Midweek Football Preview

The Premier League enters the 2nd half.

Premier League MW 20

Newcastle vs. Leeds

Newcastle sit 16th in the league having lost their last 4 games in a row and not having won for some time. Leeds sit 12th in the table having lost their last two. Steve Bruce is in a rough patch and there is a lot of pressure on him to turn it around but Leeds will also want to return to winning ways. A game of importance for both teams. Leeds won 5-2 in the reverse fixture. 

Crystal Palace vs. West Ham

13th placed Palace have won 1 of their last 5 games as they take on fellow London rivals West Ham who sit 7th and are in a brilliant run of form. Based on current form this should be a win for Moyes and the Hammers but Palace will want to upset the odds. The reverse fixture was a 1-1 draw. 

Southampton vs. Arsenal

These two teams meet once again with Southampton having beaten Arsenal in the FA Cup during the weekend. Southampton sit 10th in the table 2 points above Arsenal with a game in hand. A win for Southampton would create a buffer zone between Arsenal and them while Arsenal would enter the top 10 with a win. Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 5 in the league but Southampton have shown they can beat the Gunners. An interesting game. The reverse fixture was a 1-1 draw. 

West Brom vs. Man City

19th placed West Brom and Sam Allardyce travel to Man City who sit 2nd in the table and could return to the top with a win. West Brom and Sam Allardyce did brilliantly to earn a point at Man City in the reverse fixture but whether they can get anything out of this in form Man City team is a question to be answered. 

Burnley vs. Aston Villa

15th placed Burnley have pulled themselves out of the relegation zone and become hard to beat at the same time as they take on 8th placed Villa who are looking to continue their good form from the 1st half of the season. The reverse fixture was a 0-0 draw.

Brighton vs. Fulham

17th placed Brighton take on 18th placed Fulham in a bottom of the table clash. Fulham sit 5 points behind Brighton with a game in hand so their is plenty of opportunity for Fulham to go for the win in this game. The away team have been playing well while Brighton finally managed to win a game recently. This should be an interesting watch. 

Man United vs. Sheffield United

Leaders Manchester United look to continue their winning run as they take on bottom of the table Sheffield United who just have one win to their name but have looked better recently. The reverse fixture was a 2-3 win for Man United and with United in better form this should be another win for them. 

Everton vs. Leicester

6th placed Everton take on 3rd placed Leicester with both teams looking to progress further up the table. Leicester can go top of the table if they win while Everton can enter the top four. The reverse fixture was a 0-2 win for Everton but Leicester are in better form as opposed to then. This should be an entertaining game. 

Tottenham vs. Liverpool

Tottenham sit 5th and can go above Liverpool with a game in hand if they beat the 4th placed side. Liverpool are in dismal form at the moment and have only won one game all year which came against Aston Villa’s u21 team. The reverse fixture was a 2-1 win for Liverpool but Liverpool are not in that same form anymore and anything can happen. Mourinho will be very excited. 

Copa Del Rey Round of 16

Villarreal take on Girona, Real Sociedad take on Real Betis, Sevilla welcome Valencia, and Barcelona travel to Rayo Vallecano amongst other fixtures as the Copa Del Rey round of 16 continues. Barcelona would have to be favourites out of sheer stature but there are some interesting teams still around like Villarreal and Sevilla. Real Sociedad have also been very good this season. 

Coppa Italia Quarter-Finals

Quarter-Final time in the Coppa Italia as Inter take on Milan in a Milan derby and they also happen to be the most in form teams in Italy. Atalanta take on Lazio in another mouth watering game while Juventus take on SPAL and Napoli take on Spezia. Juventus should progress from the round while Napoli will have to be aware of Spezia who beat Roma. The other two fixtures are open and anyone can win.