Betting Previews
Weekend Soccer – By Chris
http://tx1.tip-ex.com/tmpl/previews/soccer010406.html
Serie A
Inter - Messina 1.33 - 12.00
Messina have made a last, desperate attempt to save their Serie A status and signed a new coach for the remaining 8 fixtures. His first game with Ventura, and apart from the suspended Coppola and the injured defender Cristante, he has a complete squad at his disposal. Di Napoli and Muslimovic up front in a 3-5-2 formation. Inter will once again be without Figo and Favalli, but maybe Recoba will be fit to play. Inter have lost ground on Milan and cannot afford any more slip ups if they still want the second place in Serie A, or maybe they have more or less given up already. If that is the case, the rest of the season could be slightly indifferent. I do not think that coach Mancini will allow this to happen. Villarreal await on Tuesday, and I have no interest in the price on the home win. (1.33)
Lecce - Milan 7.00 - 1.60
Too late, baby, it's too late! But credit to Lecce for trying, and mathematically they could still survive. Anyway, it was a strong away win for Lecce last week vs Siena. Expect a fully fit Lecce squad for this match. Milan miss the suspended Nesta and Serginho, plus the injured Cafu and Stam. They are all defenders and this could be the almighty chance for Lecce. Milan could use Costacurta, Simic and Kaladze in defence, plus the returning Maldini. It does Lecce’s chances no harm that this fixture is crammed in between the two Lyon encounters for Milan. I think that I have to make a bet on the home win, at least with the Asian handicap.
Treviso - Juventus 9.00 - 1.45
Not again! Surely there are too many poor sides in Serie A. Maybe that is why Juventus think too highly of their team, with all their comfortable Serie A wins against the many mediocre sides. Where have all the upsets gone? Juventus miss Nedved and Del Piero, while Treviso come without the suspended A Filippini. The Brazilian Pinga and the veteran keeper Sereni remain on the sidelines. What can I possibly say? A likely away win, but this 1.45 is not a betting price.
Chievo - Livorno 2.15 - 4.35
This looks like a home win. (2.15) We continue to get decent prices on Livorno’s opponents, despite the obvious fact that Livorno have lost all fragments of form. Chievo, on the other hand, impress me week in and week out. They seldom lose and goal scoring is never a problem for the Verona based club. A place in Europe is a distinct possibility. Important midfielder Semioli returns for this match and the only absentee is Sammarco. Livorno have all their players available and will probably include C Prates, De Ascentis and Balleri from the start this time. No denying by now that the Livorno players seemed to lose their motivation, when their successful coach Donadoni left the club. Home win! (2.15)
Fiorentina - Roma 2.30 - 3.40
The match of the week in Italy and I have to choose the draw as the likely result. (3.10) Fiorentina welcome back their previously suspended players for this game, (Dainelli, Di Loreto and Donadel) and they will be able to pick their best starting line up. Jimenez will be preferred to Bojinov and Pazzini alongside L Toni. De Rossi, Cufre and Chivu should be back for Roma and this is good news. New absentee is Alvarez. With Mancini and De Rossi playing from the start I would never underestimate Roma, especially with them being extremely successful away from home this season. (8-5-2) Fiorentina have won 14 of their 16 home matches and they have the leading Serie A scorer in their side. I picture a score draw here. Why not 2-2! In general I think that Roma play the most exciting football in Serie A, reminiscent of Arsenal. They change the pace of the game so quickly, but they could of course use a fit Totti to deliver the break through balls. Still I settle for the draw. (3.10)
Lazio - Empoli 1.67 - 6.50
Empoli have won 3 league games on the bounce and they should have a decent chance of staying in Serie A. Rigano is missing on Sunday with Pozzi his likely replacement up front. Not quite certain however, as also Pozzi could be out of this game. Tosto should be back. Lazio will be able to use their strongest side and with their immense self confidence at the Olympic Stadium, I guess that the home win is a very realistic alternative. Lazio are 8-6-1 at home. As Empoli are on a very good run, you could have reservations about the price. (1.67)
Palermo - Ascoli 1.75 - 6.00
Palermo are another team on a winning run (3 successive wins) and they get my vote in this encounter. (1.75) They are out of the UEFA - cup, but still involved in the Coppa Italia. Could be that Grosso, Codrea and Accardi will back in their squad for this match, but maybe only Codrea as a starter in that case. Ascoli should be able to draw from an unchanged squad, plus the returning Guana. Strong efforts lately by Ascoli, but they often have problems on away grounds. (1-6-8 this far) Home win! (1.75)
Reggina - Siena 2.65 - 4.50
Seems like this could be one of those convenient draw results, at least that is what I hear. Mesto is back for the home side, and he will replace the suspended Tedesco. Tudor returns for Siena, but both Colonnese and Portanova are suspended. Locatelli is a doubt. I have learnt through the years not to argue against these so called arranged draws. Was it last season 7 or 8 correct out of 10! Only VCbet still offer a decent price on the draw, 2.75. Down to 2.00 - 2.25 with the other bookies.
