Tottenham Hotspur vs Watford

High-flying Tottenham Hotspur entertain newly-promoted Watford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a potentially record-setting Premier League contest.

It’s been a dream start to his managerial career at Tottenham for Nuno Espirito Santo, as his side head into proceedings having outscored reigning champions Manchester City and his former employers Wolverhampton by the identical 1-0 scoreline. A lack of goals could go down to the absence of last season’s top-scorer Harry Kane. However, the striker netted a first-half brace in his first competitive start under the new boss during a 3-0 thumping of Pacos Ferreira in the UEFA Europa Conference League a few days ago. Seeking a perfect three-game start to a new top-flight campaign for only the second time in 12 seasons, ‘Spurs’ could make history here. The Londoners have never won their first three league matches of a new season without conceding across all divisions. Spirits should be high in London, given that Tottenham are unbeaten in their last ten home league H2Hs (W9, D1).

On the other hand, Watford have failed to build upon a 3-2 home win over Aston Villa on the opening weekend, succumbing to a disappointing 2-0 away loss to Brighton last time out. But a narrow 1-0 home triumph over Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup midweek could raise confidence in the traveling camp, as they look to bring a seven-game losing streak in away Premier League matches to an end. It gets worse, considering that the ‘Hornets’ drew a blank five times during that seven-match sequence, which has been the case in four of their last seven top-flight trips to Tottenham. The visitors will also have to defy their ‘London jinx,’ having won just two of their previous 22 away league fixtures in the capital (D4, L16) and none of the last ten (D3, L7).

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Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester United

Out-of-sorts Wolverhampton Wanderers play host to milestone chasers Manchester United at Molineux Stadium in an exciting Premier League match-up.

Bruno Lage still awaits to see Wolverhampton’s first goal in the Premier League this term, having led his new employers to back-to-back defeats to the likes of Leicester and Tottenham in the opening two rounds. As a result, Wolves take the field on a run of five consecutive top-flight losses, four of which saw them fail to get on the scoresheet. Indeed, the ‘Wanderers’ go into this encounter in the midst of a severe crisis that has seen them lose five of their last seven home Premier League fixtures (W2), as many reverses as they had in their previous 20 top-flight outings at Molineux (W9, D6). That, coupled with a brace of single-goal margin defeats in last season’s Premier League H2Hs, promises another painful weekend for underperforming Wolverhampton.

Meanwhile, Manchester United thrashed Leeds United 5-1 at home to get their new Premier League campaign off to a flyer but could only manage a 1-1 draw away to Southampton last time out. Despite failing to beat the ‘Saints,’ Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are on the cusp of making history. Unbeaten in 27 away Premier League matches on the trot (W17, D10), the ‘Red Devils’ could become the first club in the top-flight history to go 28 straight league trips without losing if they avoid defeat here. Interestingly, Man United conceded the opening goal in ten of their 19 away Premier League games last term without ever losing (W9, D1), which was the case in their most recent trip to Southampton. That said, the visitors have conceded an average of just 0.46 goals per match across their 13 top-flight trips this calendar year. United’s defensive prowess can only improve once summer signing Raphael Varane makes the starting line-up.

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Wolfsburg vs RB Leipzig

Volkswagen Arena is the venue as Wolfsburg and RB Leipzig go head-to-head in a heavyweight Bundesliga showdown.

Wolfsburg have made sure to reassure everyone that last season’s fourth-place finish was no fluke, recording a brace of one-goal margin triumphs to ensure a flying start to their new Bundesliga campaign. Wolfsburg’s eye-catching improvement receives further confirmation from the fact they’ve now started a new top-flight season with two wins from two for the third time in four years, a feat they had only achieved once in their previous 21 Bundesliga campaigns. Worryingly, though, a lack of consistency has seen ‘Die Wolfe’ alternated victory (2) and defeat (2) across their last four home league matches, three of which witnessed the victor keep a blank sheet 2020/21 included. The hosts’ hopes of snapping that run here will depend on their ability to improve upon an underwhelming average of 0.9 goals scored across their ten top-flight meetings with Leipzig.

In the meantime, the visitors have responded to a lackluster 1-0 away defeat to Cologne on Matchday 1 with a 4-0 thumping of Stuttgart last time out. Leipzig’s emphatic triumph over Stuttgart ties in with their last season’s tendency to shut their rivals out. Indeed, ‘Die Roten Bullen’ boasted the best defense in the Bundesliga with just 32 goals conceded from 34 league matches in 2020/21. Peter Gulaszi, who had plain sailing against Stuttgart, also kept more clean sheets (15) than any other goalkeeper in the Bundesliga last term. Jesse Marsch’s men should be confident of capturing some points here after going unbeaten in eight consecutive encounters against Wolfsburg in all competitions (W4, D4). But we could be in for a tight, low-scoring affair here, considering that four of the five overall Bundesliga clashes between these two sides at the Volkswagen Arena have featured under 2.5 total goals.

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Reims vs PSG

Relegation front-runners Reims face the toughest test in French football as out-of-this-world Paris Saint-Germain side arrive at the Stade Auguste-Delaune.

After avoiding finishing in the relegation play-off spot by a mere two points last season, Reims have struggled to improve this term, starting their 2021/22 Ligue 1 campaign with three draws in a row. As a result, they are now winless in their last 11 top-flight fixtures (D7, L4), which stands for the longest ongoing such streak in Ligue 1. What’s more, a run of ten straight home league outings without a victory (D7, L3) means the hosts look like a doomed outfit here. Adding to this sentiment, Reims lost both last season’s top-flight H2Hs by over 1.5 goals ‘to nil,’ though it’s worth noting that they’ve never lost three consecutive Ligue 1 clashes against PSG. Given a return of 0.9 goals scored on average across their last ten home Ligue 1 outings, that trend seems likely to end now.

The stage is set for superstar forward Lionel Messi to make his debut for PSG as the visitors aim to extend their 100% start to the season here. Despite failing to keep a clean sheet across their opening three Ligue 1 fixtures, ‘Les Parisiens’ have come out on top of each encounter and could now record a perfect four-game start to a new top-flight season for the sixth time in the club’s history. Free-scoring Paris have netted an intimidating average of 3.33 goals in their opening three league matches en route to taking their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 to ten (W9, D1). Mauricio Pochettino’s star-studded team have also racked up an impressive ten-game undefeated streak in away Ligue 1 outings (W9, D1), notching up an average of 2.7 goals in the process.

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Burnley vs Leeds United

Burnley and Leeds United will both be desperate to kick-start their Premier League campaigns at Turf Moor this weekend.

A pair of losses to Brighton and Liverpool to start the new Premier League season has extended Burnley’s losing streak in the top-flight to five matches – their worst-ever such run. Yet, a penalty shoot-out victory over Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup midweek could serve as an inspiration for the ‘Clarets’ to get going in the Premier League league and defy relegation forecasts once again. But, Sean Dyche’s men are enduring an underwhelming five-game losing run in home Premier League fixtures, conceding an average of 2.6 goals per match in that period. Additionally, last season’s 4-0 defeat at Turf Moor brought Burnley’s three-game winning streak in home league H2Hs to a halt. Before drawing a blank in this exact fixture in 2020/21, the hosts had found the net in eight straight competitive home H2Hs.

