Manchester United vs Manchester City + Arsenal vs Chelsea
FreeThis game is just one of four remaining league games that Liverpool must desperately hope Manchester United slip up in, as they did last season. As it’s a derby, this type of game is very hard to call. If this game was played with Manchester City not being the rivals of Manchester United, you’d have to back a convincing home win every single time. However, Manchester City have won their fair share of derbies over the last few years, most notably their 2-1 victory at Old Trafford last season. The only defence that could be provided for Manchester United on that occasion was the pressure presented due to it being 50 years since the Munich air disaster, which is something all Manchester United fans treat with great respect, which made the defeat hurt even more – I know, I was there! However, that was a year ago and now we have a side at the top of the league that needs only seven points from the remaining twelve to have won a third consecutive league title. Like all sides, Manchester United have their bogey teams, and I think it’s fair to say that Manchester City are one of those sides. However, Manchester United have displayed some breathtaking displays lately that are most notable for being when they’re absolutely essential i.e. at Arsenal and Porto in the Champions League, at Middlesbrough in the league etc. which is why I fancy a home win today. Manchester United have one of the best home records in Europe and Manchester City have one of the worst away records in the Premier League so despite this game being a derby, my decisions aren’t too challenging! Given that Manchester United have an almost entirely fit squad now though, you really have to fancy a home win. My call is 2-0, but it could be double that if Manchester United play as well today as they did against Arsenal mid-week.
Arsenal vs Chelsea is always a very interesting fixture in my eyes because it literally is youth vs money. You could also dub this game “the battle for third place” if you felt particularly venomous! This fixture has additional interest, however, as both sides were knocked out of the Champions League this week. Arsenal’s youngsters were made to look their age as an experienced and incisive Manchester United tore them apart, winning 1-3 on the night, 1-4 on aggregate. Ironically, Chelsea’s money-men were made to look like kids as Barcelona snatched a last-gasp equalised at Stamford Bridge to progress to the final on away goals, drawing 1-1 on the night. Chelsea’s players surrounded the referee and were absolutely livid, and I can’t blame them – 3-4 stonewall penalties were turned down and if I supported the side that encountered this misfortune, I’d probably do more than utter a few curse words! However, both managers have a lot of work to do to get their sides up and ready again. For me, the side that will be hurt most mid-week is Arsenal because their side is very young and such a comprehensive victory would knock even Arsene Wenger’s school of often over-used confidence which makes even shit players like Niklas Bendtner think they should start ever week. I personally think this game will be something akin to the FA Cup Semi-Final played between these two sides a few weeks ago; Arsenal making a bright start and scoring first before Chelsea score two goals to win the game 2-1. The odds should be good on it but Arsenal do have some quality players so perhaps take it on draw no bet. Don’t bet against any red cards either!
Sunday’s Picks
My tips:
Obviously you can mix and match any of the below, should you wish! However, my personal favourite bets of the day are listed below in order of likelihood:
Manchester United, BATE Borisov, Barcelona, Almeria, Porto – should be 8/1 or 9/1
Slaven Koprivnica, Fiorentina, Fram Reykjavik, Feyenoord Rotterdam – should be 6/1
Xerez, Tenerife, IFK Mareihamn, Universitatea Craiova – should be 11/1
Also, give a thought to a 5-team accumulator in the Spanish Segunda Liga today – Xerez, Tenerife, Castellon, Real Sociedad and Gimnastic de Tarragona at about 16/1 is superb!!
Dead certs/makeweights for accumulators in no particular order:
Lokomotiv Sofia, Partizan Belgrade, Skonto Riga, FK Ventspils, Liepajas Metalugs, Castellon, Halmstads, Dynamo Kiev, Shakhtar Donetsk
Ok, this section is full of sides who have a good chance of winning with good/decent odds. I’ve listed them in 4-team accumulators in order of likelihood:
Cherno More Varna, Dinamo Zagreb, AC Milan, Elfsborg
Internazionale, PSV Eindhoven, Schalke 04, Chelsea
BSC Young Boys Bern, Naftan Novopolotsk, Brondby, AC Oulu
Deportivo La Coruna, Vitesse Arnhem, KR Reykjavik, Dinaburg Daugavpils
Real Sociedad, PS Kemi Kings, Real Valladolid, Gimnastic de Tarragona
Draw no bet accumulator(s):
Chelsea, CSKA Moscow, AC Milan, Unirea Urziceni, FK Moscow
For the complete picks listing, see below!
