Champions League Tips

Bottom side Port Vale have lost their previous three away games by an aggregate of 9-0, and they suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Exeter last weekend. The hosts beat Reading 3-1 in their last home game, and they already have wins by a two-goal margin or greater at home to two of the six sides below them.

NEC moved above AZ last weekend with their sixth win in eight, and they head into this clash having already won 4-2 at second-placed Feyenoord this term. Only five teams have picked up fewer points across the last eight games than AZ, while BTTS has landed in nine of NEC’s 10 away trips this season, along with eight of the hosts’ nine games at home.

Stevenage have gone through a sticky spell but they are back in the playoff hunt after Tuesday’s 1-0 win at home to Peterborough and can follow with a victory away to out-of-sorts Barnsley. Boro have a solid defence and can frustrate the Tykes, who suffered a 4-0 midweek loss at Cardiff.

Crewe twice came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw at leaders Bromley on Tuesday and they are playing well enough to defeat Colchester at Gresty Road. The Alex are unbeaten in eight home matches and may be a little too strong for Colchester, who are smarting from a 1-0 loss to Grimsby.

Spartans bounced back from last weekend’s defeat with a 6-0 victory at East Kilbride in midweek, leaving them with four wins from five. They head to an Elgin side who have lost three of their last four, but BTTS has landed in five of the hosts’ last six, while the league leaders have kept two clean sheets in their 11 trips.

Gillingham should be brought back down to earth by a Bromley side that have won five of their last seven League Two matches on the road. The Gills have not lost any of their previous six at home, but they have drawn five of their games, and it is tough to see them beating the league leaders with that lack of killer instinct.

Santa Clara have lost four of their last six league matches and it’s only four wins in 19 matches all season. The Azoreans have failed to score in five of their last six games and Estoril have to be the bet here.

Chesterfield have only lost two of their last 10 matches in the fourth tier and they have been tough to beat on home soil. The hosts have only lost twice in front of their own fans and should be able to pick up another three points.

Huddersfield have registered back-to-back wins under Liam Manning and their revival can continue with a victory over injury-hit Peterborough at London Road. The Terriers should prevail over Posh, who were beaten 1-0 at Stevenage on Tuesday without registering a shot on target.

The last 10 meetings are averaging more than 237 points per game, and the over has cashed in 5 of 6 at Washington. The Wizards rank 4th in pace this season, while having the 2nd-worst defence, allowing 117.5 points per 100 possessions.

The injury situation just isn’t good right now at Memphis. They’ve lost 4 in a row and are really struggling to put up points. Meanwhile, the Pelicans haven’t been great either this season, but at least they have a somewhat healthy team at their disposal. They just won the most recent meeting between the two teams and are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall. As favourites, they’ve won all 4 games this season, back them to dispose of the struggling Grizzlies here.

The hosts go into this game without Franz Wagner. It will allow the Raptors to key in on Paolo Banchero, and with defenders like Scottie Barnes who can match his size and physicality, the Magic star could struggle. The hosts are already just 26th in offensive rating over the last 10 games and could have trouble keeping pace.

Both teams are short-handed, with Phoenix missing Devin Booker (25.4 PPG, 6.2 APG) and Cleveland still without Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. The Suns have shown they can compete without Booker, highlighted by Dillon Brooks’ 40-point game, while Cleveland leans heavily on Donovan Mitchell, who recently scored 45 points. With reduced depth on both sides, this matchup should stay tight.

The last 10 meetings are averaging more than 237 points per game, and the over has cashed in 5 of 6 at Washington. The Wizards rank 4th in pace this season, while having the 2nd-worst defence, allowing 117.5 points per 100 possessions.

The hosts go into this game without Franz Wagner. It will allow the Raptors to key in on Paolo Banchero, and with defenders like Scottie Barnes who can match his size and physicality, the Magic star could struggle. The hosts are already just 26th in offensive rating over the last 10 games and could have trouble keeping pace.

The hosts go into this game without Franz Wagner. It will allow the Raptors to key in on Paolo Banchero, and with defenders like Scottie Barnes who can match his size and physicality, the Magic star could struggle. The hosts are already just 26th in offensive rating over the last 10 games and could have trouble keeping pace.

FEBRUARY –  The Texans’ suffocating defence has been the key to their eight-game winning run and with the AFC looking the less competitive conference this season after the demise of the Kansas City Chiefs, they have the talent to go a long way. Quarterback CJ Stroud is fully fit again and can look for an elite wide receiver in Nico Collins while former first-round picks Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley Jr. are just two of their many defensive stars.

