Tag Archives: Crystal Palace

Norwich City vs Crystal Palace

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Today’s featured game is the English Championship encounter between newly-promoted Norwich City and relegation-threatened Crystal Palace. The hosts have started their Championship campaign well and currently find themselves in the play-off places, somewhat surprisingly. Crystal Palace, however, are struggling terribly due to their financial problems and deservedly occupy a relegation place currently as a result.

Six wins in eleven games has seen The Canaries rise to third in the Championship after an impressive run of attacking displays and they’re showing no signs of slowing down. Only a missed penalty denied them a win against league leaders Queens Park Rangers in their last match but with an average of two goals scored per home game currently, goalscoring isn’t a real problem for the hosts. They’ve won three out of their five home games thus far and have lost the other two, conceding more than they should but generally emerging victorious from their various encounters. They’ve notched up seven goals in their past three games as they steamroller onwards with Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson cause innumerate problems in opposing defences although ironically, the majority of Norwich’s goals have come from Wes Hoolahan and Andrew Crofts in midfield so far this season. I like that Norwich have various options when it comes to scoring goals as too many sides in this division rely heavily on their strikers doing all the damage although I do have concerns over the longevity of Norwich’s quest without any real “stars” in their side.

However, visitors Crystal Palace should help them out massively tonight by hopefully doing what they’ve done consistently so far this season by not scoring away from home. They’ve actually failed to register in all five Championship away games this season and although they welcome back on-loan Everton striker James Vaughan for this game, they still look short in attack, and indeed, all over their team. They’ve lost four out of their five away games this season and the continued absence of Darren Ambrose appears to be massively hindering them for obvious reasons. However, their abysmal defending is also a worrying factor with an average of over two goals conceded per away game and with important defender Davis missing this game through suspension, it’s hard to envision that record changing tonight. Danns and Counago are reportedly doubts for the game, which stretches a very thin Crystal Palace squad very far indeed, particularly as the English FA won’t lift the transfer embargo upon the club by allowing them out of administration.

Ultimately, Palace are looking in bad shape and are likely to get worse before they get better with the above in mind so I don’t fancy them at all here, particularly on the back of a 0-1 defeat at home to Millwall last match. Norwich have enough firepower and momentum to take three points tonight and odds of 4/5 look generous on that selection.

Verdict: Norwich City to win at 4/5.

Tuesday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Spartak Moscow vs Chelsea – away win at 21/20.

Chelsea do have a hefty injury list currently with the likes of Lampard, Alex, Ramires, Bosingwa, and Drogba all absent for this game. However, although their substitutes bench leaves a lot to be desired, their starting eleven is still strong enough to win here. Chelsea still have a strong side without the afore-mentioned players, you see, whereas Spartak Moscow have to be at full-strength to have any hope of taking anything from this game – and they’re not. Their vastly important playmaker Alex misses this game through injury, new signing Aidan McGeady is a doubt with an ankle injury, and star striker Welliton looks like to play through the pain barrier in this game, which isn’t exactly convincing in my eyes as it leaves Ari up front on his own and I’ll be surprised if that troubles Chelsea. Spartak’s defence is good but predominantly youthful and they could and should be exposed by the likes of Anelka and returning Kalou tonight. Spartak have done well in recent times, both domestically and in Europe, but they struggled for a lot of this season with inconsistent displays and predictable football. Spartak are a massive club and this certainly won’t be a walk in the park for Chelsea but I just feel that 21/20 on the away win is priced too generously given that Spartak’s missing/doubtful players will hurt them more than Chelsea’s will due to the English side having more depth and experience.

Verdict: Chelsea to win at 21/20.

Bayern Munich vs CFR Cluj – both sides to score at 21/20.

