WhoScored Tipster: Serie A Steals Limelight in this Weekend's Top Tips
Old stories, ancient rivalries, new traditions and teams in crisis are all in focus in a thrilling weekend, with some top matches in Serie A in particular, where the calendar gives us three chances to appreciate football drama at its best. Meanwhile the Premier League hosts one of the absolute top managerial clashes that modern football can offer, which could eventually result in an unexpected epilogue of the most intense love story at Stamford Bridge.
INTER vs ROMA - Draw First Half @2.25
It’s a direct encounter between first and second - despite there being four teams tied on points behind Roma, with Inter the least favoured among them. Mancini still can't inspire any creativity from his players, but their solidity has been commendable in all but one game (though this time around Felipe Melo will be suspended). Meanwhile Garcia boasts the best attack and is now finding some continuity, which has always been the main issue for the Giallorossi.
Inter won't control the game, or be the team keeping the ball, as they don't know what to do with it. Therefore Roma will be compelled to behave in the most dangerous way to their own hopes when they play away: holding possession, dictating the pace, but leaving space behind and exposing them to Inter’s counter attacks; the only weapon the Nerazzurri have proven to possess so far.
Icardi has been pretty lethal: only 3 goals, but just 5 shots on target, and having Rudiger against him might help to continue that streak. However, what Pjanic can conjure up between Inter's lines may well be more important considering he will be opposed by the underwhelming Guarin. All in all Inter know how hard it would be to recover from a disadvantage. If you consider that 6 of their last 8 matches have ended in a draw at half-time (all 0-0!) the odds of 2.25 with Bet365 on a repeat is a valuable option.
CHELSEA vs LIVERPOOL - Draw First Half @2.20
The fatal friend. That is what Klopp could turn into for Mourinho. The two have a great relationship, but once again the German could be the undertaker of a Mourinho adventure, having already done so when his Dortmund side thrashed Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final in 2013.
The Chelsea team may well be low on confidence, but at the same time Klopp hasn't been able to win in the league as of yet. The Reds will offer great intensity, and Mourinho can't handle it at the moment. When the going gets tough, the tough get going: that's why both will need the best from their men. It’s no coincidence that Hazard holds the highest WhoScored rating for Chelsea, and dropping left could be the right choice as he could face an underprepared Nathaniel Clyne.
Meanwhile, on the other side Benteke – with the third best WhoScored rating for Liverpool – isn’t the ideal player to expose the Terry’s lack of pace. Nevertheless Liverpool’s matches have been tied at the interval in all of their away games thus far, with such an eventuality backed at 2.20 this weekend.
JUVENTUS vs TORINO - Juventus Win @1.57
Juventus suffered another psychological blow in midweek when they fell to a 1-0 defeat at Sassuolo. Afterwards, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon stated he was ashamed of the players’ attitude and that some still didn’t understand what it meant to play for Juventus. To really grasp how far the Old Lady have fallen, it’s been 23 years since Torino didn't enter in a Derby della Mole ahead of their rivals in the table. A boost for Max Allegri, though, is that Juventus have put in a good showing after being humiliated this season. The WhoScored match forecast suggests only two ‘very likely' scenarios, though both favour Juventus. The odds are at a tempting 1.57 for Juventus to win.
WOLFSBURG vs BAYER LEVERKUSEN - Draw @3.40
Two teams in top form. Wolfsburg are second only to Bayern Munich at home, while Bayer Leverkusen have lost only to Bayern and Borussia Dortmund on the road this season. They will both go into vital Champions League fixtures after this and though it won't be the priority, the two teams will have one eye on their European matches. The draw is at 3.40, while the WhoScored match forecast suggests it is ‘very likely’ that Bayer Leverkusen ‘will make a comeback if they go behind’.
LAZIO vs MILAN - Lazio Win @2.00
Atalanta’s late goal that defeated Lazio hindered Milan, who sit one point behind the former in the table. While the Rossoneri have won back-to-back league games, those results have come due to lucky decisions from referees or their opponents’ poor approach. Odds of 2.00 on a Lazio win are pretty good considering they are the only team to win all of their five home league games this season, conceding just once.
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