The best sports betting site 1xBet is going to tell you about this weekend’s most interesting matches, on which you can place winningbets! But remember that even the most exciting battles shouldn’t violate the principles of responsible gambling.

Chelsea vs Liverpool, October 4

In the autumn, Chelsea became too vulnerable, which can be explained by the strain the team endured at the summer’s main club tournament. The trophy didn’t protect them from injuries, and the absence of Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill became a serious problem. As a result, the Londoners have failed to win three EPL matches in a row.

Liverpool kept snatching the necessary points in the last minutes, but even this machine’s engine doesn’t always run smoothly. The Reds lost to Crystal Palace (1-2) and then left Istanbul with no points after the Champions League match against Galatasaray (0-1). The expensive newcomers aren’t adapting as quickly as Arne Slot wanted.

Odds: W1 – 2.983, X – 3.935, W2 – 2.347

Real Madrid vs Villarreal, October 4

Real Madrid have won 8 out of 9 games this season, but what everyone is interested in isn’t the victories over underdogs, but what happened in the derby against Atlético (2-5). One failure by Xabi Alonso attracted more attention than all his victories. Can the Meringues put in a convincing performance against strong opponents, or are they just a machine for destroying those who are weaker?

Marcelino, Villarreal’s coach, has more experience than Alonso. The Yellow Submarine is capable of playing attacking football as well as relying on counterattacks. This team is definitely thinking about winning and isn’t going to Madrid like a lamb to the slaughter.

Odds: W1 – 1.507, X – 5.28, W2 – 6.15

Juventus vs Milan, October 5

Under Igor Tudor, Juventus are like a young tiger. The team is moving away from the traditional image of a pragmatic giant and living up to its name by playing youthful football, with lots of mistakes and even more desire to act spectacularly. As a result, Juve are more and more often ending matches with scores of 4-4 or 4-3.

Milan are led by Max Allegri on the bench and Luka Modrić on the pitch – two lions who still have a huge desire to win. This great duo may make mistakes, but 12 points in 5 games prove that they want to become champions once again.

Odds: W1 – 2.741, X – 3.315, W2 – 2.865

Lille vs Paris Saint-Germain, October 5

During the off-season, Lille sold many of their leaders, but this club is accustomed to finding replacements and developing players. Their last two Ligue 1 matches brought the Mastiffs two defeats with an aggregate score of 0-4, but they are ready to lick their wounds and play with dignity against the champions.

Paris Saint-Germain, an official partner of 1xBet, are demonstrating remarkable resilience. A large number of injuries led to defeat against Marseille (0-1), but coach Luis Enrique adapted to the problems and found a way to beat Barcelona at Montjuïc (2-1).

Odds: W1 – 4.56, X – 4.25, W2 – 1.783

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Newly signed Inter Milan defender Manuel Akanji has opened up on the reason why he played for the national team of Switzerland ahead of the senior national team of Nigeria, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Akanji who joined the Italian giants after a highly successful three seasons stint with Manchester City has 73 caps for Switzerland at senior level, after progressing from their youth teams.

He was eligible to play for Nigeria before making his senior international bow for Switzerland in 2017. He however still carry a tattoo of the logo of the Super Eagles of Nigeria on his arm.

“This is the eagle, from the Nigerian national team, with the football under it. It’s something I carry with me,” he explained.

Akanji went forward to explain why he decided to play for Switzerland despite his proud Nigerian background and heritage.

“Obviously, I play for the Swiss national team, but I’m still really proud of being Nigerian. I could only make one decision, but they are still with me all the way. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back to Nigeria. It’s hard for me to go back because I don’t have a break in the winter, and summer is the rainy season, so you never really know what you’re going to get, but when I was young, I went there three or four times.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Czech Republic side Viktoria Plzen picked up their first win in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League with a 3-0 win over Swedish side Malmo, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Fresh from scoring in their opening 1-1 draw against Hungarian side Ferencvaros, Nigerian forward Rafiu Durosinmi was once again on the score sheet in yesterday’s win.