On the other hand, Leeds United came back from behind twice to earn a hard-fought 2-2 home draw against Everton last weekend in response to a humiliating 5-1 defeat away to Manchester United on Matchday 1. The visitors’ sluggish start to the new Premier League season comes as a sharp contrast to their impressive form down the final stretch of 2020/21 that had seen them put together four consecutive league wins to sign off for the previous campaign. Interestingly, the ‘Whites’ have yet to draw an away Premier League match under current boss Marcelo Bielsa, winning ten of their 20 top-flight trips while losing the other ten. In turn, just one of the last 22 league meetings between Burnley and Leeds has ended level, with the Yorkshire outfit claiming a resounding 15 victories in that sequence (L6).

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Barcelona vs Getafe

Injury-crippled Barcelona will be looking to return to winning ways in La Liga when they take on out-of-sorts Getafe at Camp Nou this weekend.

Despite going unbeaten in their opening two La Liga matches (W1, D1), Barcelona already face the prospect of losing some ground at the top, having played out three draws in their last six league outings (W2, L1). With the starting centre-back duo, Eric Garcia and Gerard Pique, both ruled out with injuries, Barca’s hopes of landing their first top-flight clean sheet of the season are hanging in the balance. Despite outscoring Real Sociedad 4-2 in their seasonal opener at Camp Nou, the Catalans’ growing defensive issues have now seen them concede precisely twice in four of their last five home league games. It’s been 39 years since the ‘Blaugrana’ last let in 2+ goals in three home top-flight fixtures in a row, but they run that risk now.

Getafe’s visit to Camp Nou could be a prime opportunity for Ronald Koeman’s side to register a shutout, given a lack of scoring prowess in the traveling camp. The visitors have started their new La Liga campaign with a brace of 1-0 defeats to the likes of Valencia and Sevilla, meaning they’ve now failed to get on the scoresheet in six of their last seven La Liga matches, 2020/21 included. Low scoring has been a common theme in Getafe’s recent away league fixtures, with each of their last four top-flight trips seeing them draw a blank in games garnering under 1.5 total goals (D1, L3). They seem unlikely to get going here, though, considering they’ve never managed to beat Barcelona in an away La Liga meeting (D4, L12).

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Celta Vigo vs Athletic Bilbao

Celta Vigo and Athletic Bilbao will lock horns at the Estadio de Balaídos this weekend as both sides hope to secure their first win of the new La Liga season.

After navigating Celta to their highest finish as a caretaker boss, Eduardo Coudet could be on the cusp of equalling his worst four-match season start as a permanent manager after seeing his side go winless in their opening two La Liga fixtures (D1, L1). Coudet can draw confidence from Celta’s four-game unbeaten home top-flight run against this opposition (W2, D2), a sequence that saw them keep two clean sheets. Yet, after losing their last two home La Liga outings, ‘Los Celestes’ could suffer three home top-flight defeats on the trot for the first time since November 2020. Heading into proceedings as slight favorites, the hosts can find some comfort in going unbeaten in all 11 home La Liga matches they started as favorites last season (W8, D3).

In the meantime, in a true ‘Basque’ fashion, Athletic Bilbao have drawn their opening two La Liga fixtures, both of which featured a goalless HT score and under 2.5 total goals. Although a series of high-profile injuries contributed to Bilbao’s worst La Liga start since 2016/17, there’s no excuse for the visitors’ disastrous attacking record away from home. Indeed, bringing the 2020/21 campaign into the equation, ‘Los Leones’ have failed to get on the scoresheet in five of their previous seven La Liga trips, including the last three in a row. If they draw a blank here, it will be the first time since November 2018 that they’ve failed to score in four successive away games in the competition. Low scoring was a common theme in Athletic’s away La Liga matches last season, with 63.16% of their 19 top-flight trips in 2020/21 featuring under 2.5 FT goals.

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Elche vs Sevilla

Hot relegation candidates Elche will be desperate to post their first La Liga victory of the season when they meet in-form Sevilla at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero.

Elche’s sluggish start to the new La Liga season has seen them draw a blank in both opening top-flight matches, justifying reputation as one of the leading relegation candidates. If Elche can beat Sevilla at long odds here and post only their second La Liga home win over this opposition at the seventh attempt (W1, D2, L3), Elche would replicate their three-match start to last season, which eventually witnessed them avoid relegation by a mere two points. On the bright side, ‘Los Franjiverdes’ have gone unbeaten in their previous two home La Liga fixtures (W1, D1), keeping a clean sheet on each occasion. The last time they went three consecutive home top-flight games without conceding was in April 2014 (7). But after failing to shut Sevilla out in each of their four home league matches this century, they seem unlikely to reach that feat.

On the other hand, Sevilla went nuclear at the beginning of the new La Liga season, winning both opening league fixtures by an aggregate score of 4-0. Particularly lethal in the later stages of play, ‘Los Nervionenses’ scored beyond the 75th minute in each victory this term, with Eric Lamela producing both goals. Another triumph here would see Sevilla equal their best three-game La Liga start (W3) since 2006/07, which was incidentally the last season to yield a third-place finish. Adding to their confidence, Julen Lopetegui’s men have won 63.64% of their previous 11 away La Liga fixtures (W7, D2, L2). Yet, 71.43% of those victories featured a single-goal margin, with the last two coming by the same 1-0 scoreline.

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Fiorentina vs Torino

Fiorentina and Torino are set to square off against each other at Stadio Artemio Franchi in an intriguing Serie A fixture.

Fiorentina have started the new Serie A season with a whimper rather than a bang, succumbing to a 3-1 defeat away to Roma on the opening weekend. However, ‘La Viola’ will be looking to build upon a promising record from their home seasonal openers over the past ten years (W7, D1, L2). What’s more, the hosts are unbeaten in each of their previous 31 home Serie A meetings with Torino (W17, D14), keeping a clean sheet in three of the last four. Notably, Fiorentina have found the back of the net in 15 consecutive Serie A encounters against Torino and could equal the club’s top-flight record if they score here. Only against Triestina have Fiorentina scored in more successive Serie A matches (16) than against this opposition. After bagging 2+ goals in four of their final six home league games to complete last season, they should be confident here.

On the other hand, Torino went down 2-1 to Atalanta at home on Matchday 1 and will be aiming to bounce back and post their first Serie A victory at Stadio Artemio Franchi since 1976/77. That could be easier said than done, considering ‘I Granata’ went four consecutive league trips without winning (D3, L1) down the final stretch of last season, netting under 1.5 goals on each occasion. By extension, Ivan Juric’s men have racked up just two triumphs in their previous 11 away Serie A matches (D5, L4). Moreover, the visitors have scored just six goals across their last nine top-flight trips, never more than one per game. They look unlikely to improve that form here after notching under 1.5 goals in three league matches versus this opposition in a row.

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Juventus vs Empoli

Juventus will be looking to get things rolling in Serie A this season when they take on promoted Empoli as overwhelming favorites at the Allianz Stadium.

Massimilano Allegri’s second managerial debut at Juventus saw his side was a 2-0 HT lead to draw 2-2 with Udinese on the opening weekend. Cristiano Ronaldo, who saw his last-gasp winner disallowed by the VAR intervention, is increasingly heading towards a sensation switch to Manchester City, which is likely to reflect on Juve’s on-field results. After conceding 2+ goals in a seasonal opener for only the third time over the past three decades, ‘I Bianconeri’ will be desperate to post their first Serie A clean sheet after 15 matches – a third-worst such run in their top-flight history. The record-time Serie A champions have failed to win any of their first two games of a new top-flight campaign only twice in 51 such seasons, last doing so in 2015/16.

