Weekend preview: Carrick's United go to Leeds as Demichelis returns to Bayern

The big games

Leeds v Man United: Carrick goes to Elland Road with no win in five

Michael Carrick's United have gone five games without a win in all competitions, and they arrive at Elland Road 13th with six points from six matches, three behind Leeds. The week has not helped. United lost 2-0 in Madrid on Tuesday, and on Thursday Lisandro Martínez apologised for criticising the club's signings, after talks with Carrick and the technical director Jason Wilcox.

Leny Yoro, sent off against Atlético, is available: his ban applies only in Europe, so he misses Wednesday's trip to Como instead. Benjamin Šeško is still out. Leeds are without Joe Rodon, who has a hamstring injury.

Leeds lost for the first time this season at Arsenal last weekend, beaten 2-1 after taking the lead. They have the recent history on their side, though: they won 2-1 at Old Trafford in April, Noah Okafor scoring twice. This is the middle game of three away from home for United, and a defeat would bring back every question Carrick has spent the week answering. The AI goes 2-1 to Leeds.

Bayern v Leipzig: Demichelis comes home

Martín Demichelis played 259 competitive games for Bayern between 2003 and 2010, and he was Vincent Kompany's teammate at Man City. His Leipzig side are two different teams. All nine of their league points have come at home, where they have scored 14 goals, six of them against Frankfurt last weekend, when Christopher Nkunku got a hat-trick. On the road they lost 3-1 at Werder Bremen and 2-0 at Leverkusen.

"We are not going to Munich to lose," Demichelis said this week. Leipzig are without Assan Ouedraogo and Marc Guiu, and Christoph Baumgartner is a doubt with a hamstring problem.

Bayern are third, two points behind Freiburg and Dortmund, and have drawn both games since the international break, 2-2 at Augsburg and 3-3 at Viking. Jamal Musiala is still out and Manuel Neuer is a doubt with a foot problem. "Manu didn't train yesterday," Kompany said on Friday, so Jonas Urbig, who played in Norway, may keep his place. Michael Olise's red card in Stavanger rules him out of Wednesday's game against Arsenal, and he is free to play here. Bayern are unbeaten in 14 home games. The AI goes 3-2 to Bayern.

Betis v Barcelona: perfect Barça meet Pellegrini's flyers

Barcelona have won all ten of their games this season, eight of them in LaLiga, and lead by five points. Betis are third on 19 after what Barcelona's own website calls the best start in their history, and they beat Porto 3-2 on Wednesday, coming from behind before Isco won it with an 84th-minute penalty.

Raphinha, out since a thigh injury on Brazil duty, and Frenkie de Jong are both back in full training. Reports suggest Hansi Flick will be careful with them, with PSG on Tuesday and the Clásico next Sunday. Betis are without Junior Firpo, who has an adductor injury.

Manuel Pellegrini said before the Porto game that his side have "the personality to go out and win against any opponent". Flick's message after the 4-1 win in Istanbul was a warning: "Football can change very fast." Lamine Yamal set up two goals that night and is the man Betis must stop. Barcelona won 3-1 when the sides last met, in May, with Raphinha scoring twice. The AI goes 2-1 to Barcelona.

Forest v Arsenal: Arteta's injuries and a ground where Arsenal stall

Arsenal are second, three points behind Man City, who play Ipswich on Saturday, so Mikel Arteta's side could kick off on Sunday six points adrift. Arteta called the trip "a beautiful challenge". He will be without Piero Hincapié, out for "a matter of weeks" with an ankle injury, and William Saliba, who is back in individual training but not close to a return.

Martín Zubimendi, who also hurt an ankle last week, is nearer. "Zubi is much, much better," Arteta said, though it will depend on how he handles the pain once he is back on the pitch. Bukayo Saka, who had been ill, scored off the bench against Lille on Tuesday and is pushing to start.

Oliver Glasner's Forest are 15th with five points and have not scored in any of their three home league games this season. The City Ground has still been hard work for Arsenal: their last two Premier League visits both ended 0-0, in February 2025 and January 2026. The AI goes 2-0 to Arsenal.

Juventus v Lazio: Spalletti watches from the stands

Lazio go to Turin joint top with Inter and unbeaten, with five wins and a draw from six games. Gennaro Gattuso will be without Gudmundsson, who has a shoulder injury and is aiming for mid-November, and ANSA expects Rovella and Marusic to miss out too, although both are improving.

Juventus have their own problems. Luciano Spalletti is serving a one-match ban for his behaviour towards Cagliari's coach Fabio Pisacane after last weekend's 1-1, so his assistant Marco Domenichini takes the bench. "I accept the ban," Spalletti said, while insisting he had done nothing. Yildiz, Khephren Thuram and Locatelli are all injured.

Juve are sixth, five points behind Lazio, and come into it off a Thursday night in Vigo, where Kolo Muani's stoppage-time goal won it 2-1. Gattuso speaks to the press on Saturday. The last meeting in Turin, in February, finished 2-2. The AI goes 2-1 to Lazio.

Bologna v Inter: Chivu without Lautaro

Inter are top of Serie A, level with Lazio on 16 points, but they go to Bologna after conceding four at home to Club Brugge on Tuesday, and without Lautaro Martínez. He has a muscle injury and, according to ANSA, will be out until the November international break, a run of seven games. Ange-Yoan Bonny is favourite to partner Thuram, with Pio Esposito the alternative.

