Five goalscorers to watch out for this weekend: Portuguese poacher set to score in Suffolk
Recommended bets
- Back Diogo Jota to score against Ipswich
- Back Sean Longstaff to score against Southampton
- Back Christian Pulisic to score against Torino
- Back Jonathan David to score against Reims
- Back Kevin De Bruyne to score against Chelsea
Last weekend brought plenty of excitement as some smaller leagues such as the Championship got underway, but now it is time for the big boys to come out and play.
La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Premier League all begin this week and there should be goals aplenty across those divisions as defences take a while to readapt to domestic football.
There are some huge games to look forward to over the weekend and we have picked out five goalscorers to consider for your betslips.
Arne Slot has some big Jurgen Klopp-shaped boots to fill at Anfield but he has already seemingly made his first bold call as Liverpool boss, preferring Diogo Jota as his striker ahead of Darwin Nunez.
The Portuguese signed off from a productive pre-season with a goal against Sevilla and could thrive as the striker in Slot’s new system.
Ipswich kept just three clean sheets in their final 11 home matches of last season suggesting that Jota, who averaged a goal every 115 minutes in the Premier League last term, could get plenty of opportunities to strike at Portman Road.
Another returning Premier League team who look set to struggle defensively on the opening weekend are Southampton, who conceded 63 goals in the Championship last term and are facing a Newcastle side who netted 23 times across their six clashes with promoted sides last season.
The Magpies can be rampant, as shown when beating Sheffield United 8-0 and 5-1 last season, and it is not just their attackers who are capable of chipping in with goals.
Sean Longstaff scored twice in a League Cup semi-final against the Saints in 2023, netted two in his final four games of last season and bagged a brace against Champions League outfit Girona in pre-season.
He is a huge price to score on Saturday but, against such a shaky defence, that outcome is not outside the realm of possibility.
AC Milan finished second in Serie A last term and will be looking to build on that this time around, with an opening clash against Torino, who they thrashed 4-1 in this exact fixture last season, likely to get them off to the perfect start.
Christian Pulisic was on the scoresheet that day and he could repeat the trick when the two face-off on Saturday evening.
The American winger netted an impressive 12 goals in his debut season with Milan and should benefit from new signing Alvaro Morata’s clever hold-up play which worked so effectively for Spain at Euro 2024.
Reims’ 47 goals conceded was the second highest of any top-half Ligue 1 side last season, and they could be punished defensively by Lille, who will be sharper than their hosts following two Champions League qualifying legs against Fenerbahce.
Jonathan David netted a 118th-minute penalty in the second of those legs and will subsequently be high on confidence ahead of his side’s first Ligue 1 game of the campaign.
The Canadian has netted four of Lille’s last eight goals against Saturday’s opponents and he could continue to be a thorn in Reims’ side this weekend.
The biggest match in Europe on Sunday is undoubtedly the clash between Chelsea and Manchester City and the headlines may be made by a familiar face coming back to haunt the hosts.
Kevin De Bruyne was on the bench for City’s Community Shield win last weekend but should start against his former employers at Stamford Bridge.
The Belgian midfielder has four goals in his last seven starts against the Blues and is a big price to help the champions get their title defence off to a winning start.
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