As we move towards the end of the season, midweek football is becoming rarer and rarer. Aside from the final stages of European competition, we aren’t getting too much outside of the weekends right now. This week, we have a few games in the Premier League that were rearranged, plus there’s a ton of continental action from Spain, Italy and France.
Here we are going to look at the Premier League games, plus one each from Spain and Italy. We have Hull fighting for survival against a Liverpool side who have little to play for, while Chelsea continue their title procession against an in-form Leicester side. Elsewhere, Champions League semi finalists Juventus take on Europa League semi finalists Fiorentina in Serie A, while Atletico Madrid visit Villarreal in La Liga. Here we have previews for all of those games, with betting tips for each.
Tuesday 28th April 2015
Hull v Liverpool (19:45) – Hull to win (7/2 with Totesport)
Tuesday’s Premier League action has relegation-threatened Hull hoping to pick up points in their crucial game in hand. The Tigers won at Crystal Palace on Saturday to keep themselves out of the bottom three, but they’re only a point above 18th with a hellish fixture list to come in the next few weeks. A win in this would give them breathing room at the bottom, but if they slip up they could be looking at a tough end to their two year spell in the top flight. With Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United all to come, things won’t be easy for them.
Liverpool pretty much ended all hope they had of finishing in the top four with a 0-0 draw at West Brom last week, and the week before they crashed out of the FA Cup. Their season is over, and with nothing to play for it’s hard to see how Brendan Rodgers can get his side up for this one. They’ve had a poor season, and their players will want it to end as soon as possible. Hull need the points a lot more than the Reds do right now, and that might just swing it. The Tigers are 7/2 here, and at that price they’re worth the risk.
Wednesday 29th April 2015
Leicester v Chelsea (19:45) – Both teams to score (10/11 with Betfred)
Chelsea are looking to move closer to the Premier League title with a win at the King Power Stadium, but it will be easier said than done. The Foxes have put together a fantastic run of form to move from goners at the bottom to near-safety, and that morale boost is sure to carry on into this one. With a win in this game in hand, the Foxes would have a four point lead over 18th, something they only could have dreamed of a few weeks ago.
They have plenty to play for here, and the game doesn’t seem to be as cut and dry as it was when they were first scheduled to meet. This was meant to take place in March, but Chelsea had the League Cup final to play. They now face one of the in-form teams in the league, instead of the basement side from last month. Could Leicester really get in the way of Chelsea’s title hunt? It’s a possibility. The Foxes are high on confidence and they don’t have too much to lose here, so expect them to attack the Blues. Both teams to score is the value bet here, with Chelsea’s recent shaky performances meaning the home side can get a consolation goal at the very least.
Villarreal v Atletico Madrid (21:00) – Atletico to win (7/5 with Stan James)
Atletico Madrid head to Villarreal on Wednesday as they look to get closer to confirming their Champions League spot. The Spanish champions are nine points off the top, and their ambitions of retaining their title look to have faded. After their Champions League exit last week, their season now simply rests on confirming third place, which guarantees them a place in the group stage of next season’s competition. It may not be the greatest achievement after their league win and Champions League final appearance last term but it is crucial to the future of the club.
Villarreal had ambitions to finish in the Champions League spots, but that’s faded in recent weeks. They’re 13 points off fourth and in poor form, so there’s no way they’re getting back in to the top four. They’ll have to settle for a spot in the Europa League, as long as they hold off Malaga. Given how poorly they’ve been playing, it’s hard to see them doing much damage to a strong Atletico side. With no wins in their last eight for the home side, backing Atletico at 7/5 looks to be a good value bet.
Juventus v Fiorentina (19:45) – Juventus to win (4/5 with Stan James)
Juventus made it into the Champions League semi finals last week, and they will be looking for another win to continue on their impressive run. They’re flying clear at the top of the table and just about to confirm yet another Serie A title, so they have plenty to celebrate this season. Despite that, expect them to name a strong XI as they look to carry on the momentum ahead of their Champions League semi final next week. They’ll be hoping to carry on winning here, believing that can carry them into the final in Berlin in June.
As for Fiorentina, they booked a place in the Europa League semi finals last week, and with nine points separating them and third place in the table, they may see that as their best chance to make the Champions League next season. On paper at least they don’t have that much to play for here, although in truth both sides’ league placings look fairly fixed, with both set to concentrate more fully on Europe. Given how dominant Juventus have been of late, they should carry on their good form though and pick up three points here, and they are very well priced to do that.