NPFL: Plateau on the brink of making history

The countdown begins to the end of a memorable 2017/18 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) with the matchday 38 holding this weekend in various centres across Nigeria. The only Kwara team in the NPFL, ABS Ilorin FC are fighting for survival as they travel to Lafia to face Nasarawa United side that is being handled by Ilorin indigene Coach, Suleiman Dogo.
Persistent table-toppers, Plateau United, could sew up the title this Sunday when they play Rangers in Jos after losing 1-0 to relegation-threatened Wikki Tourists and make the last matchday inconsequential in terms of title race.
However, the Jos club have had it tough whenever they make the trip to the northeast city of Bauchi. Their last three travels there have ended in defeat. The leaders have also failed to score in four of the last five away matches.
Nasarawa vs ABS FC: ABS FC are aware that a win against Nasarawa United will only give a glimmer of hope in their fight to beat the drop.
The privately sponsored clubs are in 18th place and can only blame themselves for a disastrous run of games, which sees them nearing a return to the lower division.
Nasarawa Utd have kept a clean sheet in their last 3 home Premier League games, conceding an average of 0.33 goals in home Premier League matches.
ABS FC scored an average of 0.97 goals in their matches in Premier League.
Plateau Utd vs Rangers: League leaders, Plateau United, will stay at home to battlers Rangers international of Enugu with the Jos side eyeing maximum of three points.
Plateau United’s title prospects are in doubt despite having just a point that separated it and MFM at the top with a game remaining.
They fumbled at home last weekend, and could have an easy game against Rangers who have nothing at stake in the game.
Plateau United is on a run of 37 consecutive home undefeated matches in their domestic league
Enugu Rangers are unbeaten in all of their last 7 matches in Premier League and have managed just 2 wins in their last 23 away league games.
Enugu side have won just 1 of their last 18 away matches in Premier League while Plateau United are on a run of 16 wins in their last 18 home league games.
Remo Stars vs Sunshine Stars: Sunshine Stars vs. FC Ifeanyi Ubah, Sunshine Stars will survive its relegation worries when they visit already relegated Remo Stars on Sunday in Ijebu-Ode.
Sunshine Stars are on a run of three consecutive away defeats in their domestic league
While Remo Stars have been defeated at half time in their last 6 matches in Premier League.
The privately owned club is on a run of five consecutive HT/FT defeats in Premier League.
Sunshine Stars have won just two of their last 27 away matches in Premier League and Remo have also achieved just two wins of their last 22 Premier League games.
Akwa United vs Kano Pillars: Shooting Stars ended Akwa United’s continental hopes after losing 1-0 to the relegation threatened 3SC in Ibadan last weekend.
Their match against Kano Pillar will just be like a friendly game as both of them have nothing to play for in the week 38 encounter.
Pillars haven’t scored a goal in their last five away league games, scoring an average of 0.22 goals in away Premier League games.
Akwa United are conceding an average of 0.5 goals in their home Premier League games
El Kanemi Warriors vs MFM FC: MFM FC has a perfect opportunity to reduce the four-point lead at the top when they play host El-Kanemi Warriors in Maiduguri.
The Church-sponsored team have enjoyed a stellar season despite parading a modest team and are unbeaten on their home turf this season, winning all but two of their games at the ‘Soccer Temple’.
El Kanemi Warriors are on a run of 31 consecutive home undefeated matches in their domestic league, they are unbeaten at half time in all of their last 25 home matches in Premier League.
El Kanemi Warriors are undefeated in 34 of their last 35 home league games and are on a run of 29 wins in their last 31 home league games.
Enyimba vs Katsina United: Enyimba’s quest to maintain their status on the log continues as it battles relegation with Katsina United.
Enyimba climbs into third-place with victory against Akwa United last weekend when it played Rangers in Enugu.
Katsina have conceded 1+ goals in all of their last 14 away league matches while Enyimba have scored at least one goal in each of their last 13 home Premier League games.
