Tag Archives: CSKA Sofia

Montana vs CSKA Sofia

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Today’s secondary featured game is the A PFG encounter between Montana and CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria. The hosts have proven themselves to be a hard side to beat at home this season with just three defeats in eleven home games so CSKA Sofia shouldn’t have it all their own way today.

Relegation-threatened Montana need points, however, which adds a different perspective to this game. They’re six points clear of the drop zone currently but with eight games yet to play, this season is far from over. I admire the dogged determination of Montana in their home games and the great lengths that they go to in order to help the club stay in the division. However, there is a lack of ability in their camp and it’s in games like this where it tends to show. I mentioned earlier that Montana had lost three home games in the A PFG this season, which is absolutely correct. However, I personally find it important to note that those defeats came at home against Lokomotiv Sofia, Levski Sofia, and Litex Lovech respectively, who are three of the top four sides in Bulgaria (or in the case of Lokomotiv – they were at the time). I think it’s also worth noting that Montana failed to score in those three games too. Why’s that important to note? Well, Montana haven’t lost a home game this season when they’ve scored a goal so I think it’s pretty relevant here. They’ve got some good players in attacking midfielder Gadzhev and strike duo Luiz Eduardo of Brazil and Atanas Chipilov, formerly of Dynamo Kiev. However, individual talent is somewhat scarce in this team and again, this is the type of game where I expect it to show.

Visitors CSKA Sofia have finally picked up their form after a horrendous start to their campaign. They’ve been excellent in their past five games, winning four times and drawing once along the way but keeping a clean sheet in four of those games. Impressively, they’ve battled with Litex Lovech twice during that run so they’ve not simply faced relegation sides here! CSKA Sofia are riding the crest of a wave at the moment and although they’ve failed to score in their last two away games, I think there’s enough firepower with Michel, Marquinhos, and Delev in attack. It’s no secret that goalscoring is CSKA’s biggest adversary, which is something they need to work on after the season ends. However, for the present time, momentum is siding with them and goals are coming their way as a result so I’m happy to take a chance on them here.

The odds aren’t ideal here but there is still value in them, I feel. Montana are a hard side to break down but the bigger sides tend to do it one way or another. CSKA Sofia won here last season and with their current form so impressive, I can’t help but feel that the away win at 4/5 represents decent value today.

Verdict: CSKA Sofia to win at 4/5.

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Monday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Rosenborg BK vs Valerenga Oslo – away win with draw no bet at 7/5.

Things are going from bad to worse for Eliteserien giants Rosenborg as their whole team seems to be literally capitulating. They were thoroughly dominated in their last Eliteserien game at newly-promoted Fredrikstad and were deservedly beaten 2-0. Rosenborg aren’t playing well as unit, morale is low, faith in the manager (from both the players and the fans) is minimal, and now they’re not even scoring goals. Any Norwegian will tell you that Rosenborg have won the title over the past few years in Norwegian football because they have a winning mentality and because they take their chances in front of goal. I think it’s fair to say that Rosenborg generally don’t play the best football in the country or play the most entertaining football but they are notorious for being efficient, which is something that they’ve seemingly lost with their manager change. Rosenborg look a shadow of their former selves as they flounder to replace the likes of Annan and Demidov and I genuinely don’t know how they’re going to emerge from this stupor.

Valerenga Oslo aren’t light years ahead of Rosenborg currently after a bright start had been followed up by a bit of a slump. Nonetheless, they’re playing much more like a team than Rosenborg are currently and that makes a big difference here, in my eyes. Shelton is fit again – well, as fit as he can be! – and Valerenga have a good mixture of experience and youth in their team, which should prove instrumental in any success they have domestically in the forthcoming season. They’ve looked solid at the back, importantly, and had they been more lethal in front of goal then I think they’d have won more games than they have so far this season. Nonetheless, their youngsters are learning quickly as they need to in order to replace the many goals that ex-striker Abdellaoue provided last season. Valerenga work very hard and defend solidly, which should cause problems for a disorganised and vulnerable Rosenborg side today.

All in all, I think we’ve got a bit of a mismatch in organisation and determination here. There’s not much between the two sides from a quality perspective, if indeed anything. However, Valerenga are a much stronger unit than Rosenborg are right now and for that reason, I think the away win with draw no bet cover at 6/5 is a good value bet today.

