Chelsea vs Arsenal
FreeToday’s featured game is the English Premier League game between heavyweights Chelsea and Arsenal. Reigning champions Chelsea have been impressive for the vast majority of the season thus far, scoring at will and generally dealing with their opponents very well indeed. Visitors Arsenal have also started their Premier League campaign well before failing to win back-to-back games and as such bring lessened confidence into this game.
My only concern about Chelsea for this game is their injury problems, to be blunt. The likes of Frank Lampard and Salomon Kalou have been missing lately and despite Chelsea actually having quite a weak bench of late, they still boast a starting eleven that would get into most Premier League sides, if not all. Chelsea have played very well indeed this season, especially so when it comes to taking their chances in front of goal, something which no other Premier League side has done better. You can point out that Chelsea have lost two out of their last three games in all competitions but my point to counter that would be that they fielded a very youthful side at home to Newcastle United in the Carling Cup and that although they were outplayed by Manchester City away from home, their opponents in that game treated it as their Cup Final as they always do. Chelsea eased past Olympique de Marseille mid-week in the UEFA Champions League and I expect a similar display today, to be honest. They’ve beaten Arsenal for four consecutive meetings (three of which were away from home) and they’ve beaten Arsenal for three out of their last four home games against their rivals. Chelsea are quite simply far more experienced and ultimately a better side than Arsenal in the sense that they win games they have to. I’d argue that Chelsea don’t play attractive football like Arsenal do but Chelsea are the ones that compete every year for trophies, something that Arsenal rarely do nowadays because they always lose games like this.
Conisder that Arsenal have also lost four out of their last five meetings against Manchester United and drew the other game and that’s basically eleven games against their two biggest rivals and zero victories. It’s just not good enough, basically. I have massive respect for Arsene Wenger – he’s a brilliant, brilliant manager – but he can only do so much at this club with limited resources. He brings some semi-talented and some very talented players through the Arsenal academy or buys players on the cheap and moulds them into a marvellous passing side and massive credit to him for that – few other managers could come remotely close to what he’s done. However, it’s in games like these where the lack of experience, competent defending, and overall quality is really highlighted. When you consider the injuries and doubts they have for Robin Van Persie, Cesc Fabregas, Thomas Vermaelen, Abou Diaby, Nicklas Bendtner, and Aaron Ramsey, you have to fear for what is already a very stretched Arsenal side. Arsenal were dismal in their defeat at home to West Bromwich Albion as they were frankly outplayed and it’s a lack of depth that dropped them to such a level. Hell, Wenger can’t even state who is number one goalkeeper is for this side because neither Almunia nor Fabianski are good enough to consistently claim the jersey. Both are good goalkeepers on their day but both are very error prone and you have to question whether it’s related to neither of them being told exactly who is first and who is second – goalkeepers can’t simply adjust like other players can as one minor mistake makes them the media enemy forever!
Bluntly, Arsenal have a lot of problems at the moment, both with injured players and with the fact that they’re facing a better side than they are away from home. Rumour has it that Carlo Ancelotti will not attend this game due to the death of his father but even that doesn’t concern me – I still thoroughly expect a Chelsea victory just as it usually is. It’ll be very, very surprised if the reigning champions don’t do the job today – they could even beat the -1.5 goal handicap if they put their minds to it.
Verdict: Chelsea to win at 3/4.
Sunday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
Banfield vs River Plate – home win at 5/4.
Six points adrift of league leaders Estudiantes De La Plata after eight Primera Divison games, Banfield’s season hasn’t gone exactly according to plan thus far. Their defence is still as rock-solid as ever and arguably the best in South America but their offense is not in the same league, unfortunately, and that’s particularly visible away from home. However, fortunately, Banfield are at home tonight and average scoring nearly two goals per home game on their own turf so they should prove to be a potent enough threat here. A 4-0 win at home to a resilient Independiente propelled them into a 2-0 win at home to Colombia’s Deportes Tolima in the Copa Sudamericana so Banfield do bring momentum into this home game. Happily for Banfield, they do have a good record against River Plate with two wins from two home games against River Plate and three wins in their last four meetings overall against the giants of Argentinian football. The problem that River Plate have is that to trouble Banfield, you have to score goals and scoring goals hasn’t been a pasttime of River’s since Radamel “Falcao” Garcia left to join Porto. The signing of Pavone certainly makes them a lot more dangerous in attack but he’s yet to return fully to fitness so River are still lacking and it’s in games like these where they’ll get caught out. Atypically, the creativity of Ortega and Buonanotte is enough to dispose of the average Primera Division side (although it wasn’t enough to stop River drawing at home to newly-promoted Quilmes in their last game!) but against Banfield, you simply need to bring more to the table and I don’t honestly think River are ready to do that again yet. They’re not an easy side to overcome but their defence can be breached and if Banfield take that telling lead then they really should win this game. For me, Banfield only need a goal to win this game and banking on Banfield to thus score a goal at 5/4 looks good value to me.
