Andrew McDermott

Everton looked like they needed the international break more than most teams and must now come out firing if they want to get their European hopes back on track. Premier League defeats against Chelsea and, more frustratingly, Burnley saw the Toffees slip to eighth in the table and they were then knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester City but they start the weekend with a game in hand on the teams above them. More...

Wolves enjoyed a European adventure last season but now it is West Ham who are hoping to qualify for continental competition. The Hammers spent the international break sitting pretty in fifth but they have several teams breathing down their necks. More...

Brighton must still wonder how they lost at home to Manchester United earlier in the season and there is plenty of value in backing them to get some reward on Sunday night. The Seagulls dominated September’s match on the south coast and have an impressive record on their travels. More...

Steve Bruce has survived calls for him to be sacked during the international break but the pressure will only grow if Newcastle’s winless run continues. The Magpies slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Brighton last time out and have gone six matches without a victory, having won just two of their last 18 games. More...

Fulham’s revival stalled prior to the international break and we expect Aston Villa to add to their relegation worries on Sunday. The 2-1 defeat at home to Leeds last time out was a third loss in four matches and means they start the weekend still in the drop zone. More...

Southampton and Burnley are level on points and goal difference heading into Sunday’s Premier League game. Both teams will see this as a very winnable fixture and the victors would reach 36 points which would leave them on the brink of securing survival. More...

It is first against second in Ligue 1 on Saturday as the French title race builds towards a thrilling conclusion. Defending champions PSG returned to the top of the table prior to the international break but are only above Lille on goal difference while Lyon are just three points further back. More...

Arguably the match of the weekend in Europe is in the Bundesliga as the top two face off in a crunch clash which could go a long way to deciding the destiny of the title. Bayern Munich go into the game with a four-point lead at the top of the table and victory would boost their hopes of retaining their crown. More...

The international break came at a good time for both of these teams and they will be looking to get their promotion bids back on track in Friday’s clash. Barnsley’s 12-match unbeaten run ended with a derby defeat against Sheffield Wednesday, while Reading have gone three matches without a win. More...

Brentford head into their final nine matches of the season trailing both Watford and Swansea in the race for the second automatic promotion place behind Norwich. After two successive draws and just three wins from nine matches, the pressure is on if they are to avoid having to go through the play-offs again. More...

England could not have asked for an easier start to their World Cup qualifying campaign but things begin to get trickier on Sunday. The 5-0 victory against San Marino on Thursday was as one-sided as expected while Albania managed a 1-0 win against Andorra. More...

Israel and Scotland are familiar foes in recent times and Sunday’s World Cup qualifier is their sixth meeting in the last two and a half years. Last year’s three games in the Nations League and Euro 2020 qualifying were all tight affairs with just three goals scored. More...

Northern Ireland produced an encouraging performance against Italy on Thursday night but could be forgiven for easing off against the United States in Sunday’s friendly. The main focus for Ian Baraclough’s men will be their second World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria on Wednesday so the hosts are unlikely to be at full strength. More...

As the football season enters its final stretch, Europe’s top clubs will already be preparing their transfer plans for this summer. While there will undoubtedly be fierce bidding wars for the continent’s top talent, some of the biggest signings could well be free transfers. More...

Wales will have one eye on Tuesday’s crucial World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic when they host Mexico in an international friendly in Cardiff. Wednesday night’s 3-1 away defeat to Belgium was a disappointing start to their campaign, although it gave us three winning betting tips including an 11/1 correct score prediction! More...

Republic of Ireland must bounce back quickly from losing their opening World Cup 2022 qualifier when they host minnows Luxembourg on Saturday night. Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat in Serbia was an early blow to their qualification chances and they cannot afford to slip up in their first home match of the campaign. More...

The Six Nations title is on the line when France host Scotland in the delayed final match of the 2021 tournament. The match should have been played in February but was delayed because of a Covid-19 outbreak in the France squad, meaning Les Bleus know they need a bonus-point win and a winning margin of at least 21 points to deny Wales the title. More...

Aston Villa will close to within one point of Tottenham with a game in hand if they can come out on top in their Premier League clash on Saturday night. Spurs have been priced up as favourites but have lost six of their last 10 league games and must recover quickly from Thursday’s Europa League trip to Dinamo Zagreb. More...

Chelsea are on a high after reaching the last eight of the Champions League and it would be a major upset if Sheffield United are the ones to end their unbeaten record under Thomas Tuchel. The Blues face an exciting end to the season due to their form since Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard. More...

Southampton have a welcome distraction from their poor Premier League form when they face south coast neighbours Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Saints have lost 10 of their last 12 league games but should still have too much quality for a Bournemouth team sitting outside the play-off places in the Championship. More...

Manchester City return to Goodison Park in the FA Cup quarter-finals little more than a month since they enjoyed a 3-1 victory in the Premier League. City remain in the hunt for silverware in four competitions after reaching the last eight of the Champions League on Tuesday night and Everton are 4/1 to knock them out of the FA Cup. More...

Brighton and Newcastle are separated by just one point heading into a crucial match on Saturday night which could prove pivotal in the Premier League survival battle. Sheffield United and West Brom already look doomed but the Seagulls and the Magpies are both in danger of filling the third relegation place. More...

Fulham have the chance to climb out of the relegation zone for at least 24 hours if they can beat Leeds on Friday night. With fellow strugglers Brighton and Newcastle meeting on Saturday evening, this looks a good opportunity for the Cottagers to increase the pressure on the teams around them. More...

As this season’s tournament reaches its final stages, we have looked back over Champions League history to see which nations have dominated it in various ways. More...

Arsenal were knocked out of the Europa League by Olympiacos last season despite winning the first leg so will be hoping lightning does not strike twice at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners are in control of their round-of-16 tie after a 3-1 win in Greece last week and their confidence was further boosted by Sunday’s derby victory against Tottenham. More...

Tottenham hold a 2-0 lead heading into the second leg against Dinamo Zagreb and should reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League without too much fuss. Harry Kane’s brace proved decisive in the first leg last week and another solid defensive display would see Spurs through. More...

Rangers battled back to claim a 1-1 draw with Slavia Prague last week and are now clear favourites to progress to the Europa League quarter-finals at Ibrox. We correctly tipped 16/5 for a score draw and 29/10 for both teams to score in the first half in the first leg so hopefully we can repeat that success. More...

The overall bragging rights belong to Rangers this season but there will still be plenty of pride plus an unbeaten record at stake in Sunday’s Old Firm derby. Steven Gerrard’s men have already ended Celtic’s dominance of the Scottish Premiership by clinching the title and now take to the field as champions for the first time in the league at the home of their fierce rivals. More...

If good things come to those who wait then fans of international football are in for a treat this summer at Euro 2020. The tournament was postponed due to the continent being in lockdown last year but on June 11 it is finally set to kick off. In anticipation we have looked back at how each of the 24 Euro 2020 teams qualified for the tournament. More...

Chelsea remain unbeaten under Thomas Tuchel and can take another step towards a top-four finish when they face Leeds in Saturday’s early game. Six wins from their last eight matches have put the Blues on track for a Champions League place and their next four are all against bottom-half teams. More...