Today’s featured game is El Clasico in the Primera Liga between Real Madrid and Barcelona. It’s the game on everyone’s lips and should prove to be a fantastic game. Many have been quick to play down the importance of the solitary game between the two sides in comparison to the remainder of their respective seasons. Whereas I may agree with the notion that sides must been consistent to win titles, I simply cannot see sides stopping these two from winning so I think the side that emerges triumphantly from this game will win the title, as bold a call as it may seem. Bizarrely, should Barcelona draw this game then they go top of the league despite entering the game on level points with Real Madrid but in second place. This is, of course, due to their 1-0 win at Nou Camp earlier this season so the pressure really is on Real Madrid tonight.

Real Madrid have played fifteen home games this season and won all of them whilst averaging scoring over three goals per game. That is a truly phenomenal record and as much as I despise the greedy, stupid fucks that they are, you can only respect that record. Real Madrid play some nice football on occasions but there’s no escaping the fact that Ronaldo and Higuain run this team. The simple fact is that Ronaldo is too good for this league and it shows in every single game he plays in. The tremendous quality of those two players fused with the individual brilliance of some other Madrid players is what has propelled Madrid to first in the league. They’re too far ahead of the majority of the Primera Liga for their weaknesses to be exploited but there are a lot of weaknesses in their football as has been shown in every game this season where Madrid have had to be a “team” because the simple fact is that they’re not a good “team” – they’re a good set of individuals. They’re struggled with Olympique Lyonnais, AC Milan, and Barcelona already this season – three sides that are strong teams which is why they’ve struggled. I expect another stumbling block today for that reason although beware of any side containing world-class footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.

Barcelona are a side I both love and hate. I love them as a footballing side as they’re everything a side should be – a great team, great workers, players of the beautiful game, generous with their riches, and advocates of promising youth. However, I hate them for being so damn good as they’re the one side that I don’t want to see my team (Manchester United) facing in the Champions League at any stage! Barcelona play some truly wonderful football at times and that hasn’t changed for years. They’ve not been as good this season as they were last season but they’re still an amazing side, particularly because of little Lionel Messi. What can you say about this guy? He’s truly gifted. He’s one of the most natural finishers I’ve ever seen which is a trait of his that I don’t feel is recognised enough – it’s usually his dribbling that takes the plaudits. Take the game against Arsenal, for example. Barcelona kept the ball well but didn’t play so well by their own lofty standards and Arsenal played very well, in my opinion. However, four mistakes occurred and Barcelona scored four goals in clinical fashion because of Lionel Messi – he’s a fantastic footballer, simply. In this kind of form, give him a chance and he’ll score and there won’t be many sides he’d love to score against more than Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

There are three redeeming features in this Barcelona squad that makes me think that they’ll win this game, however. The first is their unbelievable work-rate. It’s one thing for a side to be talented but when a talented side works as hard as they do then it’s easy to see why they’re so successful. The second is how wonderfully they pass the ball. They’re not a good side defensively but they concede so few goals because sides cannot get the ball of them, which is largely due to the accuracy and movement of playmakers Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez respectively – two fantastic footballers. The final reasoning is because Barcelona believe so strongly in their academy players that they get the chance to play for the club of their dreams and show their true colours. You cannot buy that kind of loyalty from other players so Barcelona have numerous players in this side that were brought up under the crest of Barcelona whereas Real Madrid have very few of their own academy boys present – just Casillas as a starter, in fact.

Barcelona are in a golden generation currently. Big sides have them from time to time but these names of Barcelona will be repeated for years to come – Xavi, Messi, Iniesta, Puyol, Valdes, Alves etc. etc. They’ve got all the confidence that they’d ever need to win this game as a result of playing with such a fantastic bunch of close-knit footballers and it shows every time that they play. Real Madrid are a side built largely by money nowadays, which is a shame given their highly respectable past. That’s the big difference here though – Barcelona are the people’s champions – Real Madrid are the moneybags. I respect Barcelona an awful lot more than I do Real Madrid for all of the reasons mentioned and I’d be surprised to see anyone say otherwise.

Absentees for this game? There are some, most notably Ibrahimovic for Barcelona. They’ll miss him as Bojan is not ready to be the lone striker against good sides. However, Barcelona can cope without him so I’m not too concerned.

The big games is where the big players have chance to shine and there aren’t many bigger than Ronaldo and Messi. Both are capable of winning this game so we should see a fantastic dual between the two, as much of a cliché as it’s rapidly becoming, but it should produce a good game as a result. Both of these sides are full of goals and neither is strong defensively so I expect a lot of goals scored tonight. Madrid will be hurting from their 6-2 hammering at home last season by Barcelona but to be honest I wouldn’t be surprised if a similar outcome arose tonight. Barcelona have a far better team than Real Madrid and it will be evident for all to see tonight providing that their nerves hold. Madrid need to get the ball off Barcelona to win this game and I don’t see how they’ll do that – nobody else can.

I ultimately feel that we’ll see the boys of Real Madrid take on the men of Barcelona tonight and there should only be one outcome for the only side out of these two that has earned the right to be giants in recent years. I hope Barcelona do it from a footballing perspective because they deserve it more and I hope they do it from a personal perspective because I cannot abide rich clubs buying teams – that’s not what football is about.

