Pre-Season Predictions
FreeIn this post, I’ve decided to finally submit my thoughts on the leagues that start in July/August. Obviously I’ve left some out that it wouldn’t be fair to act upon now and some I don’t have enough information on to provide a selection I’d be happy with. Obviously I don’t have time to explain all of the below in complete detail but will be happy to do so if you email me and ask me about whichever league(s) you’re curious about.
Albanian Kategoria Pare – KF Tirana – too dominant last season, closest rivals Vllaznia Shkoder can’t close the gap between the two sides and bitter rivals Dinamo Tirana aren’t consistent enough.
Argentinian Primera Division – Velez Sarsfeld – Boca Juniors have lost Palacio, River Plate have lost Falcao, which are big losses for each side. The other “nearly” sides aren’t as prepared for this campaign as Velez Sarsfeld are.
Austrian Bundesliga – Rapid Vienna – Salzburg have been the daddies in this league for a couple of years now but Rapid Vienna have added some good signings to their squad and are full of confidence and goals. Salzburg look a bit rusty and Austria Vienna and Sturm Graz aren’t good enough to challenge the two – yet.
Belarusian Vysshaya Liga – BATE Borisov – by far the strongest side in the league and their rivals Dinamo Minsk, MTZ-RIPO Minsk and Shakhtyor Soligorsk aren’t consistent enough.
Belgian Eerste Klasse – Anderlecht – They came so close last year but were ousted by Standard de Liege. However, Standard de Liege have weakened over the summer and it’s beginning to show. Anderlecht have strengthened and now look a lot more reliable. Club Brugge are far too unreliable to mount a serious title challenge.
Bosnia-Herzegovina Premijer Liga – FK Sarajevo – close call between them and Slavija Sarajevo but I think FK Sarajevo just edge it with quality. Zrinjski Mostar I expect to be a one-off, Zeljeznicar Sarajevo have fallen by the wayside, as have Siroki Brijeg. Sloboda Tuzla aren’t good enough to do what they did last season.
Bulgarian A PFG – Levski Sofia – It’s been this way for a couple of years now and I expect Levski Sofia to win it again. They’re too good, too strong and always seem to have that edge over their more illustrious neighbours CSKA Sofia. Litex Lovech will push both sides but don’t seem to have the firepower to propel them into the challenger’s position. I expect Cherno More Varna to have a good season by their standards, incidentally, but not to be winners of the A PFG.
Croatian Prva Liga – Dinamo Zagreb – it’s always between them and Hajduk Split because they’re far and away the best two sides but I think Dinamo Zagreb will benefit from Hajduk Split losing star striker Nikola Kalinic.
Cypriot Division 1 – Omonia Nicosia – it’s always between them, APOEL Nicosia and Anorthosis Famagusta but I think Omonia are in the best position currently. I expect APOEL Nicosia to come second and Anorthosis Famagusta to come third.
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga – Slovan Liberec – this was a very tough call but I think Slovan Liberec will finally break the monopoly that Slavia Prague and Sparta Prague have had over the Gambrinus Liga for some time. Both sides have weakened over summer and suddenly look awfully human again, susceptible to not beating the sides around them. Slovan Liberec have been very good this past year and I expect them to win the title if they carry on from last year. Sigma Olomouc have the ability but not the consistency to mount a serious title challenge, same for Mlada Boleslav.
Danish Superligaen – FC Copenhagen – they look far too good for the rest of the league in terms of quality and strength in depth. Brondby have taken a step backwards over summer, OB Odense will find it hard to reproduce last year’s form. Incidentally, expect AGF to do well this season without mounting a title challenge – good squad, strengthened over summer, plays well together.
Dutch Eredivisie – AFC Ajax Amsterdam – AZ Alkmaar don’t look the same without Van Gaal but should be there or thereabouts at the end of the season. FC Twente aren’t good enough to reproduce last year’s form having lost some key players. PSV Eindhoven are more concerned with selling players than mounting a title challenge although they too should be there or thereabouts at the end of the season. Ajax are too good for the sides around them, they have been for a while but finally have a management team that can expose that fact. Expect Miralem Sulejmani to show his true potential this campaign, possible top goalscorer that will most likely see him move on next summer.
