Football: The Decisive Players for the Weekend’s Matches!
by Joseph King
Napoli vs AC Milan - I Partenopei try to stay in the title fight
Napoli continue their pursuit of league-leaders Inter when they host the Nerazzurri’s in-town rivals AC Milan on Sunday.
For the hosts, midfielder Scott McTominay could prove decisive. The former Manchester United man has excelled in a box-to-box role under manager Antonio Conte and has proven his final third prowess. The Scotsman has scored six Serie A goals and is averaging 3.61 touches in the opponent box per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the 96th percentile of Serie A midfielders.
McTominay has unquestionably been one of the Serie A’s best midfielders this season.
Additionally, the 28-year-old has shown himself to be one of the league’s most physically-imposing players as he leads all Serie A midfielders in duels won at 151. This is one match you won’t want to miss! Follow along with the action on our Napoli vs AC Milan Livescore!
Ajax vs PSV - top of the table clash in Amsterdam
Ajax can all but wrap up the Eredivisie title on Sunday with a win when they host rivals PSV for De Topper. Ajax come into this top of the table clash with a six-point lead over PSV with only eight matches remaining.
For PSV, a win is mandatory if they are to have any shot of overtaking their opponents in the final few matchdays.
Having his best season in an Ajax shirt, 22-year-old Kenneth Taylor has been key to de Godenzonen’s title charge. Taylor is Ajax’s leading scorer across all competitions with 14 goals (eight in Eredivisie) while also chipping in seven assists (five in Eredivisie).
The Netherlands international ranks 11th in the Dutch top flight with 13 goal contributions this season. Check out our Ajax vs PSV Livescore!
Lille vs Lens - will David shine in the Derby du Nord?
Who else but Jonathan David? Les Dogues’ striker will be the centerpiece of plenty of stories this summer when he is expected to leave Lille on a free transfer after five years with the club. London giants Arsenal and Chelsea have expressed interest in signing the 25-year-old, while Manchester United have reportedly ‘intensified’ transfer talks.
David is Lille’s second-highest scoring player of all time with 107 goals in 224 appearances.
The Canadian marksman trails record goalscorer Andre Strappe by just five goals and will be pushing hard to break that record before the end of the season. Lille are seeking their third straight Derby du Nord win while David will be looking to increase his tally of four goals in nine appearances against the Blood and Gold.
Check out David’s Ligue 1 seasonal stats below:
| Appearances | Goals | Expected goals | Dribble success | Shot coversion rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 14 | 13.92 | 53.8% | 34.15% |
Follow along with the action in this derby clash through our Lille vs Lens Livescore!
Betis vs Sevilla - Antony set to play a big role in El Derbi Sevillano
El Derbi Sevillano is set to kick off on Sunday with hosts Real Betis looking to consolidate their position in the top six.
While there are plenty of potential match-deciding players in this contest such as Isco, Dodi Lukebakio and Giovani Lo Celso, our attention turns to Brazilian winger Antony.
Antony has 0.79 goal contributions per 90 across all competitions for Real Betis.
Since his arrival from Manchester United on loan in January, the 25-year-old has hit the ground running in Betis and is working towards a captivating redemption arc. Antony has scored four goals and provided four assists across 11 appearances for Los Verdiblancos.
His 3.19 chances created per league match highlights his directness and his constant threat to the opposing defense. Check out our Real Betis vs Sevilla Livescore for the latest statistics and live commentary!
Besiktas vs Galatasaray - old Serie A foes square off in Istanbul
Two of the league’s top strikers will go head-to-head when Ciro Immobile’s Besiktas hosts Victor Osimhen’s Galatasaray in an Istanbul derby.
Immobile, who left the Serie A as the league's eighth-highest scorer all time with 201 goals, has scored 15 goals in 33 appearances for the Black Eagles. Osimhen, who netted 65 Serie A goals in his time in Italy, has been torching Turkish defenses since his arrivial to the defending Super Lig champions on loan.
He’s the leading scorer in the 2024/25 league season with 20 goals (26 across all competitions) and comes into this matchup on a red-hot run of form.
Osimhen has scored 12 goals in his last 10 outings for club and country following the international break!
The Nigerian hitman leads the Super Lig in nearly every statistical shooting category. Check out some of his top stats below:
| Appearances | Goals (rank) | Expected goals (rank) | Non-penalty xG (rank) | Shots on target per 90 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 20 (1st) | 18.15 (1st) | 13.42 (1st) | 2.2 (1st) |
Our experts are backing an away win for Cimbom! See the full breakdown in our Besiktas vs Galatasaray prediction!
FA Cup: top players to watch in the quarter-final
With four FA Cup quarter-final matches on the docket this weekend, we’ve highlighted two additional players that will be vital to their team's chances. You can check out the latest FA Cup betting odds here!
Kaoru Mitoma: Brighton will be seeking revenge following a humiliating 7-0 away loss to Nottingham Forest back in February. With Chris Wood ruled out for the quarter-final clash and home field advantage on their side, our experts are backing a Seagulls win in our Brighton vs Nottingham Forest prediction. Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma will be key to that coming to fruition. Mitoma has scored three goals in his last six Brighton appearances, including the winning goal against Chelsea in his team’s 2-1 Fourth Round win.
Justin Kluivert: Bournemouth will try to pull off an upset when they host Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday. If they are to advance to the FA Cup semi-final for the first time in club history, they’ll need Justin Kluivert to be at his absolute best. Son of the legendary Dutch striker Patrick Kluivert, Justin is having the best season of his professional career. He’s Bournemouth’s leading scorer this season with 13 goals across all competitions while adding an additional seven assists.