For me, there’s tremendous value in Barcelona winning this game at 17/10 because they won’t give the ball away often at all and they’re taking all the chances that come their way currently. I’m even tempted to take them on the -1.75 goal handicap at 9/2 because I cannot envision them not winning this game comfortably. Don’t forget that Real are where they are because other sides don’t test them as much as Barcelona will – Real struggle against big sides nowadays! If you decide not to bet on this game then it’s understandable but I can only urge you all to watch one of the biggest derbies in world football to see the quality on show.

Verdict: Barcelona to win at 17/10.

Saturday’s Picks

My tips:

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

LASK Linz vs Wiener Neustadt – home win at 11/10.

Hosts LASK Linz have lessened in their craziness of late, which saddens me. However, they’re becoming more consistent so that certainly aids their prospect as a football side. They own their consistency due to some solid defending which has seen them concede just five goals in their last five Bundesliga games, which is superb for LASK. They’ve also scored seven times during that run so they’re still a potent side too. LASK have only lost once in their last six games. That impressive run was started by an even more impressive win at Austria Vienna and LASK Linz have never looked back since despite losing at SV Mattersburg lately. LASK have drawn at SV Ried and battered them at home in their last two games so LASK bring some good momentum into this game. They’ve already won six out of fourteen home games this season in the Bundesliga and have only lost twice along the way so they are solid at home. They average scoring well over two goals per home game and that tends to be fundamental to their victories as their defending can be lax to say the least.

Visitors Wiener Neustadt have done well following promotion from the Liga 1 last season, particularly at home. However, they do struggle on the road as their record of eight defeats in thirteen away games indicates. They average conceding nearly two goals per away game and score just a goal per away game on average so it’s easy to see why they tend to struggle on the road. Despite claiming a valuable win at SV Kapfenberg a few games ago, Wiener Neustadt have taken a turn for the worse of late by losing back-to-back games against Austria Vienna at home and away without even scoring. Austria Vienna are giants and are definitely the better of the two sides but for a potent side to not even score against them does indicate problems for little Wiener Neustadt and I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t think it would have impacted their confidence somewhat.

LASK Linz are the more experience of these two sides in battling relegation. LASK are strong at home and score an awful lot of goals as they consistently prove so are as much of a threat as ever; perhaps more due to their momentum. Wiener Neustadt have done well overall this season but do struggle on the road and with such poor goalscoring form on the road it’s hard to envision them taking anything but a defeat from this game.

Verdict: LASK Linz to win at 11/10.

Kortrijk vs Zulte-Waregem – home win at 11/10.

Hosts Kortrijk have struggled as much as tonight’s opponents Zulte-Waregem have in the final group stage of the Eerste Klasse with both sides having lost all three of their games thus far. Normally that’d scream “keep away!” from this game but the factor I mentioned regarding Zulte-Waregem last week is still applicable as vital playmaker Berrier is still missing so Zulte look very weak indeed. Kortrijk are generally a good home side despite their tough games in the play-off stage of the Eerste Klasse and should be able to make it count tonight against a demoralised Zulte-Waregem side lacking in real creativity. At odds of 11/10, it should hold some value tonight.

Verdict: Kortrijk to win at 11/10.

Sliven vs CSKA Sofia - lay CSKA Sofia at 10/11.

What can I say about this call that differs from the exact same call I made regarding CSKA Sofia vs Montana last week? Very little! I’m basing it on the same principle as CSKA are not scoring goals and are thus not winning games – it’s only logical. CSKA are definitely the better side here but each game that goes by without goals and without a win leaves the side more and more demoralised and it’s really starting to show. Little Sliven are used to playing without momentum as they’re relegation-battlers (despite their heady seasons over the past couple of years!) so they do have a slight advantage over CSKA Sofia today with that in mind. Sliven aren’t a particularly good side and don’t score many themselves but they’ve only lost five out of eleven home games this season so they do tend to take points from their home games. Sliven are on a terrible run of form so this is a bold call but I can’t see why the bookies are still drastically over-pricing a dismal CSKA Sofia side so I’m going to try my hand at laying them yet again today.

Verdict: Lay CSKA Sofia at 10/11.

Hajduk Split vs Cibalia Vinkovci – lay Hajduk Split at 17/10.

This is another game where the odds are way too short to be realistic. Hajduk Split may be one of the giants of Croatian football but to say that they’re consistent at the moment would be a blatant lie. The only side that’ve beaten in their last four games is a financially handicapped Varteks Varazdin with defeat at Lokomotiva Zagreb and draws at home to Rijeka and away to NK Zagreb surrounding their solitary win. Hajduk are turning up every now and then but not nearly consistently enough to be priced at 2/5. Hajduk did beat bitter rivals Dinamo Zagreb mid-week in the HR Nogometni Cup so they’ll be buoyant from that, which I am wary of. However, I also take into account that their passionate win over Dinamo was just a couple of days ago so they’ll be tired whereas Cibalia have had a full week’s rest. Hajduk can only realistically enter European football next season now via the Cup so that is where their focus will now be, not on Prva Liga games like this.