In the meantime, Empoli ended on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline against Lazio on Matchday 1 despite breaking the deadlock only four minutes into their returning Serie A season. Empoli will hope that football does not follow the script, considering that the last four Serie A campaigns they started with a loss, they went on to lose the subsequent fixture. Adding to a sizeable list of problems, ‘Gli Azzurri’ have never defeated Juventus in an away Serie A H2H, losing 11 of their 12 such encounters (D1) while drawing a blank nine times in the process. Yet, Empoli can hardly do worse than in their last Serie A stint, when they managed just a single triumph from 19 top-flight road trips (D5, L13).

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Lazio vs Spezia

Lazio will be looking to maintain their 100% Serie A record against Spezia when the two sides meet at the Stadio Olimpico this weekend.

Despite conceding first four minutes into the new season, Lazio came from behind to seal a comfortable 3-1 away triumph over promoted Empoli to provide new boss Maurizio Sarri with a flying start. Things could get ugly here, considering ‘I Biancocelesti’ have gone winless in five consecutive Serie A home season openers (D2, L3) since beating Bologna 2-1 in August 2015. With that said, the hosts are the only Serie A side alongside reigning champions Inter Milan to avoid defeat in every top-flight fixture at home in 2021 (W11, D1). Additionally, Lazio prevailed in both last season’s H2Hs against Spezia by the identical 2-1 scoreline after scoring first on each occasion. They are likely to grab another victory should they open the scoring, considering they won all 12 home Serie A outings when breaking the deadlock last season.

Meanwhile, Spezia managed to upset the odds and ensure another top-flight journey in 2020/21, accruing more points (39) than any other Serie A debutants in their inaugural top-flight campaign last season out. But the ‘Aquilotti’ squandered a two-goal lead at Cagliari on Matchday 1, managing just a 2-2 draw to extend their unbeaten Serie A run to four straight matches (W1, D3), 2020/21 included. Notably, Thiago Motta’s men netted 2+ goals in each of those four abovementioned fixtures – they’ve never scored at least twice in five consecutive top-flight games. However, Spezia’s leaky backline has failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last 17 Serie A outings, conceding an average of 2.1 goals per match during that sequence.

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Liverpool vs Chelsea

Anfield is the venue as Liverpool and Chelsea go head-to-head in a mouth-watering Premier League showdown.

After finishing last season on a run of ten consecutive Premier League games without a loss (W8, D2), Liverpool have kicked things off with back-to-back victories ‘to nil’ this term. A comfortable 2-0 triumph over Burnley last time out marked Liverpool’s third consecutive identical home win, setting them up nicely for this fixture. Notably, the ‘Reds’ have suffered just two defeats in their last 13 home top-flight encounters against Chelsea (W6, D5), although one of those reverses came in March. Having won seven straight Premier League games, home and away, and keeping a clean sheet in each of the last four, should fill Jurgen Klopp’s side with confidence. Interestingly, another triumph here would see Merseyside heavyweights join a distinguished group of just two teams to win 5+ top-flight matches by over 1.5 goals ‘to nil.’

Meanwhile, Chelsea have been relentless against fellow London rivals across the opening two weekends, dismantling the likes of Crystal Palace and Arsenal, 3-0 and 2-0, respectively. Delivering action from the onset, the ‘Blues’ netted precisely two first-half goals in both triumphs after breaking the deadlock within the opening 30 minutes of play. Backed by an impressive start to the season, Chelsea will be aiming to post consecutive league wins at Anfield for the first time since 2014. Bringing the 2020/21 season into the equation, none of the visitors’ last five away Premier League fixtures have ended level (W4, L1), with 60% of those results (win/loss) yielding a single-goal margin. Another success here would witness Chelsea rack up a perfect three-game top-flight start without conceding for the fourth time in their Premier League history.

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Real Betis vs Real Madrid

Estadio Benito Villamarín is the venue as Real Betis and Real Madrid go head-to-head in a potentially goal-friendly La Liga contest.

Real Betis have opened their 2021/22 La Liga campaign with identical 1-1 draws against the likes of Mallorca and Cadiz after conceding first on each occasion. Those results tie in with Betis’ fighting spirit that has seen them avoid defeat in all but one of the last nine top-flight fixtures in which they conceded the opening goal (W3, D5). Going back to April, ‘Los Verdiblancos’ have established themselves as somewhat ‘stalemate specialists,’ having drawn nine of their 12 La Liga outings in that span (W3), with six of them yielding the identical 1-1 scoreline. Manuel Pellegrini’s men are unbeaten in their last nine home La Liga matches (W5, D4), prevailing by a single-goal margin in four of those five victories in that sequence. That said, they’ve lost four of their last five top-flight H2Hs as hosts (W1).

We could be in for a scintillating, high-scoring affair here, regardless of the outcome, as each of the last five La Liga meetings between these two sides in Andalusia has seen over 2.5 goals and both teams on the scoresheet. That’s also well in line with Real Madrid’s early La Liga results this term (W1, D1), with both their opening top-flight fixtures featuring 5+ goals and both sides scoring. Action-packed second-half football is also well on the cards, with ten of the 11 goals scored/conceded across those two league fixtures coming beyond half-time. Re-appointed ‘Los Blancos’ manager Carlo Ancelotti has already helped Madrid extend their unbeaten run in road La Liga matches to 16 (W10, D6). Home and away, the visitors are undefeated in 20 top-flight outings (W14, D6), the longest ongoing run in Spain’s top tier.

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Real Sociedad vs Levante

Real Sociedad and Levante are set to exchange tackles at the Reale Seguros Stadium in an exciting La Liga encounter.

Real Sociedad responded to a 4-2 away defeat to Barcelona on the opening weekend with a hard-fought 1-0 home triumph over promoted Rayo Vallecano last time out, courtesy of Mikel Oyarzabal’s second-half penalty. That victory has stretched Sociedad’s winning La Liga streak on home turf to four straight matches as they now look to clock up their longest winning run at home under current boss Jagoba Arrasate. The last time they enjoyed a longer such streak was in January 2014 (6 that time). Levante’s visit to the Reale Seguros Stadium comes in handy, with ‘La Real’ suffering just one loss in their last eight top-flight H2Hs here (W3, D4). But another success here might depend on Sociedad’s ability to improve upon a disappointing average of 1.00 goals scored per game across their previous three home H2Hs.

On the other hand, Levante’s new La Liga campaign has started with back-to-back draws, both of which saw the visitors on the day lead 1-0 at half-time. An underwhelming start – despite a thrilling 3-3 stalemate with Real Madrid last time out – has extended Levante’s winless streak in La Liga to ten games in a row (D5, L5). Notably, though, none of Levante’s 40 top-flight fixtures since the turn of the 2020/21 season have ended goalless. Away from home, the ‘Granotes’ have failed to win any of their last five La Liga matches (D2, L3), scoring under 1.5 goals four times in the process. There is a good omen here, as eight of Levante’s last 12 La Liga games, home and away, have seen the visitor on the day boast a half-time advantage.

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Atletico Madrid vs Villarreal

High-flying Atletico Madrid will be aiming to extend their 100% start to their new La Liga campaign when they meet slow-starting Villarreal at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano.

Atletico Madrid’s La Liga title defense has been off to a flying start, with ‘Los Rojiblancos’ claim a pair of victories via a single-goal margin, both of which were followed by a 1-0 HT lead. As a result, the reigning Spanish champions are now on a run of five consecutive league triumphs by a narrow one-goal margin, four of which yielded the identical 2-1 FT score. Additionally, Diego Simeone’s men have been a force to be reckoned with at the Wanda Metropolitano in 2021, having lost just one of their 12 home La Liga matches since the turn of the year (W9, D2) while winning the last seven in a row. The hosts seem likely to at least avoid defeat here, having alternated between winning (3) and losing (3) across their previous six top-flight H2Hs in the capital.

