Club Brugge vs Villarreal
FreeThe first of two nights of UEFA Europa League football starts tonight so please bet with caution – this competition is very unreliable!
Today’s featured game is the UEFA Europa League game between Belgian giants Club Brugge and Spanish heavyweights Villarreal. This game is somewhat redundant as Club Brugge are already out of this competition and Villarreal have already qualified for the next round but to guarantee top spot in the group, Villarreal must win this game so they at least have some motivation here.
Unlike their opponents today, Club Brugge simply have no motivation for this game. That’s why Adrie Koster hasn’t even called Hoefkens, Geraerts, and Stijnen into the squad for tonight’s game, which leaves Club Brugge without an experience centre-back, battling midfielder, and number one goalkeeper respectively. Considering that Club Brugge struggle to defend at the best of times, you have to doubt their credentials today. Indeed, I doubt the afore-mentioned will be the end of Koster’s tinkering for this game because although he obviously doesn’t want to see his side embarassed here, he has to be realistic and appreciate that Club Brugge aren’t at their best at the moment and also evaluate his options ahead of their massive clash with Anderlecht at weekend. Club Brugge have actually called up youngsters Coseans, Van Ackter, and Vermeulen to feature in this game, just to reinforce the above point. Club Brugge have meandered to wins at home to Westerlo (4-3!) and at Mechelen (0-1) in their last couple of games, which looks decent on paper but Brugge have been poor in those games. In terms of the UEFA Europa League, Club Brugge have already lost at home to Dinamo Zagreb and drawn with PAOK Salonika in games that actually mattered so it remains to be seen how they’ll do against a Villarreal side that they’ve already lost against this season, albeit at El Madrigal. Club Brugge can finally play the essential Vargas in midfield after he served his ban and he should be able to cause Villarreal problems tonight as he has for almost every opponent this season already. However, with no motivation, players missing, and a natural inability to defend, Club Brugge could definitely be in better condition to face a superior Villarreal side tonight.
Villarreal only miss centre-back Marchena for this game but do welcome back Capdevila from injury so they’re almost at full-strength for this game as it is. Villarreal don’t need to win this game but they’ll prefer to as to ensure that they win the group, hence their strongest squad available being taken out to Belgium. Villarreal will be looking to give their fans something to smile about after their recent good run was broken apart after a 1-0 loss at weekend against nine-man Getafe. Nilmar and Rossi have looked very strong in attack for Villarreal in recent times and with the sheer quality of Villarreal alone, you have to fancy them here tonight, especially with ageless Senna and creative Cazorla in midfield. I anticipate a thoroughly composed and professional Villarreal display here and if that happens, even with only gradual incision, they should still win this game fairly comfortably tonight.
Although the risk element is notable here given that neither side needs to win this game, I still think it’s worth taking Villarreal here. Both sides are geared up to play attacking football and I anticipate a decent game with that in mind. However, I simply cannot look past a Villarreal win as it means more to them, which has been demonstrated by the strength of the squad that they’ve brought. Therefore, my call is the away win at evens although I’d leave it if it hits 4/5.
Incidentally, if you’re reading this tip somewhere other than www.thefootytipster.com then please note that it has been stolen without our permission!
Team news – Club Brugge miss Hoefkens, Geraerts, and Stijnen. Villarreal miss Marchena.
Verdict: Villarreal to win at evens.
Follow your bet as the match unfolds at www.FlashScores.co.uk!
Wednesday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
Pachuca vs Al Wahda – under 2.5 goals at 11/10.
I’m anticipating a pretty droll game between these two sides today as the better of these two sides (Pachuca) showed little interest in the competition when it mattered by losing 1-0 to Congolese outfit TP Mazembe whereas Al Wahda are determined to make their mark as they’re representing the host nation but lack quality barring their infamous threesome of Magrao, Hugo, and Baiano.