Verdict: Banfield to win at 5/4.
SV Ried vs Salzburg – home win with draw no bet at evens.
Over the past few years, SV Ried turned the Keine Sorgen Arena into a real fortress where very few sides indeed won. However, last year was a particularly bad year for Ried and they were very weak there in general. This season looks to be shaping up differently, however, with three wins and one defeat from their opening four Bundesliga home games. They destroyed Rapid Vienna here 3-1 last match and will look to use the momentum taken from that game to trouble reigning champions Salzburg. That said, Ried lost to Salzburg in a tight game last weekend although that was actually at Salzburg. Ried have had a week to prepare for this game, a game which they’ve won for two out of Salzburg’s last three visits, whereas reigning champions Salzburg were busy in Poland mid-week as they took on and lose to reigning Ekstraklasa champions Lech Poznan 2-0. The defeat wasn’t what was most concerning about that game for Salzburg but their abject and ineffectual attacking was really unexpected and poor. If they play like that tonight then they’ll get punished by in-form Ried. Ried have been sparked into life by their Spanish trio of Guillem, Ivan Carril, and Nacho Rodriguez, all of which have got their names on the scoresheet thus far for unfancied SV Ried and they’re looking better for it.
Ried may not be what they were a few years ago but they’re steadily making their way back up towards it. They’ve got a decent side and they’re well-organised too, not to mention fitter following Salzburg’s mid-week trip to Poland, so I have to give Ried a chance here. Ignore the Bundesliga table – Salzburg are still the best side in this division so the DNB is a necessary cover here. However, Salzburg aren’t playing well enough to win this game, in my opinion, but Ried are playing well enough to potentially nick it so my call is the home win with draw no bet today.
Verdict: SV Ried to win with draw no bet at evens.
Naftan Novopolotsk vs Dinamo Minsk – home win with draw no bet at 5/4.
Every time this fixture comes around, I find myself at a complete loss as to what to do because I know how strong Naftan are at home but I also know that Dinamo are one of the few sides good enough to win here!
However, I’m going to wade into this one boldly and side with the home side. Naftan have returned their former strength back into games at the Stadion Atlant in Novopolotsk with six consecutive home wins in all competitions, scoring a massive eighteen goals along the way, which is an average of three goals scored per game. They’re not defending as well as normal because of their attacking binge but it doesn’t matter when you’re outscoring your opponents. The only side to beat them in their last eight consecutive games was reigning champions BATE Borisov in a narrow 1-0 win in Borisov so you can see how well Naftan are playing at the moment – they’re even getting results away from home, which isn’t like them! The last side to beat Naftan in Novopolotsk was today’s opponents Dinamo Minsk, ironically. However, since then, Dinamo Minsk have had a sojourn into European football with games against Maccabi Haifa of Israel and Club Brugge of Belgium and have struggled to compete on two fronts due to their limited squad. They have an excellent midfield but they’re not excellent anywhere else and occasionally the youthful nature of their team will cause themselves problems as experience is unfortunately a necessary part of any successful team. Although Dinamo have now crashed out of European competition, their domestic form is still stuttering, most probably due to the number of games they’ve had to play. They’re relying more than ever on captain Sergey Kislyak – God only knows what they’ll do if he leaves this year! – and as a result, their performances are somewhat haphazard. How they can be crushed 3-0 at Shakhtyor Soligorsk and then win 3-1 at BATE Borisov is absolutely beyond me so it really depends which Dinamo side turn up today. I’m going to attribute their win at BATE as being due to rivalry rather than overall ability because since then, Dinamo bafflingly lost at home to Vitebsk without even scoring so consistency at the moment says that Dinamo are struggling and this is not the ground to enter whilst struggling.
Naftan Novopolotsk are playing very well at the moment whereas Dinamo Minsk are looking jaded. Dinamo are the better side but Naftan at home are usually untouchable and I expect to see that again today, particularly as they’ll be seeking revenge for the defeat that Dinamo inflicted upon them here earlier in the season. If Naftan stop Dinamo’s midfield from playing then they have a very good chance of winning this game as their defence is solid and Dinamo’s attack can be caught short if they play against a solid backline because they don’t have great strikers. With the above in mind, I’m tempted to take the home win with draw no bet for this game today.
Verdict: Naftan Novopolotsk to win with draw no bet at 5/4.
Alki vs AEK Larnaca – away win with draw no bet at 5/6.
This game is one of the few Larnaca derbies in Cyprus so this should be a feisty affair!
So why wade into a derby? Normally I’d avoid them like the plague without good reason but I think I have good reasoning today. First of all, the game is not being played at Alki’s ground – it’s being played at Anorthosis’ ground, so it’s basically neutral territory.
