can watch the game on the BT Sport website, app and BT Sport 2 TV channel.

    Juventus vs Freiburg Team News

    Italian right-back Mattia De Sciglio will miss out for Juventus in this one with a muscular injury, whereas Arkadiusz Milik is a doubt with his muscle injury.

    Freiburg will be without Ghanaian midfielder Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, who misses out with a knee injury. Austrian forward Michael Gregoritsch is out with an illness.

    Juventus vs Freiburg Probable Lineups

    Juventus: Szczesny; Danilo, Bremer, Alex Sandro; Cuadrado, Fagioli, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Di Maria; Vlahovic.

    Freiburg: Flekken; Kubler, Ginter, Lienhart, Gunter; Doan, Eggestein, Hofler, Grifo; Holer, Sallai

    Prediction

    While Freiburg are a tricky opponent, apart from an early onslaught from them in the game, Juventus will ease into the fixture and claim a comfortable win.

    Juventus 3-0 Freiburg

     

    For more engaging football content, please visit BestofBets’ football section here.

     

  • Sporting CP vs Arsenal – Europa League last 16 preview, TV channel, lineups and prediction

    Sporting CP vs Arsenal – Europa League last 16 preview, TV channel, lineups and prediction

    Arsenal will resume their Europa League journey with a round of 16 clash as they gear up for their first leg against Sporting CP.

    Best of Bets takes a look at the preview of this game.

    Sporting CP vs Arsenal Match Details

    When: Thursday 9 March – 17:45 UK time kick-off

    Where: Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon

    Referee: Tobias Stieler (GER)

    VAR: Bastian Dankert (GER)

    Where to watch Sporting CP vs Arsenal in the UK?

    Fans in the UK can watch the game on the BT Sport website, app and BT Sport 2 TV channel.

    Sporting CP vs Arsenal Team News

    Midfielders Daniel Braganca (knee) and Manuel Ugarte (suspension) are the only absentees confirmed for Sporting’s first leg against Arsenal. Hector Bellerin is fit to feature against his former club.

    Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is expected to make wholesale changes to his team considering they are chasing a possible first Premier League title in 19 years.

    Sporting CP vs Arsenal Probable Lineups

    Sporting CP: Adan; Diomande, Coates, Inacio; Bellerin, Morita, Pedro Goncalves, Reis; Edwards, Paulinho, Santos

    Arsenal: Turner; Tomiyasu, Holding, Kiwior, Tierney; Jorginho, Vieira, Xhaka; Nelson, Martinelli, Smith Rowe

    Prediction

    Arsenal aren’t expected to field their strongest XI which makes this tie intriguing. Since they have had virtually the same lineup week-in week-out in the Premier League up till now, it is obvious Arteta will make wholesale changes that may give Sporting an advantage.

    Sporting CP 2-1 Arsenal

     

    For more engaging football content, please visit BestofBets’ football section here.

     

  • Chelsea 2-0 Borussia Dortmund – Player ratings as the Blues claim Champions League quarter-final berth

    Chelsea 2-0 Borussia Dortmund – Player ratings as the Blues claim Champions League quarter-final berth

    Goals from Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz meant that Chelsea have ensured their passage to the Champions League quarter-final with a 2-1 aggregate win against Borussia Dortmund after a 1-0 loss in the first leg.

    The game started after a 10 minute delay and Chelsea were presented with chances right from kick off with Sterling missing a sitter, although the flag went up for offside and spared his blushes.

    Dortmund eventually got into the game and tested Kepa to some extent. Chelsea then took the lead just before half-time. Chilwell crossed the ball to Sterling, who completely mis-hit his first effort, but regained his composure and blasted the ball through a crowd of players to tie things up on aggregate at the break.

    The second half started at a fast pace before Chilwell’s cross struck Marius Wolf and Chelsea were awarded a penalty. Kai Havertz missed the penalty but it was observed that an encroachment was made into the penalty box before the kick, leading to the Blues getting another chance to take the penalty, which Havertz converted.

    Dortmund tried to make a comeback but Chelsea dealt with all of their attacks to hand Graham Potter his biggest win yet as a Chelsea manager.

