Midweek is packed with plenty of exciting football matches this time around. In England, another round of the Premier League is taking place, while in Spain and Belgium the domestic cup competitions continue. So which matches deserve the most attention and what should you bet on? The TipsGG analytics team breaks it down with you.
Tottenham vs Newcastle
Tottenham continue to accumulate pressure due to their winless run and chronic defensive problems, which cannot be fully compensated even by consistently strong home scoring. Squad absences and the suspension of Cristian Romero further increase the imbalance between the lines, forcing Thomas Frank to simplify tactical decisions and reduce in-game variability. At the same time, the hosts retain the ability to impose their tempo and create chances in attack, giving them room to control the game script — though it still doesn’t guarantee a result.
Newcastle approach this round after an unsuccessful run that exposed the fragility of their away model. The team often starts matches brightly but struggles to maintain structure and makes mistakes after half-time, which — combined with squad limitations — reduces their overall effectiveness. The absence of key midfield and attacking players narrows Eddie Howe’s tactical options and increases dependence on discipline and clinical finishing.
Match bet: Total Over 2.5 + Both Teams to Score (odds 1.95)
In these conditions, expect a tight, scrappy match with swings in momentum, where the outcome will depend on whose systemic weaknesses surface more painfully.
Everton vs Bournemouth
Everton are in decent form, remaining unbeaten in their last five league rounds, but David Moyes’ side cannot boast consistency — they have dropped points in seven of their last ten Premier League games — nor can they brag about their scoring output, which remains stuck at around one goal per match on average. This raises concerns ahead of a meeting with Bournemouth, a team that has beaten Everton in four of their last five head-to-head encounters.
Bournemouth have finally put an end to their long winless streak and collected 11 points from their last five matches, including three victories. Over their last eight official games, the Cherries have scored 17 goals — including two against Chelsea and Arsenal, and three against Liverpool. However, despite their superior statistical numbers, Bournemouth still cannot point to success on the road: their only away win in the last 11 official matches came against bottom-of-the-table Wolves.
Match bet: Everton Double Chance (1X) + Both Teams to Score (odds 2.25)
We expect the teams to exchange goals as usual in the upcoming match, but neither side will find a winner.
West Ham vs Manchester United
Both West Ham and Manchester United arrive for this match in their best current versions. The Londoners have won four of their last five games, with their only defeat coming against Chelsea (2:3) in stoppage time. The Mancunians are on a four-match winning streak. One more victory and the hairiest Manchester United fan, Frank Illet — who hasn’t had a haircut for over 500 days until his team wins five games in a row — will finally visit the barber.
Michael Carrick’s success cannot be overlooked: he has won all four of his debut matches in charge of Manchester United. On some days luck was on his side, but the team is also playing good football — something that must be acknowledged. Overall, for the first time in a long while we are genuinely seeing a strong Manchester United.
Match bet: Manchester United to Win (odds 1.70)
West Ham have won their last three home matches against the Red Devils and lost only one of the last six overall. In the current form of the Hammers, we wouldn’t be surprised if they take points at home again. The game will definitely be worth watching, and predicting the result is very difficult. Most likely, something bright and dramatic will happen towards the end of the second half. For now, though, we’ll still believe in Manchester United’s fifth consecutive win.
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Sociedad
Since the beginning of February, and in just over a month, the Basque derby will be played three times: one match has already taken place in La Liga (1:1), with two more to come in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.
In the recent league meeting, Real Sociedad held a noticeable edge in play. Before Bryan Méndez’s red card, the visitors created several excellent chances to double their lead, and even after going down to ten men they could have lost — Athletic pressed hard in the final ten minutes.
A three-point gap in the league table, combined with the problems of their competitors in the race for European places (due to numerous injuries to key players), along with their own positive points trend, gives both Basque clubs decent chances to fight for the Europa League or Conference League.
However, the Copa del Rey itself represents an excellent opportunity to salvage what has not been the best of seasons for both teams and to compete for a relatively rare trophy.
Despite the return of the legendary Williams brothers for the Lions, Athletic’s injury list remains lengthy: Sancet, Berenguer, Vivian and others are still sidelined. Real Sociedad’s absences appear less critical.
Match bet: Real Sociedad to win by exactly 1 goal or draw (odds 1.93)
Just like in the recent league game, more faith is placed in a positive result for the visitors. At the same time, considering the home second leg in March and a tough match against Real Madrid at the weekend, even a draw achieved with minimal effort could suit Matteo Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team. That’s why the safest option looks like one with cover.
NEC Nijmegen vs Utrecht
At the Goffert Stadium, two teams at completely opposite ends of the form spectrum will meet. The bright and high-scoring NEC Nijmegen will host the pragmatic but currently crisis-hit Utrecht.
For the Red-Blacks, this season could become legendary. The team has a realistic chance not only to return to European competitions for the first time in nearly 20 years, but even to aim for the Champions League places for the first time in their history. The current form of Dick Schreuder’s side is impressive: if we look at the last 5 rounds, NEC are the second-best team in the league in terms of points gained. Against the backdrop of Feyenoord’s inconsistency and Ajax’s rebuild, the hosts look like bigger favourites in the battle for second place.
The statistics speak for themselves: NEC are unbeaten in their last 13 matches across all competitions. Symbolically, their last defeat came against Utrecht back in the autumn. Since then, however, the teams have swapped roles. While NEC have flourished, Utrecht are currently the worst team in the league over the last 5 matches, collecting only 1 point.
Match bet: NEC Nijmegen to Win (odds 1.75)
There’s a real party atmosphere at the Goffert, and the home side’s attacking leaders are in excellent condition. The visitors have major problems with creativity and finishing, which makes their chances of taking away points minimal. It looks like the hosts will fully seize the opportunity to take revenge for the autumn loss and strengthen their position in the top 3.