Bayern Munich’s injury list grows longer by the day with Robben, Ribery, Van Bommel, and Klose all definites to miss this game and the likes of Schweinsteiger, Olic, and Van Buyten still doubts for this game. Bayern look poor in attack without these players and have always looked vulnerable at the back so I have my doubts over them here. They overcame a poor Hannover 96 side very convincingly at weekend as sporadic striker Mario Gomez put in a rare display of brilliance, bagging a hat-trick in the game. However, we all know that European football is a different game entirely and Bayern’s problems are still very real with a lack of power in attack. CFR Cluj aren’t having a good season thus far and miss two big players for them – Kone and Muresan – so we can expect weakness from them too. However, emerging talent Traore is set to feature and should wreak havoc in an unconvincing Bayern defence tonight so I do think Cluj have the capability to score here, just as they did at AS Roma in their last European away game. Creative midfielder Culio is set to assist his African team-mate tonight against a Bayern side that looks rather vulnerable and predictable so we should see a much more interesting game than the odds suggest for this game. I don’t think Bayern will have it all their own way although you’d have to expect them to win this game ultimately. Cluj demonstrated in Rome that they’re more than capable of giving big sides a game so I’m choosing to overlook their haphazard domestic displays as European football always brings the highest motivation so my call is for both sides to score here.

Verdict: Both sides to score at 21/20.

Sedan-Ardennes vs Troyes – home win at 11/10.

Only a point separates these two sides near the top of Ligue 2 but in my opinion, there’s quite a gulft in class between the two sides that favours the hosts. Sedan are currently playing some of the best football in Ligue 2 and their goalscoring record of over two goals scored per game on average illustrates that point well. They’ve already won four out of their five home games this season thanks to some very assured and experienced displays with talent all over the field from an attacking perspective. They welcome back striker Fauvergue for this encounter and have scored eleven goals in their last three home games so you have to fancy Sedan to cause a lot of problems tonight. That aside, newly-promoted Troyes aren’t really a match for their hosts. Troyes play extremely well as a unit but in terms of quality, they fall some distance short of the hosts, in my opinion. Troyes have an impressive record of six wins in ten Ligue 2 games this season but I’d argue that in the three hard games they’ve had, they’ve lost each time. They’ve either beaten good sides that were out-of-form or poor sides this season so I’m not exactly blown away here. Their defence is strong and hard to break through but Sedan are the most potent side in the division here and I think they’ll break through ultimately. Troyes were poor against Boulogne last match and won’t be too confident tonight as a result so I expect them to line-up defensively against a superior side and ultimately pay the penalty.

Ligue 2 has never been a place for heavy stakes so do be careful here. However, 11/10 on a superior and in-form Sedan side to win at home looks far too generous for this encounter against an over-achieiving opponent so my call is the home win here.

Verdict: Sedan Ardennes to win at 11/10.

Accumulator fodder:

Olympique de Marseille, Liga de Quito.

Recommended bets:

Olympique de Marseille & Sedan-Ardennes at 3/1.

As ever, if there any questions/explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts to prevent endless questions about my thoughts on certain games!

UEFA Champions League Qualifiers:

Spartak Moscow vs Chelsea (6) 0-1
AS Roma vs Basel (6) both sides to score
Bayern Munich vs CFR Cluj (4) both sides to score
Olympique de Marseille vs MSK Zilina (8) 2-0
AFC Ajax Amsterdam vs Auxerre (7) 1-0
Real Madrid vs AC Milan (7) 2-0
Sporting Braga vs Partizan Belgrade (4) 1-1
Arsenal vs Shakhtar Donetsk (7) over 2.5 goals

Copa Sudamericana:

Independiente vs Defensor Sporting (7) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Liga de Quito vs Union San Felipe (8) 2-0

English Championship:

Coventry City vs Cardiff City (6)
Millwall vs Portsmouth (4) draw no bet
Doncaster Rovers vs Derby County (5) draw no bet
Norwich City vs Crystal Palace (7)
Watford vs Ipswich Town (5)
Preston North End vs Scunthorpe United (5)
Burnley vs Barnsley (6)
Nottingham Forest vs Middlesbrough (5)
Hull City vs Sheffield United (6)
Bristol City vs Reading (4) draw no bet
Leeds United vs Leicester City (4)
Swansea City vs Queens Park Rangers (5) under 2.5 goals

Estonian Meistriliiga:

Viljandi Tulevik vs Lootus (6) 2-1

French Ligue 2:

Angers SCO vs Le Mans (6)
Chateauroux vs AC Ajaccio (7) under 2.5 goals
Clermont Foot vs Stade Lavallois (7) under 2.5 goals
Dijon FCO vs Vannes OC (6)
Grenoble Foot vs Metz (6)
Istres vs Le Havre (4)
Nimes vs Evian Thonon Gaillard (6)
Sedan-Ardennes vs Troyes (6)
Tours vs Reims (6)

Singaporean S-League:

Beijing Guoan vs Albirex Niigata (5) 1-1

Enjoy your free betting tips!

Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea

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Today’s featured game is the UEFA Champions League encounter between Atletico Madrid and Chelsea. The hosts were in dismal form when these two sides met two weeks ago at Stamford Bridge and were duly punished for their lack of cohesion by being trounced 4-0. The result perhaps flattered Chelsea as Atletico Madrid had some good chances of their own. However, what remains apparent is that Chelsea certainly did deserve the win so credit must be given to the Londoners for that. Carlo Ancelotti has certainly got Chelsea playing very good and efficient football. They’ve won all three of their group games so far and a win today would all but guarantee them qualification for the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League. Atletico Madrid have gained just one point from a possible nine, which really isn’t good enough for a club of this size or for a club with any intentions whatsoever to launch a genuine attempt for club football’s most prestigious trophy. More worryingly for Atletico Madrid, they’re still yet to register a goal in the UEFA Champions League this year. Given their atrocious form of late and inability to keep a clean sheet, it’s very hard to look beyond n away win for an extremely potent and in-form Chelsea at 5/6, which is frankly a bargain.

Tuesday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea – away win at 5/6 – see introduction for full details.

Queens Park Rangers vs Crystal Palace – home win at 4/5. Hosts Queens Park Rangers let me down last friday by losing at home to Leicester City, which was really very disappointing, particularly as Radek Cerny simply gifted Matty Fryatt his goal towards the end of the game. However, they remain a good side, jolted though they are, with three wins in their past four games. What makes it easier for me to make this call is the unimpressive form of Neil Warnock’s Crystal Palace, who haven’t won in their last four games, drawing three times and losing once. The problems that the visitors are having isn’t entirely unexpected given their stretched squad of youngsters and their large financial issues. I’m more surprised that it’s taken this long to show, really, so hats off to Neil Warnock for that. However, I fully expect them to be outclassed today by a Queens Park Rangers side desperate to get back to winning ways. Therefore, 4/5 on the home win looks a good call to me!

AC Milan vs Real Madrid – home win at 6/4. After a surprise win at the Santiago Bernabeu, AC Milan have continued their muddled season as expected, thus proving my point that the reason they won was Real Madrid’s inability to defend and inability to score goals consistently without Cristiano Ronaldo. AC Milan managed a late victory at Chievo Verona after trailing for the majority of the game with two late goals from Alessandro Nesta stealing the win for the visitors. AC Milan have also managed to draw 2-2 at SSC Napoli despite leading for the majority of the game and then managed to overcome newly-promoted Parma at weekend by a scoreline of 2-0, which again didn’t tell the whole story with Parma coming close and even rattling the woodwork at the San Siro. However, Real Madrid have fared little better with a 4-0 first leg humbling at local rivals Alcorcon from the Spanish Segunda B league. What’s more worrying is that the encounter with Alcorcon saw Real Madrid field 80% of their first team and they were still torn apart by the minnows. Real Madrid may have managed to overcome Getafe at weekend 2-0 but there are more problems there than people see. Real Madrid’s biggest problem is not only that they cannot defend but their full-backs are atrocious, continually exposing Real Madrid’s feeble offside trap and getting crosses in all too easily. Italian sides are always tactically astute and will be aware of Real Madrid’s defensive weakness, something they indicated in the reverse fixture by having godly playmaker Andrea Pirlo launching balls in behind Marcelo and finding joy every time. Real Madrid are still missing Cristiano Ronaldo so it’s difficult to see them getting a result here unless they really turn it on. Don’t get me wrong – Real Madrid have better individuals than AC Milan but AC Milan have a highly experienced and organised side so I’m backing them to do the same again, particularly with striker Pato looking as lethal as he has been. Whereas it’s unlikely that Iker Casillas will have as much a nightmare this time around (or Dida, for that matter!), I still think AC Milan will win this game at 6/4. It’s also worth looking at over 2.5 goals or over 3.5 goals in this fixture as neither are particularly effective defensively.

