Our soccer expert shares betting tips and previews some huge games across Europe this weekend from Spain, Italy and Turkey ahead of the Christmas holidays.

 

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La Liga - Atlético Madrid vs Sevilla (Saturday 15:15 UTC) 

Colchoneros will host Palanganas at the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium in this La Liga battle. The teams will go into the game after differing fortunes the previous weekend. Sevilla gained a crucial three points after beating Granada 3-0 away, pushing them up to the fourteenth place with sixteen points. Madrid was held to a 3-3 draw by Getafe, allowing the gap between them and the front three to widen further.

The capital team near the end of 2023 is in a strong position, in fourth place in La Liga with thirty-five points and moving comfortably into the round of sixteen of the Champions League after finishing off second place Lazio 2-0. To no surprise, Antoine Griezmann was once more on the scoresheet here to boost his competition tally to five goals, matching his comrade Álvaro Morata in joint third position for the UCL’s goal scorer's leaderboard. Following the UEFA draws last Monday, they will face last year's finalists Inter Milan for a sumptuous match-up with the first leg commencing on the 20th of February. Atlético Madrid to score? 1st Half - Yes at 1.598.

The leading men were once again on the scoresheet last weekend in domestic proceedings and the game was all set to be in the bag at the eighty-seventh minute with the scoreline 3-1. Although a strike from Óscar Rodríguez in that minute was followed up by an injury-time goal from Borja Mayoral allowing the now eighth-place Getafe to escape with a point for their efforts. Indeed, it can be seen that the hosts were lucky to have any after the visitors had twenty-nine shots, with nine on target and fifty-nine per cent of possession. Although it could be worse, things are put into sobering context with league leaders Girona now being nine points clear.

Sevilla FC was the toast of the city after they returned home with the Europa League trophy once more, following a 1-1 win on penalties with AS Roma last May. However, this season couldn't be more different, as all is not being well at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium. The club have had a woeful start to the first half of the season, only managing to win three games and drawing seven. They languish in fourteenth place with sixteen points and a minus-one goal difference.

However, the last result was cause for hope and perhaps things could well be turning around for the Andalusian giants as 2024 beckons. Fan favourite and Spanish international footballer Sergio Ramos was on the scoresheet last weekend. Widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time, his current contract is due to expire in June of next year and it is uncertain whether he will continue club football after hanging up his boots for La Roja in February. Sevilla Handicap - Match +1.5 at 1.591.

A tough challenge awaits Sevilla here in Madrid, though perhaps emerging out of the clash with a least a point is feasible. However, they will have to work hard to stem the potent attacking force their hosts can muster and avoid another 6-1 humiliation like they did last March at the same venue.

1x2 1.512 4.53 6.14

 

Serie A - AS Roma vs Napoli (Saturday 19:45 UTC)

I Giallorossi will host the current Serie A champions Gli Azzurri at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome. Both teams appear to be out of the running for the Scudetto this season as Inter surge ahead with forty-one points after sixteen matches played. Roma currently lies in eighth position with twenty-five, while the visitors fight to break into the top four as they currently have twenty points and fifth position for their efforts.

Napoli came off the back of last weekend with a 2-1 win, after playing against Sardinian outfit Cagliari. The scoreline could have been much more as the home side dominated proceedings with sixty-nine per cent of possession. The deadlock was broken deep into the second half by Victor Osimhen in the sixty-ninth minute, the Nigerian international forward has made a good show of himself this season with seven goals to his tally. Following a swift equaliser, fellow teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia answered in the seventy-fifth to finish the day in Neapolitan favour. The Georgian international has been a lauded playmaker in the division this season, contributing four assists in domestic proceedings alone. Another 2-1 win to Napoli in this bout is at 10.53.

The team will suffer for the omission of Mathías Olivera and Eljif Elmas with injury, though the wider team should not be hamstrung enough to affect a strong attack and find an edge to win. In European affairs, the club enjoyed moving into the knockout stages in second place, behind a rampant Real Madrid who were unbeaten in Group C. Following the UEFA draws last Monday, they now have the unenviable task of trying to prevent Barcelona from moving into the quarterfinals. However, victory here isn't truly an unthinkable task as the Catalonian side has been sluggish in domestic affairs and not as clinical as they once were with not one of their players in the top-five goal scorers for that division.