JULY – Elena Rybakina looks a bet in her bid to repeat her 2022 triumph at the All England Club. The Kazakhstani has had a tough couple of years, due in the main to off-court issues, but she finished last year on a high with victory at the WTA Finals. She’s a superb grass-court player who is as good as Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek when she’s on her game.

JULY – Alex Noren enjoyed a resurgence in his career in 2025, winning twice on the DP World Tour, and 2026 could finally be the year he ends his long wait for a maiden Major. The Swede has an affinity for links golf, evidenced by his victory at the 2016 Scottish Open and his two top-10 Open finishes, he could go all the way and land the Claret Jug in 2026.

DECEMBER – Mercedes may have botched the ground-effect era, but the Silver Arrows have a strong record of responding well to rule changes, and the sweeping regulation shift coming in 2026 should bring the title back into play. Their power unit has already come under, and been cleared, of scrutiny, suggesting it is likely to be among the strongest engines on the grid, and they have the driver lineup to win the consistent points necessary to land the constructor crown.

Aryna Sabalanka has reached each of the last six Grand Slam finals played on hardcourts and has won four of those. The Belarusian has won two of the last three editions of the Australian Open and can respond to the disappointment of losing last year’s final by taking the trophy in 2026.

Brisbane Roar have lost four of their last five games, and they run into a Newcastle Jets side who are on a roll, winning six of their last seven, including each of their last four.

The second-bottom visitors have lost four of their six away trips this season, while Sydney FC have impressed at home with three wins from four.

Perth Glory are struggling for form with five defeats in seven, but leaders Auckland have hit their own poor run. Defensive issues have seen them fail to win four of their last five, with BTTS landing on four occasions.

Brisbane Roar have lost four of their last five games, and they run into a Newcastle Jets side who are on a roll, winning six of their last seven, including each of their last four.

Sheffield Wednesday’s defence is a turnstile: 56 conceded and clean sheets in just 2 of their last 20 league games. Eight of their 15 home matches have cleared 2.5 goals. Wrexham arrive buzzing off a 3–2 win and three straight away victories, with recent games trending high-scoring. Expect chances at both ends and goals.

Goals could be on the menu when Leipzig host Mainz at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday. Mainz have scored in four games in a row, including in a 3-1 win over Wolfsburg last weekend, and back over 3.5 goals. There have been four or more goals in nine of Leipzig’s 19 Bundesliga games this season.

Saturday’s clash between Werder Bremen and Monchengladbach at Weserstadion is likely to have goals. Nine of the last 11 Bundesliga meetings between these sides have had four goals or more, back over 3.5 goals.

Six of the visitors’ last seven games have featured four goals or more, and an incredible 60% of their away games have featured at least five goals. NEC have scored twice or more in eight straight games, including their last four on the road. Meanwhile, AZ average 2.22 goals per game at home this term.

Leicester are stronger at the King Power and have scored in 12 straight league games. Charlton have just two away wins, are winless in nine on the road, and haven’t kept an away clean sheet in nine. Form and matchup point to a professional home victory without needing fireworks.

Sheffield Wednesday’s defence is a turnstile: 56 conceded and clean sheets in just 2 of their last 20 league games. Eight of their 15 home matches have cleared 2.5 goals. Wrexham arrive buzzing off a 3–2 win and three straight away victories, with recent games trending high-scoring. Expect chances at both ends and goals.

Bolton bolstered their promotion hopes with Tuesday’s 2-1 victory at home to Burton, but their week could finish on a sour note with a failure to win at AFC Wimbledon. There might not be much to choose between the Trotters and their hosts, who are fighting hard to stay in the division.

Grimsby are in fine form of late and while they have won six games in a row in all competitions, they have still lost five of their 13 home matches in League Two. MK Dons have the fourth-best away record in the fourth tier and should make it show here.

A high-scoring game is expected, with Newport scoring in their last five games in the fourth tier. The hosts should also get some joy, though, with Newport conceding a league-high 51 goals this season. The first meeting finished 3-2 to the Gas, so expect another end-to-end battle.

Chelsea are on a four-game winning run following their victory in Naples and have won five of their six games under Liam Rosenior. West Ham may have found some form of late, but they have lost their last five trips to Stamford Bridge and could come unstuck.

Swansea have lost seven of their last eight games in the second tier and they have won only three matches away from home in the second tier. Watford will be tough to overcome, though, with the Hornets having the fourth-best home record.