Cibalia have earned a reputation of being bloody hard to beat and that’s still applicable now. They’ve only lost two away games in the Prva Liga this season and both were at the start of the season so Cibalia have gone an awful long time without defeat on the road – eight games now, in fact, despite travelling to giants Dinamo Zagreb along the way. Cibalia have only conceded seven times in eleven away games this season, which is the best defensive record on the division and the foundation for their continued success in the Prva Liga. Cibalia don’t play good football but they play effective football as results show all too clearly so they should be able to put up a wall that Hajduk Split cannot break down today as they’ve done so many times already this season against the majority of their opponents.

Ultimately, a tired Hajduk Split are way too short for this game. Cibalia are a nightmare side to try and beat and I don’t fancy Hajduk’s chances as a result, particularly with Cibalia’s strong defence. The value for this game has to be in laying the hosts with the visitors playing well and the hosts playing well sporadically.

Verdict: Lay Hajduk Split at 17/10.

Exeter City vs Leyton Orient – home win at evens.

Hosts Exeter City are on an inspired run of form as they bid to escaped the dreaded drop with The Grecians going seven games without defeat. Exeter have won their last three home games consecutively against Bristol Rovers, Walsall, and Colchester United respectively so Exeter have had some tough games here but have come through each one with three points. Exeter haven’t conceded in their last two games and boast a good defensive record at home with only Gillingham, Millwall, and Leeds United having conceded less goals than they have. Exeter aren’t a great side but their excellent momentum of late has lifted them clear of the drop zone so confidence is good at the club. Exeter know they have to continue this form to stay away from the relegation zone but look very capable of doing so today against Leyton Orient.

Leyton Orient have lost four consecutive games and have already lost twelve out of twenty away games in League One this season. They’re conceding too many goals currently and not scoring enough with just two scored in their past four games whilst conceding eight times – an average of two per game. Orient are on the wrong side of the form chart considering that the season is drawing to a close and they’re unfortunately making the long trip to the west country to take on an inspired and defensively astute Exeter City today so look set to struggle.

Although there’s little quality difference between these two sides, Exeter are playing very well of late and have gained strong momentum as a result. They’ve won their last three home games consecutively against better sides than Leyton Orient so a demoralised Leyton Orient should be beaten comfortably here, particularly with their defence consistently having gone missing of late.

Verdict: Exeter City to win at evens.

Hereford United vs Grimsby Town – home win at 10/11.

Hereford United have won their last four consecutive games as they enter this match so they bring strong momentum into the game. They’ve scored seven times during those four games whilst conceding just twice so they’re looking strong at a vital part of the season. Hereford have won their last two home games consecutively, which takes their tally to ten wins in twenty home games this season, which is incidentally the best home record in the bottom half of League Two. Hereford are strong at home because they don’t concede many goals and their strong displays of late will have only increased their performance levels so I expect another solid home win for a driven Hereford United today.

Grimsby Town have done part of the “how to avoid relegation” handbook correctly by being hard to beat. However, they’ve not been able to master the key art of winning, something which leaves them looking very likely to be relegated this season. They’ve already lost nine out of twenty away games in League Two and average conceding over 1.5 goals per away game so do tend to struggle on the road. I’ll take my hat off to Grimsby for their impressive comeback to win at Accrington Stanley last match but let’s face it – this is an occurence that is few and far between for Grimsby which is why they’re in their current predicament.

Grimsby were comfortably beaten here last season and I expect a similar outcome today. Grimsby cannot afford the luxury of sitting back and taking a draw here – only a win will do. Hereford will lap that up and hit them on the counter-attack and as things are going so well for Hereford currently, you just know that they’ll take their chances and be very efficient with their footballing style. Grimsby could cause problems if they score the first goal but ultimately there looks to be value in the home win for a strong Hereford home side.

Verdict: Hereford United to win at 10/11.

Torquay United vs Rochdale – away win at 11/10.

I can’t quite fathom these odds. Rochdale aren’t promoted yet so they’re still motivated despite a couple of poor displays lately. They’re the best away side in the division with eleven wins in nineteen away games and average scoring nearly two goals per away game. Bear that in mind and consider that they’re travelling to a newly-promoted Torquay United side that are battling against relegation and have already lost the same number of games at home this season as Rochdale have at home or away all season long. Torquay have looked more spirited in recent times in their bid to beat the drop but Rochdale are simply too good a side for them. A recent dip in Rochdale’s form does give me a minor concern but the class difference and potency difference between these two sides is vast so I’ll take Rochdale all day long whilst they sit on the right side of evens!

Verdict: Rochdale to win at 11/10.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich – away win at 6/5.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s season has taken longer to implode than I suspected that it would but it has ultimately collapsed now. They’ve lost four out of their last five games and have conceded thirteen goals along the way – an average of nearly three goals per game. Leverkusen are still scoring a good number of goals but somewhat sporadically which is hindering their progress. Well, that and their seeming defensive ineptitude, anyway! Leverkusen finally had their best chance to beat Bayern at home for a long time but have seemingly bottled it at the quintessential time, which could be disastrous for them given the close-knit nature of the top of the Bundesliga.

Bayern Munich enter this game with a great level of morale following a fortuituous aggregate victory over England’s Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League. Bayern will take great heart from such a result as all at the club knew they were not truly good enough to achieve it so kudos to Louis Van Gaal for his tactically effective displays. You saw what happened to Bayern after they beat Manchester United in the first leg as they went on to win at Schalke 04 at weekend – imagine what they’ll do now they’ve knocked Manchester United out! The trip to Leverkusen couldn’t be better timed for rampant Bayern Munich, who have already won seven out of fourteen away games in the Bundesliga this season whilst scoring an average of two goals per away game. Bayern are beginning to look increasingly like the force that they once were in the Bundesliga and have all the right ingredients to establish themselves as the only giants of German football once again.

