Ruch Chorzow vs Lechia Gdansk

Today’s featured game is the Ekstraklasa clash between Ruch Chorzow and Lechia Gdansk. I might have avoided this game had the horrific weather that hit south Poland a few days ago not moved on elsewhere – those were a joke! Did any of you watch Poland vs Slovakia? The game looked just like how I’d imagine a game in Greenland would look – lots of snow falling and virtually zero visibility of the ball. Anyway, with Poland’s disappointing and unfortunate defeat in the past, we now look at Ruch Chorzow’s chances of beating Lechia Gdansk, which I think are pretty high. Ruch Chorzow are now the only remaining side in the Ekstraklasa that has won all of their home games. Even more impressively, however, is the fact that they’ve done it without conceding a goal! I’ve yet to make up my mind whether this form of theirs is tempremental or if they’re actually pushing for a European place next year but regardless of that, Ruch Chorzow have the wind in their sails at the moment and look a force for just about any opponent in the Ekstraklasa. Visitors Lechia Gdansk have made an unprecedented good start to this campaign with limited resources in all areas of the field. However, they’ve suffered two defeats in their last four games and look to be struggling to maintain their good form, which is unfortunately something that has been expected by most people. Aside from encountering what is currently the best home side in the league, Lechia Gdansk enter this game without Captain Karol Piatek, midfielders Maciej Rogalski and Piotr Kasperkiewicz, defenders Jakub Kawa, Siergiejis Kozans, Arkadiusz Mysona, and striker Ivans Lukjanovs. To say that the already-stretched visitors are short on numbers is an understatement and their lack of their Captain could do them a lot of damage on the field. With the only definite absence for Ruch Chorzow being Martin Fabusz, the hosts have yet another advantage over Lechia Gdansk today. To put it bluntly, I’m expecting something of a comfortable home win today so odds of 3/4 are something of a gift. I’d even consider the -1.75 handicap for this game given the news above.

Friday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Ruch Chorzow vs Lechia Gdansk – home win at 3/4 – see introduction for full details.

Hartberg vs SCR Altach – away win at 3/4. Something funny is going on in Austria today with what looks to me like five away wins in the Liga 1! I’ll eat my hat if they all manage it but I can’t make a case for any of the home sides, I’m afraid! However, this one is one of my favourites because I rate SCR Altach as the best side in the division. After enduring some patchy form, SCR Altach have won three consecutive games and take their excellent momentum into this game with the additional bonus of knowing that they’re the better side out of these two. Three wins, one draw, and one defeat from their five away games this season says that they mean business and the tag of being the highest scoring side in the division is one that they are proud to bear. SCR Altach average over two goals per game and look a force for any side in this division currently. Hosts Hartberg enter the game with good momentum too, having won two consecutive games. Unimpressively, however, they have lost three of their five home games so far this season and are one of the highest conceding sides in the division currently. On paper, they’re not a match for SCR Altach and I think the above points to an away win so 3/4 looks good odds to me.

Salzburg II vs Wacker Innsbruck – away win at evens. Like most II teams that are in the division below their parent team, Salzburg II are struggling. They simply don’t have the quality to consistently challenge any side in the division and will be fortunate to avoid relegation this year, in my opinion. That said, Salzburg II are surprisingly one of the top goalscorers in the division – their downside is that only three sides have conceded more goals than they have. Salzburg II have lost three of their six home games and only won twice. Visitors Wacker Innsbruck aren’t always the most reliable of sides but three away wins from five games says they’ve got enough in the tank to do the job and three consecutive wins says they have the momentum to enforce it. For me, the away win looks good value at evens.

Liege vs Mons – away win at 10/11. Poor starters Liege enter this game with some momentum after claiming their first win of the campaign away to rapidly descending Brussels. Whereas this will have no doubt boosted them, you do have to bear in mind that they are where they are in the Tweede Klasse because they’ve lost six out of eight games i.e. they’re not really good enough to be in this division. Mons haven’t exactly set the division alight since relegation from the Eerste Klasse but they have been difficult to play against as is indicated by the fact that they’ve only lost two of the nine games they’ve played thus far. Mons’ problem so far has been drawing more games than they’re winning, which does concern me a little ahead of this game but not excessively. A win last game will give Mons the boost they need to overcome a much weaker Liege today so the away win at 10/11 looks inviting.

Deportivo Pasto vs Atletico Huila – home win at 5/6. Both of these sides have made very good starts to their respective campaigns. As with most Colombian sides, however, they’re both home sides. Deportivo Pasto are one of the best home sides in the league with five wins and one draw from six home games. They average nearly three goals per game at home and generally look very dangerous against most opponents. Visitors Atletico Huila boast a similar record but are slightly better away from home, hence them being a point ahead of Deportivo Pasto in the league. There’s really not very much between these two sides in terms of quality but the hosts do have the advantage of being at home, which counts for an awful lot in Colombia, as statistics have always indicated. For me, there could be value in the home win at 5/6 today.

Inter Zapresic vs Zadar – home win at 11/10. This is a very dubious call ineded when you consider that Inter Zapresic have now lost five consecutive games. However, all runs must end sometime and I think there’s a decent chance of that today. Zadar have played better than Inter Zapresic so far this season but they have one giant flaw; they’re very poor goalscorers, particularly on the road. In fact, in their four away games this season, they’ve lost three, drawn once and scored just one goal. Make no mistake, these two sides are as bad as each other. Whereas Inter Zapresic’s form of one win, one draw and three defeats at home this season far from inspires such a call, I am comforted by the fact that they’ve won this fixture for three seasons out of the last four, drawing the other.

Ilisiakos Zografou vs Kerkyra – away win at 7/5. Although having never been a convincing away side, Kerkyra’s form so far this season leads me to believe that this particular fact could change, even if only temporarily. Three wins and one draw from their opening four games says that they’re keen to atone for last season’s failure to reach the Super League. Averaging two goals per game currently, Kerkyra look their usual potent selves and will be hard to topple this season. Hosts Ilisiakos Zografou were as much a threat last season as Kerkyra were but how times change in the blink of an eye! The hosts are currently second bottom of the Ethniki B with two points from four games. Their goalscoring is a massive problem with just two goals scored in four games. Against an in-form Kerkyra, this could prove to be extremely harmful to the hosts so I think taking the away win at 7/5 holds some value today, particularly as the visitors have won this exact fixture for three seasons running without even conceding a goal…

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

Argentinian Primera Division:

San Lorenzo de Almagro vs Rosario Central (8) 2-1
Lanus vs Velez Sarsfeld (8) 1-1

Australian A-League:

Adelaide United vs Sydney FC (5) 1-2

Austrian Liga 1:

Austria Vienna II vs Austria Lustenau (7)
Hartberg vs SCR Altach (7)
Salzburg II vs Wacker Innsbruck (7)
First Vienna vs Gratkorn (6)
Dornbirn vs St.Polten (6)

Belgian Tweede Klasse:

Liege vs Mons (7)

Bulgarian A PFG:

Sliven vs Chernomorets Burgas (8) 1-3

Colombian Futbol Profesional:

Deportivo Pasto vs Atletico Huila (8) 2-1

Croatian Prva Liga:

Inter Zapresic vs Zadar (5) under 2.5 goals

Ecuadorian Primera A:

Liga de Quito vs Manta (8) 3-1

English League Two:

Cheltenham Town vs Macclesfield Town (6)

French Ligue 2:

AC Ajaccio vs Brest (7)
Angers SCO vs Istres (7)
Arles vs Bastia (6)
Chateauroux vs Nimes (7)
Guingamp vs Dijon FCO (5)
Sedan-Ardennes vs Tours (6) draw no bet
Clermont Foot vs Stade Malherbe de Caen (6)
Le Havre vs Laval (8)
Strasbourg vs Vannes OC (5)

German Bundesliga 2:

Arminia Bielefeld vs Alemannia Aachen (8)
Rot-Weiss Oberhausen vs St.Pauli (6)
Energie Cottbus vs Kaiserslautern (7)

Greek B Ethniki:

Ilisiakos Zografou vs Kerkyra (7)

Hungarian Soproni Liga:

Vasas Budapest vs Debreceni VSC (8) 1-2
Ferencvaros vs Gyori ETO FC (5) 1-1

Irish Premier League:

Cork City vs Bohemians (6) 1-2
St Patrick’s Athletic vs Bray Wanderers (7) 2-0
Galway United vs Derry City (5) 1-1
Dundalk vs Sligo Rovers (6) 1-1

Italian Serie B:

Lecce vs Salernitana (8)

Dutch Eerste Divisie:

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

Polish Ekstraklasa:

GKS Belchatow vs Slask Wroclaw (6) 0-0
Ruch Chorzow vs Lechia Gdansk (8) 2-0

Romanian Liga:

Unirea Alba Iulia vs International (5) 1-1
Unirea Urziceni vs Vaslui (8) 1-0

Singaporean S-League:

Sengkang Punggol vs Armed Forces (9) over 2.5 goals

Welsh Premier League:

Aberystwyth Town vs Newtown (6) 1-0
Carmarthen Town vs Port Talbot Town (6) 1-1
Prestatyn Town vs Connah’s Quay Nomads (7) 2-1

Enjoy your free betting tips!

Sporting Braga vs Porto

Today’s featured game is in the Liga Sagres between Sporting Braga and Porto. Sporting Braga currently sit atop the Liga Sagres with four wins from their opening four games, including a win at Sporting Clube de Lisboa. I find this interesting becase I don’t think Sporting Braga have played well enough to be where they are but nonetheless I give credit to them for some impressive results. I also find it interesting because I think they’ve got a much poorer coach now than the talented Jorge Jesus has moved on to SL Benfica in summer. Effectively, I think Sporting Braga are punching above their weight and are simply waiting to be knocked down. Enter reigning champions Porto! Much like their hosts, Porto are unbeaten in this campaign. However, unlike their hosts, they’ve shown reason as to why they’re one of the top clubs in the Liga Sagres by scoring plenty of goals and conceding very few. Porto will be disappointed to have lost away to Chelsea despite having a few good chances of their own so will be looking to bounce back at Sporting Braga. Although I would classify Sporting Braga as a good side, I still wouldn’t put them anywhere near Porto. The visitors have so much more class and finesse that the hosts simply shouldn’t be able to compete. It’s been that way in this fixture for two years running now; each time Porto has won the game. I think Sporting Braga are due a reality check and Porto look well-placed to be the side that gives them that kick! Frankly, the away win at 11/10 looks a real bargain!

Saturday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Sporting Braga vs Porto – away win at 11/10 – see introduction for full details.

