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THE BIG WEEKEND PREVIEWS: Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga Tables, Previews and Statistics
Published
7 years agoon
Premier League
12:30 Leicester vs Stoke
15:00 Liverpool vs West Ham
15:00 Bournemouth vs Newcastle United
15:00 Burnley vs Southampton
15:00 Brighton vs Swansea
15:00 West Bromwich Albion vs Huddersfield
17:30 Watford vs Everton
SUNDAY
12:00 Crystal Palace vs Tottenham
14:05 Manchester United vs Chelsea
LEICESTER VS STOKE (SATURDAY, 12.30PM)
The big talking point: Stoke’s survival effort. Life has got marginally better under Paul Lambert, but there’s still no certain Premier League future in the Potteries. And with 10 matches to play after this weekend, they’re running out of games.
What will happen: Riyad Mahrez will start, after being reintegrated into the Leicester side. Well done to Claude Puel for being so forgiving, but Mahrez’s deadline-day flounce probably deserved a heavier sanction. Maybe it’s a sign of the how important the player is, but is it really so easy to forgive and forget?
What won’t happen: Darren Fletcher and Peter Crouch are both injury doubts for Stoke so the experienced duo are unlikely to feature, while Kelechi Iheanacho will continue to start in place of Shinji Okazaki for Leicester.
Bournemouth vs Newcastle (Saturday, 3pm)
The big talking point: Both of these teams are starting to look nicely secure. A couple of wins in March and the ineptitude of what lies beneath them should be enough to keep them in the Premier League. To different degrees, that would really represent an achievement for both clubs.
What will happen: Bournemouth were unexpectedly beaten at Huddersfield last time out, but that owed much to injuries in critical positions. Adam Smith has since returned from injury and will relieve Ryan Fraser of emergency wing-back duties on the right side.
What won’t happen: It’s still too early for Jermain Defoe. He’s back in training, but remains short of match fitness. Islam Slimani is finally available for Newcastle, though, and should make his Premier League debut for the club.
Brighton vs Swansea (Saturday, 3pm)
The big talking point: It’s the most magical time of the year: a relegation six-pointer at the Amex Stadium.
What will happen: Brighton won the reverse of this fixture at the Liberty Stadium, with a Glenn Murray goal enough to beat an anaemic Swansea. Even though life in South Wales has changed under Carlos Carvalhal, this should be a similarly tight fixture – albeit with Swansea the more likely scorers of the sole goal this time out. Watch for the resurgent Jordan Ayew to have an impact.
What won’t happen: Murray may have been the match-winner last time around, but it would be a surprise if he starts here. Club-record signing Jurgen Locadia scored his first Brighton goal in the FA Cup last weekend and should be fit enough to begin this game.
Burnley vs Southampton (Saturday, 3pm)
The big talking point: Bad form. Amazingly, Burnley are still in seventh place. A testament to their good start to the season, but rather damning of what’s been happening around them given that they’ve haven’t won a game since the middle of December.
What will happen: That streak probably won’t end here. Southampton remain mired in trouble, but their form has certainly picked up – unfortunately, at the same time as everyone else’s. They’ve only lost once since 2 January, the goalkeeping change they’ve made (Alex McCarthy for Fraser Forster) has stabilised the defence, and they should be good for a point here (at least).
What won’t happen: Burnley keeper Tom Heaton is fit and available after injury, having played in a behind-closed-doors friendly this week. Don’t assume that he’ll drop straight back into the side, though, because Nick Pope has performed very well in his absence.
Liverpool vs West Ham (Saturday, 3pm)
The big talking point: Manchester United (second) and Chelsea (fourth) face each other on Sunday, so this is an excellent opportunity for Liverpool to really bed themselves into the top four. It’s worth noting also that Tottenham top-four contenders have a highly winnable run of games coming up, so this is not the time for Liverpool to ease off the pedal.
What will happen: Liverpool are out of the FA Cup and their Champions League tie with Porto is already over, so don’t expect any rotation here. Andrew Robertson will continue at full-back, the familiar three danger men will begin at the top of the pitch; while Jordan Henderson, Gio Wijnaldum and Emre Can will start in a three-man midfield. West Ham have had some positive results in 2018 and now own a four-point gap over the relegation places – but stretching that at Anfield looks a tall order.
