Catania vs AC Milan
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Today’s secondary featured game is the Serie A game between Catania and AC Milan.
Although a nightmare trip to Sicily awaits them, I still favour the visitors when it comes to getting a result in this game. You really do have to be at your best to take on Palermo and Catania at their respective home grounds, such is the intimidating nature of the locals. Although Palermo play a more attacking brand of football, Catania tend to play a more physical brand of football, albeit somewhat attacking themselves.
I have a lot of respect for Catania, to be honest. That’s reflected in the fact that there isn’t another Serie A club that I’d bet on winning here today. Catania battle for every ball and have very passionate fans so Catania losing at home really isn’t a regular occurence. However, the departure of Argentinian hitman Maxi Lopez has affected their ability to put the ball in the net and I think it’ll show here. I mean, out of their fourteen home games this season, Catania have only scored two goals or more in five of those games, which isn’t many, really. A lot of their success at home comes from keeping clean sheets and doing that against what is currently the best side in Italy will be very hard, in my view.
Catania have an excellent midfield – that’s where this game will be decided, in my view. There’s plenty of energy and fire from both sides in that area of the pitch so it should be one hell of a battle.
However, if Milan demonstrated one thing earlier this week against Barcelona then it’s that experience really does count. They held the best club side in the world to a 0-0 draw and although the scoreline was certainly a puzzling one, a draw was probably a fair result given how well Milan defended against Barcelona, especially without the superb Thiago Silva.
Who was there every time Barcelona attacked, though? Ambrosini. You know, he does a terrific job for Milan and it’s not said often enough. He was under Gattuso’s shadow for a long time and then Van Bommel’s whilst having injury problems etc. but he’s still there and he still knows the game inside out. He’s what I call a “proper” holding midfielder and the return of Gattuso counts for shit at the moment because he’s got some terrific players ahead of him. Milan’s ability to control midfield gives them what they need to win this game because they possess the best attacking players in Italy and thus keeping the ball aids them in scoring goals, logically speaking.
The other factor that keeps me keen on Milan is their depth. I mean, seriously – apart from at full-back, is there any position that Milan can’t cover when players are missing? I don’t think so. I’ve never seen a side possess so many quality players, to be honest. There are better teams than Milan, sure, but there aren’t any that have bigger squads whilst maintaining that level of quality. I have massive respect for Milan because I wrote them off a couple of years ago due to Berlusconi not investing in new talent whilst his players have aged but he’s proven me wrong by ushering through another great squad.
Milan have the experience, individual ability, and the pace to win this game. They may concede but can Catania really keep Milan out? This is such a tough game for the hosts and I expect lots of cards in this game as a result – we all know that Argentinians don’t tend to react well to hard battles and Catania have a lot of them! I simply feel that Milan have more attacking power and more composure than their hosts and at 11/10, I think taking Milan to win this game has to be worth a bet.
Verdict: AC Milan to win at 11/10.
Saturday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, please find my value tips listed below in no particular order:
Osasuna vs Real Madrid – home win with +1.5 handicap at 4/5.
Although this isn’t even a fair match on paper, I expect this one to be a tight game. Madrid have slowed down since the turn of the year and Osasuna are always a force in Pamplona. Osasuna are quite simply battlers and they’re one of the best in the division at it, too, especially with Raul Garcia leading the side from midfield once again. Osasuna are hard-working, well-organised, and bloody hard to beat in Pamplona. The only side to handicap them here since Barcelona last season was their bogey side Racing Santander, which should tell you how hard Osasuna are to face on their own turf. You really do have to expect Real Madrid to win this game but will they be at their brilliant best following a mid-week trip to Cyprus? I’m not so sure. Madrid haven’t handicapped anyone in the Primera Liga when playing away from home since December, which is a long time for a side that prides itself on scoring goals. Ordinarily, I think Madrid would have collapsed by now and Barcelona would have won the league but Mourinho has an innate ability to get his players to get the result that they need. Madrid are top of the league because they’re efficient and I think they’ll win the league for that reason. At the moment, though, they’re not flambuoyant and that’s why I’d be surprised to see them dominate Osasuna here. A hard-fought three points would suit Mourinho well here following the disappointment of their trip to Villarreal lately so for me, giving the hosts a +1.5 handicap at 4/5 looks tempting today as I doubt we’ll see Madrid push for more with their defence being their weakest area by some distance and with Osasuna being so good from set pieces!
