Rangers vs Valencia CF
FreeToday’s featured game is the UEFA Champions League game between Rangers and Valencia CF in Scotland. Scotland is never an easy venue for away sides in European football due to the hostile atmosphere but I’ve seen a resilience in this Valencia CF side that I’ve not seen for some years so I quite fancy them tonight.
Rangers are yet to concede a Champions League goal in the current campaign, which is certainly worthy of respect as they’ve already faced a difficult trip to Manchester United, albeit with the English giants under-performing on the night. Rangers still defended stoutly and were hard to break down, as is atypical with Scottish sides nowadays as they rapidly descend down the quality ladder due to a lack of financial resources in Scottish football. Nonetheless, Ibrox is not a favoured venue of any side but the hosts because the hosts are hard to beat, they have a very vociferous and passionate support, and because they fight for every ball as if their life depends upon it. You saw what happened in Scotland lately in the international friendly between Scotland and Spain – that’s the kind of thing I’m expecting tonight.
Valencia aren’t the usual away side that I’d trust but I’ve seen enough from them in the current campaign both domestically and on the European front to suggest that Unai Emery is as astute as ever tactically and that his side play to his style very well indeed. Considering that they lost arguably their two best players over the summer – David Villa and David Silva – then you have to say that Valencia have done remarkably well. Emery has opted for experienced strikers rather than big names with Soldado and Aduriz added to their attack and they’ve looked good for it. Valencia’s midfield is strong and has looked it both at Bursaspor in their dominant win and in their unlucky defeat at home to Manchester United. Valencia were impressive at Nou Camp at weekend against Barcelona and somewhat unfortunate to lose after a very well-organised display and Valencia frankly look a better side for their player swapping activities in the summer although I’d argue they’ve got lessened quality.
However, with the greatest of respect to Rangers, Valencia still have a much better side than their hosts and that should show by the final whistle. Valencia are clinical and well-organised wheras their passionate hosts are well-organised without the necessary incision. I won’t rule out Rangers scoring here – they’re hard to play in Scotland – but I’d be surprised to see anything but Valencia outscoring them at decent odds of evens.
Team news – Rangers miss McCulloch, Broadfoot, and Beattie with Valencia CF only missing right-winger Joaquin.
Verdict: Valencia CF to win at evens.
Wednesday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
Internazionale vs Tottenham Hotspur – lay Internazionale at 11/10.
I can’t accept that Inter are 3/5 to beat Tottenham. Are the bookies serious here? I know Inter are the holders of this competition but they’re a fraction of the side that they were under Mourinho because they had a very good manager – they no longer do! The number of Spanish successes on Italian soil in Serie A both playing and non-playing staff can be counted on one hand for the past twenty years and I don’t see anything from Benitez to suggest that that will change in the near future. Inter have looked old, unconvincing, and impotent and that doesn’t fill me with confidence against a fairly naive but determined and pacey Spurs side. Tottenham haven’t blown anyone away in this competition as they look to get to grips with it properly but they’re scoring goals and against an Inter side that aren’t scoring goals, that makes them a dangerous opponent. Italian opposition always struggles against English opposition due to the sharp contrast in footballing styles and the only exception to that in recent years is Mourinho’s fun with Inter against Chelsea, which I personally label as a “one-off”. Inter have a poor home record at best in the Champions League because they’re not a particularly good side on the continent and I think that a Spurs side with everything to prove will be able to trouble them here, particularly as pace is something that the hosts are particularly vulnerable to and is something that Tottenham have in abundance. I therefore think that laying Inter may be a good value bet tonight.
Verdict: Lay Internazionale at 11/10.
Sportivo Trinidense vs Nacional Asuncion – away win at evens.
A South American away win? I must be getting bold in my old age!
Of course, I do have my reasons. The Paraguayan Division Profesional can be easily split into six good teams and six bad teams. Ironically, the current table reflects whom I think are the better six and the worse six with my only potential exception being an occasionally able Sol de America. Nacional Asuncion are one of the bigger sides in Paraguay and their general football and overall league placing does tend to indicate that. They’ve only been beaten twice on the road this season domestically and have enjoyed three wins along the way although their lack of potency on the road does bother me a little. Nonetheless, Nacional are one of the more solid sides in defence thanks to their experienced backline so I do have faith in them here. Out of their five away games, three of them have been against fellow giants Cerro Porteno, Guarani Asuncion, and Olimpia Asuncion so I’ve been suitably impressed by them this season as they’ve only lost one of those games. Nacional have beaten poor Sport Colombia on the road and won at Sportivo Trinidense last year so they do tend to make a habit out of beating the poorer sides, as their three wins from three consecutive games against Sportivo Trinidense indicates all too well. Sportivo have hosted four of the “big six” sides in Paraguay this season and have lost all of those games convincingly so I don’t see them causing an upset here. They’ve lost four out of their last five games with their only win coming at meager 3 de Febrero so momentum won’t assist them here. They’ve already lost five out of seven at home this season and I see no reason for that record not to continue against a superior opponent tonight at decent odds of evens.
Verdict: Nacional Asuncion to win at evens.
Accumulator fodder:
Barcelona, Palmeiras, AGF Aarhus, Deportivo Cuenca.
Recommended bets:
Barcelona, Valencia CF, and AGF Aarhus at 2/1.
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:
Internazionale vs Tottenham Hotspur (4) 1-1
Twente Enschede vs Werder Bremen (6) 2-1
Schalke 04 vs Hapoel Tel-Aviv (5) 2-1
Olympique Lyonnais vs SL Benfica (6) under 2.5 goals
Rangers vs Valencia CF (7) 0-2
Manchester United vs Bursaspor (7) over 2.5 goals
Panathinaikos vs Rubin Kazan (4) 0-1, draw no bet
Barcelona vs FC Copenhagen (8) -1.5 handicap
Asian Champions League:
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma vs Al Shabab (5) 2-1
Al Hilal vs Zob Ahan (6) over 2.5 goals
Copa Sudamericana:
Penarol vs Goias (5) 2-1
Independiente de Santa Fe Bogota vs Atletico Mineiro (7) 2-0
Palmeiras vs Universitario de Sucre (8) -1.5 handicap
Colombian Primera A:
Atletico Nacional de Medellin vs Millonarios Bogota (6) 1-0
Danish 1st Division:
AGF Aarhus vs Fyn (8)
Ecuadorian Primera A:
El Nacional Quito vs Manta (6) 1-0
Macara Ambato vs Olmedo Riobamba (7) 1-0
Deportivo Cuenca vs Universidad Catolica (8) 2-0
Barcelona Guayaquil vs Espoli Cayambe (6) 2-1
Norwegian Divisjon 1:
Sogndal vs Fredrikstad (4) both sides to score
Bryne vs Bodo Glimt (4) draw no bet
Paraguayan Division Profesional:
Sportivo Trinidense vs Nacional Asuncion (7) 0-1
Sport Colombia vs 3 de Febrero (6) 2-1
Rubio Nu vs Libertad Asuncion (6) 1-1
Olimpia Asuncion vs Sol de America (6) 1-0
Sportivo Luqueno vs Cerro Porteno (7) 1-2
Tacuary vs Guarani Asuncion (5) 1-2, draw no bet
Singaporean S-League:
Armed Forces vs Woodlands Wellington (7) 2-0
Swedish Allsvenskan:
GAIS Goteborg vs Orebro (5) 1-1
Welsh Premier League:
Airbus UK vs Newtown (5) 2-1
Enjoy your free betting tips!