    Best of Bets takes a look at the player ratings for all involved in this game at the Stamford Bridge (ratings out of 10)

    Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund – Player ratings

    Chelsea player ratings:

    Kepa – 6

    Wesley Fofana – 7

    Kalidou Koulibaly – 8

    Marc Cucurella – 7

    Reece James – 8

    Mateo Kovacic – 7

    Enzo Fernandez – 7

    Ben Chilwell – 9

    Raheem Sterling – 8

    Kai Havertz – 8

    Joao Felix – 7

    Substitutes:

    Conor Gallagher – 7

    Christian Pulisic – N/A – Came in late in the game

    Ruben Loftus-Cheek – N/A – Came in late in the game

    Denis Zakaria – N/A – Came in late in the game

    Borussia Dortmund player ratings:

    Alexander Meyer – 7

    Marius Wolf – 5

    Niklas Sule – 5

    Nico Schlotterbeck – 5

    Raphael Guerreiro – 5

    Emre Can – 6.5

    Julian Brandt – N/A (forced off injured after 5 minutes)

    Jude Bellingham – 5

    Salih Ozcan – 5

    Marco Reus – 5.5

    Sebastien Haller – 5

    Substitutes:

    Gio Reyna – 6

    Jamie Bynoe-Gittens – 6

    Donyell Malen – 5.5

     

    You can head to Best of Bets’ football section for our in-depth coverage of all Champions League games.

  • Bayern Munich vs PSG Champions League round of 16 second leg preview, where to watch, probable XI and prediction

    Bayern Munich vs PSG Champions League round of 16 second leg preview, where to watch, probable XI and prediction

    Bayern Munich will host PSG in their Champions League round of 16 second leg clash holding a small advantage. The German giants dominated the first leg in Paris, coming up with a 1-0 away win. Kylian Mbappe is back to full fitness for the second leg, which promises to be an intriguing one. Read on to find out our Bayern Munich predictions.

    Best of Bets takes a look at the preview of this game.

    Bayern Munich vs PSG Match Details

    When: Wednesday 8 March – 20:00 UK time kick-off

    Where: Allianz Arena, Munich

    First leg score: 0-1 win to Bayern Munich

    Where to watch Bayern Munich vs PSG in the UK?

    Fans in the UK can watch the game on the BT Sport website and BT Sport 2 TV channel.

    Bayern Munich vs PSG Team News

    The Bavarians have no fresh injury concerns except their long term absentees Manuel Neuer, Noussair Mazaroui, Lucas Hernandez, whereas Benjamin Pavard missed their last game due to an injury.

    Matthijs De Ligt could replace Pavard in Bayern’s defence along with Josip Stanisic. A big boost for Bayern is that Sadio Mane is available.

    For PSG, Neymar suffered a season-ending injury. Presnel Kimpembe and Renato Sanches are also out due to injuries. Mbappe, who missed the first leg will be available for selection and is expected to go straight back into the starting XI.

    Bayern Munich vs PSG Probable Lineups

    Bayern Munich: Sommer; Stanisic, Upamecano, De Ligt; Coman, Kimmich, Goretzka, Davies; Sane, Musiala; Choupo-Moting

    PSG: Donnarumma; Pereira, Marquinhos, Ramos; Hakimi, Ruiz, Verratti, Vitinha, Mendes; Messi, Mbappe

    Prediction

    We expect this game to be an open one with both teams trying to attack each other and try to score as many goals as possible. However, we think Bayern will go through to the Champions League quarter-final on aggregate.

    Bayern Munich 2-2 PSG

  • Tottenham vs AC Milan Champions League round of 16 second leg preview, where to watch, probable XI and prediction

    Tottenham vs AC Milan Champions League round of 16 second leg preview, where to watch, probable XI and prediction

    Tottenham will host AC Milan in their Champions League round of 16 second leg clash in London on Wednesday.

    Best of Bets takes a look at the preview of this game.

