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00:00 The match international window is just around the corner and what that means is that the
00:04 Super Eagles of Nigeria are soon to be in our faces again.
00:07 But just before then, big games are going to form the discussion of this episode.
00:11 It's the Manchester debut making a return and also a big game between Napoli and Juventus
00:17 in Serie A. My name is Armin De Chouto and this is an Up Next on Guardian TV.
00:22 As usual, as always, Organ is here to join the conversation as we preview these games
00:31 that are going into the weekend.
00:32 And by the way, let me leak that he is a Manchester United fan and I know it's not so easy discussing
00:38 Manchester United these days.
00:40 So are you two.
00:42 A certain man stands in Manchester United's way and that's Erling Haaland.
00:46 Five goals he scored in the FA Cup against Luton Town in the middle of the week.
00:51 How do you feel about that?
00:53 Every time this man sees Manchester United, he is always raring to go.
00:58 Yeah, you know, watching the match yesterday, I was like, OK, I could just imagine the back
01:06 line of Manchester United being demolished exactly the same way Luton Town.
01:14 But you know, I would say I have some much more experienced defenders to still take on
01:19 Haaland.
01:20 Experienced defenders like who?
01:22 Because we're aware that Rafa Ran and Harry Maguire could miss because they are both doubtful
01:27 due to injuries.
01:28 Yeah, I feel that that update was based on the Nottingham Forest today, but we're looking
01:36 towards Manchester City weekend.
01:37 But we still have Jonny Evans and we have Lindelof to still take their experience.
01:45 And here's me just hoping on behalf of you United fans that another player is not going
01:51 to suffer another injury because that's been the story of Manchester United this season.
01:57 And we've seen that that team, when they're complete, when every player, first team player
02:01 is available, they can go on a run at least five to seven games unbeaten.
02:07 But then some certain players like Rasmus Hoyland and who else missed the last game?
02:12 Martinez.
02:13 And then that team looks shaky and looks very poor.
02:17 But this is not really about Manchester United at all.
02:19 There's a bigger matter up at the table that's concerning Manchester City.
02:26 You look at the points difference, just two points between themselves and league leaders
02:30 Arsenal, Liverpool rather.
02:33 And now it's even more important for Manchester City arguably to win this game.
02:38 Yeah, as we all know, this is the point of the season where Manchester City begins to
02:45 win all game consistently.
02:47 But it looks like there is a different structure from Premier League fixtures this season.
02:53 Yeah, I mean, the title race is a three-horse race this time.
02:58 That's been unusual because City have dominated over the years.
03:01 You look at the quality of players they've had in the near past and also presently now.
03:08 You look at the players within the ranks and you just understand why they've been that
03:11 dominant.
03:12 And that is just a point difference between themselves and Liverpool.
03:16 By the way, Liverpool are injury ravaged at this point as well.
03:20 So City are going to be entering into this game with a lot of confidence obviously from
03:25 the FA Cup match against Luton.
03:26 But they'll be entering asking themselves, why can't we go top of the table this weekend?
03:31 Yeah, you know, definitely.
03:34 Manchester debut is always a debut, no matter what the past results must have been.
03:41 You're coming with a different mindset.
03:44 Manchester City might be coming with two mindsets.
03:46 It's a Manchester debut, we want to win.
03:48 We're at Etihad, we want to win in our home.
03:53 They only won at Old Trafford anyway this season.
03:57 Winning this match means that we go top until Liverpool play their games.
04:01 I do not feel Liverpool have a tough opponent to play this weekend.
04:09 All opponents are tough in the Premier League.
04:11 Not for us.
04:12 All opponents are tough, definitely.
04:15 But we sometimes have upper hands.
04:18 But we could say Liverpool, with the injuries they have, at least with the injury, they
04:24 still lifted the trophy.
04:26 Yeah, against the Sarting Club, Chelsea.
04:28 I know why I called them the Sarting Club.
04:31 So definitely, it's a difficult game for both teams.
04:36 One, Liverpool, with their injuries, it should have been a smooth ride for them against North
04:41 Ham Forest.
04:42 But with the injuries, they have some slight issues.
04:45 Why Manchester City, it's a debut, no matter how broken Manchester United is, a debut will
04:50 just be a debut.
04:51 Okay, I'll come to you for predictions, but let's move to Italian shores.
04:57 The title race there is looking pretty much done.
05:00 Because Inter Milan, the kind of form they are in, and then the difference between themselves
05:04 and Juventus is wide.
05:06 I mean, we're talking about nine points, with about just 12 to 13 games to go in Serie A.
