Man City take on Championship outfit Norwich City in EFL Cup
Manchester City will be aiming to make it six straight wins in all competitions when they take on Championship outfit Norwich City in the third round of the EFL Cup.
The Citizens are nine-time winners of the League Cup, including the 2025-26 competition, while Norwich have lifted the trophy on two occasions (1961-62, 1984-85).
Man City benefitted from one of the most extraordinary VAR decisions of all time in Sunday’s Manchester derby, with Erling Haaland’s controversial goal handing the Citizens a 1-0 victory over Manchester United.
It has been a strong start to the season for Enzo Maresca‘s side, with the team bouncing back impressively from their defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield.
Man City are currently second in the Premier League table on 12 points, winning their first four matches of the campaign, while they recorded a 2-0 victory over Porto in their Champions League league stage opener last week.
The Citizens are nine-time winners of the League Cup and are also the reigning champions, having recorded a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in last season’s final.
Man City have faced Norwich on 72 occasions throughout history, boasting a record of 39 wins, 23 draws and 10 defeats against the Canaries, including victories in each of their last three games.
Norwich have actually conceded 14 times and scored zero in their last three matches against Man City – the last of which was a 4-0 victory for the Citizens in the Premier League in February 2022.
It is incredibly tough to back Norwich in this match, and it would be a shock if the Canaries were to triumph; it should be a comfortable progression to the next round for Maresca’s team.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Real Betis to continue strong start when they host Getafe
Real Betis will be aiming to continue their strong start to the campaign when they take on Getafe in Spain’s top flight on Thursday evening.
The hosts are currently third in the La Liga table, three points behind leaders Barcelona, while Getafe are 14th, three points above the relegation zone.
Real Betis have had an impressive start to the season, winning four and drawing one of their five league matches to collect 12 points, which has left them in third spot in the table.
The Seville outfit will enter this match off the back of a 2-1 victory over Villarreal in Spain’s top flight, with that game coming after a 3-2 success over Lille in their Champions League opener.
In all competitions, Manuel Pellegrini‘s side have won five of their six matches this season, including a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in La Liga; their only defeat was a surprising one, going down 5-2 at Levante at the end of August.
Real Betis have won three of their last four matches against Getafe, but it was 2-0 to the capital team when the pair last locked horns in March of this year.
Getafe have only been victorious in two of their last 11 matches against Real Betis, and the visitors will undoubtedly enter Thursday’s match as the underdogs.
Getafe are capable of making this a tricky match for Real Betis, but the hosts are in excellent form, and we are backing Pellegrini’s side to secure all three points.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Sociedad, Bournemouth begin Europa League campaigns with an intriguing clash
Real Sociedad and Bournemouth will begin their respective Europa League league stage campaigns with an intriguing clash at Anoeta Stadium on Thursday night.
Bournemouth will enter the match off the back of a 2-2 draw with Brentford in the Premier League, while Real Sociedad lost 3-0 to Atletico Madrid in La Liga last time out.
Real Sociedad had an underwhelming 2025-26 La Liga campaign, finishing down in 10th spot in the division, but they qualified for the league phase of the Europa League courtesy of their Copa del Rey success, so the team are present in Europe this term.
La Real have a record of two wins, one draw and three defeats from their six La Liga matches this season, and they will enter this game off the back of a 3-0 home defeat to Atletico.
Real Sociedad last played in the Europa League in 2024-25, reaching the last-16 stage of the competition before being eliminated by Manchester United.
Bournemouth, on the other hand, are preparing to play in Europe for the first time, with the Cherries finishing sixth in the Premier League last season to qualify for the Europa League league stage.
Bournemouth will also take on Sturm Graz, AC Milan, Sparta Prague, Celta Vigo, Plzen, Lillestrom and Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the league phase of this season’s Europa League, and it will be fascinating to see how Rose’s team perform in the tournament.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Italian giants Juventus welcome Dutch hopefuls NEC
Italian giants Juventus will host Dutch hopefuls NEC on Thursday evening, when the pair commence their Europa League campaigns.
Albeit in a different manner, both clubs let Champions League qualification slip through their grasp, so they must now tackle UEFA’s second-tier competition.
After a costly collapse at the end of last term – taking just five points from their final five games – Juventus failed to make the top four in Serie A, missing out on a place in the Champions League.
Appointed part-way through another sub-par campaign, interim coach Luciano Spalletti was spared the sack and gained an extended contract, but his squad has made a mixed start to the new season.
Two-time European champions, Juve have a rich heritage behind them, while their vastly experienced coach is very familiar with this competition. Given their injury situation, Juventus could have one eye on protecting players for Sunday’s league game against Atalanta, but even a shadow team should be able to beat NEC.
The visitors boast some talent and a dash of European experience, but they were outclassed by Bodo/Glimt and have been leaking lots of goals.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Manchester City 18:30 Norwich City
La Liga Fixtures
Europa League Fixtures
Levski Sofia 16:45 Red Bull Salzburg
Crystal Palace 19:00 Lech Poznań
