In this midweek bulletin, we have selected eight matches from the Eredivisie and UEFA Champions League that caught our attention and shared our predictions along with detailed analysis.
NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior Rotterdam
Match Analysis
Excelsior, who have made an excellent start to the season by winning three of their four matches, travel to face NEC Nijmegen, one of the stronger sides in the league. NEC disappointed their supporters by losing 2–1 at home to SC Telstar in their opening league fixture, but they have since attempted to put that dramatic defeat behind them by winning away at Willem II Tilburg and PEC Zwolle. It is also worth remembering that NEC went through a demanding and exhausting period during this time due to their Champions League qualifying campaign. Although they achieved a major success by eliminating Olympiacos Piraeus, they ultimately failed to qualify for the Champions League after losing both matches against FK Bodø/Glimt. Despite losing 3–1 away to Feyenoord Rotterdam last weekend in their most recent league match, they did not have much difficulty creating chances. They should also create opportunities against Excelsior at home. Although NEC will take the field looking for the win, Excelsior have made such a strong start to the league season that they are unlikely to give up easily. In fact, the confidence generated by their current run should encourage them to play for the victory as well. We should be in for an entertaining and high-scoring match in which both teams create plenty of chances.
Prediction
Over 2.5 Goals
Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal CF
Match Analysis
Marcelino, who achieved significant success with Villarreal in LaLiga last season, decided to leave the club at the end of the campaign after not renewing his contract. There were widespread rumors that the departure was the result of a lack of vision from the club’s management. Given that the only notable signing was Nathan Saliba, alongside several additions from the academy to certain positions, it could be argued that the club’s management was more focused on a develop-and-sell model than on pursuing success in the Champions League and taking the club to another level. This is also considered one of the main reasons behind Marcelino’s departure. Villarreal have made a very poor start to this season and are still without a victory in LaLiga. To make matters worse, they disappointed their supporters last weekend by losing 3–2 at La Cerámica to newly promoted Deportivo A Coruña. Villarreal look completely unprepared for the season and appear likely to face serious difficulties because of their transfer policy and the lack of vision from the club’s management.
Dortmund, who have made a very strong start to the Bundesliga season and are clearly superior to Villarreal in terms of squad quality, will take the field with an absolute determination to win, backed by strong home support. It looks extremely difficult for a Villarreal side surrounded by problems to take anything from this away fixture.
Prediction
Home Win
FC Barcelona vs Feyenoord Rotterdam
Match Analysis
Barcelona have made a flying start to the season, winning all four of their LaLiga matches. Despite playing almost all of these games without a recognized center forward, the Catalan side have found the net seventeen times across those four matches as if they did not have such a problem at all. They are playing truly excellent football. This week, they host Feyenoord, one of the Netherlands’ historic clubs, in the Champions League, with the visitors arriving in Spain with some defensive problems. Although Feyenoord have made a decent start to their Eredivisie campaign, conceding seven goals in their five league matches does not paint a particularly positive picture defensively. They will have a very difficult task away at Barcelona. Nevertheless, Feyenoord’s players are likely to be highly motivated to showcase themselves on this major stage. With Barcelona’s excellent form already making this a match expected to be highly entertaining, a potential Feyenoord goal would make the contest even more enjoyable for those watching. We should be in for an entertaining match with plenty of goals.
Prediction
Over 3.5 Goals
VfB Stuttgart vs Viking FK
Match Analysis
Viking achieved an incredible feat by qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in their history after defeating GNK Dinamo Zagreb 3–1. Norwegian football, which has increasingly attracted attention through the achievements of FK Bodø/Glimt, has continued its rise with Viking also reaching the Champions League. In their historic first Champions League campaign, Viking travel to face Stuttgart, one of Germany’s established clubs. The injuries to Henrik Falchener, Martin Ove Roseth, and Anders Bærtelsen in this difficult fixture indicate that the Norwegian side are dealing with a defensive crisis. Last weekend, during the 20th matchday of the Eliteserien, they only managed to rescue a draw at the last moment away to Sandefjord Fotball, with Henrik Bjørdal scoring in the 90+4th minute in a match where center-back Jesper Daland was sent off.
Stuttgart began their Bundesliga campaign with a heavy defeat away to Bayern Munich but made amends with their supporters last weekend by defeating 1.FC Köln 4–1 at home. Having gained significant morale from that victory, Stuttgart should take advantage of Viking’s defensive problems and the considerable difference in squad quality between the two sides. Backed by their home supporters, they are expected to send Viking back to Norway without any points.
