Weekend Soccer Preview

Polokwane City vs Kaizer Chiefs

• Date: Sunday, December 8, 2024
• Kickoff: 15:30 SAST
• Venue: Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane

Polokwane City have made it clear in recent weeks that they now consider themselves “a big team,” having finished in eighth spot at the end of last season, having come up from the second division the season before. They have added to their growing reputation with a win this season over champions Mamelodi Sundowns and sit in fifth place in the Premier Soccer League standings.

Kaizer Chiefs play a third successive game in Polokwane with their previous two matches against Richards Bay and Royal AM last week being home matches that they had moved to the Peter Mokaba Stadium. In both matches they took a two-goal lead but conceded. It was not costly against Richards Bay whether they won 2-1 but they dropped points against struggling Royal AM.

Key Betting Insights:

• Home woes: Polokwane City have won only one of their past nine home games against Chiefs but will come into this game believing they can end that one-sided statistic. City have not lost a home game since March but in those nine games have drawn five.
   
• Feeling at home: This will be the sixth time that Chiefs playing Polokwane since the season started in August, three of the matches being home games they had moved from Soccer City. They are unbeaten in the previous five games with two wins and three draws.

Betting angles:

• Less than 2.5 Total Goals @1.44: Tight defence is a cornerstone of Polokwane’s growing strength with the centre back pairing of Bulelani Nikani and Lebohang Nkaki hardly missing a game last season and again into the new campaign. They have conceded nine goals in their nine league matches. Chiefs have scored 12 goals in their seven league games.

Prediction:

Score Prediction: Polokwane City 0-0 Kaizer Chiefs @5.50 

Polokwane have only a single striker up front in attack in Hlayisi Chauke, but he has not scored a single league goal in two season in the top flight. Goals do not come easy to them but Chiefs will not find it easy at the other end either, given how strong Polokwane are in defence.

Orlando Pirates vs Al Ahly

• Date: Saturday, December 7, 2024
• Kickoff: 15:00 SAST
• Venue: Orlando Stadium, Soweto

Pirates can claim to be one of possibly only a handful of teams who have a winning record against the Egyptian giants, having won three and lost only one of their six past clashes with the reigning African champions. The two clubs meet in the pool stages of this season’s Champions League, having both won their opening games last week.

Al Ahly are far and away the best performers in the Champions League with the distinction of having won the top prize in African club football a record 12 times, including four times in the past five years. The Cairo club remain the benchmark for success on the continent and always a fearsome foe, whatever the past record between the two clubs. 

Key Betting Insights:

• Back down to earth: Pirates had set a new club record by winning their first seven league games of the season but had that ended by Stellenbosch at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday. Perhaps fatigue from their trip, in the preceding days, to Algeria in the Champions League had some role to play but coach Jose Riveiro moved quickly afterwards to try and brush it away.
   
• Lacklustre: Al Ahly have drawn their last two league games in Egypt, provoking criticism from fans not used to the club suffering setbacks. The two draws sandwiched their 4-2 home win over Stade d’Abidjan of the Ivory Coast in their opening Champions League Group C. But the reality is that Ahly are unbeaten in their last 11 outings and alarmed supporters might have lost some perspective.

Betting angles:

• Both Teams To Score @2.10: There is so much attacking flair on both sides that it is hard not to see goals coming from either side. Pirates come in waves of attackers and have proven scorers across the park, while Ahly’s attack could be led by Percy Tau, with the striker looking to impress after recently being dropped by Bafana Bafana.
   
• Anytime goalscorer: The skills of the 20-year-old Relebohile Mofokeng looked somewhat muted last weekend against Stellenbosch but after a full week’s rest he is going to be hard to stop. Egyptian defence rarely get to deal with players of his skill set ... and don’t know what to do about it.

Prediction:

Score Prediction: Orlando Pirates 2-1 Al Ahly @11.00

Pirates are going to take the game to Ahly and put the Egyptians under heavy early pressure. The win for the Buccaneers in Algerian in their opening Group C match was a massive confidence boost and they should be able to get another three points in this encounter. 

