Soccer
TAB WEEKEND SOCCER HIGHLIGHTS: 20 - 22 MARCH 2026
March 2026
CARABAO CUP FINAL TOPS A GLORIOUS WEEKEND
Football fans have a glorious weekend ahead with an abundance of big-gun action stretching from tonight until Sunday evening, when Arsenal and Manchester City square up in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. It’s even more exciting for TAB soccer customers with TAB pumping over R750,000 into selected pools through the weekend in the form of cash adds or carryovers. Plus Saturday’s Soccer 13 carries a guaranteed R17.5-million jackpot if there’s only one outright winner and Sunday’s Soccer 13 pool should total about R6.5 million as a result of a R1.4-million carryover.
ARSENAL SET TO TAKE HOME THE SPOILS IN FINAL
Arsenal remain bang on track to win four trophies this season - they have what seems an unassailable lead over Manchester City in the English Premier League (EPL) and have progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and Champions League.
And most factors point to them securing the first of those four trophies in Sunday’s final, although it’s likely to be a tight game that might need extra time and even penalties to produce a winner. That’s certainly how fixed-odds operators view it with Arsenal generally fractional favourites at 2.4-1 ahead of City (3.05) and the draw (3.2).
It’s a classic apprentice-versus-master encounter with City coached by serial trophy winner Pep Guardiola, while his former assistant Mikel Arteta is head coach at Arsenal.
The apprentice appears to hold all the aces because City go into the final on the back foot after a five-match run in which the only shining light was a FA Cup success over Newcastle. The other four games were disastrous with back-to-back defeats at the feet of injury-riddled Real Madrid putting them out of Champions League and draws against Premiership battlers Notts Forest and West Ham, which have effectively handed Arsenal the league title on a plate.
City have spent a small fortune rebuilding their side, but they are a long way from the finished product. They lack a playmaker in the Kevin de Bruyne mould and Guardiola makes change after change to his line-up as he struggles to identify his best 11 players. And to make matters worse new acquisition Marc Guehi is cup tied and cannot play.
PIRATES SEEK TO GET BACK ON TRACK AT MBOMBELA
Earlier on Sunday Orlando Pirates have an away game against TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium. It’s a match they must win after last weekend’s home draw
against Siwelele cost them two vital points and handed Sundowns the initiative in the battle for the Betway Premiership title. But Galaxy are never easy to beat and Pirates are showing signs of fatigue.
Orbit College will likely go down to Siwelele in a match that kicks off at the same time as the Galaxy-Pirates clash and later on Durban City can move into the top four by winning their derby against Richards Bay.
The other big game on Sunday, which offers cash-added Soccer 4 and 6 pools, is Spurs at home to Notts Forest in London. Spurs are in relegation peril, just one point above the drop zone, and Forest are the side one place below them. Both will be desperate for all three points.
TOUGH AWAY GAME FOR UNITED IN CASH-ADDED SOCCER 10
Tonight’s R200,000-added Soccer 10 offers prospects of a big payout and is headlined by the EPL clash between Bournemouth and Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium.
United have improved leaps and bounds under Michael Carrick, but have not beaten Bournemouth since May 2023, plus their rivals are unbeaten in their last nine matches.
A draw might be the best option in what should be a close match and you banker Napoli to win away at Cagliari in a Serie A clash.
The other appealing bet this weekend is Saturday’s second Soccer 10, which starts with R200,000 from TAB in the pot and contains three Betway Premiership clashes. Banker bets for this pool are home victories for Parma in M3 and Motherwell in M8.
Kaizer Chiefs’ win last week put them in good spirits for their trip to Durban, where they have decided to play their home game against strugglers Magesi. But this is no guaranteed three points as Magesi have strengthened their defence since veteran coach Allan Freese took over and the Polokwane-AmaZulu clash should also be closely contested. But it may pay to banker Stellenbosch for a home win over Chippa in M2 of the cash-boosted Soccer 10.
MATCH PREVIEWS FOR R200,000-ADDED SOCCER 10 POOLS
Fri 20 March – S10 V1
M1 Cagliari vs Napoli: Cracker Friday-night bet and a R200,000 bonus kick start from TAB should ensure a pool of some R2 million. Cagliari are winless in their last six Serie A games, while Napoli are seeking their fourth straight win. Napoli are currently third in Italy’s Serie A with 59 points, 29 ahead of 15th-placed Cagliari.
M2 Sturm Graz vs Red Bull Salzburg: Sturm Graz are unbeaten in their last four games, while Salzburg have lost three running. The teams drew 1-1 last November and there’s not much between them in the Austrian Bundesliga with Sturm Graz top on 38 points, one more than second-placed Salzburg.