Verdict: Valerenga Oslo to win with draw no bet at 7/5.

Syrianska Sodertalje vs AIK Solna - away win at 5/4.

I don’t like backing AIK Solna at all so I’ve surprised myself by picking this one today!

However, this bet is based on two things; the poor displays of Syrianska and the gelling of the Bangura twosome in attack for AIK. Syrianska have been weak in almost all of their games thus far and have duly suffered three defeats in four Allsvenskan games, drawing the other encounter, whilst conceding eight times along the way. If Syrianska keep up this form, they’ll find that their Superettan place will still be warm when they retain it next season! I’m sure they’ll turn it around at somepoint but I just don’t think it’ll be today. AIK are a pretty desolate side to watch most of the time but the two Banguras in attack are making waves in the Allsvenskan this season and are proving hard to handle for most of the centre-backs that they’ve faced. They cause Elfsborg Boras problems in Boras and were instrumental in AIK’s recent victory over IFK Goteborg. I can honestly say that I don’t think AIK are a particularly good side nowadays; they have some talented individuals but nothing major. However, the fact that they have a cohesive and dangerous strike duo is a massive advantage in this league because most sides in this division have strong midfields and average attacks; AIK have an average midfield and a strong attack, which is a bit harder to handle, in my view. In most leagues, it’d be the other way around as sides like to play passing games but Allsvenskan sides tend to prefer their long balls and the two Banguras seem to like playing within those tactics too. Therefore, I’m going to take a chance on a narrow away win for in-form AIK today at decent odds of 5/4, especially with Syrianska seemingly quite keen on conceding goals in every game they play in!

Verdict: AIK Solna to win at 5/4.

Accumulator fodder:

Viktoria Plzen.

Recommended bets:

Viktoria Plzen and Valerenga Oslo DNB at 2/1.

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

Argentinian Primera Division:

Atletico Lanus vs Olimpo (6) 1-0

Austrian Liga 1:

Admira Wacker vs SCR Altach (4)

Belgian Eerste Klasse:

Club Brugge vs Standard de Liege (6) 2-1

Bulgarian A PFG:

Montana vs CSKA Sofia (7) 0-1
Minior Pernik vs Pirin Blagoevgrad (6) 1-1
Slavia Sofia vs Chernomorets Burgas (6) 1-0
Sliven vs Cherno More Varna (6) 1-1
Kaliakra vs Lokomotiv Plovdiv (5) 1-2

Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:

Viktoria Plzen vs Slavia Prague (8) over 2.5 goals

Danish Superligaen:

SonderjyskE vs OB Odense (6) 1-0
FC Copenhagen vs Silkeborg (7) 2-0
AC Horsens vs Lyngby (6) 1-0
Randers vs Brondby (7) 1-1

Danish 1st Division:

Hvidovre vs Hobro (5)
Roskilde vs HB Koge (7)
Vestjaelland vs Vejle (6)
AB Copenhagen vs AGF Aarhus (6)
Hjorring vs Skive (5)
Kolding vs Bronshoj (6)
Fredericia vs Fyn (5)
Viborg vs Naestved (4)

English Premier League:

Blackburn Rovers vs Manchester City (5) 1-2

English Championship:

Queens Park Rangers vs Hull City (7)
Crystal Palace vs Leeds United (5)
Preston North End vs Cardiff City (4) over 2.5 goals, both sides to score
Swansea City vs Ipswich Town (6)
Burnley vs Portsmouth (5)
Leicester City vs Watford (6)
Middlesbrough vs Coventry City (4)
Barnsley vs Doncaster Rovers (5)
Bristol City vs Nottingham Forest (5)
Scunthorpe United vs Millwall (5)
Reading vs Sheffield United (7)
Norwich City vs Derby County (7)

English League One:

Colchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion (5)
Huddersfield Town vs Dagenham & Redbridge (7)
Peterborough United vs Yeovil Town (7)
Bournemouth vs Bristol Rovers (4)
Southampton vs Hartlepool United (7)
Sheffield Wednesday vs Swindon Town (7)
Plymouth Argyle vs Milton Keynes Dons (4)
Notts County vs Brentford (5)
Oldham Athletic vs Walsall (6)
Tranmere Rovers vs Exeter City (5)
Carlisle United vs Leyton Orient (6)
Charlton Athletic vs Rochdale (4)

