Date: Monday, December 16, 2024
Kickoff: 15:30 SAST
Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Galaxy had their best ever season in the last campaign with a sixth-place finish and a cup final appearance but began the new term in August in a crisis over signings and quickly slumped to the bottom of the Premier Soccer League. Coach Sead Ramovic felt a new broom was needed and so departed, leaving his former assistant Adnan Beganovic to take over. The new coach has since helped the club to pick up an invaluable seven out of a possible nine points.
Kaizer Chiefs’ supporters had high hopes at the beginning of the season that new coach Nasreddine Nabi might end nine seasons without a trophy and restore lustre to the AmaKhosi ranks. But the Tunisian looks out of his depth and Chiefs nowhere near becoming contenders again, despite spending considerable money in the off-season to enforce both their playing and coaching ranks.
Key Betting Insights:
Nice to be home: The vagaries of the fixtures this season have seen Galaxy play seven of their nine league games away from home. This will be only their third league game of the season at the Mbombela Stadium and fifth overall, because they also hosted two matches in the Carling Knockout. They have won twice and lost the other two.
Support: Despite the lengthy trophy drought, Chiefs remain the country’s most popular club and their annual visit to the Lowveld is sure to pull in the crowds, especially as this fixture is being played on a public holiday. The atmosphere could be a spur for the beleaguered Chiefs team.
Betting angles:
Less than 2.5 Total Goals @1.48 : Galaxy’s previous four home games against Chiefs have produced a paltry two goals in total. In 17 games played between them in the league this season, the two clubs have a combined goal tally of 20, keeping up the low percentage of scoring.
TS Galaxy To Score First @2.10: Galaxy’s 31-year-old striker Victor Letsoalo knows how to find the net against Chiefs. He has seven previous league goals against AmaKhosi in the colours of Baroka, Bloemfontein Celtic, Royal AM and AmaZulu, who he left last season to join Galaxy.
Prediction:
Score Prediction: TS Galaxy 1-0 Kaizer Chiefs @6.00
A new coach has injected some twinkle back into the Galaxy ranks as evidenced by the results of their last three games, while Chiefs’ crisis of confidence looks to be getting worse, especially after a feeble 0-2 loss at Polokwane City last Sunday.
Stade Abidjan v Orlando Pirates
Date: Saturday, December 14, 2024
Kickoff: 18:00 SAST
Venue: Stade Houphouet Boigny, Abidjan
Stade Abidjan were African champions almost 60 years ago but only recently restored some of their lost glory and this season qualified for the first time to the group phase of the African Champions League. It has been baptism of fire for the Ivorian club, losing their opening two games in Group C and facing elimination if they lose again, this time to Pirates.
Orlando Pirates made a flying start to their Champions League campaign with a win in their opening game in Algeria but had a reality check at home last Saturday as they were held to a goalless draw by defending champions Al Ahly, hardly getting a look in in a game where their tactical acumen came up short.
Key Betting Insights:
Backs to the wall: Stade Abidjan will not have had any great ambition going into the league phase of the Champions League for the first time. This is their first outing in continental club competition in two decades and they scrapped into the pool stage with two narrow wins in the preliminary knockout round.
Site of success: The stadium in the Ivorian capital is better known as “Felicia” and is the site of Pirates’ great day, when they upset ASEC Abidjan 1-0 to win the top club prize in Africa in 1995. Mark Fish’s clearance and Jerry Sikhosana run onto the ball and around the goalkeeper remain an iconic moment for South African football.
Betting angles:
Less than 2.5 Total Goals: Stade Abidjan might have been involved in a six-goal game when they played their opening Group C match against Cairo giants Al Ahly in Egypt but this is sure to be a lot more of a cagey affair with so much at stake for both teams. Only two of Pirates’ last seven outings have seen more than two goals scored in the game.
First to score: Orlando Pirates will be fancied to get on the scoresheet first, as they have done in five of their last six games in which there were goals. But they do go into this game without a goal in their last two outings, losing at home to Stellenbosch in the league and then being held by Al Ahly last Saturday.
Prediction:
Score Prediction: Stade Abidjan 0-1 Orlando Pirates
Pirates should be too strong for their Ivorian hosts and have already proven they can score on the road in African club competition. Stade go into the game on the back of three successive defeats.