Independiente vs Velez Sarsfeld – away win at 6/4. This is is a bit of a dubious call because Independiente are only ever good at home but Velez Sarsfeld’s form of late has convinced me that they’re more than capable of winning this game. Three wins and one draw from their last four league games and a mid-week victory over Boca Juniors in the Copa Nissan Sudamericana tells me that the visitors today have tremendous morale and momentum. Independiente generally make their home games count because they’re atrocious away from home but this season it’s been rather varied with two wins and two defeats, one of each at home and away from home. Their mixed form leaves me even more confident that a well-organised, efficient and solid Velez Sarsfeld will have no trouble dismantling the hosts tonight, particularly as the hosts find it hard to score goals currently at home and the visitors haven’t conceded any on the road yet this season. It should be quite a tight game but an away win looks favourable at 6/4. 

Independiente de Santa Fe Bogota vs Atletico Junior Barranquilla – home win at 11/10. Assuming that this game actually finishes (i.e. it’s not interrupted by pitch invasions, riots, excessive red cards etc.) then I feel confident it’ll be a home win. Four home wins from four games so far signals the intent of Independiente de Santa Fe Bogota. They’re averaging at least three goals per game at home and look a frightening opponent at the present time. Atletico Junior Barranquilla are a good side and boast an even better home record than Independiente de Santa Fe Bogota but unfortunately own an extremely poor away record. In fact, today’s visitors have lost three times and drawn once on the road this season, making them susceptible cannon fodder for an impressive Independiente de Santa Fe Bogota today. I can’t put it more simply so I’ll simply state that 11/10 on a home win here is an absolute steal!

Aston Villa vs Portsmouth - lay Aston Villa at 15/8. This is a very risky call but I’m going to ride it. Aston Villa simply haven’t got going yet in any competition, something that has already seen them crash out of the Europa League to Austria’s Rapid Vienna. They hustled and bustled their way to three points last match in a local rivalry match with Birmingham City without really deserving the victory. Despite their record showing three straight wins, including a very impressive (but fortunate) win away to Liverpool, I’m just not convinced. I think they’ve been fortunate to win all of these games and although you do need fortune to win games, it shouldn’t be the focal point of your wins for the majority of the time, which it is. I also believe that Aston Villa don’t perform well as the favourites to win a game. My reasoning behind that is because they’re a very counter-attacking side with great pace but little ability to break down resilient defences currently. All that coupled with a supposed bust-up between manager Martin O’Neill and midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker recently (resulting in the player being left out of the squad today) tells me that Aston Villa might not have it all their own way today. Portsmouth have been playing better lately now the issues surrounding their ownership have been resolved. The chairman appears to have restored some clarity regarding Paul Hart’s future at the club and the club have signed many new players just before the deadline to boost their chances of survival. They can count themselves highly unlucky to obtain nothing from the game at home to Bolton Wanderers are a spirited display and a touch of misfortune here and there, particularly with the conceding of a penalty. Portsmouth will be coming here with some belief from their last game and with even more determination to end their woeful run of form and they’ve got the players to cause problems in a shaky Aston Villa defence. Whereas I think this is far from a dead cert, I do think there’s potential value in laying Aston Villa at 15/8.

Middlesbrough vs West Bromwich Albion – home win at 6/5. This was a tough call to make but one I agree with even in retrospect. Both of these sides are playing very good football and gaining very impressive results but there’s only side between these two that are currently playing like a Premiership side would and that’s Middlesbrough. The visitors today are conceding too many goals of late and are often falling behind before taking the lead. I simply don’t believe that can happen today. If they fall behind against Middlesbrough then they’ll be very lucky to get a draw from the game. Middlesbrough are barely conceding and look impressive every time I see them. In my opinion, they boast a better squad currently and have strengthened it with the acquisitions of Irishmen Sean St Ledger and Caleb Folan. This should be a close game and I really think both of these sides will be in the Premier League next year with their current form but current form also just favours Middlesbrough so I expect them to make the home advantage count and inflict West Bromwich Albion’s first defeat of the season with inviting odds of 6/5.

Millwall vs Huddersfield Town – away win at 7/5. With no wins in four games, Millwall look to be at rock-bottom mentally and need to pick themselves up quickly if they’re to have any chance of making themselves a force again. They’ve lost their last two games consecutively but they’re not being battered. In fact, it’s quite the reverse but they simply cannot score! Unfortunately for them, they’re hosting a massively in-form Huddersfield Town that know exactly how to score as they’ve managed it seventeen times in seven games, which is nearly 2.5 goals per game, well above anyone else’s goalscoring tally in the division. Three wins in their past five games and just one defeat says that Huddersfield Town have the form and ability to beat Millwall currently so the away win at 7/5 looks good to me.

Norwich City vs Charlton Athletic - away win at 6/4. Despite a surprising blip at home to Southampton, I fully expect Charlton Athletic to make light work of a mediocre Norwich City today. The hosts may have a new manager that is doing good work behind the scenes but their current form shows no wins in their past two games, including a poor draw at home to out-of-sorts Walsall. They suffered a mid-week defeat by high-flying Milton Keynes Dons despite having taken the lead and look destined for yet another tough clash today, this time with Charlton Athletic. Visitors Charlton Athletic will be keen to get back on track and I can’t see them failing to do so today against a side that are nowhere near as good as they are and don’t have any kind of momentum to oppose them. Therefore, the away win at 6/4 looks good to me.