Verdict: Osasuna to win with a +1.5 handicap at 4/5.
Accumulator fodder:
Dinamo Zagreb, Flora Tallinn, Nomme Kalju, Daugava Daugavpils, Liepajas Metalurgs, Renova Dzepciste, Rabotnicki Skopje, PSV Eindhoven, Twente Enschede, Porto, Partizan Belgrade, Red Star Belgrade.
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!
Argentinian Primera Division:
Olimpo vs Banfield (6) 1-0
Union de Santa Fe vs Godoy Cruz de Mendoza (5) 2-1
Independiente vs Atletico Rafaela (6) 1-0
Tigre vs Argentinos Juniors (5) 1-1
Australian A-League:
Brisbane Roar vs Central Coast Mariners (7) 2-1
Austrian Bundesliga:
Sturm Graz vs SV Ried (5) 1-0
Wacker Innsbruck vs SV Kapfenberg (6) 0-0
Admira Wacker vs Rapid Vienna (5) 1-1
Wiener Neustadt vs SV Mattersburg (6) 1-1
Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:
Shakhtyor Soligorsk vs Gomel (7) 1-0
Neman Grodno vs FC Minsk (6) 2-1
BATE Borisov vs Belshina Bobriusk (7) 1-0
Torpedo Zhodino vs Naftan Novopolotsk (5) 1-1
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
AA Gent vs Standard de Liege (6) 1-0
OH Leuven vs Lierse SK (6) 1-0
Mechelen vs Cercle Brugge (4) 0-1
Lokeren vs Zulte-Waregem (7) 2-1
Mons vs Germinal Beerschot (7) 2-1
Westerlo vs Sint-Truiden (6) 2-1
Bulgarian A PFG:
Montana vs Minior Pernik (6) 2-1
Chilean Primera Division:
Santiago Wanderers vs Cobresal (6) 2-1
Palestino vs Antofagasta (7) 2-1
Deportes Iquique vs Universidad de Concepcion (6) 1-0
Audax Italiano vs Universidad Catolica (6) 0-1
Union La Calera vs Union Espanola (6) 1-2
Colombian Primera A:
Atletico Huila vs Patriotas (7) 1-0
La Equidad Bogota vs Envigado (7) 2-0
Independiente de Santa Fe Bogota vs Atletico Junior Barranquilla (6) 2-1
Deportivo Cali vs Cucuta Deportivo (5) 1-1
Croatian Prva Liga:
Karlovac vs Lucko (6) 1-0
Slaven Koprivnica vs Hajduk Split (6) 0-1
Cibalia Vinkovci vs Varteks Varazdin (5) 2-1
Split vs Sibenik (4) 0-0
Dinamo Zagreb vs Lokomotiva Zagreb (8) 2-0
Cypriot Division 1:
Anorthosis Famagusta vs AEL Limassol (6) 0-0, at least one red card in this game
Omonia Nicosia vs APOEL Nicosia (7) 1-0, at least one red card in this game
Danish Superligaen:
AC Horsens vs Aalborg BK (6) 1-0
Ecuadorian Primera A:
Liga de Quito vs El Nacional Quito (7) 2-1
English Premier League:
Aston Villa vs Chelsea (5) 0-1
Everton vs West Bromwich Albion (6) 1-0
Fulham vs Norwich City (5) 1-1
Manchester City vs Sunderland (7) 2-1
Queens Park Rangers vs Arsenal (7) 1-2
Wigan Athletic vs Stoke City (6) 1-0
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Bolton Wanderers (4) 1-2
English Championship:
Cardiff City vs Millwall (6)
Bristol City vs Derby County (5)
Portsmouth vs Burnley (4)
Leeds United vs Watford (7) over 2.5 goals
West Ham United vs Reading (6) over 2.5 goals
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Middlesbrough (5)
Peterborough United vs Leicester City (6) over 2.5 goals
Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest (5) both sides to score
Ipswich Town vs Barnsley (7)
Hull City vs Coventry City (7)
Blackpool vs Southampton (5) over 2.5 goals, both sides to score
