STEVEOCN

Northampton look to be back to the sort of form that won them the Premiership the season before last, and I fancy they will be a tough nut to crack on the European scene once we enter the knockout stages. The Saints have reached the semi-finals and final the last two years, and I am siding with the English side making it back to back Champions Cup finals.

The Dutch forward was the joint top goalscorer at Euro 2024, and in his three seasons at Anfield, he has improved his goals tally each campaign. Ten Premier League goals last season, and I fancy Cody Gakpo will really step it up in honor of Diogo Jota to have his best season yet for The Reds. The Netherlands man can finish as one of the top four goalscorers in 2025/2026.

The Swedish striker has arrived from Sporting Lisbon and over two seasons in Portugal he netted 68 league goals. Viktor Gyokeres looks a perfect fit for The Gunners and I fancy he will link up with Rice, Odegaard, Saka and Martinelli to finish as the Top Goalscorer in his first season in England.

The Ferret won the Premier League in 2021. In the following two years he reached Finals Night, losing in the semi-finals. Jonny Clayton is the world number five, and I fancy that back in the Premier League he can finish in the top four again to reach The O2. I am siding with the Welshman to go all the way to the final.

The Nuke will have eyes on regaining the Premier League title this year. After winning it in 2024 and losing in last year's final to Luke Humphries, I fancy the world number one will once again dominate the weekly proceedings, top the table, and go on to finals night to win his second Premier League title.

Warrington beat St Helens and Leigh last season en route to the Challenge Cup final, and I fancy the Wolves can make a third straight final. They knocked out St Helens and Huddersfield in 2024 to also reach the final, and I am siding with Warrington going all the way again this year.

Wigan have won the Challenge Cup a record 21 times, and I fancy that after no silverware last season the Warriors will want to put that right this campaign. They have won this competition twice in the last four years, and I am siding with the Cherry and Whites lifting the trophy again this season.

Real Madrid have won two of the last four Champions Leagues and I fancy with Xabi Alonso now at the helm that Los Blancos can go all the way. Fifteen times European Cup winners, I am siding with Real Madrid becoming champions in Hungary by lifting the trophy at the Puskas in May.

The Argentinian striker scored nine goals last season in fourteen games in the Champions League. I fancy Inter Milan might have another good run in the competition, given their league phase draw includes Ajax, Prague, Kairat, and Union. Lautaro Martinez was fifth in the goalscoring charts last year, and I am siding with the forward reaching double figures in this European campaign.

With the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as the new Brazilian coach I fancy the Samba Boys will come good in time for this FIFA World Cup. The five times winners lifted the trophy in 1994 when it was last hosted in USA and I can see a much different Brazil under the managerial leadership of the Italian. Raphinha and Vinicius Jr can spearhead the Brazilians to World Cup glory, I am siding with a sixth World Cup for the South Americans.

Nobody has won more World Cup tournaments than Brazil, who have five. The last time the United States hosted the finals, it was the Brazilians who beat Italy in the final. Carlo Ancelotti is the coach leading the South Americans now, and with Vinicius Jr and Raphinha on the wings, I fancy Brazil will peak at this World Cup to reach an eighth final and win it for a sixth time.

The Dutch reached the World Cup Final in 2010, losing out to Spain in extra time at Soccer City in Johannesburg. They were beaten semi-finalists in the last European Championships. With such a talented squad, I fancy the Netherlands will be a stronger unit two years on, and I am siding with Holland going all the way to the final.

Leigh won the Challenge Cup in 2023 and have improved year on year in the Super League. They were 5th in 2022 and 2023, and 3rd last year. The Leythers have been beaten semi-finalists the last two seasons in the playoffs, and I fancy they are a team and a club who are very much trending in the right direction. I am siding with the Leopards improving again this season, and they can go all the way to the Grand Final.

Seven-time Super League winners Wigan won no silverware last season as they finished behind Hull KR. I fancy the Cherry and Whites will bounce back this campaign. The Warriors won the title in 2023 and 2024, and I am siding with them to bounce back this season to win the Super League for a third time in four years.

The Tigers have signed Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander, and with back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal leading the way, I fancy they will be contenders in the American League. Kevin McGonigle is a real prospect, and I am siding with Detroit as a force to be reckoned with this season.

There is a core of leaders in this Phillies squad. In September of last year they beat the Dodgers to make it back-to-back National League East titles, and I fancy they will reach the final again this season. Dombrowski’s stamp is on this Phillies team now, and I am siding with them to have a big year, matching the 2022 World Series final run.

The Philadelphia Phillies were beaten finalists in the World Series in 2022. In the last two seasons, they have reached the playoff quarterfinals and semifinals. There is a core of leaders in this Phillies squad, and in September of last year they beat the Dodgers to make it back-to-back National League East titles. I fancy the Phillies go all the way this season.

The Nuke has won the last two PDC World Championships, and he goes in search of three in a row and a historic hat trick. Littler has reached the final the last three years at the Ally Pally, and I fancy he won't be stopped from becoming a three-time, back-to-back world champion.