What won’t happen: Nathaniel Clyne is close to a return after a long lay off, but this game will come slightly too soon. Most likely, he’ll reappear in the Champions League return with Porto.
WEST BROM VS HUDDERSFIELD (SATURDAY, 3PM)
The big talking point: Alan Pardew’s future. Either he wins here or, according to speculation, that could well be that for the West Brom boss.
What will happen: Jonny Evans will return as captain, despite his part in “taxi-gate”. Needs must, of course, but that incident was really just a symptom of the more general ailment at West Brom. Even the senior professionals seem to have disengaged.
What won’t happen: If West Brom don’t win, then Pardew can have few complaints should he be let go. He was appointed to provide new manager bounce and, having delivered none of that, losing at home to a spirited but limited Huddersfield team would probably force his employers to intervene. Good news for Pardew, though: Huddersfield will be without their influential playmaker Aaron Mooy, who is recovering from a knee laceration.
Watford vs Everton (Saturday, 5.30pm)
The big talking point: No offence to Toffees fans, but it’s hard to be too interested in Everton, deep within their Sam Allardyce holding pattern as the club are. The continuing ‘can Rooney and Sigurdsson function in the same team?’ saga is worth a conversation or two, but that’s about it.
What will happen: According to reports, Cenk Tosun impressed sufficiently during Everton’s recent warm weather training camp and might be given another starting chance here. That’s another very odd situation: a striker bought for great expense on Allardyce’s watch, but who he doesn’t appear to have a great deal of confidence in thus far. Watford, meanwhile, will have taken great confidence from that 4-1 win over Chelsea and in particular the superb performance of Gerard Deulofeu.
What won’t happen: There’ll be no Eliaquim Mangala; the Everton defender is out for the season with injury. Merciful news for a struggling player, perhaps?
Crystal Palace vs Tottenham (Sunday, 12pm)
The big talking point: Wilfried Zaha is still unavailable, so the question is how Palace function without him. His attacking worth is clear, but more often than not Roy Hodgson has used him as an out-ball, allowing his team to move up the field. Palace are less dangerous than they might be, but they’re also missing a fundamental piece of their jigsaw.
What will happen: Mauricio Pochettino will have to make a decision on Toby Alderweireld. The Belgian declared himself fit for the trip to Juventus, was subsequently left out, but then looked a long way from match-fit at Spotland on Sunday. He needs game time, but might be kept in reserve until that Rochdale FA Cup replay next week.
What won’t happen: Other than Zaha, Palace have a lengthy injury list: Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Jason Puncheon and Scott Dann are long-term absentees; while Bakary Sakho, Martin Kelly and Mamadou Sako are all doubts for this game, too.
Manchester United vs Chelsea (Sunday, (2.05pm)
The big talking point: Jose Mourinho versus Paul Pogba. Not very interesting, all-consuming issue that it is – but it will still dominate the prelude.
What will happen: If Chelsea lose, their top-four prospects will take a big hit. Liverpool and Tottenham are both expected to win on Saturday, and the Blues could well start this game in fifth place. With attention also on Barcelona and that Champions League second leg at the Camp Nou – and Manchester City arriving at Stamford Bridge next week – a slip here could be very costly.
What won’t happen: A winner, perhaps. Couple Chelsea’s attacking issues with Manchester United’s own offensive issues, add in Jose Mourinho’s pragmatism and Antonio Conte’s need not to lose, and this probably ends up a stalemate. A 0-0 or a 1-1 seems a likely outcome.
Bundesliga
14:30 Hannover 96 vs Borussia M.Gladbach
14:30 Hoffenheim vs Freiburg
14:30 Bayern Munich vs Hertha Berlin
14:30 VfB Stuttgart vs Eintracht Frankfurt
17:30 Werder Bremen vs Hamburger SV
SUNDAY
14:30 Bayer Leverkusen vs Schalke 04
17:00 RasenBallsport Leipzig vs FC Cologne
MONDAY
19:30 Borussia Dortmund vs Augsburg
Bayern Munich will be looking to retain their 19-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga table this weekend when Hertha BSC travel to the Allianz Arena. Pál Dárdai’s side are sat firmly in midtable but causing an upset on Saturday could see Die Alte Dame’s chances of staking a claim for a place in the Europa League next season get stronger. Here’s everything you need to know about the game this weekend.
