PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY - LIVERPOOL V SOUTHAMPTON 15:00
Liverpool have made their best start to a season since 1961 with their win against PSG which means they have now won their first six games this season. They will be looking to claim their seventh by Saturday teatime against Mark Hughes' men who despite their 2-2 draw last Monday at home to Brighton have shown signs of an upturn in form this season. This has been largely down to the form of striker Danny Ings who will miss out on Saturday's clash due to the nature of his loan deal. With fixtures against Chelsea and Napoli on the horizon Jurgen Klopp is considering rotating his side for Saturday's clash with Xherdan Shaqiri in particular pushing for a first start. Firmino could also return to the starting XI in place of Daniel Sturridge while Dejan Lovren and Adam Lallana remain sidelined through injury. Given the reds 23 game unbeaten league streak at home Southampton will need every ounce of luck they can get on Saturday and news that Ings' replacement Manolo Gabiaddini is set to miss out on Saturday's clash will have only further added to their task of achieving only just their fourth ever Premier League win at Anfield.
PREDICTION - Liverpool 3-1
EFL CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY - DERBY V BRENTFORD 15:00
The main pick of this weekend's Championship offerings sees Frank Lampard's Rams host Dean Smith's high flying Bees. Brentford enter Saturday's clash after some fine form and have arguably played some of the league's best football this season with Lampard's ex Chelsea teammate Josh McEachran dictating play from midfield. Said Benrahma has looked threatening whenever he's pulled on a red shirt this season while on the other wing Ollie Watkins has been touted for an England call up for his fine performances thus far. They are spearheaded by Neal Maupay who with eight league goals is the top scorer in all four English divisions. Derby on the other hand enter Saturday's clash on the back of a disappointing week comprised of an away defeat to Rotherham coupled with a frustrating 0-0 home draw midweek to Blackburn. They will be without captain Curtis Davies through injury and their main source of creation; Tom Lawrence who serves the second game of a three game suspension. If they are going to take anything out of their clash they will need Chelsea loanee, Mason Mount to be firing on all cylinders. The little magician has lit up Pride Park this season with his niche set of skills and is destined for the Premier League.
PREDICTION - Brentford 2-1
BUNDESLIGA
SATURDAY - SCHALKE V BAYERN MUNICH 17:30
Die Knappen welcome Niko Kovac' side in Saturday's teatime clash in what proves to be an exciting affair. Schalke boss; Dominic Todesco and Niko Kovac both represent the growing breed of young modern managers taking over European football. Todesco at just 32 enjoyed a great first season at the Blues securing Champions League football while Niko Kovac' Frankfurt side secured the DFB Pokal with a 3-1 victory over his current Bayern side. Schalke enter Saturday's game on the back of some poor form. They have started the Bundesliga season with three successive losses and their inauspicious start to the season was nearly worsened just midweek if not for goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann's heroics against Porto. Todesco will line up Schalke in their usual compact 3-5-2 formation spearheaded up front by Mark Uth and Breel Embolo. Embolo in particular will look to build on his goal midweek against Porto and not endure the struggles once more of seasons past. USMNT Weston McKennie and ex-Tottenham man Nabil Bentalab will provide the artillery from midfield. Kovac and his Bayern side on the other hand have enjoyed their usual quick start to his opening campaign. He has done little or nothing to disrupt the harmony of the Bayern team and seems to have succeeded in getting star man; Robert Lewandowski back on side. Unfortunately for him though Corentin Tolisso is unlikely to play any further part this season as he sustained a knee ligament injury in last weekend's 3-1 win over Leverkusen. Fortunately Renato Sanches is back on form and ex-Blue Leon Goretzka is part of the Bavarian setup. Goretzka who is expected to feature in Saturday's battle is set to endure a frosty reception upon his return to Gelsinkirchen.
PREDICTION - Bayern 2-1
SATURDAY - HOFFENHEIM V BORUSSIA DORTMUND 15:00
Two of the players set to feature in Saturday's clash made history midweek, when both Jadon Sancho and Reiss Nelson became just the 7th and 8th British players respectively to make their Champions League debuts for a non British team. The two 18 year olds are certainly reaping the rewards of their moves to Germany under the expert tutelege of messrs Favre and Nagelsmann. Hoffenheim who are on the back of their Champions League group stage debut, possess a fantastic array of youth and this is encapsulated no more so than 31 year old boss Juilan Nagelsmann who turned down Bayern Munich's advances to join RB Leipzig for the 19/20 campaign. They are tactically flexible and alternate between a 3-5-2 and 5-3-2 approach. They are known for their rigorous counter pressing and counter attacking style and in forwards Andrej Kramaric and Hungarian Adam Szalai possess style and brawn aplenty. Their opponents Borussia Dortmund are led by newly appointed boss Lucien Favre. With two wins and a dull draw away to Hannover they have started the season well. Favre who unearthed Marco Reus at Monchengladbach not too long ago will be hoping to rekindle the kind of form that made the German among Europe's most coveted property. Jadon Sancho and Christian Pulisic have enjoyed good starts to life under the Frenchmen. Mahmoud Dahoud has looked brilliant in midfield much to the joy of Dortmund bosses who have pinned high hopes on the once teen sensation with Max Philipp will look to nail down the striking position given the absence of Spain's Paco Alcacer.