In the meantime, the visitors have yet to either score or concede after two La Liga games this season (D2) and are actually winless in their last nine matches since lifting the Europa League crown in 2020/21 (D5, L4), friendlies accounted. A brace of uneventful scoreless draws to start their new La Liga campaign includes a goalless draw away to promoted Espanyol, marking their first league road trip in ten to see them draw a blank (W4, D3, L3). Encouragingly for the neutral, ‘El Submarino Amarillo’ have never played out three consecutive goalless stalemates in their top-flight history. In turn, the last and only time Villarreal failed to score in their opening three matches of a new La Liga season was in 2006/07. But after drawing a blank twice in their last three league visits to Atletico, they might not be so confident of ending their goal drought here.

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Atalanta vs Bologna

Atalanta and Bologna are set to trade tackles at the Gewiss Stadium in a potentially high-scoring Serie A fixture. Both last season’s H2Hs featured over 3.5 total goals.

Fresh from winning a fourth Serie A opener on the bounce, Atalanta will be aiming to impress home fans, who are back in attendance following an 18-month hiatus. Having established themselves as a permanent top-three fixture across the last three seasons, Atalanta can smell the opportunity to land a league title this term. Despite failing to score in their most recent home league match back in May, ‘La Dea’ finished each of the last three seasons as the most prolific Serie A side, which speaks enough of their scoring prowess. Adding to this sentiment, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men have racked up seven home league victories over Bologna in a row, bagging 3+ goals in three of the last five. What’s more, Atalanta last failed to find the net in back-to-back home Serie A outings in October 2018.

On the other hand, Bologna came out on top of a five-goal thriller against newly-promoted Salernitana on Matchday 1, eking out a 3-2 home victory despite falling behind twice in the second half. Bologna will be desperate to improve upon a dreadful away form from the tail-end of last season that saw them go four consecutive league trips without winning (D2, L2) to complete the 2020/21 campaign. But after conceding 2+ goals in four of their last six away top-flight games, ‘I Rossoblu’ head into what will be their 2500th Serie A match with low expectations. Yet, even though it looks highly improbable, the visitors could start a new Serie A season with two successive victories for the first time since 1996/97. Dampening that hopes could be the fact they’ve managed just one triumph in their last 11 top-flight away season openers (D3, L7).

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Manchester City vs Arsenal

Manchester City and out-of-form Arsenal go head-to-head at the Etihad Stadium in a mouth-watering Premier League showdown.

Manchester City launched a proper response to their opening day loss at Tottenham Hotspur by putting newly-promoted Norwich City to the sword last time out. The ‘Cityzens’ have now recorded back-to-back 5-0 home Premier League triumphs. Despite alternating victories and defeats across their last seven Premier League outings, Pep Guardiola’s side will be confident of establishing some consistency against a side they’ve shut out in four consecutive top-flight H2Hs (W4). By extension, Man City have kept six clean sheets in their last seven league matches against Arsenal, home and away (W7). Moreover, since a 2-2 draw at the Etihad in May 2016, the hosts have racked up five straight home league victories over this opposition by an aggregate scoreline of 12-3. Interestingly, they opened the scoring four times across that five-game sequence, which was the case in 16 of their 19 home Premier League outings last season.

Under-fire manager Mikel Arteta will hope Arsenal’s 6-0 thrashing of West Brom in the Carabao Cup midweek could be a turning point as his underperforming side face one of the toughest tests in English football. The ‘Gunners’ have opened their Premier League campaign with consecutive 2-0 defeats to fellow London rivals Brentford and Chelsea as they stare at the prospect of losing each of their first three top-flight matches for the first time since 1954/55. Backed by the return of star duo Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang following a severe Covid-19 crisis, will boost Arsenal’s hopes of hampering a run of six consecutive reverses to reigning Premier League champions. Alarmingly, the Londoners have conceded precisely three goals in each of their last five such encounters. Additionally, they’ve gone winless in 16 of their previous 17 away games to defending champions (D6, L10).

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Newcastle United vs Southampton

Newcastle United and Southampton will both be looking to grab their first Premier League win this season when they lock horns at St James’ Park this weekend.

Consecutive two-goal margin losses to being their new Premier League campaign have thrown Newcastle’s hopes of securing their first top-half finish since 2017/18 into a corridor of doubt. The last time they lost each of their first three top-flight fixtures was in 1999/00, incidentally succumbing to Southampton in the third defeat that time. However, the recent H2H record heavily favors the ‘Magpies’ who have ended up on the winning side in four of their last five Premier League duels (L1), prevailing by a single-goal margin on each occasion. Spanning back to 2019/20, Steve Bruce’s men have managed just two clean sheets across their last 24 Premier League games at St James’ Park. That might not be as worrying as the fact they’ve lost three of their last four such contests (W1), conceding an average of 3.33 goals across those reverses.

On the other hand, Southampton are winless in the Premier League this season (D1, L1), despite drawing first blood in both top-flight fixtures so far. An encouraging 1-1 home draw with Manchester United last weekend was followed up by an 8-0 dismantling of Newport in the Carabao Cup midweek to announce new dawn under Ralph Hasenhüttl’s reign. Although the visitors head into proceedings in high spirits, a run of six consecutive away Premier League losses will hardly inspire the traveling fans. Another defeat here could invoke some traumatic memories from the past, with Southampton suffering relegation from the Premier League the last time they lost seven consecutive away league matches. Holding onto a lead has been Southampton’s ‘Achilles heel’ during Hasenhüttl’s tenure, with the ‘Saints’ dropping a staggering 62 points from winning positions in England’s top-flight, at least 12 more than any other team.

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Stuttgart vs Freiburg

The two sides that experienced contrasting fortunes in the last Bundesliga round will trade tackles at Mercedes-Benz Arena as Stuttgart (loss) meet Freiburg (win).

After the euphoria of winning their season opener against newcomers Greuther Fürth 5-1, Stuttgart were brought back down to earth with a bump in the last round after going down 4-0 away to RB Leipzig. Desperate to bounce back immediately, ‘Die Roten’ take on a Freiburg side they lost to in both last season’s top-flight H2Hs by a single-goal margin. However, the hosts still boast a significant advantage in the overall Bundesliga H2H record after winning 55.26% of their top-tier matches against Freiburg (W21, D5, L12). Additionally, Stuttgart have found the net in 11 Bundesliga games against this opposition in a row, averaging 2.4 goals per match. Since none of Stuttgart’s last eight home league outings have ended level (W5, L3), a draw looks to be an unlikely outcome here.

A goalless draw is seemingly off the table, with just one of their 38 overall Bundesliga H2Hs producing a 0-0 stalemate. Freiburg themselves responded to a similar Matchday 1 result against Arminia Bielefeld with an unexpected 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund last time out. The visitors are now aiming to open the new Bundesliga season with a run of three matches without losing for the first time since 2004/05. Achieving that feat could depend on Freiburg improving their goal tally, as Christian Streich’s men have failed to get on the scoresheet in 50% of their away Bundesliga fixtures this calendar year. Based on that, it comes as no surprise that ‘Breisgau-Brasilianer’ have gone winless in six of their last seven top-flight road trips (D1, L5). Against this backdrop, Freiburg have avoided defeat in three of their previous four Bundesliga visits to Stuttgart (W1, D2), netting 2+ goals in each such contest.

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Bayern Munich vs Hertha BSC

Hot favorites to extend an almost perfect start to the new Bundesliga season, Bayern Munich play host to out-of-sorts Hertha BSC at the Allianz Arena.