Classic Encounter
Bayern Munich and Hertha BSC proved that having a strong aerial threat is still a powerful weapon to have in your arsenal when the two sides met back in 2013, with four of the five goals coming from clinical headers. It was Hertha’s Adrián Ramos – a Colombian striker with a reputation for his ability in the air – who opened the scoring after just four minutes at the Allianz Arena, nodding home a Per Ciljan Skjelbred corner into the back of the net.
Bayern responded by feeding their own target man, Mario Mandžukić, with perfect crosses either side of half-time. Franck Ribéry and Bastian Schweinsteiger found themselves claiming the assists as Bayern completed their turnaround. A third goal was added by the hosts via the head of Mario Götze. The young playmaker would also find himself as the eventual match-winner after Änis Ben-Hatira’s left-footed strike wasn’t enough to spark a late comeback for Hertha.
Team News
Hertha BSC will be without their clinical striker Vedad Ibisevic this weekend after the Bundesliga veteran was injured in last weeks defeat to Mainz 05. Julian Schieber is also expected to miss the game, while Karim Rekik could return to make his first appearance of 2018.
For Bayern Munich, only James Rodríguez has joined the short list of absentees this weekend after the Colombian suffered a calf injury against Beşiktaş on Tuesday.
Potential Bayern Munich Starting Lineup: Ulreich, Kimmich, Süle, Hummels, Alaba, Vidal, Thiago, Tolisso, Müller, Coman, Lewandowski.
Potential Hertha BSC Starting Lineup: Jarstein, Weisser, Stark, Rekik, Plattenhardt, Skjelbred, Lustenberger, Darida, Lazaro, Kalou, Selke.
Elsewhere on Matchday 24
Werder Bremen vs. Hamburg – The Nordderby is always a fiercely contested affair. However, with the added threat of relegation looming over both Hamburg and Werder Bremen, the stakes will be even higher than usual when they clash on Matchday 24. When the final whistle blows in Bremen’s Weserstadion on Saturday night, two of the Bundesliga’s traditional stalwarts will have a clearer idea of what could await them at the end of the season. At present, both Bremen and Hamburg are shrouded in uncertainty and a loss for either side could spell the catalyst for a drop to the second division. Relegation would be particularly dramatic for Hamburg, the only team to have competed in every Bundesliga season. Bremen sit in 15th place with just 23 points and Hamburg are further down in 17th with a meagre points total of 17. Relegation is on the cards for the two proud clubs. But momentum is a powerful tool in football. And nothing can build momentum better than a morale-boosting win over a fierce rival. The stakes are particularly high for Hamburg leading into this clash – lose and they could wake up on Sunday morning nine points from safety.
Leverkusen vs. Schalke – The visitors grabbed a huge win over Champions League qualification rivals Hoffenheim last week and will look to repeat the trick against Leverkusen. Consistency has been Schalke’s biggest problem this season, a win here would boost their push for a top-four finish.
Hannover vs. Gladbach – Gladbach are in a rut. Four losses on the trot and their European ambitions have taken a huge blow. Hannover, on the other hand, have lost just one of their last seven and will prove a difficult opponent.
Stuttgart vs. Frankfurt – Frankfurt are flying in third place and continue to impress under head coach Nico Kovac. Champions League qualification is well and truly on the cards. Stuttgart, however, under newly appointed coach Tayfun Korkut, have won two consecutive games for the first time this season and will be aiming to distance themselves from the relegation zone.
La Liga
12:00 Celta Vigo vs Eibar
15:15 Real Madrid vs Alaves
17:30 Leganes vs Las Palmas
19:45 Barcelona vs Girona
SUNDAY
11:00 Villarreal vs Getafe
15:15 Athletic Bilbao vs Malaga
17:30 Valencia vs Real Sociedad
19:45 Sevilla vs Atletico Madrid
MONDAY
20:00 Levante vs Real Betis
Barcelona will host Girona at the Nou Camp on Saturday, with a victory needed to keep Atletico Madrid at bay in second place. The Spanish leaders have seen their advantage cut to just seven points in recent weeks, so a slip up here could blow a title race – which Barca have controlled since gameweek three – wide open. Or, as the Spaniards would simply put it – Hay Liga. Manager Ernesto Valverde is expected to heavily rotate his squad after the exerting Champions League clash with Chelsea on Wednesday – which came on the back of a grueling start to 2018, having played 14 games already – offering a rare chance for fringe players to convince him of their value. Girona, meanwhile, have been this year’s surprise package (although their partnership with Manchester City somewhat cheapens the fairytale) and are currently sitting in an admirable eighth position in the league, in their first ever outing in Spain’s premier division.