Austrian Bundesliga:
Rapid Vienna vs Salzburg (6) 2-2
Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:
Torpedo Zhodino vs FC Gomel (7) 2-0
Naftan Novopolotsk vs FC Smorgon (8) 2-0
MTZ-RIPO Minsk vs Dnepr Mogilev (7) 1-0
FC Vitebsk vs BATE Borisov (8) 0-2
Granit Mikashevichi vs Dinamo Minsk (7) 1-2
Shakhtyor Soligorsk vs FC Minsk (6) 1-0
Neman Grodno vs Dinamo Brest (5) 1-1
Bulgarian A PFG:
Belasitsa Petrich vs Lokomotiv Sofia (9) 1-3
Sliven vs Cherno More Varna (8) 1-2
PFC Minior Pernik vs Vihren Sandanski (6) 1-0
Croatian Prva Liga:
Sibenik vs Dinamo Zagreb (8) 1-2
Slaven Koprivnica vs NK Zagreb (8) 2-1
Varteks Varazdin vs Osijek (7) 1-1
Zadar vs Cibalia Vinkovci (6) 1-0
Croatia Sesvete vs Inter Zapresic (6) 1-1
Rijeka vs Hajduk Split (7) 1-2
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Bohemians Prague vs Jablonec (7) 1-1
Teplice vs Kladno (7) 2-0
Slavia Prague vs Ceske Budejovice (7) 1-0
Zlin vs Sparta Prague (5) 1-1
Danish Superligaen:
SonderjyskE vs Vejle BK (7) 2-0
Randers vs OB Odense (7) 2-3
Esbjerg vs Brondby (8) 1-2
English Premier League:
Manchester United vs Manchester City (8) 2-0
Arsenal vs Chelsea (7) 1-2, hosts to score first
English League Two:
Bury vs Shrewsbury Town (7)
Gillingham vs Rochdale (7)
Faroese Meistaradeildin:
HB Torshavn vs AB Argir (8)
EB/Streymur vs B36 Torshavn (7)
07 Vestur Sorvagur vs IF Fuglafjordur (6)
B68 Toftir vs KI Klaksvik (6)
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
RoPS Rovaniemi vs IFK Mariehamn (8) 1-2
KuPS Kuopio vs JJK Jyvaskyla (7) 1-1
Finnish Ykkonen:
PS Kemi Kings vs Atlantis FC Helsinki (8)
AC Oulu vs TP 47 Tornio (8)
Jippo Joensuu vs TPV Tampere (7)
FC Kiisto Vaasa vs KPV Kokkola (6)
German Bundesliga:
Werder Bremen vs Hamburger SV (4) 1-1
Borussia Moenchengladbach vs Schalke 04 (8) 1-2
Greek Super League:
PAOK vs Panathinaikos (7) 1-2
AEK Athens vs Larissa (7) 2-0
Icelandic Landsbankadeild Karla:
KR Reykjavik vs Fjolnir Reykjavik (8) 2-1
Fram Reykjavik vs IBV Vestmannaeyjar (9) 3-0
Breidablik Reykjavik vs Throttur Reykjavik (7) 1-1
Stjarnan Gardabaer vs UMF Grindavik (6) 1-1
Fylkir Reykjavik vs Valur Reykjavik (6) 1-1
Italian Serie A:
Atalanta Bergamo vs Genoa (6) 1-1
Cagliari vs AS Roma (6) 1-2
Catania vs Fiorentina (8) 1-2
Chievo Verona vs Internazionale (7) 1-2
Lecce vs SSC Napoli (5) 1-1
Siena vs Palermo (7) 0-1
Torino vs Bologna (6) 1-1
AC Milan vs Juventus (8) 2-1
Latvian Virsliga:
Liepajas Metalurgs vs Olimps Riga (9) 2-0
Dinaburg Daugavpils vs Tranzits Ventspils (8) 2-0
Skonto Riga vs Blazma Rezekne (9) 3-0
FK Ventspils vs Daugava Riga (9) 3-1
Luxembourgian Division Nationala:
Differdange 03 vs Fola Esch (7)
Sporting Steinfort vs Rumelange (6)