So basically, this game boils down to which side is better. Although both sides are newcomers to this division, for me, AEK are the better side. The recruitment of Jordi Cruyff onto the non-playing staff and his signings of Kevin Hofland, Edwin Linssen, Danny Schenkel, and Gregoor Van Dijk have improved this side massively because rather obviously, Dutch football is of a higher level than Cypriot football. These players have blended into the AEK side very well indeed, as has veteran Estonian striker Andreas Oper, who was also playing in Holland when Cruyff signed him. He’s since scored on his debut and AEK frankly look like a mid-table side at the very least despite having only just been promoted. They play good football and look very reliable at the back so I really wouldn’t look on this AEK side as an average newly-promoted outfit – they’ve got too much class and experience in their side for that as they showed by winning at Apollon Limassol a few games ago so I’d take AEK Larnaca very seriously indeed here, particularly with their status as a big club!
Alki are general relegation-battlers and although they’ve started the season in potent fashion, it’s become more than apparent that they cannot defend at all. They, too, have just been promoted to the division and they do appear a lot more competent in front of goal this year than they were last time around but the problems they’re having at the back are too large to be ignored. They’ve actually assembled a respectable squad of players and even have a few Cypriot internationals so if they straighten their defence out then I’d be surprised to see them relegated this season. However, despite some decent displays, there’s no way they can go into this derby knowing that they’re conceding far too many goals because their opponents look very composed at the moment and any lead that AEK have they stand a very good chance of holding so for me, the value is with the away win at draw no bet odds of 5/6.
Verdict: AEK Larnaca to win with draw no bet at 5/6.
Brno vs Hradec Kralove – home win at evens.
Brno may be bottom of the Gambrinus Liga table but they’re not the worst side in it. That particular title is reserved for either Usti nad Labem or Hradec Kralove; perhaps even both of them. Both newly-promoted sides are terrible whereas Brno have had a bit of bad luck and also some terrible defending. Brno have won two out of their five home games this season, which isn’t a great record, but consider that the 5-0 defeat against Sparta Prague was because they were outclassed and the loss against Slavia Prague was a baffling one as they were 2-0 up and cruising before losing 3-2 and the record isn’t that bad – the only unacceptable home game I’ve seen them play was the abject display at home to Usti nad Labem at the start of the season. Brno have beaten Mlada Boleslav and Bohemians 1905 of late at home and even won at Teplice so they’re starting to improve. What I like about Brno is that they always score goals at home. Their defence isn’t great but if you score enough goals then it doesn’t tend to matter. Brno’s attack is the key to their survival with experienced ex-Slavia Prague striker Tomas Dosek leading the line and the likes of Hodek, Rabusic, and Kalabiska supporting him. Brno have a lot of experienced players in their side so they should be able to make it count in games like this, especially if the afore-mentioned strikers turn up, so I fancy them to cause problems today.
Visitors Hradec Kralove are just a poor side, to be frank. They’ve scored in just two out of their last seven games in all competitions and one of those games was against fellow shit side Usti nad Labem. Hradec Kralove cannot and will not score enough goals to stay in this division this year unless they make some swift signings in January because their defence isn’t good enough to keep them in the division. They’ve not scored an away goal in the Gambrinus Liga since July and have naturally lost three out of their four away games in the Gambrinus Liga along the way, even drawing at Viktoria Zizkov from the division below in the Czech Cup! Hradec may not get beaten heavily but if you don’t score goals then conceding goals is going to prove to be a pretty big problem, which is what I expect to happen here.
Brno are bad enough defensively to give Hradec Kralove chance to score here but they’re also a good distance better than Hradec Kralove and really should outscore their opponents as a result. Hradec Kralove are a decent unit but they don’t have good individuals and that should show by the end of play today.
Verdict: Brno to win at evens.
Liverpool vs Blackpool – both sides to score at 10/11.
This one speaks for itself, really. Liverpool are anything but convincing in both attack and defence under Hodgson. The fans are restless, the side aren’t scoring goals with Torres out-of-form, and they look very vulnerable when pressurised. They didn’t deserve to beat Sunderland in their last home game, which they drew 2-2 – they didn’t even deserve to draw it. However, what this indicates is that they’re both scoring and conceding goals to a pointless degree, which puts them on Blackpool’s level, really! Blackpool can’t defend for shit but they attack well and should have a lot of joy against a demoralised and badly-organised Liverpool side today so bluntly, I expect both sides to score in this game!
Verdict: Both sides to score at 10/11.