Classic Encounter: With this weekend’s clash being only the second time the pair have come across each other on the pitch, we are left with their classic encounter rather insincerely amounting to their first fixture last September. On that occasion, the Blaugrana proved too much for their Catalan counterparts, with Luis Suarez adding to own goals from Aday Benitez and Iraizoz, in what was a stereotypically comfortable steamroll for the boys in blue and red. If that hasn’t exactly satisfied your quench for all things classic, then perhaps take heart from Girona’s commendable record against Barcelona B, with three wins and three draws from their 10 encounters, the most recent of which was a 4-2 drubbing in the Gironistes favor.
Team News: Barcelona will go into Saturday’s game with a full-strength squad. Their only absentee is the young defensive midfielder Sergi Samper, whose loan spell at Las Palmas was cut short in January when he sustained a Malleolar injury that is set to keep him out until June. Girona are in a similar position of squad prosperity, with center back Pedro Alcala their sole concern, as he continues to recover from the ankle injury he garnered back in September.
Real hosts Alaves, Atletico takes on Sevilla
Title-holder Real Madrid hosts Alaves on Saturday afternoon with Zinedine Zidane’s side having scored 23 times in their last five La Liga outings. Alaves has won at the Bernabeu just once [back in 2000], but victories in its last three games mean the Basques will travel with confidence.
Second-placed Atletico Madrid will take on Sevilla on Sunday evening with Diego Simeone’s side looking for revenge after its Copa del Rey exit. It promises to be an exciting game as Atletico has lost just once in the La Liga all season, while Sevilla has suffered only one defeat at home.
Serie A
17:00 Bologna vs Genoa
19:45 Inter vs Benevento
SUNDAY
11:30 Crotone vs SPAL 2013
14:00 Sampdoria vs Udinese
14:00 Sassuolo vs Lazio
14:00 Verona vs Torino
14:00 Fiorentina vs Chievo
17:00 Juventus vs Atalanta
19:45 Roma vs AC Milan
MONDAY
19:45 Cagliari vs Napoli
Inter vs Benevento
After a torrid run of form, winning only one of their last 10 Serie A, the visit of Benevento to the San Siro will prove to be a must win fixture for Luciano Spaletti’s men. While AC Milan face off against AS Roma, a win from Inter could see them once again move into the top four, should Inter register a win and the Giallorossi lose at the hands of Inter’s local rivals.
Benevento currently sit at the bottom of Serie A having won only three games so far this season, as well as this, Inter were able to pick up a 2-1 victory over the Stregoni so all three points should be more that an achievable goal for the Italian giants as they face off against the strugglers on Saturday evening. Despite a good run of form, seeing them launch a title charge early in the season, Inter have faltered in recent months. As a result, a positive win against Benevento could see them get their season back on track once again.
Team News: Inter will be without a host of their top stars as they continue to recover from injuries. Brazilian centre back Miranda will be a notable absentee as he continues to recover from a hip adductor issue. Meanwhile Croatian winger Ivan Perisic will miss the clash against the Stregoni due to a shoulder injury.
Backup keeper Tomasso Berni has been ruled out through an undiagnosed injury while heart problems continue to keep 21-year-old Ivory Coast midfielder Assane Gnoukouri out of action. In the opposition dugout, Benevento will be without the man who netted against Inter in the reverse fixture earlier this season as D’Alessandro picked up a muscle injury earlier in the month. Italian centre back Luca Antei has had to undergo surgery on his Achilles tendon, ruling him out for the remainder of the season. Achraf Lazaar won’t feature at the San Siro due to accumulating too many yellow cards and disgraced centre back Fabio Lucioni will not feature for Benevento until 2019 due to receiving a ban after being found guilty of doping.
Roma vs AC Milan
Big game in Italy as AS Roma takes on AC Milan. These are two of the biggest clubs from two of the biggest cities in Italy meaning that this is a big game. Both sides will be desperate for a win since a win will move them towards their end of goal of finishing in the top 4.
AS Roma played in the Champions League midweek but only managed to lose away from home. This will not help the confidence of the team as they head into this big game. The team from the Italian capital lacked flair and it seems like the season has gone downhill quickly for them. This will be a chance for them to win and impress their home crowd in front of whom they will be playing.
