The standout fixture on Thursday’s list is the long-awaited rematch of a pre-Christmas classic that produced seven goals and plenty of talking points.
The final Premier League clash of the current round pits Champions League-chasing Chelsea against bitter rivals Tottenham, who started the week in 14th place and could have slipped even further by the time the action gets underway at Stamford Bridge.
Spurs fans won’t need reminding that Chelsea came back from two goals down to win 4-3 at their place, but one player who scored in that game has picked up form and could be ready to make another telling contribution.
Elsewhere, there is a cup semi-final in Portugal and a top-flight clash in Switzerland to provide further opportunities on the betting front.
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Thursday football betting tips
Bet of the day
Over 3.5 goals in Sporting Lisbon v Rio Ave @ 21/20 BOOSTED to 23/20
The first leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-final between Primeira Liga leaders Sporting Lisbon and mid-table Rio Ave takes place at Estadio Jose Alvalade on Thursday.
These two clubs have already faced off twice in the league with Sporting emerging victorious on both occasions.
The Lisbon giants won 3-1 at home in August and 3-0 at Vila do Conde in January, so they will be fairly confident of establishing a solid first-leg advantage this week.
But there is a mood of optimism at Rio Ave because they can field their strongest XI for the game, with top-scorer Clayton and Turkiye Under-21 midfielder Ege Tiknaz available again after suspensions.
Brazilian striker Clayton scored at the Alvalade earlier this season and was in great form with 14 goals in 19 games before his ban.
He looks sharp enough to get the visitors on the scoresheet in a clash that could easily feature four goals or more.
Special of the day
Son Heung-Min 1+ Assists in Tottenham v Chelsea @ 19/5
It was following a 4-1 home defeat to Chelsea in November 2023 that Ange Postecoglou first appeared to utter the phrase “it’s just who we are mate” in defence of his high-defensive line that had just been eviscerated.
The clip has been replayed many times, as have the mistakes from that match, with his Spurs team going down 2-0 and 4-3 in subsequent clashes with their bitter London rivals.
It is not only against Chelsea that Spurs have struggled, as their recent record in all London derbies has been poor, so can we expect anything different under the lights at Stamford Bridge on Thursday?
Probably not, but one Spurs player rounding into form at the moment that could make the difference is crowd favourite Son Heung-Min.
He has scored seven goals and assisted 10 more, with most of his contributions having come since that December defeat to the Blues.
Son set up a goal while on international duty last week and with four assists in his last six Premier League appearances, he could be a bright spark for Spurs.
Long shot of the day
Luzern to beat St Gallen 2-0 @ 12/1
The Swiss Super League comprises only 12 clubs, so they play each other three times before the competition splits into two, much like the Scottish Premiership.
That produces a lopsided fixture list where one team hosts another twice in a season and it is only two months since Luzern beat St Gallen 2-0 at their Swissporarena home.
A repeat of that fixture could produce the same result on Thursday because Luzern remain in much better form than the visitors.
Mario Frick’s men have won four of their last five home games while St Gallen have lost four of their last five Super League trips.
The oldest club in Switzerland, St Gallen appear to have lost the knack of putting the ball into the back of the net.
They have failed to score in four of their last five road games and could easily slip to another 2-0 defeat in this one.
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