Pachuca were a little lazy against TP Mazembe but I still think they were unfortunate to lose. Mazembe wanted it more so fair play to them – you can’t argue with that. However, Mazembe didn’t carve Pachuca apart defensively – the Mexicans were generally in control of most situations when Mazembe pushed on. Indeed, goalkeeper Calero could and should have kept the Mazembe goal out so I won’t read excessively into Pachuca’s last game. However, despite Pachuca’s excellent arsenal of attacking talent, they simply failed to register a goal against Mazembe last match. Arizala was guilty of missing a gluttony of chances whilst Pachuca struck the woodwork twice, once through an excellent shot from Argentinian playmaker Manso, who was the heartbeat of the team. On another day, Pachuca would have won the game but their lack of interest in the game was apparent so I expect more of the same today.
Al Wahda will work harder than Pachuca here, in my opinion. They’re the only club in the competition from the United Arab Emirates and they want to give their loyal fans something better to remember rather than a somewhat embarassing 4-1 drubbing at the hands of South Korean side Seongnam Ilhwa. Al Wahda lack a lot of creativity without Hugo in midfield but as he’s there, they should still be able to fashion at least a few chances. Unfortunately for Al Wahda, Pachuca are used to dealing with the likes of Hugo so I don’t believe we’ll see a great deal in the way of attacking football from Al Wahda today, and not through choice either! Nonetheless, Baiano remains one of the best strikers currently in this competition and you can see it from his off-the-ball movement, finesse, touch, and aerial prowess so he’ll be a constant threat today. Indeed, if I was to bet on a goalscorer in this game, then he’d definitely be the one I would back. It’s up to Al Wahda to provide the necessary service for him today, however, and I just don’t think that will happen with Pachuca unlikely to break forward much due to a lack of motivation.
Therefore, I’m looking at a pretty boring game here with few goals. Ideally, both sides would do what they do best and attack and we’d see plenty of goals. Indeed, if Pachuca show up then this game has over 2.5 goals all over it but my thought pattern is that they’re unlikely to do so as they didn’t care when they had a chance to win the competition; why care now in a fifth-place play-off? I expect Pachuca to have the lion’s share of the possession and with the side wanting the win the most not being in possession of the ball the most, you can to envision few goals occurring here so I think under 2.5 goals at 11/10 looks appealing for this game.
Incidentally, if you’re reading this tip somewhere other than www.thefootytipster.com then please note that it has been stolen without our permission!
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 11/10.
Follow your bet as the match unfolds at www.FlashScores.co.uk!
Seongnam Ilhwa vs Internazionale – Lay Internazionale at half-time at 4/5.
Is it just me or are the bookies drastically overrating a highly unconvincing Internazionale side here? No European side has treated this competition with a great deal of respect with some half-arsed displays from the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona over the past few years and I don’t see that changing this year, especially with Inter’s Serie A title under threat following bad displays.
We also have to taken into account that Spanish bumbler Rafa Benitez is in charge now and Inter simply don’t work with his tactics. They lack ideas, they lack goals, they lack composure, and most of all – they lack belief. Mourinho brought them all of those things and I think he deserves more respect than he gets for his job at Inter in the sense that he won them a massive tournament with no world-class strikers! A lot of people would class Eto’o as a world-class striker but I’m not one of them, I’m afraid – he’s lightning with his pace but his finishing can often let him down. Inter without Mourinho look quite old at the back, impotent in front of goal, and generally clueless tactically. They still have Cambiasso, which is fortuitous, as he’d carry this club to hell and back if he had to. However, they’re simply not that good a side anymore, to be blunt. I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll mention it again – Italian football is generally very predictable and easy to play against and that’s what I expect to happen today.
Seongnam Ilhwa aren’t world-beaters but they’re certainly not mugs either. They’ve travelled all over Asia to face clubs in the Asian Champions League, taking on all kinds of tactical variations and some rapidly-growing clubs so don’t underestimate them here. They showed in their 4-1 drubbing of Al Wahda that this competition means something to them so they’ll be determined to do well here. They stated pre-tournament that their aim was to reach this stage and face Internazionale; after that, what happens, happens. I’ve personally been very impressed with what I’ve seen of Seongnam thus far however – they’ve been interested, well-organised, incisive, and frankly dangerous. They’ve got pace in their side which Internazionale hate playing against and although striker Radoncic is likely to be in Inter’s pocket as his strength is in the air (where Inter’s defensive strength lies), controlling Colombian playmaker Molina is another matter entirely!