Roma as well finished second in their group albeit in the Europa League, and thus will have to face off against Dutch outfit Feyenoord if they are to continue the run in the competition and hope to reach the final once more. Lukewarm can be a fair word to describe their fight for European qualification this year, as they have seven wins and five draws for their efforts. This year has proven to be an especially competitive Serie A battle with only seven points between eleventh-placed Lazio and fourth-placed Bologna. Indeed, the latter were the latest to trip up the Romans with a 2-0 scoreline. We can well expect goals abound in this clash, as Roma have scored over two or more in seven of their last ten home matches, while Napoli have scored two or more goals as well in seven of their past ten away matches. Total - Match Over 2.5 at 2.16.

A crucial match where all three points will be much needed for each side to blaze into or maintain in the top six. Roma will benefit as the home side and have the statistics to show it, however Napoli themselves counter with their own set. We’ll be on for a gritty confrontation in Rome between these Central and Southern Italian clubs.

1x2 3.05 3.15 2.53

 

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Süper Lig - Fenerbahçe vs Galatasaray (Sunday 16:00 UTC)

Sarı Kanaryalar welcomes Cimbom Avrupa Fatihi to the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul in our final European match preview for this weekend. The outcome of the bout is widely anticipated to marry that of who will be the competitions victor, as both teams have dominated proceedings this season in the Süper Lig. They each currently have forty-three points apiece and storm ahead of their nearest competitor Kayserispor who only have twenty-nine. Unsurprisingly both sides come off the back of domestic wins this week, though with a goal difference of fourteen over Galatasaray's nineteen the hosts are currently in first place.

Fenerbahçe moved onto the last sixteen of the Europa League Conference after topping Group H, cementing their position in the last sixteen with a 4-0 home win over Slovak outfit Spartak Trnava. Galatasaray parachuted out of the Champions Leagues Group A after succumbing 1-0 in Denmark to a remarkable FC København side who have exceeded expectations. The Istanbul club have a second chance now in the Europa League after being paired up with Sparta Praha in the playoffs. Correct Score of 1-0 to Fenerbahçe here is at 11.40.

Table leaders Fenerbahçe played away to the aforementioned third-placed Kayserispor, in what was a thrilling contest ending 4-3 to the visitors. Turkish international right winger Cengiz Ünder opened proceedings in the eighth minute, proving to be money well spent after joining from Marseille for £13 million over the summer. However, the star of the show was Belgian international Michy Batshuayi, who surprisingly did not have a domestic league goal to his name this season thus far before kick-off here. He can breathe a sigh of relief before the year's end now after he travelled home with a hat trick under his belt, to compliment his five goals in European affairs. The side will have to do without players Fred and Mert Hakan Yandaş for this forthcoming game as both players were sent off near the end of what was a tumultuous and extremely close-fought match.

Galatasaray as well was victorious although it was a close-run thing against Fatih Karagümrük, with a slim victory margin of 1-0. Kerem Aktürkoğlu was the lone scorer of the day, and his tally now stands at eight goals and assists for the season. The away side can be full of self-confidence in a positive result here against their rivals in this match and indeed when they meet again in the Turkish Super Cup final on the 29th of December. The last two times they have battled they were victorious 3-0 on both occasions. On the scoresheet for both those matches was former Paris Saint Germain striker Mauro Icardi, who has had an excellent season debut in Turkey and currently ties for first place in the league goal-scoring table with twelve goals. With the same tally and both vying with him for the title of Gol Kralı (literally meaning "Goal King" in Turkish) is future opposing player Edin Džeko for Aslanar and Senegalese international Mame Thiam for Kayserispor. Both Teams to Score? 1st Half - Yes at 3.83.

Fenerbahçe will have the home crowd behind them and a score to settle here against Galatasaray. This will no doubt be one of the matches of the season in what is a neck-and-neck two-horse title race. They'll no doubt be goals on the scoresheet and for sure we can expect some omissions from the field, in what will prove to be a seismic encounter.

1x2 2.17 3.91 3.07

 

**Odds are subject to change. Odds accurate as of 11:00 UTC Friday 2ndnd December**

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