European Football Midweek Betting Digest, January 7-8 2026

Fans are used to football-packed weekends. But this time, a lot of quality play awaits us midweek. The English Premier League and Serie A round, as well as the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals, where clear favorites have stumbled more than once. What to pay attention to in all the football variety on January 7 and 8? The TipsGG analyst team will help you figure it out.

Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao

Spanish wonderkids and close friends Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams will clash in the first Spanish Super Cup semi-final in Jeddah. The transfer saga between Nico and the Blaugrana got a new chapter after the draw pitted Barcelona against Bilbao.

Hansi Flick’s charges are unbeaten in their last 8 matches, with the last four ending with the same score (2:0). The last game against Espanyol became a benefit for goalkeeper Joan García, who saved the team from numerous chances of his former club. The Catalans lead the championship, ahead of Real Madrid by 4 points, and keep chances for the top-8 in the Champions League. Positive news is Pedri’s return: he is gradually gaining form and will be able to help the team, though with limited playing time.

Despite the fact that for Athletic the main priority remains the fight for the European spots in La Liga and reaching the Champions League playoffs, the opportunity to win a trophy in Saudi Arabia is a powerful incentive.

However, the current form of Ernesto Valverde’s charges causes concern: in their last five matches, the Basques drew three times in regular time and lost twice. Such results dropped the team to 8th place in the Spanish championship and 28th in the overall Champions League table. Unusual for the club is the negative goal difference (-8), and their last streak of at least two consecutive wins dates back to August 2025.

Bournemouth vs Tottenham

History shows that Tottenham need to score twice to have chances of success against the Cherries. The Londoners won four away matches against Bournemouth in which they scored two or more goals, but failed to win the other four when scoring one or fewer. However, given Frank Thomas’ squad crisis, the second scenario seems more likely.

In their last two games, the hosts scored an average of two goals per match against Arsenal and Chelsea — teams sitting much higher than Tottenham. Therefore, the probability that the Cherries breach the Spurs’ defence at least once is high. The Londoners are characterised by inconsistent play but also score regularly. In their last 13 matches, the Spurs scored at least once in eleven cases.

Everton vs Wolverhampton

At Hill Dickinson Stadium, an interesting clash awaits us: solid mid-table Everton will host Wolverhampton, who are desperately trying to leave the relegation zone. Both teams approach the meeting with squad losses — many players are absent due to injuries or national team call-ups.

David Moyes’ charges demonstrate enviable stability, earning points equally successfully both home and away (14 each). With 28 points in their account, the Toffees are much closer to the European zone than the basement of the table. However, the recent away match against another underdog Burnley showed that games against teams from the lower part of the table are not easy for the Blues.

Wolverhampton will arrive in Liverpool in great spirits. In the last round, the Wolves finally earned their first win of the season, thrashing direct rival West Ham (3:0). This triumph was preceded by an important draw against Manchester United. Inspired by recent successes and improved game quality, the guests clearly hope to add to their points balance this time too.

Brentford vs Sunderland

Brentford approach the game relying on confidence built through stable home performances, where the team rarely slip up and know how to bring even scenarios to the desired result. Even with squad losses in rotation, the game structure does not collapse: the starting lineup maintains cohesion, and the model with careful positional pressure allows maintaining tempo without unnecessary risk.

Sunderland arrive with a different emphasis, betting on compactness and discipline. The team rarely lose but increasingly settle for draws, reducing attacking activity for space control. Serious squad losses related to the absence of a whole group of players complicate finding fresh solutions, but the basic scheme remains and this allows maintaining organisation. Away, Sunderland feel comfortable in closed scenarios, disrupt rhythm and patiently hold the score.

Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa

At Selhurst Park, a clash of teams with radically opposite form awaits us. The hosts have not tasted victory in seven matches in a row, while the guests suffered only one defeat in 13 games across all competitions.

As expected, the packed December calendar brought serious problems for the Eagles. Earning points in the world’s strongest league is extremely difficult even without injuries, and with the current number of injured and limited bench, the situation looks even worse. January also promises no relief — the calendar is tough, and the return of key performers after injuries is still in question.

However, if anything adds optimism to Crystal Palace fans, it is the head-to-head statistics of the two coaches. In six matches leading their current teams, Oliver Glasner’s charges won five times, four of them thrashings. One more game ended in a draw, and Glasner has not yet known defeats in this confrontation.

After the painful defeat to Arsenal in the penultimate round, the Birmingham side, as expected, quickly returned to the winning path, beating Nottingham. Unai Emery’s team confidently hold in the Champions League zone, demonstrating mature and pragmatic football. At the same time, it should be noted that in 9 of 10 recent matches Villa both scored and conceded, which has become a certain trend.

Despite the unsuccessful streak and serious squad problems, the hosts are unlikely to surrender without a fight — at least the head coach factor and home stadium can play their role. At the same time, a quite likely scenario is one in which Aston Villa, with a deeper squad, press the opponent at the end of the meeting, as Newcastle recently did, scoring twice in the final 20 minutes in Dean Henderson’s goal.

Manchester City vs Brighton

Manchester City have slowed down in the table, trailing Arsenal by six points. Three main centre-backs are out — John Stones was joined in the infirmary by Joško Gvardiol and Rúben Dias. Their places will be taken by Abdukodir Khusanov and Nathan Aké, who are currently without alternatives. Brighton have become one of Manchester City’s most uncomfortable opponents lately, but at home the Citizens have never lost to the Seagulls.

