Dortmund and Inter look to be battling it out for second place behind Barcelona in Group F of the Champions League and neither will want to give an inch here. They are level on four points after the Nerazzurri secured a solid 2-0 success in Italy a fortnight ago and a tight tussle is expected in Germany.
Micah Richards retired from playing in the summer due to a persistent knee injury but has kept a close eye on how the new Premier League season has unfolded so far. In an exclusive interview with bwin, the former Manchester City, Fiorentina and Aston Villa defender discusses some of the hot topics in the game.
Arsenal just edged out Vitoria 3-2 in an entertaining Europa League encounter at Emirates Stadium and we’re expecting a similar outcome in Portugal. The Gunners are flying high at the top of the Group F table with nine points from three games, whereas their hosts have yet to get off the mark.
Steven Gerrard has done a sterling job in making Rangers a major force again, but the former Liverpool star knows he now needs a trophy to back up the progress made. That should ensure the Glasgow giants are fully focused on Sunday’s Scottish League Cup semi-final with a struggling Hearts outfit.
Celtic are worthy favourites to beat Hibs in Saturday’s Scottish League Cup semi-final but the Edinburgh outfit do have a decent head-to-head record. The underdogs have secured two wins and four draws from the past 11 meetings, including a 1-1 stalemate at Easter Road this term.
Saturday lunchtime’s Yorkshire derby at Hillsborough has more at stake than just bragging rights with both teams firmly in the mix to finally return to the Premier League. Just one point separates the two teams after Sheffield Wednesday gained ground in midweek with a home win against Stoke while Leeds were held to a 1-1 draw at Preston.
Huddersfield have enjoyed a revival in recent weeks and have the chance to leapfrog Middlesbrough in Wednesday night’s televised Championship clash. The Terriers have picked up eight points from their last four games and are now just one behind Boro, who have lost four of their last five matches.
Real Madrid have put themselves under plenty of pressure to qualify from Champions League Group A ahead of a tricky trip to Galatasaray. Both of these sides have picked up just one point from two games, each drawing with Club Brugge and losing to pool leaders PSG, so a win is badly needed.
Cardiff are three points behind Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship table after 11 rounds of fixtures but still appeal due to their strong home form. The Bluebirds have secured four victories and a draw with Fulham from five league games in Wales, beating QPR 3-0 in the last match at this venue.
Huddersfield began to turn their season around with two straight wins before the international break and can pick up a decent point when visiting Blackburn. Rovers are six points and seven places above Town in the Championship table, but are coming off a sticky patch and may settle for steadying the ship.
Nottingham Forest have built up some strong momentum in the Championship this term and are taken to prove too hot for Wigan at DW Stadium. The Latics have done well to win their last couple of games at this venue against Charlton and Birmingham, but this is rated a tougher test.
Switzerland must go for a win when taking on the Republic of Ireland in Geneva and are fancied to get their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign back on track. The Swiss are four points behind Ireland and Denmark, but have a game in hand and finish off with matches against Georgia at home and Gibraltar away.
England will be determined to quickly exorcise the demons of Friday’s loss in the Czech Republic when visiting Bulgaria. The Three Lions tamely surrendered a decade-long, 43-match unbeaten run in European and World Cup qualifying matches in Prague but are expected to get back on track in Sofia.
Northern Ireland have a good record against the Czech Republic and are worth backing to grind out a draw in Prague. The Green and White Army picked up a point at Generali Arena during qualifying for the 2018 World Cup and have gone four head-to-head clashes without defeat.