Roma vs Bologna Prediction & Match Preview

Roma vs Bologna
Italy – Serie A
Date: Friday, 7 February 2020
Kick-off at 19:45 UK / 20:45 CET
Venue: Stadio Olimpico (Rome)

The Giallorossi will be looking to bounce back from last week’s defeat when they entertain in-form Bologna at the Stadio Olimpico on Friday.

Roma vs Bologna: Match Preview

Following a disappointing 2-4 defeat to Sassuolo in the previous round, Paulo Fonseca’s side will be eager to bounce back and earn three points in their next fixture, which sees them host Bologna at the Stadio Olimpico.

The Roman outfit are struggling to get results since the mid-season break as they only managed to collect four points from their last five league outings. With 39 points to their name, the Giallorossi are sitting at fifth position on the ladder, behind Atalanta on goal difference.

Roma have recorded five wins, three draws and three defeats at home this season, averaging 1.82 goals scored per match, whilst shipping 1.45 in return. They have racked up seven points from their last five home games (2W, 1D, 2L).

Bologna, on the other hand, are enjoying a decent run of form having won four of their last seven league matches. Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men have recorded their second consecutive Serie A win and extended their unbeaten run to three games with a 2-1 triumph over Brescia, thanks to Mattia Bani’s late winner.

The Emilia-Romagna giants are eleventh in the standings, levelled on points with Napoli and Verona, and two points off sixth-placed Cagliari.

The Greyhounds have posted four wins, two draws and five losses away from Renato Dall’Ara, netting 1.55 goals per bout and conceding 1.64. They have won three of their last five away fixtures.

Roma vs Bologna: Team News & Probable Lineups

Zaniolo (18 games, 4 goals) and Zappacosta (1/0) are surely out; Mkhitaryan (9/3) and Diawara (12/0) will be evaluated before the game and Pellegrini (16/1) is banned.

Roma (4-2-3-1) – Pau Lopez – Spinazzola, Mancini, Smalling, Kolarov – Villar, Cristante – Under, Perotti, Kluivert – Dzeko

Dijks (4/0), Krejci (10/1), Medel (13/0), Sansone (21/4) and Santander (19/1) are on the guests’ injury list; Andrea Poli (20/2) is suspended on yellow card accumulation.

Bologna (4-2-3-1) – Skorupski – Mbaye, Bani, Danilo, Tomiyasu – Schouten, Poli – Orsolini, Soriano, Barrow – Palacio

Roma vs Bologna: Head-to-head (h2h)

• Overall Stats (40 games): Roma 22 Wins, Bologna 7 Wins, 11 Draws.
• Roma have won 13 of their 20 home matches against ‘I Veltri’.
• On average 2.95 goals have been scored per game in their meetings at the Olimpico.
• The Giallorossi have won five of the last seven outings vs Bologna.
• Paulo Fonseca’s boys topped Bologna 2-1 in the reverse fixture earlier in the season.

Roma vs Bologna: Prediction

Roma are big favorites to claim their fifteenth win of the season, but with their poor defensive record of late (12 goals conceded over the least six league games), I’d rather pick goals on both ends.

The visitors are a dangerous side, quite similar to Sassuolo in many ways, with technical players in the attacking department, and I’m quite confident they will find the back of the net on Friday.

With a 2-1 or 2-2 hunch, I will pick at least three goals to be scored. 64 percent of Giallorossi’s games at the Olimpico had over 2.5 goals and the same bet landed in six of the last seven Bologna’s road games.

Roma vs Bologna: Betting Tips

• Both Teams to Score – Yes @ 1.62

• Over 2.5 goals @ 1.57.

Alaves vs Eibar Prediction & Match Preview

Deportivo Alaves vs Eibar
Spain – LaLiga
Date: Friday, 7 February 2020
Kick-off at 20:00 UK/ 21:00 CET
Venue: Estadio Mendizorrotza.

Not only have Alaves won the reverse fixture on the road, but they kept a clean sheet as well that day. On top of that, Eibar have been completely shambolic in away games this season, and couple this to the fact that Alaves have lost at home only against some of the best teams in the league. Likely, expect a strong performance from Alaves this Friday.

Deportivo Alaves vs Eibar Head-to-head (h2h)

• The last time these two met, Alaves won on the road with a 0-2 scoreline.
• In the last six years, only once have Eibar won against this opponent.
• At this venue, it’s been three years since the guests have recorded a win.
• The last time these two met at this venue, spoils were shared with a 1-1 scorecard.