English Premier League – Manchester United – despite weakening the squad over summer, still has the best squad in terms of depth, variety, youngsters, experience and management. Chelsea will run them close if Ancelotti adapts quickly as he works well with older players. Liverpool aren’t capable of consistently punching above their weight like they did last season. Arsenal are no longer part of the big four in this tipster’s eyes – too many sales, not enough leaders or experienced players, wouldn’t be surprised if they found themselves in the UEFA Europa League next season. I expect Everton to take the fourth place spot – good manager, strengthened the squad over summer. Expect Tottenham Hotspur to do well – good manager, good signings. Don’t expect too much of Manchester City too soon but do expect some unexpected results. Aston Villa will get a UEFA Europa League place if they keep their players fit and replace Martin Laursen successfully. Expect a much more resilient Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City – new manager for Blackburn Rovers Sam Allardyce will whip them into shape, making good signings. Tony Pulis at Stoke City has made good signings, Stoke City will be even harder to play next season. Expect Portsmouth, Hull City and Wolverhampton Wanderers to go down this year with Burnley and Wigan Athletic to sit just outside the zone. Don’t underestimate the good signings McGleish has made at Birmingham City either – I don’t think they’ll go down.
French Ligue 1 – Olympique Lyonnais – After selling their best player to Real Madrid, they’ve subsequently spent 60-80 million euros on replacing him with four players. That’s the kind of attitude I like to see. They’ve signed proven goalscorer Lisandro Lopez from Porto, who I expect to be an instant success/possible top goalscorer in Ligue 1. They’ve signed talented full-back Cissokho from Porto, Bastos from LOSC Lille and talented striker Gomis from Saint-Etienne. They mean business and have a good, young squad with strength in depth. Olympique de Marseille should come 2nd as they still have a good squad and have brought in fantastic box-to-box midfielder Lucho Gonzalez from Porto. Girondins de Bordeaux aren’t strong enough to retain their crown but I expect them to come in third. I expect Saint-Etienne to really struggle this year and probably go down.
German Bundesliga – Bayern Munich – they signalled their intent very early this summer by capturing Louis van Gaal as their new manager and signing no less than eight new players whilst being able to hang on to talented winger Franck Ribery. A lot of money has been spent by German clubs this summer, which is unusual but means we should have a good Bundesliga this year. Expect VFB Stuttgart to run them close along with Hamburger SV. After that I expect Werder Bremen to be bringing up the rear after losing quality playmaker Diego to Juventus followed by reigning champions VFL Wolfsburg who have strengthened their squad but punched above their weight too much last season – it can’t last. Expect Schalke 04 to struggle and possibly aim for domestic cup to compensate. Expect BV09 Borussia Dortmund to have a good season and Hoffenheim to possibly taste relegation unless they make some serious changes to their strength in depth.
Greek Super League – Olympiakos Piraeus – they have the biggest and best squad, simply. Panathinaikos will run them close as ever and AEK Athens will be hot on their heels as ever. More and more money is being spent by Greek sides each year and this year was no exception. Expect a good season from sleeping giants PAOK Salonika.
Hungarian Soproni Liga – Debrecen – simply the best side in the county. Ujpest will run them close but will most likely claim second place. Expect a good season from arguably Hungary’s most famous side Ferencvaros who have been promoted to the Soproni Liga again having been demoted some time ago for financial reasons. Expect a good season from Gyori ETO FC, MTK Budapest and Fehervar. Expect Budapest Honved to struggle this season. Expect financially disemboweled Vasas Budapest to be relegated.
Israeli Ligat Ha’al – Maccabi Haifa – best side in the country currently. Maccabi Netanya aren’t good enough in front of goal and Hapoel Tel-Aviv aren’t capable of reproducing the form they showed last season.
Italian Serie A – Internazionale – they’ve made some very good acquisitions over summer and although I expect Lucio to fuck up some of their games with his wayward defensive approach, I can’t see any other side being near enough to take advantage. Expect Juventus to come second after their spending flurry this summer saw them capture excellent Brazilian midfielder Diego from Werder Bremen, the perfect replacement for outgoing Pavel Nedved. Expect AC Milan to come third or fourth under new manager Leonardo with an ageing but experienced squad. Expect another good season from Fiorentina, possibly another good one from Genoa will Palacio making a lot of waves in this country with his dazzling pace. Expect SSC Napoli to play more efficiently (more unders) because of new management – should be a good season though having been able to hold onto Lavezzi & Hamsik. Expect Lazio to remain unpredictable and expect a lot of tough trips to communist Livorno.