Fresh from a 12-0 thumping over lower-league outfit Bremer in midweek’s DFB-Pokal encounter, Bayern Munich will be looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the new Bundesliga season (W1, D1). After pulling off a hard-fought 3-2 home victory over Cologne last time out in response to a 1-1 draw against Borussia Monchengladbach on Matchday 1, the perennial Bundesliga champions go up against a side they’ve not lost to in any of their previous 26 top-flight meetings on home soil (W20, D6). Indeed, it’s been almost 44 years since Bayern last suffered a home Bundesliga defeat to this opposition! Additionally, the ‘Bavarians’ have turned the Allianz Arena into a fortress, as witnessed by a run of 28 top-flight fixtures here without a loss (W23, D5). That, coupled with the fact they’ve scored 3+ goals in eight of their last ten home league matches, suggests the hosts are overwhelming favorites here.

On the other hand, the visitors have begun their Bundesliga campaign with back-to-back defeats to Cologne and Wolfsburg despite scoring the opening goal on each occasion. Another disappointing league start compounded by Matheus Cunha’s departure for Atletico Madrid promises another catastrophic weekend for Hertha. Worryingly, the last time a Berlin side started a Bundesliga season with consecutive losses, they were relegated. It’s going from bad to worse for ‘Die Alte Dame’ here, given their dreadful away form in 2021 that has seen them pick up just one victory from 11 away Bundesliga matches since the turn of the year (D4, L6). With the solitary exception of a 2-1 win over last season’s rock-bottom Schalke, Hertha netted under 1.5 goals in all of the remaining ten trips during that sequence. That being said, they have scored 2+ goals in both previous Bundesliga visits to the Allianz Arena (D1, L1).

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West Ham United vs Crystal Palace

High-flying West Ham United are set to tackle out-of-form Crystal Palace at the London Stadium in an all-London Premier League match-up.

West Ham have picked up where they left off last season, securing overwhelming victories over Newcastle United (4-2) and Leicester City (4-1) to paint their new Premier League campaign with flying colors. After showing that last season’s sixth-place finish was no accident, the ‘Hammers’ will be looking to start a new league season with three consecutive wins for the third time in the club’s history. That could be easier said than done, considering the hosts have failed to win both previous top-flight H2Hs at the London Stadium (D1, L1). In fact, after winning their first two Premier League home games against Crystal Palace, West Ham have recorded as many victories in their subsequent eight home encounters in the competition (D3, L3). But after netting 2+ goals in seven of their last nine home league outings, David Moyes’ men should be favorites here.

On the other hand, Patrick Vieira’s life at Crystal Palace has been off to a worrying start, with his side drawing a blank in all three competitive games under his stewardship (D1, L2). Vieira looks to be on course of becoming the first Palace boss since Frank de Boer to see his side fail to trouble the scoreboard in his first three league games in charge, with the Dutchman getting fired after just four fixtures at the helm in 2017/18. Unless the ‘Eagles’ defy expectations here, their winless streak in the London Premier League derbies could go up to 11 consecutive matches (D5, L5). A 3-0 opening day loss to fellow capital rivals Chelsea has left Crystal Palace at just seven goals scored across the last ten London derbies in the top-flight.

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Norwich City vs Leicester City

Leicester City will be keen to return to winning ways in the Premier League when they take on hot relegation candidates Norwich City at Carrow Road this weekend.

The archetypal ‘yo-yo’ club, Norwich City acknowledged their relegation label by suffering consecutive Premier League losses by an aggregate score of 8-0 to start their returning top-flight campaign. Whilst losing to Liverpool and Manchester City, respectively, the ‘Canaries’ have taken their losing Premier League streak to 12 straight games, setting the third worst-ever such top-flight run in the process. Additionally, the hosts have scored under 1.5 goals in 20 Premier League fixtures in a row since a 2-2 draw with Tottenham in December 2019. Only three sides have endured a longer such streak in the Premier League history, with Norwich only six games short of equalling an unwanted top-flight record (25) set by Huddersfield between 2003 and 2005. There’s still a glimmer of hope that Norwich could snap their losing run here, considering their last Premier League win came precisely against Leicester at this venue.

Meanwhile, Leicester’s 1-0 home win over Wolverhampton on Matchday 1 was quickly overshadowed by a disastrous 4-1 loss away to West Ham last weekend. As a result, the ‘Foxes’ are now winless in four of their previous five Premier League trips (D1, L3), including the last two in a row (L2). That’s a sharp contrast to Leicester’s imperious form versus newly-promoted sides that has seen them win five of their last six away matches against such opposition, excluding the abovementioned defeat at Carrow Road. Additionally, Brendan Rodgers’ men have been ruthless against teams entering the round in the relegation zone, winning five consecutive such clashes by an aggregate score of 13-1. But after failing to keep a clean sheet in their last eight away Premier League fixtures, Leicester’s win here might not be a foregone conclusion despite the odds.

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Mainz vs Greuther Fürth

Mewa Arena is the venue as Mainz and Greuther Fürth go head-to-head in a potentially low-scoring Bundesliga affair. Both previous competitive H2Hs here have seen the visitors claim a narrow 1-0 win.

Mainz failed to build upon a surprising 1-0 home triumph over RB Leipzig on the opening weekend, going down 2-0 away to newly-promoted Bochum last time out. That defeat allies well with Mainz’s tendency to crumble when considered pre-match favorites as ‘Die Nullfünfer’ managed a disappointing second-worst 25% win ratio in such Bundesliga fixtures last season. What’s more, Mainz picked up just a single point from four top-flight encounters against newcomers in 2020/21 (D1, L3). By extension, Bo Svensson’s men are winless across their last seven Bundesliga matches against newly-promoted teams (D3, L4). They have also lost all of their previous five home meetings with Greuther Fürth in all competitions, notching under 1.5 goals on each occasion. By contrast, the hosts have suffered just one reverse in their last six home Bundesliga outings (W2, D3).

Meanwhile, Greuther Fürth recovered from a humiliating 5-1 thumping at the hands of Stuttgart back on Matchday 1, eking out a 1-1 home draw against fellow relegation rivals Arminia Bielefeld last time out. After defying underdog status throughout the entire 2020/21 Bundesliga 2 campaign, Stefan Leitl is on the lookout for his first-ever managerial win in the top-flight. Indeed, Leitl’s side avoided defeat in all six away second-tier matches they started as underdogs (W2, D4), which is the direction they want to follow here. That’s a sharp contrast to Greuther Fürth’s sluggish start to the new competitive campaign, as they’ve gone winless in their first three games in all competitions (D1, L2) for the first time since 2006/07. But back-to-back H2H victories by an aggregate score of 5-1 give the ‘Kleeblätter’ faithful plenty of reason for optimism.

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Brighton & Hove Albion vs Everton

Backed by a 2-1 road win over Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup midweek, Everton head to the Amex Stadium in pursuit of their maiden Premier League victory away to Brighton & Hove Albion.

The ‘Seagulls’ are on course of starting a new top-flight campaign with three consecutive victories for the first time in the club’s history after beating Burnley and Watford by an aggregate score of 4-1 in the first two rounds. Brighton’s start to the season is a statement of intent following an underwhelming 16th-place finish in 2020/21 as they seek their first perfect three-game start in English football since the 2011/12 Championship season. That scenario seems to be well within the realm of possibility, as the hosts have avoided defeat in all four top-flight H2Hs at the AMEX (W2, D2), keeping a clean sheet twice in the process. What’s more, Brighton’s notable upturn in form has seen them win three of their last four Premier League matches (L1), as many victories as they had in their previous 14 outings in the competition (W3, D5, L6).

