Arminia Bielefeld vs Alemannia Aachen

Today’s featured game is the Bundesliga 2 encounter between Arminia Bielefeld and Alemannia Aachen in Germany. Arminia Bielefeld are having a nightmare season and could find themselves relegated to Bundesliga 3 if things don’t rapidly improve whereas visitors Alemannia Aachen are perched quite comfortably mid-table so they won’t be unhappy with that.

Hosts Arminia Bielefeld are in deep shit, to be honest. Nothing more than a name nowadays, Arminia will soon be beyond a recognisable division, in my opinion – they just don’t have the quality anymore. Financial issues led to sales of defenders Mijatovic and Risgard, midfielders Federico, Halfar, and Kirch, as well as striker Katongo, just to name a few! It’s therefore no surprise that they’re utterly bereft of talent and that they tend to rely heavily on veteran Oliver Neuville in attack, who is hardly in his element at thirty-seven years of age.

Indeed, as if the above wasn’t already enough, we have to look at Arminia’s abysmal form of late. They’ve lost four consecutive games, conceding ten goals, and scoring just once along the way. I think some sides are bottom of their respective divisions through misfortune via one medium or another but Arminia Bielefeld are genuinely there because they’re not good enough to compete in the division they’re in, albeit due to misfortune, ironically. It’s just one problem area, though – the whole side is a problem! They’re the lowest-scoring side in the Bundesliga 2, averaging scoring less than a goal per game. They’re the highest-conceding side in the Bundesliga 2, averaging conceding nearly two goals per game. They’ve lost thirteen out of sixteen Bundesliga 2 games this season, which is a horrific record. They’ve lost six out of eight at home already this season and I just don’t see how things can improve for the demoralised and ineffectual hosts.

To really rub salt in the wound, consider that Arminia Bielefeld are missing eleven players for this game. Eleven players from a side that is bereft of talent and depth as it is! Included in that list is number one goalkeeper Eilhoff, important defenders Bollman and Fischer, and starting midfielders Bolster and Abelski so I think even a competent display for the hosts here is beyond them!

Alemannia Aachen welcome back holding midfielder Kevin Kratz for this game, which is a welcome bonus for a side that isn’t notorious for their defensive ability. Alemannia Aachen’s absentee list may be of similar length to their hosts’ but the vast majority of their missing players are not regulars. Indeed, only Uludag and the experienced Zdebel would be missed here so Alemannia aren’t far from being at full-strength here. In general, I’d personally say that mid-table is all that Alemannia are capable of nowadays. Let’s face it – the days of Jan Schlaudraff are behind them and the bottom line is that Alemannia’s defence is rather easily breached by a semi-decent attack and their attack doesn’t get them enough goals. Nonetheless, they’re a determined side and do still have that age-old ability to surprise sides, particularly away from home, so never underestimate this side. Although quite a number of sides may be able to match their losses on the road, it’s amusingly factual that nobody has lost less away games than Alemannia Aachen this season so they are capable away from home. They do bring some momentum into this game too, having won 1-2 at Rot-Weiss Oberhausen and having claimed a 0-0 draw at home to superior Fortuna Dusseldorf. The call of the away win does rely rather heavily on experienced striker Auer as his fellow strikers Gueye and Junglas don’t contribute much in the way of goals. Nonetheless, Auer is a capable striker at this level and should be able to score against their opponents today, who frankly aren’t good enough to be at this level anymore.

With Uludag missing for Alemannia, the visitors will look even more to Stieber and Hoger, who have already seen a fantastic return of four goals from sixteen games and five goals from sixteen games respectively despite playing most of their game in midfield. Their support is essential to Auer here and the possibility is there for them to support him too, especially with Kratz back to sit in front of the back four. Alemannia look in much better shape than Arminia with the above in mind and although Alemannia are still some distance from being a good side again, they should still win this game with considerable ease at generous odds of evens.

Team news – Arminia Bielefeld miss Abelski, Appiah, Bolstler, Delura, Fischer, Fort, Lense, Kauf, Hartmann, Eilhoff, and Bollman whereas Alemannia miss Krumpen, Stuckmann, Herzig, Olajengbesi, Muller, Zdebel, Daun, and Uludag.

Verdict: Alemannia Aachen to win at evens.

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Friday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Adelaide United vs Melbourne Heart – home win with -1.5 handicap at 31/20.

I think it’s a fair observation to say that Adelaide United are over-achieving this season but what else can you add to that? They’re consistently winning games and that’s what you need to do to win a title so fair play to them.

They’ve been particularly impressive at home with seven wins from eight A-League home games, averaging scoring two goals per home game and conceding a goal per every two home games on average. They’ve bagged seven goals in their past four games, winning three times and losing once along the way so momentum is good in the Adelaide camp currently. They overcame Melbourne Heart 3-2 earlier this season but Melbourne Heart were enjoying a “purple patch” at the time – needless to say that they’re no longer in that rich vein of form so should struggle here. Adelaide do miss Cornthwaite in defence but with Mullen standing by to cover for him, I can’t read too much into his absence. They also miss youngsters Leckie and Costa but only Leckie has featured this season for Adelaide and that’s been sporadically, although impressively, I should add. Adelaide’s partnership of towering Van Dijk and pacey Flores in attack is dynamite on their day and with virtually a full-strength squad available to them and momentum siding with them, I have to fancy the home win here.

