Basel vs Young Boys Bern

Today’s featured game is between Swiss heavyweights Basel and Young Boys Bern. The hosts today have been the dominant force in this league for some years now but their grasp on that title appears to be waning. For instance, their form this season indicates two league wins from seven games. That’s really not title-winning form! They’re simply not scoring enough goals and are conceding a little too easily for a big side. Unfortunately for Basel, their issues come at a time where Young Boys Bern are well and truly on the rise, as they proved by finishing above Basel last season. Not only that, but their form this season is scintillating with six wins and one draw from seven games. They’ve also played Athletic Club de Bilbao in the UEFA Europa League and can consider themselves highly unlucky to be knocked out after two very impressive performances. They’re averaging approximately 2.5 goals per game at the moment and have beaten Basel the last three times the two sides have met at either ground, including a particularly impressive 0-3 win in this exact fixture last season. The visitors today have tremendous form, momentum and ability – all the things that Basel are currently lacking. For those reasons, I’m astounded the odds on an away win are 2/1 because I think there’s a very good chance of this occurring. Of course, do approach with caution as these two sides are both good sides on their day so perhaps look at draw no bet.

Sunday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Basel vs Young Boys Bern – away win at 2/1 – see introduction for full details.

Austria Vienna vs Rapid Vienna – away win with draw no bet odds of 11/10. I’m going against what has virtually become a tradition in Austria by calling an away win here ’cause it almost never happens in this fixture. That said, I don’t think Rapid Vienna have been as good as they are now for some time now. Needless to say that both of these sides are bitter rivals and it will be a feisty encounter. Both sides were in action mid-week and both qualified for the latter stages of the UEFA Europa League. Rapid Vienna put in a very impressive display in England to overcome Aston Villa (as was correctly predicted by yours truly!) and could have won by a much more comfortable margin. Austria Vienna managed to qualify after a slow start as they needed extra time to overcome Metalurg Donetsk of Ukraine. Both of these sides will be a little tired from their respective encounters, no doubt. There’s no denying that both of these sides are very good and it should be a close call. However, I’m siding with a very impressive Rapid Vienna today with the insurance of draw no bet at odds of 11/10.

SV Ried vs Sturm Graz – home win at 11/10. One of Austria’s best home teams entertains one of Austria’s best sides so already we have an interesting tie! Perhaps that’s a bit exaggerated for Sturm Graz, however – they’re bottom of the “big four” in Austria in my opinion. Nonetheless, a good side they remain! As you’d expect, SV Ried have set about making the Keine Sorgen Arena a fortress yet again and are doing a bloody good job having already beaten Salzburg and drawn with an impressive Rapid Vienna at home. Last season SV Ried remained unbeaten at home all season so it’s worth taking into account how much of a fortress these guys possess! It’s also worth noting that in their last nine Bundesliga vists to SV Ried, Sturm Graz have never won here and have only ever salvaged one point from those nine games. If that’s not enough to convince you that a home win at 11/10 is worth your money then I don’t know what is!

LASK Linz vs Wiener Neustadt – home win at 11/10. Bundesliga top goalscorers LASK Linz entertain newly-promoted Wiener Neustadt wondering just how they’re third bottom currently with such an astounding goalscoring record. They currently boast an average of no less than three goals per game, which is very impressive indeed. The league placing of LASK Linz is harsh when you consider just who they’ve actually played. Three of their first five games have been against Salzburg, Rapid Vienna and Austria Vienna – the three best sides in the country. Their two other league games resulted in 4-0 wins and both sides they encountered were better than or equal to today’s opponents. The sides that did beat LASK Linz really had their work cut out though! Austria Vienna won 5-4 against them, Salzburg beat them 3-2 and Rapid Vienna were a little more comfortable with a 4-1 victory. What I’m painstakingly trying to point out is that the hosts are a lot better than their league position shows and I think Wiener Neustadt could be taught a footballing lesson today. Frankly, odds of 11/10 are an absolute steal on this game, particularly as Wiener Neustadt have already indicated that they’re pretty damn useless on the road with two defeats from two games.

Torpedo Zhodino vs Shakhtyor Soligorsk  – away win at 6/4. I mentioned in a previous post that Shakhtyor Soligorsk were a sleeping giant. Unfortunately, they’re no longer asleep and are destroying just about everything in their way in a late bid to catch champions BATE Borisov and prevent them from winning yet another Vysshaya Liga title. Will they do it? Probably not – I can’t see BATE Borisov dropping twelve points between now and the end of the season but at least Shakhtyor Soligorsk can cement European football for them next year if their run continues. Torpedo Zhodino are on a bit of a downward spiral with two defeats in their last two games despite and impressive start. With the hosts on a slight descent and Shakhtyor Soligorsk on the rise, you have to look for the away win at 6/4.