On the other side of the pitch, AC Milan are a team in good form. This side has been winning all their games recently and that was confirmed by their win at home in the Europa League a few days ago. AC Milan knows that if they keep winning, the top 4 is still a chance but they must win this game. A win here will close the gap between them and Roma meaning that they will be closer to the top 4. Judging by form, I think they will be good enough to win.
As far as betting is concerned, we are getting a good price to bet on AC Milan to win this game. This bet has great value and as a result it is the wager which I am going to suggest for this game. I am also a fan of the under 2.5 goals since these big games seem to have low scoring results.
Fiorentina vs Chievo Verona
Following a frustrating 1-1 draw at Atalanta, Fiorentina returns home to host Chievo Verona. In a match that features a host of ex-Viola players returning to Florence, as well as a meeting of the youngest squad in Serie A with the 2nd-oldest.
In their last 10 meetings, Fiorentina are W8 D1 L1 (although that loss came earlier this season in the form of a disappointing 2-1 reversal), scoring 19 and conceding just 6 in those clashes.
The referee for this one is Rosario Abisso of Palermo. In 12 Serie A matches this year, he’s handed out 41 yellow cards, 2 red cards, and 7 penalties. You may recall him from the 3-2 win over Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia, which featured 3 spot kicks; it’s the only Fiorentina match he’s ever reffed. The Flying Donkeys, conversely, have played 5 league matched under his watch, managing a record W1 D2 L2. The match will be played on Sunday, 25 February 2018, at 2 PM GMT/9 AM EST, at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence.
Juventus vs Atalanta:
Juve will be looking to extend their winning streak in Serie A to 10 games, but their opponents are also enjoying a four-match unbeaten run
JUVENTUS could go top of Serie A if they pick up at least a point at home to Atalanta, albeit for a matter of hours.
The Old Lady are enjoying a nine-game winning run in the league that stretches back to December, including a 1-0 victory at local rivals Torino last weekend.
Meanwhile, Atalanta will be hoping their Europa League duties do not tire the players as they look to close in on a place back in the competition next year.
What is the team news?
JUVENTUS could be without top scorer Gonzalo Higuain, after the Argentine was forced off early in their last game against Torino.
However, Juan Cuadrado, Blaise Matuidi and Federico Bernardeschi are all certain to miss Sunday’s match.
Atalanta are playing in the Europa League against Borussia Dortmund on Thursday, so their team news will be updated after the game.
Ligue 1
16:00 Toulouse vs Monaco
19:00 Dijon vs Caen
19:00 Guingamp vs Metz
19:00 Lille vs Angers
19:00 Nantes vs Amiens
19:00 Rennes vs Troyes
SUNDAY
14:00 Bordeaux vs Nice
16:00 Lyon vs Saint-Etienne
20:00 Paris Saint Germain vs Marseille
This weekend is box office in Ligue 1 with the Derby du Rhone and the Classique on Sunday. A Dimanche Deluxe as they say with France’s two major rivalries scheduled back-to-back. It’ll be interesting to see if Lyon can kickstart their league campaign after a run of four games without a win. Saint-Etienne are unbeaten over the same period and have had a full week to prepare for their visit to the Parc OL.
Marseille meanwhile head to Paris where they haven’t won since their last title winning campaign eight years ago. Rudi Garcia’s side are in great form and there is a sense that if anyone can upset PSG in Ligue 1 at the moment, Marseille can. But then you look at PSG’s record at the Parc des Princes this season. They haven’t dropped a single point and have a goal difference of +42 from just 13 games.
Toulouse v Monaco (16th v 2nd)
In-form Monaco should have too much class and attacking quality for Toulouse at Le Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Leonardo Jardim’s visitors have developed a real taste for the fight for 2nd place behind PSG in recent weeks so will go into this game pumped-up and determined to win.
It’s a sign of Monaco’s determination as well as strength as depth that they’ve won 4-0 in each of their last two Ligue 1 fixtures even though 17-goal top scorer Radamel Falcao missed both games through injury.
Monaco were 4-0 winners at Angers in their last away game and ran out winners by the same scoreline at home to Dijon last weekend.
