Stromsgodset vs Viking Stavanger

Today’s featured game is the Tippeligaen match in Drammen between Stromsgodset and Viking Stavanger. The hosts are battling against relegation although if we cast reality unto the wind, they’re virtually assured Tippeligaen football next season. Nonetheless, they’ll want three points today to make sure of it and what better side to face than an out-of-form Viking Stavanger side that has no motivation for this game? There aren’t many sides I’d personally prefer at the present time if I were a Stromsgodset fan, that’s for sure! The hosts bear a remarkable home record in that the only three sides to have won more home games than they have are the current top three sides in the Tippeligaen – Rosenborg BK, Molde, and Stabaek. I suppose it’s a clear indication of how close Stromsgodset deceptively are to being a real force in this division – well, if they could address their away form issues, that is! Years of dogfight experience gives Stromsgodset a real helping hand here and their home advantage is intimidating for away sides, particularly if the away side isn’t playing well or is entering the game without a great deal of motivation. Eight wins from fourteen games and an average of nearly two goals per home game are the fundamental reasons behind Stromsgodset’s continuous present in the Tippeligaen. Visitors Viking Stavanger are rapidly obtaining a reputation for being one of the biggest under-achievers in this division despite boasting one of the best Tippeligaen squads, in my opinion. They’re currently mid-table with no hope of achieving European football next year or of being relegated and their recent performances have shown that. Viking Stavanger have effectively been lax with their displays; disinterested, if you will. Draws at home to Aalesunds and Sandefjord Fotball are perfect examples to my point. Viking Stavanger simply want this season to be over; Stromsgodset want to ensure they’ll be here to play against them next year. Therefore, the home win at 11/10 looks something of a bargain here today.

Sunday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Stromsgodset vs Viking Stavanger – home win at 11/10 – see introduction for full details.

River Plate vs Boca Juniors – away win at 7/5. This game is arguably one of the biggest derbies in the world. Buenos Aires will be covered with the red-and-white of River Plate and the blue-and-yellow of Boca Juniors ahead of tonight’s clash. To say that tensions will be running high both in the stadium and outside of the stadium is something of an understatement. I expect cards galore in this game but the one thing that is unusually missing from this game is importance. These two sides are used to being the biggest and best sides in Argentina but neither has indicated that at all in this campaign or the last. River Plate have one just once in nine games so far in their current campaign, which simply isn’t good enough on any level for a club of such gigantic size. They’ve lost three of their last five games and have drawn the other two games. Visitors Boca Juniors started their campaign in a similar poor fashion to River Plate but have picked it up lately, as their recent form of three straight wins all too clearly indicates. With the additional confidence of having won this exact fixture last year, you have to feel that Boca Juniors really have the edge entering this game and have a touch more class so the away win at 7/5 does look rather inviting tonight. That said, derbies of this kind are certainly only worthy of low stakes at best given the relatively unpredictable nature of them, particularly in South America, so do approach with caution. 

Mechelen vs Anderlecht – away win at evens. Aside from their fortuitous victory over the 10 men of Anderlecht in this fixture last year, Mechelen have never beaten Anderlecht in a league game in over fourteen years! The records show something like thirteen games and twelve wins for Anderlecht. Any fool knows that Anderlecht boasts the better squad but do they have the momentum to do it tonight? In my opinion – yes. They’ve won three of their last four games and although their away form hasn’t been greatly convincing so far this season, Anderlecht simply have too much quality for Mechelen and will be looking to put some points between themselves and Standard de Liege, who drew yesterday. Hosts Mechelen have enjoyed a good start to this campaign with seven wins from eleven games. They’ve actually won four from their last five games, too. Have they proven themselves against the big guns, though? They’ve lost to Standard de Liege and AA Gent already this season, although they did manage to overcome current league leaders Club Brugge at the start of this season. However, what I notice about their fixtures played so far are that the majority of them are very “winnable” games for a side in form. Today is a really big test for them and it’ll be interesting to see if they can handle the attacking prowess of Anderlecht. For me, the away win at evens bears great value but feel free to make up your own minds, as ever!

