Kevin Hatchard's European Tips: Ten Hag KO won't produce a quick fix for Leverkusen | OneFootball

Bayer Leverkusen v Eintracht Frankfurt - False start for new boss

Friday 12 September, 19:30Live on BBC iPlayer

What a whirlwind few weeks it has been for Bayer Leverkusen. They attempted to fill a Xabi Alonso-shaped hole with Erik ten Hag, and it proved an exceptionally awkward fit. The former Manchester United boss never really saw eye-to-eye with sporting director Simon Rolfes or CEO Fernando Carro, and it appears he was less than inspiring when it came to his work on the training pitch or on the touchline.

Bayer won handsomely against lower-league opposition in the German Cup, but they lost their Bundesliga opener 2-1 at home to Hoffenheim, before one final debacle away to injury-plagued Werder Bremen. Leverkusen had a 3-1 lead and a man advantage going into the final stages of the match, and somehow contrived to draw 3-3. Bayer pulled the ripcord, severing their ties with ten Hag after just three competitive games.

Ten Hag's replacement is former Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand, who led his country to a semi-final spot at Euro 2020. He achieved that against the odds, not least because playmaker Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest in the group stage clash with Finland. Hjulmand was widely praised for his leadership and man-management.

However, Hjulmand's previous spell in German club football was something of a disappointment, as he failed to effectively follow Thomas Tuchel at Mainz. Although he has previously had success with Nordsjaelland, Hjulmand's record at club level is mixed.

He's pretty much running into a chainsaw with his first assignment, as Eintracht Frankfurt are in terrific form. Yes, the Opta stats tell us the Eagles have lost their last ten Bundesliga games at the BayArena, but this is a very different SGE team. Summer signings like Ritsu Doan and Jonathan Burkardt have strengthened the squad, and youngsters like Can Uzun and Jean-Matteo Bahoya are ready to take the next step.

Frankfurt have won all three of their competitive games this season, scoring 12 goals in the process, and I'll back them to at least avoid defeat here. We can back Eintracht +0 and +0.5 on the Asian Handicap at 1.9, which means an away win nets us a full pay-out at nearly evens, and a draw sees us secure a half-win. Frankfurt are unbeaten in their last eight Bundesliga matches.

Juventus v Inter - Visitors to stumble again

Saturday 13 September, 17:00Live on TNT Sports 1

The Derby d'Italia is always a fascinating contest, a meeting of true Serie A heavyweights, but it has extra spice this time around. Juventus scraped a place in the Champions League under Igor Tudor last term, but now are looking to be part of the race for the Scudetto, and they have won their opening two games of the league season without conceding a goal.

As for Inter, they have made a mixed start under new coach Christian Chivu. The Nerazzurri thrashed Torino 5-0 in their opener, but then turned in a limp display as they went down 2-1 at home to Udinese. Chivu has credit in the bank as a former Inter player and youth coach, but is he experienced enough to cope with a title race?

Inter had problems against Juventus last season. They were held to a 4-4 draw at home by the Bianconeri, and later that season went down 1-0 at San Siro, which proved to be a defeat that damaged their title defence.

Juventus have been very strong at home for quite some time now, losing just once in the league in front of their home fans since the start of last season, a 4-0 reverse against Atalanta that cost Igor Tudor's predecessor Thiago Motta his job. Juve have won nine of their last ten league matches at Juventus Stadium.

I still think Inter are settling down under Chivu, and I'll back Juventus/Draw Double Chance and Inter's Marcus Thuram to have a shot on target, which pays out at 6/4 on the Sportsbook's Bet Builder. French international Thuram has played three games for club and country, and has had at least one shot on target in all of them. Indeed, he scored 18 goals in all competitions for Inter last term, and already has two in Serie A this season.

PSG v Lens - Injury-hit champions to take it slow

Sunday 14 September, 16:15Live on Ligue 1 Pass

PSG were infuriated by the recent international break, as they lost both Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue to injury while they were on duty with France. Les Bleus' boss Didier Deschamps insisted he's done nothing wrong, while PSG issued a statement accusing the French team doctors of failing to consult with PSG's own medical staff.

Both players are out of this weekend's clash with Lens, and Luis Enrique knows he has a Champions League opener against Atalanta on the horizon, so this is a tricky game for the European champions. Lens have made a decent start to life after Will Still, with replacement coach Pierre Sage taking six points from his first three games in charge.

Lens lost 1-0 to Lyon before beating Le Havre and Brest, and I think they can run PSG close here. Paris have won all three of their Ligue 1 games, but two of those victories were by a one-goal margin, and I think they'll try to manage the game carefully if they can.

Lens played PSG three times last season, and although they lost all three meetings, none of those was by a multiple-goal margin. I'll back Lens +1.5 here on the Asian Handicap at 2.05 on the Exchange.