Estonian Meistriliiga:
Flora Tallinn vs Kuressaare (8) 2-0
Sillamae Kalev vs Tallinna Kalev (4) 0-0, at least one red card in this game
Nomme Kalju vs Viljandi (8) 2-0
Maag Tammeka Tartu vs Levadia Tallinn (7) 0-2
Faroese Meistaradeildin:
B68 Toftir vs IF Fuglafjordur (7) 2-1
French Ligue 1:
Auxerre vs Valenciennes (6) 1-0
Girondins de Bordeaux vs Dijon FCO (7) 2-0
Lorient vs Evian Thonon Gaillard (4) 1-1
Saint-Etienne vs OGC Nice (7) 2-0
Sochaux vs Stade Brestois (5) 1-0
AS Nancy-Lorraine vs Paris Saint-Germain (7) 1-2
German Bundesliga:
Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs SC Freiburg (7) 2-1
Werder Bremen vs Mainz 05 (4) 2-2
Nurnberg vs Bayern Munich (6) 1-2
Kaiserslautern vs Hamburger SV (6) 1-1
Augsburg vs Koln (5) 1-1
Hertha HSC Berlin vs VfL Wolfsburg (5) 1-1
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Ferencvaros vs Vasas Budapest (7) 2-0
Kecskemeti TE vs Szombathelyi Haladas (6) over 2.5 goals
Lombard Papa vs Pecsi MFC (6) 1-1
Paksi SE vs Kaposvari Rakoczi (7) 2-1
Zalaegerszegi TE vs Gyori ETO FC (6) 1-1
Irish Premier League:
Sligo Rovers vs Dundalk (6) 2-1
Israeli Ligat Ha’al:
Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv vs Maccabi Netanya (5) 1-1
Maccabi Tel-Aviv vs Bnei Saknin (6) 1-0
Hapoel Petah Tikva vs Hapoel Be’er Sheva (6) 2-1
Hapoel Acre vs Ironi Ramat Hasharon (4) 1-1
Maccabi Petah Tikva vs Hapoel Haifa (6) 1-0
Hapoel Rishon Lezion vs Beitar Jerusalem (6) 0-1
Italian Serie A:
Catania vs AC Milan (6) 1-2
Parma vs Lazio (6) 2-1
Latvian Virsliga:
Liepajas Metalurgs vs FC Jurmala (8) 2-0
Gulbene 2005 vs Jelgava (5) 1-1
Daugava Daugavpils vs Spartaks Jurmala (9) 2-0
Daugava Riga vs Metta/LU (5) 1-2
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Siauliai vs Ekranas Panevezys (6) 0-0
Vilnius vs Tauras Taurage (5) 0-1
Macedonian First League:
Vardar Skopje vs Bregalnica Stip (7) 2-0
Renova Dzepciste vs Teteks Tetovo (8) 2-0
Rabotnicki Skopje vs 11 Oktomvri (8) 2-0
Mexican Primera Division:
Cruz Azul vs San Luis (7) 2-0
Queretaro vs Puebla (5) 0-0
Tigres UANL vs Morelia (6) 1-1
Atlas vs Pumas UNAM (5) 0-1
Atlante vs Jaguares (6) 2-1
Dutch Eredivisie:
Groningen vs Heerenveen (4) 1-1
PSV Eindhoven vs VVV Venlo (8) over 2.5 goals, both sides to score
Twente Enschede vs Roda JC Kerkrade (8) 2-1
Feyenoord Rotterdam vs NAC Breda (7) 2-1
Norwegian Eliteserien:
Stromsgodset vs Valerenga Oslo (7) 2-1
Paraguayan Division Profesional:
Cerro Porteno PF vs Libertad Asuncion (7) 0-1
Olimpia Asuncion vs Sol de America (7) 2-0
Peruvian Primera Division:
Leon de Huanuco vs Juan Aurich (5) 1-1
Universidad San Martin vs Sporting Cristal (7) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Universidad Cesar Vallejo vs Cienciano (5) 1-1
Polish Ekstraklasa:
Widzew Lodz vs Ruch Chorzow (6) 1-1
Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biala vs LKS Lodz (4) 0-0
Lech Poznan vs Cracovia Krakow (5) 1-0
Polish Liga 1:
Wisla Plock vs Ruch Radzionkow (4)
Bogdanka Leczna vs Kolejarz Stroze (6)
Arka Gdynia vs Olimpia Grudziadz (7)