He was the fastest to react to a loose ball in the box to tap home the second goal for his side with a minute left before the half time break. It was his 8th goal of the season.

22 year old Durosinmi who saw a huge career move to German side Eintracht Frankfurt crashed after picking up a serious knee injury has firing on all fronts this season.

In the league he has three goals in nine games, two in four games in the Champions League Qualifiers and one in the only cup game he has played this season.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Head coach of the senior team of Nigeria Eric Chelle didn’t do justice to squad balance in his list of 23 players called up for the world cup qualifiers games against Lesotho and Benin Republic respectively, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Chelle picked three goalkeepers, seven defenders, four midfielders and nine forwards which includes five centre forwards in top striker Victor Osimhen, Cyriel Dessers, Jerome Akor, Terem Moffi and Tolu Arokodare.

All five players are primarily centre forwards meaning none can play behind the main man in Chelle’s preferred two man attack. He also surprisingly called up just four midfielders in Alhassan Yusuf, Frank Onyeka, Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi. Only Iwobi can be said to be an attacking midfielder who can create chances for the forwards.

The Malian knowning fully well that his team need to win both games to stand a chance of making it to the world cup has taken a gamble to go for goal scorers at the expense of squad balance.

His idea is to get enough goals to help the team’s goal difference which will at the end be used as a tie breaker, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that in games like this where defeat is not an option having a balance squad is a must.

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Adeleye Adebayo (Volos FC, Greece)

Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany); Benjamin Fredericks (Dender FC, Belgium)

Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey)

Forwards: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham England); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Simon Moses (Paris FC, France); Cyriel Dessers ( Panathinaikos F.C Greece.); Tolu Arokodare (Wolves England); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France); Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain); Olakunle Olusegun (Pari Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle has settled for the 23 players that will prosecute the final two games in the world cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin Republic respectively.

OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal that Chelle dropped Crystal Palace new signing Uche Chrisantus who has struggled for game time since his move to the English Premier League side.

His spot was handed to Sevilla forward Jerome Akor who scored his first goal of the season last weekend. The former Nigeria U20 forward is the only new player in the team.

Chelle also handed another chance to Russia based Olakunle Olusegun who made his debut in the friendly game against Russia.

There is also a return for centre back Semi Ajayi who is back from injury and the duo of Terem Moffi and Alhassan Yusuf who were all not in the squad for the last round of games.

Full Squad

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali, Amas Obasogie, Adebayo Adeleye.

Defenders: Felix Agu, Bruno Onyemaechi, Bright Osayi, Benjamin Fredrick, Calvin Bassey, William Ekong, Semi Ajayi.

Midfielders: Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, Alhassan Yusuf.

Forwards: Moses Simon, Ademola Lookman, Tolu Arokodare, Victor Osimhen, Terem Moffi, Cyriel Dessers, Samuel Chukwueze, Akor Adams, Olakunle Olusegun

A late penalty converted by the captain of the Nigeria U20 team Daniel Bameyi helped the team to a 3-2 win over Saudi Arabia in a five goal thriller at the ongoing U20 World Cup in Chile, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

A well weighted cross from Sani Suleiman, who was handed a start after coming on as a substitute in the first game against Norway landed beautifully for midfielder Nasiru Salihu to score Nigeria’s first goal of the tournament in the 10th minute.

The lead didn’t last for long before the Asians were back on level terms in the 21st minute through Amar Alyuhaybi. Nigeria however ended the half with a 2-1 lead when Amos Ochoche scored with the outside of his boot seven minutes before the break.

Nigeria were caught on the backfoot again six minutes into the second half, Talal Haji drew Saudi Arabia level with a header that caught the Nigerian goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt out of his line.

A handball four minutes from full time earned Nigeria a spot kick, which was converted by captain of the team Bameyi who sent the goalkeeper the wrong way for a 3-2 win for Nigeria.

They will need to avoid defeat against Colombia on Monday to be sure of a spot in the round of 16.

The secretary of Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) Mokhosi Mohapi says the late decision by world football governing body FIFA to deduct three points from South Africa hampered their chances of making it to the world cup.