All in all, I’m expecting a much closer game than the bookies appear to expect here. Inter haven’t convinced on any fronts this season so why they would against an energetic and drive South Korean opponent today, I don’t know! For me, laying Internazionale at half-time at odds of 4/5 is a pure bargain as they’re slow starters at the best of times so that’s my main call here, although I can’t overlook the generous odds available on the selections of laying Internazionale overall at 9/5 or backing both teams to score at 4/5.
P.S. Just to back up my point about Inter being slow starters – did you know that they’ve only led at half-time in four out of fifteen Serie A games this season? A different competition, admittedly, but it speaks volumes about their tactics!
Incidentally, if you’re reading this tip somewhere other than www.thefootytipster.com then please note that it has been stolen without our permission!
Verdict: Lay Internazionale at half-time at 4/5.
Follow your bet as the match unfolds at www.FlashScores.co.uk!
Dinamo Zagreb vs PAOK Salonika – home win at 4/5.
As if this game wasn’t heated enough already with Dinamo needing a win to secure a place in the latter stages of this competition but their fans decided to contribute by attacking a PAOK bus of travelling fans recently so expect a pretty spicy game here, guys.
As I’ve said already – Dinamo have to win this game or they’re out; it’s that simple. I think they’d have took that opportunity if you offered it to them at the start of the campaign, however, so I don’t think they’ll be too disappointed by the current scenario. Let’s face it – we’re looking at a sellout crowd at Maksimir and if playmaker Sammir turns up then Dinamo will be on fire for this game. They’ve got a good side and as long as they don’t become stagnant ala their game against Varteks Varazdin lately then I fancy their chances here. Visitors PAOK need to not lose this game and although they boast a presentable away record in European football, I don’t think they’ll manage it here. They’ve got the ability to do so but rumoured internal problems at the club, the continued saga of the possible takeover, and an absentee list as long as your arm means that they should struggle here. Muslimovic and Ivic are big losses for PAOK, in my opinion, as is Vitolo and Malezas, which thus affects their attacking pace, creativity, and defensive stability here. I can accept one question mark but there’s various over PAOK here so I think they may find the intimidating Maksimir a difficult venue tonight.
This should be a close and fairly low-scoring affair but given the tension and pressure ahead of this encounter, I have to envision goals coming at somepoint. For me, Dinamo have barely put a foot wrong thus far and as long as they’re composed tonight whilst getting Sammir on the ball as much as possible then they should be able to win this game at decent odds of 4/5 – leave it if the odds drop though.
Incidentally, if you’re reading this tip somewhere other than www.thefootytipster.com then please note that it has been stolen without our permission!
Team news – Dinamo miss Biscan and have doubts over Cufre and Vrsaljko. PAOK miss Zuela, Muslimovic, Malezas, Ivic, Cristiano, Vitolo, and Cirillo whilst having doubts over Kresic, Savini, and Garcia.
Verdict: Dinamo Zagreb to win at 4/5.
Follow your bet as the match unfolds at www.FlashScores.co.uk!
AZ Alkmaar vs BATE Borisov – AZ Alkmaar to win at 4/5.
This is another redundant game so do approach with caution here.
However, Netherlands outfit AZ Alkmaar had been playing very well lately prior to their acceptable 2-0 defeat at a strong Groningen side at weekend so I’m going to stick my neck out and say it’ll carry on tonight. AZ have no motivation to win it, however, as they’re already out of the UEFA Europa League, so that could be a stumbling block, as could the absence of creative Elm in the centre of the park. However, as I said earlier, AZ have been playing well lately and for them to score goals with a fairly average/emerging attack line, they’ve done very well indeed. Would AZ rest players here? I doubt it – they’re at home to NEC Nijmegen at weekend so there’s no real reason to rest players. They’ve got a good enough side to control this game and although I still have my age-old concerns about AZ putting the ball in the back of the net, you have to give them a shout on their home turf whilst in decent form.