Everton vs Liverpool

• Date: Saturday, December 7, 2024
• Kickoff: 14:30 SAST
• Venue: Goodison Park, Liverpool

The Merseyside derby has been lobsided for years with Liverpool losing only twice in their last 30 clashes from October 2010 onwards. Last season’s clash at Goodison Park, however, ended in rare Everton success. This season the Toffees have struggled but ended a five-match winless streak with a morale boosting 4-0 home win over Wolves on Wednesday night.

Liverpool drew for only the second time in the Premier League this season in a thriller at Newcastle United on Wednesday but even with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City winning, the Reds are seven points clear at the head of the standings.

Key Betting Insights:

• Hot and cold: Everton have kept five clean sheets in their last eight Premier League games, and only conceded two goals in their last five matches at home. But they have also shipped four goals against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, and three to Brighton, Bournemouth and Aston Villa, and so can collapse at the back.
   
• Unbeaten away: Liverpool take the short trip to Goodison Park unbeaten in their seven league games this season, posting wins in five of them. Liverpool have also won on the road in the League Cup against Brighton and both away games in the Champions League group phase at Milan and Leipzig. In fact, they are unbeaten on the road since April … their last defeat being at Goodison.

Betting angles:

• No Both Teams To Score @1.90: In the last seven Merseyside derbies, only one match has featured goals from both teams. Everton might have got four goals in midweek but Liverpool’s defence are the stingiest in the Premier League with only 11 conceded.
   
• Anytime scorer @1.90: Mohamed Salah has netted in seven of Liverpool’s previous seven away league games. The Egyptian ace was looking like the hero again for Liverpool after his late double saw them come from behind twice to lead Newcastle until the 90th minute on Wednesday.

Prediction:

Score Prediction: Everton 0 Liverpool 2 @7.00

Everton will produce a feisty performance but such is the slickness of the ‘Red Machine’ that Arne Slot’s first derby is sure to end in success for the new Liverpool manager. He has too much sharp ammunition at his disposal.

Girona vs Real Madrid

• Date: Saturday, December 7, 2024
• Kickoff: 22:00 SAST
• Venue: Estadi Montilivi, Girona

Last season was a breakout campaign for Girona, who surprised all and sundry by being among the LaLiga contenders right until near the end of the season. They finished the campaign third, behind Real Madrid and Barcelona, to qualify for the Champions League. But inevitably they have proven unable to keep up their feat and, in this new campaign, sit in eighth place in the Spanish league standings, already 15 points behind leaders Barcelona.

Real Madrid had a catch-up league game at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday which they lost as Kylian Mbappe saw a penalty saved for a second successive week. Last week it was at Liverpool and seven days on, he was again denied from 12 yards as Julen Agirrezabala came up big for Bilbao in their 2-1 win over the defending La Liga champions.

Key Betting Insights:

• Midweek shock: Girona were eliminated from the Spanish Copa del Rey on Wednesday in a defeat made even more embarrassing because their lower league opponents had to play an outfield player in goal after their keeper was concussed just before half time in extra time. Teenage defender Pol Arnau went between the sticks and remarkably  avoided conceding during the remainder of extra time. He then went one better, saving Abel Ruiz’s effort during the penalty shoot-out as Logrones went on to defeat Girona 4-3 on spot-kicks after a goalless stalemate.
   
• Slipping behind: The pressure was on Real Madrid to respond after Barcelona’s 5-1 win over Mallorca on Tuesday, but they failed to match the result of their Clasico rivals as Carlo Ancelotti’s side were beaten by Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday and are now four points behind in second place.

Betting angles:

• Over 2.5 Total Goals @1.66: Both clubs have averaged more than a goal per game in the league this season with Real scoring 31 goals in their 15 games and Girona 22 goals in their 15 to date. The last three head-to-head clashes between the two have produced 13 goals, meaning an average of more than four per game.
   
• Anytime scorer @3.10:  Real went down on Wednesday at Bilbao but did get a goal from Jude Bellingham, which was for the fourth successive La Liga match in a row after goals from the English international against Osasuna, Leganes and Getafe. 

Prediction:

Score Prediction: Girona 0 Real Madrid 1 @8.50

Real have had a markedly inconsistent season so far by their high standards but still have the depth to get results. They will likely shake off the disappointment of their Wednesday defeat and get back to winning ways.

