Athletic Club de Bilbao vs Valencia CF
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Today’s secondary featured game is the Primera Liga game in Bilbao between Athletic and Valencia.
Despite the potential absence of big Llorente and the definite absence of the tenacious Toquero, I still fancy this game to go over 2.5 goals. Athletic have progressed so much in their Barcelona-esque approach that I don’t have concerns over them being able to put the ball in the net against Valencia, even without Llorente. Of course, there are some games where the big man is absolutely required for Athletic to score goals but a weak defence like Valencia’s doesn’t concern me here. Athletic have so much pace and skill that their midfield is so hard to handle at all times and thus I think space will be created and Athletic will take their chances. Muniain, Susaeta, De Marcos, Herrera – there’s so much there that I cannot envision Valencia coping with them here.
However, Valencia may capitalise on what must surely be a tiring Athletic squad, especially with big Amorebieta out at the back for the Basque hosts. Valencia tend to produce their best displays against the odds and a lot will be jumping on Athletic today, as per usual, so I wouldn’t rule out a cheeky Valencia result here. After all, Soldado is one of the most in-form strikers in the Primera Liga so his return here for the visitors will be most welcome. Unai Emery is an experienced boss and knows how to exploit the weak spots of Valencia’s, especially on counter-attacks. Valencia excel in attack but stumble in defence, much like their hosts.
Therefore, I expect an open game with plenty of goals. Neither side can defend for shit so as long as both sides actually take the innumerate chances that they create, I have to favour over 2.5 goals at 9/10.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 9/10.
Sunday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, please find my value tips listed below in no particular order:
Germinal Beerschot vs Lokeren – away win with draw no bet at 10/11.
Nothing else but three points will suffice for Lokeren if they intend to be in the top eight play-off in a few weeks time and I think that they’re well-placed enough to manage it too. Their form has dramatically picked up in the second-half of the season and their displays have been a lot more galvanised and effective. This side is playing with confidence again now and finally demonstrating just how good they actually are. Although they’re not always as effective on the road as they’d like to be, they’re still a top side in my estimation and I fancy them to do the damage today against an inferior Germinal side. The hosts have suffered some hefty losses at the start of 2012 that they’ve failed to replace. Germinal are notoriously hard to beat at home but with those players having moved on and with nothing to play for, I think there’s certainly a window of opportunity for Lokeren today. Again, this won’t be easy for the visitors but they’ve got everything in their favour as far as I am concerned so the away win with draw no bet cover appeals to me at 10/11.
Verdict: Lokeren to win with draw no bet at 10/11.
Accumulator fodder:
Standard de Liege, Ludogorets, Levski Sofia, AEK Larnaca, Emelec Guayaquil, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Lugano.
As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts to prevent endless questions about my thoughts on certain games!
Argentinian Primera Division:
San Lorenzo de Almagro vs Colon de Santa Fe (5) 1-1
Newell’s Old Boys vs Atletico Rafaela (6) 1-0
San Martin de San Juan vs Boca Juniors (6) 1-2
Arsenal de Sarandi vs Banfield (7) 1-0
Australian A-League:
Gold Coast United vs Perth Glory (5) 1-2
Austrian Bundesliga:
Admira Wacker vs Sturm Graz (5) 1-1
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Standard de Liege vs OH Leuven (8) 2-0
AA Gent vs Kortrijk (7) over 2.5 goals
Germinal Beerschot vs Lokeren (5) 0-1
Sint-Truiden vs Anderlecht (4) 0-0
Zulte-Waregem vs Mechelen (6) 1-0
Lierse SK vs Mons (6) 1-1
Westerlo vs Racing Genk (7) over 2.5 goals
Cercle Brugge vs Club Brugge (6) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Bulgarian A PFG:
Ludogorets vs Svetkavitsa (9) -1.5 handicap
Botev Vratsa vs Levski Sofia (8) 0-2
Kaliakra vs Lokomotiv Plovdiv (4) 0-1
Chilean Primera Division:
Union La Calera vs Universidad Catolica (5) 1-1
Audax Italiano vs Rangers (6) 2-1
Colombian Primera A:
Deportes Tolima vs Deportivo Cali (7) 2-0
Deportivo Pasto vs La Equidad Bogota (5) 1-0
Envigado vs Atletico Huila (5) 1-1
Millonarios Bogota vs Itagui Ditaires (7) 2-0
Croatian Prva Liga:
Rijeka vs Zadar (7) 1-0
Cypriot Division 1:
AEL Limassol vs Apollon Limassol (6) 1-0, at least one red card in this game
Ermis vs AEK Larnaca (8) 0-2
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Ceske Budejovice vs Slovacko (5) 2-1
Mlada Boleslav vs Marila Pribram (7) 1-0
Bohemians 1905 vs Hradec Kralove (6) 1-0
Danish Superligaen:
Lyngby vs OB Odense (7) over 2.5 goals
Nordsjaelland vs Brondby (6) 1-0
SonderjyskE vs Silkeborg (5) 1-0
FC Copenhagen vs Midtylland (6) 2-1
Ecuadorian Primera A:
Olmedo Riobamba vs Independiente (6) 2-1
Liga de Quito vs Deportivo Cuenca (7) over 2.5 goals.