Only Newcastle Jets have scored less goals than Melbourne Heart have in the A-League this season so it’s clear to see where their problems predominantly lie. The wealthy visitors may not be short of a few dollars but they are short of goals and that won’t be helped today with the absence of veteran Dutch striker Gerald Sibon due to injury. Given that only three sides have lost more away games than Melbourne Heart have this season (and two of those are in the relegation zone!), the problems that the Heart have are rapidly stacking up. Only bottom club Perth Glory have conceded more away goals than Melbourne Heart have too with today’s visitors averaging conceding nearly two goals per away game. In their current vein of form, it’s unlikely that the Heart are going to improve either, losing six out of their last seven games whilst drawing the other game. Worryingly, Melbourne Heart have only scored in two of those games whilst conceding fourteen so the alarm bells have to be ringing for the Heart today. Five out of their six defeats have involved them losing by two goals or more, including a 0-2 defeat against today’s opponents Adelaide United at home a few weeks ago, so all the signs are there that this bet can be a success.

Melbourne Heart welcome back ex-Wigan Athletic midfielder Josip Skoko from injury but that’s really the only ray of light that they have today. They still miss Terra in attack and with Sibon absent too, I don’t see how the visitors will score here. Adelaide have everything going for them and logic says that they should win this game with a great degree of simplicity. For me, there’s potentially tremendous value in the home win with a -1.5 handicap at 31/20.

Team news – Adelaide United miss Leckie, Costa, and Cornthwaite whilst Melbourne Heart miss Sibon, Terra, and Babalj.

Verdict: Adelaide United to beat the -1.5 goal handicap at 31/20.

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Kortrijk vs Standard de Liege – home win with draw no bet at 21/20.

You have to hand it to Kortrijk – no other club in the Eerste Klasse has a better ratio of home wins to the number of games played than they do with seven wins from eight home games. Indeed, “hand it” may be the operative term too with their only defeat along the way coming courtesy of a very convenient handball in an undeserving win for Westerlo.

Of course, Kortrijk aren’t really good enough to sustain this record for the season, in my view. They’ll get a real test in the coming weeks with Lokeren, Anderlecht, and AA Gent all pencilled in for a visit to strong Kortrijk. However, our focus is for tonight’s game as they host Eerste Klasse giants Standard de Liege. Kortrijk don’t have a good head-to-head record against Standard in the Eerste Klasse. Indeed, they’ve lost every Eerste Klasse meeting with Standard since regaining promotion a few years ago so the omens are bleak on that front. However, Kortrijk are a nightmare side to play against away from home on their compact pitch with their physical approach and vociferous support. Standard may find it a little easier than most with defensive lynchpin Gershon missing for Kortrijk but Kortrijk are such a strong unit that they’re still hard to break down. Indeed, the likes of Rossini and Ilombe should give Standard enough to worry about at the other end of the field, especially with a strong and experienced midfield behind them with the likes of Belhocine, Oussalah, De Beule, and Carevic likely to be fielded although they may be without Pavlovic, who has returned from injury but may not be fit. Had Kortrijk still been in their fairly poor run of form lately then I may have ignored this game but an emphatic 3-1 win against relegation-threatened Lierse SK last week should see the hosts bubbling with confidence again and that makes them a very hard side to play against so I’ll give them their chances tonight.

It aids matters greatly in my eyes that Standard miss star striker Tchite for this game through injury because they’ve really struggled to score goals on a consistent basis without him, especially away from home. That’s a real hammer-blow for Standard because their defence is pretty inept, to be honest. Indeed, they’ve only beaten Germinal Beerschot in their last three away games with the predominant reasoning behind that win being poor hosts and a lack of a goal threat for the hosts. Standard have lost both away games since then, losing at Zulte-Waregem and Lokeren respectively, both in deserving fashion so I don’t have high hopes for Standard here. Indeed, as if it wasn’t bad enough already that Tchite was missing, Standard have also lost captain and starlet Steven Defour from midfield, who has suffered yet another long-term injury and will be out for approximately three months. That limits Standard’s attacking prowess considerably with Witsel holding the banner in midfield but only youngster Cyriac doing the business in attack. Therefore, a side that relies heavily on their attacking ability to counter their defensive inability is now denied two key attacking players so it really doesn’t look good for the visitors.

For me, it’s time Kortrijk finally took points off Standard. Motivation against the bigger clubs is always high and with a win behind them, Kortrijk do bring momentum into this game. They’re not the best side in the world; indeed, their home record flatters them. However, they’re a hard side to play against at the best of times and with some fresh confidence in their camp, I fancy them here, especially with Standard’s best two offensive weapons missing this game through injury, although I’ll take the home win with draw no bet cover for obvious reasons.

Team news – Kortrijk miss El Araichi and Gershon for this game whereas Standard miss Tchite. 

Verdict: Kortrijk to win with draw no bet at 21/20.

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Sporting Braga vs Academica de Coimbra – both sides to score at evens.

It’ll be interesting to see if the temporary Liga Sagres break has calmed Braga down as they were quite adamant about having most of their players sent off prior to it, having three dismissed in a 3-1 defeat at Uniao de Leiria.

A more pressing issue for them may be their absentees for this game tonight, however, although the suspension of players sent off is a factor for some of the missing players, ironically. Braga miss number one goalkeeper Felipe, important defender Echiejile, strikers Nascimento (Mateus) and Lima (two hefty blows for Braga’s attack!) and squad rotation defender Garcia. I’d atypically stay away from sides scoring against Braga at Braga because they’re solid defensively but they’re missing players and they’re not playing well as four defeats in five games indicates all too well. Their UEFA Champions League campaign has done a lot of damage to their domestic campaign due to not having great strength in-depth and I expect signs of that to still show in tonight’s games. Indeed, Braga have only kept two clean sheets at home this season in the Liga Sagres, both of which were against Madeira clubs, ironically. They’ve conceded in their other home games against poor-travelling Naval de Maio and Olhanense, let alone newly-promoted sides Portimonense and Beira-Mar, the latter of which won here 2-3! Braga are not looking very assured here and having conceded at home to Academica for three out of their last four meetings, I expect more of the same tonight.

