Latest news with #MatheusFranca
The Independent
04-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Saturday Acca Betting Tips: Football Predictions, Best Bets & 24/1 Accumulator
Draw & BTTS in Crystal Palace vs Brighton - 7/2 BetVictor BTTS in Ipswich vs Wolves - 5/6 Betway Over 2.5 goals in West Ham v Bournemouth - 4/5 Bet365 Sheffield United to beat Oxford - 10/11 William Hill The fourfold pays 24/1 with Bet365 After some great midweek action, the Premier League is back in its usual fixture slots over Saturday, Sunday and Monday. There are just three top-flight games kicking off at 3pm, but each game has a bearing on either the relegation scrap or race for Europe, so they should be hugely competitive. We've compiled a four-fold from those three games and include one selection from the Championship to make an acca that returns at just under 25/1 with Bet365 and comparable odds on other football betting sites. Crystal Palace vs Brighton Prediction A last-gasp goal for Palace on Wednesday saved them from a shock defeat at Southampton. After winning five games in a row in all competitions, Oliver Glasner's side trailed the Saints for 70 minutes before Matheus Franca grabbed an equaliser in added time. Brighton weren't as lucky as they were beaten 3-0 at home by Villa on Wednesday with Marcus Rachford, Marco Asensio and Donyell Malen all on target. The M23 rivals are separated by four places and seven points, and it was Palace who came out on top when the sides met at the Amex earlier in the season. Trevoh Chalobah opened the scoring before Ismaila Sarr scored twice to wrap up the victory. The visitors even scored Brighton's goal, Marc Guehi putting through his own net. Palace are looking to complete their first league double over Brighton since 1932-33, when the two sides were in the Third Division South, and for the first time ever in the top-flight. Betting apps show Palace as the favourites at 6/4, while you can get 45/23 on Brighton and 13/5 on a draw. Each of the last five league meetings between these two sides at Selhurst Park have finished 1-1 and a draw is a pretty good option. Ipswich vs Wolves Prediction A win for Wolves in this one would all-but relegate Ipswich as it would leave them 12 points adrift of Saturday's opponents with just seven games to go. Both teams go into the game on the back of vital wins in midweek, with Ipswich beating Bournemouth 2-1 and Wolves defeating West Ham thanks to Jorgen Strand Larsen's third goal in two games. With Matheus Cunha suspended the Norway striker couldn't have found form at a better time, taking his tally for the season to 10. When these two sides met earlier in the season it was the Tractor Boys who came out on top 2-1, thanks to Matt Doherty's own goal after 15 minutes and Jack Taylor's 90th added-time winner. Town have lost 10 home league matches this season, which is their most in a league season since 2010-11 in the Championship, while Wolves have won their last two away Premier League games, as many as in their previous 19 combined. West Ham vs Bournemouth Prediction After suffering a shock defeat at home to Ipswich on Wednesday, Bournemouth will be looking to bounce back when they travel to West Ham on Saturday. The Hammers are without a win in the last three matches and were beaten 1-0 at Wolves on Tuesday to leave Graham Potters' side 16th in the league table but 14 points clear of the relegation zone. They are just 10 points behind Bournemouth who sit 10th in the table following a run of four defeats and one draw from their last five. In their last four games, both teams have scored, and at least three goals have been scored. You can get 4/6 on both teams to score and 4/5 on over 2.5 goals. Saturday accumulator prediction 3: Over 2.5 goals in West Ham v Bournemouth - 4/5 Bet365 Oxford vs Sheffield United Prediction Leeds' 2-2 draw at home to Swansea last weekend means Sheffield United have sole possession of top spot in the Championship, two points clear of Daniel Farke's side. There has been little to separate them and Leeds all season and now Burnley are level on points with Leeds as the trio battle it out for those two automatic promotion places. Burnley and Leeds are both in action at 12:30 away at Coventry and Luton respectively, so depending on what happens, the Blades could be in a position to open up a sizeable lead with just six games to play. In Oxford, they face a side hovering just above the bottom three, with just one win from their last 11 matches. That win came against Watford in their last home match but they have lost six during that run, including against Burnley, West Brom and Coventry. In contrast, Chris Wilders' side have won eight of their last 10, their only defeat coming against Leeds, while they also dropped points in a 1-1 draw with Bristol City. Betting sites are offering 10/11 on an away win and the Blades should double up having seem off the U's 3-0 in the reverse fixture. Please gamble responsibly When using gambling sites, be aware that sports betting can be addictive so please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget. The same applies whether you're using new betting sites, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium. Bettors should always follow responsible gambling practices. Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses. It's particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution. You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs. You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:
New York Times
03-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Matheus Franca's Crystal Palace career finally has lift-off – so what comes next?