English League Two:

Stockport County vs Northampton Town (5)
Morecambe vs Hereford United (6)
Burton Albion vs Torquay United (5)
Macclesfield Town vs Southend United (5)
Lincoln City vs Cheltenham Town (7)
Bradford City vs Aldershot Town (5)
Chesterfield vs Bury (5)
Stevenage vs Port Vale (6)
Barnet vs Oxford United (6)
Rotherham United vs Gillingham (4)
Wycombe Wanderers vs Crewe Alexandra (6)
Shrewsbury Town vs Accrington Stanley (6)

Faroese Meistaradeildin:

07 Vestur Sorvagur vs KI Klaksvik (6) 0-1
B36 Torshavn vs IF Fuglafjordur (6) 1-1
B68 Toftir vs HB Torshavn (7) 0-1
B71 Sandur vs Vikingur Gotu (5) 2-2
EB/Streymur vs NSI Runavik (7) 2-1

French Ligue 2:

Dijon FCO vs AC Ajaccio (6)

German Bundesliga 2:

MSV Duisburg vs Hertha HSC Berlin (5)

Norwegian Eliteserien:

Lillestrom vs Haugesund (6) 2-1
Tromso vs Odd Greland Skien (7) 2-1
Aalesund vs Sogndal (6) 1-0
Brann Bergen vs Molde FK (5) 2-2
Sarpsborg 08 vs Start Kristiansand (6) 2-2
Viking Stavanger vs Stromsgodset (6) over 2.5 goals
Stabaek vs Fredrikstad (7) 2-0
Rosenborg BK vs Valerenga Oslo (6) 1-2

Norwegian Division 1:

Bodo Glimt vs Hamarkameratene (6)
Alta vs Randaberg (7)
Bryne vs Asker (7)
Honefoss vs Lov-Ham Bergen (6)
Kongsvinger vs Hodd (4)
Mjondalen vs Sandefjord (6)
Nybergsund vs Sandnes Ulf (5)
Strommen vs Ranheim (4)

Romanian Liga:

Steaua Bucharest vs Dinamo Bucharest (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game

Russian Premier League:

Dinamo Moscow vs Anzhi Makhachkala (4) 0-1

Scottish Premier League:

Hamilton Academicals vs Aberdeen (5) 1-1
St.Johnstone vs Inverness Caledonian Thistle (6) 2-1

Singaporean S-League:

Tanjong Pagar vs Hougang United (6) 0-1

Spanish Primera Liga:

Real Zaragoza vs Almeria (7) 2-1

Swedish Allsvenskan:

Syrianska Sodertalje vs AIK Solna (5) 0-1
IFK Goteborg vs Kalmar (6) 1-0
Orebro vs Helsingborg (6) 1-1

Swedish Superettan:

Vasteras vs Angelholm (5)
Brommapojkarna vs Falkenberg (6)
Ljungskile vs Hammarby (4)
Brage vs Varnamo (5)
Qviding vs Jonkopings Sodra (6)
Landskrona BoIS vs GIF Sundsvall (6)

Swiss Super League:

Thun vs Grasshopper Zurich (6) 1-1

Swiss Challenge League:

FC Schaffhausen vs Wil (5)

Turkish Super Lig:

Konyaspor vs Besiktas JK (6) 0-1

Welsh Premier League:

Port Talbot Town vs Prestatyn Town (6) 1-1
Neath Athletic vs Bangor City (5) 1-1
The New Saints vs Llanelli (7) 2-0

Enjoy your free betting tips!