Meanwhile, Everton’s decision to hire opinion-splitting manager Rafael Benitez has paid dividends early in the season, with the ‘Toffees’ going unbeaten in all three competitive fixtures (W2, D1). Having overseen his side score 2+ goals in each of those three matches, Benitez will be confident of becoming the club’s fifth consecutive permanent boss to start a reign with 5+ points from the first nine available. Yet, the Spaniard must be frustrated after his team dropped two points against Leeds United last weekend, despite leading twice in that game (2-2). That draw at Elland Road has extended Everton’s winless streak in away August-held Premier League fixtures to seven matches (D5, L2). Moreover, the visitors have conceded seven goals across their last two top-flight trips, as many as in their previous 12 such contests combined.

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Augsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen

Underperforming Augsburg will be aiming to open their scoring account for the 2021/22 Bundesliga campaign when they meet Bayer Leverkusen at WWK Arena this weekend.

Widely considered one of the likeliest relegation candidates this season, Augsburg have struggled to defy that label on the opening two weekends, as they’ve yet to score in the Bundesliga this term (D1, L1). Although they head into proceedings as the only team in Germany’s top-flight yet to find the net in 2020/21, the ‘Fuggerstädter’ can draw confidence from bagging 2+ goals in four of their final five home league matches to complete last season. Although Augsburg supporters remain hopeful of a quick turnaround here, an underwhelming top-flight H2H record of zero wins from 20 Bundesliga meetings with Leverkusen (D7, L13) is hardly inspiring. Additionally, the hosts have conceded an average of 2.7 goals per game across their ten home top-flight clashes against this opposition. Encouragingly, though, their most recent such encounter yielded a 1-1 stalemate.

In the meantime, Bayer Leverkusen picked themselves up from a sluggish 1-1 draw away to Union Berlin on the opening weekend, racking up an eye-catching 4-0 home triumph over Borussia Monchengladbach last time out. It’s been 21 years since Leverkusen last conceded fewer goals after the first two matches of a new Bundesliga season, which is inspiring compared to the fact they’ve managed just a single clean sheet in ten top-flight trips to Augsburg so far. However, ‘Die Werkself’ come into this fixture in the midst of a dismal away form, having failed to win any of their last six away Bundesliga games (D3, L3). A noteworthy takeaway from that six-game sequence is the Leverkusen drew a blank in four outings while scoring precisely once in the other two.

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Aston Villa vs Brentford

Aston Villa and Brentford are set to square off against each other at Villa Park in their first-ever Premier League meeting.

Aston Villa picked themselves up from a disturbing 3-2 away loss to newly-promoted Watford on Matchday 1 to claim a comfortable 2-0 home victory over Newcastle United last time out. A 6-0 thumping of lower-league side Barrow in the Carabao Cup midweek saw them post back-to-back competitive triumphs ‘to nil’ for the first time since February. Free-scoring ‘Lions’ have notably bagged 2+ goals in five consecutive Premier League outings, last enjoying a longer such sequence in the top-flight in their victorious 1980/81 campaign. Villa should go into this showdown in high spirits, especially considering that they’ve gone undefeated in seven straight home Premier League matches against a new opposition (W5, D2) since a 3-2 loss to Stoke City in August 2008. Curiously, though, each of their last three league meetings with Brentford at Villa Park has ended level.

Meanwhile, after winning their season opener at long odds against Arsenal, Brentford again defied underdog status to ensure a goalless away draw against Crystal Palace last time out. The ‘Bees’ will now aim to become only the third newcomers in the Premier League history to keep a clean sheet in their first three top-flight games. A 3-1 home triumph against lower-division outfit Forest Green in the Carabao Cup weekend should further encourage Brentford’s hopes of extending their six-match unbeaten league streak against Aston Villa (W3, D3). But they’d still want to defy their ‘Villa Park jinx’ that has seen them go winless in all seven competitive visits to this venue (D5, L2). There could be plenty of late action here, given that four of Brentford’s five competitive goals this term have come on or beyond the 60th minute.

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Armina Bielefeld vs Eintracht Frankfurt

Out-of-sorts Eintracht Frankfurt will be looking to post their first Bundesliga win of the season when they take on Arminia Bielefeld at Schüco Arena this weekend.

Warm relegation candidates Arminia Bielefeld have opened the new Bundesliga season with back-to-back draws – both of which featured under 2.5 total goals – extending their unbeaten league streak to five games. Despite coming only three games short of their longest undefeated run in the top-flight this century (8), the last two Bundesliga campaigns they started with consecutive draws saw them suffer relegation. Bielefeld’s hopes of avoiding a similar scenario will hinge on their ability to improve in the final third, having netted the second-low 26 top-flight goals in 2020/21. Regardless of their scoring potential, their recent H2H record versus Eintracht offers virtually no hope to the home faithful, with ‘Die Arminen’ going winless in their last eight competitive H2Hs (D4, L4) since 3-0 away Bundesliga win in November 2006.

On the other hand, Oliver Glasner’s adventure at Eintracht Frankfurt has started with a whimper rather than a bang, with his side going winless in their opening two Bundesliga fixtures (D1, L1). A disappointing 0-0 home draw with Augsburg last time out marked their first goalless stalemate in the Bundesliga since April 2019! Another defeat here would see ‘Die Adler’ make their worst start to a new top-flight season since 2003/04 when they ominously ended up relegated. Adding to an already long list of issues, the visitors have conceded 3+ goals in each of their last four Bundesliga road trips (L4), losing three of them by a margin of at least two goals. Andre Silva’s summer departure for RB Leipzig has left a sizeable gap in the attacking department, as witnessed by Frankfurt’s return of a single goal from 32 attempts so far this term.

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Valencia vs Deportivo Alaves

In-form Valencia welcome out-of-sorts Deportivo Alaves to the Estadio de Mestalla, looking to maintain an unbeaten start to their 2020/21 La Liga campaign.

Desperate to bounce back from a tormenting bottom-half finish last season, Valencia have enjoyed a decent start to the new La Liga campaign, wrapping up four points from the opening two matches (W1, D1). A triumph here would follow a good omen, with Valencia last starting a new league season with two wins from three games in 2014/15, incidentally the last campaign that saw them secure a top-four finish. ‘Los Murciélagos’ can draw courage from winning their previous three home league fixtures by an aggregate score of 8-1, with each victory seeing them lead at half-time. Adding to Valencia’s confidence, they have netted over 1.5 goals in seven of their last eight top-flight H2Hs on home soil, with a 1-1 draw in 2020/21 being the solitary exception.

Meanwhile, Alves, who are no strangers to sluggish league starts, opened the new season with back-to-back defeats, as they did last season. An underwhelming start may not necessarily upset the traveling side, given they managed to avoid relegation in both previous campaigns they begun with consecutive losses. ‘El Glorioso’ alternated between winning (1) and losing (2) across their final three away La Liga matches to conclude last season, with each result (win/loss) seeing the victor keep a clean sheet. Conceding first could well put an end to the visitors’ hopes of picking up first points this term, considering they lost ten of the 11 away La Liga fixtures when falling behind in 2020/21 (D1). Despite scoring a league second-low 15 away goals last term, Alaves’ chances of finding the net here are considerably high, given that they’ve got on the scoresheet in 12 consecutive H2Hs across all competitions.

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Hellas Verona vs Inter Milan

Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi is the venue as Hellas Verona and Inter Milan go head-to-head in an exciting Serie A fixture.

