TAB WEEKEND SOCCER HIGHLIGHTS: 3 - 5 APRIL 2026

EASTER WEEKEND OFFERS LIKELY R16-MILLION SOCCER 13

The last international break before the World Cup finals is over and there’s loads of good soccer this Easter weekend including FA Cup quarter-finals, Nedbank Cup semi-finals and two rounds of English Championship clashes. Even better news for TAB soccer customers is a R5.9-million carryover Soccer 13 on Saturday with a likely R16-million pool for outright winners!

4 POTENTIAL BANKERS FOR R200,000-ADDED SOCCER 10

There are several good banker options in Saturday’s mega Soccer 13, which could pay more than enough to change your life in just a few hours, but let’s start with Friday’s R200,000-added Soccer 10.

This is one of four cash-boosted pools through the weekend and it’s an appealing bet, comprising nine Championship games and a League One clash with the added cash from TAB set to produce a total pool of some R2 million.

The Championship is ferociously competitive and upsets are commonplace, but there appear to be several potential bankers, notably home victories for Birmingham, Leicester City, Norwich and Sheffield United.

Things haven’t gone anywhere near according to plan for Birmingham, Leicester and Sheffield who all had ambitions of attaining promotion to the English Premier League when the current season began. Newly-promoted Birmingham started fairly well, but find themselves in 11^th position on the log with seven games of this season remaining and the other two clubs have fared even worse.

Sheffield are 17^th and Leicester, the EPL champs just 10 years ago, are fighting to avoid relegation after getting in a financial mess in terms of the league’s sustainability rules. That’s resulted in a six-point penalty deduction which has left them third-last in the table and desperately needing three points against Preston on Saturday.

Birmingham should have too much for Blackburn, who are only four points above the drop zone, while Sheffield should find the going easier against Swansea than when losing 2-1 to Wrexham last time.

SEVERAL LIKELY BANKERS FOR CARRYOVER SOCCER 13

Three FA Cup semis headline Saturday’s menu with Manchester City at home to Liverpool in the earliest and best of them. The clash kicks off Saturday’s R200,000-added Soccer 10 but is not included in Soccer 13.

It is the third encounter between these two giants this season and City already have the advantage over Liverpool with a league double. They were 2-1 winners at Anfield in February and their last meeting at the Etihad Stadium last November resulted in a 3-0 win for City, who have won five of their last seven games at the Etihad Stadium.

Their only defeat in that sequence was against Real Madrid, where they played most of the match with 10 men following Bernardo Silva's dismissal.

City should triumph again but it promises to be a tough game between two teams for whom the FA Cup is realistically their only remaining chance of adding to their trophy cabinets this season.

The standout banker bets here are Real Sociedad to win at home against Levante and Real Madrid to register an away success against Mallorca. You can also make a banker of Durban City, who should outgun second-tier Casric Stars in the first of the Nedbank Cup semi-finals.

In the other FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, Arsenal and Chelsea will both be expected to progress when they take on lower-league opposition. Chelsea host struggling League One side Port Vale in London, while the Gunners travel to promotion-chasing Championship side Southampton.

Both Chelsea and Arsenal look banker bets to win in Saturday’s big Soccer 13, which also contains matches from six top leagues in Europe. Many of these are tricky games to call, but Real Madrid look a sound bet to win away at Mallorca in a LaLiga clash while home victories are on the cards for Strasbourg against Nice and Lazio against Parma.

GALAXY SHOULD PUT MILFORD TO THE SWORD IN CUP

On Easter Sunday, West Ham and Leeds put aside their respective battles in the EPL to avoid relegation and play the last of the quarter-final ties.

The Hammers beat EPL opposition in the last round of the cup, winning a penalty shoot-out against Brentford after the game ended 2-2. By contrast visitors Leeds have faced Championship opposition in each of their three FA Cup ties leading to this quarter-final.

Sunday also sees the second Nedbank Cup semi-final which is included in the day’s first Soccer 10 bet. As in the first semi, it’s top tier versus second tier with PSL outfit TS Galaxy pitted against Milford. Galaxy have had something of a slump in the league, but this can be blamed on their cup exertions which have included eliminating Sundowns. Expect them to be too strong for Milford.

Monday’s fare is headed by four Italian Serie A matches and a LaLiga game, plus 11 Championship clashes that you cannot make predictions for until Friday’s games are completed.

MATCH PREVIEWS OF R200,000-ADDED SOCCER 10 POOLS

Fri 3 April – S10 V3

M1 Birmingham City vs Blackburn Rovers: Birmingham have lost five of their last eight games and Blackburn have been unable to win in five of their last six league fixtures. Birmingham won the last meeting with Blackburn 2-1 away last August and are 11th with 53 points, 10 ahead of 19th-placed Blackburn.

M2 Charlton Athletic vs Bristol City: Charlton have avoided defeat in seven of their last 10 Championship games and Bristol are winless in their last six across all competitions. Bristol are 16^th in the table, three points ahead of Charlton.