Matheus Franca has had plenty of cause for celebration of late. First, he scored in a friendly against Norwegian side Hamarkameratene during Crystal Palace's mid-season training camp in Marbella. Last week, he became a father for the first time. And on Wednesday, just a day after he turned 21, he scored his first competitive goal for Palace in a 1-1 draw with Southampton. Advertisement It has been a testing time for Franca since he arrived at Palace in August 2023 in a deal worth £15million from Flamengo. He suffered with a stress fracture in his back and did not make his first Palace appearance until late October last season. More recently, a variety of injuries have kept him out for around 10 months. No wonder his intervention at Southampton generated such joy, both for the player and the travelling support, who serenaded him with the song — a reworking of the pop standard 'Sway' — that has become his anthem. As the samba rhythm starts to play, Dance with me, make me sway. Matheus Franca running down the wing. Scoring goals, makes the Palace sing. Even before Franca's 75th-minute introduction on Wednesday, it could be heard from the away end and the eagerness to see him thrive is understandable. Even with the fleeting glimpses which had unsurprisingly produced little to date, the excitement is palpable when he is introduced. Franca — a young Brazilian who brings something different and plays with flair that is otherwise largely absent in this squad — remains a source of intrigue and excitement. Those fans have needed to be patient. This was Franca's first Premier League appearance of the season: he has had to prove his fitness with outings for Palace's under-21 side in February and three very brief FA Cup appearances. He was introduced at St Mary's with Palace labouring in search of an equaliser against Southampton, who were searching for the win that would ensure they did not finish the season with the lowest points tally in Premier League history. He duly delivered it in the second minute of stoppage time, in an unexpected fashion — with his head. Jefferson Lerma's cross was far from easy to turn into Aaron Ramsdale's goal, but Franca met it well, twisting his body and connecting with sufficient power to find a gap between goalkeeper and post, despite Ramsdale getting a hand to it. Franca did what Palace hoped he would — bring something different, do something unexpected — and his team-mates appreciated it. After the final whistle, Dean Henderson and Jean-Philippe Mateta pushed Franca — who had celebrated by putting the ball under his shirt in a nod to his newborn child — to the front of the stand where Palace's travelling support were massed. Again, they sang his song. He lifted his hands above his head to enjoy the affection before throwing his shirt into the crowd. Advertisement 'He had three or four setbacks, (including) a surgery, but he was always working hard,' manager Oliver Glasner said in his post-match press conference. 'There is a moment in life when you get back what you invest. In the last two weeks, he has had a lot of positive emotions for all he has invested. 'Today I wasn't pleased with his boots because he slipped three or four times before he scored the goal, so fortunately it was a header. He has skills, (especially) one vs one. We can see he scores goals. This is a feeling, sometimes you can't learn where to be in the box. It was a great header, it wasn't easy because Ramsdale was there next to the post. 'If we didn't have this belief he could help the team and score, he wouldn't get minutes, so everything he did today he showed us in training.' Eddie Nketiah told Premier League Productions after the game that Franca is 'a bubbly guy to be around' and that confidence, both in himself and from his manager, will be essential going forward. There should be caution not to expect too much. Injuries have come at unfortunate times and while Glasner says there should be no pressure after 10 months out, there will undoubtedly be some. In part, that stems from the timing of his arrival: he was effectively signed with Wilfried Zaha's departure in mind and presented as if he were a direct future replacement. It was his face on the side of the Selhurst Park fanzone and club shop. If that has not weighed on his mind, then it has been in supporters' thoughts. There have been glimpses of potential in his under-21 appearances, but there have also been disappointing performances. Inconsistency is to be expected, especially after injury and so few meaningful minutes for the first team, but the positive words are not just easy platitudes: he is genuinely considered to apply himself well in training and present himself with professionalism. Advertisement The patience that has been forced upon everyone is now required in a different way. There must be an acceptance that this process is not linear and that while there might now be excitement, it may be some time before Franca has an opportunity to establish himself in this team. Glasner referenced Ismaila Sarr taking time to bed in as a regular starter by way of comparison. The goal was an excellent moment in an otherwise unremarkable 15 minutes, but if Glasner is true to his word, then Franca can presumably expect more chances when the game situation affords it. After experiencing such a difficult start to life in England, Franca finally seems to be in a good place.
