The new year starts with football! Already in the first weekend of 2026, fans are in for plenty of bright Premier League, La Liga and Ligue 1 matches. To avoid missing anything important, the TipsGG analyst team has prepared a digest of predictions for the main matches on January 3 and 4, 2026.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest
Only in the previous round did the Birmingham side end their impressive 11-match winning streak across all competitions. The 4:1 defeat to Arsenal was a somewhat unexpected cold shower for the team. Meanwhile, Nottingham continue their unsuccessful streak, winless in three games in a row.
Aston Villa’s successes allowed the team to seriously intervene in the top-4 fight. Currently, Unai Emery’s charges sit third, leading their closest pursuer Liverpool by 7 points (though the Merseysiders have a game in hand).
Villa Park has become a real fortress for the team: since last season, the Birmingham side have lost here only twice in the Premier League.
Nottingham, meanwhile, are balancing on the edge, just 4 points above the relegation zone. Despite the noticeable improvement in play since Sean Dyche’s arrival, they lack stability. Lately, the Foresters manage both to pleasantly surprise with loud wins over Tottenham and Liverpool and disappoint fans with poor performances, including the loss to Everton last round.
Despite the recent setback, I believe Aston Villa will pull themselves together and return to the winning path.
Bet: Aston Villa to Win (odds 1.78)
Monaco vs Lyon
At Stade Louis II, the central match of the Ligue 1 round will take place. Teams that were separated by just four points last season meet: one went directly to the Champions League, the other to the Europa League.
Sebastian Pokonjoli’s arrival on the Monaco coaching bridge has not yet brought the management the desired results. 6 wins, 3 draws and 5 defeats across all competitions — far from what was expected from last season’s bronze medalists. As a result, the principality club sit mid-table. The gap to the European spots and the upcoming opponent is 4 points, and a four-defeat streak in five recent league games adds no optimism. Perhaps the short break helped the team reset.
Against the opponent, Lyon look much more stable. Paulo Fonseca’s charges confidently lead their Europa League group and sit fifth in the league (27 points). A three-match winning streak confirms the Weavers are in decent form right now. The team’s main problem is away games, with only two wins in eight meetings.
Despite Lyon’s away difficulties, the pragmatism of experienced Fonseca inspires more confidence. I expect the guests to earn points in an important match, and the game will not be too high-scoring.
Bet: Lyon Double Chance (X2) + Total Under 3.5 (odds 1.91)
Bournemouth vs Arsenal
Bournemouth are trying to rediscover their early-season form when the team hardly knew defeats and fans dreamed of European spots. Now the Cherries are gradually approaching the relegation zone. Though the situation is not critical yet, a ten-match winless streak in the Premier League seriously shakes Andoni Iraola’s chair. Interestingly, Bournemouth have a positive head-to-head trend with the Gunners: their last two games ended in their favour.
Arsenal under Mikel Arteta have finally matured for title races. Their only defeat in the last 16 Premier League rounds came to Aston Villa, who became a real nightmare for league leaders this season. Symbolically, the Londoners ended 2025 with a 4:1 victory over Villa.
A significant loss for the Gunners could be the absence of Declan Rice — their best player in recent months. However, squad depth, tournament motivation and a polished team mechanism make the guests favorites. I expect a confident and controlled Arsenal victory.
Bet: Arsenal to Win (odds 1.51)
Elche vs Villarreal
Elche, who have not tasted home defeat yet, will host Villarreal — a team that has been frankly disappointing fans with results lately.
The Franjiverde enter the new year as one of three La Liga teams yet to lose at home: 5 wins and 4 draws in their record. Their current upper-table position is a great result for this year’s elite newcomer.
As for Villarreal, it can already be stated: the team have lost Champions League playoff chances. Moreover, the Yellow Submarine unexpectedly exited the Copa del Rey, losing away to Racing. Despite these failures, in La Liga Marcelino’s charges are doing well — fourth place and 35 points. Moreover, the team have two games in hand — wins in which would level them with Real Madrid on points.