M3 Heracles vs SBV Excelsior: Heracles are winless in their last six Eredivisie matches, while Excelsior are on a five-game losing streak. Heracles won the last meeting between them 2-1 away last November, but Excelsior are 15th on the log and eight points ahead of 18th-placed Heracles.
M4 RB Leipzig vs Hoffenheim: Leipzig have avoided defeat in seven of their last 10 Bundesliga games and Hoffenheim have won six of their last 10. Hoffenheim won the last meeting 3-1 and have a three-point lead over Leipzig in the Bundesliga table.
M5 Genoa vs Udinese: Genoa have won two in a row whereas Udinese have lost four of their last six. Genoa won the last meeting between them 2-1 away back in December, but are three points behind 11th-placed Udinese in Serie A.
M6 Lens vs Angers: Lens have won five of their last nine games and Angers have lost four of their last five. Lens won the last clash between them 2-1 away and are second in France’s Ligue 1 with 56 points, 24 ahead of 12th-placed Angers.
M7 Bournemouth vs Manchester United: United continue to thrive under Michael Carrick and have won seven of their last nine English Premier League matches, while Bournemouth are unbeaten in their last nine. United are third in the table and 13 points ahead of 10th-placed Bournemouth, but worth noting that their last clash yielded a 4-4 draw.
M8 Preston North End vs Stoke City: Preston are winless in their last seven Championship matches, while Stoke have not won in eight of their last 10 games in all competitions. The last meeting between them ended 0-0 and there’s not much between them in the league - Stoke are 13th and two points ahead of 17th-placed Preston.
M9 Villarreal vs Real Sociedad: Villarreal have won four of their last seven LaLiga games, while Sociedad have won six of their last nine in all competitions. Villarreal won the last meeting between them 3-2 away and are fourth with 55 points, 17 more than seventh-placed Sociedad.
M10 Estrela Amadora vs Casa Pia: Estrela are winless in their last five games and Casa Pia in their last three. Estrela are 13th on the Primeira Liga table with 25 points, one ahead of 15th-placed Casa Pia.
Sat 21 March – S10 V3
M1 Polokwane City vs AmaZulu: Three local games and a R200,000 cash add-in from TAB make this a must-play bet. Polokwane have been unable to win in seven of their last nine games, while AmaZulu have won five of their last 10. AmaZulu won the last meeting with Polokwane 2-1 away in a cup fixture and are fourth in the Betway Premiership table with 34 points, five ahead of their seventh-placed rivals.
M2 Stellenbosch vs Chippa United: Stellenbosch are unbeaten in their last five league games, while Chippa are winless in their last three. The teams drew 0-0 in their last clash, the seventh draw in the last 15 meetings with six wins for Stellenbosch, who are 10th on the log with 25 points, five ahead of 13th-placed Chippa.
M3 Parma vs Cremonese: Parma are winless in their last three Serie A matches and Cremonese in their last 10. The teams drew 0-0 last September in their last clash. Parma are 12th in the table with 34 points, 10 ahead of 18th-placed Cremonese.
M4 FC Koln vs Borussia M'gladbach: Koln are winless in their last six games, while Borussia have been unable to win in eight of their last 10. Borussia won the last meeting between them 3-1 last November and are 12th in Bundesliga with 28 points, three ahead of 14th-placed Koln.
M5 Wolfsburg vs Werder Bremen: Wolfsburg are winless in their last nine Bundesliga matches, while Bremen have lost six of their last nine. But Bremen won the last meeting between them 2-1 last November and are 15th on the table with 25 points, four more than 17th-placed Wolfsburg.
M6 Fulham vs Burnley: Fulham are winless in their last three games and Burnley in their last five. Fulham won the last meeting between them 3-2 away and are 11th in the EPL with 41 points, 21 more than already relegated Burnley.
M7 Espanyol vs Getafe: Espanyol are winless in their last 10 games, whereas Getafe have won four of their last six. Espanyol won the last meeting 1-0 away and are eighth in LaLiga on 37 points, two ahead of ninth-placed Getafe.
M8 Motherwell vs Hibernian: Motherwell have won six of their last 10 games in all competitions, while Hibernian are unbeaten in their last four Scottish Premiership matches. The last meeting between them ended 1-1. Motherwell are fourth with six points more than Hibernian in the table.
M9 Moreirense vs Arouca: Moreirense are winless in their last four games, while Arouca are on a three-game losing streak. Moreirense won the last meeting between them 2-0 away last November and are eighth in Portugal’s top league with 35 points, nine ahead of 12th-placed Arouca.
M10 Kaizer Chiefs vs Magesi: Chiefs have lost five of their last seven games but got back on the winning path last time, while Magesi are winless in their last 10. Chiefs are fifth in the PSL with 33 points, 19 ahead of last-placed Magesi.
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