Sampdoria - Cagliari 2.18 - 4.60
Terrible times for coach Novellino and his Sampdoria team. 6 successive losses and his strikers have forgotten all about goal scoring. One of their strikers Flachi is suspended on Sunday, with Colombo possibly joining Kutuzov up front instead. However I heard that Colombo is troubled by some kind of injury and Foti could start again, together with Kutuzov. Foti did not have his best day against Lazio last week. Volpi is also suspended, with Dalla Bona his replacement. Cagliari miss Capone and Langella, so no Suazo, Esposito and Langella combination this time. Cagliari need all the points they can get hold of and Sampdoria need a lucky break, rather sooner than later. I cannot back Sampdoria at the moment.
Udinese - Parma 1.85 - 5.00
Better football from Udinese last week and I back the home win on Sunday. (1.85) First game with Galeone as boss, away to Messina, (1-1) was a step in the right direction for Udinese. They looked like a more coherent team again. Expect the same Udinese squad, but it could happen that Galeone will field his three pronged striker force this time. (Iaquinta, Di Natale and Barreto). Parma won their fourth straight game by defeating a disappointing Inter side 1-0. Parma can probably relax now, positioned as they are, in mid table after their great run. Leading striker Corradi is out of this fixture, and could be that Cigarini or Ruopolo will be their lone striker. I back the home win. (1.85)
The Premiership
Arsenal - Aston Villa 1.35 - 12.45
Six successive home wins for Arsenal against Villa and this will be their 7th. (1.35) Arsenal cannot afford to relax, 5 points behind fourth placed Tottenham. Adebayor returns for Arsenal but still no S Campbell or F Ljungberg. Villa hoped for O Mellberg to return, but unfortunately not and M Baros might not be ready in time either. No James Milner. Formidable football by the Gunners in the last few weeks and I cannot really see an upset from struggling Villa. (1.35)
Birmingham - Chelsea 10.98 - 1.40
Steve Bruce is no quitter, which is bad news for Birmingham fans. What's wrong being a quitter? With or without Bruce, this task would always be extremely tough for the home side. Chelsea only miss Gallas with Robben back from his suspension, while Birmingham continue to have all these injured or semi injured players. As I so often have pointed out, they are really struggling in their midfield. Away win! (1.40)
Bolton - Manchester Utd 4.33 - 1.95
Tempting price on the home win (4.33) considering the Bolton home strength this season. They are 9-4-1 after 14 home matches. Not that Bolton impressed last week, losing to Middlesbrough, 3-4, but that was away from their fortress, the Reebok Stadium. Plenty of options for coach Allardyce ahead of this big clash, with more or less a fit squad to choose from. United have won 7 successive league games and played some attractive football, but it is worth pointing out the fact that Bolton are better positioned in the league than any of those 7 teams that United have just defeated. Ferguson rotated his squad vs West Ham, with Pique, Evra and Fletcher playing from the start, yes, the goal scorer van Nistelrooy as well. I guess that only van Nistelrooy will keep his place for this Bolton encounter. Home win! (4.33)
Everton - Sunderland 1.37 - 10.00
Everton hope to include Arteta again, but will be without the suspended van der Meyde. Liverpool have the stronger individuals and this fact became obvious last week, when Everton went down, 1-3 against 10 man Liverpool. Sunderland have lost both J Arca and S Caldwell to injuries. Sunderland have no team and no shining individuals either and Everton must be expected to return to winning ways on Saturday. Then again 1.37 on an Everton win? Personally I would never, under no circumstances use this poor price.
Fulham - Portsmouth 2.00 - 4.33
Fulham are still waiting on W Bridge, A Niemi and Bouba Diop, but it does not look like they will be ready for this match. Captain Stefanovic is expected back for Portsmouth, and O'Brien or L Primus will be relegated to the bench. Fulham are 10-2-3 at the Craven Cottage and in their last home game they defeated Chelsea, 1-0. In other words this will be a tough task for a rejuvenated Portsmouth side. Tough but not hopeless, with Portsmouth on a high after two straight league wins, and 6 goals scored. At the end of the day I would probably choose the draw. The price is 3.50!
