Welcome back to the Lewnau Sports Bureau!  Last week we witnessed stellar performances from some of Europe’s elite as Real Madrid and Juventus have almost assuredly staked their place in the Champions League Final in Cardiff, Wales, despite still having the second leg to play.  On the Europa League front, Ajax also showed its class with a rousing 4-1 defeat of Lyon.  Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford proved decisive by way of his wondrous free kick goal against Celta Vigo.  This week, the bottom of the table is just as interesting as the top, as this weekend plays provider for the penultimate matchday of the domestic season.  I’ll be focusing on two Premier League matches that are sure to play an important part in deciding who gets relegated to the Championship and who gets to stay in England’s top flight for another season.

Sunderland A.F.C. vs Swansea City A.F.C.
Stadium of Light, Sunderland, England, United Kingdom
Saturday, May 13th 2017    10:00AM EST    NBC Family of Networks

The first match coming on Saturday pits 17th placed Swansea City against 20th placed Sunderland.  Despite the Black Cats sitting last in the Premier League table and having their relegation already cemented, the club hasn’t given up on the season.  Last weekend, they went to Hull City and played spoiler in a 2-0 victory.  On matchday 37, expect Sunderland to try and do more of the same against a Swans side that sit just one point ahead of 18th place, in the final relegation spot, currently held by Hull.  While, there record doesn’t show it, Sunderland does have talent. Seasoned striker, Jermaine Defoe, has netted 15 times this campaign, ranking eighth in the league.  Meanwhile, Swansea has seen a resurgence of sorts down the stretch as the squad has taken 10 of a possible 12 points from its last three matches, which has gone a long way into staying afloat in the league.  Thus expect a full-throttle performance from Fernando Llorente andGylfi Sigurdsson as they’ll try to fire the Swans forward, leaving youngster Jordan Pickford with a lot of work to do between the posts.

LSB Prediction:  The Swans know what’s at stake and what a win will mean for the club’s future.  Therefore, despite Defoe’s determination in front of goal, the Welsh side will prevail 2-1 on a late Llorente header,0= sending the club and its away supporters into sheer euphoria as Swansea inches closer to Premier League survival! 2-1 Swansea City A.F.C.

Crystal Palace F.C. vs Hull City A.F.C.
Selhurst Park, London, England, United Kingdom
Sunday, May 14th 2017    7:00AM EST    MSNBC

The second match on the docket should be a real up and down affair, as both clubs will be seeking a result.  Crystal Palace is in pole position, as the Eagles sit four points above Hull City in 16th place.  Thus a result of any kind for -Palace, win or draw, would be enough to clinch a slot in the proverbial “safe zone”, 17th place or better, in the final standings.  Meanwhile, the Tigers will likely find themselves in “must win” mode. They will need to pick up all three points to pull within one point of Palace and Swansea City, come the final matchday of the season, assuming the Swans beat Sunderland on Saturday.  For Crystal Palace, the weight of winning will be squarely on the shoulders of former Liverpool striker, Christian Benteke, and attacking-minded midfielder Wilfried Zaha.  As for Hull, Polish international Kamil Grosicki could be an x-factor offensively.  Since signing with the Tigers from Stade Rennais during the January transfer window, Grosicki has produced 4 assists and recently picked up the PFA Fan’s Player of the Month Award for his outstanding play in April.

LSB Prediction: With both clubs needing a result, this match should pack a punch of energy, aggression, physicality, testiness, and more.  With that said, the Eagles will soar in and around Selhurst come Sunday as Benteke and Zaha will strike the score sheet, thanks to Hull City’s ocean-sized goal.  The Tiger’s are tied for last in goals allowed in the league, and that deficiency will rear its ugly head once more, ultimately striking a nail in Hull City’s Premier League coffin.  3-1 Crystal Palace F.C.