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Today’s secondary featured game is the Copa Libertadores encounter in Mexico between America and Brazilian giants Santos. The first leg somehow ended 1-0 to Santos despite the game having many glaring opportunities for both sides to score and to be blunt, I expect more of the same tonight.

First of all, America simply can’t defend, hence them not attempting to do so. They were fortunate enough to be placed in a group with a poor Argentinos Juniors side, a Fluminense side bereft of their inspirational manager, and a Club Nacional de Montevideo side overly reliant on their emerging striker. They still had to labour through that group, despite the above, so it’s no surprise that they lost in Brazil against Santos. In Sanchez, Vuoso, Reyna, and Marquez, America have a lot of good attacking threats and that shows why they tend to score goals despite the continued absence of Paraguayan hitman Cabanas. They’ve got two good playmakers behind them in Brazilian midfielder Rosinei and Argentinian midfielder Montenegro and with experienced Pardo sat in there too, America do have the basis for a very strong attack. At the back, barring Mosquera, they’re pretty vulnerable. Ochoa is a good goalkeeper and he’s had to be, to be honest – America give too many chances away and that’s the kind of thing that could cost them a place in the next round of the Copa Libertadores tonight.

Visitors Santos aren’t too keen on defending either, helpfully. Much like their hosts, Santos boast a strong attack, even stronger than their hosts, in my view. The brilliant Neymar is generally surrounded by Ze Eduardo, Ganso, Elano, and even Keirrison, which is pretty frightening, as I’m sure you’ll all agree. Elano misses this game through injury sustained in the derby with Sao Paulo lately, unfortunately, but the rest of them are fit and raring to go. There’s plenty of pace and creativity in that attack and as long as the finesse is there then we should see plenty of goals here. Santos have gone over 2.5 goals in four out of their last five Copa Libertadores games due to incisive finishing and poor defending so why not again tonight?

America have won all their home games in the tournament thus far and I think there’s a decent chance they’ll edge this one. Therefore, Santos have to score here to give themselves a good chance of progressing. With the above in mind, I think the chances of this game going over 2.5 goals are high, just as the first leg between these two sides should have. I’m surprised that the odds are as generous as they are but over 2.5 goals at evens is something I’m happy to hopefully take advantage of!

Team news – Santos miss Elano.

Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at evens.

Why not bet on this game now at one of the best bookmakers around?

Tuesday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Arema Malang vs Cerezo Osaka - Arema Malang to win with +1.5 handicap at 5/4.

Generally speaking, Indonesian sides are the rubbing rags of the Asian Champions League group stage and I don’t think any Indonesian side is good enough to remove that title from them yet. However, the one side that stands out above the other Indonesian sides as far as arising ability is concerned is Arema Malang. The predominant reason for their newfound threat is striker Alam Shah, formerly of Tampines Rovers, who has also had trials with Latvian giants Skonto Riga. This guy knows how to find the net and he’s the one dragging Arema Malang along. Although they’re still susceptible defensively, they’re a threat in front of goal and against under-performing sides, they can cause a shock. They held China’s Shandong Luneng to a 1-1 draw here in their last Champions League home game and they only lost 2-1 at Cerezo Osaka in Japan so why not a potential surprise on the cards today?

Either way – 1/5 on Cerezo Osaka winning this game is a joke. Yes, Japanese football is far more advanced than Indonesian football, probably even the best in Asia. However, it cannot be overlooked that Cerezo Osaka are looking a shadow of their former selves due to too many attacking players having left the club in the past twelve months that simply have not been replaced. The first to depart was wonderkid Kagawa, who currently plays for Bv09 Borussia Dortmund in Germany. After that, Cerezo Osaka sold attacking midfielder Ienaga and Brazilian striker Adriano to bitter rivals Gamba Osaka, leaving them with hardly any firepower whatsoever. They’ve scored just five goals in seven games in all competitions this season and they’ve played sides that they’re more than capable of scoring against so why should that change here? Cerezo Osaka are inexperienced in this competition and away games have proved very difficult for them thus far, losing 2-0 in China against Shandong Luneng and 1-0 in South Korea against Jeonbuk Motors. Therefore, I see another difficult game for overrated Cerezo Osaka today.

All in all, the odds look rather wrong here, in my view. I’m tempted by a cheeky lay but I won’t push my luck. Instead, taking the hosts to win this game with a +1.5 goal head start at 5/4 looks very generous indeed, especially as that would gift a victory to the opposing side in any Champions League game that Cerezo Osaka have played in this season.

