Fixture difficulty: Which clubs have the toughest – and easiest – start to the new season?
The ‘big five’ European leagues have released their schedules for the 2021-22 season so we have analysed the fixture difficulty for them all. While every team has to play everyone else at some point, timing can be everything. A tough start can easily undermine a positive pre-season, while a gentle run of opening fixtures can provide the momentum necessary for a successful campaign.
Ballon d’Or odds: Messi could be in seventh heaven
Lionel Messi will look to extend his record of six Ballon d’Or titles when the annual football award returns. The 2020 award ceremony was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic but with football’s return to action, the 2021 edition will see the voting commence.
Euro stars: Who will sign them this summer?
With Euro 2020 now over, attention is shifting to the upcoming domestic football season but the competition’s impact may be felt here as well. Until the first ball of a new campaign is kicked, the attention of fans tends to be fixated on the transfer market, where the Euro 2020 stars will have drawn the attention of the game’s big spenders.
Bundesliga winner odds: Nagelsmann eyeing perfect 10
Bayern Munich are red-hot favourites at 1/6 to claim a 10th straight German title under new boss Julian Nagelsmann in bwin’s Bundesliga winner odds. The Bavaria-born 33-year-old earned rave reviews for his work with Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig.
Rebuilding a footballing dynasty – and what happened next?
With several of Europe’s leading clubs in a transitional period this summer, we’ve taken a look at which past seasons have seen the biggest exoduses of title-winning players and how it affected each team’s performances in the following years.
Bundesliga predictions: Saturday treble from Germany’s top tier
We’re continuing our regular Bundesliga predictions with a 15/2 Saturday treble from the final round of fixtures in Germany’s top division. Matches in this competition invariably produce lots of thrilling goalmouth action and more of the same is expected during the current campaign.
European Super League: Breakaway tournament collapses
The football world is in turmoil following a European Super League announcement which could shake up the very foundations of the sport. It is proposed the new competition will be a rival to the Champions League, with organisers claiming it will generate increased and guaranteed income for clubs involved.
RB Leipzig vs Bayern Munich: Value with underdogs in crunch clash
Arguably the match of the weekend in Europe is in the Bundesliga as the top two face off in a crunch clash which could go a long way to deciding the destiny of the title. Bayern Munich go into the game with a four-point lead at the top of the table and victory would boost their hopes of retaining their crown.
Who are football’s highest-profile free agents this summer?
As the football season enters its final stretch, Europe’s top clubs will already be preparing their transfer plans for this summer. While there will undoubtedly be fierce bidding wars for the continent’s top talent, some of the biggest signings could well be free transfers.
Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund: Hosts hard to oppose
Bayern Munich have won the last four Der Klassiker showdowns and look worthy favourites to edge out Borussia Dortmund again at Allianz Arena. However, after a couple of 3-2 thrillers already this term, it will be a surprise if FC Hollywood have things all their own way on Saturday evening.
Football’s top goalscoring bromances
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, we have taken our annual look at which pairs of footballers form the best goalscoring partnerships on the pitch. We have measured this across a range of competitions by calculating the combined goalscoring rate of every pairing per 90 minutes spent together on the pitch since the start of last season.
What can we expect from the January transfer window?
With the January transfer window set to open soon, we’ve looked at every winter signing made in the last decade by clubs in the ‘big five’ European leagues to predict which moves are the most likely. Clubs in Serie A have been the most eager January recruiters in the previous 10 years.
Analysis: Ten footballers who could suffer from burnout this season
With football now back under way across Europe, the continent’s top clubs can once again focus on the long term. Unfortunately the compressed post-Covid schedule and looming international commitments could lead to their star players tiring during the campaign and suffering from burnout.
Dayot Upamecano transfer news: Gunners favourites to swoop
After watching him star in RB Leipzig’s Champions League run, we’re tracking the latest Dayot Upamecano transfer news to see which teams are chasing the young defender. Arsenal and Bayern Munich head the betting on where he could finish up at the end of the current window.