What really swung it in favour of AZ Alkmaar instead of the under 2.5 goals goal here, however, was the fact that Belarusian heayvweights BATE Borisov haven’t played a competitive game for nearly two weeks now. You saw how bad they were against Dynamo Kiev in the last round after a short space of time without competitive football – I can only imagine how they are currently, especially in the knowledge that they’ve already qualified for the next round of the UEFA Europa League. The likes of Rodionov, Bressan, and Kontsevoy are always potent threats and should be taken seriously at all times. However, BATE have no need to win this game and haven’t played a competitive game for a while so I think they’re going to find themselves a tad rusty against an AZ side that have been playing consistently for weeks now.
BATE won this fixture 4-1 in Belarus; if nothing else, AZ Alkmaar must want revenge here. Under 2.5 goals appeals to me still as I can see AZ monopolising possession without scoring all of their chances. However, I’m going to stick with the home win at 4/5 as AZ have impressed me a lot in recent weeks and they should be able to overcome their rusty opponents tonight.
Incidentally, if you’re reading this tip somewhere other than www.thefootytipster.com then please note that it has been stolen without our permission!
Team news – AZ Alkmaar miss Rasmus Elm for this game.
Verdict: AZ Alkmaar to win at 4/5.
Follow your bet as the match unfolds at www.FlashScores.co.uk!
Sparta Prague vs CSKA Moscow – over 2.5 goals at 9/10.
This game means nothing to either side from a competition perspective but it will mean something for one factor alone; Tomas Necid. Tomas Necid joined CSKA Moscow from Sparta Prague’s bitter rivals Slavia Prague a couple of years ago and needless to say, he won’t be particularly welcome here. Neither side has played a competitive game for a couple of weeks so expect rusty displays from both sides here. When a side like Sparta Prague is rusty, they concede goals for fun because they’re weak defensively at the best of times. Vagner Love might not be available for CSKA here but any level of attacking pace will trouble Repka and co. in this game. However, Sparta were attacking well too before the Gambrinus Liga winter break kicked in and there may be a little rivalry from a goalscoring perspective between emerging Ivorian strikers Wilfried and Doumbia for Sparta Prague and CSKA Moscow respectively here. CSKA miss Honda and Alexey Berzeutskiy here too, which will affect their ability to funcion as a unit. I expect a pretty laid-back but open game between these two sides, to be blunt, and that should yield over 2.5 goals. CSKA have won their previous two away games in the UEFA Europa League whilst going over 2.5 goals ahead of this game and all five of Sparta’s UEFA Europa League games have gone over 2.5 goals thus far due to good attacking and poor defending so I think 9/10 on this game going over 2.5 goals is a good price for this selection tonight.
Incidentally, if you’re reading this tip somewhere other than www.thefootytipster.com then please note that it has been stolen without our permission!
CSKA miss Vagner Love, Mark Gonzalez, Keisuke Honda, and Alexey Berzeutskiy
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 9/10.
Follow your bet as the match unfolds at www.FlashScores.co.uk!
Sevilla CF vs BV09 Borussia Dortmund – over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
The obvious bet here is to take Dortmund to win at 6/4 but something just doesn’t sit well with me regarding that selection. Dortmund are playing very well and Sevilla aren’t so it makes sense but that was the same scenario when Dortmund lost at home to Sevilla earlier in the current campaign and although Sevilla were fortunate in that game, they still took the three points so I have my doubts over the away win tonight although I must confess that I’d love to see Dortmund win here as they deserve to progress more than Sevilla.
