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Games with favourites and traps in Germany and France, Sporting are looking for an opponent
A three-day schedule for all tastes, with today's games preparing the ground for the weekend. Sporting Lisbon should have an easy task, as should Monaco, big game at Leverkusen, just days before both teams are thrown into the Champions League round 4.
MONACO - ANGERS (20:00)
Monaco-Ange opens the curtain on the 10th round of the French league with the match between Monaco and Ange. After the white draw at the same venue against Lille, the hosts aim to return to success immediately, so that in the worst case they can keep their lead at -3 from Paris Saint-Germain and at the same time go to Italy with a better psychology to face Bologna in the 4th round of the Champions League.
Monaco are the heavy favourites against Angers, who are coming off their first league win, a 4-2 victory over St Etienne.
The visitors are tough and showed it in Marseille a month ago when they drew 1-1 with Marseille, but their task in the Principality is expected to be very difficult.
LEVERKUSEN-STUTTGART (21:30)
Last year's 1-2 will kick off the 9th round of the German league. Champions Leverkusen will host runners-up Stuttgart, with both teams aiming for a win.
Leverkusen are coming off an easy 3-0 cup qualification win over Eversberg in a match that served as a strong rehearsal ahead of today's match, and the huge away test that awaits the Aspirins in the Champions League against Liverpool.
However, the -5 from Bayern Munich and Leipzig does not allow Leverkusen to think about Liverpool from today, as there is a risk that the distances could increase.
As for the visiting team, which is in 8th place, the slap from Bayern Munich did them good, as they then beat Juventus away, then Holstein at home and qualified for the next round of the cup at the expense of Kaiserslautern.
The game has favourites and it's the home side, but Stuttgart have both the quality and experience to look the champions in the eye.
SPORTING - CF ESTRELA (22:15)
Possibly the biggest favorite of the weekend in the European leagues and not without reason. Sporting Lisbon will host Estrella for the 10th round of the Portuguese league and will be a mega-bomb if they go wrong.
The Lisbon Greens are at the top of the table with nine wins in as many games and are looking for the team that can rob them of the top points. So far, none seem capable of standing in their way and barring a surprise, the odds will read 10 out of 10 after tonight's game.
Estrela are at the bottom of the standings, but last weekend they managed to draw 2-2 with Guimarães. Twice they went behind twice and on as many occasions they had an answer.
Of course, it's one thing for Guimarães and another for Sporting to concede goals at a dribble and score with characteristic ease.