Keita Balde and Stefan Jovetic have deputised effectively and Monaco will be confident they have enough firepower even if Falcao is missing once again. They will also be fresher than some of their rivals as they’ve had no Champions League or Europa League matches to contend with in recent weeks.
Toulouse have been more solid defensively since Mickael Debeve was appointed manager last month but their lack of attacking prowess is a concern.
They’ve scored just twice in four games under Debeve and those goals came against Nice and Troyes, both of whom are inferior to Monaco.
The hosts will struggle to find the net against a solid Monaco side, and the visitors will be confident of finding the net at some point.
Nantes v Amiens (5th v 18th)
Nantes’ strong home form makes them a good bet to collect all three points against Amiens this weekend.
Nantes’ home record is W6-D2-L4 but a much better W5-D1-L0 against sides currently below the top eight. Their ability to see off weak opposition bodes well given Amiens’ form in recent weeks.
Amiens have fallen from a season-high ninth in early December to 18th on the back of a run of eight defeats in their last 11 matches (W1-D2-L8).
Amiens’ away form is a particular concern: they’ve lost their last five Ligue 1 away matches, failing to score in four of them.
Rennes v Troyes (7th v 15th)
The attacking focal point that Diafra Sakho has provided makes Rennes the smart bet to beat Troyes this weekend.
The ex-West Ham striker joined Rennes last month and has made an immediate impact: he scored on his debut against PSG in the League Cup and netted both goals in Rennes’ 2-2 draw at Caen last weekend.
Sakho has given Rennes’ front line the physicality it had been lacking all season, and his presence means that secondary strikers Isamaila Sarr and Wahbi Khazri’s work should go to waste less often.
Rennes have been inconsistent this season and that’s a concern but they have good team news and ought to be properly motivated as they still stand a realistic chance of qualifying for Europe.
Man for man Troyes are a weaker side and fatigue is a concern for the visitors. They had a rearranged game at home to Dijon (0-0) on Tuesday night so this will be their third fixture in eight days.
Troyes manager Jean-Louis Garcia has a relatively small squad to pick from so through sheer necessity several Troyes players will be making their third start in eight days. Fresher Rennes ought to have enough quality to collect all three points.
Championship
15:00 Burton vs Millwall
15:00 Sunderland vs Middlesbrough
15:00 Leeds vs Brentford
15:00 Sheffield Wednesday vs Aston Villa
15:00 Preston vs Ipswich
15:00 Birmingham vs Barnsley
15:00 Norwich vs Bolton
15:00 Queens Park Rangers vs Nottingham Forest
15:00 Reading vs Derby
17:30 Fulham vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
SUNDAY
12:00 Cardiff vs Bristol City
Eredivisie
17:30 AZ Alkmaar vs Sparta Rotterdam
18:45 Heracles vs PEC Zwolle
18:45 SC Heerenveen vs Excelsior
19:45 VVV-Venlo vs Vitesse
SUNDAY
11:30 Ajax vs ADO Den Haag
13:30 Willem II vs Roda
13:30 Feyenoord vs PSV Eindhoven
15:45 FC Utrecht vs Twente
Super Lig
13:00 Kayserispor vs Kasimpasa
16:00 Alanyaspor vs Trabzonspor
SUNDAY
10:30 Osmanlispor FK vs Antalyaspor
10:30 Yeni Malatyaspor vs Karabukspor
13:00 Goztepe vs Sivasspor
16:00 Besiktas vs Fenerbahce
Jupiler League
17:00 KV Mechelen vs Sporting Charleroi
19:00 Oostende vs St.Truiden
19:00 Eupen vs Lokeren
19:30 Waasland-Beveren vs Gent
SUNDAY
13:30 Anderlecht vs Royal Excel Mouscron
17:00 Standard Liege vs Club Bruges
19:00 Kortrijk vs Zulte-Waregem
Premiership
12:30 Kilmarnock vs Hibernian
15:00 St.Johnstone vs Ross County
15:00 Rangers vs Hearts
15:00 Hamilton Academical vs Partick Thistle
15:00 Dundee FC vs Motherwell
SUNDAY
13:30 Aberdeen vs Celtic
Liga NOS
16:00 Belenenses vs Feirense
18:15 Maritimo vs Vitoria de Guimaraes
20:30 Pacos de Ferreira vs Benfica
SUNDAY
16:00 Chaves vs Estoril
18:00 Boavista vs Vitoria de Setubal
20:15 Portimonense vs FC Porto
Top 20 Teams In Europe This Weekend
Top 10 Players In Europe This Weekend…
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November 14, 2022Born in South Sudan but grew in Uganda, that’s the story of the She Cranes goal shooter Mary Nuba Cholhok who was voted as the best shooter in the just concluded Fast5 Series tournament which was held in New Zealand.