However, as things currently stand, it’s Sevilla who are progressing ahead of Dortmund so this is very much a pivotal game in the outcome of the group. Manzano’s Sevilla have been beyond ineffectual of late, however, bafflingly losing 1-3 at home to impotent local rivals Almeria. Sevilla’s defence is a mess without Dragutinovic and has been for weeks so I don’t expect to see anything different tonight. Sevilla know that and with that in mind, they have to attack and try to score goals or they’re going to go out as they can’t possibly keep a clean sheet here. Manzano knows that; that’s why Sevilla CF have called Jesus Navas and Luis Fabiano into the squad although neither is 100% fit. Sevilla have to attack here and to be honest, they really should score. They’re a good attacking side and tend to score even when they lose so I fancy them to bag here, especially against a Dortmund defence that could concede against anyone. However, Dortmund simply must win this game and they know it too. They’ve brought ample strikers for this game to bolster their offensive game if they need it so I expect a very open game here with plenty of chances and hopefully plenty of goals as a result.
I don’t want to get involved in the 1×2 market here as there could be a surprise on the horizon. However, over 2.5 goals at 4/5 looks inviting enough for two very attack-minded sides with weak defences.
Incidentally, if you’re reading this tip somewhere other than www.thefootytipster.com then please note that it has been stolen without our permission!
Team news – Sevilla CF miss Guarente, Kone, Dragutinovic, and Navarro.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Follow your bet as the match unfolds at www.FlashScores.co.uk!
SSC Napoli vs Steaua Bucharest – both sides to score at 11/10.
Napoli boss Walter Mazzari will be up in the stands tonight having been sent off against FC Utrecht in their last game so his side must do this without him.
The trouble is that his side could really do with his presence on the sidelines in this game tonight. They’re yet to win a UEFA Europa League game with four draws and one defeat leading them into this game. However, to progress to the next round, they must beat Steaua tonight to leapfrog them in the table so the pressure is on. Napoli’s fans really haven’t helped matters by publicly announcing their intention to basically kill/injure Steaua fans in response to the off-the-pitch happenings in Bucharest a couple of months ago. Napoli fans have already stabbed Liverpool fans this season so it’s not beyond them tonight and thus I expect there to be a feisty San Paolo atmosphere and thus a spicy game here.
Let’s face it – Italy and Romania have rarely had the best of relations in footballing sense and I’d be surprised to see anything other than that tonight. Napoli need to claim their first group win and Steaua need to avoid defeat here. Steaua boss Marius Lacatus promises offensive football but I feel he’s lying; he’s a defensive coach and has proven it numerous times. That said, I don’t think it’s going to take an offensive Steaua display to score against a Napoli defence which has practically given away goals in their European campaign thus far, three of which were conceded in Bucharest against Steaua in the bizarre 3-3 draw a couple of months ago. Steaua are good enough on the counter-attack to trouble Napoli’s somewhat shaky defence here but similarly, Napoli have looked strong in attack themselves and should be able to score here too. I’m not getting involved in the 1×2 market here as although Napoli should win this game, there have been a lot of games that they “should” have won in this competition and they’re still yet to win any so 4/11 is far too short for me to take them on here. Therefore, I’ll stick with both sides scoring at generous odds of 11/10, even though Napoli are missing pacey Argentinian striker Lavezzi for this game through injury.
Incidentally, if you’re reading this tip somewhere other than www.thefootytipster.com then please note that it has been stolen without our permission!
Team news – Napoli miss Lavezzi for this game.
Verdict: Both sides to score at 11/10.
Follow your bet as the match unfolds at www.FlashScores.co.uk!
Newcastle Jets vs Gold Coast United – both teams to score at 4/5.
Is it time for Newcastle Jets’ good run of form to come to an end? I can’t make any promises as this should be a good game but their opponents are good enough to beat them today so approach this game with caution.