A 3-2 home defeat to Sassuolo on the opening weekend has extended Hellas’ winless Serie A streak to ten straight matches (D4, L6). After starting his new adventure with a whimper rather than a bang, new manager Eusebio Di Francesco will be looking to make history here and lead Verona to their first top-flight victory over Inter since 1992 (D4, L17)! Regardless of the outcome, ‘I Gialloblu’ will be confident of at least finding the back of the net, having scored at least once in each of their last five home Serie A outings. Worryingly, though, you have to go back to mid-October 2020 to find Verona’s last home clean sheet in Serie A, with ‘I Mastini’ conceding at least once in 17 consecutive such fixtures since a goalless home draw with Genoa.

On the other hand, Simone Inzaghi marked his competitive managerial debut at Inter with an overwhelming 4-0 home triumph over Genoa, which was their third opening day victory for the third season in a row. Another success here would see ‘I Nerazzurri’ win their opening two Serie A matches for three seasons running for the first time since 1955/56. Inter boasted the joint-best defensive record in Serie A last season, conceding just 0.89 goals per league trip under Antonio Conte in 2020/21. What’s more, the reigning champions suffered just two Serie A losses away from last term (W11, D6), while they’ve avoided defeat in all of their previous 12 top-flight trips to Hellas (W8, D4). We could be in for a high-scoring fixture here, considering each of their last four away league H2Hs has seen over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring.

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Borussia Dortmund vs TSG Hoffenheim

Borussia Dortmund and TSG Hoffenheim are set to exchange tackles at the Signal Iduna Park in a potentially high-scoring Bundesliga affair. All of the last six top-flight H2Hs held here have featured over 2.5 total goals.

Despite setting a new club record for scoring in 34 consecutive Bundesliga fixtures last time out, Borussia Dortmund succumbed to a 2-1 away loss to Freiburg on Matchday 2. That brought their eight-match winning run in the Bundesliga to a halt, marking a considerable dip in form following a 5-2 home thumping of Eintracht Frankfurt on the opening weekend. Yet, ‘Die Borussen’ will be confident of returning to winning ways immediately after winning each of their last five top-flight home games, notably finding the net in all ten halves of football during that sequence. But Marco Rose’s side can ill-afford to underestimate Hoffenheim here, considering they’ve failed to win any of their last three Bundesliga H2Hs as hosts (D2, L1), conceding 2+ goals on each occasion.

In the meantime, after a 4-0 hammering of Augsburg away from home on Matchday 1, Hoffenheim went on to squander a 2-1 half-time lead against Union Berlin last time out, managing just a 2-2 draw. However, it also means the visitors head into proceedings having avoided defeat in nine straight Bundesliga fixtures (W4, D5) – the longest ongoing unbeaten run in Germany’s top-flight. Worryingly, though, before the abovementioned triumph at Augsburg, ‘Die Kraichgauer’ had gone eight consecutive away Bundesliga matches without a victory (D5, L3), scoring under 1.5 goals seven times in the process. Yet, action-packed first-half football is well on the cards, given that each of the last three top-flight H2Hs held here produced precisely two goals before half-time.

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Cagliari vs Spezia

Cagliari and Spezia go head-to-head at Sardegna Arena in their opening 2021/22 Serie A fixture.

Cagliari were dancing on the edge of a cliff for most of last season but managed to avoid relegation after going unbeaten in seven of their final eight Serie A fixtures of 2020/21 (W4, D3). With supporters returning to attendance, the ‘Sardinians’ will hope to improve upon a disappointing 19-home-point tally from 2020/21, their worst home return since the club’s 2014/15 relegation campaign. However, the hosts have picked up just one win in their last eight Serie A openers (D2, L5), courtesy of a 2-1 win over Atalanta in 2013. Additionally, Leonardo Semplici’s men face the risk of going four consecutive Serie A matches without scoring for the second time in just over a year, having failed to find the net in their final three league games of 2020/21.

On the other hand, Spezia defied relegation prospects last term, accruing 39 Serie A points, more than any other top-flight debutant since 2001/02. It is now up to new boss Thiago Motta to pick up where Vincenzo Italiano left off in 2020/21. But, Motta’s previous Serie A arrangement saw him pick up just one win in nine Serie A games in charge of Genoa (D3, L5) before receiving marching orders. His first task will be to shore up Spezia’s defensive woes, as they have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last 16 league outings, the longest ongoing such streak among teams featuring in the top-flight this term. Spezia will be keen to emulate their flying start to the previous league campaign that saw them go unbeaten in four of their opening five Serie A fixtures in 2020/21 (W2, D2).

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Getafe vs Sevilla

Getafe and Sevilla go head-to-head at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez in a potentially tight, low-scoring La Liga fixture. Two of the last four league meetings between these sides here have seen Sevilla eke out the identical 1-0 wins.

Getafe’s new league season started with a whimper rather than a bang, as they succumbed to a narrow 1-0 loss to a 10-man Valencia side on Matchday 1. As a result, they have now won just two of their last 14 matches in La Liga (W2, D5, L7), frustratingly drawing a blank nine times during that sequence. Moreover, the hosts are staring at the prospect of starting a new top-flight campaign with back-to-back defeats for the third time in the club’s history, last doing so in 2015/16. Such a scenario looks plausible, with ‘El Geta’ losing both of their previous home La Liga clashes against Sevilla without scoring. But, new manager Michel, who has won five of his six managerial fixtures against Sevilla, will be looking to turn Getafe’s fortunes around this time.

On the other hand, Sevilla brushed Rayo Vallecano aside with a comprehensive 3-0 home victory on the opening weekend. They look to open a new league season with consecutive wins for the third La Liga campaign running. After winning each of their last four top-flight H2Hs ‘to nil,’ ‘Los Rojiblancos’ must be confident of snapping a run of two straight away La Liga matches without a triumph (D1, L1). Interestingly, this could be a potentially historical day for Sevilla, who have never won five straight La Liga games ‘to nil’ before. Worryingly, though, Julen Lopetegui’s men have failed to keep a clean sheet in six of their last seven top-flight trips, conceding 2+ goals on four of those occasions.

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Osasuna vs Celta Vigo

Osasuna will play host to Celta Vigo at the Estadio El Sadar as they open their 2021/22 La Liga season on home ground.

An underwhelming scoreless home draw against newly-promoted Espanyol on Matchday 1 came as further confirmation of Osasuna’s immense scoring problems. Indeed, ‘Los Rojillos’ were held goalless in a league third-high 39.47% of their top-flight fixtures last term, which is a concern heading into this encounter. Another goalless stalemate would see Osasuna open a new league season with back-to-back bore draws for the third time in the club’s history. That trend might change here, with Osasuna score precisely twice per game in back-to-back home league meetings with Celta after drawing a blank in two consecutive such contests beforehand. But an indifferent form across their last nine home La Liga matches (W3, D3, L3) saw Osasuna fail to get on the scoresheet in each game they didn’t win in that sequence.

Meanwhile, despite going down 2-1 to Atletico Madrid at home on the opening weekend, Celta will draw confidence from claiming back-to-back away league victories against Barcelona and Villarreal to complete the 2020/21 season. ‘Los Celestes’ were a fun team to watch down the final stretch of last season, with five of their final six away league fixtures seeing over 2.5 goals and both teams on the scoresheet. Edouardo Coudet will be keen to address Celta’s glaring defensive issues when traveling, having witnessed his side concede at least once in seven of their previous eight away La Liga games. Even though they’ve lost just two of their last eight top-flight H2Hs (W3, D3, L2), those two defeats came in their most recent visits to the Estadio El Sadar, which could be threatening.