Internacional vs Gremio – home win at 17/20. Let’s play a game here – how many derbies can we play in the Brazilian Serie A on the same day just to really piss everyone off? Answer: three games out of seven! Are the Brazilian FA suicidal?! All of these games are going to have riots with the biggest riot no doubt being at this game between Internacional and Gremio! These two rivals have a mass dislike for each other (shock!) but the main difference here tonight is that Internacional have a very real chance of claiming the Serie A title this year. They’re currently five points behind out-of-form league leaders Palmeiras but have a game in hand. Wheras Internacional’s form of late has been far from perfect, they’re a very good home side (nine wins from fifteen games) and have beaten Gremio the last three times they’ve been here in any competition. Visitors Gremio are also struggling a little for form but have seen their title aspirations all but crushed as a large ten point gap has opened up between themselves and first place Palmeiras with just eight games remaining. Gremio will naturally now fall back to their second aspiration of the season; stopping Internacional winning anything. The desire of both sides to win this game will be strong for varying reasons but hosts Internacional are very good at home, as they’ve proven already this season, and they’re also very good against Gremio in general. Given that Gremio’s away form indicates just one win in fifteen games and a staggering ten defeats, you have to feel that this bloody encounter will end with a home win at 17/20.

Sportist Svoge vs Levski Sofia – home win at 11/2 or lay Levski Sofia at 17/10. If you read my preview midweek for Salzburg vs Levski Sofia then you’ll know where I’m heading with this call. If you didn’t, then go and do so now, lazy fucker! Effectively, Levski Sofia have massive issues on and off the field and have sold numerous big players so their squad is not only demoralised and thin on the ground but also lack cohesion together, something their results have indicated all too well of late. Levski Sofia are suffering against any opponent so I’m sticking my neck out to say that Sportist Svoge will be able to trouble them too, much as fellow promoted side Beroe have already done in the A PFG. For me, the home win at 11/2 or even laying Levski Sofia at 17/10 bears tremendous value today as their problems simply cannot be solved overnight.

Once Caldas Manizales vs Boyaca Chico – home win at evens. Despite an impressive campaign last time out, Boyaca Chico have really struggled for form in this campaign and it’s only as it draws towards a close that they’re making any kind of attempt to move up the table. That said, a poor away record indicating one win, two draws, and four defeats from seven games is a good marker as to why Boyaca Chico are where they are. Once Caldas Manizales are a simply side to Boyaca Chico in this respect, although their home form is better and their away form is poorer – in fact, they’ve lost all of their away games in this campaign, the worst record in the entire league. However, Once Caldas Manizales are a force at home – and they have to be – as is indicated by the fact that only five sides have won more home games than they have. Both sides are struggling for consistency but all of the above information points to a home win here at evens.

Olympique de Marseille vs Paris Saint-Germain – home win at 3/4. This game was very nearly called off due to an illness, allegedly, which certainly would have been a talking point! However, the game is set to go ahead and the big news regarding this game is that Paris Saint-Germain are missing Hoarau, Giuly, and Sakho. What does this mean? It means that any hope Paris Saint-Germain had of obtaining a point, or even three points, from this game have now vanished because their squad isn’t good enough to cope with these losses. Despite poor domestic form of late, Olympique de Marseille will have gained some momentum from their arduous but aesthetically pleasing victory away to FC Zurich of Switzerland mid-week in the UEFA Champions League. Olympique de Marseille already have a better squad than Paris Saint-Germain without their visitors missing key players but they also boast the home advantage too. Personally, I can only recommend taking the home win at 3/4 here before the odds inevitably drop.

Aris Salonika vs AEK Athens – home win at 6/4. This is quite a risky call but I rate Aris Salonika enough to believe they can win this game and feel that AEK Athens have enough problems at the moment to enable them to lose it, basically. AEK Athens have lost three out of their last four domestic games and also return from a difficult and ultimately disappointing trip mid-week to Belarus as they lost 2-1 to BATE Borisov in the UEFA Europa League match. AEK Athens’ season just seems to get worse and worse at each possible opportunity with issues behind the scenes that are clearly affecting the players enough to earn them a red card or two in the majority of the games that they’ve played lately. The problem with AEK Athens is that they don’t have the “big name” players to pull them through difficult times like these. They have a finely balanced squad that is easily disrupted but very difficult to repair. For me, we’re starting to witness something of a crisis at AEK Athens and I think this tricky tie with Aris Salonika today could pile further misery upon them. To further my point, Aris Salonika have played three home games so far in the Super League, winning all three games without even conceding a goal. Aris Salonika had no game mid-week so they’re fresh and ready for this game and can no doubt smell the blood on AEK Athens, as indeed most sides currently can. Lastly, AEK Athens have managed to beat Aris Salonika in their last two meetings and haven’t won here on their last two trips. Therefore, the home win at 6/4 looks to have significant value on it today.

