The end of the domestic football season has left a gap in many fans’ lives, as they count down the days until the big kick off in August. The lack of a major international tournament – Copa America aside – is also something that will disappoint fans, with so little to tide them over until the league returns. Luckily, we do have some football left before the long summer kicks off, with the Champions League final on Saturday night about as big a game as you could wish for.
UEFA’s showpiece competition may dominate the build-up this week, but on top of that there’s also a ton of international action to look at. Just hours after Barcelona face Juventus, England will be kicking off their first match in the Republic of Ireland since 1995. With all of that to look forward to, we’ve previewed four of the weekend’s biggest games and included a betting tip for each.
Saturday 6th June 2015
Juventus v Barcelona (19:45) – Both teams to score (19/20 with Coral)
Juventus caused a shock in the semi finals, ruining what many believed would be an El Clasico final. Despite that, we should still expect big things from this season’s Champions League final, and for once the neutrals will be against Barcelona. Many are looking at the Italian champions as the underdogs here, and it’s hard to argue with that when they have Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar to deal with. While they have talented stars of their own, it’s hard to see them getting too much of the ball.
Although, Barca aren’t quite the same side in control of possession that they once were. The waning influence of their midfield maestros has led to a very top heavy side, with the front three basically on a license to roam. Their defence can be got at, and the likes of Carlos Tevez and Alvaro Morata will worry the Catalans. While Barca are heavy favourites here, we know they can be taken advantage of at the back. Juventus will get chances, and we’re backing both teams to score here at just below evens.
Sunday 7th June 2015
Republic of Ireland v England (13:00) – Draw (11/5 with Coral)
While the Republic of Ireland never threatened to have any players or teams in the Champions League final, England are a different story. The FA clearly weren’t too worried about some of their major stars missing out due to the Champions League, scheduling this match just hours after the final. They’re also risking the game being overshadowed by the buzz of the final, given how close they are. The game was moved to an early kick off due to police concerns, and there’s a feisty atmosphere expected for their first meeting in Dublin in 20 years.
England’s rebuilding job since last year’s World Cup has been impressive, but they face a different kind of test against Martin O’Neill’s Irish team here. In typical O’Neill fashion, he’s making up for the lack of talent at his disposal by installing a strong work ethic, but they’re playing a mix of the typical direct British style, with some good passing players in the middle. After drawing with both Germany and Poland in their qualifying group, the Republic should be able to get another draw here. The last time these two met, two years ago, it finished 1-1, and a similar result here would be far from a shock.
France v Belgium (20:00) – Both teams to score (10/11 with Coral)
Two other neighbouring nations go head to head on Sunday night, although this game should have slightly more talent on show. The Euro 2016 hosts face Belgium’s golden generation, with the Belgians in fine form of late. They look on course to make the Euros next year, and they’ll come in as one of the sides to watch. If they could get a win over the French here, that would be a huge statement ahead of next summer’s tournament. With a fully fit squad at their disposal, they’re more than capable of doing that.
As for France, they’ll be without Paul Pogba, who will be starring in the Champions League final on Saturday night. Aside from that they’ll have a strong side out, but they’ve not played a competitive game in almost a year. This game will have an edge to it, and the French may not be ready for that. Either way, both sides are very talented going forward, and it’s hard to see both teams not scoring here. At the end of a long season, it’s easy to see the defenders suffering fatigue, which makes 10/11 a fantastic price for BTTS here.
Brazil v Mexico (21:00) – Brazil -1 handicap (23/20 with BetVictor)
The highlight of this summer’s football will probably be the Copa America in Chile. It won’t quite match up to last summer in Brazil, but the South American championships should provide us with a few weeks of fascinating entertainment. Ahead of that tournament, Brazil are gearing up with a friendly against Mexico. Despite being a North American side, the Mexicans are also getting ready for the Copa. They, along with Jamaica, have been invited to join the 10 South American sides in the 12-team tournament. Neither side will want to go into the competition undercooked and will be using this game to fine tune their best XIs.
It would take a huge collapse for either side to go out in the group stages, with eight of the 12 sides getting out of the group. Both nations will want a run to the latter stages, with Brazil looking to bounce back from the German humiliation that hangs over them. This tournament kicks off the road to the 2018 World Cup for South American sides, so there’s no better time for Brazil to start to wow their fans once more. Mexico aren’t quite the side they were a few years ago, so Brazil should be able to record a comfortable win in this warm up, even without the mercurial Neymar.