There haven’t been many moments at Inter this season filled with as much positivity as these past few days have been after they booked their place in their first Champions League semi-final since winning the competition back in 2007 in midweek, while also setting up a two-legged Milan Derby in the final four with AC Milan. Trying to carry that momentum back into Serie A hasn’t always proven easy for Simone Inzaghi’s side this term though and a trip to Empoli may cause more problems than it should.

Empoli beat Inter when the two sides met in Milan earlier in the campaign, and the 2020/21 Italian champion lost at home to Monza last time out in domestic action, so the Azzurri’s tails will be up and they’ll know that their visitors have been far from unstoppable this season.

Even at their best, Inter have had vulnerabilities this season. Their progression on Wednesday in the Champions League was just the mask Inzaghi would have wanted for an on-field collapse in the second leg, seeing a comfortable lead turn into a 3-3 draw in the blink of an eye late on at the Meazza. In Serie A, Inter have already lost 11 times this season – an incredible tally for a team that started the campaign with title aspirations.

Much like Jose Mourinho’s Roma this season, Inzaghi’s Inter have had no problems creating chances for their forwards in front of goal. In Edin Dzeko, Romelu Lukaku, Lautaro Martinez and Joaquin Correa, though, they haven’t had any reliable presence in attack to finish as many of the chances as they should.

Inter’s ability to repeatedly find themselves in front of goal should see them at least score in Tuscany, but their problems at the back will give their hosts every chance of believing in doing the double over the Milanese giants.

We are only into the fourth match day in the 2023 Superettan season but this one is already setting up as a really exciting clash between two sides that will be seeking to sustain a serious challenge for automatic promotion to the top-flight this season.

Following relegation last season, GIF Sundsvall would be expecting to return to the top-flight sooner rather than later and they are likely to challenge in the top three this season. The home team, under the management of 27 year-old Douglas Vincent Andre Jakobsen, are, as you can see with the age of their coach, trying something fresh and ambitious this season.

They started the season well with back-to-back to nil victories against Landskrona and AFC Eskilstuna but the underlying data did indicate they were quite reliant on their 20 year-old goalkeeper, Per Gustav Molin. Those underlying concerns were realised in their most recent outing when they were hammered 3-0 at home by a much-improved Ostersund on Tuesday evening.

Last year, Osters missed out on promotion to the top-flight in the end of season Allsvenskan/Superettan relegation/promotion two-legged playoff against Varberg.

This time around, though, still under the management of the impressive Stefan Tufegdzic, the visitors are seeking to go a step further and gain automatic promotion, and they have made an excellent start to the campaign. They come into this on the back of three successive victories, scoring nine goals in the process and conceding just two, both of those coming in a 5-2 win over Trelleborg.

This should be a high-quality game, in relative terms to the level of the Swedish second-tier, with both sides expecting a challenge for promotion. With that in mind, both sides will see an opportunity to deal a blow to a potential rival.

It is top versus bottom in the relegation playoff when AC Horsens take on FC Midtjylland. The hosts are placed right above the relegation line, while the visitors are fighting to finish 7th and earn a playoff match for a chance at European football next season.

After an impressive victory against Silkeborg two weeks ago, AC Horsens suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of Lyngby last weekend. The loss means that Horsens are under pressure to stay above the relegation zone.

They still have a six-point gap, but with just four points in the eight games this spring, they can feel Lyngby breathing down their neck. The home side have struggled at both ends of the pitch, and they have been the worst side in the league this spring. To make things worse, they’ll have to do without striker injured Simon Makienok.

FC Midtjylland are travelling the short distance to Horsens with seven points in their previous three matches since hiring Thomas Thomasberg as new head coach. They didn’t play well in their last outing, a 1-1 draw against AaB, but the late equalizer in a match where they were under heavy pressure should give their confidence a boost.

Midtjylland are the strongest team in the relegation group on paper, and with Thomasberg on the sideline, they have also re-conquered seventh place. They do however only have a one point cushion over OB, meaning they are under pressure to keep adding victories to stay at the top.

Midtjylland are undefeated in their last three matches against Horsens, having won three of them, and they are yet to lose away this season. We expect them to continue their impressive form and pull away with three points.

Number three in the Danish Superliga, Viborg, take on number two, FC Nordsjælland, in this early six-pointer Sunday afternoon.