Anderlecht vs Standard de Liege - home win at evens. Despite Standard de Liege having the voodoo sign over Anderlecht these past few years, that voodoo charm is beginning to fall with the sale of some key players and a misfiring strikeforce. Ironically, as Standard de Liege begin to weaken, Anderlecht begin to get stronger so they’re about on par at the moment if not slightly better. Hosts Anderlecht are on a revenge trip after Standard de Liege pipped them to the post in last season’s Eerste Divisie title race as they drew level on the final day and beat Anderlecht over the two-legged play-offs. Despite being annihlated by a rampant Olympique Lyonnais side lately in Europe, Anderlecht have proven that they know how to score goals in any situation and this is something they have missed in the last few years. As I mentioned earlier Standard de Liege haven’t got going yet and have sold some players over summer so a home win at evens looks very tempting here today.

OH Leuven vs Lierse SK – away win at 5/6. Last season, Lierse proved they’re too good to be in this division. Unfortunately, they forgot that they needed to prove they were good enough to be in the division above, which is why they’re still stuck in the Tweede Klasse! After a slow start, they have the perfect game to gain their first three points as they travel to a OH Leuven side that are currently pointless. The hosts were fortunate to stay in the division last season and appear destined for another lengthy struggle. Although form doesn’t quite support my call, 5/6 on an away win could be a good bet today.

Groningen vs PSV Eindhoven - away win at 5/6. An absymal start to the Eredivisie campaign from Groningen sees them without a win in four games and struggling to score goals. They’re entertaining a PSV Eindhoven machine that is gradually becoming well-oiled as the season progresses. The visitors aren’t exactly fluent and easy on the eye at the moment but they are ruthlessly efficient and seem to have little problem winning any game before them at the present time. Lastly, having won here last season, PSV Eindhoven are more than aware that three points are a very real possibility here today. 5/6 on the away win is crying out to be taken!

Tromso vs Fredrikstad – home win at 5/6. Despite no wins in three games, Tromso have been battling well lately and can consider themselves unfortunate in both their domestic campaign and their European campaign to have not notched up a win. They’ve got the perfect opportunity to find those evasive three points today though as they host relegation-threatened Fredrikstad, who have now lost two games consecutively. The trip to Tromso is always a tricky one for any side, let alone one that has lost seven from eleven away games this season. The hosts have got the quality and the tenacity to gain a much-needed three points here today so the home win looks a good bet at 5/6.

Stromsgodset vs Odd Grenland Skien – away win at 11/10. I’m a little surprised at myself for calling this but I’ll see how it goes! Odd Grenland Skien have surprised a lot of people this year (myself included) by maintaining their early season form throughout the season. Atypically, it’d be fair to say that a side in third place in the table after 2/3 of the season are “challenging for the title” although I don’t think that’s accurate in this scenario as they’re twelve points behind an irresistable Rosenborg BK. Despite not having many away wins under their belt, they rarely lose away from home having been defeated just twice on the road all season. Stromsgodset do posses one hell of a fortress on their day, however, so do approach with caution, despite their dismal form of late. I’m going to call the away win at 11/10, however, because Odd Grenland Skien’s form at the moment tells you that they’re capable of beating just about anyone.

Notodden vs Moss – away win at 13/8. Hosts Notodden find themselves on the wrong end of a notable four game run being as they’ve lost all of them. They’re entertaining a Moss side that are very much capable of being higher than they currently are in the Adeccoligaen. A rampant victory against high-flying Honefoss last match will have done much to buoy the visitors for today’s game against a drastically out-of-sorts Notodden. Three wins in five games says Moss are on the rise; that’s enough for me to take the away win at 13/8 to dispose of despondent Notodden!

Uniao de Leiria vs Maritimo – away win at 13/8. Maritimo have made an expected start to the season with a couple of solid performances and points on the board. I’m expecting a good season from them and they’ve not let me down thus far. Uniao de Leiria are unbeaten in their opening two games but those two games were against sides that I expect to battle it out with them for relegation – Rio Ave and Olhanense – so I wouldn’t read too much into that. Basically, this game really should be an away win and I’ll be surprised if it isn’t. Odds of 13/8 on the away win are a bargain here!

Drava vs Rudar Velenje – away win at 6/5. Unbeaten Rudar Velenje are flying high with five wins and one draw from their six games this season. The foundation for this impressive run is clearly their watertight defence, having only conceded three goals over those six games. Today they travel to lowly out-of-sorts Drava who are third bottom despite claiming their first three points of the season last match. The hosts are a good side on their day but Rudar Velenje are in irresistable form and have won here for two out of the past three seasons. For those reasons, 6/5 on the away win looks intriguing.

Real Mallorca vs Deportivo Xerez – home win at 3/4. It’s been widely-publicised that Deportivo Xerez have massive issues with management, squad size and financial troubles. This really isn’t the way to start a season in one of the toughest leagues in the world and I think they’re going to discover that today. Real Mallorca have weakened over summer, as usual, particularly with the loss of Arango, but they’re still a potent side at home. I can’t see anything other than a home win here today and 3/4 is much better value than I originally anticipated.

