•The ‘Blades’ have lacked a cutting edge and currently sit just three points better off than the worst-ever PL side did after 31 rounds.
•Games at the BayArena are often entertaining affair, and Leverkusen currently possesses the division’s longest run of home league fixtures featuring over 2.5 goals
Image: /REUTERS
Wolves vs Sheffield United, Saturday (22:15)
Wolves’ last four competitive home games were won by the side scoring first. Whilst they are favourites to take the spoils here, only two other teams possess a lower win rate as home league favourites than Wolves so far, including losses in three of their previous four such games.
Sheffield could be mathematically relegated this season. The ‘Blades’ have lacked a cutting edge and currently sit just three points better off than the worst-ever PL side did after 31 rounds.
Sheffield have also conceded 2+ goals in all three PL games since the appointment of Paul Heckingbottom. The picture looks even bleaker for Sheffield away, and whilst their sole PL road win came at Manchester United, they’ve scored just once in 556-minutes of competitive away play since. However, the majority of Sheffield’s PL road defeats came by just a single-goal margin.
Head to head
14.09.20 PL Sheffield Utd vs Wolves 0 : 2
08.07.20 PL Sheffield Utd vs Wolves 1 : 0
01.12.19 PL Wolves vs Sheffield Utd 1 : 1
03.02.18 CHA Wolves vs Sheffield Utd 3 : 0
27.09.17 CHA Sheffield Utd vs Wolves 2 : 0
Leverkusen vs FC Koln, Saturday (19:30)
After picking up just eight points from nine games under Peter Bosz, Bayer Leverkusen relieved the Dutchman of his duties and appointed Hannes Wolf in his place. That has had an instant effect, with the new boss unbeaten in both his games so far, helping Leverkusen stay in the European places. A third win looks likely too, as Wolf has never lost any of his opening four home games in each of his prior roles at German sides.
Games at the BayArena are often entertaining and Leverkusen currently possesses the division’s longest run of home league fixtures featuring over 2.5 goals. 85.71 per cent of their Bundesliga home outings have featured gvoals from bothsides whilst Leverkusen have avoided defeat in three of six matches here when conceding first. Only three Bundesliga sides have picked up fewer than Cologne’s paltry three-point haul across the last five away games. That includes four straight losses, despite trailing at the break just once, which puts Cologne on the verge of five away defeats in a row — the last time they did that they were relegated!
Head to head
6.12.20 BUN FC Koln vs Bayer Leverkusen 0 : 4
17.06.20 BUN Bayer Leverkusen vs Koln 3 : 1
14.12.19 BUN FC Koln Vs Bayer Leverkusen 2 : 0
18.03.18 BUN FC Koln vs Bayer Leverkusen 2 : 0
28.10.17 BUN Bayer Leverkusen vs Koln 2 : 1
Atalanta vs Juventus, Sunday (16:00)
Atalanta are on course to score more goals than Juve for te third consecutive season (+10 this season) in Serie ‘A’ although that hasn’t helped them in this H2H match-up as they haven’t beaten their top-four rivals in 32 straight SA meetings. After four draws from the last five SA H2Hs, all featuring both teams scoring.
The hosts have scored 3+ goals in five consecutive SA home matches, netting at least once beyond the hour mark in all four wins, whilst registering three second-half victories. Atalanta have scored 48.78 per cent of their SA home goals in the 30 minutes after HT.
Juventus sit one point above their hosts and puts them back on track for the runners up spot. They have registered at least three more victories at this stage in their previous eight seasons, whilst conceding less than their current 27 goals in each of the last nine!
Juventus have won just one of their last four SA away matches, with 50% yielding a level HT score. No other top-seven side has witnessed more HT away draws (seven) than Juventus this season.
Head to head
6.12.20 SA Juventus vs Atalanta 1 : 1
11.07.20 SA Juventus vs Atalanta 2 : 2
23.11.19 SA Atalanta vs Juventus 1 : 3
19.05.19 SA Juventus vs Atalanta 1 : 1
30.01.19 COP Atalanta vs Juventus 3 : 0