Its the last weekend of February and the perfect opportunity to bid the month goodbye and usher in March with a little bit more cash from our juicy selection of football games.
But before we get into this weekend’s offering of games, you may want to sign up here to Nigeria’s leading bookmakers BetBiga and get rewarded with a massive 100% welcome bonus as well as a 50% next deposit bonus on your next deposit. You also get an unparalleled 130% bonus on your accas and the fastest payouts in the business. Exciting right?
SEVILLA VS BARCELONA: SEVILLA TO SCORE @1.28
We start off in Spain where an intriguing encounter a.k.a the Ivan Rakitic derby between fourth and third in La Liga beckons. Both sides are separated by just two points and looking to get into the title conversation after leaders Atletico Madrid’s recent struggles opened up the spectre of a title race, long thought a foregone conclusion.
Julen Lopetegui’s side were impressive in seeing off Osasuna last time out while Barcelona hit rare heights in dispatching relegation-threatened Elche with Lionel Messi in, especially mesmeric form.
One could be forgiven for believing that Barca could just be back to their best on the strength of their display against lowly Elche but how many times have we seen Ronald Koeman’s side sparkle against La Liga’s lesser sides only to struggle mightily against the first decent opposition that they face after?
The encounter at the Sanchez Pizjuan seems entirely winnable for Sevilla who are unbeaten against the Catalan visitors in three matches and have just one loss in their last ten games in all competitions – a surprise reverse to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Barca on the other hand have two losses in their last five games, one incidentally against Saturday’s opponents in the Copa Del Rey where Rakitic delivered the Coup de Grace in a 2-0 victory for Sevilla and the other that evisceration by PSG at the Camp Nou. Backing Sevilla to win on a handicap of 1-0 at odds of 1.62 on BetBiga could prove to be a smart piece of business but with Sevilla having scored in their last 20 games and Barcelona having kept just the two clean sheets in their last 10 games (both against a very poor Elche side), Sevilla to score at 1.28 is all but guaranteed.
BAYERN MUNICH vs KOLN: BAYERN TO SCORE IN BOTH HALVES@1.55
Just like we predicted last week, the Bayern juggernaut found the rolling stone of Eintracht Frankfurt too much to handle and the Bavarians were duly crushed but not without Robert Lewandowski grabbing his customary goal as we also predicted – and the Polish striker is priced at 1.25 on BetBiga to score against Koln.
After swatting Lazio aside in midweek with an ease bordering on disdain, expect Hansi Flick’s side to take out the wrath of last week’s slip up on hapless Koln with the only question being how many goals the visitors will seive at the Allianz Arena – Bayern to win and over 2.5 is at 1.41 on BetBiga.
Bayern have tended to start poorly in recent Bundesliga games and they have paid the price, dropping five points to see their lead at the top shrink to just two points. While Koln have been dire this season and have lost three of their last four, they’ve only conceded once in the first half in their last three games but we don’t think they’ll shut Bayern out in either half on Saturday. Back Bayern to score in both halves @1.55.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND vs ARMINIA BIELEFELD: DORTMUND WIN AND OVER 1.5 @1.29
There are fewer teams as maddeningly inconsistent as Borussia Dortmund and Edin Terzic’s side are the very definition of a Jekyll-and-Hyde side but this should be a stroll in the park for Erling Braut Harlaand and co at the Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.
With Bayern Munich next up for Dortmund, victory against a Koln side mired in 16th and winless in four (with three loses in that sequence) is non-negotiable if they are to keep hopes of making the Champions League alive. Dortmund will win and quite handsomely too.
MONACO vs BREST: MONACO TO WIN @1.47
Monaco were magnificent in beating PSG at the Parc des Princes last time out and preventing the Parisians from scoring for the first time in 12 games.
Nico Kovac’s side have been nothing short of sensational since the turn of the year, unbeaten in 12 in all competitions with ten victories in that run. Their run in the league has brought them to within six points of league leaders Lille and in what is shaping up to be the most competitive title race in years, Monaco appear dark horses to claim a first league crown since 2017.
Brest proved they can be very tough opposition when they held Lille to a barren draw in their last trip away from home and were unlucky to lose to Lyon at home last time out but Sunday’s trip to the Stade Louis II is their third straight match against members of Ligue 1’s current top four and there’s only so much pressure Brest can be expected to take before deflating. Monaco to win @1.47 on BetBiga.
LILLE vs STRASBOURG: LILLE TO WIN EITHER HALF @1.45
BetBiga has priced Lille, Ligue 1’s best team, at 1.78 for a straight win at home against 16th-placed Strasbourg and we are tempted to go for what appears an absolute gimme.