    Tottenham vs Milan match details:

    When: Wednesday 8 March – 20:00 UK time kick-off

    Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

    First leg score: 0-1 win to Milan

    Where to watch Tottenham vs Milan in the UK?

    Fans in the UK can watch the game on BT Sport.

    What happened in the first leg between Tottenham and Milan?

    While Tottenham have a great record in European games against Milan, they suffered a 1-0 loss in the first leg at the San Siro. Brahim Diaz scored the only goal of the first leg as Milan succeeded in keeping Harry Kane quiet throughout the game.

    Tottenham vs Milan Team News

    Tottenham will still be without long term absentees in Hugo Lloris, Ryan Sessegnon, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur. Add to that, Eric Dier is suspended for this clash.

    Milan have managed to set up a completely injury free squad for the first time this season ahead of this game, except Brahim Diaz, who is doubtful due to a knee sprain, although it is considered to be a knock from which he can recover in time for this game.

    Sergino Dest, Yacine Adli, Tiemoue Bakayoko and 41-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic were not added to Milan’s squad for the Champions League knockouts.

    Probable lineups for Tottenham vs Milan

    Tottenham: Forster; Romero, Lenglet, Davies; Emerson, Hojbjerg, Skipp, Perisic; Kulusevski, Kane, Son

    Who will miss the quarter-final first leg if yellow carded: Bentancur, Lenglet, Romero

    Milan: Maignan; Kalulu, Kjaer, Tomori; Saelemaekers, Krunic, Tonali, Hernandez; De Ketelaere, Giroud, Leao

    Who will miss the quarter-final first leg if yellow carded: Ballo, Krunic, Tomori, Tonali

    Prediction

    While their home stadium will be an added advantage, we think Tottenham will let the occasion get to themselves.

    Moreover, their form in the Premier League has been poor in the last few weeks and they are low on confidence. We expect this one to be a draw, meaning Milan will qualify for the quarter-final on aggregate.

    Tottenham 1-1 Milan

     

    You can head to Best of Bets’ football section for our in-depth coverage of all Champions League games.

  • Benfica vs Club Brugge Champions League round of 16 second leg preview, where to watch, probable XI and prediction

    Benfica vs Club Brugge Champions League round of 16 second leg preview, where to watch, probable XI and prediction

    Benfica will host Club Brugge in their Champions League round of 16 second leg clash in Portugal on Tuesday.

    Best of Bets takes a look at the preview of this game.

    Benfica vs Club Brugge match details:

    When: Tuesday 7 March – 21:00 BST kick-off

    Where: Estadio do SL Benfica, Lisbon

    First leg score: 2-0 win to Benfica

    Where to watch Benfica vs Club Brugge in the UK?

    Fans in the UK can watch the game on BT Sport.

    What happened in the first leg between Benfica and Club Brugge?

    David Neres came up with a late goal for Benfica against Club Brugge in the first leg which ended 2-0. The Portuguese giants have now won three consecutive games in the Champions League, their longest winning run in the competition since the 2005/06 season.

    Benfica vs Club Brugge Team News

    Reece James is expected to return after a minor issue led him to miss the clash against Leeds. Mount is suspended and also suffering an abdominal issue. Thiago Silva, Mendy and Azpilicueta are also missing. Kante and Pulisic could return to the bench whereas Aubameyang, Badiashile, Madueke and David Datro Fofana are all out of the Champions League squad registered by the club and so, are ineligible

    Karim Adeyemi, who scored the only goal in the first leg will miss this one due to injury. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel is also facing a late fitness test on his ongoing thigh injury, meaning Meyer could start in goal. Youssoufa Moukoko, Mateu Morey, Abdoulaye Kamara, Donyell Malen and Julien Duranville are also out injured, whereas Ryerson is suspended for this one.

