January 2023 – Page 44

Real Madrid and bitter rivals Atletico Madrid will duel for a place in the Copa del Rey semi-finals after being paired in the last eight.

Los Blancos survived a scare on Thursday as they came from 2-0 down at Villarreal to win 3-2 thanks to goals from Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao and Dani Ceballos.

It ensured Carlo Ancelotti’s team bounced back from losing to Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final four days earlier.

Nevertheless, their route does not get any easier with Thursday’s draw pitting them against city rivals Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Diego Simeone’s side beat Levante 2-0 in Valencia on Wednesday, with Alvaro Morata and Marcos Llorente scoring in the second half.

It will be the first time Atletico and Madrid have tussled in the Copa since January 2015, when the former emerged 4-2 aggregate winners over two legs.

The competition remains on track for a Clasico final, though Barca will also have to get past tricky opponents to reach the last four.

Real Sociedad, who have won each of their past eight games in all competitions and are third in LaLiga, will visit Camp Nou.

La Real have a dreadful record away to Barcelona, however, last winning there in LaLiga way back in 1991.

The other two quarter-finals are also all-LaLiga affairs.

Last season’s beaten finalists Valencia will meet Athletic Bilbao at the Mestalla Stadium, while Osasuna – conquerors of defending champions Real Betis – play host to a Sevilla side who are battling relegation in the league.

The matches are scheduled across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week.

Copa del Rey quarter-final draw in full:

Barcelona v Real Sociedad

Osasuna v Sevilla

Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid

Valencia v Athletic Bilbao

– There are six Premier Leagues on Saturday with plenty to play for at both ends of the table
– Chelsea are winless in their previous six matches in all competitions away from home
– Crystal Palace have failed to score in their last three games against Newcastle

The Premier League returns in style on Saturday as English giants Liverpool and Chelsea try to improve their poor recent form in the lunch-time kick-off at Anfield.

At the bottom end of the table, West Ham United host Everton, while Bournemouth take on Nottingham Forest on the south coast.

Our Bet Builder tips cover the early kick-off at Anfield, as well as the 17:30 battle between Crystal Palace and Newcastle United.

Reds to build on FA Cup success

Bet 1: Liverpool to win

After last week’s embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Brighton in the Premier League, Liverpool returned to winning ways in the FA Cup, as they beat Wolves 1-0 in their third-round replay.

Jurgen Klopp’s team looked more like themselves after three games without a win, and a return to Anfield should help them pick up another three points.

Leeds United are the only team to beat Liverpool at home since March 2021, while Chelsea are winless in six on their travels in all competitions.

Bet 2: Mohamed Salah to score anytime

While Egypt international Mohamed Salah has not been as explosive as he has been in previous campaigns, he is still one of Liverpool’s main threats in the final third.

Salah has scored three times since the domestic campaign resumed in December after the conclusion of the World Cup in Qatar.

While Salah might not be firing on all cylinders, he does have a solid record against his former club.

He scored in both meetings against Liverpool last season in the Premier League, and with Chelsea struggling to keep clean sheets, Salah should be able to punish them at Anfield.

Bet 3: Darwin Nunez to score anytime

Uruguay international Darwin Nunez has been criticised for several missed chances over the last month, and he has yet to live up to the hype after his summer move from Benfica.

However, the frontman should be back to full fitness after missing the defeat to Brighton.

Excluding own goals, 10 of Liverpool’s last 11 at Anfield in all competitions have been scored by either Nunez or Salah.

Both have five goals each, and Nunez should be able to get into some good positions to score this weekend.

Magpies to continue their fine defensive record

Bet 1: Newcastle to win to nil

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United will look to extend their unbeaten league record to 15 matches when they travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace.

The Magpies have set the standard this season at the back, and they have conceded the fewest goals and kept more clean sheets than any other side in the Premier League.

Howe’s men have kept a clean sheet in their last five games, which bodes well for the trip to Palace.

Patrick Vieira’s men have failed to score in their last three encounters against Newcastle, and that should continue this weekend.

Bet 2: Under three goals in the match for both teams combined

Newcastle continue to climb the league table and churn out results, but they have been involved in some tight games of late.

They have only scored more than one goal in one of their last five in the league, while Palace have been unlucky on occasions.

Palace have lost by one goal in two of their last six games, while in front of their own fans, they have only conceded more than two goals in two of their previous 10.

Bet 3: Callum Wilson to score anytime

Wilson’s six goals and three assists represent a decent return for a player that has once again spent time on the sidelines through injury.

