he top teams in Europe often opt to nullify their opponents’ strengths when they face off against their title rivals. Our football betting expert delves into the goals markets to find some value for this weekend’s big matches.
- There was just one goal scored across the two league meetings between Manchester City and Arsenal last season.
- Juventus have the sturdiest defence in Europe ahead of their clash with Napoli.
- The last five matches between Lyon and Marseille have seen an average of 2.2 goals.
- Both teams have scored in one of the last nine Intercontinental Derbies.
| Under 2.5 Goals | Odds |
|---|---|
Manchester City vs Arsenal | |
Juventus vs Napoli | |
Lyon vs Marseille | |
Galatasaray vs Fenerbahce |
Odds courtesy of Bet9ja. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Cagey Clashes for this Weekend
Manchester City vs Arsenal
These sides locked horns on three occasions last season and there were just three goals scored. Two of those goals were scored in the Community Shield meeting. Those head-to-heads saw an average xG of just 1.41.
Arsenal’s primary focus was stifling Manchester City when they came to the Etihad last season. They took a similar approach against Tottenham last weekend as they held just 36% possession in a 1-0 win. The Gunners have failed to score in five of their last six matches at this ground, so goals should be at a premium.
Juventus vs Napoli
Juventus are yet to concede a goal in Serie A this season. They followed up two 3-0 victories with back-to-back 0-0 draws in the league. The underlying stats suggest those clean sheets are no fluke. Thiago Motta’s side have the lowest xGA in the division, with an average of 0.38. The average total match xG of 1.33 is also the lowest.
Napoli rank at the other end of the scale in terms of xG, but their trips to Turin seldom see goals. Under 2.5 goals has landed in their last three away games against Juventus.
Lyon vs Marseille
There have been plenty of goals in Ligue 1 this season, with an average of 2.94 per game. Only the Bundesliga is averaging more goals per game amongst Europe’s top five leagues, but this clash could prove to be a tactical battle. Lyon have failed to score in three of their four league matches this season, so they cannot rely on their attack to bail them out.
The last five head-to-heads between these sides have seen 2.2 goals on average. This drops to an average of two goals per game in the last five meetings in Lyon.
Fenerbahce vs Galatasaray
This Turkish rivalry is one of the most famous in world football. Cards are plentiful when Fenerbahce and Galatasaray square off, but these encounters rarely see a glut of goals. Both teams have scored in just one of the last nine head-to-heads. Since this run began in September 2020, there has been an average of just 1.56 goals in the Intercontinental Derbies.
Both are unbeaten coming into this clash. Fenerbahce are conceding an average of 0.4 goals in their league matches, while Galatasaray opponents are averaging 0.75 goals. It should be another case of these sides nullifying each other here.