Mons vs Anderlecht
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Today’s secondary featured game is the Eerste Klasse game between newly-promoted Mons and giants Anderlecht.
Amazingly enough, Mons have done very well at home this season. How a side so bad defensively could have won five out of their nine home games this season is beyond my comprehension, really. Well, it’s the form of French striker Perbet that has done it, really. He’s been a revelation this season, bagging sixteen goals in seventeen games. Mons are very much what I would call a “one-man team” because although the rest of their side does have experience, they don’t really have the quality to be a good side. Suffice to say that I firmly believe that they’re over-achieving this season and that their season will blow in their faces soon enough. Theyll work hard and they do score a lot of goals to their credit but they’re far too complacent at the back and it’ll take more than one good striker for them to beat Anderlecht here.
However, I certainly won’t rule out Mons scoring here. Anderlecht’s defence isn’t the best and Mons have only failed to score once at home this season, bagging against Standard de Liege and AA Gent respectively along the way. Anderlecht will have to outscore Mons to win this one but we all know that they have the firepower to do it. Anderlecht have only kept one clean sheet in their last six Eerste Klasse games, shipping eight goals along the way. However, they have scored ten times along the way so you can see that the potency is there. I’m impressed that they’ve recovered from the sale of Lukaku so well, really – Mbokani and Jovanovic were inspired signings and do really well together when they play. With Suarez pulling the strings, Brazilian winger Canesin showing great promise, and Gillet in tremendous form, people are already starting to forget about the awaiting Vargas, who is a very good attacking midfielder. Anderlecht usually have a raft of injuries and today is no exception. However, they’ve got a lot of depth and a lot of firepower, not to mention a lot of belief in themselves and the determination to make it count.
Therefore, I’m rolling with over 2.5 goals in this one. I expect Mons to score but I think Anderlecht really should make their superiority count. Therefore, over 2.5 goals interests me a lot at 4/5.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Tuesday’s Picks
My tips:
Swansea City vs Queens Park Rangers – under 2.5 goals at 4/5.
This has all the hallmarks of a terrible game, in my view. QPR have really gone off the boil since their excellent start to the season and far too predictable recently, hence their poor form. Their defence looks sluggish, poor positionally, and lacking in confidence. Indeed, had it not been for the heroics of Radek Cerny in recent weeks, they’d have probably conceded a lot more than they have. Their attack looks a bit stale too, and that’s no surprise with their star being wantaway playmaker Taarabt and their best striker being a Championship level target man in Helguson whom QPR can rarely support due to not having a strong enough wide game. All in all, QPR look poor right now, in my view.
Swansea look more comfortable than QPR but have real problems scoring goals. Interestingly enough, the Welsh outfit is the only side to match Manchester United’s record of eight clean sheets this season, which shows how well-organised Swansea are. I’ve been impressed with them in all of their home games this season, to be honest, and despite them lacking firepower, I do think that they’ll make life for QPR very uncomfortable indeed today. They currently average conceding just once in every four Premier League home games but the statistic that says that only Wigan Athletic have scored less Premier League goals than them must be a headache for Brendan Rodgers. There’s a great unity in his team though and the fact that they’ve conceded in just three out of their last seven games does nothing but impress me.
Now, a lot of people are falling over themselves to back the Swansea win here but I am not so sure. I think that evens on a side that struggles to score goals is a bit of a joke price, really. QPR are crap at the moment, I admit, but a single goal from them will most probably mean that Swansea won’t win the game so if you are taking Swansea to win the game, why not take them to win to nil? It’s the only way they’ll get three points here, barring some terrible QPR defending or an inspired Swansea display. Either way, I’m avoiding the 1×2 market here because it just doesn’t interest me. Instead, I’m opting for under 2.5 goals at 4/5 because Swansea can’t score and QPR look a shadow of the side that they were earlier this season.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 4/5.
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!
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Mons vs Anderlecht (7) 1-2
English Premier League:
Arsenal vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (8) 2-1
Swansea City vs Queens Park Rangers (6) 1-0
Norwich City vs Tottenham Hotspur (7) over 2.5 goals
Welsh Premier League:
Llanelli vs Neath Athletic (6) 2-1
Bangor City vs Prestatyn Town (5) 2-2
Enjoy your free betting tips!