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Sampdoria vs AC Milan

Sampdoria and AC Milan are set to trade tackles at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in their opening 2021/22 Serie A fixtures.

Sampdoria eked out a ninth-place finish for the third time in four seasons, but Claudio Ranieri, who coached the team in 2020/21, is no longer in charge. New manager Roberto D’Aversa will be entrusted with helping Sampdoria ensure a more promising start to a new league campaign following a run of three consecutive opening day defeats ‘to nil.’ There is a platform to build on, though, with ‘La Samp’ winning their last two league matches without conceding – the last time they won three consecutive top-flight matches ‘to nil’ was in March 2015. Milan could be formidable opposition, considering the hosts have lost both of their last home Serie A H2Hs despite finding the net on each occasion. Regardless of the outcome, Sampdoria should at least get on the scoresheet here, having scored 2+ goals in their last four competitive home games.

On the other hand, Milan defied low expectations last season to ensure a runner-up finish and a place in the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2013/14. Remarkable, ‘I Rossoneri’ completed the 2020/21 campaign with a record-breaking 16 away league triumphs, a feat no other side across Europe’s top-five leagues has ever managed. Alarmingly, though, the visitors have suffered four defeats in their last six opening away Serie A fixtures (W2). A stalemate is seemingly off the table, considering Milan have drawn just one of their last 15 Serie A openers (W8, L6). The seven-time Champions League winners have kept five Serie A clean sheets in a row – the last time they registered more consecutive top-flight shutouts was in February 1994.

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West Ham United vs Leicester City

London Stadium is the venue as West Ham United and Leicester City lock horns in an exciting Premier League showdown.

West Ham staged a breathtaking second-half comeback to turn a 2-1 HT deficit into a commanding 4-2 victory away to Newcastle United on the opening weekend. A memorable trip to St James’ Park, in fact, saw the ‘Hammers’ net more goals on Matchday 1 than in their previous seven Premier League seasonal openers combined. That comes in handy going into this encounter, especially considering they have lost their first home league game of the season in each of the last three campaigns. Notably, though, David Moyes’ side mustered up ten home Premier League triumphs in 2020/21, their best win tally in a single top-flight campaign since 2001/02. Last season’s 3-2 victory in this exact fixture brought West Ham’s five-game winless run in home Premier League H2Hs to a halt (D2, L3).

In the meantime, Leicester City earned a hard-fought 1-0 home win over Wolverhampton on the opening weekend. The ‘Foxes’ might need to score one more this time around to ensure another victory, given that they’ve managed just three clean sheets across their last 28 Premier League matches against West Ham (W9, D6, L13). Brendan Rodgers’ side will have to defy their ‘Monday jinx’ to claim all three points here, having picked up just one triumph in their last 14 away Premier League fixtures held on this day (D4, L9). Rodgers himself has ended up on the losing side in his previous two managerial encounters against Moyes in England’s top-flight, as many reverses as he had in their seven such meetings beforehand (W3, D2, L2). Moreover, a run of seven consecutive away Premier League matches without a clean sheet casts further doubt on Leicester’s hopes of winning here.

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Deportivo Alaves vs Mallorca

Deportivo Alaves and Mallorca will lock horns at the Estadio Mendizorrotza in a potentially low-scoring La Liga fixture. Each of their last seven league encounters has seen one or both teams fail to score in matches garnering under 2.5 total goals.

Despite holding last season’s runners-up Real Madrid to a goalless half-time stalemate, Deportivo Alaves ended up on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline in their 2021/22 La Liga opener last weekend. Indeed, ‘El Glorioso’ are no strangers to slow league starts, having suffered four opening day defeats in five seasons now. However, the hosts can draw confidence from going unbeaten in their previous three La Liga matches against newly-promoted sides, winning the last two in a row without conceding. Bear that in mind, especially considering they’ve won their last four league H2Hs here ‘to nil.’ Moreover, despite their paltry goalscoring return in 2020/21, Javier Calleja’s men have found the back of the net in seven straight home La Liga games, snetting an average of 1.71 goals per match across that sequence.

In the meantime, Mallorca could only manage a 1-1 home draw with Real Betis upon return to La Liga despite restricting the opposition to a single shot on target on Matchday 1. Even though they played second-tier opponents last term, Mallorca’s ability to hold onto a lead is a clear pattern, as witnessed by the fact they went unbeaten in all 25 LaLiga 2 matches when breaking the deadlock in 2020/21 (W23, D2). But if they are to avoid a swift return to the second tie, Mallorca will need to improve upon their away form from their previous top-flight campaign, having won just once in 19 La Liga trips in 2019/20 (W1, D3, L15). Worryingly, though, ‘Los Piratas’ claimed only one victory in their final eight Segunda road trips last season (D3, L4).

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Inter Milan vs Genoa

Inter Milan’s defending Serie A campaign gets underway this weekend as they welcome Genoa to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in their league curtain-raiser.

A truly inspirational 2020/21 season saw Inter Milan accrue over 90 league points (91) for only the second time in the club’s history en route to ending Juventus’ nine-year tenure in Serie A. However, ‘I Nerazzurri’ have since gone on to part ways with top-scorer Romelu Lukaku, prolific right-back Achraf Hakimi, and title-winning manager Antonio Conte. It’s now up to new boss Simone Inzaghi to retain the crown and help Inter extend their unbeaten run in their opening home matches of a new league campaign to nine (W6, D2). The hosts head into proceedings having won their last 16 home Serie A fixtures. Moreover, Inter finished last season as one of just two sides to win all home league games in which they drew first blood (14).

Meanwhile, Genoa registered their best point tally in five Serie A campaigns last season to ensure an 11th-place finish as they only side to win every league match in which they were in front at half-time (7). However, a trip to the Giuseppe Meazza is likely to stir some painful memories amongst the Genoa faithful, with ‘Il Grifone’ going winless in their last 13 top-flight meetings with Inter here (D1, L12). On the bright side, the visitors have won their previous two away Serie A fixtures and could equal the club’s best-ever such run if they beat Inter ‘to nil’ this weekend. There’s a good omen, though, with Genoa going unbeaten in their last five Serie A openers in a row (W3, D2), including a 4-1 victory against Crotone in 2020/21.

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Torino vs Atalanta

Torino and Atalanta are set to square off against each other at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino in their opening 2021/22 Serie A fixture.

After finishing the previous Serie A season as the lowest-ranked survivors, Torino brought in ex-Hellas Verona boss Ivan Juric in a desperate bid to challenge higher up the table this term. With fans back in attendance, ‘Il Toro’ will be hoping for a much better home campaign compared to 2020/21, when they had to wait until March 17 to register their first Serie A win at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino. Indeed, only relegated Benevento and Parma (2) had fewer home victories than Torino (3) last season, with ‘I Granata’ returning a disastrous -20 goal difference from such fixtures (GF:19, GA:39). A 1-0 away loss to Fiorentina in their 2020/21 curtain-raiser means Torino could lose back-to-back Serie A openers for the first time since 1995.

On the other hand, Atalanta strolled to their third consecutive top-four finish in Serie A last season, doing so by completing the domestic campaign as the most prolific side for the third year in a row. After netting 90+ goals in back-to-back Serie A seasons, ‘La Dea’ could be thinking of mounting more pressure on the league title this term, especially after retaining almost the entire squad in the summer. Delivering action from the onset, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men have won their season opener in the top-flight in three consecutive campaigns, scoring more goals (11) in such fixtures than any other Serie A side. Notably, Atalanta didn’t lose a single Serie A match that saw them break the deadlock in 2020/21, remarkably winning 85.19% of such contests (GP27 – W23, D4).

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