Several of the big boys join the Carabao Cup at the third-round stage in the week, with the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City all in action.
There’s a tasty all-Premier League tie from the King Power Stadium on Tuesday, as Jurgen Klopp takes his Reds to the Midlands to face Craig Shakespeare’s Leicester City. Meanwhile, Manchester United will be looking to ease past Championship side Burton Albion at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
There are no league fixtures in England during the week, but we have a number of mouth-watering matches from the German Bundesliga and the Spanish La Liga. Top clubs such as Bayern Munich, Red Bull Leipzig, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid all face big league games in midweek. In other words, this is a great few days for football – and betting on it!
- Leicester City v Liverpool – Liverpool to Win (Evens at Betfair)
- Manchester United v Burton Albion – Manchester United to Win -2 (10/11 at Coral)
- Augsburg v Red Bull Leipzig – Draw (13/5 at BetVictor)
- Schalke v Bayern Munich – Bayern Munich to Win 3-0 (17/2 at BetVictor)
- Barcelona v Eibar – Barcelona to Win -3 (12/5 at Betfair)
- Athletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid – Draw and Both Teams to Score (15/4 at BetVictor)
- Real Madrid v Real Betis – Real Madrid to Win Both Halves (4/5 at Bet365)
Carabao Cup
The EFL Cup really gets going next week as the big Premier League clubs join the competition. Leicester’s reward for thumping Sheffield United in the previous round is a home match with Liverpool. Meanwhile, Burton, who beat Championship high-flyers Cardiff City in Wales in round two, will relish the prospect of testing themselves against Man Utd at Old Trafford.
Leicester City v Liverpool – 19th September
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool kick off this season’s Carabao Cup campaign with a tough looking trip to the King Power Stadium to face Craig Shakespeare’s Leicester City.
Klopp has done well in cup competitions since arriving in England, reaching the EFL Cup final in his first year in charge. Last term, the Reds were knocked out in the semi-finals by Southampton.
This could be a tricky tie for the Reds, but we believe they will come out on top with a narrow victory at the King Power. Take a look at Betfair’s evens for the Merseyside outfit to progress to round four.
Liverpool to Win – Evens at Betfair
Manchester United v Burton Albion – 20th September
Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United welcome Nigel Clough’s Burton Albion to Old Trafford on Wednesday. As expected, the Red Devils are the overwhelming favourites to go through as they continue their fine start to the season.
United have made a great start to their Premier League campaign, winning three and drawing one to sit pretty at the top. They also prevailed in their opening UEFA Champions League fixture in midweek. As for Burton, Clough’s boys sit 21st in the Championship table so the gulf in class and morale is stark.
United should win this one with ease, and we can’t see them having any hiccups here. Check out Coral’s price of 10/11 for Man Utd to win -2 on Wednesday.
Manchester United to Win -2 – 10/11 at Coral
Bundesliga
Before the weekend’s matches, Peter Bosz’s Borussia Dortmund lead the way in the Bundesliga ahead of Hoffenheim and Hannover on goal difference. Bayern Munich and Red Bull Leipzig have already been beaten and are surprisingly playing catch up. On Tuesday, Leipzig make the trip to Augsburg. Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti’s troops travel to Gelsenkirchen to play Schalke.
Augsburg v Red Bull Leipzig – 19th September
After finishing runners-up in the Bundesliga last season, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Red Bull Leipzig will be looking for another strong campaign this time around. On Tuesday, they travel to the Augsburg Arena to face Augsburg and will expect to come away with all three points.
Before Saturday’s home match with Borussia Monchengladbach, Leipzig sit fourth in the table having won two and lost one of their three matches. As for Manuel Baum’s troops, they have accumulated four points from their opening fixtures.
Last season, this fixture in Augsburg finished in an entertaining 2-2 draw. We can see another draw unfolding in this one, with BetVictor’s 13/5 being your best price.
Draw – 13/5 at BetVictor
Schalke v Bayern Munich – 19th September
Bayern Munich head to Schalke next Wednesday looking to get back to winning ways on the road after a shock 2-0 defeat at Hoffenheim last weekend.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men won their opening two Bundesliga matches against Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen respectively, but they were deservedly beaten in the Rhein-Neckar-Arena by Hoffenheim last time out in Germany.
Schalke, who have also won two out of three so far, will be hard opponents for Bayern on Tuesday, but we’re backing the German champions to seal the points in style in the Veltins-Arena. Take a look at BetVictor’s 17/2 for a 3-0 away win.
Bayern Munich to Win 3-0 – 17/2 at BetVictor
La Liga
Barcelona and Real Sociedad lead the way at the top of La Liga after three games. Both teams have taken nine points out of nine so far. Real Madrid, however, have suffered back-to-back home draws, leaving them on five points from three games. Barca, Real and Atletico Madrid are all in action at the weekend and in midweek. We’ll be focussing on Tuesday’s match between Barcelona and Eibar, as well as Wednesday’s encounters between Athletic Bilbao and Atleti, and Real v Real Betis.
Barcelona v Eibar – 19th September
Ernesto Valverde has made a solid start to his La Liga career with Barcelona, inspiring his side to three wins out of three thus far. Barca are one of only two sides not to have conceded a goal before this weekend’s fixtures and they are adapting to life post-Neymar with ease.
Eibar, meanwhile, have lost two of their opening three, with their only win coming on the opening weekend of the season at Malaga. Worryingly for Eibar, Blaugrana scored eight times against them in two games last term.
Valverde’s men should be far too hot to handle for the visitors at the Camp Nou on Tuesday. Therefore, have a punt on Betfair’s 12/5 for the home team to win -3. We think this will be a procession and 12/5 looks far too big.
Barcelona to Win -3 – 12/5 at Betfair
Athletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid – 20th September
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid have faced three successive tough away games so far. However, they christen the Wanda Metropolitano at the weekend prior to this clash. On Wednesday, however, they are back on the road, this time at Athletic Bilbao.
Jose Angel Ziganda’s Bilbao have made a superb start to their season. The Red-Whites have won five and drawn three of their eight league and cup matches so far. As for Atleti, they have won one and drawn two of their opening three league fixtures, all away from home.
With the way Athletic Bilbao have started this season, Simeone’s men will do well to leave San Mames with a point. Still, we’re backing Atletico to do just that and seal a draw in this tough looking fixture. BetVictor are offering 15/4 for the draw and both teams to score with 1-1 our correct score prediction.
Draw and Both Teams to Score – 15/4 at BetVictor
Real Madrid v Real Betis – 20th September
After traveling to face joint leaders Real Sociedad at the weekend, Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid host Quique Setien’s Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday. Real will be looking for their first home league win of the season.
Los Blancos have been pretty poor on home soil so far, but away from home they have been scintillating. Real beat rivals Barcelona 3-1 at the Camp Nou in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup. They also thumped Deportivo La Coruna 3-0 at the Estadio Riazor on the opening weekend.
After frustrating back-to-back La Liga home draws, Zidane will be expecting his team to bounce back in this one. Real should see off Betis with ease, so put your money on the hosts to win both halves in the Spanish capital on Wednesday (4/5 at Bet365).
Real Madrid to Win Both Halves – 4/5 at Bet365