APOEL Nicosia vs Porto – lay Porto at 11/10. This is a bold call but I’m going to base it on Porto’s recent mishaps more than anything. They’ve simply not been playing well and although they’ve managed to grind out a few results, they were finally exposed last match by a weak Belenenses, with whom they drew 1-1 at the Estadio do Dragao. Porto’s fans have been whistling/booing their team for the past few games now and it’s starting to have an impact on the team’s performances. Two things that the Cypriot hosts do have is tenacity and organisation, as all the Cypriot sides exemplify very well. APOEL Nicosia already proved in Madrid earlier on in this campaign that they’re capable of blocking sides out and being hard to beat. APOEL Nicosia can’t realistically have any hope of emerging from this group for the UEFA Champions League latter stages but they can harbour a hope for the third-place finish, which would put them in the UEFA Europa League. Both sides could use the win here but I feel confident that both would take the draw, too. If Porto turn it on then they’re capable of beating today’s hosts but I’m relying on them not showing up against their resilient hosts, particularly as English giants Chelsea have already struggled to get a result here in this campaign. Therefore, I feel there’s some good value in laying Porto at 11/10.

Bayern Munich vs Girondins de Bordeaux - lay Bayern Munich at 10/11. The fundamental point behind this bet is the assumption that Frank Ribery and Arjen Robben will be missing, like they were at VFB Stuttgart at weekend. Why? Because these two players turn Bayern Munich from an average side with a couple of good players into a force that are capable of scoring against any side. Bayern Munich failed to register a goal away to VFB Stuttgart at weekend, something that atypically wouldn’t be such a big issue but considering how badly VFB Stuttgart have played this season and the fact that they entered the game with Bayern Munich on the back of three straight defeats, you have to be surprised that the game finished 0-0. Bayern Munich suffered a defeat away to Girondins de Bordeaux two weeks ago, as well as suffering the indignity of having two men dismissed, who will both be missing for this counter. Bayern Munich have looked anything but reliable so far in European competition and I expect Laurent Blanc’s resilient and efficient Girondins de Bordeaux to put up a big fight today. Girondins de Bordeaux have already matched Juventus away from home, drawing 1-1, and beaten Bayern Munich 2-1, so in my opinion, they’re looking the most consistent side in this group currently and I wouldn’t bet against them winning the group. The French outfit have more talent than they’re given credit for so I think they’re more than capable of getting a result here today, particularly if Bayern Munich are missing the hilariously dubbed “Robbery” duo. Therefore, laying Bayern Munich at 10/11 looks a good bet to me today!

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

UEFA Champions League:

Bayern Munich vs Girondins de Bordeaux (6) 1-1
Maccabi Haifa vs Juventus (8) under 2.5 goals
Manchester United vs CSKA Moscow (9) -1.75 handicap
Besiktas JK vs VFL Wolfsburg (7) 2-1
AC Milan vs Real Madrid (7) over 3.5 goals
Olympique de Marseille vs FC Zurich (8) -1.75 handicap
APOEL Nicosia vs Porto (4) 1-1
Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea (8) under 2.5 goals

Argentinian Primera Division:

Colon de Santa Fe vs Huracan (8) 2-1

Austrian Liga 1:

Dornbirn vs Austria Vienna II (6)
Lustenau vs First Vienna (5)
Admira Wacker vs Salzburg II (7)
St.Polten vs Hartberg (8)
Gratkorn vs Austria Lustenau (6)
Wacker Innsbruck vs SCR Altach (6) draw no bet

English Championship:

Queens Park Rangers vs Crystal Palace (7)

Estonian Meistriliiga:

Sillamae Kalev vs Levadia Tallinn (7) 1-2
Maag Tammeka Tartu vs Flora Paide (6) 1-0
Tulevik Viljandi vs Kuressaare (7) 2-1
Tallinna Kalev vs Flora Tallinn (8) over 2.5 goals
Nomme Kalju vs Trans Narva (7) over 2.5 goals

Enjoy your free betting tips!