After the midweek drama of Champions and Europa League action, teams from across the continent return to domestic action once again this weekend, and here we take a look at the best of the bets from Sunday's top games.
Rounding off the weekend's Ligue 1 action is a game that pits together the two remaining teams that still stand a chance of challenging Paris Saint Germain for the title, and this match could go a long way in deciding which of these sides makes more of a go of it. By the time kick off comes around, the rest of the league will have played and in the unlikely even of PSG slipping up, Lyon could be granted a rare opportunity to catch them, while Marseille need to be wary of the imminent threat of Saint Etienne catching them.
With so much at stake in this game, both teams will need to go for the win, and it should be the home side that take control of proceedings early on. Marseille have hit a poor run of form on the road, winning none of their last 4 away games whilst conceding 8 goals. They have also won only 2 of their last 20 trips to Lyon who have lost only 1 of their last 9 home league games. Lyon can be backed to avoid defeat at 1.33.
Another likely occurrence in this game is plenty of goals to be scored. The last 8 league meetings between the sides have averaged 4.4 goals per game, including a 4-1 victory for Lyon at Marseille back in November. We could be set for another goalfest, and you would be well set to back over 2.5 goals at generous odds of 2.08.
With the dream of another treble gone for one more year at least, the players, fans and staff at Old Trafford will be doubly keen to to get one over Chelsea and avoid dropping out of a second competition in the space of a week. Sir Alex Ferguson will field a strong team, but that could well include Javier Hernandez given that the Mexican has scored an impressive 5 goals in his last 6 appearances against the Blues, including 1 in each of the two meetings at Stamford Bridge in October.
Hernandez's inclusion would thus not be at all surprising, and if he does start, he could be worth a punt at 5.00 to score first, or if he only makes the bench then at the same value to score last. Of those 5 goals he has netted in his last 6 games against Chelsea, 2 have been the first goal of the game and 2 have been the last.
As with the Lyon-Marseille game, this match traditionally has lots of goals. The last 6 meetings between the two have gone over 2.5 goals, including 14 in the two meetings earlier in the season (though the first did have 4 goals scored in extra time). The last 6 meetings at Old Trafford have seen at least 3 goals and the bookies agree that this one is likely to as well, with odds of 1.67 reflecting that.
A major dip in Lazio's form has seen them drop points in 6 of their last 7 outings, in the process falling well and truly out of the title race (if they were ever in it). With the 4 teams below them now within 5 points of them, Vladimir Petkovic's side need a quick turnaround in form, and this weekend provides a great opportunity for them to do so. Hosting a 6th-placed Fiorentina side who boast a terrible away record, Lazio stand a great chance of picking up an important 3 points.
La Viola have lost each of their last 4 away games, and have won only 3 out of 13 on the road all season. Furthermore, they have lost 4 and won none of their last 5 games at Lazio, who have won 10 out of 14 home games this season. The home side's recent travails are bound to end sometime, and they represent fantastic value to win this game, at extremely generous odds of 2.50.