South Africa fielded an ineligible player in Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho in March, when he was supposed to be suspended after picking up two bookings in previous games.

FIFA waited until last week before formally deciding to apply sanction on South Africa by handing all three points to Lesotho on a 3-0 win. Mohapi said he feels fulfilled but lamented the lateness of the decision.

He felt the sanction should have come sooner to give them a better chance of pushing for a top-two finish. “FIFA has done well to respect its own regulations. We had always maintained that our pursuit of this case had nothing to do with South Africa,” Mohapi told the Sowetan.

“Lesotho is a bona fide member of FIFA and we played the rightful role to ensure the football rules are respected. We are happy to have been vindicated.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Former South Africa football chief who is now an arbiter with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Raymond Hack says South Africa are wasting their time lodging an appeal for the three points deduction in the world cup qualifiers, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

FIFA deducted three points from their points tally in the world cup qualifiers after finding them guilty of fielding an ineligible player in Teboho Mokoena in their 2-0 win over Lesotho in March. The three points were awarded to Lesotho on a 3-0 scoreline.

South Africa were however handed an opportunity to appeal the verdict, and they confirmed in a statement that they will be taking up that route using the ten days window provided for it. Hack however termed it as a waste of time and resources.

Hack has previously served as SAFA CEO from 2006-2010 and served FIFA in various roles. Most recently, his term as chairman of the Players Status Committee ended in 2021. He was a member of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee from 2008-2016.

“I have never, ever heard of a situation where the appeal board overturned a decision of the Disciplinary [Committee) in regard to an ineligible player… It was an illegal situation. You cannot benefit. That’s the law in any situation,” Hack, currently a chair of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) Disciplinary Committee, told ESPN.

If you did something wrong, you can’t reap the benefits… It’s as simple as that – otherwise, there’s no equity in sport. [Imagine saying]: ‘I took a drug, but I wasn’t caught. Therefore, it’s ok.’ You cannot do that,” he said.

“It certainly won’t drag out. It will be quick. Personally – it’s only my opinion – I doubt it will even be heard on the basis of [the FIFA Appeal Committee deciding]: ‘We’re going to overturn it.’ You can’t overturn an illegal situation.”

He said claims by SAFA that the sanction was handed out by “a single-member panel without reasons, and without affording the Association an opportunity to present legal arguments” was without merit.

“FIFA are entitled to appoint whoever they want. They have a panel of people who sit on the disciplinary committee. The chairperson is entitled to make a judgement on his own. I’ve done that numerous times while I was on the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and it’s up to them to determine,” Hack said.

He said the statement issued by SAFA on their plans to appeal the judgement in ten days was misleading as it makes no mention of the fact that they only have three days to file their initial notice of intent to appeal – albeit with a subsequent window of a week in which to submit full written reasons for it.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

First, Victor Osimhen, and now Victor Boniface. The summer of 2025 has been an active one for Nigerian strikers. The former made his move to Galatasaray on a permanent basis just a few months ago after a goal-laden loan spell in Istanbul last season, and he did so for a Turkish record transfer fee of over €70 million. Unfortunately, the latter will no longer pen a dream move to the San Siro.

Milan Pull the Plug

AC Milan’s potential €25 million signing of the Bayer Leverkusen hitman was supposed to reignite the Rossoneri’s impotent attack. Unfortunately for both the Italian giants and Boniface himself, the move has instead sputtered out as quickly as it sparked, leaving both the Nigerian striker and fans of the Rossoneri grappling with a reality all too familiar in recent times.

There can be no denying that both current club Leverkusen and potential suitors Milan could do with a striker of Boniface’s caliber leading their line. Both sides opened their 2025/26 season with disappointing home defeats to lowly opposition. The Italians were stunned by newly promoted Cremonense, while Erik ten Hag’s Die Werkself looked void of ideas in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Hoffenheim, a team that barely avoided the Bundesliga trap door last term.

The recent developments in another of this summer’s wild transfer sagas leave all three parties – Boniface, Leverkusen, and Milan – at a crossroads. So, what happens next?