Zawisza Bydgoszcz vs Flota Swinoujscie (5)
Katowice vs Dolcan Zabki (6)
Pogon Szczecin vs Nieciecza (6)
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
Porto vs Olhanense (8) 2-0
SL Benfica vs Sporting Braga (4) 1-1
Romanian Liga:
Sportul Studentesc vs Mioveni (6) 1-0
Petrolul Ploiesti vs FC Brasov (5) 1-1
Pandurii Targu Jiu vs Steaua Bucharest (6) 1-1
Russian Premier League:
Volga Nizhnyi Novgorod vs Rostov-na-Donu (7) 2-1
Kuban’ Krasnodar vs CSKA Moscow (6) 1-2
Spartak Moscow vs Zenit St.Petersburg (5) 1-1
Krylya Sovetov Samara vs FK Krasnodar (4) 0-1
Scottish Premier League:
Motherwell vs Rangers (5) 1-0
Dundee United vs Dunfermline Athletic (7) 2-0
Hearts vs Aberdeen (6) 1-0
St.Mirren vs Kilmarnock (5) 1-1
Serbian Super Liga:
Spartak Subotica vs OFK Belgrade (4) 1-1
Borac Cacak vs Radnick 1923 (6) 0-1
BSK Borca vs Metalac GM (5) 1-0
Smederevo vs Novi Pazar (6) 1-0
Javor Ivanjica vs Sevojno (6) 1-1
Vojvodina Novi Sad vs Jagodina (7) 2-0
Rad Belgrade vs Partizan Belgrade (8) 1-2
Red Star Belgrade vs Hajduk Kula (9) -1.5 handicap
Slovakian Corgon Liga:
Kosice vs Spartak Trnava (5) 1-1
Tatran Presov vs MSK Zilina (7) 1-2
Trencin vs Ruzomberok (5) 1-1
Nitra vs Zlate Moravce (6) 2-1
DAC Dunajska Streda vs Dukla Banska Bystrica (5) 1-2
Slovenian Prva Liga:
Celje vs Mura 05 (4) 1-2
Gorica vs Triglav (7) 2-0
Olimpija Ljubljana vs Domzale (7) 1-0
Nafta Lendava vs Rudar Velenje (5) 0-0
Spanish Primera Liga:
Racing Santander vs Granada (5) 1-0
Sporting Gijon vs Real Zaragoza (7) 1-0
Osasuna vs Real Madrid (7) 1-2
Barcelona vs Athletic Club de Bilbao (6) over 2.5 goals, both sides to score, at least one red card in this game
Malaga vs Real Betis Balompie (7) over 2.5 goals
Spanish Segunda Liga:
Girona vs Deportivo La Coruna (6) over 2.5 goals
Guadalajara vs Alcorcon (5)
Alcoyano vs Sabadell (5)
Gimnastic de Tarragona vs Barcelona II (5) both sides to score
Real Murcia vs Cartagena (7)
Elche vs Huesca (7)
Almeria vs Deportivo Xerez (7)
Real Valladolid vs Las Palmas (7)
Swedish Allsvenskan:
GAIS Goteborg vs BK Hacken Goteborg (5) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
GIF Sundsvall vs Kalmar FF (4) 0-1
Elfsborg Boras vs Djurgarden (7) 2-0
Swiss Super League:
Grasshopper Zurich vs Sion (5) 0-1
Thun vs Basel (6) 1-2
Swiss Challenge League:
Etoile Carouge vs Stade Nyonnais (4)
SC Kriens vs Bellinzona (7)
Wohlen vs Bruhl (6)
Locarno vs Biel-Bienne (5) over 2.5 goals
St.Gallen vs Wil (7)
Turkish Super Lig:
Kayserispor vs Eskisehirspor (5) 2-1
Sivasspor vs Istanbul BB (6) 1-0
Genclerbirligi vs Manisaspor (7) 2-0
Galatasaray vs Orduspor (7) over 2.5 goals
Ukrainian Premier League:
Tavriya Simferopol vs Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk (6) 1-2
Zorya Lugansk vs Illichivets Mariupol (6) 2-1
Obolon Kiev vs Karpaty Lviv (5) 1-1
Uruguayan Primera Division:
Montevideo Wanderers vs Racing Club Montevideo (5) 1-1
Cerro Largo vs Club Nacional de Montevideo (6) 0-1
Cerro vs Fenix (6) 2-1
Welsh Premier League:
Newtown vs Carmarthen Town (6) 2-1
Enjoy your free betting tips!