Jaro Pietarsaari vs TPS Turku – over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
With three games remaining in the Veikkausliiga and both sides competing for a UEFA Europa League place next season, this game is going to be tense and really should yield goals. TPS Turku are marginally the better side but both have flourished well in the second half of this season and deserve respect for their spirit and clinical finishing. Both compete in games with an average of over 2.5 goals per game so that sets the foundations quite well for this game. Jaro average scoring nearly two goals per home game and TPS average scoring nearly two goals per away game too so with both sides in good form, we should hopefully see plenty of goals here. Three out of Jaro’s last four games have gone over 2.5 goals and seven out of TPS’ last eight games have gone over 2.5 goals so bluntly, we really should see over 2.5 goals in this game, just as games between these two sides have yielded for four out of the last six games between both clubs.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
PK-35 Helsinki vs RoPS Rovaniemi – away win at 17/20.
I mentioned last week that I expected a reaction from league leaders RoPS Rovaniemi following the announcement of the Finnish FA regarding the Ykkonen league format for years to come and boy did we get one! RoPS ran out 8-1 winners against a very good PoPa Pori side and I expect them to maintain this form for the rest of the season now unless they intend to be trapped in the Ykkonen indefinitely! The only factor you ever need to discuss with RoPS is motivation because quality-wise, they’re the best side in the Ykkonen by a long, long way. Their nucleus of Zambian imports (no doubt thanks to Zeddy Sailetti’s influence!) is the secret to their success with Finnish football generally being somewhat devoid of the combination of power and speed, something which RoPS’ Zambian contingent have in abundance. That’s why when RoPS play well, they win in style, basically. There are three Ykkonen games remaining and this is RoPS’ hardest one. If they win this, then for me, they’ll be playing Veikkausliiga football next season so I do expect them to be well-motivated for this game. PK-35 Helsinki are a lot better than the Ykkonen table portrays them to be currently but their squad rotation appears to have backfired on them in a big way as they’ve now lost four out of their last six games and have failed to win the other two. They’re not scoring goals and they’re conceding far too many, which is a very dangerous combination to take into a game against mighty RoPS Rovaniemi and I expect them to be punished as a result. RoPS beat PK-35 3-0 earlier this season in Rovaniemi and a similar scoreline wouldn’t surprise me today as PK-35 have naturally lost all their motivation with nothing left to play for this season. The away win at 17/20 looks good value in my eyes, with that in mind, but I also quite fancy a cheeky -1.5 goal handicap at a very generous 11/5 because when RoPS win, they win in style and PK-35 Helsinki have no reason to pull themselves out of a dire display with nothing left to play for.
Verdict: RoPS Rovaniemi to win at 17/20.
BV09 Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich – home win with draw no bet at 5/6.
This game is a derby between two of Germany’s biggest clubs and you need to approach it with caution as a result. It should be a particularly fierce derby as the “underdogs” Dortmund are playing very well and the reigning champions Bayern Munich are not playing well. Bayern have established beyond any doubt in my mind that they are utterly inept in the final third without Robben and Ribery and generally create incredibly little unless Muller plays a game that is beyond his tender years. Schweinsteiger does his utmost to carry the team along as he did mid-week against Basel but Bayern were poor in that game, very poor indeed, just as they were in their home defeat against Mainz 05 in the match before that. Bayern still have good players but the big “secret” of Bayern Munich is that they have shit strikers. If you have very good creative players then you can get away with that but without those creative players, it becomes very apparent indeed who the danger men are. Bayern are facing a very talented and determined Dortmund side in this game and at the Signal-Iduna Park they’re going to have to play very well indeed to get anything here. Ignore Dortmund’s result mid-week at home to Sevilla CF – they dominated from start to finish, even with ten men, but simply couldn’t find the net. However, with the wealth of attacking options available to them and in front of their own fans, you have to fancy Dortmund to do well here, just as they have in the vast majority of their Bundesliga games this season. They won’t find a better time to beat their old rivals and they need it too after a barren run which has seen Dortmund fail to beat Bayern in the Bundesliga since 2007. However, Dortmund have a very good side this year and Bayern are particularly vulnerable currently so I fancy the home win with draw no bet here.
Verdict: BV09 Borussia Dortmund to win with draw no bet at 5/6.
Rosenborg BK vs Valerenga – home win at evens.
Valerenga Oslo have played remarkably well without star striker Abdellaoue, who departed for Hannover 96, but this is the kind of game where they could and should get caught out. They score a lot of goals and credit to them for that but there’s a good reason that they’ve not beaten Rosenborg in their last six meetings; it’s because Rosenborg are better than they are. Rosenborg have won four consecutive home games against Valerenga and with eight wins and four draws from twelve home games in the Eliteserien this season, you have to favour Rosenborg here. Most importantly, they have the champions mentality and that does play a big part at key stages of the season like this. They’ve got one of the best defences in the division and average scoring over two goals per home game so you can see why they do so well. A timely win mid-week against Greek outfit Aris Salonika should give Rosenborg the boost that they need to win this game today and if they do win it then they’re all but guaranteed the title. Rosenborg will be highly-charged here as a result and although on paper you’d expect Valerenga to trouble them due to their potency, I feel that the loss of Abdellaoue will be highlighted here and we’ll actually see a fairly comprehensive Rosenborg victory. Odds of evens on Rosenborg to beat anyone in Norway at home has to be considered good value and although I’m wary of how well Valerenga are playing, I think they’re going to be outclassed and outscored by the true champions of Norwegian football today.