The Leverkusen Return

Boniface’s suitcase will remain in Germany. Contracted to Bayer Leverkusen through 2028, he’s been given neither a reprieve nor a restart—just another mountain to climb within the former Bundesliga champions’ already loaded attacking stable.

Two seasons ago, the Nigerian striker was the star of the show for arguably the greatest team German football has ever assembled. Under Xabi Alonso, Die Werkself claimed an invincible domestic double, something that the country’s most successful club, Bayern Munich, has never been able to achieve, despite all their silverware.

In fact, had it not been for defeat in the 2024 UEFA Europa League final to Atalanta, Leverkusen may well have been considered one of the greatest soccer teams of all time, alongside Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and Barcelona sides. Unfortunately, though, Ademola Lookman’s hat trick in Dublin put an end to the dream of the invincible treble and any whispers of being the greatest.

Now, Boniface has to rediscover the form and fitness that fired Leverkusen to both the Meisterschale and the Pokal two years ago. 2025 has not been the year that he, nor former manager Xabi Alonso, would have hoped for, and it shows. The striker started just 4 of 16 league matches throughout the second half of last season, a haunting number that ultimately saw Die Werkself surrender their Bundesliga crown back to the Bavarians. Boniface now has to prove that he can regain his best form.

What Went Wrong?

Look no further than the medical room for an explanation for Milan’s abrupt withdrawal. Boniface—two-time victim of ACL ruptures in 2019 and 2020—failed his Milan physical on account of nagging, possibly chronic, knee problems. As a result, the Italians feel that the striker’s robust style has left him a medical risk, with his most precious asset—his explosiveness—now under perpetual surveillance. Add recent muscle niggles and whispers that a personal training program may have aggravated matters, and the story gains greater complexity.

Yet this is football’s new normal. In an era when transfer fees and salary commitments run into tens of millions, medical evaluations are less formal and more gladiator’s gate—a hard threshold few clubs dare cross without watertight assurances. For a club weathered by its own transfer mishaps, Milan’s withdrawal is less heartbreak and more strategic self-preservation.

The Market Remains Intrigued

Yet football is nothing if not a paradox. Boniface’s injury record might sound a warning, but the market remains fascinated. How could it not? The Super Eagle currently scores at a rate better than one-in-two, and when he’s fit, he’s a match-winner. Electric off-the-ball movement, brute physicality, and a nose for goal—all qualities in short supply at the highest level—have Premier League clubs circling, while the riches of Saudi Arabia are also thought to be an option.

Boniface’s Mindset

Some players shrink from adversity. Boniface embraces it, if his response is any guide. He took to social media, not hiding, but confronting: “I had a knee injury twice on my right leg, and it has been there for a long time.” Brutally honest. In an arena of platitudes and veiled optimism, Boniface’s candor has won him admirers. His followers, particularly in Nigeria, have rallied behind his refusal to be defined by setbacks.

If there’s a route out of this thicket, it lies through the pitch itself. For Leverkusen, Boniface has more than a point to prove. Consistency will be his currency—turning minutes into moments, moments into matches, and matches into momentum. It’s a tall order, but football has a long memory for comebacks.

Freshly capped Nigeria international defender Felix Agu has joined the Super Eagles duo of Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Raphael Onyedika as injury doubts ahead of the world cup qualifiers games in October, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Agu who was capped by Nigeria in the Unity Cup friendly tournament after agreeing to switch from Germany didn’t play in the last round of games against Rwanda and South Africa respectively.

With Ola Aina out Injured, Agu was hoping to get his first competitive action in the October window in the games against Lesotho and Benin Republic respectively, but a report by German publication Bild says he got injured during training with Werder Bremen which means he is now in a race against time to be fit for the games.

“A short time later, Felix Agu (26) suffered an unfortunate injury to his left shin after a tackle. The Nigerian international watched the session from his golf cart”, the report says.

The length of time he is expected to be out will be made known tomorrow when his coach Horst Steffen hold his pre match conference ahead of Saturday’s game against St. Pauli.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman