Sporting Gijon vs Athletic Club de Bilbao
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Today’s secondary featured game is the Primera Liga encounter in northern Spain between Sporting Gijon and Athletic Club de Bilbao. Both sides are northern Spain sides which generally means that it’ll be a pretty tense and hard-fought affair and given the poor start that today’s hosts have had to the current campaign, you’d have to expect more of the same today.
Sporting Gijon are one of the weaker sides in the Primera Liga – there’s no question about it. Boss Preciado has been under tremendous pressure although I’m not entirely sure why as there simply isn’t another manager who could guide that club to safety year after year. Gijon have always been workers – you’ll never have an easy game against them – and Preciado plays a big part in that. The sale of Castro pre-season has really damaged Gijon’s ability to score goals, which is partially what has led them to such a poor start. Hats must go off to them, though – they’ve been playing well of late and come into this game on the back of two invaluable wins so confidence should be flowing back into Gijon veins. They’re obviously much stronger at home than they are on the road – that’s the same for most sides, I guess! However, Gijon tend to be stronger against sides that don’t work hard because they fight for every ball, which is partially why I’m going against them today as they’re facing a side that will battle them much more for the ball and given that tenacity is virtually Gijon’s only strength nowadays, I do think that they’re going to struggle here.
In fact, to back up my theory regarding Gijon’s tenacity being their main weapon, here are some results from Gijon’s encounters against fellow northern Spain sides, which is the place where the most tenacious squads in Spain dwell, in my view:
25/09/11 – Sporting Gijon 0 Racing Santander 0
11/09/11 – Osasuna 2 Sporting Gijon 1
27/08/11 – Sporting Gijon 1 Real Sociedad 2
15/05/11 – Sporting Gijon 2 Racing Santander 1
17/04/11 – Real Sociedad 2 Sporting Gijon 1
10/04/11 – Sporting Gijon 1 Osasuna 0
05/02/11 – Athletic Club de Bilbao 3 Sporting Gijon 0
09/01/11 – Racing Santander 1 Sporting Gijon 1
28/11/10 – Sporting Gijon 1 Real Sociedad 3
21/11/10 – Osasuna 1 Sporting Gijon 0
18/09/10 – Sporting Gijon 2 Athletic Club de Bilbao 2
16/05/10 – Racing Santander 2 Sporting Gijon 0
25/04/10 – Sporting Gijon 0 Real Valladolid 2
13/03/10 – Sporting Gijon 0 Athletic Club de Bilbao 0
That’s two wins in fourteen games for Gijon against sides from the north of Spain. To me, this does prove a point – the battling northern style will work against sides from elsewhere but not usually against their rivals as their rivals do tend to have better players than they do. Incidentally, I feel I have to point out that Gijon’s 2-1 win against Santander in the list above was actually a fixed game too!
So let’s look at Bilbao now. They were strong mid-week against Atletico Madrid although I think you could argue that Atletico Madrid were poor too. Manzano looks like a fish out of water at such a samba club and Falcao isn’t getting the service so they’re effectively sitting ducks right now. Nonetheless, it was pleasing to see Bilbao taking advantage of that and converting some of the innumerate chances that they’re creating per game so they do bring some confidence into this game. Let’s face it – Bilbao have a wealth of attacking talent at their disposal with Muniain, Llorente, Susaeta, and Ander Herrera, just to name a few. I’d include Javi Martinez too if he was a more regular fixture in midfield but Bielsa seems to love deploying him in defence, bizarrely. That said, Martinez was actually a central midfielder against Atletico Madrid and would you believe it – Bilbao actually had a proper formation and produced not just a win but a clean sheet too. It’s not a coincidence that they used a left-back in the left-back position too with promising youngster Aurtenexte given a chance to impress Bielsa. Funnily enough, actually adhering to a proper 4-4-2 formation with players playing in their position has left Bilbao with a convincing win and their first clean sheet of the season in the Primera Liga. Just food for thought, of course!
I can tell you all how good Bilbao are for the remainder of the day if you want me to but I don’t see the point because if they don’t play the right formation then you won’t see it. Therefore, I’d advise betting on this after seeing the line-ups as Bilbao must keep players in their correct position. If they do that then they’ve got a great chance of winning this one as they battle just as much (if not more than) as Sporting Gijon do and they have much better players than their hosts. Bilbao have a terrific record in Gijon – they’ve not lost here for something crazy like twenty years – so for me, taking the away win with draw no bet cover looks very appealing today if Bilbao are lined up correctly.
Verdict: Athletic Club de Bilbao to win with draw no bet at 9/10.
