Following the last international break for the year, football fans are in for a treat as some mouth-watering matchups will take place this weekend. Firstly, two Italian giants will serve up a thriller when AC Milan and Juventus square off at the San Siro on Saturday, then over in the English Premier League (EPL), free scoring teams Man City and Tottenham will be engaged in an intriguing battle of two struggling big guns.

Event # 1 – ITA – AC Milan vs Juventus – 12:00 PM

The two most successful teams in Italy will renew their bitter rivalry on Saturday when AC Milan and Juventus square off in a blockbuster clash. Both teams enter this clash in good form but with contrasting results. Prior to the international break, AC Milan seemed to be cruising in their match against Cagliari after leading 2-0 but was pegged back and had to settle for an entertaining 3-3 draw away from home. However, they will enter this game with confidence high, having lost just once in their last six overall matches. At home they have been solid if not impressive, having won three, drawn one, and lost just one game.

Meanwhile, Juventus will travel to the San Siro as the only unbeaten side left in Serie A this season after 12 matches and enter this game in excellent form but are sixth in the league standing, having won six and drawn six matches played so far. Defensively, they have been impressive, conceding just seven goals while scoring 21 times. Away from home, Juventus have been solid, having won three and drawn two of their five matches on the road so far; they enter this eagerly anticipated clash off the back of a 2-0 home win over local rivals Torino, which will further boost their confidence for this high-profile clash. However, if they are to challenge for the title, they will need to turn their dominant performances from draws to wins and they will be aiming to buck that trend when they face AC Milan tomorrow.

Key Stats

AC Milan – AC Milan are unbeaten in their last six overall matches and their last five home matches.

Juventus – Juventus are unbeaten in their last seven away matches in Serie A and are undefeated in 28 of their last 32 league matches.

Both sides – When both teams met last season, Juventus won 0-1 at the San Siro but drew 0-0 at home in the other game. Indeed, four of Juventus’s last six matches have seen under 2.5 goals being scored, while under 2.5 goals have been scored in three of AC Milan’s last six matches.

The betting tip. 1-1 Draw.

Event # EPL – Manchester City vs Tottenham – 12:30 PM

A blockbuster Premier League clash awaits fans this Saturday as Manchester City and Tottenham square off in a must-win game for both teams. Indeed, Manchester City are in uncharted territory ahead of Tottenham’s visit to the Etihad. Man City, winner of four successive Premier League titles, have lost four matches in all competitions on the trot. This is the first time in Coach Pep Guardiola’s managerial career that he has lost four straight games in all competitions, while it is the first time Man City have lost this many games in a row since 2006 when they lost six in a row under Stuart Pearce. It’s been a struggle for the defending champions, City, as they have won jut three of their last 10 Premier League games against Tottenham and will be fearful of facing a free scoring side who are also coming off a shock home defeat against promoted side Ipswich Town before the international break.

Tottenham, on the other hand, currently sit 10th in the league and are having a difficult season so far, having shown flashes of brilliance but have been plagued by their own inconsistency. They, too, like Man City, enter this vital clash off the back of a shock 1-2 defeat at home to Ipswich Town and will arrive at the Etihad aiming to continue their good run of form against City, having defeated them 2-1 last month in the fourth round of the League Cup. However, while Tottenham have had the upper hand against Man City recently, those wins are on their home turf as they have won just once at the Etihad since 2016. With that said, neither team will be bubbling with confidence ahead of this game after their disappointing results in the last two weeks; however, Man City might feel a little more comfortable with the match being played at the Etihad, where they have won four straight matches in all competitions. However, the four straight losses will have dented some of that belief, with one of those losses coming against Tottenham. As for Tottenham, confidence won’t be high either, as following their loss to Galatasaray in the Europa league two weeks ago, it means they have lost three straight away matches ahead of a trip to a wounded City side.

Key Stats

• Man City – Manchester City have conceded the opening goal in three of their previous five home league matches so far this season, but they have come from behind to win those matches.

• Tottenham – Tottenham’s away record has been poor so far this year; they have played 14 games on the road, winning just three and losing seven times, but one of the three wins came against City last month.

• Both sides – Three of the last six meetings between these teams have seen over 3.5 goals being scored.

The betting Tip. Man City win.