Newcastle - Tottenham 2.79 - 2.70
Bizarre defending killed Newcastle last week away to Charlton. Newcastle did not really deserve to lose, but new defender C Moore had a disastrous first game for his club. R Elliott should be back in the Newcastle defence on Sunday, but bad luck has struck the club again. Best midfielder S Parker is out, perhaps for the rest of the season. Tottenham were just pure lucky winning against WBA earlier this week, with the WBA keeper screwing it up very late in the game. How impressed was I by Tottenham? A Lennon was outstanding, R Keane as well, but I had expected more from Tottenham as a team. Kind of hard to compare them with Arsenal. Leaning towards the away win! (2.70)
W B A - Liverpool 6.89 - 1.62
WBA were very unlucky last Monday, it was a pretty good effort from Robson' s men. WBA need points, not kind words. Difficult again for the club with Liverpool as this weeks opponents. Zoltan Gera is back in action for WBA, but their striker Kamara has only a 50/50 chance of playing. Liverpool miss their suspended skipper S Gerrard. They did perfectly well without Gerrard last week, when they down to 10 men, defeated Everton, but it was a special affair. I am not prepared to back this low priced Liverpool win. Could well happen that Liverpool will have a bad day at the office on Sunday. Home win! (6.50)
Manchester City - Middlesbrough 2.15 - 3.80
Too many missing players for the home side and just too many football matches lately for Middlesbrough. This is my basic reasoning ahead of this game. City missed a lot players last week and it will only be marginally better on Sunday. Sibierski will be back, probably Sinclair, but no Barton or Riera, and at the same time both Distin and Sun Jihai will be suspended. Latest reports indicate that the Greek striker Samaras will make a surprise return for this game. As always Middlesbrough play twice every week and this week McClaren's side visited Basle for a UEFA - cup game in mid week. (0-2 loss) Pogatetz suffered a bad injury and will be sidelined for some time. Coach McClaren will rotate his squad again with the return leg vs Basle waiting next week. Boateng and Cattermole will play for sure, but skipper Southgate is a major doubt again. Maybe Sibierski, Samaras and Vassell are good enough to defeat Boro on Sunday. Home win! (2.15)
West Ham - Charlton 2.10 - 3.70
Good first half by West Ham against Man United in midweek, but no goal. In the second United took over and their win was in order. Anton Ferdinand made a second half come back for the Hammers and he should be in the starting line up on Sunday. Charlton have no significant problems ahead of this London derby, with both the Bents back in action. W Ham have the better potential in my opinion, but I do not think that I will bet on that in this particular game. Looks like an open affair, could go either way. No bet then.
Blackburn - Wigan 1.85 - 4.35
C Bellamy had to leave the Sunderland game last week, due to some injury, but he should be able to play on Monday. R Savage is back from his suspension and Blackburn will be at full strength. Wigan will also choose from an unchanged squad. Blackburn are 11-2-2 at home and a place in Europe is within reach. At the same time Wigan are one of the strongest away teams, with 8 away wins so far. Only Chelsea and M United have won more away games than Wigan. I am not quite comfortable with this price on the home win (1.85).
The Championship
Sheffield W - Burnley 2.20 - 3.60
Two weeks ago Sheffield W looked like relegation fodder, but two successive and impressive wins against the two top six sides Preston and Wolves have steered the club to safer ground, 5 points ahead of Millwall. Far from safe and with everything to play for on Saturday, S W should be a typical well motivated winner. I talked about the Burnley reinforcements in midweek, but reinforcements or not, Burnley have more or less refused to perform away from home this season. (3-4-13 this far) S W will be without their injured defender Gilbert but both Folly and Bischoff should be fit to play. McGovern and S Adams could come in contention. All of a sudden both the front men Tudgay and D Burton have come alive, with both on the score sheet against Wolves last week. Home win! (2.20)
Southampton - Cardiff 2.50 - 2.85
The Southampton boss Burley has stated that the club needs a point per game to survive in the Championship. I take his word and choose the draw for this fixture. (3.25) Both these sides have acute scoring problems at the moment and that makes the draw even more plausible. In their last 6 games Cardiff have mustered only 4 goals and Southampton usually produce maximum 1 goal per game. D Belmadi and M Pahars scored for the Saints reserves in mid week and maybe they will play some part on Saturday. Cardiff will be at full strength. The draw then! (3.25)
Coventry - Preston 2.40 - 3.00
