What a finish to 2021-22!

What a finish to 2021-22!

There’s a great weekend ahead for soccer fans with seven TAB pools boosted by carryovers totalling R1.5 million and the final battles in the 2021-22 English Premier League and the PSL barring three catch-up games for Orlando Pirates

By Mark Gleeson

As major leagues around the world head for a final showdown, there are plenty of exciting possibilities this week for TAB soccer players with a raft of intriguing games and seven pools on Saturday and Sunday with carryovers totalling R1.5 million.

The conclusion of the DStv Premiership is delayed because Orlando Pirates are in the African Confederation Cup final, but most Premier Soccer League clubs will finish their campaigns on Saturday.

The battles for second place, top-eight slots and to avoid relegation are raging on and depending on results could still be in the balance next week, when Pirates start catching up on three outstanding league fixtures.

Tomorrow sees the first of the European club competition finals with Eintracht Frankfurt favoured against Rangers of Scotland in the Europa League final. But Rangers could pull of another shock, having already eliminated two other Bundesliga clubs.

Their 19-match 2021-22 European campaign began in the Champions League third qualifying round and then into Europa League Group A, in which they finished runners-up to Lyon.

They eliminated Borussia Dortmund 6-4 on aggregate in the first knockout round and then Leipzig in the semi-final with a stirring second-leg 3-1 win at Ibrox.

Both clubs are bidding to win a second European trophy. Rangers lifted the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972, beating Dynamo Moscow 3-2 in the final in Barcelona, and Frankfurt claimed the UEFA Cup in 1980, thanks to an away-goals’ success against fellow Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Rangers then play this Saturday in the Scottish Cup final against Hearts, who they beat on Saturday in the league. That should be an easier assignment than the Frankfurt clash.

Tonight the Premier League title race continues with Manchester City still in the driving seat, even if they did drop points on Sunday at West Ham.

Liverpool can move to within a point of City if they win at Southampton tonight, but it will all come down to Sunday’s last round of matches. Both City and Liverpool are at home on the last day of the season

In the relegation battle, Burnley and Everton both lost on Sunday, but play catch-up games on Thursday that give them an opportunity to move clear of danger. Leeds United are the other relegation candidates and have only one more game at Brentford on Sunday.