Please note that SuperSportBet will have odds for all of the CAF Champions League matches closer to kickoff.
Date: Monday, December 16, 2024
Kickoff: 20:45 SAST
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio toppled the Serie A leaders Napoli last weekend with a 1-0 away win and now have a chance to do a double act and inflict the same fate on the reigning champions. Lazio, in fact, beat Napoli twice in a matter of days, first 3-1 in Rome in the Coppa Italia and then again last Sunday in Serie A away in Naples.
Since claiming their 20th Serie A title last season, Inter had lost just once in 19 matches, which was a painful slip-up against neighbours AC Milan back in September, before Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Bayer Leverkusen, where a last-minute goal won it for the Germans.
Key Betting Insights:
Free scoring: The Rome club is the 17th of a largely journeyman career for coach Marco Baroni who has proven successful in instilling a clear attacking identity in this Lazio side. They are one of the top crossing teams in Serie A and are also one of the most dangerous Italian sides from corners.
Away form: Inter have held Manchester City away this season in the Champions league and won at Roma and Udinese in Serie A. Their last away game in the Italian league was 5-0 triumph at Verona.
Betting angles:
Both Teams To Score @1.75: Lazio have scored 30 goals in 15 Serie A fixtures this season, a tally bettered only by Inter Milan (34) and leaders Atalanta, who have 38. Both Lazio and Inter know their way to goal.
Anytime scorer @3.10: Frenchman Marcus Thuram is the second highest scorer in Serie A this season, plus has also found the net in Champions League action, notably the winner away at Young Boys Berne in Switzerland in October. Thuram is already more than halfway to his scoring mark of last season, which he finished with 15 goals and 14 assists across all competitions.
Prediction:
Score Prediction: Lazio 2-2 Inter Milan @13.00
The most common result of matches between Lazio and Inter is 1-1. In total 11 of 70 past meeting have ended with this result, but more sides are higher octane in front of goal this season so there are bound to be more.
Manchester City vs Manchester United
Date: Sunday, December 15, 2024
Kickoff: 18:30 SAST
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Whenever was there a Manchester derby with both protagonists down in the dumps? It has been some while since both sides have done in the neighbourhood scrap shorn of confidence and cockiness and fearful of what further humiliation awaits them. Manchester City go into the game with one win in their last 10 matches, their latest setback coming on Wednesday at Juventus in the Champions League.
Successive defeats in the Premier League showed new manager Ruben Amorim just how big a job he has on his hands at Manchester United. They were expected to lose to Arsenal but a home defeat by Nottingham Forest was not a result many predicted. It was Forest’s first victory at Old Trafford in 30 years.
Key Betting Insights:
Missing men: Pep Guardiola and City have looked truly mortal since the anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered by Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, who is likely to be back this season. But he is not the only man in the treatment room with Manuel Akanji, Nathan Aké, Phil Foden, Mateo Kovacic and John Stones all likely to miss out. Rico Lewis is suspended after a red card last weekend at Crystal Palace.
New manager bounce: Usually the appointment of a fresh man in charge leads to an uptick in fortunes from the so-called 'new manager bounce'. This is no myth as data reveals the phenomenon is actually real. A survey last year of the last 26 managerial changes in the Premier League found that 20 of the new managers averaged more points per match in his first five matches in charge than their predecessor. But the honeymoon period is already over for Amorim
Betting angles:
Both Teams to Scores @1.53: Both clubs have recognised scorers who know their way to the net and both sides have defences that have been particularly poor of late. Expect goals then, with both sides getting in on the act. Manchester City’s only senior defensive options for the clash are club captain Kyle Walker, alongside a natural centre-back duo of Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol. All the others are injured
Anytime scorer @4.20: Marcus Rashford’s ability has never been under question but his attitude has. He could flourish under Amorim, however, and add to the four goals in 15 matches so far in the Premier League season. Two of them were scored away from home.
Prediction:
Score Prediction: Manchester City 1 Manchester United 2 @15.00
Man United are languishing in 13th place in the table with just 19 points – their lowest tally after 15 matches since the 1986-87 campaign. It seems illogical to suggest they could win but it is a derby and you feel there is the possibility they take advantage of the malaise at Man City and pull off a shock win that further send Guardiola’s side into a spiral.