Cardiff have established a ten-point cushion inside the automatic promotion places and their surge towards the Championship can continue with a victory over Burton at the Pirelli Stadium. Burton competed well in Tuesday’s 2-1 loss at Bolton but they face a stronger opponent this weekend.

Swindon’s season is in danger of falling apart after four consecutive defeats in all competitions. However, two defeats in eight at home should give them some confidence, especially when they are due to face a Barrow team, who have won just once in seven away matches.

Aberdeen have beaten Kilmarnock twice in the Premiership this season and they look a big price to complete the hat-trick on Saturday. The visitors are in patchy form but Kilmarnock have not won in the league since the first week of October and have scored only eight goals in 11 home games.

Villarreal are on a stuttering run of form, slipping to a seventh loss in nine matches with Wednesday’s 3-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. Osasuna have picked up ten points from their last four home games in La Liga and may add to the Yellow Submarine’s woes.

Napoli are the best bet to beat Fiorentina at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Saturday. They are fourth in Serie A, 14 places and 26 points above Fiorentina, who are 18th having won three, drawn eight and lost 11 of their 22 games this season.

Augsburg should be backed to beat St Pauli at the WWK Arena on Saturday. The visitors have lost seven times in their last nine away games in the Bundesliga and could be heading for another defeat here.

Lorient should be backed to get the better of Nantes in a Breton derby at Stade du Moustoir on Saturday and add to the visitors’ recent woes. The hosts are on a roll. Lorient have not lost in eight Ligue 1 games and have won two in a row, while Nantes have suffered five defeats in their last six.

Spartans have won four of their last five games, and seven of 11 trips this term. The league leaders are backed for another win against third-bottom Elgin, as the hosts are winless in six and they’ve suffered three defeats in their four home meetings with the top four so far.

Everton have taken more points on the road than they have at home in the Premier League this season and the Toffees could cash in at the Amex with another three points. David Moyes’ men have won their last two encounters with the Seagulls without conceding and they could prevail in another cagey encounter.

Bayern Munich had to opportunity to rest players for Wednesday’s Champions League win at PSV and that freshness should hold them in good stead at Hamburg. The Bavarians have conceded just three goals in their last five away games and can shut out their hosts, who have blanked in two straight games.

Motherwell are going well in this season’s Premiership and they should claim an entertaining victory at bottom club Livingston on Saturday. The hosts were hammered 6-2 at Aberdeen last weekend and their last two home defeats, against Celtic and Dundee United, were by 4-2 and 3-1 scorelines.

Spartans bounced back from last weekend’s defeat with a 6-0 victory at East Kilbride in midweek, leaving them with four wins from five. They head to an Elgin side who have lost three of their last four, but BTTS has landed in five of the hosts’ last six, while the league leaders have kept two clean sheets in their 11 trips.

La Liga leaders Barcelona have won 14 of their last 15 matches and boast one of the best attacks in Europe, so it is hard to see them failing to pick up all three points in Alicante. Elche last failed to score in a match in October, though, so there is hope they can net in defeat.

Wolves have conceded the second-highest number of goals at home, while Bournemouth have shipped the most goals away. BTTS has landed in the visitors’ last eight games, while Wolves can threaten after an upturn in performances under Rob Edwards.

Leeds have put up some strong home performances against Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United recently and they are capable of finding the net against leaders Arsenal, who have failed to win their last three Premier League matches.

Five of West Brom’s last seven league games have seen both teams score, and their defence travels poorly—no clean sheet in 11 away days. Portsmouth rarely shut the door (no clean sheet in 17 of 20) but are tough to beat and create enough. Expect trading spells, mistakes at the back, and both sides on the board.

The best bet is both teams to score in Saturday’s clash between Levante and Atletico Madrid at Ciutat de Valencia. Levante beat Elche 3-2 last Friday, and there should be goals at both ends in this one. Neither side has been solid at the back of late. Levante have gone 13 home games without keeping a clean sheet, while Atletico Madrid have failed to keep a clean sheet in seven of their last eight games against Levante.

Thierno Barry has had to be patient since his move to Everton but the goals are starting to flow for the French forward who can continue his hot streak for the Toffees at Brighton. Barry has bagged five goals this term, but four of those have come in the last month, including four in his last six outings.

Everton have taken more points on the road than they have at home in the Premier League this season and the Toffees could cash in at the Amex with another three points. David Moyes’ men have won their last two encounters with the Seagulls without conceding.

Leeds have put up some strong home performances against Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United recently and they are capable of finding the net against leaders Arsenal, who have failed to win their last three Premier League matches.

