Rodri stated strike action wasn’t out of the question before picking up an injury against Arsenal. Fatigue is an issue for the players but does it bring about an opportunity for those looking to find the betting value?
Europe’s top teams were in action midweek, meaning some faced long trips across the continent or have had very little time to prepare for the weekend. Our expert has highlighted four tips for you to take advantage of the hectic schedule.
| Market | Odds |
|---|---|
Aston Villa vs Manchester United - Aston Villa To Win | |
Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest - Nottingham Forest Double Chance | |
Aberdeen vs Hearts - Aberdeen To Win | |
Rangers vs St. Johnstone - Rangers To Win & Under 3.5 Goals |
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Ones to Watch
Aston Villa vs Manchester United
Aston Villa earned a memorable 1-0 win over Bayern Munich at Villa Park on Wednesday night. Unai Emery’s side have lost just one of their nine competitive matches so far this season. They managed to win 3-1 at home, following their last Champions League outing. Villa also have a day longer than Manchester United to prepare for this one.
The pressure is on Erik ten Hag ahead of the international break. His team face a tricky trip to Porto on Thursday night and defeat could spell the end of his tenure. Manchester United seemed lost in their 3-0 home loss against Tottenham last weekend and could be on the receiving end of another beating here.
Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest
Chelsea are enjoying a run of four straight victories across all competitions. However, they travelled to Belgium midweek to face Gent on Thursday night. Enzo Maresca’s side dropped points by drawing 1-1 at home to Crystal Palace, following their last Europa Conference League game and they face a stern test here.
Nottingham Forest have lost just one of their six Premier League matches so far this season. They are yet to be beaten on the road and even managed to earn a win at Anfield. Forest beat Chelsea 1-0 in this fixture last season so the visitors' double chance doesn’t look like a bad bet on Sunday.
Aberdeen vs Hearts
Liam Fox, Hearts’ interim manager took the team to Azerbaijan to face Dinamo Minsk. The lengthy flight time of over eight hours makes their already difficult game against Aberdeen at the weekend even tougher. The Jam Tarts have gone 12 competitive matches without a win, a dismal run that dates back to the 11th of May. Hearts have lost eight of their 10 matches this season.
Aberdeen, on the other hand, have won all 12 of their competitive matches this season and are joint-top of the Scottish Premier League. During that impressive run, they scored an average of 2.67 goals per game and conceded just 0.42.
Rangers vs St. Johnstone
Rangers are in action on Thursday night when they host Lyon. It promises to be a hard-fought contest, with both teams going at it hammer and tongs. Phillipe Clement will be keen for his side to leave it all on the field as they set their sights on making it two wins from two in the Europa League.
The Gers have a fantastic record against St. Johnstone, winning their last six head-to-heads between the sides. However, there has been an average of just two goals per game during that run, and under 3.5 goals has won in all of those encounters.