The home side lost away against FC Copenhagen last weekend, but they remain in third place. With seven games left of the season, Viborg are fighting to win their first set of Superliga medals. They have finished 4th twice previously, but never in the top three. They have however struggled recently with just one victory in their last six Superliga matches. To make things even worse, they lost 2-1 on aggregate in the cup quarterfinal to AaB who currently ranks dead last in the league. For this match, they are without two of their biggest stars in Jakob Bonde and Elias Achouri – both have been among their absolute best players this spring.

Nordsjælland dropped out of first place last week as they only managed a 1-1 draw away against Randers. They are however in fine form with just one defeat in their last six games. The Nordsjælland team remains the strongest in the Superliga offensively, and they are entering this match without any expected injuries or suspensions. With the offensive firepower of players such as Faghir, Nuamah and Diomande they are almost impossible to shut down, and we expect them to inflict a headache on the Viborg defenders.

Nordsjælland are entering this match in great shape, and we expect their fine form to continue. FCN are however better at home than away, so we are playing this slightly cautious and recommend you bet on the Draw No Bet option.

A rehearsal of the Dutch Cup final which will be played next weekend. However, this also has a lot riding on it, with the winners gaining a massive advantage to claiming second place and therefore a spot in next season’s Champions League qualifying rounds.

There will be no Mohammed Kudus again for Ajax, and no Edson Alvarez this time either due to suspension. 17-year-old Jorrel Hato has been starting at left-back, meaning something has to give with Johnny Heitinga having an inexperienced defender and one of his first-choice centre-backs out. Ajax still concede far too many chances in games, and that will be made worse by an out-of-favour defender or two under Heitinga having to deputise. Calvin Bassey or Owen Wijndal could both come in for this one. Their poor form though could be hindered further by a lack of confidence.

Ruud van Nistelrooy has been bullish about his PSV side in media appearances after nine wins from ten. The media have been making out that a defeat here would make his first season a failure, but van Nistelrooy said that without his team’s brilliant recent run, they wouldn’t even be talking about overtaking a great rival they were unable to keep in touch with last season.

PSV still are scoring plenty of goals, which makes them favourites playing at home, too, but they have had rather a lot of fortune on their latest run. There have been some rather narrow away wins, and even Excelsior enjoyed some long spells of success in Eindhoven the other week (even though they lost 4-0 to PSV). If either of these sides does qualify for the Champions League next season, they definitely have work to do in defence to keep the bigger sides out.

Despite being a goal and a man up, Austria Vienna could not see the win over the line in the 339th Vienna derby against cross-city rivals Rapid, which ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

As a result, the Violets remain one point behind the Green & Whites in fifth but are still in with a good chance of reaching Europe and bringing in some much-needed cash to ease their financial woes. Opponents Austria Klagenfurt are four points behind in sixth place, having lost all three of their games in the Championship Round by a combined scoreline of 8-1.

One reason for that meagre goal return is likely to be the departure of forward Markus Pink, the club’s top-scorer with 16 goals, for China at the start of the month. The Carinthians will also be without midfielder Christopher Cvetko, who is still serving a suspension, and right-back Simon Straudi, who has a muscular injury.

Austria Vienna will be without the duo of forward Haris Tabakovic and midfielder Dominik Fitz, who both picked up suspensions in the aforementioned derby. Midfielder Matthias Braunöder is one to watch and has recently been linked with a move across the border to Germany following a string of impressive performances.

Not only are Austria Vienna in better form – they have three draws in the Championship Round to date, while Austria Klagenfurt have three defeats – but they also have the better head-to-head record: the Vienna outfit are unbeaten in six Bundesliga meetings with the Carinthians and have scored at least twice in each of the last three games between the sides.

That – combined with the departure of talismanic striker Pink – makes them favourites in our eyes to claim all three points at home in Favoriten on Sunday.

The Sunday afternoon offering of Premier League football comes from the south coast as Bournemouth take on West Ham. The Cherries have surprised many of us in the last few months and Gary O’Neil has his side clear of the relegation zone as it stands.

An excellent victory was achieved away at Spurs last weekend, winning 3-2 courtesy of a last minute winner from Dango Ouattara. Their opponents played a matter of days ago in the UEFA Conference League, brushing aside the Belgians, Gent. Bearing this in mind, the Cherries will have gained some extra rest in between fixtures and may well benefit from this come Sunday.

First of all I’d like to touch on the home form of Bournemouth throughout the campaign. Overall, they have a record of five wins, four draws and six losses. This equates to a 40% losing rate, however we are still getting on the right side of the value with our selection.

