Tag Archives: ajaccio

Le Havre vs AC Ajaccio

Posted on by

Today’s featured game is the Ligue 2 encounter between Le Havre and AC Ajaccio. Recently-relegated Le Havre haven’t been overly convincing lately with just two wins in five games but remain a class above their visitors. Island-dwelling AC Ajaccio have a reputation for being one of the most defensive sides in Ligue 2 and will look to prove why that is tonight.

Hosts Le Havre have enjoyed a large portion of success since relegation as you’d expect and this is in no small part due to their home form. They’ve won four out of their six home games, scoring ten goals in the process. Le Havre’s last home game saw them comprehensively dispose of Ligue 2 favourites Nantes by winning 4-0. Although Le Havre lost their last game away to Arles, Le Havre are already aware of how good they can be and will look to prove it yet again at home tonight.

Only league leaders Stade Malherbe de Caen have conceded less goals this season than AC Ajaccio, which perfectly illustrates how the visitors play their football; defensively. With this impressive naturally comes the other side of the coin – the fact that they’ve only scored more goals than the six sides currently at the bottom of the table. I’ve no doubt in my mind whatsoever that AC Ajaccio will look to put men behind the ball today and simply steal a goal if possible. A draw here is a very good result for AC Ajaccio because they’re simply not good enough to outplay Le Havre – period!

Given that Le Havre are a class above AC Ajaccio and tend to enjoy scoring goals at home, it’s hard to overlook the clear ability that they have to win this game. AC Ajaccio will park the bus in front of goal and hope for the best, something that they are very good at. However, I’m backing Le Havre to break through at least once and if they do that then they should win this game comfortably.

Verdict: Le Havre victory at 3/4.

Friday’s Picks

My tips:

As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:

SV Ried vs SV Mattersburg – home win with -1.75 handicap at 8/5.

SV Ried impressive me massively by winning at Sturm Graz last match for two reasons. One reason is because Sturm Graz are a notoriously strong defensive side and the other is because SV Ried aren’t very good on the road. However, one thing that SV Ried are good at is winning at home, an attribute commonly associated with them over the past few years. They’ve already won five out of seven home games this season with their two failures being against two of the biggest Austrian sids, only losing one of those games. They average scoring over two goals per game at home and with two consecutive wins under their belt, you can only feel that they’ll win this game, and win it convincingly!

SV Mattersburg are a presentable side at best but much like SV Ried, they play their best football at home. However, SV Mattersburg are considerably worse when playing away from home as is indicated by their six defeats in eight away games whilst seeing their goalscoring sink lower than any other team (although it is matched by newly-promoted Wiener Neustadt. Mattersburg also have the unfortunate record of conceding two goals per game whilst playing away from home. My only concern for this bet is that SV Mattersburg have won two consecutive games to give them strong momentum but frankly they’re facing a better side and it really should show tonight.

Verdict: SV Ried to win with a -1.75 goal handicap at 8/5.

Anderlecht vs Kortrijk – under 2.5 goals at 11/8.

Not many games between these two sides go under 2.5 goals so be aware that this does carry some risk in it! However, I’m going to doggedly stick with my bet here because I believe it contains value. Anderlecht are vying with Club Brugge to play the best football in Belgium currently which is why Anderlecht and Club Brugge currently possess first and second place in the Eerste Klasse respectively. Anderlecht are really seizing the moment currently however with six Eerste Klasse wins in a row. They’ve won six out of eight home games this season, conceding less goals than any other side and scoring more goals at home than any other side barring Zulte-Waregem. It’s not even a question in my mind that Anderlecht will win this game – they simply will. However, they’re facing a stubborn defence and Anderlecht don’t average over two goals scored per home game, hence this bet.

Visitors Kortrijk are an odd side, capable of derailing the best sides one week and then losing to the worst the following week. Kortrijk’s philosophy is to stop sides scoring against them, something they enjoy considerable success with as no side in the Eerste Klasse has conceded less goals on the road than they have. It’s somewhat unnecessary for me to point out that Kortrijk don’t score many goals for obvious reasons but their record of one win, one defeat, and five draws away from home this perfectly illustrates just why I think this bet has some value.

Anderlecht really should win this game but they’re playing a very stubborn defence so I think they’re going to struggle unless they score early. I’m banking on Kortrijk not scoring in this game for my bet to be successful but I can’t see any other handicaps for this particular bet so taking under 2.5 goals looks a good bet to me so fingers crossed that this game goes under 2.5 goals like it did in the last meeting between these two sides.

Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 11/8.

Dijon FCO vs Strasbourg – home win at 11/10.

Now unbeaten in their last three games, Dijon FCO carry considerable momentum into their game with struggling Strasbourg. Dijon FCO have long been a recognised “home side” with the majority of their points coming at home and usually totally outweighing their away points. Dijon have already won three of their six home games this year, drawing once and losing twice, which isn’t bad when you consider that they’re just sixth from bottom of Ligue 2. Impressively, only a handful of sides have scored more Ligue 2 goals at home than Dijon FCO which puts them in good shape for this game.

Strasbourg have been very unfortunate this season but as a tipster and punter myself, it’s my job to be the vulture and take advantage of another person’s disadvantage. Strasbourg are yet to win away from home in seven games, losing four and drawing three times. They’ve conceded rather a lot of goals considering their ability and aren’t scoring often enough. Although Strasbourg won their last game, it was their first win in four attempts, losing two along the way. Although the visitors have a very good squad and should be at the other end of the table at this stage of the season, Strasbourg are still finding life hard and Dijon is not the place to take your woes for you shall receive no sympathy there!

This should be a closely-fought game between two low-scoring sides but I think that the home advantage and momentum will play a big part here against a demoralised Strasbourg, thus leading to a home win tonight.

Verdict: Dijon FCO to win at 11/10.
 
Top Oss vs Excelsior – away win at evens.

Having now lost four consecutive games, Top Oss are now bruised and battered ahead of the visit of high-flying Excelsior. Top Oss’ home form is decent at best but their low morale coupled with their poor quality level leaves them struggling ahead of the visit of a far better side than they are. Only Eindhoven, Haarlem, Volendam, and Stormvogels Telstar have conceded more goals at home than Top Oss this season and that record doesn’t look likely to change against a tough opponent tonight. It also doesn’t help that only RBC Roosendaal and bottom-placed Emmen have scored less home goals than Top Oss, something else that is unlikely to change tonight.

Excelsior are finally back where they should be after a slow Eerste Divisie start. They’ve now won three out of their last four games and carry substantial momentum into this game tonight. Excelsior’s away form has been inconclusive thus far, which atypically would concern me in a game like this, but they’re facing a massively out-of-form and demoralised host so I find it hard to take too much concern from this. Excelsior are the full-throttle kind of side that could possibly tear Top Oss apart, the kind of side that you really don’t want to face with such an absence of form and morale, which is something I’m banking on in tonight’s game.

Realistically, the away win here boasts some good value with all of the above in mind so it’s certainly one of my tips of the day.

Verdict: Excelsior to win at evens.

Zaglebie Lubin vs Lech Poznan – away win at 6/5.

Although Zaglebie Lubin are unbeaten in their past three games, it’s a record that I dismiss with somewhat ease as the hosts have faced opponents around them in the Ekstraklasa table. The momentum gained in these games will do them good but their actual ability won’t improve because of it, something that I thoroughly expect to be exposed by a very talented Lech Poznan.

Visitors Lech Poznan have been unconvincing away from home this season but still boast a better side than newly-promoted Zaglebie Lubin. Lech have actually drawn their last three away games but a convincing home win against high-flying Ruch Chorzow in their last game should have done wonders for their momentum. Although I expect Zaglebie Lubin to put up a feisty display and cause Lech Poznan to have a tough game, it’s very difficult for me to envision anything but a large class difference making all the difference between these two sides, particularly when a side like Lech can call upon lethal strikers like Lewandowski to bail them out should they need to.

Although Lech’s away form of late has been quite average, they’re still a much better side and have everything in their favour to ensure that they win this game tonight.

Verdict: Lech Poznan to win at 6/5.

As ever, if there are any questions/explanations required then feel free to post a comment! For the complete picks listing, see below!