M3 Huddersfield Town vs Reading: Huddersfield are winless in their last three games, while Reading have won four of their last eight. Reading are sixth on the log and four points ahead of 10th-placed Huddersfield, who have played a game less and won the last clash between them 2-0 away back in August.

M4 Leicester City vs Preston North End: Leicester are fighting to avoid relegation after a six-point penalty deduction and have been unable to win in nine of their last 10 games in all competitions. Preston have lost five of their last seven league matches but are 13th in the table, 13 points ahead of Leicester who they beat 2-1 last August.

M5 Norwich City vs Portsmouth: Norwich have won seven of their last 10 games in all competitions, while Portsmouth are winless in their last six league fixtures. Norwich won the last meeting between them 2-1 away and are 10th in the table, 14 points ahead of 21st-placed Portsmouth.

M6 Oxford United vs Hull City: Hull have lost six of their last 10 games, whereas Oxford have won three of their last five league matches. Hull won the last meeting between them 3-2 last August and are fifth on the log with 66 points, 27 ahead of 23rd-placed Oxford.

M7 Plymouth Argyle vs Bolton Wanderers: League One clash. Plymouth are unbeaten in their last five games and Bolton have avoided defeat in nine of their last 10. Bolton won the last meeting 2-0 last August and are third in the table with 66 points, seven ahead of ninth-placed Plymouth.

M8 Queens Park Rangers vs Watford: QPR have won two in a row while Watford have avoided defeat in seven of their last 10 league games. Watford won the last clash with QPR 2-1 and are ninth, three points ahead of their 12th-placed rivals.

M9 Sheffield United vs Swansea City: Sheffield are winless in their last four games and Swansea have lost two in a row. Swansea won the last meeting between them 1-0 and are 14th with 52 points, two more than 17th-placed Sheffield.

M10 West Bromwich Albion vs Wrexham: West Brom are unbeaten in four Championship matches and Wrexham have won six of their last 10 in all competitions. Wrexham are seventh in the Championship and fighting for a playoff berth, 20 points ahead of 20th-placed West Brom after 39 games.

Sat 4 April – S10 V2

M1 Manchester City vs Liverpool: Second day of the Easter weekend and remember this pool closes early at 13:45. This is a FA Cup quarter-final and both sides have won six of their last 10 games. City won the last clash with Liverpool 2-1 away and are second in the EPL, 11 points ahead of their rivals who have played a match more.

M2 Real Sociedad vs Levante: Sociedad have won six of their last 10 games and Levante are unbeaten in their last four. The teams drew 1-1 in December in their last clash with Sociedad seventh in LaLiga with 38 points, 12 more than 19th-placed Levante after 29 games.

M3 Durban City vs Casric Stars: Nedbank Cup semi-final. City have won seven of their last 10 games in all competitions and lower-tier Casric six of their last 10. Casric won the last meeting between them 1-0 in January 2025 when City were still in the second division.

M4 Sassuolo vs Cagliari: Sassuolo are winless in their last three games and Cagliari in their last seven. Sassuolo won the last meeting 2-1 away, their fifth win in the last 15 clashes of which seven were drawn. Sassuolo are 10th in Serie A with 39 points, nine ahead of 15th-placed Cagliari.

M5 Hamburger SV vs Augsburg: Hamburger have avoided defeat in seven of their last 10 Bundesliga games, while Augsburg are on a three-game losing streak. Augsburg did win the last meeting between them 1-0 in November and are 10th on the table with 31 points, one ahead of 12th-placed Hamburger after 27 games.

M6 Werder Bremen vs RB Leipzig: Bremen have lost six of their last 10 Bundesliga games and Leipzig have won three of their last four. Leipzig won the last meeting 2-0 and are fourth in the league, 22 points ahead of 14th-placed Bremen.

M7 St. Mirren vs Aberdeen: St. Mirren have lost five of their last eight Scottish Premiership games, while Aberdeen are winless in their last seven in all competitions. The teams drew 3-3 in December in their last clash. Aberdeen are ninth on the log with 30 points, three ahead of 10th-placed St. Mirren.

M8 Zulte-Waregem vs Cercle Brugge: Relegation Group clash in Belgium’s top league. Waregem have lost seven of their last nine games and Brugge four of their last eight. The teams drew 1-1 in their last clash and finished the main league season with Waregem 13th on 32 points, one more than 14th-placed Brugge.

M9 Real Mallorca vs Real Madrid: Mallorca have lost six of their last nine games, whereas Madrid are on a five-game winning streak. Madrid won the last meeting 2-1 and have won 12 of the last 15 matches between the sides. They are second in LaLiga with 69 points, 41 more than 18th-placed Mallorca.

M10 Nacional vs Estrela Amadora: Nacional are winless in their last eight Primeira Liga games and Estrela have won only two of their last 10 league fixtures. Estrela are 13th with 28 points, six ahead of 16th-placed Nacional. The sides drew 1-1 in their last clash.