Prediction
Home Win
Paris Saint-Germain vs Slovan Bratislava
Match Analysis
Morale is low at PSG, who are still without a victory in Ligue 1 this season. The 2–1 defeat to AS Monaco at the Parc des Princes in their most recent league match can be described as the final straw. Luis Enrique’s post-match comments, in which he suggested that PSG deserved to win but that football can sometimes be like this, attracted attention. Yes, individual player mistakes certainly support that argument. However, someone also needs to point out to him by now that his obsession with rotating the squad in every match is having a negative effect on the players. This habit played a role in losing Bradley Barcola and making such a poor start to the league season. Nevertheless, PSG genuinely dominated the match against Monaco. They simply failed to take their chances. Monaco, meanwhile, made excellent use of the opportunities they received and converted both of their shots on target into goals.
This week, PSG have a Champions League fixture that should allow them to breathe amid all this chaos. Slovan Bratislava are one of the weakest teams in the competition and possess an extremely limited squad in terms of quality. They will probably become one of the teams used to improve other sides’ goal difference this season. PSG can no longer afford to waste this opportunity. They should produce a strong response, win comfortably by a significant margin, and at least partially restore the happiness of their supporters.
Prediction
Home Team Over 3.5 Goals
Sporting CP vs Galatasaray
Match Analysis
Galatasaray have conceded six goals in their four Süper Lig matches and have started the season with defensive problems. The injuries to Wilfried Singo, Mario Lemina, and Victor Osimhen are also serious disadvantages for the Yellow and Reds. Against Sporting, who can make life extremely difficult for opposing defenses with their fast attacking transitions when they take the initiative, Galatasaray are likely to face a very difficult match in which they could concede one or more goals.
Sporting disappointed their supporters by drawing 2–2 away to CF Estrela Amadora in their opening Liga Portugal fixture, but they have since won their next four league matches and can be said to have made up for that mistake. Sporting are capable of moving the ball into the opposition penalty area in an instant through devastating attacking transitions, and this philosophy has allowed them to produce high-scoring victories.
Considering Galatasaray’s current problems, Sporting will enter this match as the favorites, but they cannot be considered clear favorites. Galatasaray possess stars such as Leroy Sané and Rafael Leão, players who have already proven themselves in matches of this magnitude and can change the course of a game. There is also always the possibility of players such as Aleksey Batrakov, a highly promising young talent, producing a breakthrough performance on such a stage. Therefore, rather than choosing a side, opting for a high-scoring contest appears to be the much more logical choice.
Prediction
Over 2.5 Goals
Fenerbahçe vs AS Roma
Match Analysis
Things have not been going well for Fenerbahçe recently after returning to the Champions League for the first time in eighteen years by defeating Olympique Lyon away from home. The Yellow and Blues did not look ready for the season, and their supporters had been loudly criticizing the club’s transfer activity and managerial decisions for some time. Their lack of preparation became even more obvious after they lost the Beşiktaş JK derby at home last weekend. Beşiktaş won the match 2–1, with Leandro Trossard producing an excellent performance and Dušan Vlahović also finding the net. In fact, had some Beşiktaş players not panicked in certain situations, the Black Eagles could have gone on to record a historic margin of victory.
Things are very different at Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma. The Italian side have made a flying start to the Serie A season, winning every league match while largely controlling their games from start to finish. Roma are in excellent morale and full of confidence, and thanks to this superb form, they will travel to face Fenerbahçe without hesitation and directly target all three points, despite already possessing a superior squad on paper. It is extremely difficult for a Fenerbahçe side with serious problems to resolve them within five days. Roma will begin their Champions League campaign with three points.
Prediction
Away Win
Manchester United vs Sabah FK
Match Analysis
Morale is low at Man Utd after they missed out on a victory away to Everton FC on the third matchday of the Premier League, conceding a late equalizer through a superb Ainsley Maitland-Niles goal in the 90+6th minute. The Red Devils are still waiting for their first away victory of the season. After losing 2–0 away to Hull City in the opening week of the league season, Man Utd attempted to restore morale among their supporters by comfortably defeating Ipswich Town, one of the weaker sides in the league, at home. They are likely to do the same again in this Champions League fixture. They will want to forget the disappointment of dropping points in the final seconds against Everton by completely dominating the match against Sabah, one of the weakest teams in the Champions League and, like Slovan Bratislava, a side expected to become one of the teams used to improve other clubs’ goal differences. Sabah, meanwhile, will experience the excitement of competing in the Champions League for the first time in their history, just like Viking FK.
Man Utd will start the match very aggressively and secure a comfortable victory.
Prediction
Half-Time Result: Home Win