MATCH PREVIEWS

Boring International Week

It’s international week, so instead of analysing your uncle’s five-a-side team (we couldn’t find the odds for those matches), we’re turning our attention to outright bets. With the season reaching its decisive stage, now’s the time to look at who will likely be crowned champions soon.

Who Will Win The Eredivisie?

Ajax: 1.22

We’d love to go against the grain, but there’s no looking past Ajax for the title this year. PSV’s collapse might not have been in their plans, but they’ve capitalised brilliantly and now sit as clear favourites to lift the trophy for the first time since 2021/22. That might not sound like a long wait to most, but for Ajax fans, it’s felt like an eternity.

PSV: 4.0

We’ll go easy on them, promise!

At one stage, PSV looked unstoppable, on track to smash records and cruise to the title. Maybe it was too obvious. That’s the only way to explain such a dramatic dip in form. Perišić’s Champions League heroics briefly reignited hope, but Arsenal quickly put an end to that dream in brutal fashion. Six points isn’t an impossible gap, and earlier in the season, they were winning for fun. But do they have it in them to turn things around? We’re not convinced. Are you?

Who Will Win The Champions League?

Barcelona: 4.0

We’re a little surprised to see Barcelona given such strong odds. They have a shot at the Champions League, but they don’t quite have the same wow factor as some of their rivals. PSG looks like the most exciting side right now, and as much as some might find it predictable or dull, it’s impossible to ignore Real Madrid’s relentless consistency.

PSG: 4.3

It's funny how losing Neymar, Mbappé, and Messi can improve a team’s chances of winning the Champions League.

Over two legs, they were clearly the better side against Liverpool, even after somehow losing the first match despite registering 27 shots to 2. With Aston Villa up next, it’s clear that Luis Enrique and his squad genuinely believe they can make history for PSG.

Real Madrid: 4.5

By their high standards, Madrid hasn’t been at their best in this year’s competition. But does that ever really matter?

You'd still be sweating if your team was 5-0 up against them and they pulled one back. Now, with Mbappé and company clicking into gear, they are ready to lift the trophy again. Boring? Maybe. Unless you’re a Madrid fan, of course.

Bayern Munich 6.0

If we were being harsh, we’d say having Harry Kane means a trophy is off the table.

They’re cruising in the Bundesliga and dismantled Leverkusen over two legs, yet something still feels missing this year. That said, there is no reason why the manager and players shouldn’t believe they can hold the trophy aloft this year.

WTF?

Sol Campbell's Wild Reason for That Arsenal Switch 🤯

Remember when Sol Campbell broke North London's heart by crossing the Arsenal-Spurs divide? Turns out there's more drama to that story than we ever knew. Campbell just dropped a bombshell that makes the transfer look like the least crazy part of the saga.

The tea:

• Campbell was arrested and fingerprinted over a Derby County bust-up he claims he didn't start

• Spurs allegedly let a legal case against him drag on for 15 MONTHS

• Plot twist: The injured steward apparently hurt himself PRE-MATCH

• Tottenham supposedly pulled legal funding right before the case

• Campbell claims it was all a power play to make him "sign a crap deal"

Between the lines: According to Sol, Spurs chairman Alan Sugar wanted to bench him and kick him out of the England team until he "came to his senses." Instead, Campbell chose violence (metaphorically this time) and signed for Arsenal on a free.

Bottom line: If you ever wondered what it takes to make someone brave enough to cross one of football's deadliest divides... apparently it's getting fingerprinted while signing autographs at a police station. Just another normal day in English football. 😅

DID YOU KNOW?

🤔 The Footballer Who Never Fouled

Before VAR existed to catch every sneeze and shoulder brush, there was Jan Linssen, a Dutch footballer who took "clean playing" to an entirely new level. During his 22-year career with Feijenoord (1932-1954), he managed something that sounds impossible in today's game: he never committed a single foul. Not. One.

Some wild stats from this gentleman's career:

• 337 appearances without a yellow card
• 91 goals (all apparently scored very politely)
• Won 5 Eredivisie titles (without pushing anyone)
• Made one unofficial Netherlands appearance (and scored, naturally)

The cherry on top? One referee, Dirk Nijs, found Linssen's clean record so remarkable that he jokingly "fouled" the player himself during a match. Yes, you read that right – the only foul in Linssen's career came FROM a referee.

Bottom line: In an era where tactical fouls are basically taught in football academies, Linssen's achievement feels like discovering a unicorn. Makes you wonder what he'd make of modern football's "dark arts." 🤔

MEME OF THE DAY

That's a nice idea, but winning some games will be a good place to start.

WHO WILL WIN?