Saturday's La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 predictions and free football tips

Best bets and predictions for Saturday's matches in La Liga, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1.

Best bets

Under 3.5 goals in Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano
Premier Sports 1, 8pm
1pt 4-6 bet365, BoyleSports

Borussia Monchengladbach to beat Schalke
Sky Sports Football, 5.30pm
1pt 6-5 general

Monaco to beat Rennes 4pm
1pt 6-5 Hills

Saturday's European preview

For fans of Barcelona, it has been a seriously tumultuous summer.

Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde among others have arrived at the Camp Nou but, while their scattergun spending may suggest otherwise, the club remain in the midst of a financial crisis.

Players who have not been paid by the club and are refusing to leave are being booed and heckled by parts of the fanbase and the Catalan giants have been in a race against the clock to register their new additions in time for the start of the season.

So it seems unlikely that everything will simply click on the pitch in Barca's opener with Rayo Vallecano, who beat Xavi's side home and away in La Liga last season.

Both of those wins were by 1-0 scorelines and Vallecano should again fancy their chances of frustrating Barcelona at the Camp Nou, where under 3.5 goals looks a good bet given the away side's league fixtures averaged only 2.34 goals per game last term.

Schalke's fans could also be in for a long season after the Royal Blues made a losing return to the Bundesliga on Sunday, going down 3-1 at Cologne.

Schalke were not helped by the sending-off of influential midfielder Dominick Drexler in the first half and his absence could also hinder them when they host Borussia Monchengladbach.

Gladbach were the beneficiaries of a sending-off in their league opener last Saturday, sinking Hoffenheim 3-1 after Stefan Posch was shown red in the 19th minute.

But you get the sense they would have won the game anyway and midfielder Jonas Hofmann claimed this week that there is a good feel around the club with Daniel Farke reinstating a possession-based focus which has served the club well in the past.

They look a solid odds-against selection at the Veltins-Arena.

In France, meanwhile, Monaco will be licking their wounds after PSV dumped them out of Champions League but Philippe Clement's side were arguably the better team in the second leg of their tie against the Eredivisie side.

They managed 30 shots in Eindhoven and were minutes away from progressing before Erick Gutierrez's 89th-minute equaliser.

And the principality club can return to winning ways against Rennes, who looked toothless in a 1-0 defeat to Lorient on Sunday and could take time to settle at the back with summer signings Arthur Theate and Joe Rodon making up a new central defensive partnership.

Both teams to score treble

Games at Hertha Berlin 6-10, Sampdoria 4-6, Monza 17-20. £1 treble returns £4.94 with Hills.

Goalscorer bet

Marvin Ducksch to score in Werder Bremen v Stuttgart
2.30pm Saturday
6-4 Betfair, Paddy Power

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