European teams have won the last seven renewals of the FIFA Club World Cup and Bayern Munich are expected to extend that sequence when facing Tigres. Their Mexican opponents upset the odds when knocking out Palmeiras of Brazil in the semis in Qatar but look out of their depth in the decider.
Chelsea have already thrashed Barnsley in the EFL Cup this season so should be confident of a routine victory when they meet in the FA Cup fifth round FA Cup. Kai Havertz hit a hat-trick as the Blues cruised to a 6-0 win at Stamford Bridge in September, although both clubs have since had a change of manager.
Burnley seem ready to have a real crack at FA Cup glory this season and are fancied to get the better of Bournemouth at Turf Moor. The Clarets were convincing 3-0 victors at Fulham in round four and have performed with credit in the Premier League since that tie.
Sheff Utd have used the FA Cup to try and build much-needed confidence this season and are expected to do the same when they host Bristol City. The Blades remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League but have again been handed a kind cup draw, having squeezed past two League One opponents.
Swansea gave Manchester City a scare in the FA Cup two years ago and will hope to have their moments in this season’s fifth-round tie at Liberty Stadium. The Swans led 2-0 with just over 20 minutes left on the clock on that occasion, before a late turnaround saw them slip to a heart-breaking 3-2 defeat.
Tottenham are in desperate need of a boost after three straight Premier League defeats but should enjoy a welcome reprieve when hosting West Brom. The second-from-bottom Baggies have only picked up one point from four outings themselves and look headed for a quick return to the Championship.
West Ham have built up a ton of momentum by winning seven of their last eight Premier League and FA Cup matches and are fancied to oblige again at Fulham. The Cottagers have been battling hard to enhance their survival hopes but looked short on quality when beaten at home by Leicester on Wednesday.
The race for the Premier League hots up on Friday night when the top two teams in the Championship meet in south Wales. Norwich lead the way as they seek an immediate return to the Championship but have failed to score in their last three games in all competitions.
Watford have looked like genuine contenders for a quick return to the Premier League of late and are taken to prove too strong for QPR at Vicarage Road. Rangers are rated a solid, but unspectacular mid-table Championship outfit at best, so this is the kind of test the Hornets should safely negotiate.
Everton’s target this season is to qualify for Europe and seeing off the likes of Newcastle at home is essential to achieving that aim. The Magpies have lost five straight Premier League fixtures, although they did at least show a bit more attacking intent when beaten by Leeds in midweek.
Fulham enjoyed a convincing victory over West Brom in London earlier this season and are taken to confirm their superiority at The Hawthorns. That was one of only two Premier League wins for the Cottagers, but their recent form in this competition has been rock-solid, with six draws in eight outings.
Bournemouth received a welcome boost to morale in the FA Cup and are now fancied to get their Championship campaign back on track at Reading. The Cherries scored four unanswered goals in the second half when coming from behind to beat the Royals at Vitality Stadium a couple of months ago.
Chelsea begin life after Frank Lampard’s exit with what looks a very winnable Premier League match against Wolves at Stamford Bridge. The visitors have lacked balance since losing star striker Raul Jimenez to injury and a poor run of results now seems to be really affecting their confidence.
Man Utd and Sheff Utd are at opposite ends of the Premier League table, but this match may not be the walk-over many people expect. The Red Devils could be tempted to ease off a touch in between two recent clashes with Liverpool and a tricky trip to Arsenal, plus the Blades have troubled them before.