In the five games since KuPS replaced Pasi Tuutti with Joni Honkavaara, he has won all five games and conceded only one goal. It may or may not be a coincidence that these five games have all featured returning hero Urho Nissila who has been electric and inspirational. The 0-1 win at Honka saw Upi at his best, driving and dictating play, scoring the winner early in the second half before Johannes Kreidl saved a penalty to secure the three points. There is still a gaping chasm up front where a quality centre forward will ease the burden, while Jasse Tuominen is playing well, he only has one goal to his name. KuPS are back in the early title chase and will see this as a very winnable match – but cannot rely on Nissila extending his contract beyond July.

Lahti needed a last-minute winner to edge past fourth-division opposition in the cup in midweek, hardly ideal preparation to play the form team in Finland. An uneventful goalless draw against KTP last weekend saw a penalty miss from Zeqiri (the saviour on Wednesday) and very little else. Last year’s inadequate side did show flickers of attacking progress in pre-season, but nothing has materialised and the return of Matheus Alves has yielded nothing. A side with three goals in five league matches and little attacking nous is unlikely to trouble a strong KuPS defence and even if they do, the defence looks too shaky to keep a clean sheet.

This should be a comfortable win for KuPS in current form and keep Lahti rooted in the bottom half.

Girona vs Villarreal should be a lot of fun, with both teams currently in the European positions and looking to stay there and with both teams scoring and conceding a lot of goals. Last weekend was the perfect example of this, as Girona drew 2-2 at Real Sociedad and Villarreal won 5-1 at home to Athletic Club.

Given that Girona are the fourth-top scorers in La Liga but also the team with the seventh-worst defensive record, their matches produce a lot of goals. This season, their games have averaged 3.00 total goals, with only Almería’s games generating more.

While Villarreal’s season average is a little lower, at 2.56 total goals per Villarreal match, that includes the Unai Emery start to the season. Looking at just the past eight matchdays, each Villarreal game has had 3.88 goals on average, the second-highest number in that time behind only Real Valladolid.

With both sides seeking victories as they pursue their objectives and with both sides having some significant defensive absences for this one, such as the suspended defensive midfielder Oriol Romeu for Girona or the injured centre-back Raúl Albiol for Villarreal, this could be quite the goal fest.

Both sides have started the 2023 Superettan season well but they come into this on the back of very different performances and results. Following promotion last season, GAIS have been extremely impressive in the Swedish second tier so far. They begin this weekend’s round of fixtures sitting at the top-of-the-table with five victories and a draw in their opening seven matches, scoring 13 goals in that time, too.

The home team come into this on the back of a 2-1 win against Osters, who are widely viewed as one of GAIS’ likely fellow automatic promotion contenders. Their only defeat came against a Helsingborg side who, just relegated, were desperate for a reaction in Stuart Baxter’s first home game in charge after what had been a shocking start to the campaign – and GAIS had been the better side in that game, too.

Under the management of Andres Garcia, who was appointed in January, Jonkopings Sodra has started the 2023 Superettan season very well. Their impressive underlying data suggested that, despite beginning the campaign unbeaten in their opening six matches, they were underperforming, and results would improve.

However, the visitors come into this on the back of a surprise 3-2 defeat at home to AFC Eskilstuna in a game in which they had led and then thought they had rescued a point in second-half stoppage-time so that may well sting. A consistent theme of their season so far, though, is entertainment with their seven games consisting of 27 goals.

Not only are GAIS top-of-the-table but this is backed up by their impressive underlying data as they sit at the top of the expected goals/expected goals against table, too. Given that, as well as their home advantage, J-Sodra faces a seriously tough test in this one.

Werder Bremen have virtually secured their Bundesliga status with two games remaining. The Weser club need just one point, but their goal difference vs Schalke’s favours Ole Werner’s side. On Saturday they host a Cologne side that will also be playing Bundesliga football last season while both teams have been heavily involved in the goals this season.

Only three teams have conceded more than Werder Bremen (62) this season and all three are in a relegation battle. They do though boast one of the best attacks in the Bundesliga. Bremen fans will be joyous at seeing Niclas Fullkrug, who has missed the last five games with a calf injury, return to team training. Whether he starts against Cologne remains to be seen, but it’s a huge boost.

Fullkrug is the highest scorer in the Bundesliga this season with 16 goals in 26 games while providing 5 assists. He alongside Marvin Ducksch, who has 12 goals and 6 assists in 32 Bundesliga games, makes the deadliest duo in the Bundesliga this season. Clinical at taking their chances, only five teams have a better chance of conversion than Bremen (27%) this season – in contrast, Bayern Munich have only converted 28% of their chances.

As for Cologne, they too have been involved in the goals this season. The reverse fixture resulted in a 7-1 win for Saturday’s visitors and Bremen will be looking to get their revenge. Cologne are coming into this game following a 5-2 win against Hertha Berlin with Davie Selke again finding the net. With no goal in his first 8 games for Cologne after joining on a free transfer in January, Selke has now scored 4 in his last 4 Bundesliga games and is starting to establish himself at the club.