Verdict: Arema Malang to win with a +1.5 handicap at 5/4.

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!

UEFA Champions League:

Barcelona vs Real Madrid (7) 1-0

Copa Libertadores:

America vs Santos (4) 2-2

Asian Champions League:

Kashima Antlers vs Shanghai Shenhua (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Arema Malang vs Cerezo Osaka (5) 0-1
Suwon Bluewings vs Sydney FC (7) 1-0
Shandong Luneng vs Jeonbuk Motors (5) 1-1
Bunyodkor vs Al Wahda (7) 1-0
Persepolis vs Al Ittihad (5) 2-1
Emirates vs Zob Ahan (6) 0-1
Al Shabab vs Al Rayyan (7) 2-0

Baltic League:

Siauliai vs FK Ventspils (7) 0-2

Bulgarian A PFG:

Beroe vs Lokomotiv Plovdiv (6) 1-0

Finnish Ykkonen:

Hameenlinna vs Jippo Joensuu (6) under 2.5 goals
FC Lahti vs FC Espoo (7)

Icelandic Urvalsdeild:

Breidablik Kopavogur vs KR Reykjavik (6) 0-1
Vikingur Reykjavik vs Thor (6) 2-1

Japanese J-League:

Albirex Niigata vs Vissel Kobe (5) 0-0
Ventforet Kofu vs Omiya Ardija (6) 1-0
Kawasaki Frontale vs Jubilo Iwata (7) 2-1
Urawa Red Diamonds vs Yokohama F.Marinos (5) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Vegalta Sendai vs Avispa Fukuoka (5) 2-1
Montedio Yamagata vs Kashiwa Reysol (6) 1-1
Shimizu S-Pulse vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima (6) 1-0

Slovenian Prva Liga:

Celje vs Gorica (5) 1-1

Enjoy your free betting tips!

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Today’s secondary featured game is the Copa Libertadores clash in Brazil between Santos and Mexican outfit America. These two sides both enjoy playing an attack breed of football as they know little else so I expect an entertaining game here.

Have Santos kept a clean sheet at home in the Copa Libertadores this season? No; absolutely not. They’ve shipped four goals in three home games, conceding in all three home games against Venezuelan outfit Deportivo Tachira, Paraguayan giants Cerro Porteno, and Chilean samba side Colo Colo. To be fair to Santos, I can understand why they adopt such an attacking approach to their football – just look at their offensive power! Neymar, Ze Eduardo, Keirrison, Elano, Ganso etc. etc. Therefore, it’s more than reasonable to expect Santos to score here as they’ve now actually bagged eleven goals in six games in the Copa Libertadores. They can’t defend for shit but scoring goals is something that they do well, especially with starlet Neymar looking better with each passing game, so I think we’ll see Santos take the bull by the horns here.

Visitors America only know one brand of football; attack. It’s therefore no surprise that two out of their last three away games on the continent have ended 3-1 and 3-2 respectively, the latter of which was on their last trip to Brazil to face Fluminense. In Vuoso, Sanchez, Marquez, and Reyna, America have a very potent attack, enough so to forget that they’re still without one of the best target men in Latin America – Cabanas. With Brazilian midfielder Rosinei behind them, it’s no surprise at all that America tend to score goals and create over 2.5 goals games. They remarkably kept a clean sheet in their last away game in the Copa Libertadores as they claimed a pricless 0-0 draw in Uruguay with giants Club Nacional de Montevideo, although I’d attribute that scoreline being largely due to the hosts in that game placing a large amount of pressure on talented marksman Garcia, who is still in his tender years. America will have to face a barrage of attacks here and can they handle it? Nope!

What can America do to counter these attacks? Simple; they’ll counter-attack Santos, just as all the other clubs have done and have done successfully too. I’d absolutely hate to pick a winner between these two sides over two legs as both play similar styles of football. Santos have better individuals but it rarely shows due to poor defending. Either way, my call for tonight’s game is for both sides to score at 4/5 as that’s what tends to happen in Santos’ home games and America’s away games and the odds seem to be a tad generous.

Verdict: Both sides to score at 4/5.

Wednesday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Universitatea Cluj vs Poli Timisoara - over 2.5 goals at 4/5.

We should certainly have an interesting game on our hands here!