Verdict: Rosenborg BK to win at evens.
Ruch Chorzow vs Korona Kielce – away win with draw no bet at evens.
Ruch Chorzow’s problems are going from bad to worse with not only their best players having departed (barring Sedlok, who is set to leave in the next window for Polonia Warsaw) but now they’re missing the important players that they have left! Their best striker following Sobiech’s departure is now Seb Olszar – well, he’s injured for this game! He joins key defenders Jakubowski and Bronowicki, and midfielders Malinowski and Straka on the sidelines for this game and a stretched Ruch squad simply cannot afford those absences for any games. They don’t have the depth to deal with those losses and although they’ve coped far better than I thought they would this season after their hefty player losses in summer, I think they’re really going to struggle today. They needed a late equaliser to draw level with Widzew Lodz in their last home game but if they fall behind in this game then I don’t see who is going to bail them out, in all honesty.
It doesn’t help Ruch that they’re facing a very in-form Korona Kielce that have won five out of their last six games with the sole blemish on that record being an impressive 2-2 draw at giants Wisla Krakow. They’ve even won 3-1 at a talented Polonia Warsaw side during that run so they really must be taken seriously here. They’re not a team of stars but they’re very well-organised and whilst momentum supports them, they’ll keep taking their chances and looking a force so a disorganised and short-on-numbers Ruch side could have a lot of issues today. Let’s not also forget the reason that Korona Kielce are doing well is because they have a good striker in their ranks at long last – experienced Ekstraklasa striker Niedzielan. Where did they sign him from? Ruch Chorzow in summer! So yes, he’ll know today’s opponents very well indeed and Korona are well-placed to cause problems with that in mind, although I’m a little peturbed that Korona are missing defenders Mijailovic and Kuzera for this game.
Nonetheless, with no competent strikers available for Ruch today, I’m going to take a chance and side with in-form Korona Kielce today although I’ll be covering it with draw no bet as they’re drastically over-achieving at the present time!
Verdict: Korona Kielce to win with draw no bet at evens.
Almeria vs Malaga – away win with draw no bet at 6/5.
Almeria haven’t ever looked worse in the Primera Liga than they do now with a paltry record of just four goals scored in five games. They’re defending with their usual dogged tenacity but they’ve lost their ability to score goals, which is naturally a massive problem. They’ve played two home games this season, both against newly-promoted sides, and have drawn once and lost once. It’s not good enough for a side that will be battling against relegation and they know it but what can they do? They don’t have the resources to stay afloat in this division, to be frank. Almeria’s strength was always their home games because it’s a compact pitch, the fans are very loud, and Almeria defend like troopers. It’s not like that anymore though – Almeria look vulnerable and impotent and any kind of well-organised side can come here and get a result. They’re quite fortunate that Kalu Uche stayed there this summer because had he gone then they’d have lost all attacking threat left in their team. Piatti and Goitom are ok but are nothing more than pacey frontmen whereas Uche actually has a bit of talent to go with it. There’s an awful lot of dependency on a striker who frankly isn’t that great, however, so Almeria look really very predictable at the moment, although still as hard as ever to score against.
However, the above coupled with the way Malaga have been playing makes way for a potential away win here. I have no faith in Malaga without the injured Duda but ex-Porto manager Jesualdo Ferreira has done an absolutely amazing job at the helm of Malaga and they look a real force in attack now, somehow! I swear that this guy performs miracles – he did it for year after year at Porto and now he’s doing it with Malaga. Their attacking displays have been breathtaking at times and had it not been for some poor decision-making, they’d be a lot higher in the Primera Liga table than they currently are. You can see why emerging striker Juanmi is already being sought-after by Liverpool with the seventeen year old having bagged twice in five appearances this season and although Malaga’s attack is rather youthful, the combination between Venezuelan striker Rondon and former Arsenal striker Owusu-Abeyie is good and Malaga look better for it, understandably. They look a completely different side under Ferreira and they look much better for it too! They’ve scored in every game they’ve played in this season with a total of eleven goals scored and although their defence is becoming horribly exposed as a result, their tactics have still worked fabulously well away from home with a 5-3 win against Real Zaragoza and a 2-0 win against Getafe what they have to show for their efforts on the road thus far. They’d have got a better result at home to Villarreal last match had they not had a man sent off and eventually lost 3-2 but make no mistake – Ferreira is building a very good attacking side here and Malaga are not the fools of last year.
