The Big Leagues are back baby…well, kind of. Friday sees the return to action of France’s Ligue Un, Spain’s La Liga, while Portugal’s Primeira Liga enters matchday two.
Our European football tipster Paddy Murphy is particularly excited, at least so he can stop watching the Scandinavian summer leagues that filled the void following the Euros. He’ll be focusing on three games, Le Havre v PSG, sans Kylian Mbappe in France, in Portual we have Gil Vicente v AVS, and in La Liga it’s Las Palmas v Sevilla.
Football Bet Builder Tips
19:45 Le Havre v PSG
Both Teams to Score, No
Randal Kolo Muani Anytime Goalscorer
20:15 Gil Vicente v AVS
Both Teams to Score
20:30 Las Palmas v Sevilla
Both Teams to Score
- A Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 20/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Le Havre v PSG
Ligue Un match at the Stade Oceane, Le Havre
19:45
Both Teams to Score, No
The state the obvious, this is going to be a rather interesting season for PSG. For the first time since taking over the Parisian club, owners Qatar Sports Investments haven’t tried to land a huge star and are backing manager Luis Enrique to build a team with a longer-term focus.
They’ve still brought in Joao Neves (midfield), Willian Pacho (defender), Matvey Safonov (goalkeeper), and Desire Doue, another midfielder, who should also be joining. Of course, there is no striker there. However, PSG have the likes of Goncalo Ramon, Ousmane Dembele, Randal Kolo Muani, and Bradley Barcola. None of them are going to score nearly as many goals as the departed Kylian Mbappe, but they still boast plenty of firepower.
Le Havre poured water on PSG’s early title win last season in a pulsating 3-3 draw in Paris. PSG grabbed a 94th-minute equaliser, but over the years, the Parisians have won these games, barely hitting a canter.
Le Havre struggled for goals last season, and that’s unlikely to change this time around. We can’t see the hosts scoring against a strong Parisian defence that conceded just 11 goals over their 17 away fixtures in the league last term.
Randal Kolo Muani Anytime Goalscorer
Surprisingly, PSG only played two public pre-season friendlies, against Sturm Graz and RB Leipzig. Randal Kolo Muani started in both, and we reckon Luis Enrique will give him the nod here. What’s up for discussion is whether he’ll start with two strikers and partner him with Goncalo Ramos or if he’ll stick with a more usual front three, where Dembele and Barcola will support Muani.
Whatever happens, Muani’s got the talent to step into the limelight this season and deliver the goals they will need for a successful title defence. He’ll be eager to get his league season off to a good start, and against opposition like Le Havre, who won just six home games last season, he should be rattling the net.
Gil Vicente v AVS
Primeira Liga match at Estadio Cidade de Barcelos, Barcelos
20:15
Both Teams to Score
Gil Vicente didn’t have the best of seasons last campaign. They ended up finishing 12, winning just nine games, six of which were on home soil, scoring 28 of their 42 goals on home turf.
AVS gained promotion thanks to the Playoff, but it looks like they could struggle to live among the top dogs. They lost 10 of their 34 games in Portugal’s second tier last season and still managed promotion. Their away performances were the key to their promotion, however. They lost just four of their 17 away games last season, conceded 18 goals in 17 away games, and scored 30.
With most of Gil’s goals coming at home last season, they should be good for one here. We can’t dismiss AVS away from the last campaign, however. Both Teams to Score makes the best sense here.
Las Palmas v Sevilla
La Liga match at the Estadio de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas
TV: Premier Sports, LaLigaTV, 20:30
Both Teams to Score
Former Las Palmas manager Garcia Pimienta makes a swift return to his old stomping ground for the first match of his Sevilla reign, armed with the knowledge that Sevilla have won all seven of the previous meetings between the sides.
The hosts ended last season with two draws and three defeats, while the away side had two wins, one draw, and two losses over their last five on the road.
Pimienta has been drafted in to get Sevilla back up the table after a disastrous season last year. They finished 14th, their worst-ever finish apart from when they were relegated back in 1999/2000.
The hosts will be eager to put it up to their old boss, and Sevilla’s defence was woeful last season, so they should be scoring. The away side finished the season scoring seven over their last five, so they should also be getting at least one. Both Teams to Score is the play.
Friday’s Bet Builder Tips
Le Havre v PSG
Both Teams to Score, No
Randal Kolo Muani Anytime Goalscorer
Gil Vicente v AVS
Both Teams to Score
Las Palmas v Sevilla
Both Teams to Score
- A Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 20/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
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