The Jets are unbeaten in six consecutive A-League games now, a run which was started by a 3-1 win over high-flying Adelaide United, which means the Jets have won four out of their last six games. Therefore, confidence at the club is high and thus they’re getting good results to their credit. The Jets are a very hard side to break down but their weak spot is that they generally don’t score goals. However, they’ve scored for six consecutive games now and even Francis Jeffers has got on the scoresheet so they must be doing something right in attack! Unsurprisingly, Michael Bridges is still not fit for this game due to injury and he joins fellow strikers Brockie and Rooney on the sidelines for this game. However, the Jets still have Haliti, Jesic, and Jeffers available and they’ve drafted Zhang Shuo into the squad as back-up so they’re not short in attack.
However, they are missing arising midfield talent Kantarovski through injury and number one goalkeeper Kennedy for this game so the visitors will find a slightly less immortal Jets side than normal here. Gold Coast United welcome back Porter, Minniecon, and Caravella for this game but regrettably wave goodbye to a hefty part of their midfield with both Culina and Robson injured for this encounter. It’s fortunate Caravella is back, really, or Gold Coast could have been really short in midfield today. Porter should replace missing Barisic in attack alongside Djite but missing Rees in defence could cause problems for the visitors here and grant their hosts a chance to boost their somewhat limited goal difference ratio. I don’t think it can be denied that Gold Coast are the better of these two sides, however, even without the core of their midfield so I fancy Gold Coast to cause problems here. They’ve played well lately too, beating Melbourne Heart and Wellington Phoenix convincingly without conceding a goal. They’ve scored for eight consecutive games, including on a trip to in-form Adelaide United, so they know how to find the net themselves. Much like their hosts, Gold Coast are not an easy side to score against but they’re a lot more potent than their hosts so the visitors must be taken seriously here.
The last meeting between these two sides with the Jets hosting it ended 3-2. I doubt we’ll see a similar scoreline here but I do think that the market is generously priced for both sides to score at 4/5 given the missing players and good form of both teams so that’s my call today.
Incidentally, if you’re reading this tip somewhere other than www.thefootytipster.com then please note that it has been stolen without our permission!
Team news – Newcastle Jets miss Wheelhouse, Kantarovski, Young, Bridges, Brockie, Rooney, and Kennedy for this game whereas Gold Coast United miss Culina, Broadfoot, Piorkowski, Osman, Rees, Barisic, and Robson for this game.
Verdict: Both sides to score at 4/5.
Follow your bet as the match unfolds at www.FlashScores.co.uk!
Accumulator fodder:
Dynamo Kiev, Porto.
Recommended bets:
Dynamo Kiev, Villarreal, and Porto at 2/1.
As ever, if there are any questions/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!
FIFA World Club Cup:
Pachuca vs Al Wahda (5) under 2.5 goals
Seongnam Ilhwa vs Internazionale (3) 2-1, draw no bet
UEFA Europa League:
Dinamo Zagreb vs PAOK Salonika (6) 2-1
Club Brugge vs Villarreal (6) over 2.5 goals
AZ Alkmaar vs BATE Borisov (5) under 2.5 goals
Dynamo Kiev vs Sheriff Tiraspol (8) 2-0
Sparta Prague vs CSKA Moscow (5) over 2.5 goals
Lausanne Sports vs Palermo (3) 2-1, draw no bet
Karpaty Lviv vs Paris Saint-Germain (5) 1-1
Sevilla CF vs BV09 Borussia Dortmund (4) over 2.5 goals
SSC Napoli vs Steaua Bucharest (6) 2-1
Liverpool vs FC Utrecht (6) 1-0
Besiktas JK vs Rapid Vienna (4) over 2.5 goals
Porto vs CSKA Sofia (8) -1.5 handicap
Australian A-League:
Newcastle Jets vs Gold Coast United (6) 1-1
North Queensland Fury vs Sydney FC (5) 1-2
Chilean Primera Division:
Union Espanola vs Audax Italiano (6) over 2.5 goals
Colombian Primera A:
Deportes Tolima vs Once Caldas Manizales (5) over 2.5 goals
Dutch Eredivisie:
Excelsior Rotterdam vs NAC Breda (5) 1-1
Enjoy your free betting tips!