It has been a good idea to back Coventry at their new stadium. This previously erratic side is 11-6-3 at home. Away from home, well that is quite another story. They have Dennis Wise back for this fixture, and that is good news. He has done extremely well for Coventry. Preston are down to the bare bones. They have almost a full team on the sidelines and their latest casualties are the two midfielders Mc Kenna and O'Neil. Defender Mawene is considered a major doubt. Preston just about defeated Crewe in mid week, 1-0. Goal scoring has become a real problem for the club. No wonder with Nugent and Dichio out of the picture. Marcus Stewart has joined the club on loan. He once was good, but it was not exactly yesterday. Home win for Coventry. (2.40)
La Liga
Real Zaragoza - Villarreal 2.20 - 4.00
I cannot imagine that Villarreal will have any energy or motivation for this league clash. Their immensely important second leg against Inter is only a few days away, and to face the hard to beat Zaragoza side at this moment? Kind of a hopeless task, in my opinion. You know, only Barcelona and Valencia have lost fewer games than Zaragoza. They have their big game, the Copa del Rey final, in 2 weeks time and will of course put all their efforts on this league game with Villarreal. Generelo will be missing for Zaragoza. I take it for granted that the Villarreal coach Pellegrini will rest some of his first choices. Home win! (2.20)
Barcelona - Real Madrid 1.96 - 4.33
Although Real were better last week I can only see the home win. (1.96) It is another case of course to be satisfied with the above price in this traditionally hot fixture, but I have no problems with it. There has been talk about Rijkaard resting some of his stars for the coming Benfica encounter, but this will not happen. This game is too important for the fans and Barca will use their strongest line up, including the returning Puyol. Motta once again in defence and Iniesta and van Bommel on the midfield together with Deco. Larsson, Eto'o and Ronaldinho in the front line. It looks like Real Madrid will use the same group of players tomorrow as vs La Coruna last week, which is no surprise Home win! (1.96)
Deportivo La Coruna - Racing Santander 1.80 - 4.75
I cannot resist the 4.75 on the away win. I have seen La Coruna struggle at home too many times this season to overlook this price. Gallardo and Juanma are missing for the home side, Romero is a doubt, but Dusher should be OK. Same front line as against R Madrid last week, Tristan as the lone striker with Iago, Munitis and Victor behind him. Racing will play their favourite game, the waiting game, and I predict difficulties for this rather unimaginative La Coruna side. They are clever with set pieces, that I will admit. This will not be one for the connoisseurs. By the way, Racing have won this fixture 3 times these last 5 years. Racing then! (4.75)
Mallorca - Espanyol 2.15 - 3.50
I do not know why, but it seems like Mallorca enjoy facing Espanyol on the island. They have won this fixture for the last 5 years. Both sides struggle but in the case of Mallorca, they have certainly improved their situation since H Cuper left his job. Espanyol have been involved in both the UEFA - cup and the Spanish cup, and it has cost them one or two league points. Big game ahead for Espanyol, with the cup final in 2 weeks time. They could be without their play maker de la Pena this weekend. Mallorca miss Basinas again, as well as D Cortes and Doni. Expect Farinos or Borja Fernandez, Maciel, S Ballesteros and Pisculichi to play from the start against Espanyol, and Tuzzio relegated to the bench. Mallorca had plenty of the ball away to C Vigo last week, (0-2 loss) but they were ineffective in front of the Celta goal. Mallorca then. (2.15)
French League
Lille - Auxerre 2.00 - 4.50
French sides often have problems when they play both in Europe and at home. Well, maybe most European sides have some kind of problems with this kind of tight schedule, but none more so than the French teams. It happened to Lille, while they were involved in the UEFA - cup, but now when Lille are back in their normal routine again, I expect the club to pick up easy 3 points against the poor travellers from Auxerre. (3-4-9 and only 11 goals scored away from home. Two absentees for Lille, the injured Chalme and Debuchy. Home win! (2.00)
Troyes - Lyon 5.50 - 1.80
I cannot ignore the price on the home win. (5.50) Troyes are only 2 points from relegation. In other words, we do not need to discuss the motivation factor. They have drawn their last 2 home games, vs Auxerre and Bordeaux, and as a matter of fact, they have defeated the other top sides, Lille Lens and Rennes, in their home fixtures. I am just pointing out that Troyes have the capacity to win this match, especially if Lyon are already planning for their big game at the San Siro stadium in a few days. Surely the Lyon players will motivation problems on Saturday, but then again coach Houllier will of course make quite a few changes in his line up. Juninho will play, but several second strings will get their chance as well. Troyes, and this big price. (5.50)
Chris
Weekend Soccer – By Chris
http://tx1.tip-ex.com/tmpl/previews/soccer010406.html
Serie A
Inter - Messina 1.33 - 12.00