One reason behind this is the fact that the Hammers possess the third worst away record in the league. Just two wins have been gained on the road all season long, posing just a 14.29% win rate in this time. In addition to this, their goal difference stands at -12, as well as finding the back of net on just two occasions in the last five (away matches in PL). Now, these basic stats give us strong reason to believe the home side can win this but the bet does also keep the draw onside too.

Phillip Billing and Dominic Solanke have been two of the stand out players with the Bournemouth ranks. Slightly surprisingly the Danish midfielder is the leading scorer for the club with seven goals, followed by the English striker on five goals. Solanke has been leading the line and has been vital to the success of his team.

In the previous four games, he’s managed exactly one goal contribution per ninety minutes (2G + 2A), pretty impressive numbers! Now, with the Cherries facing a side in a similar position in the table and having home advantage, I feel he can prove to be a handful in this fixture.

West Ham have had a poor season overall by their standards, especially after back to back top 7 finishes in the league. Although, their UEFA Conference League campaign may be papering over a few cracks as they reached the semi-final stages on Thursday night.

It’s back to the Premier League though here and that’s why I’m opposing them. The Hammers have only won once in their last twelve away trips and that’s enough to deter me. In this time, they’ve been beaten eight times and this woeful run could well continue.

The recent run of form for the home side and the poor away record of the visitors gives me an easy decision to take Bournemouth Draw No Bet here! Back this and we’ve every chance of a winner come Sunday evening!

After Nantes were defeated by Auxerre away from home last weekend, head coach Antoine Kombouare pulled no punches. “This is a s**t team,” the former PSG head coach memorably declared. His side have slid alarmingly close to the relegation zone in recent weeks, though they have had to negotiate a series of awkward fixtures, with even that loss last Sunday coming against an opponent that has belatedly found some form.

The alarm bells really will start to ring in Nantes if they fail to beat Troyes this time around. The visitors are perhaps the poorest side in Ligue 1 at present, a fact that was underlined as they were hammered 3-0 against Marseille at the Velodrome last weekend. In truth, it could have been more, while they had to wait until the closing stages to register a shot of any kind.

Indeed, Troyes appear to be on the verge of total collapse, with the players speaking out publicly against the coach and the local media up in arms about City Football Group’s running of the club.

On the field, ESTAC have conceded at least two goals in 12 of their last 15 league matches and against a Nantes side that is capable offensively, it would be no surprise to see that run continue.

To get best value from this game, back Nantes to win in combination with over 1.5 goals in the game. It would have been a winning bet last season, when Nantes overcame ESTAC 2-0 at home in the only meeting between these clubs at Stade de la Beaujoire since the Champagne side won promotion back to Ligue 1.

Djurgården have not had the start to the season they were looking for in order to improve on their second place last time around, instead crashing out of the cup and now taking only 4 points from the first 3 matches. The squad is looking less cohesive with some key players past their peak. Both Magnus Eriksson and Marcus Danielson have struggled physically, while the reinforcements have not yet made the desired impact. The loss of Ekdal and Hien at the back has been highly damaging, with their replacements not yet finding their feet and the team being much worse for it.

After a tepid performance away at Sirius, they then struggled to create much danger against Halmstad, instead seeing the newly promoted side being decisive from set pieces and counter attacks. The build-up play has been a bit too slow and predictable, with the normally dangerous Asoro not having any sort of impact. The only bright spot has been Oliver Berg who has slotted into a sort of false 9 role, but he lacks power up top and DIF have often had to resort to getting to the byline and getting crosses in, to little effect. Nonetheless, this squad is incredibly strong and it’s only a matter of time before they start firing on all cylinders.

IFK Göteborg’s misery carries on, with another defeat last weekend placing them second-bottom, only ahead of Brommapojkarna on goal difference. There is not much to be cheery about in the blue and white side of Gothenburg, with very few signs of progress or improvement. Limiting Malmö FF to only one goal may be seen as a positive, but they created some very dangerous chances and should have scored more while IFK only managed a total of 6 shots. The build-up play isn’t working and the squad is imbalanced, and with a proper manager in place little is likely to change.

Despite both teams struggling defensively recently, there is little doubt that Djurgården should be coming out of this clash victorious with at least a couple of goals scored in the match.

Another failure for KuPS in midweek means it is increasingly likely the side will miss a medal for the first time since 2016. A home defeat to Honka was enough, but the performance was insipid and created little. Only a combination of poor finishing and inexperience kept the score at nil until a substitute came straight off the bench and scored with his first touch.

