TOTW 33 Predictions

Starting Eleven

Our first stop this week is Germany, where we find Stuttgart away to Leverkusen. Now a brief look at the match stats shows that Leverkusen controlled the game; with 21 total shots, 7 on target, a penalty and 65% possession, you would have assumed they were at least clinical enough to score a couple. Sadly, for them, this wasn’t the case. Stuttgart however, had a single shot on goal, which they converted, but the man of the hour is without doubt Zieler, the man between the sticks. With 7 saves, including one from the spot, he single-handedly won Stuttgart the points here.

Juventus were away to Inter Milan for their weekend fixture, and with things so close towards the top of the table, a loss here could have seen them hand the title to Napoli. With just minutes remaining on the clock, and Inter winning 2-1, Juventus did what Juventus do best, and turned the game on its head. An own goal from Skriniar and a late winner from Higuain wrapped up the points, but the man of the match has to be Cuadrado. Playing out of position at full back, not only was he incredible both going forward and defensively, but he also contributed with an assist as well.

Over to America next, and a selection that may shock most. Chicago were away to Toronto for their MLS match, and in a game of four goals, neither side could quite edge out the win. Schweinsteiger however was sensational, not only was he playing as a center-back, but after missing an initial penalty, he went on to score from open play and provide the assist for their second. Could we see this man as a shock inclusion this week?

Mainz played host to Leipzig for their Bundesliga clash on Sunday, and thanks to some fantastic performances across the team, they took all the points in a 3-0 victory. Hack was incredible at the back, and while he may not have provided any goals or assists, he hardly put a foot wrong across the 90 minutes, while his goal line clearance was as valuable as a goal up the other end.

Crystal Palace have had a tough relegation battle to deal with over the past few months, however the fantastic form they have found themselves in recently, has seen them climb to the middle of the table. This form was once again present while at home to Leicester on the weekend, the 5-0 win saw goals split evenly across 5 players, but with a clean sheet and dominating game at the back on top of this, Van Aanholt is our man this week.

From a side that appears to have escaped the drop, to one that is very much still fighting for their lives now. Southampton have had a really rough ride in the Premier League this year, and while most never expected them to be in this position, with just a couple of matches left, anything could happen. This weekend they were hosts to Bournemouth, and in a narrow 2-1 victory, it was Tadic who was in fine form, scoring both the goals and helping his side edge that little bit closer to safety.

Everton were away to Huddersfield on the weekend, and while they may not have had the season many were expecting, it looks like they are slowly getting themselves back on track, while laying the foundations for next year. A 2-0 win on the road suggests progress, and while with just a single goal Gueye would usually miss out, with the sheer volume of players receiving TOTS cards over the upcoming weeks, combined with his brilliant performance here, perhaps we could see him sneak into the line-up.

Next up is a bit of a controversial pick, now this isn't because his performance wasn’t TOTW worthy or because he is undeserving, this is simply because we are expecting the Premier League TOTS to drop on Friday, and having the cards overlap makes no sense. Either way, these predictions are based off facts, and during Man City's 4-1 win away to West Ham, Sterling and his 3 assists was a testament of just how far he has come as a player this year. With this being said, I wouldn't be surprised to see a shock inclusion of somebody like Jesus for his single goal instead.

Roma have been absolutely incredible this year, and while they may not be pushing for a Serie A title, they have been solid in the league and their Champions League run has been a pleasure to watch. Dzeko has been a fundamental part of this, and during Roma's 4-1 victory over Chievo on the weekend, he showed just what he is capable of. Two goals and a man of the match performance could be enough to see this man receive yet another upgrade.

Kramaric has been incredible at point this season, and his transition from winger to striker, has been completed with near perfect results. Hoffenheim were 3-1 victors over the travelling Hannover on Friday, and while the team were solid throughout, Kramaric with three goals to his name, was the only man that was ever making his way into these predictions.

Over to Spain for our final spot in the starting eleven, and while this feels unlikely to actually happen (much like Sterling), these predictions need to be based of factual results and figures, and hence leaving Messi out was never an option. Barcelona picked up a 4-2 win on the road to Deportivo, and while Suarez provided 3 assists and Messi 3 goals, the sheer volume of special cards they have already accumulated, combined with the La Liga TOTS approaching, makes me a little weary as to whether EA will allow this to happen.

