Chelsea welcome Dede Ayew’s Nottingham Forest
Chelsea finally have a win under Frank Lampard and they take that confidence into Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest.
While one victory does not change the feeling around the campaign as a whole, it does at least offer hope of ending it on a slightly more positive note. With so little left to play for, it’s hard to know where Chelsea stand. Still, back at Stamford Bridge, it’s important to try and build momentum where possible ahead of a huge season next time out.
Forest, meanwhile, are fighting for their lives but have been so poor away from home all season.
Lampard is fearful Ben Chilwell will join Reece James and Mason Mount in missing the rest of the season with a fresh hamstring worry.
For Forest, Dean Henderson, Chris Wood, Scott McKenna and Omar Richards are all out. Danilo, however, has returned to fitness.
While the game means much more to Forest, their away form all season makes them incredibly hard to back on the road.
Credit: standard.co.uk
Manchester United hostWolves at Old Trafford
Having now assured themselves of a place in the Premier League for the 2023-24 season, Wolverhampton Wanderers return to the road to meet Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.
Wolves confirmed their safety with a 1-0 win over Aston Villa last weekend, while the Red Devils were beaten at West Ham United by the same scoreline.
As Manchester City and Arsenal ride off into the sunset, a third-placed finish and FA Cup glory is now the best that Man United can fight for in the final few weeks of the season, but just two wins from their last six in all tournaments is hardly an encouraging record.
The Red Devils offered Liverpool another slice of hope in the race for Champions League football, although they possess a one-point lead over their Merseyside rivals with a game in hand.
Man United have frequently dabbled in one-goal victories at Old Trafford this season, and however many goals the Red Devils concede on the road, they have often been near-impenetrable in front of their own fans.
A drop-off in performance from Wolves can be expected with nothing but pride on the line, but the misfiring hosts may once again be restricted to just the one goal, albeit one that will keep them in control of their Champions League destiny.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Real Madrid take on improved Getafeside
Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid come into this on the back of a 1-1 draw with Manchester City in their most recent outing, during the midweek, in the first-leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final tie.
Los Blancos managed to win the Copa del Rey last weekend with a 2-1 win against Osasuna in Seville. They now face a Getafe side that will be expected to be more dogged and improved since the appointment of Jose Bordalas. The visitors will seek to take advantage of an expected rotated Madrid side with regular players rested.
The chase for the league title seems to be a lost cause now for the Los Blancos. But a win this weekend will see them ensure a top-four finish, and thus a ticket to the next edition of the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Getafe are placed 18th in a table of 20, trapped in by the relegation zone. A clash against the current European champions could not have come at a worse time for the team.
They are getting prepared for a UCL semi-final meeting against Manchester City, and will be gunning to go after a huge win.
Relegation-threatened Lecce visitLazio
Lazio will be looking to reclaim second place in the Serie A table when relegation-threatened Lecce visit the StadioOlimpico on Friday evening.
With four matches remaining, the hosts find themselves three points inside the top four, while the visitors sit four points clear of the drop zone.
Lazio looked destined to finish as runners-up to newly-crowned champions Napoli thanks to a run of one defeat in 14 Serie A matches between January and April, with seven victories coming in the final eight games of that sequence.
However, the Eagles have surrendered second place to Juventus following a run of three losses in four outings, meaning that Maurizio Sarri‘s men are looking over their shoulders as the race for Champions League football heats up.
Still, the Rome outfit will be confident of getting back on track when struggling Lecce visit the Stadio Olimpico, as Lazio have won four of their last five home league games, keeping three clean sheets in the process.
Having lost just two of their previous 10 home matches in Serie A – taking 20 points from a possible 30 during that period – Lazio will back themselves to return to winning ways and reignite their top-four charge.
While Lazio have won four of their last five home league games, Lecce have lost each of their previous five on the road, with the Wolves failing to score in four of those defeats.
With that in mind, we expect Lazio to bounce back with a comfortable victory over Lecce, who look set to slide deeper into relegation danger.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