The swift decline of such a strong team is worrying, while the assistant turned head coach Pasi Tuutti has them well organised but zero creativity. Urho Nissila still didn’t make the bench and the pressure on his eventual return is building every week.

Ilves registered their first win against Inter last weekend, aided heavily by the lack of technology as a clear strike was not given despite bouncing far behind the line. It was the captain Petteri Pennanen with both goals yet again, he’s the only Ilves player to put the ball in the net so far and two of the three were penalties.

Pete was the captain when KuPS won the title in 2019 and will be welcomed back – with some envy and many wishing he was wearing a KuPS jersey. Toni Kallio’s men are often moulded in the style of their combative coach and may struggle against a well-organised side, relying on dead balls.

The KuPS of 2022 would have gone into this match as clear favourites but a year is a long time. Too many more failures will cause a lot of worry in the boardroom, their benefactor might not like where his money is going.

Both teams have some points on the board and this should be an entertaining contest in south west Norway. Bryne won their first game of the season 2-1 vs Kongsvinger but then lost 1-2 away to Ranheim.

They are one of just three teams with a 100% record for over 2.5 goal matches and I expect that to continue here. The home side have proven they can score goals but they also currently have the 6th worst metrics in the division for xGA which doesn’t bode well now facing the favourites for promotion. On loan striker from Eliteserien side Odd Abel William Stensrud has already bagged one goal this season and he could be in for a strong year.

Start drew their first match of the season away to Moss (0-0) although the metrics of that game suggested that there should have been goals at both ends. They followed it up with a 4-0 victory vs Kristiansund although were outgunned 1.65 to 2.28 on xG. There is no doubt that this team have been very lucky to keep consecutive clean sheets and their xGA average is the second worst of any team so far (1.64).

They were dealt a blow last week when striker Jack Lahne suffered a ruptured achilles and his season is over. Start have signed Henrik Skogvold on loan from Lillestrøm and he will definitely get plenty of chances in this team who are billed as favourites to win the OBOS Ligaen.

The visitors are priced at 2.20 to win this game which actually looks generous. An away victory is the most likely outcome, but this feels like a match which should contain plenty of goals.

The last time the two teams met, Start smashed them 6-0 back in August 2022. The current Start metrics suggest they will concede some goals soon, but we know they have plenty of firepower of their own. Over 2.5 goals can be backed at 1.60 and this looks like a strong option.

It has been a real frustration betting on KFUM Oslo games so far this season. I have been on the wrong bet in both weeks, opting for over 2.5 goals when they drew 1-1 and then taking BTTS when they were beaten heavily 0-4 by Raufoss last week.

Sometimes this is the way things go in betting, but it’s clear KFUM matches have the potential for plenty of goals to be scored in them. Last week the xG numbers in their fixture were 1.55 vs 1.86. In other words, they were very unfortunate not to at least score one goal. Moussa Njie is their key attacker, and he missed a few chances last week which cost them.

KFUM Oslo changed their manager this season with the long standing Jorgen Isnes departing to Strømsgodset. There is a general feeling of continuity at the club because assistant manager Johannes Moesgaard has now got the top job. An incredible 26 out of 30 KFUM league matches ended with over 2.5 goals in them last season and both teams scored in 23 of their games.

Ranheim will come here in a confident mood after winning both of their first two games 2-1. They are the only team with a 100% record and attacker Sivert Solli has started the campaign in red hot form with two goals and an assist. They are surprising underdogs here at 2.88 which looks a big price considering the form of both teams.

The sensible option with KFUM matches is to back over 2.5 goals though. I should have taken this bet last week but will not make the same mistake again.

Both teams are capable of contributing here and the excellent form of Ranheim in addition to the vulnerable looking KFUM defence especially makes this bet very appealing. Both meetings last season resulted in the over landing, with Ranheim taking a brace of victories 2-1 and 4-1 to further add weight to this selection.

Both teams are entering this match knowing that they need three points to stay in the hunt for European football next season.

Brøndby broke a three-game losing streak last weekend by beating AGF 1-0 at home. However, it wasn’t like the yellow and blues delivered a convincing performance, and they have to thank higher powers for the victory. AGF was the best side on the pitch in that game and they had multiple big chances but somehow managed to miss them all. Nevertheless, Brøndby were happy to give a debut to central defender Rasmus Lauritsen, who joined them from Dinamo Zagreb in January, and captain Kevin Mensah made his comeback after being sidelined with an injury for 400 days.