    Probable lineups for Benfica vs Club Brugge

    Benfica: Vlachodimos; Bah, Antonio Silva, Otamendi, Grimaldo; Aursnes, Florentino; Joao Mario, Neres, Rafa Silva; Goncalo Ramos

    Who will miss the quarter-final first leg if yellow carded: Florentino, Goncalo Ramos, Joao Mario, Otamendi

    Club Brugge: Mignolet; Mata, Mechele, Sylla, Meijer; Sowah, Nielsen, Vanaken, Buchanan; Jutgla, Lang

    Who will miss the quarter-final first leg if yellow carded:Buchanan, Mignolet, Nielsen, Odoi, Sowah

    Prediction

    Benfica has already proved they have better overall quality in their team as compared to Club Brugge.

    The Portuguese side are on a four game unbeaten run across all competitions and at home, they will dominate proceedings.

    Benfica 3-0 Club Brugge

     

    You can head to Best of Bets’ football section for our in-depth coverage of all Champions League games.

  • Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund Champions League round of 16 second leg where to watch, team news, probable XI and prediction

    Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund Champions League round of 16 second leg where to watch, team news, probable XI and prediction

    Chelsea will host Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League round of 16 second leg clash at the Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

    Best of Bets takes a look at the preview of this game.

    Chelsea vs Dortmund match details:

    When: Tuesday 7 March – 20:00 UK time

    Where: Stamford Bridge, London

    First leg score: 1-0 win to Borussia Dortmund

    Where to watch Chelsea vs Dortmund in the UK?

    Fans in the UK can watch the game on BT Sport.

    What happened in the first leg between Chelsea and Dortmund?

    An inspired performance by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel saw Chelsea losing 1-0 despite registering 21 attempts on goal. A half-decent performance at the Bridge in comparison to the first leg could see the Blues through, however, Dortmund will be confident of turning it around considering Chelsea’s fortunes this season.

    Chelsea vs Dortmund Team News

    Reece James is expected to return after a minor issue led him to miss the clash against Leeds. Mount is suspended and also suffering an abdominal issue. Thiago Silva, Mendy and Azpilicueta are also missing. Kante and Pulisic could return to the bench whereas Aubameyang, Badiashile, Madueke and David Datro Fofana are all out of the Champions League squad registered by the club and so, are ineligible

    Karim Adeyemi, who scored the only goal in the first leg will miss this one due to injury. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel is also facing a late fitness test on his ongoing thigh injury, meaning Meyer could start in goal. Youssoufa Moukoko, Mateu Morey, Abdoulaye Kamara, Donyell Malen and Julien Duranville are also out injured, whereas Ryerson is suspended for this one.

    Probable lineups for Chelsea vs Dortmund

    Chelsea: Kepa; Chalobah, Koulibaly, Fofana; James, Kovacic, Fernandez, Chilwell; Sterling, Havertz, Felix

    Suspended: Mason Mount

    Who will miss the quarter-final first leg if booked: Gallagher, James, Koulibaly, Mudryk, Thiago Silva

    Dortmund: Meyer; Wolf, Sule, Schlotterbeck; Guerreiro, Can, Ozcan, Bellingham; Brandt, Haller, Reus

    Suspended: Ryerson

    Who will miss the quarter-final first leg if booked: Can, Ozcan

    Prediction

    While Chelsea showed great signs of improvement in their win against Leeds, they could have easily dropped points and against Dortmund, these issues will probably be easily exposed again.

    The German side are on a 10 game unbeaten run across all competitions, including their win in the first leg of this game. We think, they will turn up and beat the Blues at the Bridge.

    Chelsea 0-1 Borussia Dortmund

    You can head to Best of Bets’ football section for our in-depth coverage of all Champions League games.

  • Players you can bet on to perform well as Liverpool host Manchester United at Anfield

    Players you can bet on to perform well as Liverpool host Manchester United at Anfield

    Manchester United and Liverpool will reignite an evergreen rivalry as the Northwestern rivals face off at Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday.

    You can have a look at BestofBets‘ in-depth preview of this epic clash here.