Messina have made a last, desperate attempt to save their Serie A status and signed a new coach for the remaining 8 fixtures. His first game with Ventura, and apart from the suspended Coppola and the injured defender Cristante, he has a complete squad at his disposal. Di Napoli and Muslimovic up front in a 3-5-2 formation. Inter will once again be without Figo and Favalli, but maybe Recoba will be fit to play. Inter have lost ground on Milan and cannot afford any more slip ups if they still want the second place in Serie A, or maybe they have more or less given up already. If that is the case, the rest of the season could be slightly indifferent. I do not think that coach Mancini will allow this to happen. Villarreal await on Tuesday, and I have no interest in the price on the home win. (1.33)
Lecce - Milan 7.00 - 1.60
Too late, baby, it's too late! But credit to Lecce for trying, and mathematically they could still survive. Anyway, it was a strong away win for Lecce last week vs Siena. Expect a fully fit Lecce squad for this match. Milan miss the suspended Nesta and Serginho, plus the injured Cafu and Stam. They are all defenders and this could be the almighty chance for Lecce. Milan could use Costacurta, Simic and Kaladze in defence, plus the returning Maldini. It does Lecce’s chances no harm that this fixture is crammed in between the two Lyon encounters for Milan. I think that I have to make a bet on the home win, at least with the Asian handicap.
Treviso - Juventus 9.00 - 1.45
Not again! Surely there are too many poor sides in Serie A. Maybe that is why Juventus think too highly of their team, with all their comfortable Serie A wins against the many mediocre sides. Where have all the upsets gone? Juventus miss Nedved and Del Piero, while Treviso come without the suspended A Filippini. The Brazilian Pinga and the veteran keeper Sereni remain on the sidelines. What can I possibly say? A likely away win, but this 1.45 is not a betting price.
Chievo - Livorno 2.15 - 4.35
This looks like a home win. (2.15) We continue to get decent prices on Livorno’s opponents, despite the obvious fact that Livorno have lost all fragments of form. Chievo, on the other hand, impress me week in and week out. They seldom lose and goal scoring is never a problem for the Verona based club. A place in Europe is a distinct possibility. Important midfielder Semioli returns for this match and the only absentee is Sammarco. Livorno have all their players available and will probably include C Prates, De Ascentis and Balleri from the start this time. No denying by now that the Livorno players seemed to lose their motivation, when their successful coach Donadoni left the club. Home win! (2.15)
Fiorentina - Roma 2.30 - 3.40
The match of the week in Italy and I have to choose the draw as the likely result. (3.10) Fiorentina welcome back their previously suspended players for this game, (Dainelli, Di Loreto and Donadel) and they will be able to pick their best starting line up. Jimenez will be preferred to Bojinov and Pazzini alongside L Toni. De Rossi, Cufre and Chivu should be back for Roma and this is good news. New absentee is Alvarez. With Mancini and De Rossi playing from the start I would never underestimate Roma, especially with them being extremely successful away from home this season. (8-5-2) Fiorentina have won 14 of their 16 home matches and they have the leading Serie A scorer in their side. I picture a score draw here. Why not 2-2! In general I think that Roma play the most exciting football in Serie A, reminiscent of Arsenal. They change the pace of the game so quickly, but they could of course use a fit Totti to deliver the break through balls. Still I settle for the draw. (3.10)
Lazio - Empoli 1.67 - 6.50
Empoli have won 3 league games on the bounce and they should have a decent chance of staying in Serie A. Rigano is missing on Sunday with Pozzi his likely replacement up front. Not quite certain however, as also Pozzi could be out of this game. Tosto should be back. Lazio will be able to use their strongest side and with their immense self confidence at the Olympic Stadium, I guess that the home win is a very realistic alternative. Lazio are 8-6-1 at home. As Empoli are on a very good run, you could have reservations about the price. (1.67)
Palermo - Ascoli 1.75 - 6.00
Palermo are another team on a winning run (3 successive wins) and they get my vote in this encounter. (1.75) They are out of the UEFA - cup, but still involved in the Coppa Italia. Could be that Grosso, Codrea and Accardi will back in their squad for this match, but maybe only Codrea as a starter in that case. Ascoli should be able to draw from an unchanged squad, plus the returning Guana. Strong efforts lately by Ascoli, but they often have problems on away grounds. (1-6-8 this far) Home win! (1.75)
Reggina - Siena 2.65 - 4.50
Seems like this could be one of those convenient draw results, at least that is what I hear. Mesto is back for the home side, and he will replace the suspended Tedesco. Tudor returns for Siena, but both Colonnese and Portanova are suspended. Locatelli is a doubt. I have learnt through the years not to argue against these so called arranged draws. Was it last season 7 or 8 correct out of 10! Only VCbet still offer a decent price on the draw, 2.75. Down to 2.00 - 2.25 with the other bookies.