Wycombe Wanderers vs Milton Keynes Dons – away win at 21/20. Visitors Milton Keynes Dons are unbeaten on the road this season from three games and have conceded just once in those three games. They’ve won four of their last five games and are currently in great shape to beat just about anyone! Happily for them, they’re facing arguably the worst side in the division currently – Wycombe Wanderers. Newly-promoted Wycombe Wanderers are finding life in League One very tough indeed with just one win in their past five games and a virtually permanent place in the relegation zone. They’re conceding far too many goals and this is something that will play into low-scoring Milton Keynes Dons’ hands perfectly as they like their low-scoring victories in a very efficient manner. Basically, these two sides are polar opposites and I expect that to show by the final whistle today with an away win at 21/20.

Crewe Alexandra vs Aldershot Town – home win at 4/5. Crewe Alexandra are beginning to show that they really are a League One side playing in League Two after a shaky start. They’ve won three from their last five games albeit with very little style! Despite Aldershot Town’s lofty perch, they’re not nearly as good as Crewe Alexandra, which immediately sets the precedent as to why I think this game will be a home win. However, the most overwhelming fact that I can give you to support my call is the fact that Aldershot Town are really poor travellers. They’ve already lost two from their three away games this season and managed to lose more away games last season than any other side in the division. If you add the above information together, you have a home win at 4/5 without too much fuss and most likely a rather droll encounter!

Darlington vs Bournemouth – away win at 5/6. It’s a shame to see a good side like Darlington playing so badly but football doesn’t have much room for compassion, only success. The hosts haven’t won any games out of seven attempts so far this season and that looks unlikely to change as they host high-flying Bournemouth. The visitors are currently top of the league and deservedly so after some very impressive displays and a form guide that shows six wins from seven games. Bournemouth are far from prolific but a woeful Darlington side that have scored just three goals in seven games shouldn’t be able to test them on that front and draw more goals out from the south coast side. Bournemouth’s main credential is that they rarely concede and given that the hosts can’t score and momentum favours the visitors, an away win looks clear as daylight to me at 5/6.

Morecambe vs Notts County – away win at 5/6. I’m a little dubious with backing moneybags Notts County are some recently unnerving displays but I’m taking them today because the hosts are an extremely poor opponent. True, they’ve only lost two games from seven, but they’re drawn five and won zero. Morecambe are coping well with the scoring goals side of things – it’s just the “don’t concede more goals than you’ve scored” side that they have to work on. Currently, Morecambe have conceded more goals in this division than anyone else and given that Notts County have scored more goals than anyone else in this campaign and also have a better squad, an away win looks relatively imminent at 5/6.

Grenoble Foot vs Stade Rennais – away win at evens. I think I’m becoming a secret fan of Stade Rennais but I genuinely do enjoy their football and I think you’ll see a sharp rise from them from now on after they got a win under their belt last match. They’re unbeaten so far this season and travel to Grenoble Foot, a side that knows all too well about defeat having lost all five of their games so far, scoring a miserly two goals in the process. They’re showing clear relegation form and without major changes, I can’t see them staying in Ligue 1 this year. Stade Rennais have the style and attacking potency to potentially do an awful lot of damage to little Grenoble Foot and I expect to see at least some of this damage today. Although today’s visitors haven’t won away from home in two attempts this season, you still have to sit back in amazement at the fact that the bookies have given evens on the away win here for a side that are clearly better due to the quality available to them and when considering the momentum of Stade Rennais also. This is one of the best bets today, in my opinion, and it only just missed out on being my featured game of the day!

SSC Napoli vs Udinese - over 2.5 goals at 4/5. There’s no great secret here. Both of these two sides are expected to do well this year and typically neither of them currently are. However, that doesn’t change the fact that both sides have a wealth of attacking options available to them with SSC Napoli having scored in every competitive game they’ve played so far and Udinese averaging over two goals per game currently. As you’d expect from both sides’ league placing, the number of goals conceded by each side is large, some of the largest in Serie A, in fact. Both of these two sides need three points to try and build some momentum and both sides score and concede freely so taking over 2.5 goals at 4/5 looks a bargain.  

Yokohama F Marinos vs Kashima Antlers – home win at 5/2. Out of all the leagues I cover, the J-League is the one that has the most baffling odds sometimes. Yokohama F Marinos are a big Japanese side with a big history. They’re not doing particularly well this season but they’re still a difficult side, particularly at home. Despite just one win in their past five games, Yokohama F Marinos are amongst the biggest goalscorers at home in the whole of the J-League. They’ve won two from their last three home games, drawing the other. Visitors Kashima Antlers are top of the league but their form is very hazy and doesn’t really give them any consistency. As a matter of fact, Kashima Antlers have lost all three of their last three away games. All of this information combined suddenly makes the home win at 5/2 look very interesting indeed, does it not?

Ruch Chorzow vs Cracovia Krakow – home win at 10/11. Taking Ruch Chorzow to win at home at 10/11 could well be one of the best bets of the day. The hosts play good football and have an impressive 100% home record – three wins from three games, five goals scored and none conceded. Visitors Cracovia Krakow are finding Ekstraklasa life very hard and sit just outside the drop zone currently. Although Cracovia Krakow haven’t lost in their last four games, the fact remains that they’ve scored just one away goal this season and that doesn’t look likely to change against an impenetrable Ruch Chorzow defence, particularly with the hosts boasting four wins from their past five games. Everything is pointing to a home win here and I’m more than happy to take it with the above in mind at 10/11.