Argentinian Primera Division:

Rosario Central vs Atletico Tucuman (8) over 2.5 goals
Independiente vs Huracan (7) 1-0

Australian A-League:

Central Coast Mariners vs Perth Glory (6) 2-1

Austrian Bundesliga:

SV Ried vs SV Mattersburg (8) -1.75 handicap, over 2.5 goals

Austrian Liga 1:

Austria Vienna II vs Gratkorn (6) over 2.5 goals
Wacker Innsbruck vs St.Polten (7)
Austria Lustenau vs Lustenau (6) at least one red card in this game
Hartberg vs Dornbirn (4)
Salzburg II vs First Vienna (6)  over 2.5 goals

Belgian Eerste Klasse:

Anderlecht vs Kortrijk (8) under 2.5 goals

Belgian Tweede Klasse:

Oostende vs Dender (6)

Bulgarian A PFG:

Pirin Blagoevgrad vs Sliven (8) under 2.5 goals

French Ligue 2:

Bastia vs Brest (6)
Dijon FCO vs Strasbourg (6)
Guingamp vs Arles (8)
Istres vs Vannes OC (7)
Laval vs Sedan-Ardennes (7)
Tours vs Angers SCO (6)
Le Havre vs AC Ajaccio (8) under 2.5 goals
Nantes vs Chateauroux (7)
Nimes vs Stade Malherbe de Caen (6)

German Bundesliga:

VFL Bochum vs Koln (6)

German Bundesliga 2:

Karlsruher vs Koblenz (5)
Alemannia Aachen vs Rot-Weiss Ahlen (7)
FSV Frankfurt vs Hansa Rostock (7)

Greek B Ethniki:

Ethnikos Piraeus vs Rhodos (8)

Italian Serie B:

Salernitana vs Gallipoli (7)

Dutch Eredivisie:

Sparta Rotterdam vs PSV Eindhoven (8) under 2.5 goals

Dutch Eerste Divisie:

Zwolle vs Cambuur Leeuwarden (5)
De Graafschap vs Haarlem (8)
Dordrecht ’90 vs Go Ahead Eagles (6) draw no bet
Emmen vs Eindhoven (6)
Omniworld vs Veendam (6) 
Top Oss vs Excelsior (7)
Helmond Sport vs Den Bosch (6) 
MVV Maastricht vs AGOVV Appeldoorn (7) 
RBC Roosendaal vs Volendam (6)
Stormvogels Telstar vs Fortuna Sittard (7)

Polish Ekstraklasa:

Polonia Warsaw vs Polonia Bytom (6) 1-0
Zaglebie Lubin vs Lech Poznan (7) 1-2

Portuguese Liga Sagres:

Olhanense vs Vitoria Guimaraes (7) 0-0

Turkish Super Lig:

Bursaspor vs Galatasaray (6) 1-1

Welsh Premier League:

Bangor City vs Connah’s Quay Nomads (7)
Newi Cefn Druids vs Welshpool Town (5) 1-1
Llanelli vs Aberystwyth Town (6) 2-1
The New Saints vs Caersws (9) -1.75 handicap

Enjoy your free betting tips!

Brest vs Vannes OC

Posted on by

Today’s featured games is the Ligue 2 encounter between Brest and Vannes OC. The hosts have been very impressive in Ligue 2 this year and currently find themselves in fourth place in the table. They’ve won three of their last five games and are unbeaten on that particular run. The main reason for their success has been their consistent home form which has seen them yield five wins from seven games, drawing once and losing just once. Brest are looking twice the side that they were last year and look one of the harder sides to beat currently. Vannes OC, by contrast, are not having a good season. They’re currently thirteenth in the Ligue 2 table with one win and four defeats from their last five games, which isn’t good enough. Whereas their away record isn’t exactly the worst in the league, it’s still poor with three defeats, two draws, and one defeat from their six away games played this year. Vannes OC basically are not looking good enough to take anything from this game so I’m going to call a home win at bargain odds of 5/6 for a very much in-form and reliable Brest.

Friday’s Picks

My tips:

As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:

Brest vs Vannes OC – home win at 5/6 – see introduction for full details.

Universidad de Chile vs Fluminense – home win at 11/10. I don’t know what it is about Chilean sides playing Brazilian sides but they seem to have more success in stopping their Brazilian counterparts playing football much better than any other South American nation does. Perhaps it’s their dogged style of football that really gets to the Brazilians – I’m not sure. This point was illustrated in the first leg of this game as Universidad de Chile drew 2-2 in Brazil against Fluminense. Universidad de Chile are one of the more experienced continental sides in South America, I think it’s fair to say, and stand a great chance of progressing to the Copa Nissan Sudamericana here tonight against a Fluminense side more focal upon avoiding relegation from Serie A. The hosts have a good enough squad to win this game and the home advantage against a potentially distracted Fluminense makes the home win at 11/10 look a good call tonight.

