Dortmund finished last season in great form and can pick up where they left off by beating Frankfurt in their Bundesliga opener. Both teams have had managerial changes and the hosts look to have adjusted better, judged on a 3-0 cup victory at Wehen-Wiesbaden.
Peterborough have made a shocking start to the new season and may be content to just steady the ship when hosting Derby in the Championship. The Rams were plagued by off-field problems over the summer but seem ready to knuckle down and fight for their survival.
Sheffield United received a wake-up call when upset by Birmingham but can kick-start their Championship campaign by winning at Swansea. The Welsh outfit looked disjointed during Russell Martin’s first league game in charge and may take time to adjust to new tactics.
Fulham are favourites for promotion from the Championship but Middlesbrough are no mugs either and a close contest could be on the cards. The hosts ended last season with a miserable run of Premier League results and have plenty to prove here, despite an obvious drop in class.
Coventry are back at their home stadium after two years sharing with Birmingham and can celebrate by beating Nottingham Forest. Just three points and one place separated these teams in the Championship table last term, but City finished far more strongly.
We’re tracking the latest Lionel Messi transfer news, rumours and odds for clues on where Lionel Messi could move to this summer. Barcelona sent shock waves across the football world when announcing the 34-year-old Argentina superstar was heading for the exit door.
Bournemouth entertain West Brom in this season’s Championship curtain-raiser and we’re siding with the Cherries on Friday night. They already have the benefit of a 5-0 EFL Cup win over MK Dons under their belts, along with home advantage at Vitality Stadium.
Sheffield United will be delighted to have their passionate fans back inside Bramall Lane for Saturday’s Championship opener with Birmingham. The Blades missed those supporters when relegated from the Premier League last term but look well placed to bounce straight back.
With 23,000 fans allowed into Ibrox, Rangers can begin the new Scottish Premiership campaign by again celebrating last season’s stunning title triumph. Steven Gerrard’s side ended Celtic’s dominance north of the border when topping the table by 25 points.
Celtic can put a heart-breaking Champions League exit behind them to start their Scottish Premiership campaign with a win at Hearts. The Jambos easily earned promotion from the Championship and have done well in the Premier Sports Cup but now step up in class.
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.
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.
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.
With Euro 2020 now over, attention will switch to the new domestic season and we’re tracking the latest Harry Kane transfer news to see which teams could make a move. The England captain enjoyed another impressive tournament as his four goals helped the team go agonisingly close to winning the Euros, with Kane threatening to repeat his Golden Boot success at the 2018 World Cup.