There may be no midweek Premier League action in the lead up to Christmas, but that hasn’t left the week empty of top footballing action. Sides around Europe are gearing up for some midweek clashes, as the European leagues have their final round of matches before they head off for their hibernations of their winter breaks. That gives us quite a bit to enjoy over the coming days.
Ahead of the midweek fixtures, we’ve picked out some highlights and selected our betting tips on each. The four matches we’ve picked come from Germany, France and Italy, so there’s quite a bit of variety here. If you’re looking for something to fill the days in the build up to Christmas, then you’re in the right place.
Wednesday 21st December 2016
Bayern Munich v RB Leipzig (19:00) – Both teams to score (17/20 with Coral)
Somehow, there’s actually a title race going on in the Bundesliga this season. Even with Borussia Dortmund struggling, Bayern Munich have competition at the top. RB Leipzig haven’t just pushed the champions; they’ve spent a few weeks on top of the pile. Could they turn out to be serious threats as Bayern look for another season of domestic dominance? They’ve looked far from their best this season, it’s plain that they’re missing Pep Guardiola. Can Carlo Ancelotti’s side finish well with a victory over the newly promoted visitors on Wednesday?
Bayern have a bit of an issue in defence, with Mats Hummels looking far from comfortable in his new surroundings. He’ll be put through his paces this week, as Leipzig are a fantastic side going forward. So far this season, they’ve averaged two goals per game. That really shows their attacking intent, and that’s something we’re expecting to see in this game. There’s no real reason to fear Bayern right now, so we see the shock title challengers making a game out of this. We’re backing an attacking away display, which has us backing both teams to score at 17/20 with Coral.
Bordeaux v Nice (19:45) – Nice to win (2/1 with Sky Bet)
Leipzig aren’t alone in their shock title challenge, Nice are also surprise candidates for the title in Ligue 1. This is usually a procession for PSG, but the French champions are some way off the pace coming into the final round of games before the break. Can Nice continue to surprise the big guns in France with another win on Wednesday night? They come here in decent form, and they have no reason to fear this Bordeaux side. In fact, it’s hard to see just why the visitors are priced at such long odds for this midweek meeting.
Nice are 2/1 here with Sky Bet, but they face a Bordeaux side who have lost their last two home matches to nil. Meanwhile, the title challengers have just one defeat in the league this season. The hosts have failed to score in almost half of their home matches, while Nice have kept a clean sheet in 50% of their away trips. The table toppers should be able to come out of this game on top, and finish 2016 as Ligue 1 leaders. Given their huge price ahead of this meeting, we’re backing an away win, as 2/1 seems far too large for the league leaders.
Thursday 22nd December 2016
Bologna v AC Milan (19:45) – Milan to win (Evens with BetVictor)
Thursday night is packed with Serie A action, as AC Milan look to continue their push for the Champions League spots in Italy. They’ve had an excellent season so far, but can they end the year with a flourish? A 1-0 defeat to Roma in their last away game was a setback, but it was hardly a shock. Roma have got a perfect record at their own ground after all. This latest away trip is a completely different story for Milan. They’re expected to win, as they face a Bologna side who are battling against relegation.
Bologna have won just 25% of their league fixtures so far, while they’ve averaged less than a goal per game in Serie A this term. That’s an awful record all round, and not one they’d want to put up against a high flying side who aren’t too far off top spot. Milan have won 50% of their away games so far, while they grab 1.5 goals per outing on the road. We’re backing another success for Vincenzo Montella’s side, and they’re well priced to beat a relegation threatened team. AC are evens with BetVictor to take all three points in this one.
Sampdoria v Udinese (19:45) – Sampdoria to win (21/20 with Betfair)
One game which seems to have a bit of value is Sampdoria’s match against Udinese. On the face of things, there isn’t much between these two. They’re pretty close to one another in the table going in to their final match of 2016. Sampdoria were on an impressive run in Serie A, before they lost at home to Lazio recently. They have shown quite a bit of potential this term, and they could be set up for an excellent finish to this season. They just need to keep up their home form in order to improve in the second half of the campaign.
Sampdoria have won 62% of their games here this term, having struggled for results early on. Meanwhile, Udinese aren’t that reliable away from home. They’ve lost half of their matches on the road, conceding in 88% of their trips so far. Given that the hosts are strong in front of their own supporters, they should be able to add to Udinese’s defensive woes on the road. We’re backing another home win in this one, which seems well priced at 21/20 with Betfair. When you look at Udinese’s side and their results on the road, a home win here looks likely.