Malaga vs Atletico Madrid - away win at 11/10. I wasn’t a fan of backing Atletico Madrid away from home last season but I’ve been gradually won over. The strength in depth, talent and experience that this squad now boasts is highly impressive and I expect a very good season from them, particularly with the acquisition of one of the best young goalkeepers in Europe – Sergio Asenjo. I also wasn’t a fan of backing anyone going away to play Malaga last season because they were free-flowing at home when it came to goalscoring and were generally hard to play. However, having lost their manager and substantial quality over the summer, Malaga could be gearing up for a lot and ultimately disappointing season, starting today. Atletico Madrid already have competitive match practive from their exploits against Panathinaikos so will be raring to go. 11/10 on the away win today looks a steal!

Tavriya Simferopol vs Vorskla Poltava – home win at evens. Despite drawing last match, hosts Tavriya Simferopol are still looking good to maintain their impressive start to their campaign. However, they do need a win to keep it going and they know that they’ve got a good chance of doing that today aganist Vorskla Poltava. The visitors gained a credible draw at home to giants Dynamo Kiev last match with their typically defensive play but I don’t think they’ll be able to ride their luck here today against a potent Tavriya Simferopol. I expect a low-scoring affair but ultimately a home win looks to be on the cards and appears to be good value at evens too.

Metalurg Zaporizhya vs Metalist Kharkiv – away win at 5/6. Metalist Kharkiv have let me down a couple of times lately so I’m becoming a little irritated by them. However, as you’ve probably guessed, I’m keeping the faith with them today because the side they’re playing aren’t a good side at all. Frankly, Metalurg Zaporizhya aren’t a patch on the side they were last season and one win in their past five games adds weight to my claim. Although they can be a difficult side at home on occasion, Metalist Kharkiv have good enough form in the league to overcome them today and more ability in their squad to do the damage. Again, this should be another low-scoring affair but 5/6 on the away win could be good value.

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

Albanian Kategoria Pare:

KF Tirana vs Skenderbeu Korce (8)
Laci vs Gramozi Erseke (6)
Shkumbini Peqin vs Besa Kavaje (6)
Vllaznia Shkoder vs Apolonia Fier (8)
Teuta Durres vs Kastrioti Kruje (8)
Flamurtari Vlore vs Dinamo Tirana (6)

Argentinian Primera Division:

River Plate vs Chacarita Juniors (8) 2-1
Atletico Tucuman vs Independiente (6) 1-0
Lanus vs Boca Juniors (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Newell’s Old Boys vs Huracan (7) 2-0

Australian A-League:

Newcastle Jets vs Gold Coast United (7) 1-2
Sydney vs Wellington Phoenix (8) 2-0

Austrian Bundesliga:

Austria Vienna vs Rapid Vienna (4) 1-2, draw no bet
SV Ried vs Sturm Graz (7) over 2.5 goals
LASK Linz vs Wiener Neustadt (8) 2-0

Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:

Neman Grodno vs FC Smorgon (8) 2-0
MTZ-RIPO Minsk vs Dinamo Brest (5) 1-0
Naftan Novopolotsk vs FC Gomel (8) 2-0
FC Vitebsk vs FC Minsk (4) 1-1
Granit Mikashevichi vs Dnepr Mogilev (5) 2-1
Torpedo Zhodino vs Shakhtyor Soligorsk (7) 1-2

Belgian Eerste Klasse:

Racing Genk vs Germinal Beerschot (7) 1-0
Cercle Brugge vs Club Brugge (6) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Anderlecht vs Standard de Liege (7) over 2.5 goals

Belgian Tweede Klasse:

OH Leuven vs Lierse SK (7)
Boussu Dour Borinage vs KVSK United (6)
Standaard Wetteren vs Mons (5)
Tubize vs Tienen (8)
Oostende vs Ronse (8)

Bosnia-Herzegovina Premijer Liga:

Slavija Sarajevo vs Zeljeznicar Sarajevo (6) at least one red card in this game
Siroki Brijeg vs Sloboda Tuzla (6)
Zrinjski Mostar vs Rudar Prijedor (6)

Brazilian Serie A:

Santos vs Fluminense (8) 2-0
Sao Paulo vs Palmeiras (6) over 2.5 goals
Atletico Mineiro vs Sport Recife (7) 2-1
Vitoria vs Cruzeiro (6) 1-2, draw no bet
Internacional vs Goias (6) 2-1
Botafogo vs Gremio (6) 0-1, draw no bet

Bulgarian A PFG:

Cherno More Varna vs Botev Plovidv (8) 2-0
Litex Lovech vs Montana (6) 1-0
CSKA Sofia vs Lokomotiv Mezdra (9) -1.75 handicap