Sunday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, please find my value tips listed below in no particular order:
Wellington Phoenix vs Melbourne Victory – home win at 8/5.
The more years that go by, the harder this game becomes for away sides. Wellington Phoenix are the only side in the A-League that play in New Zealand so it’s a pretty long trip for the average A-League side, especially someone like Perth Glory, for example. That in itself is something to overcome but when you have a side playing against you that will attack from the start and is good at it, you have a hard game on your hands.
Ricki Herbert has been with the Phoenix for some time now and he’s got them playing good football. They’ll concede goals more often than they should but you’ll find very few home games where this side does not score – that’s what they’re good at. With experienced heads like Ifill, Daniel, Bertos, and Greenacre in their side, who is surprised by that?
The Westpac is used to seeing goals and if the Phoenix control this game as they usually do at home then we should see them score here. If that happens, Melbourne Victory are going to have a bit of an issue because try as they might, they’ve failed to do any consistent damage in attack this season, failing to score in all three A-League games thus far. They’ve defended well, to be fair to them, but that counts for nothing when you do inevitably concede as they found out in a 1-0 loss at Adelaide United recently. It’s a puzzling one, though – Thompson and Solorzano have lots of goals in them, as does Hernandez, but this side misses Robbie Kruse massively and they’ve simply not adjusted to that yet.
The Victory haven’t won in New Zealand on their last four visits, losing twice and drawing twice along the way, losing their most recent visit 2-0. Importantly, they’ve never kept a clean sheet here, either, and given the teething period that they have to life without Kruse, I fancy the Phoenix to score in this game and that should be enough for them to claim three points. It won’t be an easy one but at 8/5, I have to fancy the hosts here.
Verdict: Wellington Phoenix to win at 8/5.
OB Odense vs FC Copenhagen – away win at 6/5.
Neither side are playing well in the Superligaen but to be honest, I’d take 6/5 on Copenhagen beating anyone in Denmark anywhere as long as the points matter to them and they do, especially after a humbling 1-3 loss against Nordsjaelland. They’ve already won five out of six on the road this season without looking great! OB Odense are struggling a lot right now and man-for-man, Copenhagen are simply a lot better than their hosts. Football doesn’t always make as much sense as that but if it does then we’ll see an away win here – they should be too good for OB Odense!
Verdict: FC Copenhagen to win at 6/5.
Fiorentina vs Genoa – home win at evens.
Fiorentina boss Mihajlovic is under pressure to deliver – not sure whether it’s to improve displays or to improve results although neither would hurt, of course. However, I think the return of star striker Gilardino can help him out in a big way and that should start today in Florence. The creativity is already there with Montenegrin playmaker Jovetic and tricky attacker Cerci, not to mention pacey Behrami. What Fiorentina lacked was a finisher, something that new Uruguayan target man Silva just hasn’t delivered yet. Gilardino, though – he’s a proven hitman at this level and should demonstrate it again on his return.
Genoa are a decent side themselves, to be honest. They’ve made some very good signings pre-season, especially Chilean playmaker Jorquera, and will not lie down and die against anyone. However, they’re missing the experienced Kaladze at the back, which interrupts their defensive shape as a whole and they also miss target man Caracciolo, which is a blow. The pace of Palacio is a constant threat, of coure, but you need a target man against a tough side like Fiorentina and I think Genoa will struggle here as a result.
Confidence isn’t massive in either camp so it’s reasonable to expect a tight game here. However, Fiorentina + Gilardino is always a winning combination in my eyes and at evens, I’m happy to take them to edge this one today.
Verdict: Fiorentina to win at evens.
Accumulator fodder:
Anderlecht, Hajduk Split, AEL Limassol, Randers, Emelec Guayaquil, Debreceni VSC, Skonto Riga, Suduva Marijampole, Molde FK, Llanelli, Neath Athletic.
Recommended bets:
Atletic Club de Bilbao DNB, Randers, and Debreceni VSC at around 8/5.
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!
Argentinian Primera Division:
Atletico Lanus vs Godoy Cruz de Mendoza (6) 2-1
Boca Juniors vs Atletico Rafaela (7) 1-0
Belgrano de Cordoba vs Colon de Santa Fe (6) 1-1
Australian A-League:
Wellington Phoenix vs Melbourne Victory (7) over 2.5 goals
Gold Coast United vs Newcastle Jets (6) 1-0
Austrian Bundesliga:
SV Kapfenberg vs Austria Vienna (6) 1-1
Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:
Torpedo Zhodino vs Shakhtyor Soligorsk (6) 1-1
Belshina Bobriusk vs Dinamo Brest (7) 1-0
FC Minsk vs Neman Grodno (6) 2-1
Naftan Novopolotsk vs Dinamo Minsk (5) 0-1
Gomel vs Dnepr Mogilev (5) 0-0
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Anderlecht vs Lierse SK (8) 2-0
Brazilian Serie A:
Corinthians vs Avai (7) 2-0
Vasco da Gama vs Sao Paulo (5) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Gremio vs Flamengo (6) 1-1
Figueirense vs Bahia (7) 2-1
Atletico Mineiro vs Palmeiras (5) 1-0
Coritiba vs America Mineiro (7) 2-0
Atletico Goianiense vs Internacional (5) 1-2
Chilean Primera Division:
Colo Colo vs Universidad de Chile (4) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Universidad Catolica vs Universidad de Concepcion (7) 2-0
Croatian Prva Liga:
Hajduk Split vs Inter Zapresic (8) 2-0
Cypriot Division 1:
Anagennisi Deryneia vs Aris Limassol (5) 1-2
Ermis vs AEL Limassol (8) 0-2
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Viktoria Zizkov vs Slovan Liberec (6) 1-1
Ceske Budejovice vs Marila Pribram (4) over 2.5 goals
Slovacko vs Slavia Prague (6) 1-1
Danish Superligaen:
AGF Aarhus vs HB Koge (7) 1-0
Nordsjaelland vs Lyngby (7) 1-0
Brondby vs Aalborg BK (5) 1-1
OB Odense vs FC Copenhagen (6) 1-2
Danish 1st Division:
Blokhus vs Vestjaelland (6)
Randers vs Roskilde (8)
Fredericia vs Naestved (7)
Vejle-Kolding vs Skive (7) over 2.5 goals
Ecuadorian Primera A:
Liga de Quito vs Deportivo Cuenca (7) 2-0
Olmedo Riobamba vs Deportivo Quito (7) 1-2
Independiente vs El Nacional Quito (5) 0-1
Manta vs Barcelona Guayaquil (6) 0-1
Imbabura vs Espoli Cayambe (5) 1-0
Emelec Guayaquil vs LDU Loja (8) 2-0
English Premier League:
Tottenham Hotspur vs Queens Park Rangers (7) 2-0
English Championship:
Leeds United vs Cardiff City (7) over 2.5 goals
French Ligue 1:
OGC Nice vs Sochaux (5) 1-1
Toulouse vs Stade Rennais (6) 0-0
Valenciennes vs LOSC Lille (4) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
German Bundesliga:
Koln vs Augsburg (6) 2-1
Hamburger SV vs Kaiserslautern (7) 1-0
Greek Super League:
Ergotelis vs Asteras Tripolis (7) 2-1
AEK Athens vs Aris Salonika (7) 1-0
PAOK Salonika vs Panathinaikos (6) 1-0
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Debreceni VSC vs Budapest Honved (8) 2-0
Siofok vs Ferencvaros (6) 1-0
Italian Serie A:
Siena vs Chievo Verona (5) 0-0
Bologna vs Atalanta Bergamo (6) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Fiorentina vs Genoa (7) 1-0
Lecce vs Novara (6) 2-1
Parma vs Cesena (6) 2-1
Udinese vs Palermo (7) 1-0
Cagliari vs Lazio (5) 0-1
Latvian Virsliga:
Skonto Riga vs FK Jurmala (8) 2-1
Daugava Daugavpils vs FK Ventspils (6) 0-1
Jelgava vs Gulbene 2005 (6) 2-1
FC Jurmala vs RFS/Olimps Riga (6) 2-1
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Suduva Marijampole vs Atlantas (8) 2-1
Tauras Taurage vs Dainava (7) 2-0
Siauliai vs FBK Kaunas (7) 2-1
Banga Gargzdai vs Mazeikiai (7) over 2.5 goals
Kruoja Pakruojis vs Klaipeda (7) 2-1
Zalgiris Vilnius vs Ekranas Panevezys (5) 0-0, at least one red card in this game
Macedonian First League:
Shkendija 79 vs Horizont Turnovo (7) 2-0
Mexican Primera Division:
Estudiantes Tecos vs Cruz Azul (5) 0-1
