Premier League antepost predictions: most assists at 201, keep an eye on Manchester City’s new signing
Manchester CPrediction Nice-Benfica: the magic moment continues
On the one hand, we have a team that does not seem ready for this type of competition; on the other, we have a team that always plays in the Champions League and has already secured its first trophy of the season, the Portuguese Super Cup.
Nice and Benfica face each other in the first leg of the Champions League preliminary round with one certainty: like it or not, qualification will only be decided in the return leg scheduled for next week. This will only be the first step, something that could certainly set the tone, but it will not be decisive.
The Portuguese side are obviously favorites, having added some quality players to their squad during the summer transfer window, notably Rios, who looked set to join Roma but decided to go to Portugal instead. But that’s not all: there is also Pavlidis, who decided the final against Sporting, a player capable of making the difference at any moment of the match, something that Nice does not have. Yes, they have good players, but nothing that can turn the tables.
Odds comparison
Benfica’s victory is quoted at 2.20 on Goldbet and Lottomatica. A GOAL is quoted at 1.57 on Goldbet and Lottomatica.
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Prediction
As explained above, the winner of this tie will be decided next week. This match should certainly produce at least one goal per team. Keep an eye out for an away win for Benfica, which is worth more than double the stake.
Probable line-ups for Nice vs. Benfica
NICE (3-5-2): Diouf; Dante, Bah, Mendy; Clauss, Bouanani, Sanson, Boudaoui, Bard; Moffi, Jansson.
BENFICA (4-3-2-1): Trubin; Dedic, Otamendi, Antonio Silva, Dahl; Rios, Barrenechea, Barreiro; Akturkoglu, Aursnes; Pavlidis. POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-2
Pep Guardiola’s team looked sparkling at the Club World Cup, playing with a certain recklessness and scoring 16 goals in four games. In the hope that this trend continues, Rayan Ait-Nouri as the best assist man of the season at a staggering 201 is worth a try.
The Algerian has provided seven assists playing for Wolves, who finished 16th last year – just three short of the threshold for a tie. It was by far his best performance in terms of assists since arriving in the Premier League, and it’s no surprise: he has recorded the highest number of shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (2.63) since arriving in England.
Now, in a more attacking and talented team, with more freedom to push forward and overlap, as he has already shown at the Club World Cup, he could easily exceed double figures for assists, and that could be enough.
The only downside is that he will miss a few league games to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). If you don’t want to bet in advance, he is still one to watch in the early games when he is likely to have high odds for assists. Before they drop in case of a positive outcome, it’s worth a try.
Odds comparison
Ait-Nouri, the Premier League’s best assist man, is at 201.00 on Bet365. At the moment, odds are not available on Goldbet and Lottomatica.
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