Bournemouth have seven points to show from their last three games and should take plenty of confidence from their 3-2 victory over Liverpool last weekend. Wolves’ own mini revival was ended in a 2-0 loss at Man City last time out, their 17th defeat in 23 games and a result that leaves them a whopping 17 points adrift of safety. The Cherries won the reverse fixture 1-0 and can complete a league-double over the division’s bottom club on Saturday.

Chelsea are on a four-game winning run following their victory in Naples and have won five of their six games under Liam Rosenior. West Ham may have found some form of late, but they have lost their last five trips to Stamford Bridge and could come unstuck.

Liverpool picked up a confidence-boosting 6-0 win over Qarabag in midweek and have won their last four home meetings with Newcastle. The Magpies haven’t won at Anfield since 1994 and they have picked up just one point from their last three league outings.

Thierno Barry has had to be patient since his move to Everton but the goals are starting to flow for the French forward who can continue his hot streak for the Toffees at Brighton. Barry has bagged five goals this term, but four of those have come in the last month, including four in his last six outings.

Viktor Gyokeres has had a sticky start to his Arsenal career, but he has scored in three of his last five games and has happy memories of scoring twice in the Gunners’ 5-0 win over Leeds in August, so he should be backed to find the net again.

Bournemouth’s Evanilson has five Premier League goals for the season and three of those have come in his last four games, he can continue his purple patch in the West Midlands.

Joao Pedro’s brace at Napoli on Wednesday took his tally to four goals in his last three starts for Chelsea, and he appears to be a big part of how Rosenior’s side attacks. Pedro scored one and assisted two in their 5-1 battering of the Hammers in August, and he could strike again on Saturday.

Hugo Ekitike scored and assisted in midweek and has ten combined goals and assists in his last 11 appearances. He scored in the reverse fixture back in August and looks a good bet to add to his tally.

Jamie: No League One side has taken fewer points from their last ten games than Rotherham, while Exeter have won their last five home games to nil.

Ian: Hull have won four of their last six games, and they have dropped just two points from their last six road outings. Rovers have won just one of their last 13 games, so the visitors are good value for victory. 

Aidan: Bournemouth can build on their dramatic late win over Liverpool last weekend by picking up all three points at bottom-of-the-table Wolves.

Warren: The Seagulls have slipped three points behind the Toffees, with Fabian Hurtzeler’s men having collected just six points from the last 18 available. Everton head to the Amex Stadium unbeaten in their last three on the road, and they have won three and drawn two of their last five visits to Brighton.

Alex: Lorient are backed for a fourth successive win when they host struggling Nantes. The relegation-threatened visitors have lost their last two Ligue 1 assignments to leave them 16th in the standings, and Les Merius haven’t lost a home match since August.

Gareth: Mansfield are on a seven-game unbeaten run across all competitions, winning five of those. Wanderers have won just one of their last six road games in the league, despite taking on three members of the bottom five during that period. 

Boro are rolling at the Riverside: four wins in six at home, two straight home victories, and just 11 conceded in 14 league games (0.79 per match). They’ve scored first often and converted 12 of 14 when doing so. Norwich are mid-table travellers (5-5-5 away). Form and defensive control point to a home win.

Lincoln solidified second place with a dominant 3-0 victory at home to Bradford and they can follow that up by defeating Wigan away from home. The Imps are playing with lots of confidence and should have too much power and quality for Wigan, who sit just one point above the relegation zone.

Aberdeen have beaten Kilmarnock twice in the Premiership this season and they look a big price to complete the hat-trick on Saturday. The visitors are in patchy form but Kilmarnock have not won in the league since the first week of October and have scored only eight goals in 11 home games.

Swindon’s season is in danger of falling apart after four consecutive defeats in all competitions. However, two defeats in eight at home should give them some confidence, especially when they are due to face a Barrow team, who have won just once in seven away matches.

La Liga leaders Barcelona have won 14 of their last 15 matches and boast one of the best attacks in Europe, so it is hard to see them failing to pick up all three points in Alicante. Elche last failed to score in a match in October, though, so there is hope they can net in defeat.

Liverpool picked up a confidence-boosting 6-0 win over Qarabag in midweek and have won their last four home meetings with Newcastle. The Magpies haven’t won at Anfield since 1994 and they have picked up just one point from their last three league outings.

Both teams have found the net in 17 of the last 20 Ligue 1 games between Monaco and Rennes, and that trend is unlikely to change when they meet at Stade Louis II on Saturday. The best bet is both teams to score.