Deportivo Alaves vs Eibar Match Preview

Alaves secured a 1-1 draw on the road the last match-day against Sevilla. Despite dropping two points, a draw against one of the best teams in the league (that too on the road), would be considered a moral victory for Deportivo.

Elsewhere, Eibar were held to a draw at home by Betis. The scoreline was 1-1, and it was the third winless game in a row for the former.

Going on, at home, Alaves have lost just thrice this whole season, and these three games had come against Real Madrid, Villarreal, and Sevilla. They are also on a scoring streak of eight matches in front of the home crowd, and have failed to find the back of the net at this venue just twice this campaign.

On the other hand, Eibar have a total of three wins on the road in 2019-20. Two of those three victories had come in the Copa del Rey, against teams from the lower division. The third win had come against Leganes, a relegation-battler in the La Liga.

Moreover, Eibar were booted out of the Copa just two weeks back by Badajoz, another squad from the lower divisions.

Deportivo Alaves vs Eibar Prediction

Home advantage will likely play a big role in determining the outcome of this game. The reason being, Alaves have been quite impressive in their home fixtures this season, while Eibar have struggled extremely once on the road.

In addition, Alaves had even won the reverse fixture, where they were on the road. Then, Deportivo had recorded a 0-2 win to post the three points on the board.

Moreover, Eibar have scored the same number of goals on the road as Mallorca – the worst road team in the league. Meanwhile, Alaves have so far conceded just eight goals in total in front of the home crowd, which is just one more than current table-toppers Real Madrid, and three fewer than reigning champions, Barcelona.

As such, expect Deportivo Alaves to have a great shot at posting a win this weekend. To be on the safe side though, we will opt for some risk-free options.

Deportivo Alaves vs Eibar Betting Tips

• Double Chance: Deportivo Alaves or Draw @ 1.40 (2/5)

• Deportivo Alaves 0, +0.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.50 (1/2).

Bristol City vs Birmingham Prediction & Match Preview

Bristol City vs Birmingham
England – Championship
Date: Friday, 7 February 2020
Kick-off at 19:45 UK/ 20:45 CET
Venue: Ashton Gate Stadium.

As of now, Bristol may be the most in-form team in the competition. On top of that, they have the home advantage as well. As such, expect the hosts Bristol City, to have the upper hand this weekend. However, do note that Birmingham have performed supremely well in h2h clashes the last two decades. This surely raises the potential of BTTS.

Bristol City vs Birmingham Head-to-head (h2h)

• Four of the former five games had goals from both teams.
• 12 of the previous 14 wins had gone to Birmingham.
• The last two games at this stadium had goals from both teams, as well as over 2.5 match goals.
• Six of the previous seven wins at this venue had gone to the guests.

Bristol City vs Birmingham Match Preview

Bristol City won on the road the last match-day against QPR. The scoreline was 0-1, and it was the team’s third straight win, and fourth league win on the trot. This series of wins has raised the profile of Bristol, and now they surely could go after a direct-promotion spot.

In the meantime, Birmingham recorded a 2-1 win at home over Nottingham Forest the previous game week. It was a comeback win, and the victory put an end to the run of three straight draws by the squad.

Birmingham really have struggled for wins in the past several match-days. In fact, they have a total of just four from their previous eighteen attempts, and this season they even had a run of 12 games of which 11 were winless fixtures.

On the road, the team remained winless in ten of their last twelve games, and have registered just three away wins since August of last year.

On the other hand, Bristol have been on a mission to qualify for the playoffs. As of now, they are in possession of the sixth spot in the table, which would allow them an entry into the post-season fixtures. 

However, with the team being just six points away from the top-most position, even a direct entry into the Premier League would be possible if they manage to keep this form on.

Bristol City vs Birmingham Prediction

Bristol City have built quite some momentum, and they are making a push for the top-most tier. The confidence from the consecutive wins will greatly compliment the home advantage they have this Friday. 

On the other hand, Birmingham have not at all been themselves lately. They are struggling for wins, and on the road, against a playoff contender, they are expected to suffer.

As such, count on Bristol City to deliver a win this weekend.

However, do understand that Birmingham have always dominated this opponent in h2h clashes. In fact, in the past two decades, Bristol have recorded a total of two wins against this rival, and just one at this venue. Moreover, only once in the previous 20 years have the guests failed to find the back of the net at this stadium in an h2h encounter.

Taking into account these observations, expect both teams to score goals this weekend.

Bristol City vs Birmingham Betting Tips

• Draw No Bet: Bristol City @ 1.50 (1/2)

• Both Teams to Score @ 1.75 (3/4).