Saturn Moscow Oblast vs Spartak Moscow – away win at 10/11. Despite a couple of shaky displays against Rubin Kazan and Dinamo Moscow, Spartak Moscow are still a very good side that simply needs a win to get them back on track. A trip to local rivals Saturn Moscow Oblast should be a good hunting ground for them given that Saturn Moscow Oblast took a real beating off reigning champions Rubin Kazan last match, a result that will have really knocked the wind out of them. Although Saturn Moscow Oblast have a good home record, a large number of those games were against sides either not as good as them or on a par with them. Today they face a Spartak Moscow side that are better than them and I expect it to show today as I cannot fathom Valery Karpin allowing his side to go without a win for three games consecutively after such an impressive campaign with the title chase still wide open. I expect a rather open game today as the hosts are hunting a Europa League place but ultimately I think there’s value in the away win at 11/10.

Rostov-na-Donu vs Kuban Krasnodor – home win at 4/5. I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that this will be the most boring game of the day. Neither of these two sides can score goals for shit so boring might not even be the word. However, Kuban Krasnodor boast the worst away record in the division with nine defeats from eleven games, drawing the other two. They average conceding over two goals per game away from home and average scoring each time there’s a full moon! Rostov-na-Donu fair a little better than today’s visitors. Although they don’t score many at home (not even one per game on average!), nobody has conceded less goals than Rostov-na-Donu at home this season. Neither side has any consistency to speak of  but the above information on home and away form leaves me in little doubt that this will be anything but a home win at 4/5.

Lokomotiv Moscow vs FK Moscow – home win at evens. Yury Semin sure has got Lokomotiv Moscow doing damage like they used to some time ago! I don’t know how he’s done it, to be honest, but he’s doing it very bloody well! In fact, he’s done it well enough to be able to actually label Lokomotiv Moscow as title challengers, currently! They’ve won four of their last five games, drawing the other. They’re a more prolific than efficient side, which is a trait that Semin brings to most (if not all) of the clubs he manages. They’re the only side in the Russian Premier League to remain unbeaten at home in this campaign and are one of the biggest goalscorers at home, as well as boasting seven wins from eleven home games. Despite an impressive start to their season, FK Moscow are finally beginning to show that they’re actually pretty average at best. It was only a matter of time before their bubble burst but now it has, they could have serious problems, particularly against a very potent Lokomotiv Moscow side. The visitors have won just once in their last five games, losing three times in the process. That kind of form won’t keep them anywhere but on the road down the table whereas their hosts today are on their way up. There’s a mismatch of quality, momentum and form here today so the home win looks a real steal at evens.

Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid – over 3.5 goals at evens. I don’t think I need to explain this one, surely? Anyone who knows anything about football knows that these two sides go at it like hammer and tongs each time they meet! Defence ceases to exist and this is backed up by the fact that four out of the past five games between these two sides has resulted in over 3.5 goals. An in-form Barcelona are taking on a disrupted Atletico Madrid so the goals may be a little one-sided but I thoroughly expect success with this bet.

Cordoba vs Celta de Vigo – home win at 6/5. Despite fairly impassive form from both sides so far this season, Celta de Vigo suffered transfer-wise in summer, particularly with the loss of striker Kamel Ghilas to English Premier League side Hull City. The visitors haven’t won a game yet this season and appear destined for a long haul this year. The hosts are in a similar position but have at least won a game this season, which was a home win, unsurpisingly. Why am I making a call on such a tight game then, you ask? Well, there’s not too much between these two sides but one undeniable fact that has swayed me; Cordoba were one of the best home sides in the Segunda Liga last season and will seek to do the exact same this year. Celta de Vigo were one of the worst away sides last year and appear destined to be following the same pattern. It’s all I have to go off but at 6/5, it’s certainly worth a punt.

Rayo Vallecano de Madrid vs Real Union Club de Irun – home win at 3/4. Despite a mixed start to the campaign for Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, you have to fancy them to overcome newly-promoted Basque club Real Union Club de Irun. The visitors have only managed to score once in their first three games and could well be relegated this season if they don’t start improving their performances and goalscoring tendancies. The hosts played well last year and still have a good squad. Is it good enough to take them to the Primera Liga? Possibly, but we’ll see where they are at Christmas. In the meantime, they’re playing a side with half the ability of them and on their own ground. In my eyes, 3/4 on a home win is a no-brainer.

Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk vs Karpaty Lviv – lay Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk at 13/10. This is a very risky call but I tend to find that bookies overrate Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk far too much when you consider how often they don’t manage to win at home when the bookies expect them to. Don’t get me wrong, they rarely lose at home, but they just don’t win as often as they should, which is largely attributed to the fact that they don’t like scoring goals. Today they host a Karpaty Lviv side that have impressed me this year with some good displays. They’ve got a good squad and taking on a Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk side that aren’t firing on all cylinders yet so early in the season makes me think that the visitors might just be able to steal a result today, particularly as they’ve only been beaten once in their last five games. As I said, this is a risky call but I can see value in laying Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk at 13/10.