The former Bournemouth forward is slowly getting back to his best form under Howe, and he has been unlucky not to add to his tally for the campaign recently.

Howe has had at least two shots in 10 of his 12 Premier League starts, hitting the target on eight occasions.

If Palace fail to stop the supply into him, Wilson has the ability to make them pay on Saturday evening.

Get full control over your Bet Builder

With LiveScore Bet’s Bet Builder, you can edit your selections in the betslip.

So, whether you have built your own or chosen one of the pre-built ‘popular’ builders, you can change any of the individual selections without having to go back to the main menu.

To change a line, simply click on the selection, choose the new bet and return to the betslip.

Rudi Voller revealed his first reaction at being asked to become director of the Germany national team was: “Is there nobody else?”

The former Germany striker and head coach ultimately agreed to take on the job, filling the role previously held by Oliver Bierhoff until he departed after a second successive World Cup failure.

Voller’s appointment was confirmed by the German Football Association (DFB), with head coach Hansi Flick among those who welcomed his arrival.

It came after deliberations from a DFB task force that included Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Oliver Kahn, Matthias Sammer and Oliver Mintzlaff, plus Voller himself.

Hans-Joachim Watzke offered 62-year-old Voller the job, and the vide-president may have been surprised by the initial response.

“First I asked: ‘Is there nobody else?’ I wasn’t really convinced,” said Voller. “In the end I let myself be convinced.”

Watzke, speaking at a press conference on Friday said there were “arguments” between the pair to begin with.

“Then we found each other more and more. In the meantime, a friendship and a total relationship of trust have developed from it,” Watzke said. “Rudi is actually ideal for this position.”

Voller will begin work on February 1, the DFB said. He won 90 caps for West Germany and later Germany, playing a significant part in the Italia 90 World Cup triumph.

He went on to become head coach of the team that lost to Brazil in the 2002 World Cup final.

Voller has held various roles at Bayer Leverkusen but will direct his energy to the Germany job for now.

Germany will host the Euro 2024 finals, and bringing about success in that tournament will be the priority for Voller and Flick. Group-stage exits at the last two World Cups came either side of a Euro 2020 last-16 defeat to England, leaving the national team in the doldrums.

Voller said: “First of all, we have to lay the foundations for a successful home European Championship in 2024, supported by the whole of Germany. We have the players to do this.

“Out of these top players, we want to form a close-knit community, a strong-willed and likeable national team with the clear purpose of winning back the complete support of the fans. Above all, I would like to give plenty of support to head coach Hansi Flick and his coaching team.”

Flick said of the appointment: “Rudi is a constant in German football. He has thrilled the fans in both his manner and his successes as a player, coach and general manager.

“At this point in time, with his experience with the national team and his years of work at Bayer Leverkusen, he is the right appointment for the task ahead. My coaching team and I are looking forward to working together with him towards the home European Championship next year.”

Jurgen Klopp has advised Graham Potter to shut out the noise of his critics, as the Liverpool manager prepares to face Chelsea in his 1,000th game.

The German will reach four figures in his coaching career when his under-fire side face their fellow struggling heavyweights at Anfield on Saturday.

Klopp has largely weathered criticism of a difficult season with the Reds due to past successes, but Potter is struggling to keep fans onside after succeeding Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge.

In reflecting on his own lengthy career, though, the Liverpool boss offered his opposite number advice about ignoring those not in the know, particularly on social media.

“Twenty-two years ago, when I became a manager, nobody had smartphones,” he said. “There was much less [instant] information. I watched games on a video recorder.

“If you wanted to hear what the outside world thought, you had to ask somebody or read a newspaper. It was easy [to avoid].

“I’m interested in criticism, I’m interested in people who really care. But I’m sorry to say, from all of you, I couldn’t care less. Why should I be concerned about what you say?

“[With] social media, all these people without any kind of knowledge [are allowed to sound off]. When I was [starting out], people had to write a letter to the newspaper.

“I really think the best advice [I can give] is to ignore the outside world. They have no clue about your situation.”

On reaching his 1,000th game, Klopp acknowledged he feels lucky to hit the milestone, paying tribute to Liverpool and former clubs Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.

“I never thought about these kinds of numbers,” he added. “I never would have thought I would be allowed to do [this] for that long.

“I’ve obviously had three fantastic clubs that gave me the opportunity to do the job. When you come in somewhere, you never know how it will go. I was really lucky.”