However, the guests’ away form raises serious concerns. The defeat to lower-division Racing was no accident: Villarreal lost all Champions League away games and in the league fell to Madrid giants Atlético and Real. The squad situation also does not favor the guests — nine players will miss the game.
Given Elche’s strong home play, betting on the hosts at least not losing looks quite logical. A bolder option is the hosts’ zero handicap.
Bet: Elche Double Chance (1X) (odds 1.70)
Alternative Bet: Elche Handicap (0) (odds 2.35)
Atalanta vs Roma
Gian Piero Gasperini will face his former charges.
After the defeat to Verona, Atalanta beat Chelsea in the Champions League and won in Serie A over Cagliari and Genoa. Only before the new year did the Bergamaschi end their winning streak, losing at home to Milanese Inter. Under Raffaele Palladino, Atalanta look decent overall.
Roma have not drawn a single time during the current Italian championship edition, which looks especially strange against the backdrop of those seven draws Atalanta have managed. In the last round, the Romans earned a home victory over Genoa, and their last away game ended in defeat in Turin to Juventus.
Atalanta and Roma love playing high-scoring football against each other in Bergamo, but now both Palladino’s charges are pragmatic, and the Wolves play the most cautious football in Serie A. Therefore, expect quite boring, low-scoring football.
Bet: Total Under 2.5 (odds 1.74)
Alternative Bet: Total Shots Under 25.5 (odds 1.77)
Espanyol vs Barcelona
The Catalan derby returns after a short La Liga break. The bright elite newcomer will host Barcelona, who traditionally fight for the title. Interestingly, both teams have a 100% record in their last five rounds, currently the league’s best by game form.
Espanyol sit fifth, and if the Parakeets maintain this pace, a European autumn will become reality for them. The team regularly challenge favorites and, unlike many rivals, earn points equally stably both home and away. Notably, nine of Espanyol’s ten wins were by a minimal one-goal margin.
Barcelona, despite not always convincing play, continue to win steadily. Currently, the Blaugrana lead the table, ahead of Real Madrid by 4 points. Hansi Flick’s charges approach the derby with a seven-match winning streak across all competitions. Notably, their last five league rounds ended in Barcelona wins by exactly a two-goal margin.
Both teams are in excellent form, promising an extremely uncompromising battle to the last seconds. Given the hosts’ ability to withstand punches and the match’s principled nature, betting on a minimal favorite win or draw looks worth attention.
Bet: Barcelona Win by 1 Goal or Draw (odds 2.21)
Lazio vs Napoli
Will Maurizio Sarri manage to surprise the team he once led? Let’s figure it out.
The Roman team suffered their last defeat in Milan at the end of November, after which they took revenge on the Rossoneri in the Coppa Italia, drew three times in the championship, sharing points with Bologna, Cremonese and Udinese. The Eagles also had a win when Sarri’s charges, down to nine men, managed to snatch three points away against Parma. Let’s see what moral-volitional qualities Lazio have in 2026.
Napoli suffered two defeats in a row in December — one in the Italian championship and one in the Champions League to Benfica. After that, Antonio Conte’s charges only win. First, the Neapolitans successfully flew to Saudi Arabia, where, beating Milan and Bologna, they took the Italian Super Cup, and in the last Italian championship round quite calmly and on class beat Cremonese away.
For four seasons now, Lazio cannot beat Napoli at home. Likely this streak will not end now — after all, Antonio Conte returned confidence to the Neapolitans after all the internal confusion, while the Romans are too inconsistent.
Bet: Napoli Don’t Lose + Total Over 1.5 (odds 1.95)
Leeds vs Manchester United
Leeds, starting from December, stopped losing: last month the team drew with Liverpool, Brentford and Sunderland, and also thrashed Crystal Palace at home and beat Chelsea. We note that Leeds scored at least one goal in their last eight English Premier League matches, hinting that it won’t be easy for the Devils away.