Klopp great for youngsters, says Critchley

54 / Christian Schaffrath

Liverpool under-23s coach Neil Critchley defended Jurgen Klopp's decision not to take charge of Liverpool's FA Cup fourth-round replay against Shrewsbury on Tuesday and give all of his senior players the night off.

Critchley will instead lead a very youthful side similar to the one that lost 5-0 to Aston Villa in the League Cup in December when Klopp and the senior side were at the Club World Cup in Qatar.

However, Critchley hit back at criticism Klopp should at least be in the dugout at Anfield, even if he stands by the decision to give his players get a full two-week winter break.

"He supports the young players unbelievably well, as he has shown so far this season," said Critchley. "His presence, even if he isn't there, is always felt by our younger players and by myself.

"I also think maybe one percent that came into his thinking with his decision was the way we played against Aston Villa, he maybe thought the boys deserved another opportunity."

The side beaten at Villa Park contained five debutants and an average age of 19.

"People say an under-23 team but we're not, we're going to be under-19, under-20 at best," added Critchley.

"Is there maybe more pressure now on Shrewsbury to win the game because of the team that we have out? Possibly. But that might work in our favour."

Liverpool are 22 points clear at the top of the Premier League and cruising towards a first top-flight title for 30 years.

However, Klopp took the decision not to attend Tuesday's game as it falls in Liverpool's two-week winter break from Premier League action.

"If we react how we always react and find a way to do it, then nothing will change," Klopp said last week. "I have to make decisions that aren't popular, based on the situation we are in."

PSG coach Tuchel plays down spat with Mbappe

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Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel on Monday attempted to play down a touchline spat with Kylian Mbappe which overshadowed the French champions' big weekend win over Montpellier.

"There is nothing personal between him and me. These things happen," said Tuchel after Mbappe reacted angrily to being substituted midway through the second half of PSG's 5-0 victory at the Parc des Princes, with Mauro Icardi taking his place.

"It was between a player who does not want to come off, and a coach who had his reasons for doing something, and who wanted to give a game to players who deserved it."

After Saturday's match, Tuchel admitted that the reaction of Mbappe "doesn't look good" and pointed out that: "This is football, not tennis, and you have to respect everyone."

The 21-year-old World Cup winner, who had scored his 14th league goal of the season in the victory, exchanged words with Tuchel as he came off, and then stormed to his seat on the bench, throwing away a training top in disgust.

Tuchel said he discussed the matter again at training on Sunday, with the player and with Leonardo, the club's sporting director.

"I spoke about it yesterday with Leo, of course, and with the squad, as we generally do. But what I said will remain in the dressing room," added Tuchel, speaking before PSG return to league action on Tuesday away to Nantes.

Returning to the incident, he added: "We had the game wrapped up, and it was a chance to take off Pablo (Sarabia) and Kylian, and put on Mauro and 'Edi' (Cavani), who deserved to get some minutes.

"I know it is hard to accept for some players, but these are sporting matters that they should be able to understand."

With PSG returning to action in midweek, and also having a Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund looming ever closer on the horizon, Tuchel could also be excused for being less than impressed with Neymar's latest off-field antics.

The Brazilian -- who sported a pink hair-do in the win against Montpellier -- organised a lavish celebration ahead of his 28th birthday at a Parisian nightclub in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower on Sunday, including an all-white dress code.

Tuchel insisted that the event, to which Neymar invited all his team-mates, would not have an influence on his team selection for Tuesday's trip to face a Nantes side who sit ninth in the table.

The Brazilian, however, will not be risked due to a rib complaint, the club said late on Monday.

"I always protect my players, and I really love my team. With this party, I accept that it is a bit difficult to protect the players, but the context is not simply black or white," Tuchel said.

"Is it the best way to prepare for a match? No, clearly not. Is it the worst thing in the world? No.

"It is a shame, because we are giving people the chance to speak badly of us. We need to adapt to the situation, but I am not going to leave a player on the bench or at home because they went out and celebrated."

PSG, who are 12 points clear of Marseille at the Ligue 1 summit, do have defensive injury problems just now, though, with Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Juan Bernat and Colin Dagba all out of Tuesday's game.

New: 10,000 international matches from 150 years

imago sportfotodienst

England - Germany 1991

The worldfootball database has grown: From now on, you will find all historical international matches of all European national teams from 150 years of international match history on our pages - 10,000 matches with line-ups, goal scorers, substitutions and many statistics.

The first meeting of two national teams took place on 30th November 1872 - England, the motherland of football, and its neighbour Scotland played 0:0.