Klopp also confirmed Darwin Nunez would be available for the match with Chelsea after his absence against Brighton and Wolves, simply telling reporters when asked: “Yes.”

Barcelona have confirmed they have the option to purchase Yannick Carrasco as part of the deal that saw Memphis Depay join Atletico Madrid.

Atleti announced the signing of Depay on Friday on a two-and-a-half-year deal after Diego Simeone’s side agreed to pay Barca €3million up front with a possible €1m in add-ons.

LaLiga leaders Barca included a non-compulsory purchase option for Atletico winger Carrasco, who is in his seventh season as an Atleti player, either side of a short stint in China.

Reports from Spain suggest Barcelona will have to hand over €20m should they wish to sign the 29-year-old Belgium international.

Carrasco has played in 23 of Atletico’s 26 games this season, 15 of those starts, and has the fifth-most goal involvements with five – four goals of his own and one assist.

Atleti have already allowed Joao Felix to join Chelsea on loan for the rest of the season during the January transfer window, while Matheus Cunha made the switch to Wolves.

Graham Potter is confident Chelsea have turned a corner ahead of Saturday’s crucial Premier League clash against Liverpool.

The Blues travel to Anfield to face Jurgen Klopp’s side, also recently out of form, with both clubs hovering in mid-table and facing a tall order to secure a top-four finish and Champions League football.

Victory against Crystal Palace last Sunday brought an end to a three-game losing streak across all competitions for Chelsea and represented only their second Premier League win since mid-October.

The club have continued to spend heavily in the transfer market in a bid to improve their position and head coach Potter feels better times are on the horizon, though they need to make an impression on their trip to Merseyside.

“The win has been important for us, but it’s just a win. We have to go to Liverpool next and back it up,” Potter said.

“I’m confident, but I respect Liverpool and Anfield. It’s a tough place to go at any point, a fantastic football club. Jurgen [Klopp] is a top manager and [they are] a top team, but we’ve come through a tough spell.

“Players are coming back, new players are arriving. There is a buzz at the training ground.”

With the Blues having suffered an early exit from the FA Cup, Potter will have a fortnight after the Liverpool game to work with his squad ahead of their next fixture against Fulham, which he feels can make a big difference.

“We have two weeks, it’s an important period for us when you consider we have new faces and players coming back from injury,” Potter said. “It’s an important period. We’ll use the time as best as we can.”

Graham Potter confirmed Mykhaylo Mudryk is likely to make his Chelsea debut in Saturday’s Premier League clash with Liverpool.

The Blues splashed a reported £89million (€100m) to secure his services from Shakhtar Donetsk, beating London rivals Arsenal in the hunt for the Ukraine international.

Questions have been asked as to how Potter will fit Mudryk into a top-heavy squad at Stamford Bridge, where he joins the likes of Kai Havertz, Joao Felix, Christian Pulisic, Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

While that remains to be seen, Chelsea fans will have their first glimpse of Mudryk in action at Anfield as Potter confirmed he is set for his debut.

“He is a young and exciting player. We have to help him adapt to us and the Premier League. He hasn’t played so much football recently but has been training well, so we will have to assess him,” Potter said.

“There’s a chance [he could make his debut]. There is probably a role for him at some stage in the game.

“We’ve got to help him and everybody [must] understand that he is coming from a different country and league and has to adapt.

“He is a young player who has a lot of potential and at the same time he has had good experiences already and he is an exciting player.

“He’s trained very well and is very happy to be here. He is looking forward to his career here and is excited to get started.”

Chelsea’s work in the transfer market is seemingly not yet complete, with PSV winger Noni Madueke closing in on a move to west London, while Brighton and Hove Albion reportedly rejected a £55m bid from the Blues for midfielder Moises Caicedo.

Although it may seem there is no end in sight for Chelsea’s spending under Todd Boehly, Potter does not anticipate an influx of new additions at the backend of the mid-season transfer window.

“I don’t think there’ll be too many to be honest. I’ve no complaints about the squad. January is very complex. You might want A, B and C, but they are not available in terms of positional need,” he added.

“You are always looking to strengthen your squad and we have done that. When players come back, we have an exciting squad of players.

“You’ve got to analyse the squad and analyse where it’s at. Sometimes it is adding and sometimes it’s moving out players. That is on a case-by-case basis and we’ll look at it as and when.”

Randal Kolo Muani and Alexis Mac Allister, who played in the World Cup final in Qatar for France and Argentina respectively, both make the cut for our five goalscorers to watch this weekend.