I won’t often go against Almeria at home but they’re playing some terrible and ineffectual football at the moment and what concerns me about this game today is that they’re going to have to score a lot of goals against Malaga to take anything from the game and I just don’t see how they’re going to do it. Malaga will undoubtedly give them the necessary chances but Malaga are attacking well and taking their chances so I have to give them a chance to win this one today with generous odds on the draw no bet option of 6/5.
Verdict: Malaga to win with draw no bet at 6/5.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Dynamo Kiev – home win at 3/4.
The scene is set for Shakhtar to take the plaudits today! Dynamo Kiev refused manager Valery Gazzaev’s request to resign earlier this week and as a result, Dynamo lost 2-0 in Moldova against wealthy Sheriff Tiraspol. Since then, Kiev have agreed to let Gazzaev go and thus have management issues ahead of this game. You simply cannot afford to travel to the Donbass Arena with anything but a set gameplan, well-organised unit, and swift counter-attacking options but Kiev are not only short on the first two of those options without a manager but the third due to injuries and a lack of confidence! They’re missing players, they’re out-of-form, but most of all, Kiev look very unconvincing. I have to say that I much favour Dynamo Kiev over Shakhtar Donetsk on a personal level but I don’t see how Kiev can get anything here. Shakhtar have virtually a full-strength side to choose from barring long-term casualty Fernandinho and they’ve got so many creative players on this big, wide pitch that they’re going to give Dynamo one hell of a rough ride today, particularly on the back of a clinical and morale-boosting 3-0 win at Sporting Braga mid-week in Portugal. Shakhtar have won six out of six at home in the Premier League this season, averaging scoring over two goals per game and conceding just once along the way. They’ve beaten Kiev at home for six consecutive home meetings in all competitions (although it should be mentioned that only a handful of those meetings were at this stadium) so it’s not a position that Shakhtar are unfamiliar with. They’re far better-placed to win this game than disorganised and demoralised Dynamo Kiev are so my call is the home win at decent odds of 3/4.
Verdict: Shakhtar Donetsk to win at 3/4.
Accumulator fodder:
Shakhtyor Soligorsk, BATE Borisov, Dinamo Zagreb, Jablonec, Paris Saint-Germain, Ekranas Panevezys, Suduva Marijampole, AFC Ajax Amsterdam, PSV Eindhoven, Molde FK, CSKA Moscow, Villarreal, Barcelona, Real Madrid, IFK Goteborg, Kalmar, Elfsborg Boras, Lugano, Lausanne Sports, Trujillanos, Deportivo Petare.
Recommended bets:
BATE Borisov, Shakhtyor Soligorsk, and Naftan Novopolotsk DNB at 3/1.
Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk, and RoPS Rovaniemi at 4/1.
Over 2.5 goals in all three Swiss Super League games today at 2/1.
As ever, if there any questions/explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below!
Argentinian Primera Division:
Olimpo vs Colon de Santa Fe (5) 1-1
San Lorenzo de Almagro vs Estudiantes De La Plata (5) 2-1, draw no bet
Boca Juniors vs Atletico Lanus (6) over 2.5 goals
Banfield vs River Plate (6) 1-0
Australian A-League:
Perth Glory vs Brisbane Roar (6) under 2.5 goals
Austrian Bundesliga:
SV Kapfenberg vs Rapid Vienna (6) 1-2
SV Ried vs Salzburg (5) 2-1, draw no bet
Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:
Shakhtyor Soligorsk vs Dnepr Mogilev (8) over 2.5 goals
Naftan Novopolotsk vs Dinamo Minsk (5) 2-1, draw no bet
Neman Grodno vs BATE Borisov (8) 0-2
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Club Brugge vs AA Gent (6) 2-1
Standard de Liege vs Anderlecht (6) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Bulgarian A PFG:
Montana vs Chernomorets Burgas (5) under 2.5 goals
Kaliakra vs Akademik Sofia (7) 1-0
Chilean Primera Division:
Palestino vs Cobresal (5) 2-1
O’Higgins vs Cobreloa (6) 1-0
Everton vs La Serena (4) 1-1
Nublense vs Union Espanola (6) 1-1
Colombian Primera A:
Independiente Medellin vs Deportivo Pereira (7) under 2.5 goals
Envigado vs La Equidad Bogota (7) 1-1
Real Cartagena vs Deportes Tolima (5) 2-2
Atletico Huila vs Deportes Quindio (6) 2-1
Boyaca Chico vs Atletico Junior Barranquilla (7) 1-1
Cortulua vs Millonarios Bogota (5) 1-0
Croatian Prva Liga:
Karlovac vs Hajduk Split (7) 0-1
Dinamo Zagreb vs Istra 1961 (9) -1.5 handicap
Cypriot Division 1:
APOEL Nicosia vs Omonia Nicosia (5) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Alki vs AEK Larnaca (5) 1-2, draw no bet
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Brno vs Hradec Kralove (6) 2-1
Jablonec vs Usti nad Labem (8) 2-0
Mlada Boleslav vs Bohemians 1905 (7) 2-0
Danish Superligaen:
Esbjerg vs Nordsjaelland (5) 1-1
Silkeborg vs SonderjyskE (4) 1-1
Brondby vs AC Horsens (7) 2-0
FC Copenhagen vs Randers (6) 1-0, draw no bet
Danish 1st Division:
Hvidovre vs Roskilde (6) over 2.5 goals
Kolding vs Vestjaelland (6)
Fyn vs Hjorring (5) draw no bet
Ecuadorian Primera A:
Liga de Quito vs Emelec Guayaquil (7) 2-1
Independiente vs Espoli Cayambe (4) 1-0
Deportivo Cuenca vs Manta (7) 2-0
Olmedo Riobamba vs Deportivo Quito (5) 1-1
Macara Ambato vs Universidad Catolica (6) 1-0
Barcelona Guayaquil vs El Nacional Quito (4) 0-0
English Premier League:
Manchester City vs Newcastle United (7) 2-1
Liverpool vs Blackpool (6) over 2.5 goals, both sides to score
Chelsea vs Arsenal (8) 2-0
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
Tampere United vs KuPS Kuopio (6) 1-1
AC Oulu vs VPS Vaasa (4) 2-1, draw no bet
Jaro Pietarsaari vs TPS Turku (6) over 2.5 goals, both sides to score
Finnish Ykkonen:
PS Kemi Kings vs MP Mikkeli (6)
PK-35 Helsinki vs RoPS Rovaniemi (7) over 2.5 goals
French Ligue 1:
LOSC Lille vs Montpellier HSC (7) 1-0
Paris Saint-Germain vs OGC Nice (8) 2-0
Stade Rennais vs Toulouse (6) 2-1
German Bundesliga:
VfB Stuttgart vs Eintracht Frankfurt (4) 1-1
Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs Werder Bremen (6) over 2.5 goals, draw no bet
BV09 Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
German Bundesliga 2:
1860 Munich vs Union Berlin (7)
FSV Frankfurt vs Energie Cottbus (5) over 2.5 goals
Erzebirge Aue vs Augsburg (6)
Greek Super League:
Kerkyra Corfu vs Iraklis (6) 1-1
Ergotelis vs Panathinaikos (5) 1-2
Panserraikos vs Larissa (4) 0-1, draw no bet
AEK Athens vs Xanthi (5) under 2.5 goals, draw no bet
PAOK Salonika vs Aris Salonika (5) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Debreceni VSC vs Vasas Budapest (7) over 2.5 goals, both sides to score
Italian Serie A:
Lecce vs Catania (5) 0-0
Chievo Verona vs Cagliari (6) 2-1
Genoa vs Bari (6) 2-1
Lazio vs Brescia (7) 2-1
Bologna vs Sampdoria (6) 0-1
Fiorentina vs Palermo (6) 1-0
SSC Napoli vs AS Roma (7) 1-1
Internazionale vs Juventus (5) 1-1 at least one red card in this game
Japanese J-League:
Jubilo Iwata vs Yokohama F.Marinos (5) 1-1
Tokyo vs Shonan Bellmare (5) 1-0
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Atletas vs Ekranas Panevezys (9) -1.5 handicap
Kruoja Pakruojis vs Zalgiris Vilnius (7) 1-2
Mazeikiai vs Klaipeda (5) 1-1
Tauras Taurage vs Suduva Marijampole (8) 1-2
Mexican Primera Division:
Pumas UNAM vs Morelia (5) 2-1
Puebla vs Queretaro (5) 1-0
Dutch Eredivisie:
AFC Ajax Amsterdam vs FC Utrecht (8) 2-0
Twente Enschede vs Groningen (7) 2-1
AZ Alkmaar vs Heracles Almelo (4) 1-1
De Graafschap vs Feyenoord Rotterdam (3) 1-2, draw no bet
Heerenveen vs ADO Den Haag (6) 2-1
PSV Eindhoven vs VVV Venlo (8) -1.5 handicap