Katsina United have scored at least one goal in each of their last 8 Premier League games and Enyimba have kept a clean sheet in their last 3 home Premier League games.
Katsina United have conceded an average of 1.56 goals in their away league games.
Gombe United vs Wikki Tourists: Gombe United have kept a clean sheet in their last five home matches against Wikki Tourists in Premier League and have already relegated into the lower league.
It is only Wikki that needs to win the game to avoid relegation at the end of the season.
Wikki Tourists are scoring an average of 0.95 goals in Premier League games, scoring an average of 0.28 goals in their away Premier League games.
Gombe United have conceded an average of 0.44 goals in their home league games
Ifeanyi Ubah vs Lobi Stars: Ifeanyi Ubah who has already lost continental battle to the likes of Enyimba and the rest, will play Lobi Stars of Makurdi.
However, Ifeanyi Ubah is conceding an average of 0.44 goals in their home Premier League games and Lobi is reaching an average of 0.5 goals in away Premier League games.
Ifeanyi Ubah have kept a clean sheet in 29 of their last 35 home Premier League games
Niger Tornadoes vs 3SC: Shooting Stars will visit Lokoja to play against Tornadoes of Minna in a relegation fight game.
Both teams need to win the game as three points is at stake for them to survive relegation.
Shooting Stars SC have conceded 1 or more goals in their last 12 away Premier League games in a row.
Niger Tornadoes have scored at least one goal in each of their last 9 games against Shooting Stars SC in Premier League.
The Niger side has seen over 2.5 goals in their last 4 meetings with Shooting Stars SC in Premier League.
Shooting Stars SC have conceded an average of 1.5 goals in their away league games, Tornadoes have kept a clean sheet in 8 of their last 9 home Premier League games.
Abia Warriors vs Rivers United: Abia Warriors have kept a clean sheet in all of their last five home Premier League games and must maintain that against Rivers United to avoid relegation.
This is a must win game for the Abia side who lost 2-1 to ABS in their last 37 fixtures in Ilorin.
Rivers United have been scoring an average of 0.5 goals in their away league matches, scoring an average of 0.89 goals in Premier League games.
Weekend Fixtures
NPFL
Enyimba v Katsina Utd
Ifeanyi Uba v Lobi Stars
Tornadoes v 3SC
Akwa Utd v Kano Pillars
El-Kanemi v MFM
Nasarawa Utd v ABS
Abia Warriors v Rivers Utd
Gombe Utd v Wikki
Plateau Utd v Rangers
Remo Stars v Sunshine
EPL
Man City v Liverpool
Southampton v Watford
Brighton v West Brom
Everton v Tottenham
Arsenal v Bournemouth
Leicester City v Chelsea
Stoke City v Man Utd
Burnley v Crystal Palace
Swansea City v Newcastle
West Ham v Huddersfield
LA LIGA
Leganés v Getafe
Real Madrid v Levante
Valencia v Atlético
Sevilla v Eibar
Barcelona v Espanyol
Deportivo v Sociedad
Athletic v Girona
Celta de Vigo v Deportivo
Villarreal v Real Betis
Málaga v Las Palmas
BUNDESLIGA
Hamburger v RB Leipzig
Augsburg v Cologne
Mainz 05 v Leverkusen
M’gladbach v Frankfurt
Freiburg v Dortmund
Wolfsburg v Hannover
Hoffenheim v Bayern
Hertha v Bremen
Schalke 04 v Stuttgart
SERIE A
Juventus v Chievo
Sampdoria v Roma
Inter v Giuseppe
Atalanta v Sassuolo
Cagliari v Crotone
Hellas Verona v Fiorentina
Lazio v Milan
Udinese v Genoa
Benevento v Torino
Bologna v Napoli
LIGUE 1
Lille v Bordeaux
Metz v PSG
Nice v Monaco
Caen v Dijon
Montpellier v Nantes
Troyes v Toulouse
Strasbourg v Amiens
Saint-Étienne v Angers
Lyon v Guingamp
Marseille v Rennes