Chinese Super League:

Shenzhen vs Shanghai Shenhua (7) 0-0
Shaanxi Zhongxin vs Changchun Yatai (5) 1-0
Jiangsu Shuntian vs Tianjin Teda (6) 1-1
Beijing Guoan vs Shandong Luneng (5) 2-2
Chengdu Blades vs Qingdao Jonoon (6) 2-1
Changsha Ginde vs Henan Jianye (6) 0-0
Chongqing Lifan vs Guangzhou Yiyao (5) 1-2
Hangzhou Lucheng vs Dalian Shide (6) 1-1

Colombian Futbol Profesional:

Cucuta Deportivo vs Once Caldas Manizales (6) 1-2
Deportes Tolima vs Deportivo Cali (6) 1-0
Atletico Junior Barranquilla vs Boyaca Chico (8) 2-0
America de Cali vs Independiente de Santa Fe Bogota (8) 1-1
La Equidad Bogota vs Envigado FC (7) 2-0
Deportivo Pereira vs Independiente Medellin (5) 1-2

Croatian Prva Liga:

Dinamo Zagreb vs Slaven Koprivnica (8) over 2.5 goals

Cypriot Division 1:

Ermis vs Anorthosis Famagusta (8) 0-2
APOP/Kinyras vs APOEL Nicosia (8) 1-2

Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:

Bohemians Prague vs Slovan Liberec (8) 0-2
Ceske Budejovice vs Banik Ostrava (5) under 2.5 goals
Jablonec vs Pribram (8) 2-0

Danish Superligaen:

Randers vs Esbjerg (5) 1-0
Aalborg vs Midtylland (8) 2-1
HB Koge vs SonderjyskE (6) 1-1
FC Copenhagen vs Brondby (7) over 2.5 goals

Danish 1st Division:

Roskilde vs Braband (4)
Hvidovre vs Kolding (7)
Skive vs Vestjaelland (6)
Thisted vs Vejle (7)
Fredericia vs Viborg (6)
Lyngby vs Fyn (9)
AB vs Frem (8)
Naestved vs AC Horsens (7)

English Premier League:

Portsmouth vs Manchester City (8) 0-2
Everton vs Wigan Athletic (7) 1-0
Aston Villa vs Fulham (6) 2-1

Faroese Meistaradeildin:

HB Torshavn vs Vikingur Gotu (8) over 2.5 goals
KI Klaksvik vs AB Argir (7)
07 Vestur Sorvagur vs B36 Torshavn (6)
B68 Toftir vs IF Fuglafjordur (5)

French Ligue 1:

Paris Saint-Germain vs LOSC Lille (7) 2-1
Toulouse vs Valenciennes (8) 2-0
Olympique de Marseille vs Girondins de Bordeaux (7) over 2.5 goals

French Ligue 2:

Nimes vs Metz (7)
Tours vs Guingamp (6)
Vannes OC vs Le Havre (6)

German Bundesliga:

Hertha BSC Berlin vs Werder Bremen (5) over 2.5 goals
Hamburger SV vs Koln (8) 2-0

German Bundesliga 2:

Alemannia Aachen vs FSV Frankfurt (6)
Augsburg vs Union Berlin (7)
Paderborn vs Kaiserslautern (5)

Greek Super League:

Atromitos vs AEK Athens (8) 0-1
PAOK Salonika vs Levadiakos (8) 2-0
PAS Giannina vs Panthrakikos (6) 1-0
Panathinaikos vs Xanthi (8) 2-0
Larissa vs Olympiakos Piraeus (8) 1-2

Hungarian Soproni Liga:

Ujpest vs Szombathelyi Haladas (7) 2-1
Gyori ETO FC vs Budapest Honved (7) 2-1

Icelandic Landsbankadeild Karla:

KR Reykjavik vs Fram Reykjavik (8) over 2.5 goals

Irish Premier League:

St. Patrick’s Athletic vs Drogheda United (7) 1-0

Israeli Ligat Ha’al:

Hapoel Tel-Aviv vs Maccabi Petach-Tikva (8) 2-0

Italian Serie A:

AS Roma vs Juventus (6) 1-1
Atalanta Bergamo vs Genoa (6) 1-2, draw no bet
Cagliari vs Siena (7) 2-0
Chievo Verona vs Lazio (6) 1-2
Fiorentina vs Palmero (7) over 2.5 goals
SSC Napoli vs Livorno (8) 2-0
Parma vs Catania (6)
Sampdoria vs Udinese (6) over 2.5 goals

Japanese J-League:

Montedio Yamagata vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima (5) 1-2, draw no bet
Kashiwa Reysol vs Kyoto Purple Sanga (7) 0-0
Kawasaki Frontale vs Shimizu S-Pulse (8) over 2.5 goals

Latvian Virsliga:

FK Ventspils vs Liepajas Metalurgs (7) 2-1
Olimps Riga vs Dinaburg Daugavpils (8) 1-2

Republic of Macedonia Prva Liga:

Renove Dzepciste vs Vardar Skopje (8)
Sloga Jugomagnat vs Teteks (6)

Maltese Premier League:

Tarxien Rainbows vs Birkirkara (8)
Qormi vs Sliema Wanderers (7)

Mexican Primera Division:

Pumas UNAM vs Queretaro (5) 1-0
Morelia vs Cruz Azul (8) 2-1
Santos Laguna vs Tigres UANL (6) 1-1
America vs Toluca (7) over 2.5 goals, at least one red card in this game

Moldovan Divizia Nationala:

Iskra-Stali vs Dinamo Bender (8)
Academia-UTM Chisinau vs Olimpia Balti (6)
Dacia Chisinau vs Sfintul Gheorghe (9)
Viitorul vs CSCA-Rapid Chisinau (5)
Tiraspol vs Sheriff Tiraspol (8)

Dutch Eredivisie:

Feyenoord Rotterdam vs FC Twente (7) 1-1
Groningen vs PSV Eindhoven (8) 1-2
NAC Breda vs Heerenveen (7) over 2.5 goals
Heracles vs AFC Ajax Amsterdam (8) 0-2

Norwegian Tippeligaen:

Aalesunds vs Bodo Glimt (6) 0-0
Tromso vs Fredrikstad (8) 2-1
Viking Stavanger vs Sandefjord (7) 2-0
Stromsgodset vs Odd Grenland Skien (7) 1-2
Start Kristiansand vs Brann Bergen (6) 1-0, draw no bet

Norwegian Adeccoligaen:

Haugesund vs Honefoss (7) over 2.5 goals
Tromsdalen vs Lov Ham Bergen (6)
Bryne vs Sogndal (7)
Sarpsborg vs Nybergsund (7)
Skeid Oslo vs Mjondalen (6)
Hamarkamaratene vs Stavanger (8)
Notodden vs Moss (7)

Polish Ekstraklasa:

Zaglebie Lubin vs Arka Gdynia (6) 0-0
Lech Poznan vs GKS Belchatow (7) 2-1

Portuguese Liga Sagres:

Leixoes Matosinhos vs Rio Ave (6) 1-0
Uniao de Leiria vs Maritimo (8) 1-2
Sporting Braga vs Belenenses (7) under 2.5 goals
Academica de Coimbra vs Sporting Clube de Lisboa (7) 0-1

Portuguese Liga de Honra:

Desportivo Chaves vs Portimonense (6)
Freamunde vs Fatima (7)
Trofense vs Desportivo Aves (7)
Santa Clara vs Oliveirense (8)
Beiar-Mar vs Feirense (7)
Penafiel vs Carregado (6)
Gil Vicente vs Sporting Covilha (5)

Romanian Liga:

Unirea Alba Iulia vs Poli Timisoara (8) 1-2
CFR Cluj vs Gaz Metan Medias (8) 2-0
Vaslui vs Politehnica Iasi (7) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Steaua Bucharest vs Dinamo Bucharest (7) 2-1, at least one red card in this game

Russian Premier League:

FK Khimki vs Zenit St. Petersburg (7) 1-2
Spartak Moscow vs Rubin Kazan (6) 2-2
Krylya Sovetov Samara vs Dinamo Moscow (5) 1-0
Rostov-na-Donu vs CSKA Moscow (7) 0-2

Scottish Premier League:

Hibernians vs Celtic (8) 1-2
St. Johnstone vs Heart of Midlothian (6) 0-1

Serbian Super Liga:

Rad Belgrade vs OFK Belgrade (5) 1-1
Partizan Belgrade vs Hajduk Kula (9) 2-0
Napredak vs Red Star Belgrade (7) 1-2

Slovakian Corgon Liga:

Nitra vs DAC Dunajska Streda (7) 1-0
MFK Kosice vs Ruzomberok (5) 0-0
Slovan Bratislava vs Dubnica (8) 2-1
MSK Zilina vs Tatran Presov (8) 2-0

Slovenian Prva Liga:

Drava vs Rudar Velenje (8) 1-2

Spanish Primera Liga:

Athletic Club de Bilbao vs Espanyol (7) 2-1
Real Mallorca vs Deportivo Xerez (8) 2-0
Osasuna vs Villarreal (6) 1-1
Racing Club de Santander vs Getafe (7) 1-0
Malaga vs Atletico Madrid (7) 1-2
Valencia vs Sevilla (6) 1-1
Almeria vs Real Valladolid (7) 0-0

Spanish Segunda Liga:

Elche vs Huesca (6)
Cadiz vs Salamanca (6)
Castellon vs Hercules Alicante (7)
Real Murcia vs Gimnasia de Tarragona (6)