Cristian Chivu said the Brugge defeat was "not a performance from an ambitious team", and he has warned about a run of nine games in 29 days. Bologna, 14th with five points, changed coach in September, when Vincenzo Palladino replaced Domenico Tedesco. They are without Orsolini, who has a hamstring tear, and Holm, who has had surgery.

This has been an even fixture lately. The last meeting at the Dall'Ara, in May, ended 3-3, and each side has won three of the last nine league meetings. The AI goes 2-1 to Inter.

Elsewhere

• Man City host Ipswich three days after losing 4-2 to PSG. Phil Foden is back from a domestic ban, and Enzo Maresca called the game "a chance for us" to bounce back. Gary O'Neil's Ipswich, tenth, have Abdul Fatawu back from suspension.
• Brentford, fourth and unbeaten, host Liverpool, ninth and a point behind them. Ryan Gravenberch serves a one-match ban, and Andoni Iraola said Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai would be assessed before the game. Bradley Barcola arrives off a hat-trick at LASK.
• Real Madrid play Sevilla without Vinícius Júnior, who has been given a four-match domestic ban that also rules him out of the Clásico. Sevilla are missing Isaac Romero, who is suspended, and the injured Jon Guridi.
• Milan, unbeaten in six league games, play Atalanta, who won 3-2 at San Siro in May. Alphadjo Cisse scored a hat-trick in Milan's 4-0 win in Salzburg on Thursday, and Maurizio Sarri said Scalvini will probably miss the game.
• Everton, unbeaten and level on ten points with Chelsea, host Xabi Alonso's side, who are without Jamie Gittens for "a few weeks". Everton won this fixture 3-0 in March.
• Newcastle's Matthias Jaissle apologised to the fans after a second straight 4-1 defeat away from home, at Coventry. Anthony Elanga, Tino Livramento and Jacob Ramsey miss the visit of Aston Villa, who are 16th in the league despite beating Fenerbahçe 6-0.
• Dortmund, second, go to Union Berlin after losing at Bodø/Glimt, where Niko Kovač admitted he got his team selection wrong. Union's coach Mauro Lustrinelli said his side "have the chance to win the game".
• Massimiliano Allegri warned that Napoli, beaten 3-1 in Villarreal, could leave Venice "with broken bones" if they lack humility.
• Freiburg, top of the Bundesliga on goal difference, go to fourth-placed Leverkusen. In Ligue 1, leaders Monaco travel to Lorient, a point ahead of Lille and Rennes.
• Spurs, 19th and still without a league win, host Coventry on Monday night.

The fixtures

All times UK.

Friday 16 October

• Eintracht Frankfurt v Köln, 7:30pm
• Frosinone v Sassuolo, 7:45pm
• Le Mans v Toulouse, 7:45pm
• Deportivo La Coruña v Levante, 8pm

Saturday 17 October

• Everton v Chelsea, 12:30pm
• Espanyol v Atlético Madrid, 1pm
• Venezia v Napoli, 2pm
• Elversberg v Augsburg, 2:30pm
• Werder Bremen v Paderborn, 2:30pm
• Hamburg v Stuttgart, 2:30pm
• Union Berlin v Dortmund, 2:30pm
• Schalke v Mainz, 2:30pm
• Brentford v Liverpool, 3pm
• Fulham v Hull, 3pm
• Man City v Ipswich, 3pm
• Villarreal v Elche, 3:15pm
• Strasbourg v PSG, 4:15pm
• Bologna v Inter, 5pm
• Real Betis v Barcelona, 5:30pm
• Bayern Munich v RB Leipzig, 5:30pm
• Newcastle v Aston Villa, 5:30pm
• Roma v Genoa, 7:45pm
• Lille v Brest, 7:45pm
• Troyes v Lens, 7:45pm
• Valencia v Athletic, 8pm

Sunday 18 October

• Udinese v Lecce, 11:30am
• Osasuna v Racing Santander, 1pm
• Brighton v Crystal Palace, 2pm
• Bournemouth v Sunderland, 2pm
• Leeds v Man United, 2pm
• Fiorentina v Como, 2pm
• Angers v Marseille, 2pm
• Leverkusen v Freiburg, 2:30pm
• Celta Vigo v Alavés, 3:15pm
• Lorient v Monaco, 4:15pm
• Le Havre v Auxerre, 4:15pm
• Paris FC v Rennes, 4:15pm
• Nottingham Forest v Arsenal, 4:30pm
• Borussia Mönchengladbach v Hoffenheim, 4:30pm
• Milan v Atalanta, 5pm
• Málaga v Real Sociedad, 5:30pm
• Juventus v Lazio, 7:45pm
• Lyon v Nice, 7:45pm
• Real Madrid v Sevilla, 8pm

Monday 19 October

• Monza v Cagliari, 5:30pm
• Parma v Torino, 7:45pm
• Spurs v Coventry, 8pm
• Getafe v Rayo Vallecano, 8pm

The AI's corner

The AI's boldest call is Leeds beating United 2-1, and it backs Lazio to win in Turin by the same score. It has Brentford holding Liverpool 1-1 and expects goals at the Allianz Arena, with Bayern edging Leipzig 3-2. Every pick is at predisportshq.com/predictions.