Real Betis clashwith Leganes today
Real Betis will be aiming to secure their first victory of the 2024-25 La Liga campaign when they welcome Leganes to Estadio Benito Villamarin on Friday night.
The hosts have picked up two points from their three league games this season to sit 17th in the table, while Leganes are ninth, having collected five points from their opening four games of the campaign. Real Betis’ start to the 2024-25 La Liga season has been underwhelming at best, drawing two and losing one of their three matches, scoring just once in the process.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side drew their opening two league fixtures of the campaign against Girona and Alaves, before suffering a 2-0 defeat to the champions Real Madrid before the international break, but they have managed to post two European wins early in the season.
Real Betis actually now have three straight home league games against Leganes, Getafe and Mallorca, and they will be looking to put some wins on the board in order to rise up the table, with the team currently in 17th. Leganes, meanwhile, secured a return to La Liga as 2023-24 Segunda Division champions, with El Lega back at this level of football for the first time in five seasons.
Borja Jimenez’s side have made a solid start to the campaign, picking up five points from their four matches, which has left them in ninth spot in the table ahead of their return to the field. Leganes have made a solid start to the season, and they are certainly capable of making this an uncomfortable match for Real Betis.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Manchester United travel away to face Southampton
Southampton and Manchester United is the first Premier League game back after the
international break. Both sides have made a disappointing start to the new season with only one win between them. The Saints won promotion back to the Premier League by winning the play-off final at Wembley.
United travel to the south coast for the Saturday lunchtime match with the pressure mounting on Erik ten Hag following two defeats from their first three games of the season.
They started brightly with a 1-0 win over Fulham but collapsed to a 2-1 defeat at Brighton before being well beaten 3-0 at home to rivals Liverpool.
There is hope for United in the shape of midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who has joined from Paris Saint-Germain for an initial £42million.
Ugarte could make his debut for United after playing for Uruguay over the international break. Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro and Rasmus Hojlund are all unavailable.
But a match against one of the only two winless teams in the Premier League as it stands presents a great opportunity for United to get back on track in Saturday’s early kick-off.
Credit: standard.co.uk
Bournemouth welcome Chelsea to the Vitality Stadium
The international break came at an ideal time for Chelsea, who seek to put an end to a two-game winless run in Saturday’s Premier League showdown with Bournemouth.
The Blues could only muster a point from a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace two weekends ago, while the Cherries pulled off one of the greatest comebacks the competition has ever
seen against Everton.
Chelsea’s off-field activity has generated far more debate and furore than the on-field exploits of Enzo Maresca’s men so far this season, but with the transfer window now
closed for business until January, the newly appointed manager can focus purely on footballing matters for the next few months.
The Blues’ season had seemingly kicked into gear with back-to-back victories over Servette and Wolverhampton Wanderers, hitting the latter for six at Molineux, only for Maresca’s men to suffer an embarrassing – albeit inconsequential – second-leg loss to the Swiss side in their Europa Conference League qualifier second leg.
Chelsea playing away from home almost always means no clean sheet for the men in blue, who should not end their streak without a shut-out against a goal-happy Bournemouth
crop, even if the two-week hiatus came at the worst time for Iraola’s side.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Unbeaten Empoli and Juventus meet at Stadio Castellani
Two unbeaten teams meet at Stadio Castellani on Saturday evening, as Empoli play host to Serie A giants Juventus. While Juve have made an impressive start to life under new management – and are yet to concede a single goal – the Tuscan club are surprisingly thriving at the start of their 2024-Â 25 campaign.
Despite breaking up for international football with a grim goalless draw against Roma, in which only two shots on target were recorded, Juventus have begun the Thiago Motta era with both a new look and a more proactive approach.
The Bianconeri made a sparkling start to the new season, scoring six times without reply to go top of the very early Serie A standings after two games, as several summer signings and youth products were introduced into Motta’s starting XI.
Now level with Udinese and two old foes – Inter Milan and Torino – on seven points, Motta’s men will try to get back to winning ways this weekend, ahead of a much-anticipated return to the Champions League. Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven are due in Turin next week, but first Juve aim to keep clean sheets in their first four Serie A matches for just a fifth time in their illustrious history.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Premier League
Saturday 14th September
Southampton 12:30 Man. United
Brighton 15:00 Ipswich Town
Crystal Palace 15:00 Leicester City
Fulham 15:00 West Ham United
Liverpool 15:00 Nottingham Forest
Manchester City15:00 Brentford
Aston Villa 17:30 Everton
Bournemouth 20:00 Chelsea
Sunday 15th September
Tottenham Hotspur 14:00 Arsenal
Wolves 16:30 Newcastle United
Spanish La Liga
Friday 13th September
Real Betis 20:00 Leganés
Saturday 14th September
Mallorca 13:00 Villarreal
Espanyol 15:15 Deportivo Alavés
Sevilla 17:30 Getafe
Real Sociedad 20:00 Real Madrid
Sunday 15th September
Celta de Vigo 13:00 Real Valladolid
Girona 15:15 Barcelona
Las Palmas 17:30 Athletic Club
Atlético Madrid 20:00 Valencia
Italian Serie A
Saturday 14th September
Como 14:00 Bologna
Empoli 17:00 Juventus
Milan 19:45 Venezia
Sunday 15th September
Genoa 11:30 Roma
Atalanta 14:00 Fiorentina
Torino 14:00 Lecce
Cagliari 17:00 Napoli
Monza 19:45 Internazionale
