Soccer Betting Podcast

Manchester United’s revival under Michael Carrick was further enhanced by last weekend’s victory over bitter rivals Liverpool, a result that guaranteed the club’s return to the Champions League next season.That 3-2 success at Old Trafford also made it three wins on the bounce for United and 10 victories in 14 since Carrick returned to the club in January, form that makes a more permanent stay for the 44-year-old seem increasingly likely.Another win on Saturday would certainly help those claims and United’s record against Sunderland is impressive, as they have won three on the bounce and five of the last six meetings between the two sides, including a 2-0 success in October’s reverse meeting at Old Trafford.

Liverpool host Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday with a two-goal deficit to recover after defeat in the French capital last week.The Anfield side have staged some outrageous European comebacks over the years but aside from that history it is hard to make any kind of case for them to fight back against PSG.Elsewhere, Real Madrid must overcome a one-goal deficit if their pursuit of a 16th Champions League title is to continue, but that appears unlikely against a Bayern Munich side that looks like one of the best sides on the continent this season.Vincent Kompany’s side beat Los Blancos 2-1 at the Bernabeu and followed that with a fifth successive victory when they visited St Pauli on Sunday, extending their unbeaten run to 15 games across all competitions.

A three-game winless run, one which began with a 1-0 defeat to rivals AC Milan, will have had Inter fans worrying their title charge was set to unravel but Cristian Chivu’s side alleviated those fears in emphatic fashion last weekend. The Nerazzurri proved why they are sitting pretty at the Serie A summit by routing Roma 5-2 and they can overcome another tricky test when making the short trip to Como on Sunday. Como themselves have enjoyed an excellent season and are firmly in the mix to finish in the top four. However, Inter have looked a cut above the other 19 Serie A teams all season and can prove their strength at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia.

Billi breaks down all of the Champions League Quarterfinals 1st Leg ties, including the renewal of the Real Madrid and Bayern Munich rivalry, and a rematch between PSG and Liverpool.Manchester City dealt Liverpool’s hopes of laying their hands on silverware a hammer blow on Saturday as the Citizens thrashed Arne Slot’s side 4-0 to dump them out of the FA Cup. PSG knocked Liverpool out of this competition last season, and they could compound the Reds’ misery at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.The Champions League holders put eight past Chelsea over the two legs of their last-16 tie in March and have since extended their winning streak to four matches in all competitions.

Bayern Munich look home and hosed in the race for the Bundesliga title, but Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart, who occupy the next two spots, should serve up a treat when they meet as the league resumes after the international break on Saturday.

Billi (@LockBettingSS) breaks down the final 4 World Cup qualifiers before closing out by looking at the friendlies between England and Japan, and USA and Portugal. The USA’s World Cup preparations took a hit last week, as they fell to a 5-2 defeat to Belgium. The 2026 co-hosts have arranged four big friendlies ahead of the tournament, and they face the second of those on Tuesday when they host Portugal. Portugal are likely to have too much for a US side who conceded 10 shots on target against Belgium. The Red Devils were good value for their victory and weren't flattered by the scoreline, which should be cause for alarm for Mauricio Pochettino’s side and any US fans who have inflated expectations for the summer.

In a game Igor Tudor described as like a "World Cup Final" for his players, Tottenham v Nottingham Forest on Sunday is the absolute epitome of a six-pointer. Despite their first-leg defeat making qualification almost impossible, Tottenham players will have drawn a lot of confidence from their 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in midweek - a victory that ended a run of eight winless games for Igor Tudor’s side - which followed on from their point against Liverpool last weekend. Tottenham come into this weekrnd just a point above both the relegation zone and Sunday’s opponents Nottingham Forest.