CSKA Sofia vs AS Roma

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Today’s featured game is the UEFA Europa League encounter between CSKA Sofia and AS Roma. Hosts CSKA Sofia are already out of the competition having claimed just one point from a possible fifteen and have nothing to play for here. Visitors AS Roma know that a win will see them avoid some of the harder sides in this competition’s next round so they’ll at least have some motivation for the game

Hosts CSKA Sofia have endured a torrid time in this competition so far with four defeats in five games, drawing the other encounter. In some respects, they’ve been unlucky in this tournament as they have played some good football at times. They were particularly unlucky on their trip to London to face Fulham in their last match where they deserved at least a draw. However, if you don’t score goals then you don’t get results and the mere fact that the Bulgarian hosts have scored just twice in this competition so far speaks volumes as to why they’re already out of it. I expect CSKA Sofia to try hard in this game in their typical mental approach but they don’t have the additional motivation that they need to get a result here and they’re facing very good opponents so it looks unlikely that they’ll take anything from this game.

Visitors AS Roma are a side I generally don’t like to bet on because they concede goals far too easily in my opinion. However, they’ve done well in this competition and have only been beaten once, a run which now sees them top the group by a point. AS Roma have already secured their place in the latter stages of this competition but a win for Fulham or Basel in the other game could bring a second-place finish for AS Roma, which they will want to avoid. Their domestic form has been solid lately as they’ve won three out of four games, avoiding defeat in all of them and conceding just two goals along the way. AS Roma are beginning to return to the kind of form that we know they’re capable of and that kind of performance is what they’ll need to take three points from this game tonight.

CSKA Sofia knock the ball around nicely but have no final product more often than not. They’ll get some chances against AS Roma, I have no doubt, but AS Roma’s momentum and clinical displays of late have convinced me that they’ll have more than enough in their arsenal to win this game tonight.

Verdict: AS Roma to win at 5/6.

Wednesday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Hertha BSC Berlin vs Sporting Clube de Lisboa – home win at 5/6.

Hosts Hertha BSC Berlin are making a stealthy return to some decent football again! It’s happened mostly at home although a win at Ventspils in Latvia did much to boost their morale. Domestically, Hertha have scored three in their last two home games, losing to Eintracht Frankfurt but drawing with league leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen against all odds. They’ve been looking very spirited and are scoring goals at home so I do harbour some hope that they’ll make a late show here. A win tonight guarantees them a place in the latter stages of this competition although a draw should suffice too. Nonetheless, Hertha will be motivated for this game and they finally have some momentum to clutch onto as they enter this game so it’ll be interesting to see how much that’s boosted them.

Visitors Sporting Clube de Lisboa are going from bad to worse as they continue to fail to score goals. Having already qualified for the latter stages of this competition as group winners, the Portuguese side are unlikely to be motivated to win this game. Having lost 1-0 at home to lowly Leiria at weekend, Sporting will be low on confidence and are despairingly short of momentum with their only win in recent times coming against bottom club Vitoria Setubal in the Liga Sagres. A side that isn’t playing well, isn’t scoring goals, and is low on confidence is not a side that are likely to cause any problems, in my opinion!

Although Hertha undoubtedly have problems of their own, I believe Sporting’s problems will be more apparent tonight with the visitors having nothing to play for. With the above in mind, you have to feel that Hertha have a very real chance of winning this game.

Verdict: Hertha HSC Berlin to win at 5/6.

Burnley vs Arsenal - away win with a -1.75 handicap at 5/4.

Hosts Burnley have fought bravely at home this season and claimed some historic results on a run that has seen them only lose one home game, winning five in eight. They’re not a particularly good side – they simply work hard and take their chances when they come. They’ve got a good manager in Owen Coyle and I honestly believe that without him they’d have already been condemned to relegation, although not in the pedantic mathematical sense of course! The fact is, however, that Burnley are now without a win in five games and their thin squad is starting to look very stretched indeed. The Premier League season is a long one and there’s only so far that hard-work can take you without the quality and strength in depth to match it. Burnley have averaged conceding over two goals per game in their last five matches and will most likely continue that unfortunate record against a very potent and talented Arsenal tonight.

Visitors Arsenal enter this game on the back of an impressive and morale-boosting 2-1 win at Anfield against Liverpool at weekend. They’ve now won two Premier League games in a row and look set for an early exit from a run of bad form that normally spans a longer period of time in comparison to Arsenal’s usual stint! They’ve beaten a very tough Stoke City very convincingly prior to the Liverpool game so their missing attackers are not as missed as I first feared. They’ve been playing some truly scintillating football lately as we all know that they can. My only concern is that they tend not to perform too well in the North-West but a win at Liverpool at weekend should have done enough to quell those cries. The fact is that Arsenal are twice the side that Burnley is and I feel the hosts are going to take something of a beating here.

