Palace welcome Manchester United to Selhurst Park
Crystal Palace welcome Manchester United to Selhurst Park on Wednesday night looking to pull off a league double over the 20-time champions for the first time ever.
There was little to shout about during the Manchester United and Chelsea stalemate – something which has been a feature of Man United’s games against big-six opposition this season.
All five of those 0-0 draws this season have come against other members of the ‘big six’, and they have failed to find the back of the net in their last six such matches.
With 12 points now separating them from leaders Manchester City, it could be argued that Man United’s record in those games is the biggest reason why their title challenge now appears to be all but over.
The Red Devils are heading into a potentially season-defining run, with their next five games after this seeing them take on Man City, AC Milan in both legs of their Europa League last 16, fellow top-four dwellers West Ham United in the Premier League and high-flying Leicester City in the FA Cup.
Man United will be favourites to go into that run off the back of a win as they travel to Selhurst Park unbeaten in their last seven visits to London and without defeat in their last 20 away league matches – a run which stretches back more than a year and one which has only been bettered four times in English top-flight history.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Burnley, Leicester City seek return to winning ways
Burnley and Leicester City will each be seeking a return to winning ways when they face off at Turf Moor on Wednesday evening.
The Clarets went down 4-0 to Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend and are now winless in three, while Leicester have lost back-to-back games in all competitions.
Leicester’s campaign is at risk of crumbling, much like it did last season, on the back of losses to Slavia Prague and Arsenal over the last week.
The Foxes were stunned by Slavia in the Europa League last 32, going down 2-0 on home soil in the second leg, before throwing away the lead to lose 3-1 to Arsenal in the league.
With a growing list of injuries to contend with, the latest being influential midfielder Harvey Barnes, Rodgers will know the importance of stopping the rot in midweek.
Burnley are themselves looking to kickstart their campaign, however, having followed up home draws against Fulham and West Bromwich Albion with a heavy defeat at Tottenham.
Two points from the last nine on offer, combined with Fulham showing signs of life, means that Burnley are now just five points above the relegation zone.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
AC Milan are favourites against Udinese
The Serie A is back in action with another set of important fixtures this week as AC Milan host Udinese at the San Siro on Wednesday. AC Milan have shown tremendous improvement this season and are the favourites to win this fixture.
Udinese are in 12th place in the Serie A standings at the moment and have a point to prove going into this fixture.
AC Milan have managed to recover from their mid-season slump and emphasised their title bid with a 2-1 victory against AS Roma in their previous game. The Rossoneri are four points behind Inter Milan in the Serie A title race and cannot afford to lose this game.
AC Milan have a good record against Udinese and have won 24 matches out of a total of 47 games played between the two teams. Udinese have defeated AC Milan on 16 occasions and can trouble their opponents in this fixture.
AC Milan have had their fair share of problems this season and have a point to prove going into this game. The Rossoneri are still in the title race and will back themselves to secure all three points in this fixture.
Udinese can be a robust outfit on their day and will want to trouble their opponents in this match.
Credit: sportskeeda.com
Beleaguered Fiorentina welcome Roma
A beleaguered Fiorentina welcome Roma to the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Wednesday night in a round 25 Serie A clash.
La Viola are only seven points clear of eighteenth-placed Cagliari with a tough run of fixtures coming up. Meanwhile, the Giallorossi will be keen to improve on their fifth-placed standing in the league table.
A 3-0 win over Spezia a fortnight ago eased the pressure on Fiorentina boss Cesare Prandelli’s shoulders. However, La Viola undid all that good work with a 0-1 loss away to fellow strugglers Udinese last week.
They’ve only managed to earn four points from the last 15 available. With the likes of Milan and Atalanta to come in the near future, things look bleak.
A 3-1 win over Braga in the midweek UEFA Europa League game ensured Roma progressed to the round of 16 to face Shakhtar Donetsk.
The euphoria surrounding that win evaporated as Paulo Fonseca’s men fell to a top team yet again – a thrilling 2-1 defeat by AC Milan at the Stadio Olimpico.
Roma have the edge over Fiorentina in recent memory, having won five of the last 10, while La Viola have won three, and it’s hard to look beyond a comfortable win for the Giallorossi.
Credit: sportskeeda.com
The post TODAY’S MIDWEEK EUROPEAN LEAGUE MATCHES appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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