Nigeria’s U-17 women’s football team, the Flamingos, aims for back-to-back semifinal berths following their 2022 success in India. However, they’ll need to overcome the familiar challenge of the USA to advance.
Meanwhile, the 189th El Clasico is set to unfold, with Real Madrid hosting Barcelona in the first clash of the 2024/25 season. The Santiago Bernabeu, already buzzing from a thrilling midweek Champions League encounter, is ready for another intense showdown as unbeaten Real Madrid faces table-leading Barcelona.
In the Premier League, Arsenal will look to narrow the gap to Arne Slot’s Liverpool, who sit atop the table. Over in Italy, Juventus, who remain unbeaten in the league, head to the San Siro for a high-stakes match against Inter Milan. This is a weekend packed with matches you won’t want to miss.
Nigeria vs. USA @ CFC Stadium, Santiago de los Caballeros
27 October. 2024, 8:30 p.m.
Current Form: Nigeria [W-W-W-W-W]; USA [W-W-L-W-W]
Head-to-head:
21/10/22 U17WC Nigeria 1 – 1 [4-3 pens] USA
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Almost two years after Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team edged past the USA in a 4-3 penalty shootout, the two teams will face off again in a quarterfinal clash on Saturday, October 26, in the Dominican Republic.
This will mark Nigeria’s fifth appearance at this stage, while it’s the third time for the USA. Both teams have advanced past the quarterfinals only once—Nigeria in the previous edition, when they eliminated the USA, and the USA in 2008, when they finished as runners-up.
Under Coach Bankole Olowookere, the Flamingos of Nigeria have netted nine goals while conceding just once in the tournament. Shakirat Moshood, the team’s midfielder and leading scorer, has found the net four times, surpassing top qualifier scorer Harmony Chidi.
Meanwhile, the USA rebounded from an opening loss to Spain with two wins, scoring seven goals and keeping a clean sheet.
Can Coach Olowookere’s girls make it two consecutive victories over the USA?
Prediction: Nigeria 2-1 USA
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona @Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
26 October 2024, 8:00 p.m.
Current Form: Real Madrid [W-W-W-L-D]; Barcelona [W-W-W-W-L]
Head-to-head:
03/08/24 CLF Real Madrid 1 – 2 Barcelona
21/04/24 LAL Real Madrid 3 – 2 Barcelona
14/01/24 SUC Real Madrid 4 – 1 Barcelona
28/10/23 LAL Barcelona 1 – 2 Real Madrid
29/07/23 CLF Barcelona 3 – 0 Real Madrid
Real Madrid sit second on the La Liga table, three points behind first-placed Barcelona but will have to do without the assured presence of Thibaut Courtois. The giant Belgian goalkeeper has made 18 saves in nine league matches to preserve their unbeaten streak.
Also in the Champions League, Hansi Flick’s young Barcelona side thrashed Bayern Munich, which means spirits will be high and buoyant for the trip to Madrid. Barcelona have regained Frenkie de Jong, Dani Olmo and Gavi for this showdown, while Raphinha is now showing why Barcelona forked out about $70 million to get him from Leeds in 2022.
Robert Lewandowski is also in excellent form with 12 goals in 10 matches. Still, Carlo Ancelotti will unleash another Brazilian in good form, Vinicius Junior, while Kylian Mbappé is slowly getting to grips with the expectations from him. With six goals in nine league matches, the France captain is dovetailing well with Vinicius and Jude Bellingham.
Will Courtois’ absence prove decisive in the result?
Real Madrid: xG: 2.0, xGA: 1.1; Barcelona: xG: 2.5, xGA: 1.1 [xG-Expected Goals; xGA-Expected goals against]
Prediction: Real Madrid 2-3 Barcelona
Arsenal vs. Liverpool @Emirates Stadium, London
27 October 2024, 5:30 p.m.
Current Form: Arsenal [W-L-W-W-W]; Liverpool [W-W-W-W-W]
Head-to-head:
31/07/24 CLF Liverpool 2 – 1 Arsenal
04/02/24 PRL Arsenal 3 – 1 Liverpool
07/01/24 FAC Arsenal 0 – 2 Liverpool
23/12/23 PRL Liverpool 1 – 1 Arsenal
09/04/23 PRL Liverpool 2 – 2 Arsenal
Mikel Arteta has had the better of any Liverpool team in their last four confrontations. The Gunners are unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches-two wins and draws, but the job has been made harder with the enforced absence of William Saliba.
Arsenal’s winning ability without the French defender drops to 46 per cent as against 74 per cent when he is in the team. His red card against Bournemouth led to Arsenal’s first defeat of the season last weekend. Meanwhile, Arne Slot passed the Chelsea test last weekend, but he is still without first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota.
Four points separate the teams on matchday 12, and Arteta will seek a result that gets him closer to the Reds because a loss will leave the Gunners seven points behind Slot’s men. Arteta said in his press conference that Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori, and Jurrien Timber would be assessed before the match, but that the prognosis was not good.
Can Saka be back in the Arsenal to inspire a win?
Arsenal: xG: 1.53, xGA: 1.02; Liverpool: xG: 2.02, xGA: 0.74 [xG-Expected Goals; xGA-Expected goals against]
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool
Inter Milan vs. Juventus @San Siro, Milan
27 October 2024, 6:00 p.m.
Current Form: Inter Milan [W-W-W-W-W]; Juventus [L-W-D-W-W]
Head-to-head:
04/02/24 SEA Inter Milan 1 – 0 Juventus
26/11/23 SEA Juventus 1 – 1 Inter Milan
26/04/23 COI Inter Milan 1 – 0 Juventus
04/04/23 COI Juventus 1 – 1 Inter Milan
19/03/23 SEA Inter Milan 0 – 1 Juventus
This match has not seen more than two goals in the last five confrontations, and Juventus’ xGA posits that this will follow the script of the last five confrontations. Separated by one point, the match takes on added significance because a draw does not help either side.
Thiago Motta’s Juventus are unbeaten to the start of the season and have only conceded once in the league. However, they suffered a demoralising defeat to Stuttgart in midweek in the Champions League. Motta has said the defeat is in the past, and his players are concentrated on getting a win away at the San Siro on Sunday.
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Motta has to contend with injuries to first-teamers like Douglas Luiz, Bremer, Arkadiusz Milik, and Teun Koopmeiners, while Simone Inzaghi’s Inter will be without Hakan Çalhanoglu and Francesco Acerbi. Motta said in his press conference, “We are convinced of our football, of our idea. Inter is our next game, a big one to play, to live, always at our best.”
Will Juventus suffer a first league defeat after their first loss of the season?
Inter Milan: xG: 1.85, xGA: 1.15; Juventus: xG: 1.34, xGA: 0.93 [xG-Expected Goals; xGA-Expected goals against]
Prediction: Inter Milan 3-1 Juventus
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