I’ve got a really heavy scoreline in mind for this game tonight because Burnley can’t maintain their tremendous home form all season but Arsenal can maintain their footballing quality for a good majority of the season at least. Burnley will work hard but few managers surpass Arsene Wenger in spotting weaknesses in their opponents and exploiting them so I genuinely feel we could see a very one-sided result tonight.

Verdict: Arsenal to win with a -1.75 goal handicap at 5/4.

Le Mans vs Grenoble Foot – home win at 21/20.

Hosts Le Mans have had a poor season thus far and need whatever points they can get as they desperately attempt to flee the relegation zone. Just one defeat in their last three games and a win last match against high-flying Valenciennes will have done much to inspire the hosts and grant them momentum. They’ve only been beaten twice at home in eight games this season but have won three times so they’re quite a solid side at home, generally. The reason they’re doing so badly is because they’ve lost every away game in Ligue 1 that they’ve played this season but they’re deceptively a decent side. They’ve scored four goals in their last three games so I thoroughly expect them to score tonight against poor travellers Grenoble Foot.

Grenoble Foot are still rooted to the bottom of Ligue 1 after a horrendous campaign which has seen them virtually condemned to life in Ligue 2 next season already! They’ve lost six out of eight away games this season, drawing twice, and scoring a meager three goals on the road all season. Their form of late had been good prior to a defeat against Sochaux last match but I fear that result may have knocked the wind of their sails. It’s not difficult to knock a side with little ability that are relying heavily upon momentum and I suspect that’s what is going to occur tonight. Grenoble Foot really struggle to play football away from home and although they don’t concede as many away from home as you may think, they do concede goals nonetheless and don’t score enough to counter them.

This should be a really tight game between these two sides but I genuinely feel that Le Mans are a better side than Grenoble Foot by more than the statistics reveal. They’re a very capable side at home and they almost always score at home. Grenoble Foot’s poor away form plays a big part in my bet tonight but I think there’s enough in favour of the hosts to see them secure three points in this game.

Verdict: Le Mans to win at 21/20.

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

UEFA Europa League:

Hertha BSC Berlin vs Sporting Clube de Lisboa (6) 1-0
Heerenveen vs FK Ventspils (6) 1-0
CSKA Sofia vs AS Roma (8) 1-2
Basel vs Fulham (5) 0-1
Panathinaikos vs Dinamo Bucharest (7) 2-0
Sturm Graz vs Galatasaray (6) 1-1
Club Brugge vs Toulouse (7) 1-1
Partizan Belgrade vs Shakhtar Donetsk (7) 1-2
Sparta Prague vs FC Copenhagen (6) 2-1
CFR Cluj vs PSV Eindhoven (7) 0-1
CD Nacional vs Austria Vienna (5) 1-1
Athletic Club de Bilbao vs Werder Bremen (6) 1-1

FIFA World Club Cup:

TP Mazembe vs Auckland City (6) 2-1
Atlante vs Barcelona (8) 1-3

Australian A-League:

Brisbane Roar vs North Queensland Fury (5) 1-1

Colombian Futbol Profesional:

Atletico Huila vs Independiente Medellin (6) 1-1

English Premier League:

Burnley vs Arsenal (8) -1.75 handicap
Chelsea vs Portsmouth (9) 2-0
Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City (6) 2-2
Liverpool vs Wigan Athletic (4) 1-1

French Ligue 1:

Le Mans vs Grenoble Foot (7) 1-0
Lorient vs Olympique de Marseille (4) 1-1
Olympique Lyonnais vs Boulogne (6) 2-1
AS Monaco vs Stade Rennais (6) 1-2
Montpellier HSC vs Girondins de Bordeaux (5) 1-1
AS Nancy-Lorraine vs OGC Nice (5) 1-0
Paris Saint-Germain vs Racing Club Lens (8) 2-0

Spanish Segunda B:

Barakaldo vs Guijuelo (6)

Enjoy your free betting tips!