Norwich City vs Crystal Palace
FreeToday’s featured game is the English Championship encounter between newly-promoted Norwich City and relegation-threatened Crystal Palace. The hosts have started their Championship campaign well and currently find themselves in the play-off places, somewhat surprisingly. Crystal Palace, however, are struggling terribly due to their financial problems and deservedly occupy a relegation place currently as a result.
Six wins in eleven games has seen The Canaries rise to third in the Championship after an impressive run of attacking displays and they’re showing no signs of slowing down. Only a missed penalty denied them a win against league leaders Queens Park Rangers in their last match but with an average of two goals scored per home game currently, goalscoring isn’t a real problem for the hosts. They’ve won three out of their five home games thus far and have lost the other two, conceding more than they should but generally emerging victorious from their various encounters. They’ve notched up seven goals in their past three games as they steamroller onwards with Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson cause innumerate problems in opposing defences although ironically, the majority of Norwich’s goals have come from Wes Hoolahan and Andrew Crofts in midfield so far this season. I like that Norwich have various options when it comes to scoring goals as too many sides in this division rely heavily on their strikers doing all the damage although I do have concerns over the longevity of Norwich’s quest without any real “stars” in their side.
However, visitors Crystal Palace should help them out massively tonight by hopefully doing what they’ve done consistently so far this season by not scoring away from home. They’ve actually failed to register in all five Championship away games this season and although they welcome back on-loan Everton striker James Vaughan for this game, they still look short in attack, and indeed, all over their team. They’ve lost four out of their five away games this season and the continued absence of Darren Ambrose appears to be massively hindering them for obvious reasons. However, their abysmal defending is also a worrying factor with an average of over two goals conceded per away game and with important defender Davis missing this game through suspension, it’s hard to envision that record changing tonight. Danns and Counago are reportedly doubts for the game, which stretches a very thin Crystal Palace squad very far indeed, particularly as the English FA won’t lift the transfer embargo upon the club by allowing them out of administration.
Ultimately, Palace are looking in bad shape and are likely to get worse before they get better with the above in mind so I don’t fancy them at all here, particularly on the back of a 0-1 defeat at home to Millwall last match. Norwich have enough firepower and momentum to take three points tonight and odds of 4/5 look generous on that selection.
Verdict: Norwich City to win at 4/5.
Tuesday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
Spartak Moscow vs Chelsea – away win at 21/20.
Chelsea do have a hefty injury list currently with the likes of Lampard, Alex, Ramires, Bosingwa, and Drogba all absent for this game. However, although their substitutes bench leaves a lot to be desired, their starting eleven is still strong enough to win here. Chelsea still have a strong side without the afore-mentioned players, you see, whereas Spartak Moscow have to be at full-strength to have any hope of taking anything from this game – and they’re not. Their vastly important playmaker Alex misses this game through injury, new signing Aidan McGeady is a doubt with an ankle injury, and star striker Welliton looks like to play through the pain barrier in this game, which isn’t exactly convincing in my eyes as it leaves Ari up front on his own and I’ll be surprised if that troubles Chelsea. Spartak’s defence is good but predominantly youthful and they could and should be exposed by the likes of Anelka and returning Kalou tonight. Spartak have done well in recent times, both domestically and in Europe, but they struggled for a lot of this season with inconsistent displays and predictable football. Spartak are a massive club and this certainly won’t be a walk in the park for Chelsea but I just feel that 21/20 on the away win is priced too generously given that Spartak’s missing/doubtful players will hurt them more than Chelsea’s will due to the English side having more depth and experience.
Verdict: Chelsea to win at 21/20.
Bayern Munich vs CFR Cluj – both sides to score at 21/20.
Bayern Munich’s injury list grows longer by the day with Robben, Ribery, Van Bommel, and Klose all definites to miss this game and the likes of Schweinsteiger, Olic, and Van Buyten still doubts for this game. Bayern look poor in attack without these players and have always looked vulnerable at the back so I have my doubts over them here. They overcame a poor Hannover 96 side very convincingly at weekend as sporadic striker Mario Gomez put in a rare display of brilliance, bagging a hat-trick in the game. However, we all know that European football is a different game entirely and Bayern’s problems are still very real with a lack of power in attack. CFR Cluj aren’t having a good season thus far and miss two big players for them – Kone and Muresan – so we can expect weakness from them too. However, emerging talent Traore is set to feature and should wreak havoc in an unconvincing Bayern defence tonight so I do think Cluj have the capability to score here, just as they did at AS Roma in their last European away game. Creative midfielder Culio is set to assist his African team-mate tonight against a Bayern side that looks rather vulnerable and predictable so we should see a much more interesting game than the odds suggest for this game. I don’t think Bayern will have it all their own way although you’d have to expect them to win this game ultimately. Cluj demonstrated in Rome that they’re more than capable of giving big sides a game so I’m choosing to overlook their haphazard domestic displays as European football always brings the highest motivation so my call is for both sides to score here.