From now on, you can find the beginnings of international football on worldfootball as well as legendary victories, unforgotten defeats or milestones in the history of international matches. We have recorded the international matches of the 55 current UEFA associations as well as the matches of national teams that no longer exist (e.g. GDR, USSR, Saarland or Yugoslavia).

How do I find the matches?

a) through the competition

The international matches can be accessed via the competitions World Cup, World Cup Qualification, European Championship, European Championship Qualification or friendly matches. The friendly matches of the year 1982 can be found via the following path: 'Worldwide'>'Friendlies'>'Schedule'>'1982'

b) through the national team

The profile pages of the national teams can be found using the search in the upper left corner. Important: After entering the country, the search parameter must be changed to 'Team'. The further path, e.g. to the friendly matches of the national team, is: 'Fixtures & Results'>'1982'

Any errors?

We have collected the data about the matches and the players from many decades from various sources. Even though we have tried to collect all line-ups with the greatest possible care, we have certainly made mistakes here and there.

If you notice wrong or missing data, confusion of names etc., please report it to us. You find the button 'Report an error' at the bottom left of every page on worldfootball. You can use this link to inform us about mistakes – you are welcome to add the reference to your source.

Five talking points in European football this weekend

TEAM2 via www.imago-images.de

Erling Braut Haaland and Romelu Lukaku were again among the goals, while Kylian Mbappe and Neymar left their coach irritated and it was another fascinating weekend in Spain.

worldfootball.net looks back at some of the main talking points from around Europe:

Real Madrid and Barcelona may have pulled away as La Liga's title contenders this season but the division's key battlegrounds remain remarkably close.

Three points separate first and second after Madrid and Barca beat Atletico Madrid and Levante respectively. Getafe and Sevilla are level on points in third and fourth.

Valencia, the next closest challenger for the last Champions League spot, are only two points back while Atletico are one further point behind in sixth.

At the bottom, Leganes' victory over Real Sociedad lifts them two places to 18th, in the relegation zone below Mallorca, but only on goal difference.

As a topsy-turvy season nears its final straight, everything is still to play for.

While RB Leipzig's draw at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach allowed Bayern Munich to go top of the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund are only three points adrift of the summit as they continued their whirlwind start to 2020.

Erling Braut Haaland scored twice on his first start for Dortmund as his side thumped Union Berlin 5-0. The teenage Norwegian sensation now has seven goals in three appearances, finding the net once every 19 minutes since moving from RB Salzburg.

Dortmund have scored five goals in each of their three outings since the winter break, with another teenage sensation, Jadon Sancho, taking his tally to 12 for the season.

Lucien Favre's team are motoring with a Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain coming into view.

"We know we're going to come up against sides with even more quality in the weeks to come, but that's good for us because they like to attack and we'll find even more room than we have in these games," said Marco Reus.

Romelu Lukaku's two second-half goals at Udinese means the Inter Milan ace has 12 goals in 11 appearances away from home this season.

He scored 12 times altogether for Manchester United in the Premier League last season, but is on 16 in Serie A, and 20 in all competitions for Inter. Coach Antonio Conte believes the 26-year-old can do better.

"Lukaku has really important qualities, and is a decisive player for us, but aside from his brace, today wasn't his best match," Conte said after the 2-0 win.

Second-placed Inter are unbeaten away this season with nine wins and two draws, and Lukaku warned: "I'm also going strong at the San Siro." They face Milan there in the derby next.

Paris Saint-Germain moved 12 points clear atop Ligue 1 after trouncing Montpellier 5-0, a result which left them unbeaten in 19 games.

Neymar, with his hair dyed pink, inevitably stood out, while Kylian Mbappe was among the scorers, and on the surface everything certainly looks rosy for PSG ahead of that upcoming Dortmund tie.

However, coach Thomas Tuchel was later forced to handle questions about his superstar duo, with Mbappe reacting angrily to being substituted and Neymar taking headlines for staging a birthday bash at a Parisian nightclub, 48 hours before his team play again.

"These are distractions, and they give the impression we are not serious, not professional," Tuchel said when asked if he would attend Neymar's party.

Of his touchline spat with Mbappe, he admitted: "It doesn't look good."

Ajax beat traditional rivals PSV Eindhoven 1-0 with a Quincy Promes goal to stay three points clear atop the Eredivisie, but the real challenge to the reigning champions is coming from elsewhere this season.

AZ Alkmaar hammered RKC Waalwijk 4-0 to keep up their chase of Erik ten Hag's team. Teenage top scorer Myron Boadu was again on target for AZ as they made it a ninth win in 11 outings, a run that included beating Ajax in December. The sides meet again in Amsterdam on March 1.