Match Week - Over Time

In Today’s CleanSheet:

• Headlines 📌

• Current Situation📈📉

• Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥- The White’s versus The Saints

• Off Island 🏝️ - Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio

• Best Bets 💰

Headlines 📌

• What To Look For in the coming weeks for the CS - Clean Sheet Schedule. 

  • Season In Review - Check it out in Next Week.

  • Off Season Schedule - CS will be 1X weekly, with occasional breaking news content during the offseason

  • Season Previews to begin in late July, daily, leading up to MW1.

  • Match Week 1.  Mark your calendars - PL Season 2024/25 kicks off August 17.

• Key Matches remaining this season, by date.

  • May 25 - FA Cup Final - Man United v City

  • May 25 - EFL Championship Play-Off Final - Leeds v Southampton

  • May 25/26 - Last match week for La Liga and Serie A.

  • May 29 - Europa Conference League Final - Olympiacos v Fiorentina

  • June 1 - Champions League Final - Dortmund v Real Madrid

  • June 12 - Euros 2024 start.

• Manchester Derby for the FA Cup Title.

  • Back to Back. This is a replay of the 2023 FA Cup, a 2-1 City win.

  • Aside from the title, Europe is on the line for 3 clubs:

    • Man United - Must win, a loss and no Europe next season.

    • Chelsea - MU loss they are in EL, MU win they are in ECL.

    • Newcastle - MU loss means in ECL, MU win and no Europe.

  • Separated by 4 miles, the size and success of both clubs brings on this heated rivalry each year.

  • Maybe you remember this Commercial - “Born Into It”.

  • With all the success lately for City, they still are behind United in the win column. In 192 matches, United has 78W 61L 53D.

  • City won both match ups this season, 3-0 at United and 3-1 at City.

Not the only BIG DERBY in a FA CUP Final “On the Island”.

- - - - - How many counties are in this country? - - - - -

CS really enjoys learning about the history of Clubs in the UK and Europe overall, so settle in a for a quick history lesson - as the OLD FIRM will be played for the 441^st time this weekend in Scotland’s version of the FA Cup.

Reminder - the United Kingdom (UK) is really 4 countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The EFL - English Football League - is the professional league in England (although there are some clubs grandfathered in like Wrexham, from Wales).

Scotland has their own league, the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) whose top league is called the Scottish Premiership.

Two clubs have dominated the SPFL - Celtic and Rangers - both from Glasglow (Southwest Scotland). Together they have won 109 Scottish League Championships (Rangers 55 & Celtic 54), and both have a solid international following. Celtic won the Premiership with 93 points, Rangers finished second with 85 this season. The teams have met 440 times - Rangers have Won 169, Celtic 168, with 103 Draws. Celtic have beaten Rangers three of four this season.

- - - - - The Old Firm - also known as the Glasgow Derby - - - - -

The term “Old Firm” name began when, during their initial match, commentators referred to the teams as “like two old, firm friends”. The name is officially trademarked.

What’s interesting is this is much more than a sporting rivalry - it has been infused with a series of complex disputes, sometimes centered on religion (Protestant and Catholic), Northern Ireland-related politics (Loyalist and Republican), national identity (British or Irish Scots), and social ideology (conservatism and socialism).

- - - - - Scottish FA Cup Final - May 25 - - - - -

• The rivalry is renewed this weekend in the Scottish FA Cup at the exact same time the English FA Cup will be played in England. Both big Derby’s.

  • SFA Cup - Old Firm (Glasgow Derby) - Hamden Park 9am cst - ESPN+

  • EFA Cup - Manchester Derby - Wembley Stadium 9am cst - ESPN+

Current Situation 📈📉

Let the off season begin…

That didn’t take long. On Tuesday, Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea parted ways and that kicked off what is expected to be a lot of movement both among managers and players this off-season.

Here’s CSs view on the off-season manager situation.

Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥

Upsets were the theme of the League 1 and League 2 playoffs.

Here is the latest summary of Promoted and Relegated teams heading into the 2024/25 season, with one more big title match to be played - for promotion into the Premier League.

Championship - Playoff Finals

Sunday May 26 Wembley Stadium - Tedd Lasso describes Wembley (YT 2min)

(3) Leeds v (4) Southampton

Both sides were relegated from the PL last season, so like Leicester City, one of these clubs will bounce back up and the other will be starting over in the brutal run that is the Championship season.

Leed’s have never been promoted via the play-offs, they are 0-3 in play-off finals, all of their promotions have been automatic. This is Southampton first ever playoff final.

Tale of the Tape.

Off Island 🏝️

Down Go Bayer Leverkusen

Was great while it lasted.

Bayer Leverkusen lost in the Europa League Final 3-0 to Atalanta. Their new uneaten record will stay at 51 matches, and this means no “treble” this year.

Italy and their top league Serie A with the first Cup won in Europe this year.

Final’s You May Want to Add to Your Schedule

Champions League

Finals - London, England - Saturday June 1, 2pm on CBS

Borussia Dortmund (Germany) +450 v Real Madrid (Spain) -180

Europa Conference League

Finals - Dublin, Ireland - Wednesday May 29, 2pm on CBS

Olympiacos (Greece) +206 v Fiorentina (Italy) +128

Best Bets 💰

Let’s look back at this recently completed betting season.

• Starting Balance: $1000

• Ending Balance: $1180

• Bets Place: ~340

• High Water Mark: $1375 - Week 27

• Low Water Mark: $569 - Week 8

• Biggest Winning Match Week:

  • MW10 - $178

  • MW16 - $158

• Biggest Losing Match Week:

  • MW8 - $160

  • MW34 - $130

• Biggest Wins:

  • MW27 $161 (Liverpool, Fulham, Spurs, Arsenal, City, Bmouth all to win +1606)

  • MW9 $102 (Liverpool, City, Newcastle, MU, Brentford, Spurs all to Win +506)

  • MW35 $100 (City to win at Forest -200)

  • MW37.2 $100 (City to win at Spurs -189)

• Biggest Losses:

  • MW18 -$95 (Villa to Win at SU -475)

  • MW7 -$93 (City to Win at Wolves -310)

  • MW33 -$90 (Arsenal to Win v Villa) this match cost Gunners the title

  • MW19 -$84 (Newcastle to Win v Forest -210)

• Biggest Wagers: City represented 5 of the 6 biggest wagers

  • MW38 - $500 (City to win v West Ham) won

  • MW33 - $315 (City to win v Luton Town) won

  • MW35 - $200 (City to win at Forest) won

  • MW10 - $200 (Villa to Win v Luton Town) won

  • MW4 - $195 (City to win v Fulham) won

  • MW37.2 - $189 (City to win at Spurs) won