Juventus Top Performers – Round 29 vs Genoa

Juventus pulled the plug a smidge too early in the Genoa game, failing to extend their streak of clean sheet, but other than that it was a very mature performance, the best one after the resumption, coronated by three superb goals by their star attackers.

Leonardo Bonucci: another solid outing by both centre-backs, with the Italian one beating out Matthijs De Ligt because the Dutch teammate had a careless pass late in the box that could have been picked off by an opponent, leading to all sorts of troubles. The duo stood up to two very physical strikers, countering with their own muscularity and not letting up until the final 15 minutes. Nothing out of the ordinary for Wojciech Szczesny and Danilo, as the latter did not mess anything up this time. Continue reading

Calcio Predictions – Round 29

Torino-Lazio: the Granata took a clear step back against Cagliari after picking up four points in the previous two matches and gave up four goals. Lazio had to labour but did bounce back with a late surge against Fiorentina. Even if the Biancocelesti have not look great in the resumption, the difference between the two sides might been too prominent: 1-3.

Genoa-Juventus: the Griffon salvaged a point in Brescia after going down two-nil in the score, following up a trashing by Parma with a subpar result. The Bianconeri instead defeated Bologna and Lecce pretty convincingly, pushing their winning streak to five game: 0-2. Continue reading

Fallen giants in England’s Premier League and in Germany

For many fans of clubs which have fallen on hard times, it’s hard to imagine the level of frustration and even sensations of desperation. Their once-mighty teams used to be all-conquering sides, revered and feared throughout Europe, yet now they face relegation.

For fans of Aston Villa and Werder Bremen right now, especially those old enough to remember the glory days of their clubs, facing the real prospect of descending from the Premier League and Bundesliga must be a bitter pill to swallow.

Angst at Aston Villa

Recent years have hardly been kind for Aston Villa fans, following a team which has been a shadow of their potential. They were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2015/16 season, then it took the club three difficult years to make their return. Supporters were positive, yet the 2019/20 campaign has been tough to endure.

After finishing fifth in the Championship last season and winning the promotion play-offs, Aston Villa were back where many feel the club truly belongs. However, despite finishing as runners-up in the League Cup final this season, their performances in the Premier League have been a constant struggle during the 2019/20 campaign.

Indeed, the latest EPL relegation odds from Betfair would indicate that Villa are tipped to go down, unless they can somehow muster a miracle turnaround in form. That First Division title in 1981 and the magnificent European Cup win of 1982, followed by League Cup triumphs and genuine title challenges in the 1990s all must seem distant memories for the older supporters.

Woes at Werder Bremen

It’s hard to say what exactly has gone so utterly wrong at Werder Bremen this season, although it’s abundantly clear the 2019/20 Bundesliga campaign has been an unmitigated disaster. It’s also one that could end with this once-mighty side being relegated. As of today, Bremen’s status in Germany’s top league remains uncertain because the club finished in 16th place which means Werder must participate in the relegation play-off. The club’s loyal fans are hoping Bremen can pull it off and remain in the Bundesliga to salvage what has been a disastrous season by all standards for this prestigious club.

Given they have endured such a poor season, without any indications of turning the corner, looking at the Bundesliga betting tips from Betfair’s experts, the majority conclusion is that Werder Bremen are destined for relegation. That’s hard to imagine, especially as we’re talking about a club that’s still considered as one of the biggest in German football.

We’re talking about a club that regularly challenged for silverware. A club that won the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal double as recently as the 2003-04 season. A club that featured regularly in the Champions League and Europa League. However, they have struggled for almost a decade now and relegation this year would be the culmination of a lengthy slide.

Hopes for the Future?

Despite being their first season back in the Premier League, it could be argued that Aston Villa weren’t quite ready to return and consolidate their position among the English elite. More than a decade of disorganization and a lack of investment have taken their toll. Maybe a year back in the Championship would help Villa reorganize, ready for a more serious return.

As for Werder Bremen, their fans must be wondering if their situation can get any worse. The last time they experienced life outside the top tier in Germany was way back in the 1980-81 season. However, that actually served to spark a revolution at the club, which then became a golden era of domestic titles and European adventures.

There’s no doubt that both Aston Villa and Werder Bremen are clubs with tremendously passionate fans. These are clubs with magnificent supporters who stand by their team regardless of what happens on the pitch. They demand commitment and dedication from the players but at the same time will give support in return. Hopefully, both sets of fans will get to savor the glory days again and before too long.