Sampdoria - Cagliari 2.18 - 4.60
Terrible times for coach Novellino and his Sampdoria team. 6 successive losses and his strikers have forgotten all about goal scoring. One of their strikers Flachi is suspended on Sunday, with Colombo possibly joining Kutuzov up front instead. However I heard that Colombo is troubled by some kind of injury and Foti could start again, together with Kutuzov. Foti did not have his best day against Lazio last week. Volpi is also suspended, with Dalla Bona his replacement. Cagliari miss Capone and Langella, so no Suazo, Esposito and Langella combination this time. Cagliari need all the points they can get hold of and Sampdoria need a lucky break, rather sooner than later. I cannot back Sampdoria at the moment.
Udinese - Parma 1.85 - 5.00
Better football from Udinese last week and I back the home win on Sunday. (1.85) First game with Galeone as boss, away to Messina, (1-1) was a step in the right direction for Udinese. They looked like a more coherent team again. Expect the same Udinese squad, but it could happen that Galeone will field his three pronged striker force this time. (Iaquinta, Di Natale and Barreto). Parma won their fourth straight game by defeating a disappointing Inter side 1-0. Parma can probably relax now, positioned as they are, in mid table after their great run. Leading striker Corradi is out of this fixture, and could be that Cigarini or Ruopolo will be their lone striker. I back the home win. (1.85)
The Premiership
Arsenal - Aston Villa 1.35 - 12.45
Six successive home wins for Arsenal against Villa and this will be their 7th. (1.35) Arsenal cannot afford to relax, 5 points behind fourth placed Tottenham. Adebayor returns for Arsenal but still no S Campbell or F Ljungberg. Villa hoped for O Mellberg to return, but unfortunately not and M Baros might not be ready in time either. No James Milner. Formidable football by the Gunners in the last few weeks and I cannot really see an upset from struggling Villa. (1.35)
Birmingham - Chelsea 10.98 - 1.40
Steve Bruce is no quitter, which is bad news for Birmingham fans. What's wrong being a quitter? With or without Bruce, this task would always be extremely tough for the home side. Chelsea only miss Gallas with Robben back from his suspension, while Birmingham continue to have all these injured or semi injured players. As I so often have pointed out, they are really struggling in their midfield. Away win! (1.40)
Bolton - Manchester Utd 4.33 - 1.95
Tempting price on the home win (4.33) considering the Bolton home strength this season. They are 9-4-1 after 14 home matches. Not that Bolton impressed last week, losing to Middlesbrough, 3-4, but that was away from their fortress, the Reebok Stadium. Plenty of options for coach Allardyce ahead of this big clash, with more or less a fit squad to choose from. United have won 7 successive league games and played some attractive football, but it is worth pointing out the fact that Bolton are better positioned in the league than any of those 7 teams that United have just defeated. Ferguson rotated his squad vs West Ham, with Pique, Evra and Fletcher playing from the start, yes, the goal scorer van Nistelrooy as well. I guess that only van Nistelrooy will keep his place for this Bolton encounter. Home win! (4.33)
Everton - Sunderland 1.37 - 10.00
Everton hope to include Arteta again, but will be without the suspended van der Meyde. Liverpool have the stronger individuals and this fact became obvious last week, when Everton went down, 1-3 against 10 man Liverpool. Sunderland have lost both J Arca and S Caldwell to injuries. Sunderland have no team and no shining individuals either and Everton must be expected to return to winning ways on Saturday. Then again 1.37 on an Everton win? Personally I would never, under no circumstances use this poor price.
Fulham - Portsmouth 2.00 - 4.33
Fulham are still waiting on W Bridge, A Niemi and Bouba Diop, but it does not look like they will be ready for this match. Captain Stefanovic is expected back for Portsmouth, and O'Brien or L Primus will be relegated to the bench. Fulham are 10-2-3 at the Craven Cottage and in their last home game they defeated Chelsea, 1-0. In other words this will be a tough task for a rejuvenated Portsmouth side. Tough but not hopeless, with Portsmouth on a high after two straight league wins, and 6 goals scored. At the end of the day I would probably choose the draw. The price is 3.50!