Unviersitatea Cluj have nothing left to play for and yet that has seemed to inspire them of late, going unbeaten in seven out of their last eight games and winning five times along the way. Morale is high and why shouldn’t it be? They’ve staved off relegation after promotion last year and they’ve earned it, in my view. Now they’re attacking dangerously with no pressure on them and that makes them an interesting side to watch at the moment. With only long-term absentee Szilagyi absent, I see no reason that Cojocnean, Machado, Niculescu, and Cristea can’t produce some magic here. Cluj’s last four home games in a row have gone over 2.5 goals due to scoring eleven times and conceding five times along the way and I expect that record to increase today.

Visitors Poli Timisoara need the points, simply put. They’re a strong attacking force with arguably the best player in Romania this season – Zicu – pulling the strings. Magera is a decent target man and Helder is a decent midfielder but let’s not beat around the bush – they’re nothing without Zicu, who is happily available today. The problem with Timisoara is when they fail to break down resilient defences due to relying excessively on Zicu to bail them out. However, when they encounter a side that attacks them then we have a clear over 2.5 goals situation, which is precisely what I expect to occur today. Four out of Timisoara’s last five games have not only gone over 2.5 goals but also over 3.5 goals so you can see where I’m coming from here. Three out of their last four away games have gone over 2.5 goals and it’d have been four out of four since the winter break had Victoria Branesti bothered to score against Timisoara’s rather error-prone defence. Timisoara are a goalscoring side and if they have any intention of laying claim to the Liga title then this is the type of game that they’re going to have to win, simply put.

With number one goalkeeper Pantilimon absent for the visitors, the hosts will undoubtedly have opportunities to exploit Timisoara’s already weak defence. However, the visitors boast an excellent player in Zicu and I’m sure we’ll see Timisoara take advantage of Cluj’s lax defending. For me, this game is a nailed over 2.5 goals game – I’m just a bit surprised at the decent odds for the selection.

Team news – Universitatea Cluj miss Szilagyi whereas Poli Timisoara miss Mansour and Pantilimon.

Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 4/5.

Accumulator fodder:

Vaslui

Recommended bets:

No multiples appeal to me today – sorry, guys!

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!

UEFA Champions League:

Real Madrid vs Barcelona (6) 1-1

Copa Libertadores:

Jaguares vs Atletico Junior Barranquilla (6) 0-0
Estudiantes De La Plata vs Cerro Porteno (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Once Caldas Manizales vs Cruzeiro (7) 1-1
Santos vs America (7) over 2.5 goals

Ecuadorian Primera A:

Independiente vs El Nacional Quito (6) 0-0
Imbabura vs Espoli Cayambe (6) 2-1
Olmedo Riobamba vs Deportivo Cuenca (5) 1-1
Manta vs Emelec Guayaquil (6) 0-1
Barcelona Guayaquil vs LDU Loja (6) 1-0

English Premier League:

Fulham vs Bolton Wanderers (5) 2-1

French Ligue 1:

Olympique Lyonnais vs Montpellier HSC (7) 2-1
Olympique de Marseille vs OGC Nice (7) 1-0

Hungarian Soproni Liga:

Szolnoki MAV vs Vasas Budapest (6) 1-1
Kaposvari Rakoczi vs Ferencvaros (4) 1-2
Zalaegerszegi TE vs Siofok (6) 2-1
Debreceni VSC vs MTK Budapest (5) 2-1

Latvian Virsliga:

Liepajas Metalurgs vs FK Ventspils (6) 1-2
Daugava Daugavapils vs Skonto Riga (6) 0-1

Paraguayan Division Profesional:

Sol de America vs Independiente FBC (6) 2-1
Tacuary vs Rubio Nu (6) 1-0
Sportivo Luqueno vs Olimpia Asuncion (7) 0-1

Romanian Liga:

Targu Mures vs Astra Ploiesti (6) 0-0
Unirea Urziceni vs CFR Cluj (6) 0-0
FC Brasov vs Victoria Branesti (7) 2-0
Vaslui vs Universitatea Craiova (8) 2-0
Universitatea Cluj vs Poli Timisoara (5) 1-2

Slovakian Corgon Liga:

Kosice vs Spartak Trnava (6) 1-1

Venezuelan Primera Division:

Caroni vs Zamora (7) 0-1
Aragua vs Trujillanos (6) 0-0
Real Esppor Club vs Carabobo (5) 1-1
Zulia vs Deportivo Tachira (5) 0-1

Enjoy your free betting tips!