Substitutes

Our first choice for the substitues sees us heading over to the Eredivisie, where Willem II were away to PEC Zwolle. Once again, the stats suggest that the home team should have secured a comfortable win and all the points, however the sensational form of Wellenreuther was simply too much for them to handle. With 9 saves and a fantastic match from start to finish, this man has to be nailed on this week.

Over to the Championship now, where Cardiff were on the road to Hull. A fantastic performance throughout ensured that the visitors secured the points with a 2-0 win, and when we consider just how magnificent Morrison was defensively and then add the fact that he scored both the goals, we surely have to be seeing a second inform this week.

Over to Turkey now, where Fenerbahce were away to Kasimpasa for their Super Lig fixture. The visitors secured a comfortable 4-1 win, and there were plenty of possible TOTW candidates to choose from. Souza was solid in the middle with a goal to his name, Ozbayrakli was great at right-back, and also secured a goal, however our nomination goes with the left-back, Kaldrim. An assist and man of the match award may just be enough to see him secure his first special card of the campaign.

Back across to America now, where Atlanta United were hosts to Montreal for their MLS fixture. It was a comfortable win for the hosts, with the match finishing 4-1, and despite Kratz coming off the bench to score twice, our nomination simply has to go with Almiron. A near perfect match rating, a goal from open play and one from the spot, just has to be enough to see this man get upgraded.

Sporting were away to Portimonense for their Liga Nos fixture this week, and in a game that provided 3 goals, it was the visitors who managed to steal the points with a 2-1 win. Fernandes was the man of the hour, running circles around the oppositions defensive line and scoring both of the goals for Sporting.

For those of you who have previously completed the Ligue 1 SBC, you will likely still have nightmares around just how expensive Lille was to complete. Obviously as the year draws on, the costs have started to drop, but this inform a few months back would have been incredible. Pepe was in fine form during Lille's 3-1 win over Metz, scoring once, assisting another and receiving an incredible match rating too.

Spain is our next stop, and Bacca is the next prediction who is surely nailed on to receive an inform. During Villarreal's 4-1 win over Celta Vigo, Bacca scored not once, not twice, but three times to wrap up his hat-trick. This is one of those players that you can almost guarantee a spot for.

Petersen has had a fantastic season with Freiburg so far, goals have been flowing and this weekend was no exception. Freiburg edged out the points against FC Cologne in a 3-2 win, and once again Petersen was the hero on the day. Scoring twice and wrapping up the man of the match award, we could very possibly be seeing a third inform for this striker.

With Juventus trailing 2-1 to Inter with just minutes left, Napoli fans were surely considering the possibility of a Serie A title this year. However, after seeing Juventus pick up a win, it looks like spirits began to drop and during their away match to Fiorentina, they picked up a 3-0 loss and with it, lost any real chances of taking the league this season. Simeone was sensational for Fiorentina, scoring all three goals and crushing Napoli's dreams in the process.

Crotone have had a really tough season, fighting the relegation zone for the majority of it and never did they really look like they were a team who could stay up. Football however, is a magical game, and with yet another win on the weekend, survival is looking like a real possibility. Crotone were hosts to Sassuolo, and with the match ending 4-1, both Simy and Trotta picked up two goals each. If we see an inform, it could go either way, but our selection is with Trotta who played on the wing.

Back across to England now, where we take a look at League 2. Now there were 2 hat-tricks present this weekend, one from McNulty (Coventry) and another from Revell (Stevenage). The fact that McNulty already has an inform, and EA's selection process, we opted with Revell here. Stevenage beat Exeter 3-1, and with him scoring all the goals, there is a fantastic chance he makes the lineup.

Our final selection this week sees us heading across to Scotland, where we find the biggest match in Scottish football. Celtic were at home to Rangers for the Old Firm derby, and although many were hoping for a tightly fought contest, it was all one-way traffic. Celtic picked up a comfortable 5-0 win, and Edouard was the man behind 2 goals, while also providing an assist for the third.