The high odds for Christophe Galtier’s side no doubt reflects the bookmakers factoring in possible fatigue from Lille’s Europa League exertions at Ajax where they lost 2-1 to crash out 4-2 on aggregate after also losing the first leg by a similar scoreline.
Those losses to Ajax were the only reverses Lille have suffered in 11 games although they were shocked at home by Angers in their last loss in Ligue 1. Even though Lille should have enough to see off Strasbourg at the Stade Pierre Mauroy, not least to remain in the driving seat in the title race, Thierry Laurey’s visitors appear the kind of team that can pose problems on their day so we’ll settle for Lille to win at least one half @ 1.45 on BetBiga.
AS ROMA vs AC MILAN: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @1.50
4th-placed Roma welcome 2nd-placed Milan to the Stadio Olimpico in a blockbuster tie with huge repercussions on both the race for Champions League qualification and the destination of the title.
Roma are Serie A’s version of Borussia Dortmund and are not to be trusted but Paulo Fonseca’s side have found a bit of consistency to win three of their last four games and have only one loss in their last seven in all competitions.
They welcome a Milan side who set the pace for most of the campaign but appear to have run out of steam and are without a win in four games in all competitions as the business end of the season approaches. They were embarrassingly limp in losing 2-0 to city rivals Inter in the Derby della Madonnina where they not so much as passed up a chance to set a marker but practically presented their backsides for Antonio Conte’s side to run roughshod over.
The loss meant Stefano Pioli’s side fell four points behind leaders Inter and with Inter expected to beat Genoa, another loss at the capital could spell doom for Milan’s title hopes.
Roma also face pressure to win as only a point separates them from Lazio in 6th and although their exertions in midweek mean none of the teams will be particularly fresh, we expect both sides to really go for it and make this encounter the fifth in the last six with both teams scoring.
LASK vs HARTBERG: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @1.70
LASK are the in-form team here and are on a run of four straight wins in all competitions so backing them to win at 1.31 on BetBiga is the smart thing to do but they also concede loads and 1.70 for both teams to score is too juicy to pass over.
LEICESTER vs ARSENAL: OVER 1.5 @1.30
It might appear counterintuitive to back goals in a match involving Leicester having seen the Foxes fail to score in 180 minutes in the Europa League as they crashed out to Slavia Prague, but Leicester did concede twice to the Czech side at the KingPower and in any case, we do not think goals will be hard to come by when Arsenal come visiting on Sunday.
There have been two or more goals in seven of the last eight matches between these two sides and Arsenal’s leaky backline which has failed to record a clean sheet in six straight games means the Foxes will fashion out chances and with Pierre Emerick-Aubamayang back to something close to his best form, the Gunners should also pose a big threat to Leicester’s backline.
PSV vs AJAX: OVER 2.5 @1.50
Another blockbuster top of the table clash in our selection with Eredivisie’s 2nd-placed side PSV welcoming leaders Ajax to the Philips Stadion knowing that defeat will all but put paid to their title hopes.
PSV are six points behind Ajax in the title race and must win to reel the leaders in. The only problem is that they’ve not managed to get the better of Erik ten Hag’s side in 6 straight ties in all competitions, losing three times and failing to keep a clean sheet in all six games.
Roger Schmidt’s side crashed out of the Europa League to Olympiakos in midweek and were dumped out of the KNVB Beker by Ajax, so, the league title is their only hope of silverware this season. With everything riding on this game for PSV, we could be set for a goal fest as they throw everything at Ajax.
Six out of nine games between both sides have seen at least three or more goals and we expect more of the same on Sunday.
RB LEIPZIG vs BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH: RB LEIPZIG TO WIN @1.63
Leipzig are in scintilating form in the Bundesliga having won five on the trot to stay just two points off the top and with the way things are shaping in Germany’s topflight, Julian Nagelsmann could very well be the man standing between Bayern and a ninth straight league title.
Against a Gladbach side who were taught a lesson by Manchester City in Europe and are winless in their last four in all competitions (with three loses) and have failed to score in two of their last three, Leipzig should have more than enough to claim all three points.
Furthermore, a win for Leipzig on Saturday will ensure they’re well placed to leapfrog Bayern should the leaders drop points against Borussia Dortmund next week.
So, there you have it, 44.22 odds to hopefully usher in the new month with wads of cash. Remember a stake of N200 or more guarantees you get your stake back if one game cuts our acca.
Code: VHNZP. Place your bet on BetBiga here.