05:13 And in fact, the players, the form of their players is frightening.
05:16 They're probably playing some of the best football in the world at the moment.
05:20 But it's not really about Inter this time.
05:22 It's about Juventus, who will face last season's Scudetto holders, as Napoli.
05:28 Napoli have not been particularly in good form this season.
05:32 They've experienced managerial changes already, about two of them.
05:36 And now there's a new guy there, all right?
05:40 And this is probably like his biggest game.
05:43 And you look at where Napoli are right now in the table, they are at 37 to nine points.
05:49 And before we started the show, I would say it's more realistic for Napoli to finish in
05:55 the place for Europa League or Europa Conference League action next season.
06:01 But in the context of this game now, Juventus are far behind.
06:03 They'll be looking to cut down that deficit.
06:05 How do you see this going?
06:07 Especially with Victor Ossiman also being in good form at the moment.
06:11 Yeah, definitely it's going to be a very difficult one for Juventus.
06:17 One of the reasons why Napoli had been where they are, we talked about the coaching aspect,
06:22 losing Spalletti.
06:23 But at the same time, they were sometimes in the course of the league where Ossiman
06:30 had injuries, and which is that pointsman, their finishing maker, and at the points too,
06:37 he left for Afghan.
06:38 They missed him.
06:39 But if you look at their past few games since he returned, he had played, I think, two games
06:47 or three games, and he has scored exactly the amount of goals equivalent to the amount
06:53 of matches he has played.
06:54 So this should be his fourth game or his third game, if I'm correct.
06:58 I think this will be his third game going into Napoli after the African Cup of Nations.
07:03 And in two games played so far, he's played twice, he's scored twice.
07:07 He's a player in form.
07:09 Yeah, so that momentum, bringing it into the Juve game, and do not forget Juventus is also,
07:16 has also been on their best form, consistency.
07:22 Vlavić has been giving so many goals to his team, and he scores some deadly goals from
07:32 nowhere.
07:33 You don't expect him.
07:34 It gives me an Alan vibe in the Premier League.
07:36 Yeah, but I want us to really talk about the Napoli coach now.
07:40 His name is Francesco Calzona.
07:42 He's coming, and this is his big game, the first big game for him in Serie A.
07:48 I want to make an impression.
07:49 How much of a chance do you give him ahead of that game against Juventus?
07:54 Yeah, he's coming in, and right now he does not have his own set of players.
08:01 He's coming to put his philosophy, his style of play, into the players he met in that team.
08:09 And it might not be that easy to instill a new philosophy into people as it were.
08:15 And he's facing a team that already has a structure, they've played consistently, they've tried
08:24 it.
08:25 Even though they've not been on top this season.
08:27 But they've tried it, it has worked.
08:29 But you coming in now, I just wanted to, I believe that if Napoli defeats Juventus, it's
08:37 a luck for me.
08:38 A luck game.
08:39 I see Juventus scaling.
08:40 Let me now take you back to Manchester derby.
08:41 I know you don't want to see Manchester United lose, I understand.
08:52 Yeah, definitely.
08:53 But realistic prediction?
08:55 Realistically, I say Manchester City will win the game.
09:00 So you'll be preparing for a stroll in the park for Manchester City, or probably a game
09:06 they will have to edge.
09:07 What kind of game are you picturing ahead?
09:09 Yes, it's going to be a difficult game for Manchester City, I can say that.
09:13 It's going to be a very difficult game for Manchester City because Manchester United
09:17 will not just come and just feel like, okay, you have the game, just win the game.
09:22 No.
09:23 It's going to be a difficult one.
09:25 But I see Manchester City scaling high in the game.
09:29 But this is football.
09:31 Anything happens.
09:32 It's called prediction, I know anything happens.
09:35 This is what you get for that.
09:37 I was just going to say that.
09:39 But I need a score prediction, really.
09:41 You're not going to give me any.
09:42 I'll tell them mine and I'll leave.
09:45 Probably a 2-1 or a 2-2.
09:49 I predict a walk in the park.
09:51 I think Manchester City will absolutely blitz past Man United.
09:54 I'm being a very realistic person right now saying that.
09:56 But thank you very much, Organ, as always for being here with me to do previews.
10:01 And of course, thank you very much for watching.
10:04 Now, time to let you know you can be part of our community by subscribing to our channel here
10:09 and also hitting the notification bell to always get our latest content.
10:13 My name is Amine Shotaba.
10:15 Thank you for watching.
10:16 I will see you in the next episode.
10:18 Till then, goodbye.
10:19 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:22 (audience laughing)