Leverkusen are on such a downer at the moment due to their lack of defensive ability and it’s really hindering their football. They need to win this game but I fail to see how they’re going to score more than a rampant and buoyant Bayern Munich, particularly as they cannot defend, so the away win looks logical here. Bayern have won their last four visits here consecutively in the Bundesliga and I fail to see why they can’t do the same again today at generous odds of 6/5.

Verdict: Bayern Munich to win at 6/5.

MTK Budapest vs Ferencvaros – home win at 5/4.

Hosts MTK Budapest have been strong at home this season but haven’t delivered the type of campaign I was expecting from them. They’re a good side and are finally beginning to push up the table after a slow start, which is encouraging to see as they should be competing for the title, in my opinion. They’ve only won half of their home games in the Soproni Liga this season due to their sluggish start but they’re one of just three sides in this division yet to taste defeat at home so they are good on their own turf. Despite having drawn five games at home, MTK Budapest bear the remarkable record of having scored eighteen times in their ten home games but having only conceded four times, which smarts of being rather unlucky in my opinion! No side has conceded less goals at home in the Soproni Liga than MTK Budapest and with an average of nearly two goals scored per home game, the hosts do look a threat. On top of that, however, MTK Budapest now have momentum in their favour with two consecutive wins whilst scoring six times and conceding zero goals. Ultimately, MTK Budapest look more than capable of winning this game today.

Ferencvaros have battled hard to restore some pride after a rather disappointing first half of the season and they’ve partially achieved it. They’re unbeaten in their six games following their return from the winter break but four draws and two wins is not a record you’d associate with the Hungarian giants although I do of course appreciate that it takes time to rebuild a squad after such a debacle. Ferencvaros have played well during this time and have always sought to match their opponents, even drawing 3-3 at in-form Zalaegerszegi TE despite not being a great goalscoring side. Ferencvaros are a tough side to beat and will no doubt make MTK Budapest work hard for the win today.

This should be a closer game than the Soproni Liga table suggests due to the resilient displays of Ferencvaros. However, MTK Budapest are playing well currently and they’re very strong at home so the odds look rather good on the home win today in my opinion.

Verdict: MTK Budapest to win at 5/4.

Kyoto Sanga vs Nagoya Grampus – away win at evens.

You won’t find me going against Kyoto Sanga at home often so make the most of it! These guys are very good at home; they always have been. However, they do bear a remarkable head-to-head statistic with Nagoya Grampus in that the hosts have lost every home game they’ve ever played against Nagoya Grampus in any competition. Kyoto Sanga have actually never beaten Nagoya Gampus in the J-League so they approach this game with a slight mental block. Kyoto Sanga have looked a bit more prone to conceding this season than they did last season so they’re struggled a bit more than normal. Unfortunately for them, however, Nagoya Grampus are looking very solid indeed this season. They’ve already won three out of four J-League games with the only side to overcome them being a plucky Kawasaki Frontale in an epic 3-2 win. Nagoya Grampus have been strong in all of their games as victory at giants Gamba Osaka on the opening day of the season proved. They boast their best squad for some time, in my opinion, and it’d take a braver man than me to go against them in their current patch of machine-like form.

Kyoto Sanga may be good at home but the machine that is Nagoya Grampus looks well-oiled and ready to spoil so the away win looks to have good value today.

Verdict: Nagoya Grampus to win at evens.

Uniao de Leiria vs Sporting Braga - away win at 10/11.

Uniao de Leiria may have only lost three home games in the Liga Sagres following promotion from the Liga de Honra but those defeats have come against the better sides that they’ve encountered. Leiria give the impression that they’re good at home with their statistics and whereas that’s true against the lesser sides, Leiria tend to lose at home to the better sides, which is something I’m banking on today. They don’t concede many goals at home, hence their success, but as I’ve already mentioned they do tend to concede and struggle against the better sides in this division and I expect them to do so again today, particularly with their season’s aims having already been met in some style.

I’m not a big fan of Sporting Braga; frankly I find them boring. However, you don’t win half of your away games in the Liga Sagres if you’re not a capable side so Braga certainly are a capable side. They’ve been a bit goal-shy lately so their epic victory over bitter rivals Vitoria Guimaraes last match will have given them a boost on various levels – morale-wise, potency-wise, and motivation-wise. The game itself was a violent affair with four red cards and various penalties being issued throughout the game but a victory for Braga re-awakens their title challenge and they’ll no doubt be there to profit should SL Benfica stumble at any point.

I fully expect Braga to give a committed and efficient display tonight as they have done in the majority of their games this season, which should be enough to see them take three points tonight. Leiria are drastically over-achieving and whereas I respect that and their strong home displays, they consistently fail at home to the better sides in this division, something that Braga definitely are, so the odds on the away win look rather flattering tonight.

Verdict: Sporting Braga to win at 10/11.

Nafta Lendava vs Maribor – away win at 11/10.