Back Randal Kolo Muani to score anytime @ 11/10

The German Bundesliga returns this weekend and Eintracht Frankfurt will be hoping to pick up where they left when making the trip to the Veltins-Arena to face rock-bottom Schalke.

Eintracht are in the hunt for the league title this season and they will fancy to get the job done against a Schalke side that have just two wins from 15 games and have conceded 32 times.

France international Randal Kolo Muani will be licking his lips at the prospect of taking on this leaky defence and he was in fine form before the World Cup break, scoring four goals from his last six appearances across all competitions.

Back Alexis Mac Allister to score anytime @ 12/5

World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister will be aiming to continue his impressive season when Brighton make the trip to the King Power Stadium on Saturday to take on struggling Leicester.

The Argentine bagged a brace in the FA Cup victory over Middlesbrough this month and he has fond memories of facing the Foxes, having also scored twice in the 5-2 victory at the Amex Back in September.

Leicester have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four league outings and Mac Allister can take full advantage of that fragile defence in the East Midlands.

Back Ivan Toney to score anytime @ 6/4

It promises to be a high-scoring contest when Brentford travel to Leeds on Sunday and one player that looks primed to get himself on the scoresheet is Ivan Toney, who has already scored 13 goals in the league this season.

Only Erling Haaland and Harry Kane have higher tallies than the English striker and there is every chance he can take his count to 14 at the expense of Leeds, who have conceded 14 times from their last six competitive games at Elland Road.

Toney also scored a hat-trick in the 5-2 thumping of Leeds when they met earlier in the season at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Back Ross Stewart to score anytime @ 8/5

Sunderland are in the Championship play-off picture and a big reason for that has been the form of striker Ross Stewart, who has nine goals from his 12 league appearances.

The 26-year-old missed a large chunk of time due to injury but he appears to be making up for lost time, having scored five in his last six assignments across all competitions.

Next up is a clash against rivals Middlesbrough, who have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four away league games, on Sunday, and Stewart looks ripe for the picking in the goalscorer market.

Back Ansu Fati to score anytime @ 5/6

Rounding off our five goalscorers to watch this weekend is Barcelona’s Ansu Fati, who is in line to spearhead his side’s attack in the absence of the suspended Robert Lewandowski.

The 20-year-old Spain international is in a rich vein of form, having scored three times from his last five appearances across all competitions, and he can build on that record at home to relegation-threatened Getafe on Sunday.

– Both of this season’s meetings finished 0-0 after 90 minutes
– Palace have not beaten a top-half team at home this season, but drew 1-1 with Man Utd
– Recommended Bet: Back the draw

Crystal Palace aim to strike a blow to another Champions League-chasing club’s dreams and reignite their own season when they host Newcastle at Selhurst Park on Saturday evening.

Michael Olise’s stunning late free-kick earned a point against Manchester United on Wednesday — a result that means Newcastle can leapfrog the Red Devils with a draw in South London.

The Eagles have just one win to show from eight games in all competitions since the post-World Cup resumption, with manager Patrick Vieira recently admitting there was a “challenging mood” around the club.

Eddie Howe has no such concerns about his high-flying Magpies, who overcame Fulham with a late winner at St. James’ Park last Sunday.

The United boss was full of praise for match-winner Alexander Isak, who he believes has changed the dynamic of the team’s play.

Team news

Chris Richards will be given another chance in central defence after slotting in alongside Marc Guehi on Wednesday because of Joachim Andersen’s injury-enforced absence.

Vieira is likely to make changes elsewhere, however, with Eberechi Eze and Jordan Ayew hoping for recalls and Jean-Philippe Mateta due a break after a disappointing night against United.

Will Hughes made a strong case for his continued inclusion with a dogged display on his first Premier League start of the season in midweek.

Newcastle will have to do without midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, who suffered an ankle injury in last week’s win over Fulham.

Howe said that the Brazilian’s scan was positive and, although he could not give a timescale over when to expect the player back, stated he was “making good progress”.

Joelinton is expected to revert to a midfield role in Guimaraes’s absence, which offers Allan Saint-Maximin the opportunity to make a rare start out wide,

Jonjo Shelvey (calf), Matt Targett (heel) and Emil Krafth (ACL) are also ruled out, but Elliot Anderson could return after missing the last few games with a calf injury.

Isak will probably remain a bench option with Callum Wilson set to hold onto the central striker’s role.