Cologne have scored 14 goals in their last 6 Bundesliga games but have kept just 2 clean sheets in their last 12 games. They’ve struggled defensively in wide areas and as Bremen like to attack the wide areas, failure to stop the crosses from Leonardo Bittencourt and Mitchell Weiser – to former Cologne players – could prove problematic.

As previously alluded to, both teams have been involved in the goals at both ends of the pitch and although little to play for this season with two games remaining, expect this game to see action at both ends. Bremen have scored in their last 11 games and Both Teams to Score offers excellent value.

It’s a must-win for Manchester United this weekend as they push towards securing a top 4 spot. They’ll head to the south coast to face Bournemouth who could be seen as now being ‘on the beach’. The Cherries’ Premier League status is confirmed for another season and Gary O’Neil may rotate to catch a glimpse of a few fringe players. With this in mind, it’s a 5-star selection and a United win that’s the order of the day.

The Red Devils haven’t been the best away from home this season but that’s been predominantly been against the top 10 clubs. Now facing a side in the bottom half with not much to play for, I’m expecting United to dominate. Marcus Rashford has been the shining star for United this season having fired in 16 goals in total. That’s a goal every 172 minutes which equates to over 1 goal scored every 2 games. He’s expected to return to the lineup having picked up a recent knock.

Antony is one who is ready to go from the off though and he’s looked particularly potent in attack. The Brazilian has done all but score in recent weeks having racked up 0.8, 0.2 and 0.5 xG in the last 3. His shot numbers read 6,4 and 3, an average of 4.33 shots per game., therefore, he could well be the one to unlock the door in attack against the Cherries. One other player to mention is Alejandro Garnacho, last weekend saw the return of the Argentinian from injury. The young starlet hit the onion bag from the bench in that one and is another who may feature in the attack. With Newcastle picking up a win on Thursday night and Liverpool breathing down their neck, United will be all guns blazing in this fixture. It’s an absolute must-win and this has to be seen as a favourable fixture.

Bournemouth have the luxury of mixing things up in this game as they sit in 14^th position in the table and are safe. One thing to bear in mind though is just how poor they’ve been in defence. They have the second-worst defensive record in the league. Their goal difference ranks at -32, as well as conceding an eye-opening 69 goals. That’s an average of 1.92 GpG being leaked, a sobering thought for the home side. With so much on the line for the visitors, an away win must be the play here, so back a United win and there’s every chance of another winner.

Following last weekend’s derby loss to Rangers, expect Celtic to bring a reaction against a St Mirren side that has lost its way in recent weeks.

Ange Postecoglou’s side must offer a reaction in this game. Not only were Celtic beaten last weekend, but they were also comprehensively outplayed by their rivals, and even if it means little in the complexion of their season, it is a result and performance that has wounded their pride. The Hoops, after all, have been so dominant in Scotland this season, dropping points on only three occasions. At home, they have been particularly powerful, winning 16 of 17 matches and generating a positive goal difference of 39 in this time.

Although they have won only one of their last four by more than a single goal, they should be strongly fancied to record a straightforward win in this game. St Mirren have enjoyed a remarkable season but have gone off the boil lately, failing to win any of their last four. Last weekend, they played out a 2-2 draw against Hearts. It is uncharacteristic for them to concede more than once at home and is the fourth time in succession that they have conceded at least two goals.

On top of that, their home record has been what has sustained their charge to the top six this term. On the road, they have won only three of 16 and have lost their three away trips to Rangers and Celtic this season by at least three goals on each occasion. That trend is likely to continue.

Kilmarnock will see Saturday’s home fixture against St Johnstone as an opportunity to take another step closer to Premiership survival.

The Rugby Park side might be third from the bottom in the table, but their home record is very commendable indeed. From 16 home matches this season, they have suffered only four defeats, three of which have come against either Rangers or Celtic. They have not lost to a team in the bottom five of the standings at home all season and last weekend overcame Livingston 2-0 in front of their home supporters.

St Johnstone, meanwhile, are making their third trip to Ayrshire of the season. They have suffered one defeat and earned a 1-1 draw on their last visit. Although they sacked Callum Davidson, there has been little uptick in their form. Overall, they have won only one of their last nine games, the last three of which have been at home.

While the hosts should be able to name a strong starting XI, there are several significant doubts in the Perth side’s ranks, particularly in midfield, where Melker Hallberg and David Wotherspoon are especially notable doubts and Murray Davidson is missing.

Saints are stronger away from home, but Killie’s Rugby Park record should mean that they are the side favoured to win this match. Backing them on a draw-no-bet basis looks like a strong bet given their tendency to at least avoid defeat at home.

With seven games gone in the 2023 Superettan season, both sides have endured difficult starts to the season as they languish down at the bottom end of the table.

It has been a horror start for Skovde so far, under the management of former Sweden international midfielder Tobias Linderoth, who is in his third season in charge of the club. The hosts sit rock-bottom of the 2023 Superettan season, having collected just two points in their opening seven matches.

They come into this on the back of a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Gefle, meaning they have now conceded 14 goals so far this season, which is the most in the league. They will also now be without key young midfielder, Oscar Nils Lennerskog, who was sent off in that 4-1 defeat. After narrowly missing out on a top-three finish last season, Linderoth will have time to turn things around, but things are getting quite nervy for the former Everton man.