Newcastle - Tottenham 2.79 - 2.70
Bizarre defending killed Newcastle last week away to Charlton. Newcastle did not really deserve to lose, but new defender C Moore had a disastrous first game for his club. R Elliott should be back in the Newcastle defence on Sunday, but bad luck has struck the club again. Best midfielder S Parker is out, perhaps for the rest of the season. Tottenham were just pure lucky winning against WBA earlier this week, with the WBA keeper screwing it up very late in the game. How impressed was I by Tottenham? A Lennon was outstanding, R Keane as well, but I had expected more from Tottenham as a team. Kind of hard to compare them with Arsenal. Leaning towards the away win! (2.70)
W B A - Liverpool 6.89 - 1.62
WBA were very unlucky last Monday, it was a pretty good effort from Robson' s men. WBA need points, not kind words. Difficult again for the club with Liverpool as this weeks opponents. Zoltan Gera is back in action for WBA, but their striker Kamara has only a 50/50 chance of playing. Liverpool miss their suspended skipper S Gerrard. They did perfectly well without Gerrard last week, when they down to 10 men, defeated Everton, but it was a special affair. I am not prepared to back this low priced Liverpool win. Could well happen that Liverpool will have a bad day at the office on Sunday. Home win! (6.50)
Manchester City - Middlesbrough 2.15 - 3.80
Too many missing players for the home side and just too many football matches lately for Middlesbrough. This is my basic reasoning ahead of this game. City missed a lot players last week and it will only be marginally better on Sunday. Sibierski will be back, probably Sinclair, but no Barton or Riera, and at the same time both Distin and Sun Jihai will be suspended. Latest reports indicate that the Greek striker Samaras will make a surprise return for this game. As always Middlesbrough play twice every week and this week McClaren's side visited Basle for a UEFA - cup game in mid week. (0-2 loss) Pogatetz suffered a bad injury and will be sidelined for some time. Coach McClaren will rotate his squad again with the return leg vs Basle waiting next week. Boateng and Cattermole will play for sure, but skipper Southgate is a major doubt again. Maybe Sibierski, Samaras and Vassell are good enough to defeat Boro on Sunday. Home win! (2.15)
West Ham - Charlton 2.10 - 3.70
Good first half by West Ham against Man United in midweek, but no goal. In the second United took over and their win was in order. Anton Ferdinand made a second half come back for the Hammers and he should be in the starting line up on Sunday. Charlton have no significant problems ahead of this London derby, with both the Bents back in action. W Ham have the better potential in my opinion, but I do not think that I will bet on that in this particular game. Looks like an open affair, could go either way. No bet then.
Blackburn - Wigan 1.85 - 4.35
C Bellamy had to leave the Sunderland game last week, due to some injury, but he should be able to play on Monday. R Savage is back from his suspension and Blackburn will be at full strength. Wigan will also choose from an unchanged squad. Blackburn are 11-2-2 at home and a place in Europe is within reach. At the same time Wigan are one of the strongest away teams, with 8 away wins so far. Only Chelsea and M United have won more away games than Wigan. I am not quite comfortable with this price on the home win (1.85).
The Championship
Sheffield W - Burnley 2.20 - 3.60
Two weeks ago Sheffield W looked like relegation fodder, but two successive and impressive wins against the two top six sides Preston and Wolves have steered the club to safer ground, 5 points ahead of Millwall. Far from safe and with everything to play for on Saturday, S W should be a typical well motivated winner. I talked about the Burnley reinforcements in midweek, but reinforcements or not, Burnley have more or less refused to perform away from home this season. (3-4-13 this far) S W will be without their injured defender Gilbert but both Folly and Bischoff should be fit to play. McGovern and S Adams could come in contention. All of a sudden both the front men Tudgay and D Burton have come alive, with both on the score sheet against Wolves last week. Home win! (2.20)
Southampton - Cardiff 2.50 - 2.85
The Southampton boss Burley has stated that the club needs a point per game to survive in the Championship. I take his word and choose the draw for this fixture. (3.25) Both these sides have acute scoring problems at the moment and that makes the draw even more plausible. In their last 6 games Cardiff have mustered only 4 goals and Southampton usually produce maximum 1 goal per game. D Belmadi and M Pahars scored for the Saints reserves in mid week and maybe they will play some part on Saturday. Cardiff will be at full strength. The draw then! (3.25)
Coventry - Preston 2.40 - 3.00