Date: Saturday, December 14, 2024
Kickoff: 22:00 SAST
Venue: Estadio de Vallecas, Madrid
This is the ‘other Madrid derby’ although with nothing of the fanaticism that surrounds Real’s clashes with Atletico Madrid. Rayo have not had much past success against their illustrious neighbours with four wins in the last 32 meetings between the pair. Rayo’s last home win against Real, however, was just two seasons ago when they came from behind to win 3-2.
Real Madrid will be aiming to make it three successive triumphs after Tuesday’s
3-2 victory over Serie A leaders Atalanta in the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti's side were 3-0 winners over Girona in their last league outing and sit second in the La Liga table, two points behind leaders Barcelona with a game in hand.
Key Betting Insights:
Consistency a question: After three successive LaLiga losses for Inigo Perez's side against Las Palmas, Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao, Rayo surprised with a 1-0 win at Valencia last weekend to halt a disappointing run of form. The result moved them one place up on the table to 12th. Los Franjirrojos finished 17th in La Liga last season, so there is plenty of room for improvement this term.
In need of some luck: Just when it looked like he might be finding some form, Kylian Mbappe got injured on Tuesday in the Champions League. But not before scoring a cracking goal early in the contest. Real probably will not take any chances with the World Cup winner on Saturday, given that next week they will be playing in the final of the Intercontinental Cup in Qatar.
Betting angles:
Over 2.5 goals @1.80: Real Madrid have an average of 2.1 goals per game to rank second in LaLiga while Rayo Vallecano are on 1.1 per match to rank sixth. Vinicius Junior returned to the Real Madrid squad for their clash with Atalanta in the Champions League in midweek, which adds to the likelihood of a game full of goals.
Jude Bellingham to score first @9.00: The English international has been the main catalyst for a revival in fortunes for Los Blancos, with goals in each of his last four games, dragging his side forward. Real will be looking to the 21-year-old again as they chase top place in the Spanish league standing
Prediction:
Score Prediction: Rayo Vallecano 1-4 Real Madrid @23.00
Rayo are not expected to sit back, so this could be an entertaining affair. Coach Perez, a former assistant at Bournemouth, has them playing an intense style and they will make things uncomfortable for Real. But the European champions should still prove too strong and eventually work their way to victory.
Paris St Germain vs Olympique Lyonnaise
Date: Sunday, December 15, 2024
Kickoff: 21:45 SAST
Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris
PSG have already opened up a five point gap at the head of Ligue 1 as they chase an 11th title in 13 seasons, reflecting their dominance on the French football scene. Lyon held sway for seven successive seasons but the last of those titles in 2008 also marked the last time they won the French championship.
Lyon have managed to return to calmer waters in Ligue 1 after a mixed start to their campaign. Recent impressive wins over Angers and Nice (4-1) have lifted them up to fifth in the standings, nine points adrift of leaders PSG. They come into this game unbeaten in their last nine away fixtures, going back to August when they lost at Rennes.
Key Betting Insights:
Home form: The trip to the French capital has always proved tricky for Lyon, who have lost on 20 of their past 35 trips to take on PSG. There have been nine draws while Lyon have won six times, the last of which was in April last year. The goal difference is 64-27 in favour of the Parisians.
Tactical approach: Lyon coach Pierre Sage has switched systems between 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-3 formations in their past three games, but both approaches still indicate a willingness to attack, even if they are away at the log leaders. The fleet-footed Alexandre Lacazette is often their lone target man up front and has found the net eight times in all competitions so far – more often than any of his teammates.
Betting angles:
Over 2.5 goals @1.30: Both teams have been scoring consistently, with Lyon netted in eight consecutive games and PSG in good goal-scoring form as they are averaging 2.2 goals per game against Lyon, while Lyon are averaging 0.8 goals in return. PSG score an average of 2.2 goals at home, while Lyon scores 2.1 goals away.
Anytime scorer @1.80: The 22-year-old Bradley Barcola is fast emerging as the next superstar in French football and has already netted 10 league goals. He controversially left his hometown club Lyon last year to join PSG and attracted much criticism so this is a contest he will be fired up for.
Prediction:
Score Prediction: Paris St Germain 2-0 Olympique Lyonnaise @10.00
It is odd-on that PSG, especially after a solid showing at Salzburg in the Champions League in midweek, will go on and win this contest comfortably.