Norwegian Eliteserien:
Sandefjord vs Lillestrom (4) 0-1
Start Kristiansand vs Tromso (6) 2-1
Stabaek vs Aalesund (6) 2-1
Molde FK vs Kongsvinger (8) -1.5 handicap
Haugesund vs Odd Grenland Skien (4) 1-1
Rosenborg BK vs Valerenga Oslo (7) over 2.5 goals
Norwegian Divisjon 1:
Bodo Glimt vs Sogndal (5) draw no bet
Mjondalen vs Bryne (4)
Follo vs Ranheim (5)
Tromsdalen vs Strommen (5)
Moss vs Sarpsborg 08 (6)
Fredrikstad vs Sandnes Ulf (6)
Alta vs Lov-Ham Bergen (4)
Paraguayan Division Profesional:
3 de Febrero vs Sportivo Trinidense (5) 1-0
Cerro Porteno vs Nacional Asuncion (7) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Sport Colombia vs Olimpia Asuncion (6) 1-2
Guarani Asuncion vs Sol de America (6) 1-0
Polish Ekstraklasa:
GKS Belchatow vs Lech Poznan (6) 0-1
Ruch Chorzow vs Korona Kielce (5) 1-2
Polish Liga 1:
Kolejarz Stroze vs LKS Lodz (6)
Nieciecza vs Odra Wodzislaw (4) draw no bet
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
Rio Ave vs Maritimo Funchal (4) under 2.5 goals, draw no bet
CD Nacional de Madeira vs Portimonense (6) 2-1
Naval de Maio vs Pacos de Ferreira (6) 1-1
SL Benfica vs Sporting Braga (4) 1-1
Romanian Liga:
Gaz Metan Medias vs Vaslui (6) under 2.5 goals
CFR Cluj vs Brasov (7) 2-1
Steaua Bucharest vs Sportul Studentesc (7) over 2.5 goals
Russian Premier League:
Sibir Novosibirsk vs Rubin Kazan (7) under 2.5 goals
CSKA Moscow vs Rostov-na-Donu (8) 2-0
Anzhi Makhachkala vs Spartak Moscow (7) 1-2
Spartak Nalchik vs Zenit St.Petersburg (7) 1-2
Saturn Moscow Oblast vs Lokomotiv Moscow (6) 1-1
Slovenian Prva Liga:
Triglav vs Koper (5) 1-1
Spanish Primera Liga:
Sevilla CF vs Atletico Madrid (5) over 2.5 goals, both sides to score
Getafe vs Hercules Alicante (6) 2-1
Villarreal vs Racing Santander (8) 2-0
Almeria vs Malaga (6) over 2.5 goals
Osasuna vs Levante (6) 1-0
Barcelona vs Real Mallorca (8) 3-1
Real Madrid vs Deportivo La Coruna (8) 2-0
Spanish Segunda Liga:
Alcorcon vs Rayo Vallecano de Madrid (5) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Numancia vs Elche (6)
Cordoba vs Barcelona II (5)
Granada vs Girona (5)
Tenerife vs Cartagena (4) draw no bet
Swedish Allsvenskan:
Halmstad vs Brommapojkarna (7) 2-0
IFK Goteborg vs Mjallby Solvesborg (8) 2-1
Elfsborg Boras vs Atvidaberg (8) over 2.5 goals
Djurgarden vs AIK Solna (3) 0-1, draw no bet
BK Hacken Goteborg vs Orebro (6) 1-2
Kalmar vs Gefle (8) 2-1
Trelleborg vs Malmo (5) 1-1
Swedish Superettan:
Assyriska Sodertalje vs Orgryte (5)
Swiss Super League:
Basel vs Sion (7) 2-1
Grasshoppers Zurich vs FC Zurich (5) 2-2
Luzern vs Young Boys Bern (6) 2-2
Swiss Challenge League:
Lugano vs Biel-Bienne (9)
Delemont vs Servette (6)
Lausanne Sports vs Aarau (9)
Turkish Super Lig:
Istanbul BB vs Bursaspor (5) 1-1
Sivasspor vs Gaziantepspor (4) 2-1
Trabzonspor vs Besiktas JK (6) 0-0
Antalyaspor vs Kasimpasa (7) 2-1
Ukrainian Premier League:
Sevastopol vs Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih (7) 0-0
Karpaty Lviv vs Metalist Kharkiv (6) 1-1
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Dynamo Kiev (6) 2-1
Uruguayan Primera Division:
Danubio vs River Plate Montevideo (7) 2-1
Tacuarembo vs Miramar Misiones (5) 1-1
Central Espanol vs El Tanque Sisley (4) 1-0
Rampla Juniors vs Fenix (6) 1-1
Club Nacional de Montevideo vs Liverpool Montevideo (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Venezuelan Primera Division:
Carabobo vs Atletico Venezuela (6) 1-0
Yaracuyanos vs Estudiantes de Merida (7) 2-1
Trujillanos vs Caroni (8) 2-0
Deportivo Tachira vs Monagas SC (7) 2-1
Deportivo Lara vs Caracas (6) 1-1
Zamora vs Atletico El Vigia (5) 1-1
Mineros de Guayana vs Zulia (7) 2-1
Deportivo Anzoategui vs Aragua (6) 1-0
Deportivo Petare vs Real Esppor Club (8) 2-1
Welsh Premier League:
Airbus vs Newtown (6) 2-1
Enjoy your free betting tips!