It has been a good idea to back Coventry at their new stadium. This previously erratic side is 11-6-3 at home. Away from home, well that is quite another story. They have Dennis Wise back for this fixture, and that is good news. He has done extremely well for Coventry. Preston are down to the bare bones. They have almost a full team on the sidelines and their latest casualties are the two midfielders Mc Kenna and O'Neil. Defender Mawene is considered a major doubt. Preston just about defeated Crewe in mid week, 1-0. Goal scoring has become a real problem for the club. No wonder with Nugent and Dichio out of the picture. Marcus Stewart has joined the club on loan. He once was good, but it was not exactly yesterday. Home win for Coventry. (2.40)
La Liga
Real Zaragoza - Villarreal 2.20 - 4.00
I cannot imagine that Villarreal will have any energy or motivation for this league clash. Their immensely important second leg against Inter is only a few days away, and to face the hard to beat Zaragoza side at this moment? Kind of a hopeless task, in my opinion. You know, only Barcelona and Valencia have lost fewer games than Zaragoza. They have their big game, the Copa del Rey final, in 2 weeks time and will of course put all their efforts on this league game with Villarreal. Generelo will be missing for Zaragoza. I take it for granted that the Villarreal coach Pellegrini will rest some of his first choices. Home win! (2.20)
Barcelona - Real Madrid 1.96 - 4.33
Although Real were better last week I can only see the home win. (1.96) It is another case of course to be satisfied with the above price in this traditionally hot fixture, but I have no problems with it. There has been talk about Rijkaard resting some of his stars for the coming Benfica encounter, but this will not happen. This game is too important for the fans and Barca will use their strongest line up, including the returning Puyol. Motta once again in defence and Iniesta and van Bommel on the midfield together with Deco. Larsson, Eto'o and Ronaldinho in the front line. It looks like Real Madrid will use the same group of players tomorrow as vs La Coruna last week, which is no surprise Home win! (1.96)
Deportivo La Coruna - Racing Santander 1.80 - 4.75
I cannot resist the 4.75 on the away win. I have seen La Coruna struggle at home too many times this season to overlook this price. Gallardo and Juanma are missing for the home side, Romero is a doubt, but Dusher should be OK. Same front line as against R Madrid last week, Tristan as the lone striker with Iago, Munitis and Victor behind him. Racing will play their favourite game, the waiting game, and I predict difficulties for this rather unimaginative La Coruna side. They are clever with set pieces, that I will admit. This will not be one for the connoisseurs. By the way, Racing have won this fixture 3 times these last 5 years. Racing then! (4.75)
Mallorca - Espanyol 2.15 - 3.50
I do not know why, but it seems like Mallorca enjoy facing Espanyol on the island. They have won this fixture for the last 5 years. Both sides struggle but in the case of Mallorca, they have certainly improved their situation since H Cuper left his job. Espanyol have been involved in both the UEFA - cup and the Spanish cup, and it has cost them one or two league points. Big game ahead for Espanyol, with the cup final in 2 weeks time. They could be without their play maker de la Pena this weekend. Mallorca miss Basinas again, as well as D Cortes and Doni. Expect Farinos or Borja Fernandez, Maciel, S Ballesteros and Pisculichi to play from the start against Espanyol, and Tuzzio relegated to the bench. Mallorca had plenty of the ball away to C Vigo last week, (0-2 loss) but they were ineffective in front of the Celta goal. Mallorca then. (2.15)
French League
Lille - Auxerre 2.00 - 4.50
French sides often have problems when they play both in Europe and at home. Well, maybe most European sides have some kind of problems with this kind of tight schedule, but none more so than the French teams. It happened to Lille, while they were involved in the UEFA - cup, but now when Lille are back in their normal routine again, I expect the club to pick up easy 3 points against the poor travellers from Auxerre. (3-4-9 and only 11 goals scored away from home. Two absentees for Lille, the injured Chalme and Debuchy. Home win! (2.00)
Troyes - Lyon 5.50 - 1.80
I cannot ignore the price on the home win. (5.50) Troyes are only 2 points from relegation. In other words, we do not need to discuss the motivation factor. They have drawn their last 2 home games, vs Auxerre and Bordeaux, and as a matter of fact, they have defeated the other top sides, Lille Lens and Rennes, in their home fixtures. I am just pointing out that Troyes have the capacity to win this match, especially if Lyon are already planning for their big game at the San Siro stadium in a few days. Surely the Lyon players will motivation problems on Saturday, but then again coach Houllier will of course make quite a few changes in his line up. Juninho will play, but several second strings will get their chance as well. Troyes, and this big price. (5.50)
Chris
Vastaukset 1
Vanhimmat
thank you, very good previews