Manchester United could not end the calendar year on a good note — drawing at home with the current Premier League’s main underdog, Wolves. However, in their last seven Premier League rounds, Rúben Amorim’s charges have only one defeat, which may indicate that the Mancunians are finally finding stability.
Leeds have long not left the field without at least one goal, Manchester United cannot boast a reliable defence — the Devils concede even from the bottom table team, and though English matches in the new year are not rich in goals, I think by January 4 everyone will wake up.
Bet: Both Teams to Score + Total Over 2.5 (odds 2.05)
Real Madrid vs Betis
Real’s last five home matches have been mixed. On one hand — confident success over Barcelona in El Clásico and two clean-sheet wins against Valencia and Sevilla. On the other — a sensational loss to Celta and complete disappointment in the second half of the Champions League match against Manchester City. The main problem for the Blancos remains the defensive line, whose lineup changes almost every game due to an endless series of key player injuries. However, the Royal club ended 2025 on a positive note: three wins in a row and ambitious desire to fight for the treble again.
Betis have not lost away in 14 matches in a row (over six months), if we do not count friendlies. The Heliopolitans are an extremely stubborn team that know how to “dry” the game when needed. Currently, the green-and-whites sit sixth in the table. Their main goal is the Champions League zone, and for this they need not only to steadily beat lower-level teams but also challenge La Liga giants. Manuel Pellegrini’s team in four of their last five away matches did not break Over 3.5 total, so they are unlikely to choose open football at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Every conceded goal will be a challenge for Madrid, as overcoming the guests’ tight defence will be difficult. I expect a sticky and tense game where the Blancos will dominate possession, relying on the individual mastery of attacking stars.
Bet: Real Madrid Double Chance (1X) + Total Under 4.5 (odds 1.46)
Morocco vs Tanzania
The Morocco national team is one of the main Africa Cup of Nations favorites. The team confidently topped the group, successfully rotating the squad and saving strength for the playoffs. Two twin goals by El-Kaabi can already claim the Puskás Award. The Moroccans are unbeaten in 20 matches — their last failure was in August 2025 against Kenya. Walid Regragui’s charges significantly outclass the opponent in xG: 2.24 against Tanzania’s 0.83.
Tanzania advanced to the playoffs only thanks to the third-place teams rating, closing the list of lucky ones. With just two points and three goals scored in the group stage, the Tanzanians look clear underdogs. Statistics confirm the class gap: they make on average 200 fewer passes per game than Morocco, and passing accuracy is 76% against the opponent’s 86%. Under such conditions, the team will likely bet on a low defensive block and hope only for isolated counterattacks.
The teams last met in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, where Morocco earned a minimal victory (1:0), not in optimal lineup. Now, with attacking leaders Brahim Díaz and Ayoub El-Kaabi in excellent form (3 goals each at the tournament), the scenario is unlikely to repeat.
The class difference and home stands support should ensure a confident result for the Moroccans.
Bet: Morocco Handicap (-1.5) (odds 1.48)
Mallorca vs Girona
With 18 points after 17 rounds, Mallorca sit 13th in La Liga. The Islanders’ main task is preserving elite status. Jagoba Arrasate’s charges show traditional stubbornness at home: their last home failure was in August against Barcelona. Since then, the team played 7 home games unbeaten (3 wins and 4 draws). Currently, Mallorca look more stable than their opponent.
Girona — the main sensation of the 2023/2024 season, when they fought for the title until the end — are now in deep crisis and in the relegation zone. Though recent poor results can be linked to a tough calendar and games against upper-table teams, the Copa del Rey exit to third-division Ourense points to serious Catalan problems. The only bright spot is Vedat Muriqi, with 9 goals third in the La Liga scorers list.
This clash will not be one-sided. Expect a tough and uncompromising fight of equal-class opponents, where I give a slight edge to the hosts.
Bet: Mallorca Double Chance (1X) + Total Under 3.5 (odds 1.65)