Newcastle tackle Nottingham Forest as they chase top-4 spot

Seeking to boost their chances of securing Champions League football for next season, Newcastle United travel to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Friday night.

While the Tricky Trees have not lost a league game on home soil since October, the Magpies are still searching for their first top-flight away victory in 2023.

Following a run of just one win in their last seven Premier League matches, Nottingham Forest find themselves embroiled in one of the most hotly-contested relegation battles in years, with just five points separating the bottom nine teams in the table.

Forest remain 14th in the current standings but after five of the six teams below them picked up points last weekend, fears of an immediate return to the Championship are beginning to creep in as the Tricky Trees are now sitting just two points above the relegation zone.

Indeed, 77% of their Premier League points have been picked up at home this season – the highest percentage in the division – and having beaten Newcastle in their last two home meetings, the Tricky Trees will be confident of returning to winning ways as they bid to steer themselves clear of the drop zone.

Credit: sportsmole.co.uk

Athletic Bilbao host relegation-threatened Real Valladolid

Athletic Bilbao will be looking to halt a five-game winless run in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign away to relegation-threatened on Friday night.

The visitors will enter the contest off the back of a 1-0 home defeat to Barcelona, while Real Valladolid shared the points with bottom-of-the-table Elche last time out.

Real Valladolid are currently 14th in the table, but they are only two points ahead of the relegation zone at this stage, and it would be a surprise if they were not involved in a battle towards the bottom of the division for the remainder of the season.

Real Valladolid will certainly have gained encouragement from their 2-1 home success over Espanyol at the start of March.

Athletic on the other hand will be looking to do a league double over Real Valladolid, as

the Basque outfit have only lost one of their last five top-flight fixtures with Friday’s opponents, but will not enter this match in the best form, having failed to win any of their last five games in all competitions.

Athletic’s recent form has been disappointing, so it is difficult to back them to win, and Real Valladolid certainly have enough about them to claim a share of the spoils in this match.

Credit: sportsmole.co.uk

Barcelona welcome Real Madrid in El-Classico

A game doused in Spanish royalty of two teams who may not dominate international headlines like they once did, are still happy to engage and dance under the spotlight of the football Gods!

Barcelona continues to lead the chasing La Liga pack, their domestic form has been nothing short of brilliant when you consider last season and the uncertainty (around the club) off the pitch.

They have lost just once from their previous 16 domestic Spanish fixtures and when you consider that they haven’t been scoring freely by any stretch of the imagination – it’s a commendable defensive effort.

This is the sort of game they will want to win more than most though, a double over their fiercest rivals in as little as a fortnight (with one more to come in the Copa del Rey) is the sort of narrative this team needs.

The narrative around Real Madrid now seems to take their domestic performances for granted, almost to the point where they are only seen to be competing in Europe. However, Los Blancos will know that this is the sort of game where a win – or indeed a positive display – has every possibility of translating into a confidence-inducing and awe-inspiring run of form.

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Inter, Juventus battle for Champions League place

This weekend’s Serie A game between Inter and Juventus is key in the battle for Champions League place as Juventus are still looking to make up ground on the top four, with Inter currently second in the table. This clash wraps up the Serie A ahead of the international break and it could end being a key indicator of how the top four race might finish this season.

Juventus are still battling to recover from their 15-point deduction earlier this year. But they are still in the running for a Champions League spot if they can end the campaign strongly.

Ahead of this game, Max Allegri’s Juventus are the team in better form, with the visitors winning five of their last six league matches, compared to Inter’s return of three victories in their last six Serie A outings.

However, despite their issues domestically, Inter have been boosted by sealing a place in the Champions League quarterfinals this season, after squeezing past Porto and they will be expecting to get at least a point at the San Siro.

Credit: football-italia.net