Serie A Probable Lineups – Round 29

Torino-Lazio

Torino: 3-4-3 Sirigu; Izzo, Nkoulou, Bremer; De Silvestri, Meite, Rincon, Ansaldi; Verdi, Belotti, Berenguer.

Potential lineup changes: Aina for Ansaldi, Edera for Verdi, Lukic for Berenguer.

Likely bench options: Aina, Verdi, Millico

Probable: Berenguer, Zaza (thigh).

Ruled Out: Baselli (knee). Continue reading

Serie A Injury and Suspension Report – Round 29

Atalanta: Ruslan Malinovskyi is suspended for yellow-card accumulation. Josip Ilicic is not 100 percent after an ankle sprain but he is at his coach’s disposal. José Palomino is out with a thigh injury. 

Bologna: Federico Santander and Andreas Skov Olsen remain out with thigh strains. Andrea Poli will miss up to ten days with a thigh pull. 

Brescia: Andrea Cistana (lower leg) and Jhon Chancellor (thigh) will be back in mid-July at the earliest, Dimitri Bisoli (patellar tendon) is out until December. Continue reading

Serie A Fantay Preview – Round 29

TORINO-LAZIO

Torino: the Granata had a nice reaction after falling in an early hole versus Cagliari, but an untimely penalty did them in. Andrea Belotti has found the target for two straight matches and has been excellent missed penalty aside. Simone Zaza is unlikely to be present, but Simone Verdi and especially Cristian Ansaldi, two of their most talented players, saw minutes in the past match and could be ready to start, unlocking few options up front, first of all the advancement of Alex Berenguer. Ansaldi had a positive impact after he subbed on, Verdi might need more time and had been struggling prior to the lockdown. Continue reading

Serie A Best Fantasy XI – Round 28

Gianluigi Donnarumma (7 points): goals galore in Serie A in the last round and just two goalkeepers kept a clean sheet, Milan’s one and Wojciech Szczesny. Neither was particularly challenged, but Donnarumma did it against an better opponents.

Matthijs De Ligt (9 points): the Dutch centre-back rounded out Juventus’ trashing of Lecce with an easy finish from close range, notching his third goal of the season. He was the top point-getter over the weekend. Continue reading

Has Samuel Umtiti played his last game for Barcelona?

Unless Barcelona suffer a spate of injuries in the centre of defence over the next couple of games, it’s hard to see where Samuel Umtiti gets a look in after his horrific performance against Celta Vigo on Saturday.

The Frenchman was once an undisputed starter for the Catalans but hasn’t been the same since sustaining a knee injury which he decided to treat holistically rather than allowing Barca’s club doctors to sort the problem out. Continue reading

Serie A Fantasy Recap – Round 28

Standings implications: Juventus took care of business against Lecce, but Lazio came back late against Fiorentina, so the gap between the title contenders stays at four points. Inter came back to life late and rallied against Parma, so the top four teams were all successful. Atalanta needed an extra effort to down Udinese but kept cruising, enlarging the cushion over Roma, which were defeated by Roma, and staving off Napoli’s push. The Partenopei breezed past SPAL. A quality W for Milan, which built a little lead over Verona in Europa League race, as the Scaligeri were pipped at the post by Sassuolo. Two consecutive wins for Cagliari, which toppled Torino and are looking to re-join the rest of the bunch fighting for a continental berth. Bologna returned to winning ways by outlasting Sampdoria. Down low, Genoa could not fully expolit a favorable round and gained just a bit of separation over Lecce by tying with Brescia, but they are now on a par with Sampdoria, which lost again.

Continue reading

AC Milan 2-0 Roma: Tops and flops for the Rossoneri – Rebic continues to impress in new role

AC Milan have started the league resumption in the best way possible. Following the 4-1 win against Lecce on Monday, they managed to secure yet another three points earlier this evening, beating fifth-placed Roma by a two-goal margin and thus decreasing the gap between the teams. 

Due to the temperature in Milan, the first-half was very dull and slow as both sides failed to create chances, opting to sit back and save energy instead of powering forward on the counter-attacks. The Rossoneri changed their approach for the final 45 minutes, though, bringing on Lucas Paqueta and Alexis Saelemaekers quite early.  Continue reading