Macedonian Prva Liga – Rabotnicki Skopje – Aside from Milano Kumanovo, they’re the only Macedonian side that have consistently been there or thereabouts the last 2-3 seasons. I think Makedonija Gjorce Petrov Skopje aren’t capable of recreating the form they had last year and the same goes for Renova Dzepciste. Milano Kumanovo should claim second place, possibly first if Rabotnicki Skopje aren’t consistent enough.
Moldovan Divizia Nationala – Sheriff Tiraspol – too good for the rest of the country. As ever, Zimbru Chisinau will follow and Dacia Chisinau should come third. Expect Oleg Andronic to have a good season and move on in summer, most likely to a club in Romania or Ukraine.
Montenegrin Prva Crnogorska – Buducnost Podgorica – They’re the most consistent side in the division and Mogren aren’t good enough to keep up with them. Last year was a one-off, in my opinion. Sutjeska Niksic and Grbalj shouldn’t be able to get neither either side.
Polish Ekstraklasa – Lech Poznan – I think their year is finally here. They have a very good squad with some talented footballers. Legia Warsaw will be their main threat with their ruthlessly boring but efficient football. Their consistency has let them down of late, however. Wisla Krakow’s problems on and off the field mean that I don’t expect them to come anywhere above third barring a miracle. Expect Arka Gdynia to be relegated this year.
Portuguese Liga Sagres – SL Benfica – I think they’re finally going to break the stronghold that Porto currently has on the Liga Sagres, and not necessarily through their own merit. True, they have brought in two excellent strikers on loan – Keirrison and Javier Saviola – but they’re still a largely unpredictable outfit. However, they’re ready for this season after a good year last year and their biggest rivals Porto have lost some very important players for them. Porto are a selling club and are used to replacing players but the likes of Gonzalez and Lopez cannot be simply glazed over. I think Porto will come second with Sporting Clube de Lisboa coming third as they’ve not strengthened their squad enough. Expect Falcao of Porto to potentially be top goalscorer if he stays fit – an excellent acquisition from River Plate. Expect Fernando Belluschi to set the league alight too.
Romanian Liga 1 – Steaua Bucharest – they’re back to their best again and seem to be winning minus all the fuss. CFR Cluj have still got a good squad but can’t get it together like they could a few years ago. Interestingly, they’ve gone downhill after their stint in the UEFA Champions League. Expect Dinamo Bucharest and Rapid Bucharest to make nuisances of themselves but ultimately to fall away towards the end. Dinamo Bucharest will probably come second, Cluj third and Rapid Bucharest possibly fifth. Expect Universitatea Craiova to have a good campaign and possibly claim fourth place.
Scottish Premier League – Rangers – more experienced manager than Celtic. Not too much between the two sides as far as quality goes but I think the manager will be the difference this year.
Serbian Superliga – Partizan Belgrade – too strong for all their rivals. Red Star Belgrade will take second place, Vojvodina Novi Sad third.
Slovakian Corgon Liga – Slovan Bratislava – after poaching most of Artmedia Petrzalka’s squad, it’s hard to look beyond Slovan Bratislava winning the Corgon Liga. I expect MSK Zilina to push them for it but ultimately fall away towards the end. Expect Kosice to have a good season and Dubnica to be relegated.
Slovenian Liga 1 – Koper – Nobody has dominated this league properly for some years but Koper have managed to establish themselves over time as a title challenger. This year, I think it’s their year. They’ve got a good squad and the sides around them are struggling. Maribor look a bit uncertain, frail and inconsistent – I expect them to come second. If Interblock Ljubljana turn up then they’ll come third. Expect a good season from Olimpija Ljubljana, arguably Slovenia’s most popular club. Expect Domzale to come fourth and Celje to struggle with their recent player losses.
Spanish Primera Liga – Barcelona – too good, too strong, too experienced. Far better cohesion and approach to everything than rivals Real Madrid, who should come second. They’ve spent a lot of money but a lot of problems still remain there. Third place is anyone’s, possibly Atletico Madrid’s after some impressive summer signings. Sevilla look a bit disjointed with Luis Fabiano saying he wants to go. Expect a good season from Espanyol who have made some great summer signings.
