Tony Kelshaw 
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make his Serie A debut for Juventus at Chievo on Saturday and all eyes will be on the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Ronaldo took just eight minutes to hit the target in Sunday’s 5-0 friendly win over his new club’s B team, so the omens are good for his sensational switch to Italy to pay off.
Sheffield Wednesday were convincing winners at the Stadium of Light in the Championship in April and can repeat the trick against Sunderland in Thursday’s televised EFL Cup clash. The Owls have a similar squad this season, whereas the Black Cats have continued to cut costs since dropping down into League One.
Burnley are favourites to qualify from their Europa League tie with Istanbul Basaksehir after returning from Turkey on level terms but we fear the away goals rule could go against them. The Clarets set their stall out to stifle decent opponents and were up to the task, but now the onus is on them to be more positive.
Rangers have a golden chance of making the Europa League play-offs as they take a 3-1 lead to Slovenia for the second leg of their tie with NK Maribor. Steven Gerrard’s side have already managed to grind out positive results at Shkupi and Osijek in this competition, securing a goalless draw and a 1-0 triumph.
Molde have been impressive at home this season and Hibs face a tough test when visiting Norway for Thursday’s Europa League second-leg tie. Last week’s goalless draw at Easter Road was not the worst result in the world for the Edinburgh outfit, but we still feel they are now up against it.
Celtic’s bid to reach the Champions League group stage for a third straight season is set to right down to the wire when they visit AEK Athens. The Hoops will travel to Greece on level terms following last week’s 1-1 stalemate at Parkhead, when their opponents were reduced to 10 men in the 57th minute.
The Sky Sports cameras will be at Huish Park scenting an EFL Cup upset when League Two outfit Yeovil host Championship promotion hopefuls Aston Villa. Steve Bruce’s side did lose at Luton in the first round a couple of years ago and everything is geared around getting into the Premier League this term.
West Brom have had a challenging start to life back in the Championship but are fancied to show their true worth at Norwich. Picking up just one point from their two opening games wasn’t in the script, but Albion remain among the favourites for a quick return to the Premier League.
Wigan returned to the Championship with an encouraging win over Sheffield Wednesday and can build on that by picking up a point at Aston Villa. The Latics were impressive League One champions last season and reached the FA Cup quarter-finals, so this step back up in class should hold no fears.
Back-to-back relegations have left Sunderland in League One but they can start to recover by seeing off Charlton at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. Two years ago, the Black Cats opened with a game against Manchester City in the Premier League, so hopefully they will find their current company far more conducive.
Leeds and Stoke are two of the favourites to gain promotion to the Premier League this season and a tight tussle is expected in Sunday’s Championship clash. United have brought in high-profile manager Marcelo Bielsa to boost their hopes, while City are seeking to bounce straight back up to the top flight.
Aston Villa have been boosted by attracting new investors and can transfer that feelgood factor to the field of play when visiting Hull on Monday night. Steve Bruce steered the Midlands outfit to the Championship play-off final last term and has been given a vote of confidence to go one better this season.
Frank Lampard’s arrival has created a real buzz about Derby this summer and they can start the new Championship campaign with a win at Reading. The Rams will be looking to build on last season’s sixth-placed finish, whereas the ante-post odds suggest the Royals are facing another relegation battle.
Celtic begin their quest for an eighth straight Scottish Premiership title with what looks a straightforward task when hosting top-flight newcomers Livingston. The visitors are back up to this level for the first time since 2006 and have lost 19 consecutive matches against the Hoops, dating back to 2001.