ABC Tips

Rangers have won each of their last four matches in the SPFL, most recently coming away 6-3 winners over Falkirk which is a result that has moved them to within one point of the league leaders in Hearts. This weekend looks particularly significant for the three sides in the title race as Hearts travel to take on Hibs - a side that will be desperate to stop them getting close to the title as their main rivals.

Motherwell will also be an awkward task for Rangers, they’ve been the best side outside of the three vying for the main title and managed to claim a point against Danny Rohl’s side when they last met. However, Rangers have won 11 of their 17 home games this term, losing just one of these matches and will have to win games like this if they want to catch Hearts in the title race. Rangers play just before Hearts on Sunday too, so there isn’t a better opportunity to put direct pressure on the league leaders.

Motherwell have lost four of their last five matches in the SPFL, including losing to both Celtic and Hearts by the same scoreline (3-1). I’d put this recent form down to a bit of complacency, as Motherwell don’t have too much to fight for, but it also shows how there is a massive jump up in quality between the rest of the SPFL and the three sides going for the title.

Inter can move 12 points clear at the summit of Serie A with all three points here following Napoli’s demolition of Cremonense yesterday evening. Inter have comfortably been the best side in the division this term, but have let the commanding lead they had just a few weeks ago be whittled down to nine points, though Inter do still have this game in hand to restore a decent lead at the top of the table.

Inter boast the best away record in Serie A this season having won 12 of their 16 matches on the road, notably only conceding 14 goals across these games. Only Napoli (11) and Lazio (12) have conceded fewer goals on their travels in the Italian top flight this term than Inter. The away side also beat Torino 2-1 in the most recent head to head meeting between the sides, marking Inter’s eighth straight victory over Torino in the head to head record. 

Torino have only won four of their 17 away matches in Serie A this campaign. It’s hard to see how they live with the scoring power of Inter, who have scored 31 goals on their travels, seeing as Torino have only scored 16 goals at home this season - suggesting that the home side regularly struggle to produce enough firepower to live with the elite sides in the division.

Stuttgart covered this line on their own when these sides met earlier in the season, coming away 4-0 winners as Werder Bremen were reduced to 10 men in the second half. That clash marked the fourth consecutive head to head meeting between the sides that has produced 3+ goals, with Stuttgart notably failing to win any of the previous three clashes prior to their thrashing of Bremen.

Stuttgart have seen 3+ goals in four of their last five matches across all competitions, most recently coming away 2-1 winners over an in-form Freiburg side at home. They’ve been really strong at home this season, winning 11 of their 15 matches and scoring 26 goals in the process (1.73 per game). Werder Bremen’s 15 away games in the Bundesliga this season have produced 44 goals (2.93 per game), with the away side notably only managing to win three of these games. 

Only Manchester United, West Ham and the two relegated sides in Wolves and Burnley have kept fewer clean sheets than Leeds (7) in the Premier League this season. BTTS has landed in both of the league meetings between the sides this season, and this should be quite an even semi final with Chelsea’s poor form levelling things when combined with Leeds’ recent upturn in momentum.

Chelsea only managed to keep four clean sheets across their 23 matches under Liam Rosenior before he got sacked, with these clean sheets coming quite cheaply too against the likes of Port Vale, Hull, Pafos and Brentford. Chelsea conceded 2+ goals in 11 of Rosenior’s matches, so it’s fair to suggest that Chelsea’s backline will be weak here as they continue to be without key players at the back such as Reece James and Levi Colwill.

Leeds managed to register an xG of 1.44 from just four shots when they visited Stamford Bridge a few months ago, showing how you don’t need loads of chances against this Chelsea side to hurt them. They also dominated Chelsea in the meeting between the sides at Elland Road, which finished 3-1 to Daniel Farke’s side, where they managed to register an xG of 2.79 from 17 shots despite only having 29% of the ball.