The stats

Both of this season’s prior meetings between Palace and Newcastle, one in the Premier League and one in the League Cup, finished 0-0 after 90 minutes.

The last time two top-flight teams had three goalless draws against each other in the same campaign was Everton against Wimbledon in 1992-93.

The Magpies registered a fifth successive clean sheet in the Premier League for the first time last weekend, and their current unbeaten run of 14 games is the club’s joint-best in the top flight.

After a 3-3 draw in August 2014, Newcastle have only scored more than one goal once in their subsequent 14 Premier League meetings with the Eagles (W5 D4 L4), netting just 11 goals in total during that spell

Prediction

The injury to Guimaraes changes the balance of Newcastle’s midfield and their results suffered during his three-game absence earlier this season.

The Magpies drew at Wolves, lost at Liverpool and were held 0-0 by Palace and, on the evidence of those games, may struggle to come away from Selhurst Park with all three points.

The Eagles are also missing a key cog in central defence, but Guehi has been holding things together very well.

Palace have not beaten a team currently in the top half of the table at home, but they did manage draws against Brentford and United.

A third stalemate of the campaign between these two clubs, which is available to back at 5/2 with LiveScore Bet, could well be on the cards this Saturday.

There is another cracking weekend of Premier League football ahead and we have come up with another big-price acca to consider.

All three tips are from Saturday’s top-flight matches and if the treble is successful, a £10 stake could bring a return of £3,000.

Saturday, 3pm

Bet 1: Nottingham Forest to win 1-0 at Bournemouth at 13/2

After keeping the faith with Steve Cooper, Nottingham Forest are now reaping the benefits and have moved themselves away from the relegation zone heading into the clash at Bournemouth.

Forest recorded just one win in 12 prior to the World Cup, but have bounced back in style since the return of the Premier League — picking up seven points from four matches since Boxing Day.

Cooper’s men have claimed five wins in their opening 19 matches and all five have been victories to nil, with the first goal proving to be crucial in Forest matches.

In contrast, Bournemouth have lost all four league games since Christmas and have failed to score in that run, including a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in their last home match.

Saturday, 3pm

Bet 2: Solly March to score at anytime at 4/1

Brighton are currently sixth in the Premier League form guide and seventh in the table, after four wins in their last six league games.

A 3-0 home win over Liverpool last weekend has been the highlight and Roberto De Zerbi’s men are looking for a fourth straight away victory, as they prepare to face Leicester City.

Part of the reason for the Seagulls’ surge up the table has been the form of Solly March, with the midfielder finding his shooting boots.

The 28-year-old has scored four goals in the last four league games and will fancy his chances of adding to that against a leaky Foxes backline.

Leicester go into this clash having lost their last four league matches and joint third for goals conceded in the top-flight, with 33 in 19 games.

Saturday, 5.30pm

Bet3: Alexander Isak to score two or more goals at 7/1

Confidence could not be higher in the Newcastle camp as they head to the capital to face Crystal Palace on Saturday evening.

The Magpies have not lost a Premier League game since August 31 and travel to Selhurst Park looking for a sixth consecutive clean sheet.

As they look to break into the top four this season, there had been some concerns over goals at the other end of the pitch, but that has been dampened following the return of Alexander Isak.

Injury has seen the Swedish star play just four league games to date and he has scored three times to already become a favourite with the Geordies.

Meanwhile, Palace have kept just one clean sheet at home this season — against Southampton — and Patrick Vieria’s men have conceded 18 goals in 12 games at Selhurst Park.

Eddie Howe’s visitors are unbeaten in six on the road, while Newcastle have claimed a draw and a win on the last two visits to Palace.

Need help with your accas?

With LiveScore’s ‘Acca Insight’ tool you can create your accumulators using the latest stats, insight and odds at the touch of a button. Here’s how…

Step 1: Tap Acca Insight from the top of the Scores tab

Find it on the top left of the LiveScore app just below the LiveScore logo

Step 2: Choose your competitions and market

Set up your filters based on the competitions and betting markets you like to build accumulators from, along with the stats you find most insightful, e.g. last five matches or head-to-head record

Step 3: Check the insight, stats and odds

Your results are ordered by the stats – so if you select ‘Premier League’, ‘Both Teams to Score’ and ‘Last 5 matches’, the percentages show how often that outcome happened in each team’s recent games. The more often it happened, the higher the match is ranked

Step 4: Build your bet

Add your selections into our bet slip and transfer them to LiveScore Bet with the click of a button