Uganda emerged in fifth position in the tournament. theGrapevine had a chance to talk to Nuba before she went back to England for her professional career.
Grapevine: Why did you decide to play for Uganda and not for your native country South Sudan?
Nuba: South Sudan is still lagging behind in Netball and I’m getting old, that’s why I decided to play for Uganda’s She Cranes.
Grapevine: What challenges have you faced so far in your career?
Nuba: Thinking about my five-year baby who stays in Uganda yet I’m in England playing for my professional club.
Grapevine: Then what about your husband [the baby’s father] ?
Nuba: I’m not married, though I gave birth.
Grapevine: How did you manage giving birth and playing Netball?
Nuba: I realized that later that I made a mistake of getting pregnant. But I stood on my feet, forgot all the past and decided to move on with my child and my career.
Grapevine: How do you manage those good performances?
Nuba: I work very hard ever day in order to achieve my goals.
Grapevine: Where do you see She Cranes in four years to come?
Nuba: I see She Cranes winning the Netball World cup because we have good players who are still young.
Grapevine: Tell us about the best game in your career?
Nuba: When we defeated South Africa in the Common Wealth games in Birmingham.
Grapevine: Who’s your role model in the game of Netball?
Nuba: Peace Proscovia because of the way she managed to lift her life from a poor background. She is now superstar in the game.
By Juma Ali
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MIRACLE: All She Cranes Players Return After Incidents Of Players Disappearing While On Duty Abroad…
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It has been a habit for some Netball players to escape when the team travels for international tournaments.
Just last month, two She Cranes players; Nakanyike Shakira, who was a Police Player and Rose Namutebi, who was a KCCA Player, disappeared in UK, during She Cranes international friendlies.
The disappearance of these two players followed the disappearance of centre Player, Halimah Nakachwa, who disappeared in UK, in 2017 during another international friendly in UK.
However, this time around, all the nine players who went for the first five series tournament in New Zealand, where She Cranes emerged fifth, after wining three games and losing three games, all returned with the team.
National players disappearing while on duty abroad is also a habit in other sports disciplines like; boxing, table tennis, Rugby among others.
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It’s Time For Golola To Rest: I’m Going To Punch Him Into Retirement – General Fungu Vows…
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October 12, 2022General Hamza Fungu has vowed to fight Moses Golola and send him into retirement come 26th December. 2022.
Fungu said this during the launch at Akamwesi gardens today.
Uganda’s middle weight kick boxing champion, Golola Moses is set to face his former trainer, General Hamza Fungu on bixing day at Akamwesi shopping mail gardens.
Golola, who is known for his many words said that he has beaten many fighters who were better than Fungu, “now look at this piglet, I’m going to show him why I’m called Golola Moses ‘of Uganda ‘ and I call upon Ugandans to come and be witnesses on that day.”
Though Golola said that he signed a contract which allows both fighters to fight until one gets tired, officials in charge of organizing the show said they will fight K-1 style for five rounds.
Grapevine had a chance to sit down with Golola’s challenger General Fungu and and this is what he had to say;
theGrapevine: How are you prepared for this fight?
Fungu: I’m well prepared but they have also given us enough time. So, I’m going to prepare more.
theGrapevine: Why, among fighters did you choose Golola?
Fungu: I have been asking to fight Golola for the last five years but he has been dodging me. He one time asked for 20,000 dollars to fight me.
theGrapevine: Why do you think he accepted this time around?
Fungu: I think this time, he has been given a lot of money.
theGrapevine: Which tactics are you going to use to defeat Golola?
Fungu : Golola has words but I have the tactics which will defeat Golola.
theGrapevine: Many people have come out to challenge Golola but he finally wins?
Fungu : He has been favoured many times.
theGrapevine: Is it true that the contract you signed for the fight allows you to fight until one of you gets tired?
Fungu : The contract is a disadvantage to Golola not me because I was born a fighter.
theGrapevine: What next after this fight?
Fungu : After this fight, I will fight three more three bouts and retire.
By Juma Ali
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