Who Will Break the Drought and Who Will Stay on Top?: Accumulator Tip for August 30

With the weekend approaching, league action across Europe is set to heat up this Friday as teams battle it out for crucial points in their respective leagues. Lyon will be hoping to secure their first win of the season in Ligue 1 as they play host to Strasbourg, who have made a positive start. In Germany, Union Berlin, who avoided defeat in their league opener against Mainz, will too be hoping to register their first three points in the Bundesliga, while Atalanta, on the other hand, will be aiming for a positive result against reigning champions Inter Milan in the Serie A. 

Union Berlin avoided the relegation play-offs and possibly a trip to the second tier by the skin of their teeth in the previous 2023-24 Bundesliga campaign. Thanks to a slight goal differential, they were able to finish in 15th place while VfL Bochum took the fall. Bo Svensson wasn't able to guide his side to victory against former club Mainz, settling for a 1-1 draw at the MEWA Arena in the league opener, though it has to be said it was a positive result.

St. Pauli, on the other hand, were left regretting their missed chances in their opener against Heidenheim and were severely punished in a 2-0 home defeat. Despite aspirations to register their first victory of the season in the top flight, it seems they'll be in for another tough task against Union Berlin, a side they've failed to defeat in their past two encounters. 

Union Berlin will be licking their lips as they welcome new boys St. Pauli to the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, a side they've lost to in their last eight home matches (W7, D1). As such, there's no doubting the home side in this one, as we feel they'll have enough quality to secure maximum points comfortably. 

• Bet Type: W1

For a side that had only one win in their first 14 games in the previous 2023-24 Ligue 1 campaign and were dead last in the standings and destined for a trip to the lower division, Lyon managed to defy the laws of probability to stage a remarkable comeback, averaging 2.3 points per game in their remaining 20 games to finish sixth qualifying for the 2024-25 Europa League. However, they have not had a smooth start to the current season, suffering defeats against Rennes (3-0) and Monaco (0-2).

Liam Rosenior, who recently got sacked by Hull over the summer due to a difference of opinion and missing the play-offs, has found refuge in the Strasbourg camp. He succeeds Patrick Vieira, who left the club by mutual agreement. It's safe to say his appointment has been a revitalizing move for both him and the club, considering he has avoided defeat in his first two matches in charge (W1, D1). Over the weekend, Stade de la Meinau was in eruption as Le Racing secured a decisive 3-1 victory against Rennes.

It's true that Lyon has started the current season with worse results and is replicating their display from the previous season, especially their opening games. However, this is a side that has a solid record against Strasbourg, not to mention they signed off last season with a 2-1 victory in this fixture. As such, we expect the home side to cruise to a hard-fought victory here and extend their winning run against Strasbourg to two games.

• Bet Type: W1

The reigning champions Inter Milan finally managed to compensate for their poor start to the current 2024-25 Serie A campaign, as a goal in either half saw them beat unsuspecting Leece 2-0 at home this past weekend. This was compensation for their 2-2 away draw against Genoa. 

After defeating Leece 4-0 in the league opener to leave a statement following their UEFA Super Cup defeat to European giants Real Madrid, Atalanta were met with a shocking 2-1 defeat against Torino away from home this past weekend. This marked their second defeat in the last three competitive matches.

Atalanta faces a daunting task in their bid to return to winning ways as they step into the San Siro, a venue that has been a nightmare for them, going without a win in the last ten encounters, recording seven losses and three draws. This is a situation the defending champions, Inter Milan, will be eager to take advantage of and secure back-to-back wins in the league. Considering that Inter Milan have won 12 of their last 16 home matches against Atalanta, we anticipate a similar showing. However, we are also inclined to think that both sides will get on the scoreboard here.

• Bet Type: BTTS