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

Argentinian Primera Division:

Colon de Santa Fe vs Chacarita Juniors (8) 2-0
Gimnasia De La Plata vs Tigre (6) 1-1
Argentinos Juniors vs Atletico Tucuman (7) 1-0
Independiente vs Velez Sarsfeld (6) 0-1, draw no bet

Australian A-League:

Central Coast Mariners vs Gold Coast United (5) 1-1

Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:

Granit Mikashevichi vs FC Smorgon (7) 2-0
MTZ-RIPO Minsk vs FC Gomel (5) draw no bet
Torpedo Zhodino vs Dinamo Brest (6) 2-1
Naftan Novopolotsk vs FC Minsk (8) 2-1
Shakhtyor Soligorsk vs Dnepr Mogilev (7) 1-0
FC Vitebsk vs Dinamo Minsk (6), 1-2 draw no bet

Belgian Eerste Klasse:

Zulte-Waregem vs Excelsior Mouscron (7) 2-0
Cercle Brugge vs Germinal Beerschot (6) 1-0
Lokeren vs Standard de Liege (8) over 2.5 goals
Kortrijk vs Sint-Truiden (6) 1-1
Mechelen vs Roeselare (8) 2-0

Belgian Tweede Klasse:

Turnhout vs Tubize (6)
Brussels vs Lierse SK (7)
KVSK United vs Eupen (7)
Mons vs OH Leuven (8)
Liege vs Antwerp (6)
Beveren vs Red Star Waasland (5)
Tournai vs Standaard Wetteren (6)
Ronse vs Dender (8)

Brazilian Serie A:

Nautico vs Atletico Mineiro (6) 1-2
Vitoria vs Internacional (7) 1-1
Atletico Paranaense vs Sport Recife (5) 1-0

Bulgarian A PFG:

Slavia Sofia vs Sliven (6) 2-1
Beroe vs Sportist Svoge (7) 2-0
Chernomorets Burgas vs Pirin Blagoevgrad (8) -1.75 handicap

Chinese Super League:

Shaanxi Zhongxin vs Henan Jianye (6) 1-1
Shenzhen vs Beijing Guoan (5) 1-0

Colombian Futbol Profesional:

Atletico Huila vs Deportivo Pereira (7) 1-1
Independiente de Santa Fe Bogota vs Atletico Junior Barranquilla (8) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Once Caldas Manizales vs Atletico Nacional de Medellin (6) 1-1

Croatian Prva Liga:

Istra 1961 vs Cibalia Vinkovci (6) 0-1
Osijek vs Zadar (8) 2-1
Hajduk Split vs NK Zagreb (9) 2-0
Sibenik vs Varteks Varazdin (6) under 2.5 goals
Karlovac vs Lokomotiva Zagreb (8) 2-0
Croatia Sesvete vs Slaven Koprivnica (7) 1-2

Cypriot Division 1:

A.E.Paphos vs Doxa (6) 1-0
Aris vs Apollon Limassol (8) 1-2
Omonia Nicosia vs Ethnikos Achnas (9) -1.75 handicap

Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:

Viktoria Plzen vs Mlada Boleslav (6) 1-1
Jablonec vs Slovan Liberec (6) 1-1, at least one red card in this game

Danish Superligaen:

Aalborg BK vs Silkeborg (8) 3-1

Danish 1st Division:

Viborg vs Fyn (7)
Braband vs Fredericia (8)

Ecuadorian Primera A:

Deportivo Quito vs Liga de Quito (7) 1-2, at least one red card in this game

English Premier League:

Burnley vs Sunderland (6) 1-1
Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic (8) over 2.5 goals
Aston Villa vs Portsmouth (4) 1-1
Bolton Wanderers vs Stoke City (7) 0-0
Hull City vs Birmingham City (6) 0-0
West Ham United vs Liverpool (5) 1-1

English Championship:

Barnsley vs Swansea City (5)
Bristol City vs Scunthorpe United (5)
Cardiff City vs Queens Park Rangers (6)
Crystal Palace vs Derby County (7)
Doncaster Rovers vs Ipswich Town (6)
Middlesbrough vs West Bromwich Albion (7)
Newcastle United vs Plymouth Argyle (9)
Nottingham Forest vs Blackpool (6)
Peterborough United vs Reading (7)
Preston North End vs Coventry City (7)
Watford vs Leicester City (8)

English League One:

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

English League Two:

Barnet vs Bradford City (8)
Burton Albion vs Dagenham & Redbridge (6) draw no bet, over 2.5 goals, both sides to score
Cheltenham Town vs Rotherham United (7)
Chesterfield vs Macclesfield Town (7)
Crewe Alexandra vs Aldershot Town (7)
Darlington vs Bournemouth (8)
Hereford United vs Accrington Stanley (5) draw no bet
Lincoln City vs Shrewsbury Town (5)
Morecambe vs Notts County (8)
Northampton Town vs Rochdale (6)
Port Vale vs Bury (7)
Torquay United vs Grimsby Town (6)

Estonian Meistriliiga:

Sillamae Kalev vs Tulevik Viljandi (9) -1.75 handicap
Tallinna Kalev vs Maag Tammeka Tartu (7) 1-2
Flora Paide vs Trans Narva (9) -1.75 handicap
Kuressaare vs Levadia Tallinn (10) -2.75 handicap
Flora Tallinn vs Nomme Kalju (6) 3-2

Finnish Ykkonen:

TPV Tampere vs Klubi 04 Helsinki (6)
FC Hameenlinna vs Jippo Joensuu (7)
PS Kemi Kings vs Kiisto Vaasa (7)
AC Oulu vs Viikingit Helsinki (8)
PK 35 Helsinki vs PoPa Pori (6)

Finnish Kakkonen:

Lohko A:

LPS Helsinki vs Kultsu FC Joutseno (8)
PK Keski Uusimaa Kerava vs Kiffen (6)
KaPa Helsinki vs Futura (7)
HIFK Soccer Helsinki vs KTP Kotka (8)

Lohko B:

FC Honka Espoo II vs AIFK Turku (6)
FC Espoo vs EIF Ekenas (8)
KaaPo Kaarina vs LoPa Lohja (6) draw no bet