It aids my cause that Academica play nice football themselves, of course. They’re rarely an easy side to face because they do know how to keep the ball and take their chances and I think they’ll fancy their chances against under-strength Braga tonight, to be honest. They’re not on a great run themselves, Academica, but just two defeats in six away games demonstrates their capabilities, tempremental though they are. Academica have played in thirteen games this season and the only one that they’ve not scored in was their game against giants Porto, which is forgivable. Only heavyweights Porto and SL Benfica have scored more than Academica have this season in the Liga Sagres so Academica really should be taken seriously here, especially as they’re only missing one important player (Berger from defence, which aids this bet more than hindering it) and whilst boasting in-form attacking players Fidalgo, Sougou, and Laionel at their disposal. With attacking trio Valente, Diogo, and Coelho likely to be supporting them tonight, you have to note that Academica have some rather gifted and able attacking players at their disposal and even if Braga were strong defensively at the moment, I’d still fancy Academica to score here.

Therefore, my call is for both sides to score as it’s priced fairly generously at evens. I’m partially tempted by the away win with draw no bet cover but I’ll avoid it as Braga are still the better side. However, both sides scoring in this game appeals to me a lot so that’s my call tonight.

Team news – Braga miss Felipe, Echiejile, Lima, Nascimento, and Garcia whereas Academica miss Berger.

Verdict: Both sides to score at evens.

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Accumulator fodder:

Adelaide United, Novara, Twente Enschede, Trabzonspor.

Recommended bets:

Adelaide United, Twente Enschede, and Kortrijk DNB at 3/1.

Novara, Trabzonspor, and Alemannia Aachen at 3/1.

As ever, if there are 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!

Australian A-League:

Adelaide United vs Melbourne Heart (8) -1.5 handicap

Belgian Eerste Klasse:

Kortrijk vs Standard de Liege (5) 2-1, draw no bet

English Championship:

Doncaster Rovers vs Middlesbrough (5) under 2.5 goals

English League One:

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Notts County (6)

French Ligue 2:

AC Ajaccio vs Angers SCO (5) draw no bet, under 2.5 goals
Chateauroux vs Boulogne (6)
Grenoble Foot vs Dijon FCO (4)
Reims vs Clermont Foot (5) over 2.5 goals
Tours vs Nimes (7)
Troyes vs Evian Thonon Gaillard (4) draw no bet
Vannes OC vs Le Havre (6)
Nantes vs Sedan-Ardennes (5)

German Bundesliga:

Borussia Moenchengladbach vs Hamburger SV (5) over 2.5 goals, both sides to score

German Bundesliga 2:

MSV Duisburg vs VfL Bochum (6)
Arminia Bielefeld vs Alemannia Aachen (6)

Italian Serie B:

Novara vs Pescara (8)

Dutch Eredivisie:

Twente Enschede vs Heracles Almelo (8) over 2.5 goals

Dutch Eerste Divisie:

Dordrecht ’90 vs Volendam (4) over 2.5 goals
Telstar vs RKC Waalwijk (7) over 2.5 goals
Den Bosch vs Fortuna Sittard (3) both sides to score
MVV Maastricht vs Zwolle (7)
Eindhoven vs RBC Roosendaal (6) over 2.5 goals
Emmen vs Cambuur Leeuwarden (4) draw no bet
Go Ahead Eagles vs Veendam (5)
Almere City vs Sparta Rotterdam (5)
AGOVV Appeldoorn vs Helmond Sport (6) both sides to score

Portuguese Liga Sagres:

Sporting Braga vs Academica de Coimbra (5) both sides to score

Spanish Segunda Liga:

Deportivo Xerez vs Girona (6) over 2.5 goals

Turkish Super Lig:

Trabzonspor vs Karabukspor (8) 2-1

Welsh Premier League:

Bala Town vs Aberystwyth Town (5) 1-2, draw no bet
Haverfordwest County vs Port Talbot Town (5) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Neath Athletic vs Llanelli (6) 1-0
The New Saints vs Bangor City (6) 2-2

Enjoy your free betting tips!

Stromsgodset vs Viking Stavanger

Today’s featured game is the Tippeligaen match in Drammen between Stromsgodset and Viking Stavanger. The hosts are battling against relegation although if we cast reality unto the wind, they’re virtually assured Tippeligaen football next season. Nonetheless, they’ll want three points today to make sure of it and what better side to face than an out-of-form Viking Stavanger side that has no motivation for this game? There aren’t many sides I’d personally prefer at the present time if I were a Stromsgodset fan, that’s for sure! The hosts bear a remarkable home record in that the only three sides to have won more home games than they have are the current top three sides in the Tippeligaen – Rosenborg BK, Molde, and Stabaek. I suppose it’s a clear indication of how close Stromsgodset deceptively are to being a real force in this division – well, if they could address their away form issues, that is! Years of dogfight experience gives Stromsgodset a real helping hand here and their home advantage is intimidating for away sides, particularly if the away side isn’t playing well or is entering the game without a great deal of motivation. Eight wins from fourteen games and an average of nearly two goals per home game are the fundamental reasons behind Stromsgodset’s continuous present in the Tippeligaen. Visitors Viking Stavanger are rapidly obtaining a reputation for being one of the biggest under-achievers in this division despite boasting one of the best Tippeligaen squads, in my opinion. They’re currently mid-table with no hope of achieving European football next year or of being relegated and their recent performances have shown that. Viking Stavanger have effectively been lax with their displays; disinterested, if you will. Draws at home to Aalesunds and Sandefjord Fotball are perfect examples to my point. Viking Stavanger simply want this season to be over; Stromsgodset want to ensure they’ll be here to play against them next year. Therefore, the home win at 11/10 looks something of a bargain here today.

Sunday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Stromsgodset vs Viking Stavanger – home win at 11/10 – see introduction for full details.