Sunderland vs Liverpool
At the Stadium of Light, an unbeaten-at-home Sunderland will face Liverpool. The Merseysiders arrive in the north of England after a painful home defeat to Manchester City (1:2), which halted their attempt to catch up with the league leaders.
The Black Cats are the real sensation of the season. After returning to the elite after nearly 10 years, Régis Le Bris’ side remain the only Premier League team yet to lose at home (7 wins and 5 draws). However, today the hosts face a serious squad issue: captain and midfield orchestrator Granit Xhaka continues to recover from injury. Despite this, their brilliant game organisation allowed Sunderland to thrash Burnley (3:0) in the previous round even without him.
Liverpool are also in a difficult moment. The defeat to City at Anfield hit Arne Slot’s ambitions hard, while Dominic Szoboszlai’s red card in that same match (for a foul on Haaland) has deprived the Reds of their key creative player for the Sunderland trip. Liverpool’s away form this season is far from title-winning level: only 4 wins in 12 matches.
The two teams are currently separated by just 3 points in the table. For Sunderland, eighth place represents a realistic chance to qualify for European football (Conference League), and after the 1:1 draw at Anfield in December, this opponent no longer feels so intimidating.
Match bet: Sunderland Double Chance (1X) (odds 2.12)
I don’t believe Sunderland will suffer their first home defeat of the season right now — not when Liverpool are weakened by Szoboszlai’s suspension and morally shaken after losing a top match.
Antwerp vs Anderlecht
Antwerp lost their most recent Belgian league match, going down 2:0 away to Mechelen. They currently sit 10th in the Jupiler Pro League, three points behind the championship group (top 6). Recent trends suggest that Flemish sides win the national cup once every three years on average. Considering that the previous two winners were Club Brugge and Union Saint-Gilloise, isn’t it time for Joseph Oosting’s team? Right now they are closer to reaching the final than their opponents. The 0:1 away win in the first leg makes them clear favourites in this tie.
Anderlecht are going through difficult times: they are now on a five-match winless run across all competitions, and in the league the streak is even worse — six games without a win. The points accumulated earlier allow the Royal Club to remain in the championship group (4th place with 36 points), but if the poor statistics of recent months continue, any title hopes can be forgotten. In the first leg of the cup semi-final, the Brussels side showed quality football and looked sharper than Antwerp at home — both in the first half (when they conceded a goal right before half-time) and in the second. Two red cards received by Anderlecht players fortunately did not affect the final score, but they significantly limited Edward Still’s tactical options ahead of the return leg.
Match bet: Total Under 3 (odds 1.50)
Both teams have not been particularly prolific in recent times. With a place in the final and the chance to win a prestigious trophy at stake, I believe both sides will opt for pragmatic football with a minimal number of goals.
Brentford vs Arsenal
The Bees are just one step away from the European qualification zone — only 4 points separate them from Chelsea, who sit in 5th place. Two recent away victories over Newcastle (3:2) and Aston Villa (1:0) have allowed Brentford to match the numbers of last season’s champions — Liverpool. One of the main factors behind their recent success has been the incredible form of Dango Ouattara. The winger has collected 3 goal+assist points in his last two matches and is already being considered one of the main contenders for the Premier League Player of the Month award.
Arsenal continue their confident march towards the title. In the last round they comfortably beat Sunderland at home (3:0) without breaking a sweat. What stands out most is the reliability of the Gunners’ defence. After a rather chaotic match against Kairat in the Champions League — where the result had no bearing on Mikel Arteta’s side in terms of the tournament — the team has kept three consecutive clean sheets. Neither a highly motivated Chelsea in the cup tie, nor Leeds, nor Sunderland have managed to breach the Gunners’ goal.
Match bet: Arsenal to win by exactly 1 goal or draw (odds 1.90)
I believe this will be an extremely tough test for Arsenal. Brentford are an athletically gifted team that will fight for every blade of grass, and the support of the home crowd will only amplify their drive. The visitors undoubtedly have a higher level of individual quality, but in my opinion they can very well drop points in this encounter.
Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona
The last match at the Metropolitano ended in a real sensation, as Atlético Madrid suffered a minimal defeat to Real Betis (0:1) in the 23rd round of La Liga. I’ll take the risk of saying that this season’s title ambitions for the Mattress Makers can probably be written off. A 13-point gap to the leaders with 15 rounds remaining is theoretically recoverable, but given the current form of Barcelona and Real Madrid — who are hardly making any mistakes — the distance to the top is most likely only going to grow. So Atlético should now focus on the competitions where they still have a realistic chance of silverware, particularly the Copa del Rey.
After dropping points in San Sebastián, Hansi Flick’s team have been ruthless: 6 wins in 6 matches. It’s worth noting that in every one of those games the Blaugrana were clearly a class above their opponents. In the league their position remains precarious, as the Whites are breathing down their necks with just a one-point deficit. As for head-to-head encounters, Atlético have historically been a stylistically comfortable opponent for Barcelona: in 8 of the last 10 meetings the Catalans came out on top. Interestingly, last year these two clubs also met in the semi-finals, and Barcelona won narrowly away (0:1) after a thrilling 4:4 draw at home.
Match bet: Total Under 3.5 (odds 1.82)
Since the Copa del Rey semi-finals consist of two legs, the fate of a place in the final will be decided in the return leg at Camp Nou. The first match will most likely serve as a kind of scouting exercise. Barcelona will play from a position of strength and control the flow of the game, but neither side will want to show all their cards too early. Moreover, both teams are still competing in three competitions simultaneously, and the next La Liga round is already this weekend. So it’s unlikely we should expect a repeat of last year’s goal-fest.