Nafta Lendava are strong at home in the Prva Liga as nine wins in fourteen games indicates all too well. They average scoring two goals per home game and generally lay waste to any visitors that come here. However, two consecutive defeats at Domzale and Celje respectively leaves Nafta Lendava a bit short on momentum ahead of this big game at home to giants Maribor so I question their ability to maintain their home form as a result. Nafta have only beaten Maribor here once in their last seven attempts with Maribor winning their last visit here 4-2 so they’ll have to be at their best to take something from this game. Nafta are a potent side but any side will have taken mental blows from two consecutive defeats so I don’t expect a great display from Nafta today.

Maribor have been the best away side in the Prva Liga this season with ten wins in fourteen games, scoring over two goals per away game on average. Indeed, had Maribor’s home form been stronger then they’d no doubt be winning the Prva Liga by now but as it happens they’re not so they’ll have to keep grinding out wins in games like today’s encounter at Nafta Lendava. Maribor are unbeaten in their four away games since returning from the winter break, scoring nine times and winning three times so they are looking strong on the road. The only side to prevent Maribor from winning on the road was a prolific Gorica side that held them to a 3-3 draw. Bluntly, Maribor have all the potency and motivation that they need to emulate their performance here last season so I expect them to do it again.

Although Maribor disappointingly lost their last game at home to Rudar Velenje, they know it’s not the time to be crying over spilled milk. Maribor are experienced enough to know that they need to keep winning and that must continue today. I expect a committed display from both sides with goals galore but ultimately there looks to be some good value on the away win for the better of these two sides.

Verdict: Maribor to win at 11/10.

Tenerife vs Real Valladolid – home win at evens.

After today’s game between these two sides, there’ll be just seven games left in the Primera Liga. The winner of this game gives themselves a lifeline in their battle against the drop; the loser virtually condemns themselves to the division below. Both sides have had disappointing campaigns but Tenerife’s main strength has been their home displays where they’ve lost just five out of fifteen games this season whilst winning six times. Tenerife don’t score enough goals to be more of a force at home but they’re been superb at home lately with eight goals scored in their last four home games, winning twice, drawing once, and losing once. Tenerife smashed four goals Espanyol here lately as well as putting two past Villarreal so they’re sensing the danger of relegation and are responding to it quite well. They’re giving themselves the best possible chance of survival at home so I’ll give them their chances tonight.

Real Valladolid have had a dire campaign due to a lack of goalscoring ability. They’ve been particularly poor on the road where they’ve lost seven out of fourteen away games this season despite conceding just twenty-three goals. It’s their eleven goals scored during those fourteen games which has planted them firmly in the mayhem that they’re currently in the middle of and will struggle to get out of. Real Valladolid were unbelievably fortunate to win against an inury-hit Deportivo La Coruna at Riazor a couple of weeks back and it showed as they were flattened 3-0 by a rejuvenated but ultimately poor Deportivo Xerez in their following away game. Valladolid haven’t scored for three consecutive games now, which has to be of great concern to them at this stage of the season and must also be concerning ahead of a trip to a compact Tenerife side. Ultimately, I think it’s looking very bleak for Valladolid with few goalscoring prospects and no consistency so they should struggle tonight.

Although there isn’t much between these two sides, I expect Tenerife to take the three points tonight. They’re compact defensively, they’ve been particularly good at home of late in terms of goalscoring, and they take the majority of their points at home in the Primera Liga. Valladolid struggle on the road and aren’t scoring goals at the moment so although they’re not conceding many, they’re still losing. This should be a feisty battle so expect plenty of cards but there should ultimately be value in a Tenerife win tonight.

Verdict: Tenerife to win at evens.

Deportivo Xerez vs Getafe – home win at 13/8.

The bookies have priced Xerez rather long for this game which pleases me. They’re unbeaten in four games now and still harbour vague hopes of doing the unthinkable and escaping the drop themselves. Xerez have shown how well-motivated they are for the fight against relegation by winning their last two home games consecutively against fellow relegation-battlers Real Valladolid and Tenerife respectively so don’t underestimate the hosts tonight – they’re not the same side that they were at the start of this season. They’ve drawn two tough away games lately at giants Sevilla CF and resilient Sporting Gijon so I’ve been extremely impressed with Xerez of late. They’re averaging scoring two goals per game and have strong momentum into this game so I expect a committed and potent display from the hosts. Let’s face it – if they fail to win today then they’re all but relegated so the hosts will be working very hard tonight.

Visitors Getafe are a strange side. They morph between a strong home side and a poor away side so easily that it boggles the mind sometimes. However, a drop in their performances of late isn’t so difficult to understand – it’s because of the loss of key striker Soldado. The former Real Madrid man performs a vital role in attack for Getafe and it shows as they simply cannot win without him. They looked dejected and toothless at home to goal-shy Espanyol last match and ended up drawing the game as a result. Getafe have already lost nine out of fifteen away games this season and look set to struggle again without their main man in attack.

Getafe are a capable side which explains why the bookies have approached this somewhat tentatively. However, they’ve underestimated Xerez a lot tonight in my opinion and I think they’re capable of springing a surprise. Getafe have all but surrendered hope of European football next season and now have little to play for. Xerez are very strong and potent at the moment, not to mention motivated, so I think an impudent punt on the home win tonight is worth a try.

Verdict: Deportivo Xerez to win at 13/8.

