German Show Down in England

We're previewing two games on Sunday this week. That means you have time to take your loved ones out for a nice day on Saturday––unless you're Billy of course. Then you'll spend your Saturday alone swiping right on multiple dating apps. 

Let's get straight into it.

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)

🇪🇺 Europe around-the-grounds: Manchester United pegged a late goal thanks to Anthony Elanga to take the Champions League tie versus Atlético Madrid to a heated second leg at 1-1. Chelsea dealt with Lille quite easily, dispatching them in a sludgy 2-0 victory. Rangers did the unthinkable and toppled Borussia Dortmund 6-4 on aggregate to get to the Europa League last 16. Incredible. If Steven Gerrard left a hole in Glasgow, Gio van Bronckhorst has filled it. 

🇪🇸 A New F.C. Barcelona: Xavi's life as a Barça manager has gotten off to a very promising start. In his first real European test, Barcelona comfortably beat Napoli, in Italy, to seal their spot in the Europa League last 16. Yes, this is the Europa League––but Napoli are a very good side. Barcelona's front three was all their new Winter signings, who delivered on the big night: Ferran Torres (1 assist), Adama Traoré (2 assists), and Aubamayeng (1 goal). 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 We honestly thought that Man City had the Prem all wrapped up. Then Liverpool went and got themselves a very strong Colombian product to energize their front line––Luis Diaz has hit the ground running on Merseyside. That signing, coupled with the fact that Van Dijk is back to his absolute best, means that Liverpool have the squad depth and defensive stability to go toe to toe with Manchester City. We expect both teams to win out, and the title to be decided at the Etihad when they square off in early April. Wouldn't that be something? The bookies still have Man City as the absolute favorites (-370) to win the league. 

Carabao Cup Final

Sunday 11:30 AM ET

⚽️Chelsea (+220) vs Liverpool (+135)

It's trophy time for one of these two giants of English football. Chelsea have already secured its first trophy of the season, winning the FIFA Club World Cup two weeks ago. Liverpool, somewhat surprisingly, are on the brink of its first piece of silverware this season. 

The domestic cups have never been something Klopp has taken too seriously, mostly because he's never had the squad depth to do so––until now. Now, Liverpool look like they can't be stopped. Will Wembley fall red or blue come Sunday? 

Derby Sevillano

Sunday 10:15 AM ET

⚽️Sevilla (-115) vs Betis (+275)

It's been a while since a Derby Sevillano had such profound implications at the top of La Liga. Sevilla sit 2nd and Betis sit 3rd. Betis have the second best attack in La Liga, and Sevilla have the best defense. Nabil Fekir pulls the strings for Betis, while Ivan Rakitic is (still) running the midfield for Sevilla. As the old cliché goes, this derby is about more than just football. It's the rich (Sevilla) vs the working class (Betis). It's bragging rights to your coworkers for the rest of the week. And in this case, the financial implications are huge: Sevilla could mount a title charge with a win, and Betis could cement themselves as a real favorite for a Champions League spot. The last time they qualified? 2004-2005 season. Both of these clubs also progressed to the last 16 of the Europa League. It's truly been a season to remember for both Seville clubs. 

A Word on Ukraine

Ruslan Malinovskyi demonstrated some national solidarity after bagging a Europa League brace in four minutes against Olympiacos. The Ukrainian star echoes what many around the world feel and hope for as Russia invades Ukraine––peace. He's not the only proud Ukrainian football player to speak out. Oleksandr Zinchenko has put out some strong words for President Putin, including "wishing death" upon him, in a since-deleted Instagram post. 

Meanwhile, Shaktar Donetsk manager Roberto De Zerbi has refused to leave the country in unity with Ukraine and Shaktar. As one of the closest points of access to Russia, it is a place of high contention amidst rising tensions and potential war. Many of the players have held up in hotels taking refuge with their families. Furthermore, the Champions League Final has been stripped from St. Petersburg, with a location to be decided on in the coming weeks(I'm guessing Wembley). Beyond football, hopefully we see peace and resolution sooner rather than later.

Dan & Billy's Betting Picks

Dan's Picks: I'll admit it - it wasn't my best weekend of betting picks. I went 1/3. That might be good enough for Billy and his followers, but it's not good enough for me. We're getting back on track this weekend. 

I'll start with an easy lock: Spurs to beat Leeds at -115. Conte gave an interview questioning the meaning of life after losing to Burnley, and I cannot see that madman Italian losing again. I also like the over 2.5 goals in the Friday night game between Southampton and Bournemouth. Easy money. And lastly, I love the over 2.5 goals in Barcelona's game against Bilbao. 

Billy's Picks: Dan told me not one week ago that he "might get hunted by bookmakers for the heater he was on." Are those picks not included in this letter ? We got back on the board last week with a 2-2 performance, with our two losers being what I call 'head-in-the-right-place' blanks. We can live with that. Stick with me: 

Tee off the weekend with Southampton -175. Southy are on fire right now, and Norwich are a pathetic outfit. Get the weekend going early with a Friday banker. I also like West Ham v Wolves u2.5(-150). West Ham have cooled and Wolves are a stingy opponent––who play well on the road. I'm thinking 1-1. Last but not least, we are ripping Bundesliga overs every week now... Take Gladbach v Wolfsburg o2.5(-135) and thank me later. LET'S ROLL!!

Goal Of The Week 

Funny how it works sometimes. Barcelona brought one of the greatest midfielders ever as their manager, and Frenkie De Jong has all of a sudden become the world class again. 

Red Card Of The Week 

Ah, we love Jose Mourinho's antics. His tactical ability may have regressed over the years, but the sideline drama is unmatched. This guy, like your light-weight friend after a few beers, is pure entertainment. 

Roma drew 2-2 with Verona this past weekend, and this sequence of events led to Mourinho being sent off for some unrivaled banter.

1-Mourinho cannot believe a referee decision and almost comes to his knees in frustration.

2-Mourinho makes a telephone gesture towards the referee Pairetto. What did Mourinho mean with that gesture?  The most likely answer dates back to 2006, as the ref's dad, Pierluigi, was one of the central figures of a match fixing scandal at Serie A. Yep, the same match fixing scandal that stripped Juventus of a league title and sent them to the second division.

3-Mourinho then gets so outraged at being sent off (despite insulting the referee's dad), that he storms the field and has to be restrained by his staff. 

Thank you for reading today! Let's have a great weekend of footie.