Randers have been surprisingly good since promoting Rasmus Bertelsen to new head coach. He remains undefeated and his side has drawn against number one and two, FC Copenhagen and FC Nordsjælland, in the previous two games. Randers are currently sitting three points behind Viborg in third place, and are traveling to Brøndby with the hope and expectation of staying undefeated. For this match, they’ll have Carl Johansson back from suspension while striker Stephen Odey could return to the starting lineup as well.

Both sides have struggled defensively, and we expect an entertaining match. The previous meeting between these two sides finished 3-2 to Brøndby, and Randers have scored in their last seven matches. Our recommendation for this match is both teams to score which is nicely priced at odds of 1.67.

A clash of the titans will see LaLiga’s two best teams in 2023 take on one another at Spotify Camp Nou with what could be a game that serves to all but seal the title for Barcelona should they pick up the three points against Atlético Madrid.

However, that won’t be an easy task. Barcelona were the last side to beat Atleti in LaLiga when they met in the reverse fixture, way back on 8th January, but come into the meeting in a very different vein of form. Currently without a goal in any of their past three matches in all competitions, they were thrashed 4-0 by Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey and have since recorded consecutive 0-0 draws against Girona and Getafe in LaLiga.

That means that the pressure is well and truly on Xavi Hernández as his team run out in Catalonia on Sunday. After blaming the sun and the grass for last weekend’s draw at Getafe, he’s beginning to run out of excuses and that may mean a back to basics approach. With only two goals conceded in 14 home games this season, a shutout will be the priority.

Atlético’s form has been good, yet they have also underperformed according to xG in their last five matches. While they have come up against sides like Girona, Valencia and Almería, Barcelona’s league-leading defence will pose a much sterner test. With no Marcos Llorente available due to suspension in midfield, Diego Simeone will have to switch things up on the right too and could lose what has been a pivotal outlet to his offensive game plan and instead opt for a more conservative option.

Sunday’s action kicks off in the Algarve as Portimonense hosts Gil Vicente. After securing a 1-0 win at Estoril Praia via a 79th-minute goal from Yago Cariello, Portimonense sit five points clear of Estoril Praia, eight clear of Marítimo in the relegation playoff and one behind Gil Vicente.

Apart from a 2-1 win against Marítimo on February 18 a 2-2 draw against Rio Ave on April 8, each of Portimonense’s matches since the start of February have featured under 2.5 goals, with Paulo Sérgio’s side scoring 21 goals and conceding 35, combining for 56 goals. No side has conceded fewer, but the side that comes closest (alongside Casa Pia) is Gil Vicente with 26 goals scored and 33 conceded.

Eight of Gil’s last 10 matches have featured under 2.5 goals, including each of their last four. They have kept two clean sheets this month and conceded just once, but they have not scored since March 12 in a 2-1 loss at Rio Ave. Whilst they were able to remain in last week’s contest until the final whistle – a 1-0 loss to Braga – due to an inspired performance in goal from Andrew Ventura, their attacking threat has taken a serious nosedive in recent weeks.

Five of the last seven league fixtures between these two sides have featured under 2.5 goals, and I’m expecting something similar in Portimão. Fran Navarro sits as the club’s top scorer with 13 goals, nine more than second-placed Murilo, but he has not found the back of the net since February 26.

With the Spaniard struggling for consistency, Gil likely won’t have enough firepower to overwhelm a Portimonense side that boasts goalkeeper Kosuke Nakamura as well as two stellar young defenders in Pedrão and Filipe Relvas. On the other hand, I’m expecting Gil’s strong defensive record to continue in the Algarve, with both teams content with a point that will take them closer to securing their top-flight status for next season.

Paulo Sérgio’s Portimonense are a well-drilled outfit who are known for their keeping their cards close to their chest and soaking up pressure, and they should be able to counteract the threat of a Gil Vicente side that has been struggling for goals in recent weeks.

Nakamura and Ventura are two of the best-performing goalkeepers in the league and have caught the eye as of late with a run of show-stopping saves, and I’m expecting the two to stand out in a match that will pit two misfiring attacks against each other.

Sunday’s duel between Volos and Aris is the most important duel in the remainder of the season for both teams. Sitting fifth in the Greek Super League table, just one point ahead of Volos, Aris are aware that a road win on Sunday could bring them a step closer to clinching the last European spot ahead of next season.

Aris have lost three of their four games in the playoffs and have conceded at least one goal in 11 of their last 12 games across all competitions. In fact, Aris allow in 1.3 goals per away game, boasting the worst away defence of all the top-6 teams. The Thessaloniki-based side have kept just three clean sheets in their last 19 games away from home in 2022/23.

