Everton v Manchester United
Premier League – 1.30 pm
Sky Sports
This is going to be really interesting at Goodison Park on Sunday lunchtime. Everton have done well in their last few home games. In their last three fixtures at Goodison Park, they have held title-contenders Liverpool to a draw, and have beaten Chelsea and Arsenal. So that’s a very good return from a difficult run of home fixtures. Can they upset the Red Devils on the weekend as well? Everton are 9/4 underdogs on home soil, but punters may well see value in them as one of their best bets of the day.
Manchester United have no clean sheet in nine games and have lost five of their last seven. That is across all competitions. The away form of the Red Devils has to come under scrutiny a bit at the moment in the Premier League as they have lost the last two on the road. Those were back to back defeats against Arsenal and Wolves. Some of the shine has started to come off the tenure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as boss, maybe. United are at 13/10 to win at Goodison, and they need to as they have to work to do try and get back to the Champions League next season.
Leinster v Toulouse
European Champions Cup Rugby – 3.15 pm
Channel 4
Leinster and Toulouse meet again. They were together in the Pool stage of this season’s Champions Cup and now here they are again, going at it in the semifinals. From the two meetings in the group stage, they each won their game on home soil. So will that be a telling factor when they line up on Sunday at the Aviva? Perhaps so, as top bookmakers have Leinster as the 2/5 odds on favourites with home soil on their side.
Leinster went up against Ulster on home soil in a big duel in the quarterfinals of the Champions Cup. They were under pressure in the game and it was really the points from the kicking game that got them across the line in the end for a 21-18 victory. That was some pressure that they were under though. Toulouse pulled off an underdog success against Racing 96 who were last season’s runners up in the cup. It was a huge battle between the French outfits, Toulouse doing enough early on to hold on for a 22-21 success away from home. It was a performance full of grit and character. They are 11/5 to pull off another underdog success this weekend.
Cardiff v Liverpool
Premier League – 4.00 pm
Sky Sports
Cardiff did their survival hopes the power of good in midweek as they collected a victory away from home against Brighton. That left them three points from safety going back into action this weekend and still, there is no margin for error. The problem is that they have to step out against title-chasers Liverpool this weekend and it is not going to be an easy game at all for them. The Bluebirds have lost three of their last four home games as well and for a team which has conceded at almost two goals per home game this season, meeting Liverpool isn’t what they need right now.
The Bluebirds are massive 16/1 underdogs with leading bookmakers to win this. Liverpool have to stay focused. They beat Chelsea last weekend and now they won’t meet any other top six side during their run in. So they have a great chance at the title and they are in form. It is a five-match winning streak that they are on at the moment and they have scored at least two goals in each of those five games. The Reds have conceded just 10 goals in 17 away games this season, but have conceded in their last two on the road at Fulham and Southampton. With this easier run of games coming up, will they keep their eye on the ball? It’s not the time for complacency to set in. Top bookmakers have them at 8/11 odds-on to win to nil.