Racing FC Union Luxembourg vs Progres Niedercorn (5)
Avenir Beggen vs CS Grevenmacher (9)
Etzella Ettelbruck vs Kaerjeng 97 (5)
Swift Hesperange vs Dudelange (8)
Jeunesse Esch vs Hamm Benfica (7)
Dutch Eredivisie:
AFC Ajax Amsterdam vs FC Twente Enschede (8) 1-1
AZ Alkmaar vs Heerenveen (7) 2-1
De Graafschap vs Volendam (7) 2-1
ADO Den Haag vs Vitesse Arnhem (8) 1-2
Feyenoord Rotterdam vs Roda JC (8) 3-1
Groningen vs NAC Breda (5) 1-1
Heracles vs FC Utrecht (6) 1-2
NEC Nijmegen vs Sparta Rotterdam (6) 1-1
Willem II vs PSV Eindhoven (8) 1-2
Polish Ekstraklasa:
Ruch Chorzow vs Piast Gliwice (5) 1-1
Wisla Krakow vs Legia Warsaw (7) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
Pacos de Ferreira vs Maritimo Funchal (7) 1-1
Naval vs Estrela da Amadora (6) 0-0
Leixoes Matosinhos vs Academica de Coimbra (7) 1-0
Porto vs Nacional Funchal (9) 3-1
Republic of Macedonia Prva Liga:
Milano Kumanovo vs Sileks Kratovo (7)
Rabotnicki Skopje vs Makedonija GP Skopje (6)
Turnovo vs Metalurg Skopje (6)
Pelister Bitola vs Napredok Kicevo (5)
Romanian Liga:
CS Otopeni vs Universitatea Craiova (8) 1-2
Arges Pitesti vs Gloria Bistrita (6) 1-1
Unirea Urziceni vs CFR Cluj (7) 2-1
Russian Premier League:
Dinamo Moscow vs CSKA Moscow (7) 1-2
Terek Grozny vs Amkar Perm (6) 1-1
Zenit St Petersburg vs Krylya Sovetov Samara (5) 1-1
FK Moscow vs Lokomotiv Moscow (7) 1-0
Scottish Premier League:
Inverness Caledonian Thistle vs Hamilton Academicals (6) 2-1
Serbian Super Liga:
Banat Zrenjanin vs Napredak Krusevac (7) 1-2
Partizan Belgrade vs Jagodina (10) 3-0
Slovakian Corgon Liga:
MSK Zilina vs Slovan Bratislava (7) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Spanish Primera Liga:
Almeria vs Sporting Club de Gijon (8) 2-0
Getafe vs Osasuna (7) 1-1
Recreativo de Huelva vs Deportivo La Coruna (8) 1-2
Malaga vs Racing Club de Santander (6) 2-2
Real Valladolid vs Numancia (7) 2-1
Barcelona vs Villarreal CF (9) 3-1
Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol (7) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Spanish Segunda Liga:
Tenerife vs Real Murcia (9)
Castellon vs Sevilla Atletico (9)
Girona vs Xerez (9)
Alicante vs Real Sociedad (8)
Gimnastic de Tarragona vs Alaves (8)
Swedish Allsvenskan:
Malmo vs Djurgardens (5) 1-1
Halmstads vs Orgryte (9) 3-1
GAIS Goteborg vs Elfsborg (8) 1-2
Swiss Super League:
Bellinzona vs BSC Young Boys Bern (8) over 2.5 goals
Sion vs Grasshoppers Zurich (6) 1-1
Turkish Super Lig:
Kayserispor vs Gaziantepspor (6) 1-0
Ukrainian Premier League:
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Kharkiv (10) 3-0
Metalurg Zaporizhya vs Karpaty Lviv (7) 2-1
Dynamo Kiev vs Tavriya (8) 2-1
Enjoy your free betting tips!