They will travel to Volos without their fans due to an ongoing feud between the club and Volos after an incident between Aris supporters and Volos’ president, Achilleas Beos, a couple of years ago. Beos added fuel to the fire this season by denying to provide Aris fans with tickets at the Panthessaliko Stadium.

In fact, all others teams received tickets for their games in Volos, with Greek giants Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, AEK Athens and PAOK taking thousands of fans to the city. This ongoing feud has resulted to a new rivalry between Aris and Volos, making Sunday’s duel a must-win match for the hosts for this reason too. Volos are aware that a defeat on Sunday will practically end their hopes of playing European football for the first time in history.

They also know that a draw might not be enough either, as they will play away at Aris in a couple of weeks. Averaging 1.2 goals at home this season, Volos will not sit back this time, as they need all three points. They will push forward for a goal that would keep their dream alive and should be expected to score at least once against Aris.

With Feyenoord in Europa League action on Thursday, they won’t be at their sharpest on Sunday. However, domestically, they have been incredible lately. They have won nine in a row in the Eredivisie, and they have only lost once all season.

The reason why I am going for over 2.5 goals here is because this bet would have been successful in 10 of Feyenoord’s last 11 Eredivisie matches; they have been scoring for fun! What’s more, they will have two weeks ‘off’ with the Dutch Cup looming. Mentally, the players can say that once this game is done, they can get their energy back for the final stretch of the season.

As for Utrecht, they beat Twente last Sunday 1-0. Nevertheless, it was a far from convincing victory for the side chasing European qualification next season through the end of season play-offs. Twente had three goals chalked off by VAR. Whilst the visitors will carry some threat on the counter attack, particularly with Eredivisie top goal-scorer Anastasios Douvikas in their ranks, Feyenoord will simply score more.

Once the floodgates have opened, later into the second half, Arne Slot will ring the changes and the fresh legs will be out to make De Kuip roar again and again in what has been a season getting better and better for Feyenoord.

For almost a decade, Salzburg winning the Austrian Bundesliga has been more or less a procession: the Red Bulls have won the last nine titles, which is the third-longest ongoing title-winning streak in Europe behind Ludogorets (Bulgaria) and Bayern Munich (Germany).

But now there is finally a challenger on the scene who is making them work for it: Sturm Graz have been consistently grinding out results this season and go into this crunch clash only two points behind their rivals. Could we finally have a title race that goes to the wire this season?

With forward Jakob Jantscher the only injury absentee, Sturm Graz boss Christian Ilzer has more or less a full squad at his disposal for this top-of-the-table clash – and is expected to field a full-strength side, despite next weekend’s Austrian Cup final against Rapid Vienna in Klagenfurt.

Salzburg, meanwhile, have a number of key players who are unavailable for the trip to Styria: forward Fernando and midfielder Luka Sucic have been out since March with thigh and knee problems respectively, while centre-back Jerome Onguéné, midfielder Maurits Kjaergaard and striker Noah Okafor have picked up injuries this month too.

Sturm Graz are unbeaten in three Bundesliga games against Salzburg and have won the last two meetings between the two teams on home turf. But the perennial champions are undefeated in their last 23 Bundesliga games (W17 D6) and always seem to turn on the afterburners at this stage of the season, making it an incredibly close one to call.

Instead, we think that banking on more than 2.5 goals scored is the safest bet. That has been the case in 11 of the last 13 matches between Sturm Graz and Salzburg in Austria’s top flight.

After two rounds of Eliteserien action there is only one team who have yet to pick up any points and that is Aalesund. They have lost both fixtures 0-1 vs Vålerenga and Strømsgodset respectively. AFK are odds-on to lose again facing a resurgent Bodø/Glimt outfit who have looked imperious so far this season. The big concern for Aalesund heading into this year was their potential lack of goals. The signing of Isaac Atanga from FC Cincinnati was the big hope, but he has yet to find his feet. With Lars Arne Nilsen in charge this will always be quite a solid team, but they do lack offensive firepower compared to most of the division.

Bodø/Glimt are priced at 1.40 to prevail and it would be a surprise if they didn’t make it 3 out of 3 wins. So far, they have been in cruise control, easily beating Sarpsborg 2-0 and Stabaek 4-0. They average the most xG per game of any team in the league so far (2.32) and possess so much quality in all areas of the field. Key man Amahl Pellegrino made his starting return last week and scored a fantastic hattrick, including two absolute golazo strikes which were unsavable. They have a few players slightly doubtful with some small niggling injuries, but the overall depth is so vast that they can easily cope.

