Real Madrid in must-win home fixture against Osasuna
Real Madrid face a must-win home fixture against Osasuna on Saturday afternoon, with the reigning Spanish and European champions looking to bounce back from successive losses at Bernabeu to Barcelona and AC Milan.
Los Blancos are second in the La Liga table, nine points behind leaders Barcelona, who have played a game more and they will be welcoming an Osasuna outfit that are up in fifth, boasting 21 points from their first 12 matches of the campaign.
Barely five months have passed since Real Madrid won the Champions League to add to their La Liga title for the 2023-24 campaign, but due to the immense demands at Bernabeu, Carlo Ancelotti‘s position as head coach is being called into question.
Any loss for Los Blancos is damaging, but the capital giants were thumped 4-0 at home by Barcelona in La Liga on October 26, before suffering a 3-1 defeat at Bernabeu to AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Simply put, Real Madrid have to win this weekend, as another poor result ahead of the November international break would put the club into full-blown crisis mode.
Osasuna will fancy their chances of picking up a positive result against an out-of-form Real Madrid, and we would not be surprised if it was a draw in the Spanish capital on Saturday.
Los Blancos will do enough to secure a vital three points ahead of the November international break.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Man City travel away to face high-flying Brighton
Seeking to avoid losing four games in a row for the first time under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City travel to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
The Seagulls are also bidding to return to winning ways after suffering defeat in their last two games against Liverpool in the EFL Cup and Premier League.
For the first time since April 2018, Man City have lost three consecutive games in a row and the club are in a “dark place” according to Bernardo Silva. His manager Pep Guardiola disagrees, but the Citizens are nevertheless reeling from a disappointing week across three different competitions.
Guardiola has insisted that he is here for the ‘tough challenge’ at Man City, who will be keen to stop the rot and enter the international break on a high by beating Brighton this weekend.
Man City can ill-afford to slip further behind leaders Liverpool, or allow Arsenal to close the gap to the summit, but Guardiola’s jaded squad is not performing at its best at present and they may be forced to share the spoils with the Seagulls on this occasion.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Liverpool, Aston Villa in battle of titans
A Liverpool side still proudly flaunting their 100% Champions League record meet an Aston Villa side who lost their perfect European tally in bizarre circumstances in Saturday’s Premier League showdown.
While Arne Slot‘s side dismantled Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 in midweek, the Lions were stunned 1-0 by Club Brugge, who triumphed thanks to one of the most farcical penalties in recent memory.
Leading the way continentally and domestically, Liverpool capitalised on Arsenal and Manchester City’s mishaps in Premier League gameweek 10.
Brugge aside, Villa almost always ask questions of the opposition backline and may have some joy in the final third against Liverpool, who had to survive a couple of scares for their midweek clean sheet.
However, Slot’s side have been running defences ragged at Anfield for weeks and will also be working with an extra day’s rest – not to mention playing at home rather than away in midweek – so the Reds should sit comfortably on their throne during the international break.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Juventus and Torino in Turin derby
Aiming to continue their long dominance of the Turin derby, Serie A giants Juventus will host city rivals Torino on Saturday evening.
After a midweek draw in Europe, Juve now seek a 19th straight game without defeat to their neighbours, which would extend a record run in the Derby della Mole.
Juventus fought back to earn a Champions League draw in Lille on Tuesday night, as Dusan Vlahovic scored his 50th goal for the club by converting a penalty after Francisco Conceicao tumbled to the turf.
Despite coming away with just one point, Juve are within two of the top eight midway through the competition’s new league phase, which keeps them in the mix for automatic entry to the last 16.
However, the Bianconeri only occupy sixth place in the Serie A standings, having lost a little momentum of late.
Thiago Motta‘s men trailed by two in a frantic Derby d’Italia before drawing 4-4 with Inter Milan late last month; then, they twice came from behind to salvage a point against promoted Parma.
Juventus have conceded the fewest shots in total (93) and on target (27) in Serie A thus far, while Torino have conceded the most overall (188).
That points to a comfortable home win for derby dominators Juve, who must surely keep another clean sheet against Toro’s ailing attack.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Premier League
Saturday 9th November
Sunday 10th November
Manchester United 14:00 Leicester City
Nottingham Forest 14:00 Newcastle United
Tottenham Hotspur 14:00 Ipswich Town
Chelsea 16:30Arsenal
Spanish La Liga
Friday 8th November
Saturday 9th November
Sunday 10th November
Real Betis 13:00 Celta Vigo
Mallorca 15:15 Atlético Madrid
Getafe 17:30 Girona
Real Valladolid17:30 Athletic Club
Real Sociedad 20:00 Barcelona
Italian Seria A
Friday 8th November
Saturday 9th November
Sunday 10th November
Atalanta 11:30 Udinese
Fiorentina 14:00 Hellas Verona
Roma 14:00 Bologna
Monza 17:00 Lazio
Inter Milan 19:45 Napoli