Real Betis vs Barcelona

• Date: Saturday, December 7, 2024
• Kickoff: 17:15 SAST
• Venue: Estadio Benito Villamarin, Seville

Real Betis sit in the middle of the LaLiga standings with a 20-point haul, which is already 17 behind leaders Barcelona, who have long haunted them. Betis last beat Barcelona at home in the Copa del Rey in 2011 and their last league win over the Catalan giants came in 2008. In midweek Betis had a somewhat uncomfortable victory over lower league opposition in the cup.

Barcelona have had a little stumble over the last weeks with a single point from their last three LaLiga outings before they took out their frustration on Mallorca on Tuesday. The 5-1 victory was the perfect start to the month with coach Hansi Flick saying he was delighted “because this November s*** is over and December has now begun”.

Key Betting Insights:

• Blind spot: Betis must hate the sight of Barcelona, especially when hosting them. They have lost their last seven home games to Barca with the visitors scoring at least two goals in each of those seven. 
   
• Clearing the air: Barca’s German coach Flick held an hour-long discussion with his players at the start of the week, and his word about fighting for victory obviously sunk in as they took Mallorca apart. Flick felt his side had wasted numerous chances in their previous three LaLiga games, where they lost to Real Sociedad and Las Palmas and drew with Celta Vigo, because they were not determined enough to convert those chances.

Betting angles:

• Over 3.5 goals @2.20: Barcelona’s last seven successive victories at Betis have produced 32 goals for a heathy average of 4.5 per game. It seems it is always a goal fest when the Catalans come to town.
   
• Robert Lewandowski to score first @4.33: The Polish striker was rested for Tuesday’s clash against Mallorca although he did sit on the bench with Ferran Torres getting a start instead. But the 36-year-old Lewandowski will be back for this game, looking to add to the 15 LaLiga goals he has already netted this season.

Prediction:

Score Prediction: Real Betis 1 Barcelona 3 @11.00

Barcelona’s run at Betis is likely to continue as they look to keep some distance between themselves and chasing Real Madrid, who are second in the LaLiga standings. The past stats do not paint any other scenario.

Atalanta vs AC Milan

• Date: Friday, December 6, 2024
• Kickoff: 21:45 SAST
• Venue: Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia, Bergamo

If Atalanta win this home game, they will equal a club-record streak of nine successive victories, set back in 2020. Monday’s defeat of Roma left within a point of the Serie A leaders Napoli. It has been Atalanta’s best ever start to an Italian league season as they have accrued more than 30 points after 14 top-flight games for the first time.

Milan lie seventh in Serie A after an inconsistent start to the season, but it would seem they have stepped up a gear, with their belief bolstered by beating Real Madrid away in the Champions League one month ago. They are now on a seven-match unbeaten run, stretching back to the end of October when they lost at home to Napoli.

Key Betting Insights:

• Banned: Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini must serve the second game of a touchline ban and will, therefore, be missing from the home dugout for this game. There are only two injury concerns with Gianluca Scamacca is still on the road back to fitness following a serious knee injury while wing-back Davide Zappacosta is also sidelined.
   
• Honours even: While Atalanta won the most recent encounter in Bergamo – a 3-2 victory almost exactly one year ago - and then prevailed in a Coppa Italia tie at San Siro, Milan have won four of the last eight head-to-head clashes in Serie A.

Betting angles:

• Over 2.5 goals @1.70: Atalanta are freely finding the net along the way - they are five goals clear at the top of the scoring charts. This game brings together the four Serie A players with most goal involvements across all competitions in 2024. They are Atalanta’s Charles De Ketelaere (30) and Ademola Lookman (30) plus the Milan pair of Rafael Leao (28) and Christian Pulisic (27).
   
• Anytime scorer @2.20: Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui leads the Capocannoniere rankings by three goals from his nearest challengers. Arsenal have reportedly sent scouts to watch him as a possible January transfer window signing to bolster the Gunners’ frontline in the race for the Premier League title.

Prediction:

Score Prediction: Atalanta 2-1 AC Milan @8.50

Away from home, Milan have won just two of six league games this season, so extending their success streak on Friday may prove something of a stretch.