Brighton ended a six-match winless streak by beating Burnley. Deep-lying playmaker and set-piece master Pascal Groß returned to the team and may appear in the starting lineup. Brighton at home and away are two different teams. Though the Seagulls beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, they usually lose to most giants away.

Lazio vs Fiorentina

The home defeat to Napoli was a logical summary of Lazio’s recent failures. Although half the season remains, a 6-point gap to Como (who close the top six and have a game in hand) makes the Eagles’ entry into the European spots a “mission with an asterisk”. Maurizio Sarri’s charges have only one win in their last five meetings. Further ambitions of the Biancocelesti will be determined by matches against teams from the lower table part and the head-to-head duel with Como.

Fiorentina are gradually recovering after a failed season start that dropped the team to 19th in Serie A. The Lilies have finally found confidence. The turning point was the 5:1 thrashing of Udinese, which radically changed the team’s psychological mood. The 0:1 defeat to Parma in the next round looked unfair: Fiorentina took 23 shots on goal and significantly outperformed the opponent by game indicators. The comeback win over Cremonese with Moise Kean’s goal in the 92nd minute proves: the team are ready to fight for elite status preservation.

Traditionally for Italian football, both clubs do not impress with scoring. In particular, in none of Lazio’s last 5 home matches was Over 2.5 broken.

In head-to-heads, the advantage is with Fiorentina: 3 wins against one for the Romans.

Burnley vs Manchester United

At Turf Moor, a clash of teams currently solving radically different tasks will take place. Burnley continue their desperate survival fight, while Manchester United try to stabilise results after a series of ambiguous performances and at least partially regain lost confidence.

Burnley risk continuing their own unpleasant trend — relegation from the Premier League in their first season after promotion. However, it should be recognised that returning to the elite usually does not take them long. Currently, the Clarets sit 19th in the table, 4 points behind the saving 17th place held by Nottingham Forest. An 11-match winless streak (only two draws in that period) makes the hosts underdogs in almost every Turf Moor clash.

Burnley under Scott Parker traditionally step up at home, where the team play much bolder and more aggressively. However, the Clarets catastrophically lack conversion of created chances, and squad problems only worsen the situation. The absence of several players due to injuries and international matches noticeably hits squad variety and rotation depth.

Manchester United officially ended cooperation with Portuguese specialist Rúben Amorim. The last straw was two consecutive draws against teams fighting for survival: Wolverhampton, who before that did not know the taste of victory, and Leeds. Leading the Red Devils into the game against Burnley as head coach will be Darren Fletcher. The Mancunians critically need a win to continue the fight for the Champions League zone. Currently they are sixth and trail Chelsea only on additional indicators, while Liverpool in fourth are 3 points ahead.

The Mancunians remain one of the league’s most unpredictable teams: despite a star-studded squad, the team constantly lacked game integrity and stability. The coaching bridge change for United can give an emotional boost, but is unlikely to instantly solve systemic game problems.

Newcastle United vs Leeds United

At St. James’ Park, a clash of two ambitious teams accustomed to high tempo awaits us. Newcastle, continuing the fight for a top-4 return, will host Leeds, who approach the match with an active seven-match unbeaten streak.

Newcastle, together with Sunderland and Liverpool, are among the top five Premier League teams by points earned at home. Across all competitions at their stadium, the Magpies lost only three times, all by a minimal margin. At the same time, the hosts celebrated victories in 11 matches and drew twice more, only underlining St. James’ Park’s status as a real fortress.

At the end of November, Leeds’ coaching staff managed to find the right game balance. After the failure in Manchester, the Peacocks are still unbeaten, and among opponents in this streak were giants like Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. However, feeling completely comfortable with only a six-point advantage over the relegation zone is too early for the guests.

Both teams after a packed calendar and a large number of matches in a short period feel fatigue, which is noticeable directly on the football pitch. The hosts are logically considered favorites, but Leeds’ unbeaten streak, in which five of seven matches were draws, is definitely not accidental.

Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid

The Madrid derby in Jeddah will determine the second finalist of the Spanish Super Cup. Is Atlético capable of once again becoming a bone in the throat for their prestigious neighbor?

The Mattress Makers approach this clash in excellent form, with four wins and a draw in their last five meetings. In La Liga, the team currently sit fourth, and in the overall Champions League table eighth, which still allows hoping for direct 1/8 finals entry. Despite a slight scoring dip, Julián Álvarez remains a player capable of deciding any episode single-handedly.

Real, meanwhile, have a four-match winning streak. Even without injured Kylian Mbappé, Madrid confidently beat Betis, and the meeting’s main hero was young Gonzalo García. The academy product scored a hat-trick, proving he can worthily replace leaders. However, despite good results, pressure on Xabi Alonso remains high: any derby failure can trigger a new wave of dismissal rumours for the helmsman.

Historically, the Blancos show better results in head-to-heads, and especially significant remain two victories over neighbors in Champions League finals. Despite this, the last game ended in an Atlético thrashing. Then Simeone’s charges clearly highlighted the Royal club’s defensive problems, masterfully using second-floor advantage and successful set-piece conversion.

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