Lohko C:

GBK Kokkola vs FC OPA Oulu (8)
Virkia vs FCV (7)
Jyvaskyla Blackbird vs JBK Pietarsaari (7)
Santa Claus vs Norrvalla FF Voyri (8)
FC YPA Ylivieska vs SJK Seinajoki (7) over 2.5 goals
VIFK Vaasa vs OPS Oulu (8)

French Ligue 1:

Boulogne vs Girondins de Bordeaux (8) 1-2
Grenoble Foot vs Stade Rennais (8) 0-2
Lorient vs AS Nancy-Lorraine (6) 2-1
OGC Nice vs AS Monaco (5) 1-1
Saint-Etienne vs Auxerre (5) 1-0
Sochaux vs Valenciennes (7) 1-0
Olympique de Marseille vs Montpellier HSC (8) 2-0

German Bundesliga:

Bayern Munich vs Nurnberg (9) -1.75 handicap
VFB Stuttgart vs Koln (8) 2-0
Hannover 96 vs BV09 Borussia Dortmund (7) 1-1
VFL Bochum vs Mainz (6) 0-0
Borussia Moenchengladbach vs Hoffenheim (6) 1-2

German Bundesliga 2:

Greuther Furth vs Rot-Weiss Oberhausen (6) over 2.5 goals
Rot-Weiss Ahlen vs Fortuna Dusseldorf (6)

Greek Super League:

Kavala vs Atromitos (6) 1-0
Panionios vs Asteras Tripolis (5) 0-0
Iraklis vs Larissa (6) 1-2

Greek B Ethniki:

PAE Ethnikos Piraeus vs Thrasivoulos (7)

Hungarian Soproni Liga:

MTK Budapest vs Kaposvari Rakoczi (7) 2-1
Ujpest vs Nyiregyhaza Spartacus (8) -1.75 handicap
Szombathelyi Haladas vs Kecskemeti TE (6) 1-1
Disogyori VTK vs Budapest Honved (6) 0-0
Papa vs Vasas Budapest (6) 1-0
Fehervar vs Paksi SE (8) 2-0

Irish Premier League:

Shamrock Rovers vs Bray Wanderers (8) 2-0

Italian Serie A:

SSC Napoli vs Udinese (7) over 2.5 goals
Juventus vs Livorno (8) -1.75 handicap, Diego to score at any time

Italian Serie B:

Albinoleffe vs Piacenza (5)
Cesena vs Triestina (7) under 2.5 goals
Empoli vs Frosinone (7) both sides to score
Grosseto vs Modena (6)
Lecce vs Crotone (8)
Padova vs Ancona (6)
Reggina vs Cittadella (7)
Sassuolo vs Mantova (7)
Vicenza vs Gallipoli (7)

Japanese J-League:

Albirex Niigata vs Oita Trinita (8) 2-1
Jubilo Iwata vs Kyoto Purple Sanga (6) 1-1
FC Tokyo vs Gamba Osaka (7) 1-2
Yokohama F Marinos vs Kashima Antlers (6) 2-1
Omiya Ardija vs Nagoya Grampus (6) 1-1
Montedio Yamagata vs Shimizu S-Pulse (7) 0-1
Kawasaki Frontale vs Urawa Red Diamonds (7) over 2.5 goals

Mexican Primera Division:

Cruz Azul vs San Luis (8) 1-0
Pachuca vs Monterrey (7) 1-1
Tigres UANL vs Indios (6) 1-0
Guadalajara vs Jaguares (7) 2-0
Atlante vs Santos Laguna (6) 1-1

Dutch Eredivisie:

Heracles Almelo vs Sparta Rotterdam (6) 1-0
Vitesse Arnhem vs RKC Waalwijk (7) 2-0
Roda JC Kerkrade vs NAC Breda (7) 1-2
AZ Alkmaar vs NEC Nijmegen (8) 3-1

Norwegian Tippeligaen:

Odd Grenland Skien vs Stabaek (7) 1-1
Aalesunds vs Brann Bergen (7) 1-2

Norwegian 2 Divisjon:

Avdeling 1:

Strommen vs KFUM Fotball Oslo (8) both sides to score
FK Tonsberg vs Eidsvold TF (8)
Fram IF Larvik vs Skjetten Fotball (7)
Mandalskameratene vs Pors Grenland (8)

Avdeling 2:

Strindheim IL vs Skarbovik IF Aalesund (7)
Nardo FK Trondheim vs Steinkjer FK (6)
Drobak Frogn IL vs Lorenskog IF (6)

Avdeling 3:

Asane IL Ulset vs Sandnes Ulf (7)
Sford Sunnhordland FK vs Randaberg IL (7)
Nest Sotra Agotnes vs Algard FK (6)

Avdeling 4:

Korsvoll IL Oslo vs Baerum SK Sandvika (6)
Valdres FK Fagernes vs Kjelsas Oslo (8)
Asker Fotball vs FF Lillehammer (5)
Mo IL vs Manglerud Star Oslo (6)

Polish Ekstraklasa:

Arka Gdynia vs Polonia Warsaw (6) 1-1
Korona Kielce vs Slask Wroclaw (6) 0-0
Lech Poznan vs Odra Wodzislaw (8) 2-1
Ruch Chorzow vs Cracovia Krakow (8) 2-0

Portuguese Liga Sagres:

Pacos de Ferreira vs Rio Ave (6) 1-0
Sporting Braga vs Porto (8) 1-2

Portuguese Liga de Honra:

Feirense vs Trofense (7)
Varzim vs Desportivo Chaves (6)
Portimonense vs Gil Vicente (6)

Romanian Liga:

Otelul Galati vs Gaz Metan Medias (6) 1-0
Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt vs Gloria Bistrita (4) 0-1
Universitatea Craiova vs Rapid Bucharest (7) 1-1

Russian Premier League:

Saturn Moscow Oblast vs Spartak Moscow (7) 1-2
Rostov-na-Donu vs Kuban Krasnodor (6) under 2.5 goals
Lokomotiv Moscow vs FK Moscow (7) over 2.5 goals

Russian Division 1:

Anzhi Makhachkala vs Volga Nyzhnyi Novgorod (8) both sides to score, over 2.5 goals
NoSta Novotroitsk vs Ural Sverdlovskaya Oblast (6)
FK Nizhnyi Novgorod vs Salyut Belgorod (7)
Volgar Gazprom Astrakhan vs KamAZ Nab Chelny (6)
Alaniya Vladikavkaz vs Metallurg Lipetsk (8)
Shinnik Yaroslavl’ vs Energiya Khabarovsk (7)
Vityaz Podolsk vs Sibir Novosibirsk (5)
FK Krasnodor vs FK Chita (6)
Baltika Kaliningrad vs Luch-Energiya Vladivostok (7)

Scottish Premier League:

Kilmarnock vs Rangers (8) 0-2
Aberdeen vs St.Mirren (7) 2-1
Dundee United vs Motherwell (7) over 2.5 goals
Hamilton Academicals vs Falkirk (6) 1-0

Serbian Super Liga:

BSK Borca vs Cukaricki (6) 1-0
Spartak Subotica vs Hajduk Kula (5) 0-0
Jagodina vs Javor Ivanjica (5) 1-2
Rad Belgrade vs Borac Cacak (6) 1-0
Napredak vs Mladi Radnik (6) 1-1
Metalac GM vs OFK Belgrade (7) 0-1

Slovakian Corgon Liga:

Senica vs Nitra (5) 1-1
Slovan Bratislava vs Banska Bystrica (7) 2-1
Ruzomberok vs Artmedia Petrzalka (6) 0-1
Spartak Trnava vs Dubnica (8) 2-0
MSK Zilina vs DAC Dunajska Streda (8) 2-1

Slovenian Prva Liga:

Koper vs Nafta Lendava (8) 2-0
Interblock Ljubljana vs Maribor (7) 1-1
Celje vs Domzale (7) 2-1
Gorica vs Rudar Velenje (4) 1-0

Spanish Primera Liga:

Deportivo La Coruna vs Espanyol (8) 2-1
Real Mallorca vs Tenerife (8) 2-0
Osasuna vs Sevilla (7) 1-1
Malaga vs Racing Club de Santander (6) 1-1
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid (9) over 3.5 goals

Spanish Segunda Liga:

Huesca vs Gimnastic de Tarrgona (6)
Numancia vs Real Murcia (7)
Levante vs Elche (7)
Cordoba vs Celta de Vigo (7)
Cartagena vs Castellon (5)
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid vs Real Union Club de Irun (8)

Spanish Segunda B:

Group 1:

Celta de Vigo II vs Compostela (6)
Sestao River Club vs Osasuna II (5)
Izarra vs Zamora (7)
Lemona vs  Guijuelo (6)
Mirandes vs Athletic Club de Bilbao II (6)
Palencia vs Barakaldo (6)
Pontevedra vs Racing Club de Ferrol (7)
Deportivo Alaves vs Cultural y Desportiva Leonesa (8)

Group 2:

Cacereno vs Real Madrid II (6)
Cerro Reyes Badajoz vs Puertollano (6)

Group 3:

Benidorm vs Mallorca B (7)
Espanyol Barcelona II vs Alicante (6)
Logrones vs Terrassa (6)

Group 4:

Caravaca vs Melilla (6)
Sevilla Atletico vs Roquetas (7)
Real Jaen vs Moratalla (7)
Ecija Balompie vs Granada (8)
San Roque vs Polidesportivo Ejido (7)
Lucena vs Real Betis II (8)
Ceuta vs Marbella (7)
Aguilas vs Jerez Industrial (6)

Swedish Allsvenskan:

Halmstads vs Helsingborgs (6) 0-0

Turkish Super Lig:

Besiktas JK vs Kayserispor (7) 2-0
Ankaragucu vs Genclerbirligi (6) 1-2
Eskisehirspor vs Gaziantepspor (6) 1-1
Diyabakirspor vs Manisaspor (6) 1-0
Sivasspor vs Bursaspor (7) 1-1

Ukrainian Premier League:

Zorya Lugansk vs Metalurg Zaporizhya (6) under 2.5 goals
Obolon Kiev vs Zakarpattia Uzhhorod (7) 2-1
Illichivets Mariupol vs Chernomorets Odessa (6) over 2.5 goals
Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk vs Karpaty Lviv (5) 1-1

Uruguayan Primera Division:

Danubio vs River Plate Montevideo (7) 2-1
Fenix vs Cerro Largo (6) 1-2
Penarol vs Tacuarembo (7) 2-0

Welsh Premier League:

Bangor City vs The New Saints (5) 1-1
Carmarthen Town vs Prestatyn Town (6) 0-0
Connah’s Quay Nomads vs Haverfordwest County (6) 0-1
Neath Athletic vs Caersws (7) 2-0
Newtown vs Rhyl (8) 0-2

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