Liga de Quito vs Velez Sarsfeld – home win at evens. Copa Libertadores reigning champions Liga de Quito tonight host Velez Sarsfeld in the Copa Nissan Sudamericana quarter-final game. An impressive 1-1 draw in Argentina in the first leg leaves the Ecuadorians with the edge as the Argentinians vist their lofty fortress in Quito. Many sides have travelled here and failed so it will take a mighty display from Velez Sarsfeld to avoid falling to a similar fate. What convinces me of this outcome is not only that this is a nightmarish away game for any side and that Velez Sarsfeld have to come here and attack to have a chance of success but also that Velez Sarsfeld’s performances of late have been inconsistent at best. For instance – they’ve beaten lowly Godoy Cruz de Mendoza and newly-promoted Atletico Tucuman but have also lost at home to Newell’s Old Boys. When travelling to a good home side like Liga de Quito, you really need to be at your best. Basically, I don’t think Velez Sarsfeld are currently in a position to get a result here so I think the home win at evens for the Ecuadorians looks a good bet tonight.

Sedan-Ardennes vs Metz – away win at 15/8. I can’t quite fathom why these odds are so long! Visitors Metz are not the best travellers in Ligue 2 – far from it. However, they remain one of the best sides in the division, regardless of that point. Aside from that, Metz have really entered their stride lately with four wins from their last five games. If this statistic isn’t impressive enough for you then consider that all of the sides they have beaten/drawn with in those five games either are a very good side or showed that they can be a very good side last season. Metz have lately won away to Chateauroux and drew away to high-flying Nantes whilst beating Guingamp, Laval, and Strasbourg at home. This list of sides is very impressive, in my humble opinion, and a weak Sedan-Ardennes shouldn’t really pose a great threat here tonight, despite having a decent home record. Sedan-Ardennes have lost three of their last five games, including two embarassing defeats to Nimes and Istres. Therefore, to be frank, the away win at 15/8 could turn out to be a real bargain tonight.

Arles vs Le Havre – away win at 13/8. Although currently unbeaten at home in Ligue 2 this year, hosts Arles will face one of their toughest tests yet as they host a very much in-form Le Havre. The visitors have won three of their last five games, losing just once. Their most recent victory was a monday night 4-0 demolition of promotion rivals Nantes, which will have inspired Le Havre greatly. Arles are doing well with keeping sides out but that record simply has to end soon enough because Arles are punching above their weight. Visitors Le Havre certainly have a classier side and look far more capable of winning this game than the hosts do. For me, the away win at 13/8 could prove to be a great bet tonight, particularly as Le Havre have already won three from seven away games this season, losing just once along the way.

Empoli vs Reggina – home win at evens. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I love my Serie B home wins and Empoli are amongst my favourite sides to back for it, too! Although atrocious away from home, Empoli become a very different side when playing on their own turf as five wins from six home games indicates. Some poor form lately has cast a few doubts in my mind over the reliability of Empoli but they’re hosting a Reggina side tonight that have lost four of their last five games and look destined to fail in this division despite having only joined Serie B from Serie A this year. Comparing Empoli’s superb home record with an average of nearly three goals scored per home game to Reggina’s away record of four defeats from six away games, conceding nearly two goals per away game, you have to feel that there’s potentially a great deal of value in the home win at evens!

Groningen vs Heracles Almelo – away win at 9/5. I never thought I’d see the day that I backed Heracles Almelo to win an away game but here we are! Visitors Heracles Almelo are playing some of the best football that they’ve ever played, in my humble opinion, and have well-earned their current Eredivisie placing of sixth. They’ve won four of their last five games but their most impressive feature is the fact that they’ve won four from six away games this year with only FC Twente Enschede having won more away games this year. Heracles Almelo’s strength isn’t goalscoring; it’s keeping sides out. They’ve conceded just one goal away from home in six games this year, which is pretty damn impressive! Although I formerly rated Groningen as the better of these two sides, statistics for this year show otherwise in a big way. The hosts have lost so many home games that only bottom-placed RKC Waalwijk have lost more home games than they have. Groningen have lost four of their six home games this season and scored a feeble two goals. Considering the lax attack of Groningen and the watertight defence of Heracles Almelo makes me think an away win is very likely here, particularly with the sharp contrast in momentum and ability at the moment, particularly as Groningen are without a win in their past four games and have lost their last two consecutively. For me, there’s potentially some serious value in the away win at 9/5.