There is a very good chance that Bodø/Glimt will win this match to nil such is Aalesund’s toothless attack right now. For those preferring a safer option then Glimt at 1.40 to win is fine, but we can add some extra value by taking the visitors to win & over 1.5 goals at 1.62. They really should be good enough to score at least twice here and obtain a regulation victory vs a struggling team.

The home team only have one point on the board and have yet to score a goal this season but there have been some encouraging signs. In the opening round they drew 0-0 at home to Odd but had an xG of over 2 in that fixture. Just some poor finishing and good keeping denied them that day.

Last week they went down 0-4 vs Bodø/Glimt, but they can’t be judged too harshly on that result facing such a good side away from home. Even in that game Stabaek had some moments where they looked threatening. New signing upfront Kasper Waarts Hogh looks like an interesting addition who might get on the scoresheet soon.

Haugesund beat Ham Kam 3-2 last week after losing 0-3 away to Brann in their first game. It is expected to be a struggling year for Haugesund and already they have the second worst average xGA of any team in the league (1.79). It was important for them to get the victory last week but most of their success came from set piece situations. You can only beat what is put in front of you, but Ham Kam are also expected to have a poor campaign. They were totally outplayed by Brann in their first away game of the year. This won’t be such a difficult test, but it was concerning how easily they were cut apart defensively.

Remarkably, after two matches Haugesund are the only team to have both fixtures end with over 2.5 goals. This is more likely to be an under game though due to the poor nature of the pitch at the Nadderud Stadion. The grass looked in bad condition a couple of weeks ago. It should have improved slightly but it won’t promote good football.

I think there’s a good chance Stabaek get their first win of the season. They will be determined to get 3 points on the board and odds of 2.10 look a decent value shot. In Isak Pettersson, Stabaek have an excellent goalkeeper and they can probably shut out a poor Haugesund attack. One goal might be enough to prevail.

However, for those looking for the safer option, like myself, I would recommend backing the Draw No Bet instead at 1.50.

Five of the last six meetings between Rennes and Montpellier have produced more than 2.5 goals, and that run should continue at Stade de la Mosson on Sunday, where two teams more adept at attacking than defending will face each other.

Montpellier come into this match off the back of successive 2-1 losses against Toulouse and Lille, and they will have the luxury of being able to come into this game with some degree of freedom given that a recent three-match winning streak has effectively ended any prospect of them being relegated. They boast plenty of capable attacking players, including Elye Wahi, and while there are doubts over the fitness of chief playmaker Teji Savanier, they will carry an attacking menace.

Rennes, on the other hand, are seeking to get back to their best after an erratic recent spell of form in which they have not looked themselves. However, last weekend’s 3-0 win over Reims, in which Jeremy Doku starred, did hint that they may be coming back to something like their best.

While Rennes will always carry an attacking threat, though, their defence remains vulnerable. Their last away trip saw them defeated 3-1 at Lyon and there is undoubtedly a sense that they are vulnerable when attacked. Nevertheless, they should approach this match with a positive manner given that European football next season is still a very realistic aim.

Backing Rennes to win with over 2.5 goals would have been a winner in four of the last six between these clubs, and while attractive at 3.6, simply backing goals in this game looks a shrewder option given the Bretons’ poor road record this season.

Just seven points separate Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig and Sunday’s meeting could have a huge say in which of the two clubs qualify for next season’s Champions League. Leverkusen have come on leaps and bounds under Xabi Alonso and are unbeaten in their last 12 games across all competitions and after an earlier blip, Leipzig are back to winning ways with three consecutive wins in all competitions.

After being out since early March, Christopher Nkunku returned for RB Leipzig last weekend and with 15 goal contributions (12 goals, 3 assists) in 19 Bundesliga games this season, will be an asset for their attack. It’s unclear as to whether the Frenchman is fit enough to start, but he’s certainly an option from the bench.

Timo Werner has also impressed of late in a central role in the absence of Andre Silva. He’s scored three and created one in RB Leipzig’s last three games in all competitions. Alongside Dani Olmo and Dominik Szoboszlai, Marco Rose has plentiful options in attack to keep things interesting.