Cagliari should be backed to get a home win over Verona on Saturday. They are 12th in Serie A, eight places and 11 points above rock-bottom Verona, with six wins, seven draws and nine defeats from their 22 games, while the visitors have just two wins so far.

La Liga leaders Barcelona have won 14 of their last 15 matches and boast one of the best attacks in Europe, so it is hard to see them failing to pick up all three points in Alicante. Elche last failed to score in a match in October, though, so there is hope they can net in defeat.

Monaco may be able to edge out Rennes in a close encounter, with a 2-1 home win the correct-score pick. Eleven of Monaco’s 19 Ligue 1 matches this season have gone over 2.5 goals, and they have beaten Rennes by a single goal in four of the last five clashes.

Liverpool have conceded in six of their last nine matches and may not be able to shut out Newcastle. The Magpies have conceded exactly two goals in two of their last three Premier League fixtures, opening the door for a 2-1 scoreline.

Liverpool look like the best value pick, with the Reds putting their struggles behind them with an eight-game unbeaten run. The Reds have the fourth-best Expected Goals record across the first six Champions League gameweeks, while they’ve recorded back-to-back 1-0 wins over Real Madrid and Inter Milan in Europe. Arne Slot’s side have a kind double-header in January, leaving them primed for a top-eight finish. With the Premier League coasting towards a fifth Champions League berth, the Reds should be in a good position to focus on European success in the spring.

Spain have some incredibly talented individuals, Lamine Yamal being the prime example, but are strong in all areas and don’t have any particular weaknesses. They won Euro 2024 with relative ease and they should be too good for their continental rivals at the World Cup. They also look a level above South American heavyweights Argentina and Brazil, suggesting they will be the team to beat at the World Cup this summer.

Blackpool have scored in their last nine League One games, while they’ve netted 23 goals across their 14 games at Bloomfield Road. However, only two sides in the third tier have conceded more goals than Blackpool’s 39. Opponents Stockport have found the net in 10 of their 13 away games this term, but all of the visitors’ away clean sheets have come against teams in the relegation zone.

Barcelona haven’t kept a clean sheet in their seven Champions League games this term. The Catalans have conceded at home to Olympiakos and Eintracht Frankfurt, and they host a Copenhagen side who are pushing to make the top 24 after winning 3-2 against Villarreal last time out. 

Feyenoord have conceded 13 times across their seven League Phase games, while they were beaten 4-3 at FCSB in their last European trip. Betis have scored twice in all three of their home games in the Europa League this term, but the visitors need a win to avoid elimination. 

BTTS has landed in 10 of 14 Genoa games since Patrick Viera was sacked, and they head to a Lazio side who have scored 13 times in their six home clashes with sides below them.

Wolves have conceded the second-highest number of goals at home, while Bournemouth have shipped the most goals away. BTTS has landed in the visitors’ last eight games, while Wolves can threaten after an upturn in performances under Rob Edwards.

Rangers return from a visit to Portugal aiming to continue some free-scoring form in the Premiership, but they visits a Hibs side that averages two goals per game at home. 

Both teams have scored in four of Reims’ last five away league games, while goals at both ends has been a fairly regular occurrence for Clermont – landing in seven of their last eight fixtures across all comps.

Montpellier have conceded in five of their last seven at home, and have scored themselves in 80% of their home games this season. Guingamp have seen goals at both ends in six of their last eight Ligue 2 trips.

Both teams have scored in nine of Twente’s last 10 away games across all comps. Breda are yet to keep a clean sheet at home in any competition and have scored in six of their last eight league games at this venue.

Both teams have scored in four of Maastricht’s last five games and they have conceded in all of those. Eindhoven have just one clean sheet in their last 10 at home and have scored 11 goals across their last four games overall, so goals at both ends looks likely here.

Both teams have scored in seven of Dordrecht’s last eight games and they have kept just one clean sheet in 14. Vitesse have seen goals at both ends in four of their last five at home and they concede on average just under 1.5 goals per-game at this venue.

Gent are on a three-game winning run in the league and they should be able to make it four in a row at Louviere, who have just one win in nine in this competition (D3, L5). The hosts have at least scored in their last two home losses and can grab a consolation effort here.

Wolfsburg have won the last three head-to-head meetings and are good value to take the points against an inconsistent Cologne side that have lost four of their last six Bundesliga matches.

Espanyol have won three of their last six home league games while Alaves have lost six of their last seven away La Liga matches. The visitors have the joint-worst away record in La Liga and seem unlikely to pick up any points.

