AC Milan, the new leaders in Serie A, travels to play bottom-placed Salernitana in what should be a walk in the park for them. Meanwhile, in-form Villarreal travels to play struggling Granada in La Liga, while AS Monaco will be eager to return to its winning ways on Sunday at Bordeaux. You can live-bet on the European top soccer league by using our sportsbook.
Salernitana vs. AC Milan (Serie A Round 26)
AC Milan climbed to the top of the Serie A table with a 1-0 win over Sampdoria on Sunday, with the only goal of the match scored by in-form winger Rafael Leao. Stefano Pioli’s side leapfrogged Inter Milan and Napoli, who played to a 1-1 draw.
The Rossoneri have been in imperious form this season and continue to prove that they are the real deal in the Italian top-flight league. To narrow their improved form to the current season alone will be a great disservice to the job that Pioli has done since the turn of the year. The Italian manager has completely overturned the fortunes of the club and has now made them title contenders.
Very few foresaw AC Milan challenging for the Serie A title, let alone sitting at the top of the league table. However, AC Milan has done exactly that. They lost just four games all season and they have the third-best attack in the league with 50 goals netted in 25 games. Despite being on the road, AC Milan enters this clash as heavy favorites at -275 on the three-way moneyline according to the latest soccer odds.
They are aiming for the third consecutive league win after beating both city rival Inter and Sampdoria. The reverse match against Salernitana ended in a 2-0 win for the leaders, with AC Milan dominating the entire game, having over 70 percent possession, 22 goal-attempts and eight shots on target. We expect the same outcome with the visitors having enough to cover the spread. Salernitana has lost 16 of 23 games and is dead last in the standings with just 13 points picked up in 23 games. They have the worst attack and the worst defense in the league with 17 goals scored and 53 allowed.
Pick: AC Milan -1½ goals (+105)
Granada vs. Villarreal (La Liga Round 25)
After a slow start, Villarreal have started to really hit form over the past couple months and Gerard Moreno’s goals have been crucial. They lost him early on at Real Betis two weeks ago but still showed plenty of quality and composure to secure an important 2-0 win without their talisman. His recovery time depends on his progression, which tells us nothing at all, but he’s expected to be on the bench this weekend against Granada. He will probably play only if needed because Villarreal hosts Juventus in the Champions League next week and they need their star player fresh and fully fit.
Villarreal are just three points off the Champions League places and will be eyeing a potential top-four finish, which looked to be a distinctly unlikely prospect earlier in the season. Villarreal have spent heavily under the management of Unai Emery. They signed Argentine midfielder Giovani Lo Celso on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in January. The 25-year-old is no stranger to La Liga, having made his name at Real Betis as a versatile midfielder. On top of that, Dutch winger Arnaut Danjuma is back and ready to deliver.
On the other side, Granada is winless in their last six La Liga games, losing their last four and failing to find the back of the net in the last three. They are a team to fade so make sure you don’t include them in your soccer picks and parlays. They are sitting just four points above the danger zone, and we don’t expect them to return to winning ways and pull off the upset against Villarreal.
Pick: Villarreal (Ev)
Bordeaux vs. AS Monaco (Ligue 1 Round 25)
AS Monaco failed to make it two wins in a row aftr being kept to a goalless draw last weekend by relegation-threatened Lorient. They travel to play bottom-placed Bordeaux, the team with the worst defense in the league with 61 goals allowed in 24 games. This is the perfect opportunity for Monaco to bounce back and close the gap on the Champions League spots, as they are sitting five points behind third-placed Nice.
Monaco is not traveling well, winning just three of 11 games on the road, but Bordeaux is desperate for points and they will open up from the start of the match. Monaco has one of the best attacking lines in the league. They have a great pace and they are deadly on the break. If you’re betting online, you should already know that Monaco loves playing against Bordeaux. They won the previous three mutual encounters, scoring at least three goals in each match and keeping three clean sheets in the process.