Toluca vs Queretaro (7) 1-0
Tijuana vs San Luis (5) 0-0
America vs Puebla (7) 2-0
Moldovan Divizia Nationala:
Costuleni vs Iskra-Stali (7) 0-2
Sfintul Gheorghe vs Olimpia Balti (6) 2-1
Zimbru Chisinau vs Sheriff Tiraspol (7) 0-1
CSCA-Rapid Chisinau vs Milsami Orhei (7) 0-1
Nistru Otaci vs Academia-UTM Chisinau (6) 2-1
Tiraspol vs Dacia Chisinau (7) 0-2
Dutch Eredivisie:
De Graafschap vs Vitesse Arnhem (6) 1-2, at least one red card in this game
Groningen vs Feyenoord Rotterdam (5) 2-2
NEC Nijmegen vs FC Utrecht (6) 1-0
Heracles Almelo vs AZ Alkmaar (6) 1-1
Norwegian Eliteserien:
Sogndal vs Stabaek (5) 1-0
Start Kristiansand vs Odd Grenland Skien (6) 1-1
Lillestrom vs Aalesund FK (5) 1-0
Sarpsborg 08 vs Viking Stavanger (6) 0-1
Molde FK vs Stromsgodset (8) 2-0
Rosenborg BK vs Brann Bergen (7) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Paraguayan Division Profesional:
Independiente FBC vs Cerro Porteno (7) 0-1
Sportivo Luqueno vs Rubio Nu (4) 0-1
Tacuary vs General Caballero (6) 1-0
Olimpia Asuncion vs Libertad Asuncion (5) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Guarani Asuncion vs 3 de Febrero (7) 2-0
Peruvian Primera Division:
Melgar FBC vs Sport Huancayo (6) 1-0
Cienciano vs Universitario Lima (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Sporting Cristal vs Juan Aurich (6) 1-1
Alianza Lima vs Universidad San Martin (7) 1-0
Polish Ekstraklasa:
Korona Kielce vs LKS Lodz (6) 2-1
Lech Poznan vs Legia Warsaw (5) 1-0
Polish Liga 1:
Nieciecza vs Bogdanka Leczna (6)
Zawisza Bydgoszcz vs Piast Gliwice (5)
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
CD Nacional de Madeira vs Beira-Mar (7) 1-0
Uniao de Leiria vs Vitoria Setubal (5) 1-1
Vitoria Guimaraes vs Rio Ave (7) 2-1
Feirense vs Sporting Clube de Lisboa (7) over 2.5 goals
Romanian Liga:
Sportul Studentesc vs Pandurii Targu Jiu (6) 1-1
Vaslui vs Targu Mures (7) 2-1
Rapid Bucharest vs Astra Ploiesti (6) 1-0
Petrolul Ploiesti vs Steaua Bucharest (5) 1-1
Russian Premier League:
Tom’ Tomsk vs Dinamo Moscow (6) 0-1
Krylya Sovetov Samara vs Terek Grozny (5) 1-1
Serbian Superliga:
Hajduk Kula vs Metalac GM (7) 1-0
Rad Belgrade vs Javor Ivanjica (6) 2-1
Sevojno vs Red Star Belgrade (6) 1-2
Vojvodina Novi Sad vs Spartak Subotica (7) 2-0
Slovenian Prva Liga:
Triglav vs Celje (6) 1-0
Maribor vs Olimpia Ljubljana (5) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Spanish Primera Liga:
Sporting Gijon vs Athletic Club de Bilbao (6) 1-2
Osasuna vs Levante (7) 1-1
Racing Santander vs Real Betis Balompie (4) 0-1
Atletico Madrid vs Real Zaragoza (7) 1-0
Malaga vs Espanyol (6) 1-0
Spanish Segunda Liga:
Cartagena vs Real Murcia (5)
Villarreal II vs Celta de Vigo (5)
Deportivo La Coruna vs Girona (7)
Swedish Play-Offs:
Syrianska Sodertalje vs Angelholm (7) 2-0
Swiss Super League:
Servette vs Neuchatel Xamax (6) 0-1
Young Boys Bern vs Lausanne Sports (7) 2-0
FC Zurich vs Luzern (6) 2-1
Swiss Challenge League:
Chiasso vs Locarno (7)
SC Kriens vs Delemont (7)
Wohlen vs St.Gallen (7)
Turkish Super Lig:
Bursaspor vs Manisaspor (7) 2-0
Kayserispor vs Galatasaray (6) 1-0
Besiktas JK vs Sivasspor (7) 2-1
Ankaragucu vs Istanbul BB (6) 1-0
Ukrainian Premier League:
Zorya Lugansk vs Volyn Lutsk (6) 1-0
Tavriya Simferopol vs Dynamo Kiev (7) over 2.5 goals
Karpaty Lviv vs Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk (5) 2-1
Arsenal Kiev vs Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih (5) 1-1
Welsh Premier League:
Llanelli vs Airbus UK (8) 2-0
Neath Athletic vs Afan Lido (8) 2-0
Enjoy your free betting tips!