River Plate vs Boca Juniors – away win at 7/5. This game is arguably one of the biggest derbies in the world. Buenos Aires will be covered with the red-and-white of River Plate and the blue-and-yellow of Boca Juniors ahead of tonight’s clash. To say that tensions will be running high both in the stadium and outside of the stadium is something of an understatement. I expect cards galore in this game but the one thing that is unusually missing from this game is importance. These two sides are used to being the biggest and best sides in Argentina but neither has indicated that at all in this campaign or the last. River Plate have one just once in nine games so far in their current campaign, which simply isn’t good enough on any level for a club of such gigantic size. They’ve lost three of their last five games and have drawn the other two games. Visitors Boca Juniors started their campaign in a similar poor fashion to River Plate but have picked it up lately, as their recent form of three straight wins all too clearly indicates. With the additional confidence of having won this exact fixture last year, you have to feel that Boca Juniors really have the edge entering this game and have a touch more class so the away win at 7/5 does look rather inviting tonight. That said, derbies of this kind are certainly only worthy of low stakes at best given the relatively unpredictable nature of them, particularly in South America, so do approach with caution. 

Mechelen vs Anderlecht – away win at evens. Aside from their fortuitous victory over the 10 men of Anderlecht in this fixture last year, Mechelen have never beaten Anderlecht in a league game in over fourteen years! The records show something like thirteen games and twelve wins for Anderlecht. Any fool knows that Anderlecht boasts the better squad but do they have the momentum to do it tonight? In my opinion – yes. They’ve won three of their last four games and although their away form hasn’t been greatly convincing so far this season, Anderlecht simply have too much quality for Mechelen and will be looking to put some points between themselves and Standard de Liege, who drew yesterday. Hosts Mechelen have enjoyed a good start to this campaign with seven wins from eleven games. They’ve actually won four from their last five games, too. Have they proven themselves against the big guns, though? They’ve lost to Standard de Liege and AA Gent already this season, although they did manage to overcome current league leaders Club Brugge at the start of this season. However, what I notice about their fixtures played so far are that the majority of them are very “winnable” games for a side in form. Today is a really big test for them and it’ll be interesting to see if they can handle the attacking prowess of Anderlecht. For me, the away win at evens bears great value but feel free to make up your own minds, as ever!

Internacional vs Gremio – home win at 17/20. Let’s play a game here – how many derbies can we play in the Brazilian Serie A on the same day just to really piss everyone off? Answer: three games out of seven! Are the Brazilian FA suicidal?! All of these games are going to have riots with the biggest riot no doubt being at this game between Internacional and Gremio! These two rivals have a mass dislike for each other (shock!) but the main difference here tonight is that Internacional have a very real chance of claiming the Serie A title this year. They’re currently five points behind out-of-form league leaders Palmeiras but have a game in hand. Wheras Internacional’s form of late has been far from perfect, they’re a very good home side (nine wins from fifteen games) and have beaten Gremio the last three times they’ve been here in any competition. Visitors Gremio are also struggling a little for form but have seen their title aspirations all but crushed as a large ten point gap has opened up between themselves and first place Palmeiras with just eight games remaining. Gremio will naturally now fall back to their second aspiration of the season; stopping Internacional winning anything. The desire of both sides to win this game will be strong for varying reasons but hosts Internacional are very good at home, as they’ve proven already this season, and they’re also very good against Gremio in general. Given that Gremio’s away form indicates just one win in fifteen games and a staggering ten defeats, you have to feel that this bloody encounter will end with a home win at 17/20.

Sportist Svoge vs Levski Sofia – home win at 11/2 or lay Levski Sofia at 17/10. If you read my preview midweek for Salzburg vs Levski Sofia then you’ll know where I’m heading with this call. If you didn’t, then go and do so now, lazy fucker! Effectively, Levski Sofia have massive issues on and off the field and have sold numerous big players so their squad is not only demoralised and thin on the ground but also lack cohesion together, something their results have indicated all too well of late. Levski Sofia are suffering against any opponent so I’m sticking my neck out to say that Sportist Svoge will be able to trouble them too, much as fellow promoted side Beroe have already done in the A PFG. For me, the home win at 11/2 or even laying Levski Sofia at 17/10 bears tremendous value today as their problems simply cannot be solved overnight.

Once Caldas Manizales vs Boyaca Chico – home win at evens. Despite an impressive campaign last time out, Boyaca Chico have really struggled for form in this campaign and it’s only as it draws towards a close that they’re making any kind of attempt to move up the table. That said, a poor away record indicating one win, two draws, and four defeats from seven games is a good marker as to why Boyaca Chico are where they are. Once Caldas Manizales are a simply side to Boyaca Chico in this respect, although their home form is better and their away form is poorer – in fact, they’ve lost all of their away games in this campaign, the worst record in the entire league. However, Once Caldas Manizales are a force at home – and they have to be – as is indicated by the fact that only five sides have won more home games than they have. Both sides are struggling for consistency but all of the above information points to a home win here at evens.

Olympique de Marseille vs Paris Saint-Germain – home win at 3/4. This game was very nearly called off due to an illness, allegedly, which certainly would have been a talking point! However, the game is set to go ahead and the big news regarding this game is that Paris Saint-Germain are missing Hoarau, Giuly, and Sakho. What does this mean? It means that any hope Paris Saint-Germain had of obtaining a point, or even three points, from this game have now vanished because their squad isn’t good enough to cope with these losses. Despite poor domestic form of late, Olympique de Marseille will have gained some momentum from their arduous but aesthetically pleasing victory away to FC Zurich of Switzerland mid-week in the UEFA Champions League. Olympique de Marseille already have a better squad than Paris Saint-Germain without their visitors missing key players but they also boast the home advantage too. Personally, I can only recommend taking the home win at 3/4 here before the odds inevitably drop.