Lechia Gdansk vs Korona Kielce – home win at evens. Many people have dubbed Lechia Gdansk’s start to this Ekstraklasa campaign as “fortunate”; maybe they’re right. However, fortune has no place in what will surely be a home win against a weak, newly-promoted Korona Kielce as the visitors have now lost four games in a row. Korona Kielce looked to be playing ok but all of a sudden they’ve completely capitulated and the result is a sharp descent down the Ekstraklasa. The visitors have lost four from five away games in the Ekstraklasa this season and Lechia Gdansk are well-placed to take advantage of that fact. The hosts may have a somewhat impassive home record this year but they’re resilient, experienced in the Ekstraklasa dogfight and won their last game to give them momentum as they enter this game. With all of the above in mind, the home win at evens could be a real bargain today.

As ever, if there are any questions/explanations required then feel free to post a comment! For the complete picks listing, see below!

Copa Nissan Sudamericana:

Universidad de Chile vs Fluminense (7) under 2.5 goals
Liga de Quito vs Velez Sarsfeld (7) under 2.5 goals

Argentinian Primera Division:

Argentinos Juniors vs Rosario Central (5) 1-1
Independiente vs Gimnasia De La Plata (7) 2-0

Australian A-League:

Adelaide United vs Brisbane Roar (7) 2-1

Austrian Liga 1:

Austria Vienna II vs Wacker Innsbruck (8)
SCR Altach vs Gratkorn (8)
Hartberg vs Admira Wacker (8)
Lustenau vs Salzburg II (6)
First Vienna vs Dornbirn (5) over 2.5 goals

Belgian Eerste Klasse:

Charleroi vs AA Gent (6) 1-2

Bulgarian A PFG:

Lokomotiv Mezdra vs Montana (7) 1-0

Danish 1st Division:

Viborg vs Skive (8)

English Championship:

Derby County vs Coventry City (4) draw no bet

English FA Cup:

Bristol Rovers vs Southampton (6) 1-1
Notts County vs Bradford City (8) 2-0
Huddersfield Town vs Dagenham & Redbridge (6) 2-1

French Ligue 2:

AC Ajaccio vs Dijon FCO (6)
Angers SCO vs Bastia (6)
Brest vs Vannes OC (8)
Clermont Foot vs Nimes (7)
Sedan-Ardennes vs Metz (6)
Strasbourg vs Istres (6)
Arles vs Le Havre (6)
Stade Malherbe de Caen vs Tours (8)
Chateauroux vs Laval (6)

German Bundesliga:

Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs Eintracht Frankfurt (8) 3-1

German Bundesliga 2:

Kaiserslautern vs Rot-Weiss Oberhausen (7)
St.Pauli vs Fortuna Dusseldorf (7)
Paderborn vs Koblenz (6)

Greek B Ethniki:

Ilioupoli vs Ethnikos Asteras (7)

Hungarian Soproni Liga:

Ujpest vs Fehervar (6) 1-1

Italian Serie B:

Empoli vs Reggina (7)

Dutch Eredivisie:

Groningen vs Heracles Almelo (7) 0-1

Dutch Eerste Divisie:

Cambuur Leeuwarden vs Excelsior (7) over 2.5 goals
AGOVV Appeldoorn vs Volendam (6)
Den Bosch vs Dordrecht ’90 (6)
Eindhoven vs Veendam (7)
Fortuna Sittard vs RBC Roosendaal (7)
Go Ahead Eagles vs Haarlem (8)
Helmond Sport vs Top Oss (6)
MVV Maastricht vs Omniworld (8)
Stormvogels Telstar vs Zwolle (7)

Polish Ekstraklasa:

Odra Wodzislaw vs Zaglebie Lubin (5) 1-1
Lechia Gdansk vs Korona Kielce (8) 1-0
Wisla Krakow vs Legia Warsaw (7) 2-1

Portuguese Liga Sagres:

Belenenses vs Pacos de Ferreira (6) under 2.5 goals

Romanian Liga:

Pandurii Targu Jiu vs Gloria Bistrita (7) 2-0
International vs Universitatea Craiova (8) 1-1

Singaporean S-League:

Sengkang Punggol vs Woodlands (5) 1-1

Turkish Super Lig:

Bursaspor vs Genclerbirligi (8) 2-0

Welsh Premier League:

Aberystwyth Town vs Bala Town (7) 2-1
Airbus vs Connah’s Quay Nomads (6) 1-0
Haverfordwest County vs Neath Athletic (6) 1-1
Prestatyn Town vs Newtown (7) 2-1
The New Saints vs Newi Cefn Druids (8) 2-0

Enjoy your free betting tips!