    Here’s our list of 5 players you can bet your money on to perform well and deliver in Liverpool vs Manchester United:

    1. Marcus Rashford:
      Manchester United’s poster boy, Marcus Rashford is one of the most in-form footballers on the planet right now. Almost every team he’s faced in the last couple of months has failed to stop him from creating an impact in the game.
      Just in case you’re wondering, “Why not man-mark him?” – the fact that United have too much creativity in and around him makes it very difficult to achieve that feat as it leaves space for players like Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho and Wout Weghorst.
      With Liverpool expected to come all guns blazing in attack, especially in the first half, United are expected to play on the counter and Rashford has gained expertise in leading counter-attacks for his team this season.
    2. Mohamed Salah:
      If there’s one Liverpool player who enjoys playing against Manchester United, it’s Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian has scored 10 goals in his last 11 games against the Red Devils, with seven of those goals coming in the last four games itself!
      This shows how dangerous he can be regardless of how his team performs. United should be extremely alert of his presence in and around the box from the right wing, as it only takes one small defensive lapse for Salah to score.
    3. Virgil van Dijk:
      A rock at the back for Liverpool, whenever Virgil van Dijk comes up with a commanding defensive performance, his team ends up winning.
      The Dutchman had a slow first half of the Premier League season, and suffered an injury. He’s shown tremendous improvement since his return and will be raring to go against the opponent he loves to win against.
      Van Dijk will be met with pacy interplays in United’s attack and will mostly deal with Wout Weghorst for most of the game.
    4. Alejandro Garnacho:
      The fact that an 18 year old is making this list is incredible!
      Alejandro Garnacho has been revelation this season, much of the credit for his rise has to go to United’s manager Erik ten Hag.
      The Argentine wonderkid has shown immense confidence in his abilities, showing his fearlessness in taking on any opponent at any given time.
      With both teams excelling in pressing, Garnacho could be seen carrying the ball from midfield and using his pace and dribbling skills against Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is known to struggle against pacy wingers.
    5. Casemiro:
      Brazilian midfield maestro Casemiro is one player that has completely changed the look of Manchester United’s midfield since arriving from Real Madrid last summer.
      The fact that United struggle without his presence in midfield is testament to his abilities as a defensive orchestrator playing in the line between United’s defense and attack.
      If Liverpool find a way to get past his protection in midfield, they could really hurt United. But, if Casemiro turns up like he has in every game, expect the result to go the Red Devils’ way.

    You can find all betting info and our exclusive tips relating to Liverpool vs Manchester United on our article here.

  • Liverpool vs Manchester United preview, probable lineups and prediction

    Liverpool vs Manchester United preview, probable lineups and prediction

    English football giants Liverpool and Manchester United will collide in the Premier League at Anfield on Sunday.

    Both teams come into this game unbeaten in a rich vein of form.

    Here’s our preview of this clash!

    Match Details:

    Location: Liverpool, England

    Stadium: Anfield

    Date: Saturday, 5 March

    Kick-off Time: 16:30 GMT / 11:30 ET / 09:30 PT

    Referee: Andy Madley

    VAR: Timothy Wood

    Team News:

    Liverpool will be without Joe Gomez, who is out injured, whereas Naby Keita is doubtful. Luis Diaz and Thiago Alcantara are definitely out with knee and hip issues respectively. Arthur is a long term absentee.

    For Manchester United, Luke Shaw and Jadon Sancho are doubtful, but either of them could well recover in time for the game, whereas Christian Eriksen, Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial continue to remain out.

    Head to Head record in last five games:

    Liverpool wins: 3

    Manchester United wins: 2

    Draws: 0

    Predicted Lineups:

    Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Bajcetic, Henderson; Salah, Nunez, Jota

    Manchester United – De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred, Fernandes, Garnacho, Rashford, Weghorst

    Last 5 games in all competitions:

    Liverpool – W D L W W

    Manchester United – W W W W D

    Prediction:

    Liverpool have begun to show signs of resurgence in the last few weeks barring their encounter against Real Madrid. Virgil van Dijk’s return did help them achieve defensive solidity.

    Manchester United are on a tremendous run of form and confidence, beating Barcelona in the Europa League and winning the Carabao Cup in a space of three days. Furthermore, the fact that they haven’t beaten Liverpool at Anfield since 2016 weighs heavily on them. We think that will change in this game!

    BestofBets think this one will be a 1-2 win for Manchester United.