Aris Salonika vs AEK Athens – home win at 6/4. This is quite a risky call but I rate Aris Salonika enough to believe they can win this game and feel that AEK Athens have enough problems at the moment to enable them to lose it, basically. AEK Athens have lost three out of their last four domestic games and also return from a difficult and ultimately disappointing trip mid-week to Belarus as they lost 2-1 to BATE Borisov in the UEFA Europa League match. AEK Athens’ season just seems to get worse and worse at each possible opportunity with issues behind the scenes that are clearly affecting the players enough to earn them a red card or two in the majority of the games that they’ve played lately. The problem with AEK Athens is that they don’t have the “big name” players to pull them through difficult times like these. They have a finely balanced squad that is easily disrupted but very difficult to repair. For me, we’re starting to witness something of a crisis at AEK Athens and I think this tricky tie with Aris Salonika today could pile further misery upon them. To further my point, Aris Salonika have played three home games so far in the Super League, winning all three games without even conceding a goal. Aris Salonika had no game mid-week so they’re fresh and ready for this game and can no doubt smell the blood on AEK Athens, as indeed most sides currently can. Lastly, AEK Athens have managed to beat Aris Salonika in their last two meetings and haven’t won here on their last two trips. Therefore, the home win at 6/4 looks to have significant value on it today.

Atalanta Bergamo vs Parma – home win at 11/10. After an impressive away win against Udinese last match, the gritty Atalanta Bergamo look back in business as they host Parma today. Atalanta Bergamo are now unbeaten in four games and are beginning to appreciate their quality and compliment it with confidence and momentum, which is always a dangerous combination – well, for opposing sides, at least! Visitors Parma have made a good start to their Serie A campaign with four wins in eight games, losing just twice along the way. However, Parma have won just one game in their last three and tend to struggle on the road. Bergamo is a tough place for any side lacking in quality and work-rate and Parma are unfortunately missing the former of those two points. This should be a close game between two sides but Atalanta Bergamo’s experience in grinding out results should give them the advantage here as well as the momentum they’ve gained from beating rivals Udinese last match. For me, the home win at 11/10 has some value in it today if everything goes according to plan!

Kawasaki Frontale vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima – home win at 4/5. Hosts Kawasaki Frontale know that a win today will see them leapfrog league leaders Kashima Antlers into first place, something that could prove crucial as there’s just four games remaining after this one in the J-League. The hosts take an impressive three-game winning streak into this match, which obviously grants them tremendous momentum. That coupled with the fact that Kawasaki Frontale have won nine from fourteen home games so far this season makes me think that the hosts are set for another win here today, particularly as they appear to be thriving on the pressure whilst title rivals Kashima Antlers are seemingly buckling under the pressure. Visitors Sanfrecce Hiroshima have had a good campaign but I don’t think they’re good enough to match Kawasaki Frontale and their recent form certainly isn’t as they’ve not won any of their last four games, drawing three times and losing once. Their main strength is being hard to beat but the above suggests that Kawasaki Frontale have more than enough to win this game. For me, the home win at 4/5 bears significant value today.

AZ Alkmaar vs AFC Ajax Amsterdam – away win at 11/8. Despite a fortunate last-minute equaliser against Arsenal mid-week in the UEFA Champions League, I think it’s fair to say that AZ Alkmaar are heavily under-performing. Four defeats in their last five games leaves the reigning champions looking more like a side destined for relegation rather than a title challenge! Unfortunately for AZ Alkmaar, they’re today facing a side that almost always competes for the Eredivisie title – experience has taught them to do that regardless of what players are available to them. Four wins from their last five games leaves AFC Ajax Amsterdam looking their usual potent selves, particularly as they’re actually averaging scoring over three goals per game currently. Ultimately, I think today we’re going to witness the reigning champions get taught a lesson in football by a side that has been a real champion many times – AFC Ajax Amsterdam. The visitors should dish out a lesson in quality and consistency today as the above supports so the away win at 11/8 looks like a good bet today.

Fredrikstad vs Molde – home win at 5/4. Although it’s realistic to consider Fredrikstad virtually assured of relegation, there’s also the additional “what if?” factor that football likes to throw up on occasion so Fredrikstad will be keen to obtain the three points they need to stay in the Tippeligaen for next year’s campaign. They’ve won their last three games in a row, leaving them a daunting opponent for any away side. Poor Molde couldn’t be worse placed for this game as they’ve lost three of their last four games, including their last two away games in a row. Aside from that, whatever happens in this game really doesn’t affect Molde as second place has now been officially confirmed as their own. Therefore, a demoralised Molde side lacking in motivation look susceptible to defeat against a highly-motivated and confident Fredrikstad today at 5/4.

Lechia Gdansk vs Lech Poznan – away win at evens. Although suffering injuries on the striker front, Lech Poznan still managed to overcome Wisla Krakow in their last match by a sole goal from hot prospect Robert Lewandowski. The win will have done their confidence a world of good after a shaky run of games that saw them claim just one win in three games. Lech Poznan may still have striker issues as Rengifo and Chrapek are both ruled out of this game but today they’re facing much easier opponents – Lechia Gdansk. The hosts have had a massively impressive Ekstraklasa campaign so far but they’re drastically punching above their weight, something that I feel is gradually becoming exposed as they’ve won just one game in their last five, losing three along the way. Lechia Gdansk have injury problems in defence with Kawa, Kozans, Cvirik, and Mysona missing. For a side that suffers a lot defensively when they are at full-strength, this is a hefty blow and one that plays right into the hands of Lech Poznan. The biggest loss of the afore-mentioned is Cvirik, who tends to keep the Lechia Gdansk defence as organised as can be expected. Without him, I fully expect Lechia Gdansk to have issues today with defending. Although I expect a close and somewhat gritty game here, there surely has to be value in the away win at evens in light of the above information!