Swedish Allsvenskan:

Kalmar vs Hammarby (7) 2-0
Halmstads vs BK Hacken (5) 1-2, draw no bet
IFK Goteborg vs Elfsborg Boras (7) 1-1

Swedish Superettan:

Angelholms vs Mjallby Solvesborg (6)
Sirius Uppsala vs Assyriska Sodertalje (6) draw no bet
Trollhattan vs Jonkopings Sodra (6)
Vasalunds vs IFK Norrkoping (7)
Qviding Goteborg vs GIF Sundsvall (7)

Swiss Super League:

Basel vs Young Boys Bern (7) over 2.5 goals
Sion vs Bellinzona (6) 1-1

Swiss Challenge League:

Le Mont vs Winterthur (8)
Gossau vs Schaffhausen (6)

Turkish Super Lig:

Sivasspor vs Diyarbakirspor (7) 1-0
Kasimpasa vs Genclerbirligi (6) 1-1
Trabzonspor vs Bursaspor (6) over 2.5 goals
Fenerbahce vs Manisaspor (8) -1.75 handicap

Ukrainian Premier League:

Tavriya Simferopol vs Vorskla Poltava (7) 2-1
Metalurg Zaporizhya vs Metalist Kharkiv (7) 1-2
Karpaty Lviv vs Obolon Kiev (8) 2-0

Uruguayan Primera Division:

Danubio vs Defensor Sporting (7) over 2.5 goals, at least one red card in this game
Penarol vs Cerro (7) 2-1
Central Espanol vs River Plate Montevideo (6) 1-1
Liverpool Montevideo vs Atenas (8) 2-0
Cerro Largo vs Cerrito (8) 2-0

Venezuelan Primera Division:

Atletico El Vigia vs Zulia (6) 1-0
Carabobo vs Estudiantes de Merida (6) 2-1
Deportivo Lara vs Aragua (7) 2-0
Mineros de Guayana vs Caracas (8) 1-2
Monagas SC vs Centro Italo (7) 1-0
Trujillanos vs Llaneros (5) 0-0
Zamora vs Deportivo Anzoategui (6) 1-1
Deportivo Italia vs Deportivo Tachira (7) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Real Esppor Club vs Yaracuyanos (6) over 2.5 goals

Welsh Premier League:

Llanelli vs Connah’s Quay Nomads (8) 2-0

Enjoy your free betting tips!

Levadia Tallinn vs Galatasaray

Estonia’s Levadia Tallinn today hosts Turkish giants Galatasaray in what should be a futile attempt to qualify for the Europa League proper. After a 5-0 drubbing in Istanbul, the Estonian champions will simply try to salvage some pride today. Unfortunately for them, they’re facing one of the most potent and efficient Galatasaray sides that I’ve seen for some years now. They have the right mixture of experience and talent in the squad to take them to the next level. That said, I’d be confident of this selection even if Galatasaray fielded a second-string team with little motivation for the game so basically I’m feeling pretty damn confident about the outcome today! Galatasaray to win this game with -1.75 handicap at 6/4 is an absolute bargain because the Turks are an awful lot better than their hosts tonight and I thoroughly expect it to show by the final whistle.

Thursday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Levadia Tallinn vs Galatasaray - away win with -1.75 handicap at 6/4 – see introduction for full details.

Karabakh Agdam vs Twente – away win at 5/6. Despite an early scare in the first leg, Steve McClaren’s Twente managed to turn things around and win the game 3-1. Whereas I’m sure they’d have preferred to do it without conceding, it still leaves them in a very promising position in terms of progression to the Europa League proper. Hosts Karabakh Adgam have already stunned half of Scandinavia thus far, managing frankly heroic victories against Rosenborg BK and FC Honka Espoo of Norway and Finland respectively. However, they’ve finally met their match and I expect it to show again tonight because they’ll have to attack the Dutch outfit and McClaren’s side are lethal on the counter-attack. An away win at 5/6 has a good deal of value in it!

Amkar Perm vs Fulham – away win with draw no bet odds of 5/6. This could potentially be one of the most boring ties of the round. Still, I’m open to being proven wrong! Fulham are missing main goalscorer Andy Johnson through a horrific challenge in the first leg of this tie, which will somewhat nullify their goal threat, although not entirely. Fulham really need Bobby Zamora to turn up and Clint Dempsey to support him as much as possible to get something here. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Amkar Perm are capable of turning this tie around per se, although they’re a decent home side. They’re just not as good as they were last season. A draw is probably the most likely outcome but I feel that if Fulham steal a goal, they’ll hold on and win the game. Therefore, draw no bet odds of 5/6 look inviting.

Sigma Olomouc vs Everton – away win at 11/10. Despite the result somewhat flattering Everton in the first leg, the fact remains that they are the better outfit here and have more than enough capability when it comes to beating sides like Sigma Olomouc. The loss of Joleon Lescott may be a blessing in disguise as the constant speculation surrounding his future can only be irritating team mates. I expect Sigma Olomouc to give Everton a good game but to ultimately taste defeat for a second time. Odds of 11/10 on an away win look intriguing here.