Accumulator fodder:

Independiente, Salzburg, Dinamo Minsk, BATE Borisov, KVSK United, Dinamo Zagreb, Karlovac, Banik Ostrava, Leeds United, Millwall, Norwich City, Levadia Tallinn, Flora Tallinn, Trans Narva, Werder Bremen, Ilioupoli, Debreceni VSC, FK Ventspils, Ekranas Panevezys, Vetra Vilnius, Monterrey, Twente Enschede, AZ Alkmaar, Wisla Krakow, Porto, Spartak Moscow, Zhemchuzhina Sochi, Spartak Subotica, Red Star Belgrade, BK Hacken Goteborg, Sion, Young Boys Bern, Shakhtar Donetsk, Deportivo Italia, The New Saints.

Recommended bets:

Dinamo Minsk, Banik Ostrava, AZ Alkmaar, and Bayern Munich at 8/1.

Kortrijk, Werder Bremen, Wisla Krakow, and Shakhtar Donetsk at 6/1.

Leeds United, Millwall, and Norwich City at 3/1.

Independiente, Monterrey, and Deportivo Italia at 3/1.

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

Argentinian Primera Division:

Newells Old Boys vs Chacarita Juniors (7) 2-0
Huracan vs Gimnasia De La Plata (6) 1-1
Independiente vs San Lorenzo de Almagro (8) -1.75 handicap

Austrian Bundesliga:

SV Mattersburg vs SV Kapfenberg (5) 2-1
LASK Linz vs Wiener Neustadt (7) over 2.5 goals
Austria Karnten vs Salzburg (9) -1.75 handicap

Austrian Liga 1:

Admira Wacker vs SCR Altach (7)

Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:

Vitebsk vs Naftan Novopolotsk (5) 1-1
Dnepr Mogilev vs Neman Grodno (6) 2-1
Dinamo Minsk vs Minsk (8) 2-0
BATE Borisov vs Belshina (9) -1.75 handicap
Dinamo Brest vs Torpedo Zhodino (7) 2-1
Shakhtyor Soligorsk vs Partizan Minsk (4) 1-1

Belgian Eerste Klasse:

Kortrijk vs Zulte-Waregem (7) 2-1
Mechelen vs Cercle Brugge (6) over 2.5 goals
Lokeren vs Westerlo (4) 1-1
Charleroi vs Racing Genk (7) 0-1

Belgian Tweede Klasse:

Tubize vs Lierse SK (6) under 2.5 goals
Turnhout vs Tournai (6)
KVSK United vs Liege (8)
Red Star Waasland vs Dender (5)
Eupen vs Standaard Wetteren (6)
Beveren vs OH Leuven (7)

Bulgarian A PFG:

Montana vs Chernomorets Burgas (7) 1-1
Sliven vs CSKA Sofia (6) 1-1
Pirin Blagoevgrad vs Beroe (6) 0-0
Levski Sofia vs Lokomotiv Plovdiv (6) 2-1

Colombian Primera A:

Atletico Huila vs Atletico Junior Barranquilla (5) 1-2
Real Cartagena vs Millonarios Bogota (7) 2-0
Cortulua vs Atletico Nacional de Medellin (6) 1-1

Croatian Prva Liga:

Istra 1961 vs Zadar (6) 1-1
Osijek vs Slaven Korpivnica (6) 2-1
Croatia Sesvete vs Inter Zapresic (7) 1-1
Medimurje vs Rijeka (5) 0-0
Dinamo Zagreb vs Lokomotiva Zagreb (8) over 2.5 goals
Karlovac vs Varteks Varazdin (8) 2-1
Sibenik vs NK Zagreb (6) 1-0
Hajduk Split vs Cibalia Vinkovci (6) 1-1

Cypriot Division 1:

Ethnikos Achnas vs Enosis Neon Paralimni (6) 2-1
AEL Limassol vs APOP/Kinyras (7) 2-0

Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:

Bohemians 1905 vs Bohemians Prague (7) 1-0
Banik Ostrava vs Slovacko (8) 2-0

Danish Superligaen:

AGR Aarhus vs Aalborg BK (6) 1-1

Danish 1st Division:

Braband vs Skive (5)

Ecuadorian Primera A:

Universidad Catolica vs Manta (6) 1-1
Independiente vs Deportivo Quito (5) 1-2
Olmedo Riobamba vs Emelec Guayaquil (6) 0-1
Barcelona Guayaquil vs El Nacional Quito (7) 2-1

English Premier League:

Hull City vs Burnley (6) 2-1
West Ham United vs Sunderland (6) 1-0

English Championship:

Bristol City vs Swansea City (4)
Barnsley vs Derby County (5)
Cardiff City vs Reading (6)
Crystal Palace vs Queens Park Rangers (5)
Doncaster Rovers vs West Bromwich Albion (6) over 2.5 goals
Middlesbrough vs Sheffield Wednesday (7)
Newcastle United vs Blackpool (7)
Nottingham Forest vs Ipswich Town (5)
Peterborough United vs Leicester City (6)
Preston North End vs Scunthorpe United (5)
Sheffield United vs Coventry City (6)
Watford vs Plymouth Argyle (6)

English League One:

Brentford vs Huddersfield Town (7)
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Carlisle United (6)
Colchester United vs Swindon Town (5)
Exeter City vs Leyton Orient (7)
Leeds United vs Southend United (8)
Millwall vs Gillingham (8)
Norwich City vs Milton Keynes Dons (8)
Oldham Athletic vs Bristol Rovers (6)
Southampton vs Charlton Athletic (5)
Stockport County vs Yeovil Town (4)
Walsall vs Tranmere Rovers (6)
Wycombe Wanderers vs Hartlepool United (5)

English League Two:

Barnet vs Macclesfield Town (6) under 2.5 goals
Burton Albion vs Bradford City (5)
Cheltenham Town vs Bury (6)
Chesterfield vs Dagenham & Redbridge (6)
Crewe Alexandra vs Shrewsbury (5)
Darlington vs Accrington Stanley (4)
Hereford United vs Grimsby Town (7)
Lincoln City vs Bournemouth (6)
Morecambe vs Rotherham United (5)
Northampton Town vs Notts County (5)
Port Vale vs Aldershot Town (6)
Torquay United vs Rochdale (7)

English FA Cup:

Aston Villa vs Chelsea (5) 1-2

Estonian Meistriliiga:

Flora Paide vs Trans Narva (9) 1-3
Lootus vs Levadia Tallinn (9) -1.75 handicap
Flora Tallinn vs Kuressaare (8) -1.75 handicap
Sillamae Kalev vs Nomme Kalju (5) 1-1
Viljandi Tulevik vs Maag Tammeka Tartu (5) 2-1

French Ligue 1:

Racing Club Lens vs Boulogne (7) 2-0
Toulouse vs Grenoble Foot (7) 1-0
Le Mans vs Montpellier HSC (5) 1-1
Lorient vs Stade Rennais (6) 1-1
Sochaux vs Saint-Etienne (5) 1-0
AS Monaco vs Valenciennes (6) 2-1
Paris Saint-Germain vs Girondins de Bordeaux (5) 2-1

German Bundesliga:

Hertha HSC Berlin vs VFB Stuttgart (6) 1-2
FSV Mainz 05 vs BV09 Borussia Dortmund (6) 1-2
Hannover 96 vs Schalke 04 (7) 0-1
Hoffenheim vs Koln (6) 1-0
Werder Bremen vs SC Freiburg (8) over 2.5 goals
Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich (7) 1-2

German Bundesliga 2:

Kaiserslautern vs Union Berlin (7) under 2.5 goals
Energie Cottbus vs Fortuna Dusseldorf (6) under 2.5 goals

Greek B Ethniki:

Ilioupoli vs Kalamata (8)

Hungarian Soproni Liga:

Debreceni VSC vs Paksi SE (9) over 2.5 goals
Kecskemeti TE vs Budapest Honved (6) 2-1
MTK Budapest vs Ferencvaros (7) 2-1
Gyori ETO FC vs Szombathelyi Haladas (7) over 2.5 goals
Diosgyori VTK vs Lombard Papa (6) 1-1
Kaposvari Rakoczi vs Vasas Budapest (5) 1-1

Italian Serie A:

SSC Napoli vs Parma (7) 1-0
Fiorentina vs Internazionale (6) 1-2

Italian Serie B:

Cittadella vs Ascoli (6)
Triestina vs Brescia (5)
Albinoleffe vs Cesena (5)
Ancona vs Crotone (6)
Reggina vs Empoli (6)
Mantova vs Piacenza (5)
Modena vs Sassuolo (6)
Lecce vs Torino (7)
Grosseto vs Vicenza (6)

Japanese J-League:

Shonan Bellmare vs Jubilo Iwata (5) 1-1
Kyoto Sanga vs Nagoya Grampus (7) 0-1
Omiya Ardija vs Gamba Osaka (5) 1-1
Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Kawasaki Frontale (6) 2-2
Yokohama F Marinos vs Cerezo Osaka (7) 2-1
Albirex Niigata vs Urawa Red Diamonds (6) 0-1
Tokyo vs Kashima Antlers (5) 1-1

Latvian Virsliga:

Liepajas Metalurgs vs Blazma Rezekne (7) 2-1
Jelgava vs FK Ventspils (8) 0-2

Lithuanian A Lyga:

Klaipeda vs Mazeikiai (6) 1-0
Suduva Marijampole vs Banga Gargzdai (8) 2-1
Zalgiris Vilnius vs Vetra Vilnius (8) 0-1
Ekranas Panevezys vs Kruoja Pakruojis (8) -1.75 handicap

Mexican Primera Division:

Monterrey vs San Luis (8) 2-0
Queretaro vs Toluca (5) 1-2
Jaguares vs America (6) 1-1
Guadalajara vs Morelia (4) 1-1
Atlante vs Cruz Azul (6) 0-1
Pachuca vs Atlas (7) 2-1

Dutch Eredivisie:

Twente Enschede vs Heerenveen (8) -1.75 handicap
NEC Nijmegen vs AZ Alkmaar (8) 1-2
NAC Breda vs Roda JC Kerkrade (7) 1-0
Sparta Rotterdam vs Heracles Almelo (6) 1-2

Norwegian Eliteserien:

Lillestrom vs Stabaek (6) 2-2

Polish Ekstraklasa:

Piast Gliwice vs Polonia Warsaw (4) 1-1
Lechia Gdansk vs Polonia Bytom (6) 1-0
Wisla Krakow vs Slask Wroclaw (8) 2-0
Korona Kielce vs GKS Belchatow (5) 1-1