PREDICTION - 2-2 draw
LA LIGA
SATURDAY - GETAFE V ATLETICO MADRID 17:30
Maybe not the purists choice come this weekend but Saturday's game between the two Madrid sides promises to make or break Diego Simeone and his sides' season. Getafe under Jose Bordalas have enjoyed a fine start to their La Liga season with two wins, a draw and an opening day defeat to Madrid from their opening four games. They are just off the back of a great 2-0 victory away to Sevilla with Angel proving the match winner with two poachers goals. Under Bordelas, Getafe set up in low block 4-4-2 with two banks of four squeezing the opposition and proving very resilient to any opponents attacks. They are set up to break quickly with the ball playing skills of no.8 Francisco Portillo and the pace of Senegalese winger Amath Ndiaye. Togo's Djene is quite the stifler and gets through obscene amounts of distance in the centre of the pitch entrusted with breaking up the opposition play. While up front the lively Angel combines with the rather big Jorge Molina to cause unending amounts of trouble to opposition defences. Atleti meanwhile enter Saturday's clash in indifferent form, they already trail Barcelona by seven points, anything but a win for Cholo and his side on Saturday could mean an end to any aspirations of repeating their 2013-2014 league triumph. What's even more interesting is how Antoine Griezmann will respond to his critics on Saturday given his recent Instagram post where the Frenchman was depicted sitting on a throne being crowned by Madrid's Sergio Ramos. Griezmann also refused to pour cold water over the fire earlier this week when he vented at his frustration at being overlooked for the Balon D'Or to which his good friend had some choice words to retort. Anyways, yeah tune in for this one.
PREDICTION - 1-0 Atleti
SERIE A
SATURDAY - SAMPDORIA V INTER MILAN 19:30
Saturday's showpiece clash sees Luciano Spalletti's floundering Internazionale travel to Genoa to take on a Sampdoria team full of confidence given their early start to the campaign. Marco Giampaolo's side's great start to the season has been largely down to the front duo of Fabio Quagliraella and Gregoire Defrel, who with his four goals is the league's top scorer thus far. Although the loss of star midfielder Lucas Torreira to Arsenal was a blow to Giampaolo's pre season plans, Samp have recovered and new signing Albin Ekdal along with the flair of Gianluca Caprari have added a much needed presence and style to their midfield play. Given the horrific Morandi Bridge disaster at the start of the season without doubt "La Samp's" players will even have more of an impetus to give back to all their fans particularly stemming from the Gradinata Sud even making the Stadio Luigi Ferrari more of a fortress for all opponents this upcoming season . Saturday's opponents Inter have endured a frustrating start to the season both on and off the pitch. Attempts to secure the signing of World Cup star, Luka Modric were quickly negated by Madrid while big signing Lautaro Martinez has sustained an injury ruling him out for numerous games although he is due to return for Saturday's game. Mauro Icardi who scored a beautiful volley against Spurs to turn the tie on its head has been very poor and has showed little to suggest he can repeat last season's goal tally while new defensive signings Stefan de Vrij and Sime Vrsaljko have endured difficult starts. All roads lead to a compelling tie between two of Italy's finest in Genoa this coming Saturday.
PREDICTION - 2-1 Inter
LIGUE 1
SUNDAY - LYON V MARSEILLE 20:00
Sunday's big game sees us take a trip to the south-east of France where the "Choc des Olympiques" takes place pitting Lyon versus Marseille in what promises to be an entertaining encounter given the depth of young talent on show. Aside from their 2-1 victory over Manchester City on Wednesday Lyon have opened poorly this league campaign and have struggled to regain last seasons form. World Cup winner Nabil Fekir pulls the strings in the Lyon midfield and although it is uncertain for how more long he will make his hometeam's side tick for now everything revolves around his wand of a left foot. The supporting cast of Maxwel Cornet and Memphis Depay are not half bad either. While the combative duo of Tanguy Ndombele and Pape Diop came in for well deserved rave reviews given their display against City. Tanguy Ndombele is another young French talent who many expect will not remain at "Les Gones" for long. On the other hand arch rivals Olympique de Marseille enter Sunday in second place and in duo Dimitri Payet and Florian Thauvin have players to thrill the masses. Although they did succumb to a defeat to Frankfurt in Europa League action on Thursday night they have indicated thus far they are well over the Europa League final heartbreak of last May. Most impressive in the victories over Monaco and Guignamp where ex-Newcastle flop Florian Thauvin who is in danger of pricing himself out of a move to Europe's elite given his current exploits. Sunday evenings clash promises to be entertaining , full of goals and with some of the latest crop of World Cup winners on show what better way to close your weekend.
PREDICTION - 2-2 Draw