Southampton v Liverpool
Premier League – 8.00 pm
Sky Sports
Manchester City are not in league action on the weekend, so Liverpool have the chance to get some pressure on them in the title race. The Reds make the long trip south to St Mary’s to face Southampton on Friday night. Last weekend Liverpool managed to squeeze out a home win against Spurs, with the Lilywhites putting through their own net in the final minute of the game. That was a massive moment for the Reds. Is fate on their side in the title race? Time will tell.
Liverpool are only W2 D3 L1 in their last six away games. The two wins in that sequence were narrow one-goal margin successes against bottom-six sides Brighton and Fulham. They have been far from their fluent best away from home. But at this stage of the season, there is bound to be nerves creeping in. Can they get a success at Southampton? Liverpool have won their last three league meetings against the Saints. Given their recent trend of narrow away wins, top bookmarks have the Reds to win this by a one-goal margin at 9/4 odds.
Southampton though are carrying decent form at the moment. Even though they have won only four home games, they are currently with back to back home successes. One of those was against a top-four side, Tottenham. They are in a fight for survival and that is making them dangerous at the moment. They are big 7/1 underdogs to pull off the home win over Liverpool. If they could, their survival hopes would skyrocket.
Sale v Harlequins
Premiership Rugby – 7.45 pm
BT Sport
This should be a really interesting clash from the AJ Bell Stadium. That is because of the hit and miss form of the Sharks. Sale have won three and lost three of their last six Premiership games, so do blow hot and cold. They have won their last two home games though, a resounding league victory over Leicester and then a victory in the European Challenge Cup against Connaught last weekend.
Each of the last seven meetings in the Premiership between Sale and Harlequins have gone the way of the home side. The Sharks are 4/9 to complete the win. However, the Quins are one of the better sides out on the road in the Premiership. They have actually only failed to win one of their last four away games in all competitions. Quins took a win at Worcester last weekend in the European Challenge Cup.
They have lost their last two Premiership games, tough clashes against Gloucester and Saracens. They have won three of their last four against Sale, including putting 51 points on the board against the Sharks when they lasts met back in September. At 15/8 odds to pull off a win, they will have their backers.
England Women v Canada Women
International Friendly – 7:15 pm
BBC Four
The Lionesses continue their build-up to the 2019 World Cup with a friendly against Canada on Friday night from Manchester City’s Academy Stadium. They will also go on to face France and Spain as part of their warm-ups. England had a powerful World Cup 2019 qualification campaign, posting a W7 D1 record from their eight games, conceding just the 1 goal and scoring 29. They have lost one of their star players for this one. Chelsea forward Fran Kirby has withdrawn because of a knee problem.
Four years ago at the World Cup, the Lionesses beat Canada in a quarterfinal thriller with Jodie Taylor and Lucy Bronze getting the goals in a 2-1 win. That put England through to the semifinals for the first time ever at a Women’s World Cup. England will go to France in the summer as one of the red-hot favourites to lift the title. Canada though are no pushover, as they are ranked fifth in the world (England are third). With home advantage though it is England Women who the bookmakers have as 8/13 odds-on favourites.
Mainz v Freiburg
Bundesliga – 7.30 pm
BT Sport
Mainz are in a big slump at the moment. They have lost their four games on the bounce in the German top flight. They have shipped a total of thirteen goals in those four games as well. If you look back over their last eight games they have conceded at least two goals in six of those eight, during which they have posted a W1 L7 sequence. So Mainz are on the slide but still have a fairly comfortable cushion between themselves and the relegation zone. So this is about steadying the ship. Top bookmakers have them at 5/4 to win this home duel.
Freiburg are one place above them in the bottom half of the table, but they are going to the other direction. They have lost just one of their last eight league games now and last weekend battled to a great point at home against Bayern Munich. Freiburg have drawn five of their last eight league games (W2 L1) so have been tough to knock down. That having been said, they have only won twice on their travels this season, averaging under a goal per game scored in road fixtures. But will they be able to land some away cheer against a Mainz side who are badly out of shape? Freiburg are 21/10 to pull out three points.