Portuguese Liga Sagres:

Uniao de Leiria vs Sporting Braga (7) 0-1
Rio Ave vs Porto (8) under 2.5 goals

Portuguese Liga de Honra:

Estoril vs Carregado (5) under 2.5 goals
Desportivo Chaves vs Gil Vicente (6)
Beira-Mar vs Santa Clara (5)

Romanian Liga:

Otelul Galati vs Gloria Bistrita (6) 1-0
Universitatea Craiova vs Astra Ploiesti (6) 2-0
International vs Unirea Alba Iulia (5) 1-1
Vaslui vs Unirea Urziceni (7) 1-0

Russian Premier League:

Krylya Sovetov Samara vs Saturn Moscow Oblast (6) 1-1
Spartak Moscow vs Terek Grozny (8) 2-1
Dinamo Moscow vs Tom Tomsk (6) 2-1

Russian Division 1:

Energia Khabarovsk vs Kuban Krasnodor (6)
Luch-Energiya Vladivostok vs Khimki (5) under 2.5 goals
Salyut Belgorod vs Volga Nizhnyi Novgorod (7)
Avangard Kursk vs KamAZ Nab Chelny (6) over 2.5 goals
Volgar Gazprom Astrakhan vs Irtysh Pavlodar (5)
Rotor Volgograd vs Ural Sverdlovskaya Oblast (6)
Mordova Saransk vs Dinamo St.Petersburg (5)
Nizhnyi Novgorod vs Baltika Kaliningrad (6)
Zhemchuzhina Sochi vs Dinamo Bryansk (8)
Krasnodor vs Shinnik Yaroslavl’ (6)

Scottish Premier League:

Falkirk vs St.Mirren (6) 1-0
Hamilton Academicals vs Hibs (6) 1-1
Hearts vs Kilmarnock (6) 2-1

Serbian Super Liga:

Napredak vs Hajduk Kula (5) 0-0
Smederevo vs Borac Cacak (6) 1-0
Metalac GM vs Javor Ivanjica (6) 1-0
Red Star Belgrade vs Mladi Radnik (9) -1.75 handicap
Spartak Subotica vs BSK Borca (8) 2-1

Singaporean S-League:

Geylang United vs Woodlands Wellington (6) 2-1

Slovakian Corgon Liga:

Ruzomberok vs Slovan Bratislava (7) 0-1
Artmedia Petrzalka vs Nitra (6) 1-1
Dubnica vs DAC Dunajska Streda (6) 1-0
Tatran Presov vs Dukla Banska Bystrica (6) 1-1
Spartak Trnava vs Senica (6) 2-1

Slovenian Prva Liga:

Nafta Lendava vs Maribor (6) over 2.5 goals
Drava vs Celje (6) 1-1
Interblock Ljubljana vs Koper (8) 1-2
Gorica vs Domzale (6) over 3.5 goals
Rudar Velenje vs Olimpija Ljubljana (7) 1-0

Spanish Primera Liga:

Malaga vs Sevilla CF (5) 1-1
Tenerife vs Real Valladolid (7) 1-0
Villarreal vs Sporting Gijon (7) 1-0
Deportivo Xerez vs Getafe (6) 2-1
Real Madrid vs Barcelona (7) over 3.5 goals, at least one red card in this game

Spanish Segunda Liga:

Albacete vs Gimnastic de Tarragona (5) under 2.5 goals
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid vs Las Palmas (6)
Real Union Club de Irun vs Elche (5)
Real Betis Balompie vs Cadiz (7) over 2.5 goals
Villarreal II vs Girona (4)

Swedish Allsvenskan:

BK Hacken Goteborg vs Atvidabergs (8) 2-0

Swedish Superettan:

Landskrona BOIS vs Degerfors (7)
Falkenbergs vs Jonkopings Sodra (6)

Swiss Super League:

Neuchatel Xamax vs Grasshoppers Zurich (6) 1-2
Sion vs Aarau (8) 2-0
Young Boys Bern vs Bellinzona (9) -1.75 handicap

Swiss Challenge League:

Kriens vs Winterthur (6)
Stade Nyonnais vs Vaduz (4)
Wohlen vs Gossau (7)
Lausanne Sport vs Yverdon Sport (5)
Locarno vs Wil (6)

Turkish Super Lig:

Antaylaspor vs Istanbul BB (6) 1-1
Besiktas JK vs Trabzonspor (7) 1-0

Ukrainian Premier League:

Kryvbas Kryvyvi Rih vs Metalist Kharkiv (7) 0-1
Chernomorets Odessa vs Vorskla Poltava (6) 1-1
Dynamo Kiev vs Arsenal Kiev (7) 2-0
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk (8) under 2.5 goals

Uruguayan Primera Division:

Fenix vs Penarol (7) over 2.5 goals
Tacuarembo vs Racing Club Montevideo (6) 1-1
Cerro Largo vs River Plate Montevideo (5) 1-2

Venezuelan Primera Division:

Deportivo Italia vs Llaneros de Guanare (8) 2-0

Welsh Premier League:

Caersws vs The New Saints (9) 0-2
Airbus UK vs Porthmadog (7) over 2.5 goals
Haverfordwest County vs Rhyl (5) 1-1

Enjoy your free betting tips!