Slovan Bratislava vs AFC Ajax Amsterdam – away win at 10/11 or with -1.75 handicap at 11/4. These odds are really, really confusing me. Ok, so AFC Ajax Amsterdam drew their last game 0-0 at home to Sparta Rotterdam. Fair enough, they had an unlucky game as all sides do at somepoint. They still absolutely battered Sparta Rotterdam and would have won that game 99 times from 100 attempts. They’re still an awful lot better than Slovak champions Slovan Bratislava in whichever light you view it, as well as having a very good and experienced manager whose sides always turn up and play football whether they have to (results-wise) or not. They’ve got the quality to absolutely dominate this tie, particularly as the hosts have to attack to have any hope here. An away win at 10/11 is an absolute steal, frankly. I even fancy the away win with -1.75 handicap at 11/4, which could be a very nice earner indeed!!

CFR Cluj vs FK Sarajevo – home win with -1.75 handicap at evens. This could well be another boring tie but I think the result is all but decided. Romanians CFR Cluj claimed a valuable 1-1 draw in Sarajevo in the first leg. The fundamental point of beating any Bosnia-Herzegovina side in Europe is gaining a respectable result in Bosnia-Herzegovina. If you do that, chances are that you’ll progress. There’s no doubt in my mind that CFR Cluj are the better side here and Bosnia-Herzegovina sides just don’t travel well at all. I expect a home win at the very least but I also expect the hosts to break the -1.75 handicap at evens too.

Tromso vs Athletic Club de Bilbao – away win at 11/10, both sides to score. I’m a little reluctant with this game having watched Athletic Club de Bilbao’s unconvincing win away to Switzerland’s Young Boys Bern and their home leg performance against Tromso but I’ll ride it nonetheless due to the quality available at Athletic Club de Bilbao’s disposal. These two sides have one thing in common; neither side can defend for shit! Athletic Club de Bilbao find it very difficult to close down attacking midfielders through the middle so it’s worth taking any of Tromso’s central midfielders to score in this game. It’s also worthwhile to take both sides to score for the above reason, as was indicated perfectly in the first leg. The Spaniards are definitely the better side but they have a tough job to do on their long trip north to Tromso, a trip that has been the bane of many sides before them. Tromso will make this game hard for Athletic Club de Bilbao but the Norwegians do have to attack to obtain something from the game, something which I feel Athletic Club de Bilbao will exploit very well on the counter-attack. Overall, I expect a narrow away win with plenty of goals so 11/10 on the away win does look somewhat inviting.

Austria Vienna vs Metalurg Donetsk – home win at 6/5. An interesting first leg saw Metalurg Donetsk claim an unlikely result with a last-minute equaliser, leaving the score level at 2-2. The result was harsh on Austria Vienna, who had been the better side. However, I think it’s fair to say that Metalurg Donetsk were “found out”, as we say in England – as in they’re not a very good outfit! They’re an average side who will make you work hard to get a result from them but aren’t ultimately very threatening. Austria Vienna are a good and capable side that have the away goal advantage and the home game advantage. They’re also a better side than Metalurg Donetsk so why on earth they’re 6/5 to win this game is frankly beyond me. If the hosts turn up then a home win at 6/5 could well be bargain of the day!

Fenerbahce vs Sion – home win with -2.75 handicap at 7/4. After securing a comfortable 2-0 win in Switzerland, it’s unlikely Fenerbahce are going to worry about this leg too much. They know they’re the better side and they have the home advantage tonight, as well as a stadium full of passionate but demanding fans. This atmosphere won’t be something Sion will have seen before and not something they’ll ever see again barring a miracle because they’re a pretty damn poor side! Simply put – Fenerbahce have too much ability in their squad to do anything but win here and the Swiss side are incapable of keeping out a feisty home side. Taking the home win with -2.75 handicap at 7/4 could be a real bargain.

Hamburger SV vs Guingamp - home win with -2.75 handicap at 13/10. What do I need to add here? Hamburger SV have already shown they can beat the handicap comfortably by doing so in the away leg of this tie so I’m damn sure they’re capable of reproducing that form in the home leg, if not increasing it. Guingamp aren’t the best of sides at the best of times. In fact, I’d call them nothing more than an average Ligue 2 side at best. This shouldn’t be any kind of obstacle for Hamburger SV so a home win with -2.75 handicap at 13/10 could well be a very good bet tonight.