Swiss Super League – Young Boys Bern – they’ve been waiting some time for a title but I think it’s their year. Basel have looked weak and Young Boys Bern have looked very strong. FC Zurich aren’t good enough to be a constant threat and Grasshoppers Zurich don’t seem to be getting anywhere anymore. Expect a good season from Bellinzona and Aarau to be relegated.
Turkish Super Lig – Fenerbahce – too good, good summer signings, good new manager. They’ll be more than up for this after last year’s dismal performance(s). Galatasaray have strengthened and should come second. Besiktas JK and Trabzonspor should be close behind but I expect this year’s annihaltion in Europe to have done last year’s runners-up Sivasspor a lot of damage mentally, possibly seeing them come fifth. Expect a good season from Bursaspor with Sercan Yildrim ready to light up the Super Lig, which will possibly see him move to a big club next summer.
Ukrainian Premier League – Dynamo Kiev – they looked great under Yury Semin but now under Valery Gazzaev they look even more potent. With emerging wonderkid Guilherme in their ever-increasing ranks, it’s hard to look past this talented squad for the title. Shakhtar Donetsk are an ever-present threat but are generally slow starters to the season, which I expect to see take its toll on them with them claiming second place. Expect Artem Milevskiy to be top goalscorer. Expect Metalist Kharkiv to be fighting with Metalurg Donetsk for third place with Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk not far behind. Expect Chernomorets Odessa to struggle with a new and young squad, talented though it is – they could well be on the end of some beatings this season.
Venezuelan Primera Division – Caracas – too strong for their rivals. Expect Deportivo Tachira and Deportivo Italia to be vying for second place.
Welsh Premier League – The New Saints – I expect them to overhaul last year’s impressive sides Rhyl and Llanelli with their experience. Sides will be more geared up to face Rhyl and Llanelli this year because of last year; The New Saints are used to that pressure. It should be close but I expect Llanelli to finish as runners-up with Rhyl coming third.
Ok, now that’s done with, let’s move onto today’s featured game! The game I like today is between Panathinaikos and Sparta Prague, just like last week, ironically. However, this time around, I’m convinced we’re going to win some bloody money! The first leg of this game was very interesting because it’s not often you see Panathinaikos succumb to such a convincing defeat these days and it’s not often Sparta Prague beat a good club these days, let alone convincingly. However, the mistake that the Greeks made of underestimating their Czech opponents in the first leg will be well and truly gone as they know they must win this game or face losing an awful lot of potential revenue. There’s no doubt in my mind that Panathinaikos are the better side but showing it is seemingly another matter! However, they’re on home turf, their fans will be behind them and they’re hosting a side that doesn’t travel well and isn’t too great these days. The odds on an outright home win are poor, and so they should be – Panathinaikos should walk this. However, the odds on a -1.75 handicap home win are evens, and those odds interest me greatly because they’re more than capable of attaining a 2 goal victory. For those reasons, I’m going to stick my neck out and call it as my tip of the day!
Tuesday’s Picks
My tips:
To be honest, I’ve looked and I’ve looked at these games today and there’s very little value in my eyes, aside from that which I’ve already mentioned and that is already listed below. The only other I’d potentially look at is over 2.5 goals between Sivasspor and Anderlecht but nothing else interests me – sorry guys!
Panathinaikos vs Sparta Prague – home win with -1.75 handicap – see introduction for full details.
As ever, any questions/explanations required, feel free to email me at thefootytipster@gmail.com. For the complete picks listing, see below!
UEFA Champions League:
Maccabi Haifa vs Aktobe Lento (8) 2-0
Sivasspor vs Anderlecht (7) 2-2
Dinamo Zagreb vs Salzburg (7) 2-1
Twente vs Sporting Clube de Lisboa (6) 0-0
Panathinaikos vs Sparta Prague (8) -1.75 handicap
UEFA Europa League:
Omonia Nicosia vs Vaslui (7) 2-1
Estonian Meistriliiga:
Flora Tallinn vs Nomme Kalju (8) 3-1
Norwegian Adeccoligaen:
Kongsvinger vs Nybergsund (8)
Singaporean S-League:
Sengkang Punggol vs Gombak United (7) 1-2
Enjoy your free betting tips!