Lens may have won their last nine home games in all competitions, but they could be running out of steam after a couple of unconvincing displays. Meanwhile, Le Havre had the better of Lens’ 2-1 win earlier this season and have avoided defeat in four of their last five league games.

Lazio have won only one of their last five Serie A matches while Genoa are unbeaten in their last five league outings with two wins. The visitors can at least avoid defeat against a side Lazio  who have failed to score in their last two matches.

Derby have the joint-third best defensive record away from home in the Championship and face a Bristol City side that have seen under 2.5 goals land in their last three games. The last three meetings between these sides at Ashton Gate have featured a goal apiece, and another low-scoring affair is expected.

Gent are on a three-game winning run in the league and they should be able to make it four in a row at Louviere, who have just one win in nine in this competition (D3, L5). The hosts have at least scored in their last two home losses and can grab a consolation effort here.

Wolfsburg have won the last three head-to-head meetings and are good value to take the points against an inconsistent Cologne side that have lost four of their last six Bundesliga matches. Cologne have scored in all four of their games since the winter break and Wolfsburg have gone 12 games without a clean sheet so the hosts can get on the scoresheet. 

Despite the mounting pressure on both clubs, this clash is likely to be an open affair. At least three goals have been scored in all four of Cologne’s post-winter break matches and in six of the Wolves’ last seven Bundesliga games overall.

Derby have the joint-third best defensive record away from home in the Championship and face a Bristol City side that have seen under 2.5 goals land in their last three games. The last three meetings between these sides at Ashton Gate have featured a goal apiece, and another low-scoring affair is expected.

Le Havre have tightened up at the back recently, conceding only three goals in their last five league games. Lens’ last three home Ligue 1 games have all gone under 2.5 goals and that pattern could continue on Friday.

Las Palmas have juts one point to show from their last three games but all of those have been clashes with promotion rivals, and the trip to strugglers Real Sociedad B looks a good opportunity to get back to winning ways, The hosts are winless in five in the league and have lost two of their last three at home, while Las Palmas have only lost twice on their travels in this competition and won the reverse fixture 2-1.

Espanyol have won three of their last six home league games while Alaves have lost six of their last seven away La Liga matches. The visitors have the joint-worst away record in La Liga and seem unlikely to pick up any points.

Despite the mounting pressure on both clubs, this clash is likely to be an open affair. At least three goals have been scored in all four of Cologne’s post-winter break matches and in six of the Wolves’ last seven Bundesliga games overall.

Moreirense sit above Guimaraes in the standings and are the team in the better form, with three wins in their last four games. Guimaraes have failed to win three of their last four home games and the visitors look capable of leaving with at least a point.

Las Palmas have juts one point to show from their last three games but all of those have been clashes with promotion rivals, and the trip to strugglers Real Sociedad B looks a good opportunity to get back to winning ways, The hosts are winless in five in the league and have lost two of their last three at home, while Las Palmas have only lost twice on their travels in this competition and won the reverse fixture 2-1.

Moreirense sit above Guimaraes in the standings and are the team in the better form, with three wins in their last four games. Guimaraes have lost back-to-back games and have three defeats in their last four at home in the league, so the visitors look capable of pulling off a minor upset and leaving with three points.

Lazio have won only one of their last five Serie A matches while Genoa are unbeaten in their last five league outings with two wins. Genoa have conceded just four goals across their last five games and look defensively solid enough to grind out a victory at Stadio Olimpico against a Lazio side who have failed to score in their last two matches.

Wolfsburg have won the last three head-to-head meetings and are good value to take the points against an inconsistent Cologne side that have lost four of their last six Bundesliga matches.

Bristol City have won the last three home meetings with Derby by a 1-0 scoreline, but the reverse fixture in August ended 1-1 and the Rams have only lost two of their last nine away games. With both teams proving difficult to beat, a 1-1 stalemate could be on the cards.

Espanyol have won three of their last six home league games while Alaves have lost six of their last seven away La Liga matches. The visitors have the joint-worst away record in La Liga and seem unlikely to pick up any points. Three of Alaves’ last seven away trips have finished in 1-0 defeats for them and that score could recur against an Espanyol side that has conceded only five goals at home to bottom-half clubs.

Moreirense defender Maracas has been making an impact in attack recently with two goals in his last three games, while all three of his league efforts this season have come in his last eight outings. Maracas is a threat from set pieces and stands out as an outside contender for an anytime effort on Friday.