BBC News
02-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'It looked like we were mentally tired'
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, speaking to Sky Sports: "It was a very difficult game, we were not on our top level, especially with focus and mentality, it looked like we were mentally tired. But it was nothing to do with our attitude. We fought until the last second to get the equaliser,"It's important to keep going and keep believing, we kept going and even after scoring we wanted to win the game."The points is from the character of the team, we know we can play better but sometimes it's not to perform at the best level but to fight and keep going until the last minute. It's a very important point."We were missing the accuracy in the final third, the final pass or cross was sloppy."On Matheus Franca scoring his first Premier League goal: "His first goal for Palace. His first game in one and a half years, injured for 10 months, he also had his birthday this week. It was a great win for him."
BBC News
02-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Southampton 1-1 Crystal Palace: Remarkable Palace run ends
It looked as though Crystal Palace were having a rare off night until substitute Matheus Franca popped up with a header in the second minute of added time, his first goal for the club after an injury-hit 20 Glasner's side have enjoyed an impressive turnaround after failing to win any of their opening eight league have now taken 37 points from their past 21 league games, a points-per-game return of 1.76. Such a record over a 38-game season would mean them collecting 67 points, which last year would have been good enough to finish fifth and secure a place in the Europa this was the first time since 18 December that Palace had conceded away from home in any competition, a run of seven clean rescued a point at St Mary's, but with an FA Cup final coming up later this month, Glasner will not be too concerned about underwhelming report here.
The Independent
02-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Ivan Juric not throwing in the towel as relegation looms for Southampton
Southampton boss Ivan Juric vowed to keep fighting as relegation moved sharply into focus after Crystal Palace denied them only a third Premier League win of the season. Substitute Matheus Franca's stoppage-time header, to secure a 1-1 draw for the Eagles, means Saints will be down at the weekend if they lose at Tottenham and Wolves beat Ipswich. If relegation is confirmed on Sunday, Southampton will be the first team to be consigned to the drop with seven matches still to play. Even the 2007-08 Derby side, the low bar by which all poor Premier League teams are measured, had six games left, as did Huddersfield in 2019 and Sheffield United four seasons ago. Saints did at least move on to double figures for the season, but they are still one shy of Derby's record low total points tally of 11. Juric, whose side led through Paul Onuachu's 20th-minute header, said: 'I'm very proud of the way we played today and very disappointed we didn't get the win because we did almost everything good. 'I'm really sorry for the fans and the guys that they didn't win because I think they deserved it. 'It was just a moment. I kept feeling we were in control of the game, that we don't risk anything. They didn't create anything or were dangerous. 'I had a really good feeling and then they were good in the moment, they were good in the cross and other things. 'I think the players made a step forward. I had a very good feeling we could compete today. 'We gain one point, we have to prepare well the next game and if we play like this every game we will gain the points. 'We just have to find a way to perform on Sunday to make the fans happy and to try to do our best.' Palace were looking for a seventh straight away win, but boss Oliver Glasner admitted their 3-0 FA Cup quarter-final success at Fulham on Saturday had taken its toll. 'It's a very good point, especially how the game was,' he said. 'It was tough, I think everyone could see it. 'You could see we were not at our top level. I think we were mentally tired after the big win at Fulham. 'It's nothing to do with tired physically, we were fresh but we were mentally tired. 'We missed a little bit but I am really pleased with the point today and proud of the group because they felt it as well. 'A symbol of this game was a free-kick from Eberechi Eze when he kicked the ball into the stand and I think many teams wouldn't have come back but this group of players came together and pushed each other on the pitch. 'So I am really pleased about this spirit, about this togetherness. And today it was more about fighting for this point. And that's why I'm really pleased. 'We have to stay humble, we can't go everywhere and take it for granted we will get the win.'
