There is plenty of football action across Europe to begin the new week, including a Premier League clash between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge.
Serie A provides a double-helping of matches while Osasuna host Valencia in La Liga, and we’ve got selections from all three leagues to consider.
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Bet of the Day
Chelsea to win and under 2.5 goals @ 4/1
Given Chelsea’s recent penchant for high-scoring encounters, many punters will be expecting another entertaining clash when Everton head for Stamford Bridge.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have both scored and conceded at least two goals in each of their last seven matches in all competitions – and they will become the first English top-flight team to achieve such a feat eight times in succession should it happen again on Monday.
However, Everton don’t appear likely candidates to help maintain that trend.
Sean Dyche’s Toffees have scored just 32 Premier League goals this season, with only basement club Sheffield United (30) netting fewer.
Given their paucity of goals, and their eight-point deduction, it is quite admirable that Everton aren’t in deeper relegation trouble.
That can be attributed to a mean rearguard. Only the title-chasing trio of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool have conceded fewer goals than the Toffees’ 42 in this season’s Premier League.
They’ll be hard to break down but Chelsea are scoring for fun, netting 14 times in their last six league outings, so the Blues can be relied on to breach the tough Toffees at least once.
Special of the day
Atalanta to win to nil @ 6/4
Atalanta should still be buzzing from their Europa League demolition of Liverpool at Anfield on Thursday night.
Verona, who have lost 10 of their 16 away games in Serie A this season, could be ideal visitors to Bergamo and, refreshed after an extra 24 hours of rest, Atalanta should have few problems gaining three precious points in their pursuit of fifth-placed Roma.
Defeat to high-flying Bologna last month was just Atalanta’s third at the Gewiss Stadium in all competitions this season, with champions-elect Inter and outgoing Scudetto holders Napoli the other sides to have left Bergamo victorious.
Prior to losing to Bologna they’d kept clean sheets in four of their last five at home in the league and it should be business as usual for La Dea on Monday.
Longshot of the day
Draw-Valencia Half Time/Full Time @ 13/2
Monday’s sole offering from La Liga sees Valencia travel to Pamplona to face Osasuna.
Los Che head north with a five-point buffer over their hosts and still with an outside chance of European qualification.
And recent meetings between the two sides suggest that backing an away win – priced at 27/10 – is the way to go as four of the last five meetings have been won by the visiting team, including Valencia’s previous two trips to El Sadar.
Valencia boss Ruben Baraja has seen his side win three of their last six on the road and will fancy his chances against an Osasuna outfit who have won just six of 15 home games in La Liga this term.
Don’t expect it to be a free-flowing encounter, though. Valencia (33) are the lowest-scoring side in the top half of the Spanish top flight with Osasuna (36) faring only marginally better in front of goal.
Valencia’s last four games have all failed to produce more than one goal, so it should be tight, and backing the game to be level at half-time before the Bats eke out victory after the break could be an intriguing proposition at 13/2.
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