Verdict: Both sides to score at 21/20.
Sedan-Ardennes vs Troyes – home win at 11/10.
Only a point separates these two sides near the top of Ligue 2 but in my opinion, there’s quite a gulft in class between the two sides that favours the hosts. Sedan are currently playing some of the best football in Ligue 2 and their goalscoring record of over two goals scored per game on average illustrates that point well. They’ve already won four out of their five home games this season thanks to some very assured and experienced displays with talent all over the field from an attacking perspective. They welcome back striker Fauvergue for this encounter and have scored eleven goals in their last three home games so you have to fancy Sedan to cause a lot of problems tonight. That aside, newly-promoted Troyes aren’t really a match for their hosts. Troyes play extremely well as a unit but in terms of quality, they fall some distance short of the hosts, in my opinion. Troyes have an impressive record of six wins in ten Ligue 2 games this season but I’d argue that in the three hard games they’ve had, they’ve lost each time. They’ve either beaten good sides that were out-of-form or poor sides this season so I’m not exactly blown away here. Their defence is strong and hard to break through but Sedan are the most potent side in the division here and I think they’ll break through ultimately. Troyes were poor against Boulogne last match and won’t be too confident tonight as a result so I expect them to line-up defensively against a superior side and ultimately pay the penalty.
Ligue 2 has never been a place for heavy stakes so do be careful here. However, 11/10 on a superior and in-form Sedan side to win at home looks far too generous for this encounter against an over-achieiving opponent so my call is the home win here.
Verdict: Sedan Ardennes to win at 11/10.
Accumulator fodder:
Olympique de Marseille, Liga de Quito.
Recommended bets:
Olympique de Marseille & Sedan-Ardennes at 3/1.
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, 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!
UEFA Champions League Qualifiers:
Spartak Moscow vs Chelsea (6) 0-1
AS Roma vs Basel (6) both sides to score
Bayern Munich vs CFR Cluj (4) both sides to score
Olympique de Marseille vs MSK Zilina (8) 2-0
AFC Ajax Amsterdam vs Auxerre (7) 1-0
Real Madrid vs AC Milan (7) 2-0
Sporting Braga vs Partizan Belgrade (4) 1-1
Arsenal vs Shakhtar Donetsk (7) over 2.5 goals
Copa Sudamericana:
Independiente vs Defensor Sporting (7) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Liga de Quito vs Union San Felipe (8) 2-0
English Championship:
Coventry City vs Cardiff City (6)
Millwall vs Portsmouth (4) draw no bet
Doncaster Rovers vs Derby County (5) draw no bet
Norwich City vs Crystal Palace (7)
Watford vs Ipswich Town (5)
Preston North End vs Scunthorpe United (5)
Burnley vs Barnsley (6)
Nottingham Forest vs Middlesbrough (5)
Hull City vs Sheffield United (6)
Bristol City vs Reading (4) draw no bet
Leeds United vs Leicester City (4)
Swansea City vs Queens Park Rangers (5) under 2.5 goals
Estonian Meistriliiga:
Viljandi Tulevik vs Lootus (6) 2-1
French Ligue 2:
Angers SCO vs Le Mans (6)
Chateauroux vs AC Ajaccio (7) under 2.5 goals
Clermont Foot vs Stade Lavallois (7) under 2.5 goals
Dijon FCO vs Vannes OC (6)
Grenoble Foot vs Metz (6)
Istres vs Le Havre (4)
Nimes vs Evian Thonon Gaillard (6)
Sedan-Ardennes vs Troyes (6)
Tours vs Reims (6)
Singaporean S-League:
Beijing Guoan vs Albirex Niigata (5) 1-1
Enjoy your free betting tips!