Trelleborg began the 2023 campaign with back-to-back defeats against Gefle and Osters before a much-needed 2-0 win at home to OIS. Following that win, though, they suffered three successive defeats and languished in the bottom two. However, the visitors did earn a reprieve from their poor form last weekend when they edged past unbeaten Ostersund by a goal to nil.

The away team have conceded 13 goals in their seven games so far and will be forced to tighten up at the back if they are to replicate anything that they did last season when they narrowly missed out on the top three and the Allsvenskan/Superettan relegation/promotion playoff.

Despite Skovde’s higher expectations than their performances so far this season, a turnaround in their fortunes seems unlikely to immediately occur as they face off against a Trelleborg side that has shown signs of improvement.

One fixture that is unlikely to produce a lot of goals is Athletic Club vs Celta Vigo. These are two teams that are on a poor run of form, with two defeats and a draw from Athletic’s past three and three consecutive defeats for Celta.

Neither team is scoring a lot right now, with Celta having netted just two goals across their past six matches as the goals of Iago Aspas and co. have dried up. Athletic aren’t doing much better, with just two goals scored across their past four fixtures.

While both sides have been leaking a few goals at the back, neither one has been awful defensively apart from the 5-1 defeat Athletic suffered at Villarreal last weekend when they had significant absences at centre-back. Dani Vivian returns from a suspension this weekend, so that should help the Basques on the defensive end. Similarly, Celta welcomes back starting defenders Joseph Aidoo and Javi Galán from suspension as they aim to bounce back from their 2-1 loss to Valencia.

Over the past six matchdays, only 33% of Athletic’s games have finished with over 2.5 goals while only 33% of Celta’s games have finished with over 2.5 goals. Looking at the season as a whole, this has been a long-term trend at San Mamés, which is the stadium that has witnessed the second-fewest goals in La Liga as Athletic’s home matches have averaged just 1.94 total goals this term. This Saturday’s game in Bilbao should be yet another low-scoring affair.

We have just two matchdays remaining in the Primeira Liga season, and there’s still plenty of questions that have yet to be answered as we approach the penultimate round of fixtures. Benfica are inches away from claiming their first league title in four years, Braga are closing in on a Champions League return after 11 years, whilst three teams have yet to secure their top-flight status: Marítimo (23 points), Paços de Ferreira (20) and Santa Clara (19).

Marítimo can guarantee Santa Clara’s relegation and put an end to the Azorean club’s five-year spell in the top-flight with a win at home against Vizela on Friday, but Santa Clara will nevertheless be looking to close out the season on a strong note as they host Portimonense in what could be the final Primeira match at the Estádio de São Miguel for quite some time, before travelling to Benfica. They need to hope that Vizela and Estoril Praia take care of business against Marítimo and hope that Rio Ave and Braga do the same against Paços de Ferreira, as they look to seal a 16th-placed finish and a spot in the relegation playoff.

After returning from the World Cup with one point in five matches, Santa Clara opened February with a 2-2 draw to Boavista before suffering nine consecutive defeats, culminating in a 2-1 loss at Porto. They would bounce back with a 1-1 draw against Chaves before losing 3-0 to Estoril and beating Gil Vicente 3-2 – their first win since November – only to fall to a 5-3 defeat to Braga in the following match. I’m expecting Santa Clara to come out with a desperate, attack-minded approach as they look to cling to their Primeira status – at this point, anything less than a win is not good enough for the Azorean club.

As for Portimonense, they suffered eight defeats in 10 before bouncing back with a 2-2 draw to Rio Ave and 1-0 wins against Estoril Praia and Gil Vicente to secure their top-flight status, with the Algarvians proceeding to lose 4-1 at Braga and snatch a last-gasp draw against Casa Pia before being obliterated 5-1 to Benfica. They are headed for a comfortable midtable finish under Paulo Sérgio, and they’ll be looking to take advantage of Santa Clara’s attacking approach and hit on the counter. They have the firepower to exploit a defence that has conceded 55 goals in 32 matches, but Santa Clara have found the back of the net in four of their last five and have shown that they aren’t willing to go out without a fight. Eight of the last 10 matches between these two sides have seen both teams find the back of the net – I’m expecting the same in Ponta Delgada.

Two sides who have secured their berth in the Bundesliga next season will face off on Saturday with the fight for a back-door into Europe very much still on. Minnows Hartberg were delighted to guarantee survival last weekend, and after a tremendous run of six games without defeat (3 wins, 3 draws) they have every reason to be looking up the group table to WAC who are just one point ahead in second place.

Markus Schopp has got the hosts playing good football once again, and in Ruben Providence, Dominik Prokop and Donis Avdijaj there are some quality players finding form. In this celebratory home game, they should play without fear against a Wolfsberger side who they recently drew 2-2 against on the road. WAC for their part have also put together a five-game unbeaten run (2 wins, 3 draws), and the attacking trio of Tai Baribo, Maurice Malone and Thierno Ballo has begun to click in the bottom six group, so we foresee another end-to-end match with both teams getting on the board.