Macara Ambato vs Barcelona Guayaquil (5) 1-1
Emelec Guayaquil vs Tecnico Universitario (8) 2-0
English Premier League:
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester United (8) 0-2
Newcastle United vs Norwich City (6) 2-1
English Championship:
Cardiff City vs Burnley (4)
English FA Cup:
Chelsea vs Leicester City (7) 1-0
Liverpool vs Stoke City (6) 2-1
French Ligue 1:
Stade Rennais vs Toulouse (4) 1-1
Sochaux vs OGC Nice (5) 2-1
LOSC Lille vs Valenciennes (6) 1-0, at least one red card in this game
German Bundesliga:
Kaiserslautern vs Schalke 04 (6) 1-2
Hannover 96 vs Koln (6) 2-1
Greek Super League:
Xanthi vs PAS Giannina (6) 1-0
Levadiakos vs Atromitos (5) 1-1
Panionios vs Doxa Dramas (7) 2-0
Panaitolikos vs PAOK Salonika (5) 1-0
Panathinaikos vs Olympiakos Piraeus (5) 0-1, at least one red card in this game
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Fehervar vs Debreceni VSC (4) 1-2, at least one red card in this game
Ferencvaros vs Budapest Honved (6) 1-0, at least one red card in this game
Israeli Ligat Ha’al:
Hapoel Tel-Aviv vs Ironi Kiryat Shmona (5) 2-1
Italian Serie A:
Cagliari vs Cesena (7) 2-0
Internazionale vs Atalanta Bergamo (5) 0-0, at least one red card in this game
Bologna vs Chievo Verona (7) 1-0
Catania vs Lazio (5) 2-2, at least one red card in this game
Siena vs Novara (6) 1-0
Lecce vs Palermo (6) 1-0
Udinese vs SSC Napoli (5) 1-1
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Siauliai vs Kruoja Pakruojis (7) 2-0
Dainava vs Banga Gargzdai (6) 1-2
Mexican Primera Division:
Toluca vs Monterrey (6) 0-0
Puebla vs San Luis (7) 2-0
America vs Pumas UNAM (5) 1-0
Dutch Eredivisie:
ADO Den Haag vs AFC Ajax Amsterdam (5) 1-2, at least one red card in this game
PSV Eindhoven vs Heerenveen (5) 2-2
Twente Enschede vs Feyenoord Rotterdam (6) 2-2
FC Utrecht vs Groningen (5) 2-1
AZ Alkmaar vs NAC Breda (7) 1-0
Paraguayan Division Profesional:
Sol de America vs Guarani Asuncion (6) 0-1
Deportivo Carapegua vs Nacional Asuncion (7) 0-1
Sportivo Luqueno vs Independiente FBC (6) 1-0
Olimpia Asuncion vs Tacuary (7) 2-1
Peruvian Primera Division:
Union Comercio vs Sport Huancayo (5) 0-0
Leon de Huanuco vs Sporting Cristal (6) 1-0
Cobresol vs Melgar FBC (5) 2-1
Real Atletico Garcilaso vs Cienciano (5) 1-1
Polish Ekstraklasa:
Slask Wroclaw vs Cracovia Krakow (4) 1-1
Ruch Chorzow vs Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biala (7) 2-0
Polish Liga 1:
Warta Poznan vs Gornik Polkowice (7)
Kolejarz Stroze vs Dolcan Zabki (6)
Zawisza Bydgoszcz vs Olimpia Grudziadz (7)
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
Academica de Coimbra vs Pacos de Ferreira (7) 2-0
Vitoria Setubal vs Maritimo Funchal (5) 1-1
Vitoria Guimaraes vs Olhanense (6) 2-1
Romanian Liga:
FC Brasov vs Otelul Galati (6) 1-0
Steaua Bucharest vs Astra Ploiesti (7) 2-0
Russian Premier League:
Amkar Perm’ vs Tom’ Tomsk (5) 1-0
Kuban’ Krasnodar vs Rubin Kazan’ (5) 1-2
Lokomotiv Moscow vs Anzhi Makhachkala (6) 2-1
Krylya Sovetov Samara vs Spartak Nal’chik (5) 2-1
Scottish Premier League:
Hearts vs Hibernian (4) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Serbian Super Liga:
Rad Belgrade vs OFK Belgrade (5) 1-2
Singaporean S-League:
Balestier Khalsa vs Woodlands Wellington (6) 2-1
Harimau Muda vs Albirex Niigata (7) 1-2
Slovenian Prva Liga:
Triglav vs Olimpija Ljubljana (7) 0-1
Spanish Primera Liga:
Levante vs Villarreal CF (5) 2-1
Real Mallorca vs Atletico Madrid (5) 0-0
Athletic Club de Bilbao vs Valencia CF (6) 2-2
Real Madrid vs Malaga (8) 2-0
Spanish Segunda Liga:
Real Valladolid vs Almeria (5)
Barcelona II vs Alcorcon (6) over 2.5 goals
Swiss Super League:
Servette vs FC Zurich (6) 0-1
Thun vs Lausanne Sports (7) 1-0
Swiss Challenge League:
SC Kriens vs Chiasso (5)
Lugano vs Etoile Carouge (8)
Vaduz vs Bruhl (7)
Delemont vs Stade Nyonnais (5)
Turkish Super Lig:
Mersin Idmanyurdu vs Istanbul BB (5) 1-1
Kayserispor vs Samsunspor (6) 2-1
Gaziantepspor vs Karabukspor (7) 1-0
Ukrainian Premier League:
Obolon Kiev vs Volyn Lutsk (5) 2-1
Dynamo Kiev vs Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk (6) 1-0
Oleksandriya vs Metalurg Donetsk (6) 0-0
Welsh Premier League:
Port Talbot Town vs Airbus UK (6) 1-0
Enjoy your free betting tips!