Maritimo vs Pacos de Ferreira – home win at 4/5. In my eyes, this is something of a no-brainer. Maritimo are simply too good for Pacos de Ferreira. Neither side has made an impressive start to their respective campaigns but the hosts finally won their second game in the Liga Sagres lately against Academica de Coimbra, a result that will have gifted the hosts some good momentum ahead of this game. Neither side are playing their best football at the moment but Maritimo at least have an extra gear they can move up to in due course and also possess the momentum to take them there – Pacos de Ferreira currently have neither of those things. Therefore, the home win at 4/5 looks a good call today.

International vs Astra Ploiesti – home win at 11/10. This is a very risky call indeed when you consider that International have lost all of their five home games so far in the Romanian Liga. However, their away form is stunning; they’ve won four out of five away games so far, a record matched only by giants Steaua Bucharest! You have to feel that the hosts can surely utilise their impressive away form at home somepoint and I can’t see a better opportunity than today as they hosted a fellow promoted side – Astra Ploiesti. The visitors have lost three and drawn two of their five away games so you sense that something has to give between these two sides today! International have got the ability and form to start winning games at home, something their away form shows all too clearly, so I think the home win at 11/10 could prove to be good value today.

CFR Cluj vs FC Poli Timisoara – home win at 11/10. This was definitely a close contender for my featured game today! I had to do a double-take when I saw that the home win for CFR Cluj against FC Poli Timisoara was at 11/10! I almost laughed out loud, I can tell you! Why on earth are they so high? CFR Cluj are twice as good as FC Poli Timisoara – fact! They’ve beaten FC Poli Timisoara at home in the league for two out of their last three seasons in the Romanian Liga, drawing the other encounter. The visitors may be unbeaten in the Romanian Liga this season but it’s only a matter of time before that record is shattered. Have FC Poli Timisoara really been tested yet, though? True, they gained a respectable 0-0 draw at Unirea Urziceni but they were well out of form at the time. FC Poli Timisoara claimed a slender victory over Rapid Bucharest but Rapid Bucharest entered that game on the back of another defeat, thus a loss in morale. Today FC Poli Timisoara take on a very dangerous CFR Cluj that will have been riled from their defeat away to Sparta Prague mid-week. It’s not for no reason that CFR Cluj have won four out of five games at home this season, drawing the other, with just two goals conceded. CFR Cluj are a much better side and I can only urge you all to back the home win at 11/10 before the odds inevitably drop!

Real Valladolid vs Deportivo La Coruna – away win at 17/10. These odds surprise me somewhat, too. Deportivo La Coruna aren’t a very good away side – facts from past seasons indicate this all too clearly. However, they’ve looked very good in this campaign with five wins from seven games, winning their last four games consecutively. Having already claimed two wins away from home this season, Deportivo La Coruna are beginning to show that they’re a threat both at the Riazor and away from it. To make matters easier for them, they’re facing lowly Real Valladolid, a side that I really think will be playing Segunda Liga football next season because they don’t have enough quality to stay in the Primera Liga. They’ve lost three of their last four games and are yet to win a home game in three attempts so far this season. To make matters worse, they can barely gain any squad cohesion to ultimately lead to momentum/consistency because they’re often having men dismissed and thus suspended. Real Valladolid have got a lot of problems, to be blunt, and I think Deportivo La Coruna are perfectly placed to take advantage of that at 17/10.

Atletico Gramenet vs Badalona – home win at 5/6. Hosts Atletico Gramenet have won three from four home games so far this season, drawing the other game, thus leaving them unbeaten at home so far. Their form is patchy but they’re always reliable on their own turf when it comes to producing the goods. Visitors Badalona (no – not a childish pun on Barcelona!) have lost three of their four away games, winning just once. Although both sides are barely stringing together two wins in a row, both are very similar in the sense that they only turn up in their home games. For that reason, the home win at 5/6 looks something of a no-brainer to me today!

As ever, any questions/explanations required, feel free to email me at thefootytipster@gmail.com. For the complete picks listing, see below!

Argentinian Primera Division:

Arsenal de Sarandi vs Gimnasia De La Plata (7) 1-1
River Plate vs Boca Juniors (6) 1-2, at least one red card in this game
Tigre vs Argentinos Juniors (7) 0-1
Colon de Santa Fe vs San Lorenzo de Almagro (5) 1-1

Australian A-League:

Wellington Phoenix vs Gold Coast United (7) 1-1
Sydney FC vs Brisbane Roar (7) 2-1

Austrian Bundesliga:

Austria Vienna vs LASK Linz (8) -1.75 handicap
Salzburg vs SV Ried (9) over 2.5 goals
Wiener Neustadt vs Sturm Graz (6) 0-1
Rapid Vienna vs SV Mattersburg (8) -1.75 handicap

Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:

Dinamo Minsk vs Torpedo Zhodino (8) 1-0
BATE Borisov vs MTZ-RIPO Minsk (8) 3-1

Belgian Eerste Klasse:

Roeselare vs Club Brugge (9) 1-2
Mechelen vs Anderlecht (7) 0-1

Belgian Tweede Klasse:

Antwerp vs Turnhout (7)

Brazilian Serie A:

Coritiba vs Atletico Paranaense (5) 2-1
Goias vs Fluminense (4) 1-1
Internacional vs Gremio (7) 1-0, at least one red card in this game
Santos vs Sao Paulo (5) 1-2, at least one red card in this game
Botafogo vs Flamengo (5) 1-1
Corinthians vs Cruzeiro (6) 1-0
Avai vs Sport Recife (7) 2-0

Bulgarian A PFG:

Sportist Svoge vs Levski Sofia (5) 1-0
CSKA Sofia vs Minior Pernik (9) -2.75 handicap

Colombian Futbol Profesional:

Deportivo Pasto vs Real Cartagena (5) 1-1
Once Caldas Manizales vs Boyaca Chico (7) 2-1
Cucuta Deportivo vs Envigado (7) 2-0
Deportes Quindio vs La Equidad Bogota (6) 1-1
Atletico Junior Barranquilla vs America de Cali (8) 3-1
Atletico Nacional de Medellin vs Independiente de Santa Fe Bogota (7) 1-1

Croatian Prva Liga:

Dinamo Zagreb vs Cibalia (8) 2-1

Cypriot Division 1:

APOP/Kinyras vs AEL Limassol (6) 1-2
APEP vs Doxa (6) 1-0
Ermis vs Aris (6) 1-2, draw no bet

Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:

Ceske Budejovice vs Viktoria Plzen (6) 0-0
Bohemians Prague vs Sparta Prague (8) 0-2

Danish Superligaen:

Esbjerg vs SonderjyskE (8) 2-0
Midtylland vs HB Koge (7) 2-0
FC Copenhagen vs Silkeborg (8) 2-1
Aalborg BK vs Brondby (5) 1-1

Danish 1st Division:

Fyn vs Vestjaelland (6)
Viborg vs Kolding (9)
AB Copenhagen vs Vejle (5)
Frem vs Skive (6)
Fredericia vs Roskilde (9)
Lyngby vs Hvidovre (7)
Naestved vs Thisted (7)
AC Horsens vs Braband (7)

Finnish Veikkausliiga/Ykkonen Play-Off:

JJK Jyvaskyla vs KPV Kokkola (7) 2-1

English Premier League:

Bolton Wanderers vs Everton (7) 1-1
Liverpool vs Manchester United (6) 0-1
Manchester City vs Fulham (7) 2-1
West Ham United vs Arsenal (8) 1-2

French Ligue 1:

Auxerre vs LOSC Lille (7) 1-1
Racing Club Lens vs Toulouse (5) 1-0, draw no bet
Olympique de Marseille vs Paris Saint-Germain (7) 2-1, at least one red card in this game

German Bundesliga:

Hertha BSC Berlin vs VFL Wolfsburg (7) 0-2
Schalke 04 vs Hamburger SV (6) 1-1
VFL Bochum vs Werder Bremen (7) 1-2

German Bundesliga 2:

Karlsruher SC vs Rot-Weiss Oberhausen (5)
Alemannia Aachen vs Union Berlin (6)
St.Pauli vs Energie Cottbus (7)

Greek Super League:

Levadiakos vs Iraklis (5) 1-0
Panthrakikos vs Larissa (6) 0-1
Aris Salonika vs AEK Athens (7) 2-1
Panathinaikos vs PAOK Salonika (9) 3-1
Xanthi vs Kavala (6) 0-0

Greek B Ethniki:

Diagoros Rodos vs Rhodos (8)
Ilioupoli vs Anagennisi Karditsas (6)
OFI Crete vs Ethnikos Piraeus (8)
Pierikos Katerini vs Thrasivoulos (5)

Hungarian Soproni Liga:

Fehervar vs Debreceni VSC (6) 1-2

Italian Serie A:

Atalanta Bergamo vs Parma (7) 1-0
Bari vs Lazio (6) 0-0
Cagliari vs Genoa (4) 1-0
Fiorentina vs SSC Napoli (8) 2-1
Palermo vs Udinese (7) 2-1
AS Roma vs Livorno (8) 2-0
Siena vs Juventus (8) 0-2
Chievo Verona vs AC Milan (6) 0-0

Japanese J-League:

Nagoya Grampus vs Jubilo Iwata (6) 2-1
Urawa Red Diamonds vs Omiya Ardija (8) 2-0
Shimizu S-Pulse vs FC Tokyo (6) 1-1
Kawasaki Frontale vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima (8) 2-1

Lithuanian A Lyga:

Kruoja Pakruojis vs Vetra Vilnius (8) 0-2
LKKA Teledema Kaunas vs FK Siauliai (6) 1-2
FK Taurus Taurage vs Banga Gargzdai (5) 1-1
Ekranas Panevezys vs Suduva Marijampole (6) 2-1

Mexican Primera Division:

Pumas UNAM vs Monterrey (4) 1-1
Puebla vs Morelia (6) 1-2
America vs Guadalajara (7) 1-0

Dutch Eredivisie:

FC Twente Enschede vs Groningen (8) 2-1
AZ Alkmaar vs AFC Ajax Amsterdam (7) 1-2
Willem II vs Heerenveen (5) 0-1
NEC Nijmegen vs PSV Eindhoven (8) 0-2

Norwegian Tippeligaen:

Fredrikstad vs Molde (6) 2-1
Stabaek vs Bodo Glimt (8) 3-1
Odd Grenland Skien vs Lyn Oslo (8) -1.75 handicap
Lillestrom vs Brann Bergen (5) 1-1
Tromso vs Start Kristiansand (7) 2-1
Rosenborg BK vs Aalesunds (4) 1-1
Valerenga Oslo vs Sandefjord Fotball (7) 2-0
Stromsgodset vs Viking Stavanger (8) 2-0

Norwegian Adeccoligaen:

Lov Ham Bergen vs Alta (6)
Nybergsund vs Moss (7)
Mjondalen vs Honefoss (7)
Tromsdalen vs Kongsvinger (6)
Skeid Oslo vs Haugesund (9)
Bryne vs Notodden (7)
Sarpsborg vs Hamarkamaratene (7)
Sogndal vs Stavanger (9)

Polish Ekstraklasa:

Odra Wodzislaw vs Cracovia Krakow (6) 0-0
Lechia Gdansk vs Lech Poznan (7) 0-1

Portuguese Liga Sagres:

Maritimo vs Pacos de Ferreira (8) 1-0
Vitoria Setubal vs Leixoes (6) 0-0
Porto vs Academica de Coimbra (9) -1.75 handicap

Portuguese Liga de Honra:

Freamunde vs Feirense (7)
Carregado vs Sporting Covilha (5)

Romanian Liga:

International vs Astra Ploiesti (6) 1-0
Dinamo Bucharest vs Gloria Bistrita (8) 2-0
Steaua Bucharest vs Rapid Bucharest (5) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
CFR Cluj vs FC Poli Timisoara (8) 1-0

Russian Premier League:

Amkar Perm vs Tom Tomsk (7) 2-0
CSKA Moscow vs FK Moscow (8) 2-1
Zenit St Petersburg vs Spartak Nalchik (8) 2-0
Kuban Krasnodor vs Dinamo Moscow (5) 1-0, draw no bet
FK Rostov-na-Donu vs Rubin Kazan (6) 1-2

Russian Division 1:

Alaniya Vladikavkaz vs NoSta Novotroitsk (9)
FK Nizhnyi Novgorod vs Vityaz Podolsk (6)
Metallurg Lipetsk vs FK Krasnodor (7)
Salyut Belgorod vs Cherno Novorosisk (8)
Luch-Energiya Vladivostok vs Anzhi Makhachkala (5)
Energiya Khabarovsk vs Volgar Gazprom Astrakhan (6)
Sibir Novosibirsk vs Volga Nizhyni Novgorod (8) over 2.5 goals
Ural Sverdlovskaya Oblast vs KamAZ Nab Chelny (6)

Scottish Premier League:

Hamilton Academicals vs Celtic (8) 0-1

Serbian Super Liga:

Rad Belgrade vs Partizan Belgrade (7) 1-2

Slovakian Corgon Liga:

Slovan Bratislava vs Spartak Trnava (8) 2-0

Spanish Primera Liga:

Villarreal vs Malaga (5) 1-2, draw no bet
Tenerife vs Deportivo Xerez (8) 2-0
Real Valladolid vs Deportivo La Coruna (7) over 2.5 goals
Getafe vs Athletic Club de Bilbao (5) 1-1
Racing Santander vs Osasuna (6) 0-0
Almeria vs Valencia (6) 1-2
Barcelona vs Real Zaragoza (8) 2-1

Spanish Segunda Liga:

Celta de Vigo vs Rayo Vallecano de Madrid (7)
Numancia vs Salamanca (7)
Elche vs Cartagena (5)
Cadiz vs Real Union Club de Irun (5)

Spanish Segunda B:

Group 1:

Ponferradina vs Osasuna II (7)
Pontevedra vs Sestao River Club (7)
Izarra vs Athletic Club de Bilbao II (5)
Deportivo Alaves vs Eibar (7) at least one red card in this game
Guijuelo vs Compostela (7)
Zamora vs Racing Club de Ferrol (6)
Lemona vs Barakaldo (6)

Group 2:

Atletico Madrid II vs Vecindario (6)
Real Sporting de Gijon II vs Universidad Las Palmas (5)
Cerro Reyes Badajoz vs Real Oviedo (5)
Alcala Henares vs Real Sociedad Gimnastica Torrelavega (7)
Tenerife II vs Lanzarote (6)
Conquense vs Guadalajara (7)
Cacareno vs Toledo (6)
Leganes vs Real Madrid II (7)

Group 3:

Atletico Gramenet vs Badalona (7)
Villajoyosa vs Terrassa (6)
Sant Andreu vs Mallorca II (6)
Espanyol Barcelona II vs Orihuela (6)
Sabadell vs Denia (5)
Logrones vs Gava (6)
Alcoyano vs Benidorm (6)
Alicante vs Valencia II (8)
Ontinyent vs Lleida (8)

Group 4:

Sevilla II vs Melilla (6)
Ceuta vs Moratalla (7)
Sangonera Atletico vs Polideportivo Ejido (7)
Lucena vs Caravaca (7)
Ecije Balompie vs Real Jaen (6)
Aguilas vs Real Murcia II (5)

Swedish Allsvenskan:

Hammarby vs AIK Solna (8) 0-2
Elfsborg Boras vs BK Hacken (8) 2-1
Gefle vs Trelleborgs (5) 1-0

Swiss Super League:

St.Gallen vs FC Zurich (6) 0-1
Sion vs Neuchatel Xamax (7) 1-2
Luzern vs Basel (6) 1-1

Swiss Challenge League:

Biel-Bienne vs Gossau (7)

Turkish Super Lig:

Diyarbakirspor vs Genclerbirligi (7) 0-1
Kasimpasa vs Denizlispor (6) 2-1
Manisaspor vs Antalyaspor (6) 1-1

Ukrainian Premier League:

Zorya Lugansk vs Illichivets Mariupol (6) 2-1
Zakarpattya Uzhhorod vs Shakhtar Donetsk (9) 1-4
Metalist Kharkiv vs Vorskla Poltava (8) under 2.5 goals

Venezuelan Primera Division:

Aragua vs Deportivo Tachira (7) 1-2
Atletico El Vigia vs Deportivo Anzoategui (6) 1-1
Deportivo Lara vs Zulia (7) 2-0
Mineros de Guayana vs Zamora (7) 1-0
Caracas vs Yaracuyanos (9) 2-0
Monagas SC vs Deportivo Italia (5) 1-1
Trujillanos vs Real Esppor Club (8) 2-1
Llaneros de Guanare vs Carabobo (6) 2-0
Centro Italo vs Estudiantes de Merida (5) 0-1

Enjoy your free betting tips!