European Football Best Bets - May 16 & 17

By Ben Darvill

14 May 2026

Ben Darvill 14 May 2026

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Best bets for the biggest European football matches played on May 16 & 17
Featured games include Bayern Munich vs Koln and Barcelona vs Real Betis
Preview, stats & head to head

Harry Kane of Bayern Munich (Getty Images)

Bayern Munich vs FC Koln
Barcelona vs Real Betis

Bayern Munich vs FC Koln

Bayern Munich will return to the Allianz Stadium for a trophy procession that they hope will end with a 14th win in 17 home matches this season. Having avoided defeat across their last 14 league games, Bayern have been outstanding, and it is no wonder why they sit 16 points ahead of Borussia Dortmund in second with one game to play.

Harry Kane has continued to set the level for forwards in the league, netting 33 goals for Bayern. He has been the standout performer in the Bundesliga once again, and I back him to end the domestic season by scoring the first goal against Koln.

FC Koln are fortunate that their final match of the season has little riding on it after ensuring they would stay six points clear of Wolfsburg in 16th. Koln arrive on the back of two draws and two defeats, with their last game against Heidenheim ending in a 3-1 loss.

On the road, Koln have lost seven of their 16, winning just two matches. They also arrive on the back of five consecutive defeats to Bayern, and I back another loss in their final outing of the season.

Barcelona vs Real Betis

Barcelona will not finish on 100 points this season after their 1-0 loss to Alaves in their last outing. This defeat was one that was made more possible by Barca beating Real Madrid 2-0 in their previous outing and securing the La Liga title. While there was likely some complacency in that game, I do not expect anything like that this weekend. Barcelona are a single win away from completing a perfect home season, with their 18 previous matches ending in 18 wins. With 54 goals scored and just nine conceded, I predict goals in this one.

Real Betis will finish in fifth this season after an impressive campaign in which they have been the best of the rest outside of the top four. 14 wins in 36 matches is a solid record, while their seven defeats is less than Villarreal and Atletico Madrid.

Where Betis have struggled is in their ability to win on the road. While they have only lost four of their 18 away games, they have also only won five times. Nine draws has seen Betis drop a large number of points on the road, while they are winless in their last 10 against Barca, losing eight matches. The last meeting between the sides ended in a pulsating 5-3 win for Barca, and I back goals in this one as Betis slip to a defeat.

Verdict

Barcelona v Real Betis

I am backing Harry Kane to open the scoring for Bayern Munich as Barcelona beat Betis in a match that sees over 3.5 goals scored.

Harry Kane

Bayern Munich vs FC Koln First Scorer

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Barcelona vs Real Betis Match Winner & Total Goals

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