Heart of Midlothian vs Dinamo Zagreb – away win at 6/4. Scottish football is getting worse and worse in comparison to the rest of Europe. Heart of Midlothian’s annihlation in Zagreb in the first leg was a classic example of this. Don’t get me wrong, the Croatian side are a good side but they shouldn’t be capable of winning that game 4-0. However, they did win that game 4-0 because they’re the better side with better players. If you couple that with the ridiculously poor form that Heart of Midlothian currently have and the players they have missing (i.e. Kingston) then an away win at 6/4 starts to look really tempting!

OB Odense vs Genoa – away win at 13/10. Genoa have the potential to be a real dark horse in this tournament. They’ve impressed me a great deal over the past couple of years with some fantastic attacking football and good goalscoring ability. Despite losing key striker Diego Milito over summer, they have brought in replacements that should be able to cover for him. I was unsure how Genoa would play in this tournament as Italian sides tend to struggle in Europe these days but a commanding display has all but assured them of a place in the Europa League proper. I don’t think the Italians will do much other than to counter-attack OB Odense tonight as the Danes have to attack to have any chance. If Rodrigo Palacio starts in attack then God help OB Odense when Genoa counter-attack – this guy is like lightning! An away win at 13/10 looks inviting and rather probable, thus also rather valuable, logically!

Botafogo vs Cruzeiro – away win at 11/5. Cruzeiro’s recent form in Serie A shows how they should be playing! They’ve not lost in their past four games, winning three and drawing the other. They’re a very capable side on their day and that day is every matchday, currently. Botafogo are going from bad to worse with no wins in their past five games, their only points coming from two draws they’ve achieved in those five games. They need the points so they’re not going to be sitting back but a Cruzeiro side in this kind of form has to be respected or they will punish you. However, Botafogo are running out of options so Cruzeiro might just fancy their chances here – I know I do! The away win at 11/5 looks a good bet given the above information and the fact that Botafogo aren’t a particularly good home side and Cruzeiro aren’t bad on the road of late!

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

UEFA Europa League:

Aktobe Lento vs Werder Bremen (7) both sides to score
Karabakh Agdam vs Twente (7) 0-1
Sigma Olomouc vs Everton (7) 1-2
Amkar Perm vs Fulham (5) 0-1, draw no bet
Hapoel Tel-Aviv vs Teplice (7) 2-1
Dinamo Moscow vs CSKA Sofia (8) 2-0
Hertha BSC Berlin vs Brondby (8) 2-0
Zenit St. Petersburg vs CD Nacional (8) 2-0
Slovan Bratislava vs AFC Ajax Amsterdam (8) -1.75 handicap
Heerenveen vs PAOK Salonika (7) 3-1
LOSC Lille vs Racing Genk (7) 2-1
CFR Cluj vs FK Sarajevo (8) -1.75 handicap
Elfsborg Boras vs Lazio (4) 2-1
Tromso vs Athletic Club de Bilbao (7) both sides to score
Austria Vienna vs Metalurg Donetsk (8) 2-1
Metalist Kharkiv vs Sturm Graz (8) 2-0
MSK Zilina vs Partizan Belgrade (6) 1-1
Basel vs Baku (7) -1.75 handicap
Slovan Liberec vs Dinamo Bucharest (8) 2-1
Red Star Belgrade vs Slavia Prague (7) 2-0
Sparta Prague vs Maribor (8) 3-1
Litex Lovech vs BATE Borisov (7) 1-0
Levadia Tallinn vs Galatasaray (9) -1.75 handicap
AEK Athens vs Vaslui (8) 2-1
Villarreal vs NAC Breda (8) -1.75 handicap
Fenerbahce vs Sion (9) -2.75 handicap
Club Brugge vs Lech Poznan (7) both sides to score
OB Odense vs Genoa (7) 1-2
Hamburger SV vs Guingamp (9) -2.75 handicap
Heart of Midlothian vs Dinamo Zagreb (7) 1-2
AS Roma vs MFK Kosice (8) -1.75 handicap
PSV Eindhoven vs Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv (8) -1.75 handicap
St.Patrick’s Athletic vs Steaua Bucharest (6) 0-1
Vorskla Poltava vs SL Benfica (5) 0-1, draw no bet
Toulouse vs Trabzonspor (8) 2-1
Aston Villa vs Rapid Vienna (7) 2-1
Valencia CF vs Stabaek (8) -1.75 handicap

Copa Nissan Sudamericana:

River Plate Montevideo vs Blooming Santa Cruz (8) -1.75 handicap
Emelec Guayaquil vs Zamora (8) 2-1

Brazilian Serie A:

Botafogo vs Cruzeiro (7) 1-2

Chinese Super League:

Henan Jianye vs Chongqing Lifan (7) 2-0

English League Cup:

Crystal Palace vs Manchester City (8) 1-2

Finnish Ykkonen:

Klubi 04 Helsinki vs TP 47 Tornio (6)
PoPa Pori vs Kiisto Vaasa (8)

Singaporean S-League:

Albirex Niigate vs Home United (6) 2-2

Enjoy your free betting tips!