As for Bayer Leverkusen, Florian Wirtz found himself on the bench against Wolfsburg. After a long period out following an ACL picked up last March, it’s careful that Alonso and his staff monitor the workload of the 19-year-old, and that’s what they did against Wolfsburg. Leverkusen look far better when Wirtz is playing and with four goal contributions (2 goals, 2 assists) in last five games in all competitions, Wirtz is key to Bayer Leverkusen’s attack alongside Moussa Diaby and an improving Amine Adli and Adam Hlozek.

Bayer Leverkusen have been scoring freely of late with at least two goals in six of their last seven home games across all competitions. But they’ve also conceded in each of their last three home games. Against Werner and Co., expect Edmond Tapsoba and Piero Hincapie to be in for a busy afternoon as RB Leipzig look to exploit space left in the wide area.

As for Leipzig, they’ve scored in eight of their last 10 Bundesliga away games and will look to further that when they travel to Leverkusen on Sunday. Both teams are scoring and expect this to be an intense game with chances at both ends and Over 2.5 Goals landing.

Aberdeen have belatedly found form to secure their place in the top six of the Premiership, and under Barry Robson the Dons have suddenly got their eyes fixed on European football. Those aspirations would take a huge boost if they were able to take anything from Rangers at Pittodrie on Sunday. The ground is close to a sell out and the atmosphere promises to be electric.

This should also be a highly entertaining game between two clubs that love to attack but are not so sound defensively. Aberdeen have scored 72% of their league goals at home this season, averaging over two per game, while they have won their last four home matches.

While Robson has done what Jim Goodwin infamously referred to as ‘the easy bit’ by sorting out Aberdeen’s defence, they will do well to withstand the power of Rangers’ attack. Michael Beale’s side have been formidable offensively in recent weeks and have scored at least two goals in each of their last 14 Premiership matches.

Where Rangers have not been so strong, however, is at the back. They have only kept one clean sheet in their last six league matches, which was a home fixture against second-from-bottom Dundee United.

Look for both teams to score in this match, continuing a run of six encounters between these clubs in which each has found the net. Backing Over 2.5 goals is another possibility worth exploring, though Aberdeen’s tight defensive work in recent weeks makes that riskier.

Sirius’ season has started off slowly and quite steadily, being resilient but toothless to record three draws in three. All matches played so far have been closely contested and Sirius are giving a good account of themselves without being able to take their chances. Against Djurgården in round 2 they were certainly the better team and played against 10 men for much of the second half without breaking the deadlock.

Striker Christian Kouakou, who has proven his worth to the team over the last few years as a reliable goalscorer, has been sorely missed. His return is imminent, and needed too, with replacements Persson and Kaastrup not stepping up to the plate. Elsewhere on the pitch, Sirius are flourishing – controlling matches and possession well, not giving up too many chances, and creating quite a bit themselves. The final touches are needed but signs are encouraging.

BK Häcken, who looked imperious in their first two matches, stumbled badly in their third, stepping the landmine of Kalmar and being defeated 3-1. The scoreline was by no means merited, with Häcken dominating much of the match, but Kalmar were incredibly clinical on the counter and got two goals early on. The gameplan worked, although this was largely due to individual mistakes and poor finishing. Had Rygaard scored his 27th minute penalty things may have ended differently, but instead Häcken only scored one goal from 3.0 xG.

Häcken did look a bit fragile defensively, and Sirius are particularly strong at home, rarely failing to score. Meanwhile, their attack remains one of the best in the league, and thus we can expect goals in both directions in this game.

HJK have had a perfect start to the season, three wins from three matches, not conceding any. Two fixtures against a toothless VPS have helped, putting four past them on Wednesday night. Despite a heavy injury list, the team were ruthless with Bojan Radulovic grabbing a brace.

The club announced a record profit in the week of 2.5m Euros and yet it still seems like a striker with a genuine European pedigree will be needed to take them further. New signing Tuomas Ollila continued his stellar rise, a recent Finland debut and now a first HJK goal – the left back is quite the finisher. But against this weekend’s opponents, he will need to remember his basics.

Oulu showed last week how far they are from challenging, going two down against Haka before Ashley Coffey stepped up to level late on. Experienced Karjalainen and Jokelainen were only fit to come off the bench but made a huge difference, joining the exciting Otto Liimatta.

But the squad is not especially deep and it won’t take many more knocks to see a return to the bottom half. The first half performance of new recruit Maximus Tainio was a worry, failing to show up against his dad Teemu’s team and after being relegated with HIFK, he needs to improve and fast.

The corresponding fixture last season was a shock 0-1 win to the visitors. It’s unlikely to strike twice but expect goals.