Atalanta Bergamo vs Parma – home win at 11/10. After an impressive away win against Udinese last match, the gritty Atalanta Bergamo look back in business as they host Parma today. Atalanta Bergamo are now unbeaten in four games and are beginning to appreciate their quality and compliment it with confidence and momentum, which is always a dangerous combination – well, for opposing sides, at least! Visitors Parma have made a good start to their Serie A campaign with four wins in eight games, losing just twice along the way. However, Parma have won just one game in their last three and tend to struggle on the road. Bergamo is a tough place for any side lacking in quality and work-rate and Parma are unfortunately missing the former of those two points. This should be a close game between two sides but Atalanta Bergamo’s experience in grinding out results should give them the advantage here as well as the momentum they’ve gained from beating rivals Udinese last match. For me, the home win at 11/10 has some value in it today if everything goes according to plan!

Kawasaki Frontale vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima – home win at 4/5. Hosts Kawasaki Frontale know that a win today will see them leapfrog league leaders Kashima Antlers into first place, something that could prove crucial as there’s just four games remaining after this one in the J-League. The hosts take an impressive three-game winning streak into this match, which obviously grants them tremendous momentum. That coupled with the fact that Kawasaki Frontale have won nine from fourteen home games so far this season makes me think that the hosts are set for another win here today, particularly as they appear to be thriving on the pressure whilst title rivals Kashima Antlers are seemingly buckling under the pressure. Visitors Sanfrecce Hiroshima have had a good campaign but I don’t think they’re good enough to match Kawasaki Frontale and their recent form certainly isn’t as they’ve not won any of their last four games, drawing three times and losing once. Their main strength is being hard to beat but the above suggests that Kawasaki Frontale have more than enough to win this game. For me, the home win at 4/5 bears significant value today.

AZ Alkmaar vs AFC Ajax Amsterdam – away win at 11/8. Despite a fortunate last-minute equaliser against Arsenal mid-week in the UEFA Champions League, I think it’s fair to say that AZ Alkmaar are heavily under-performing. Four defeats in their last five games leaves the reigning champions looking more like a side destined for relegation rather than a title challenge! Unfortunately for AZ Alkmaar, they’re today facing a side that almost always competes for the Eredivisie title – experience has taught them to do that regardless of what players are available to them. Four wins from their last five games leaves AFC Ajax Amsterdam looking their usual potent selves, particularly as they’re actually averaging scoring over three goals per game currently. Ultimately, I think today we’re going to witness the reigning champions get taught a lesson in football by a side that has been a real champion many times – AFC Ajax Amsterdam. The visitors should dish out a lesson in quality and consistency today as the above supports so the away win at 11/8 looks like a good bet today.

Fredrikstad vs Molde – home win at 5/4. Although it’s realistic to consider Fredrikstad virtually assured of relegation, there’s also the additional “what if?” factor that football likes to throw up on occasion so Fredrikstad will be keen to obtain the three points they need to stay in the Tippeligaen for next year’s campaign. They’ve won their last three games in a row, leaving them a daunting opponent for any away side. Poor Molde couldn’t be worse placed for this game as they’ve lost three of their last four games, including their last two away games in a row. Aside from that, whatever happens in this game really doesn’t affect Molde as second place has now been officially confirmed as their own. Therefore, a demoralised Molde side lacking in motivation look susceptible to defeat against a highly-motivated and confident Fredrikstad today at 5/4.

Lechia Gdansk vs Lech Poznan – away win at evens. Although suffering injuries on the striker front, Lech Poznan still managed to overcome Wisla Krakow in their last match by a sole goal from hot prospect Robert Lewandowski. The win will have done their confidence a world of good after a shaky run of games that saw them claim just one win in three games. Lech Poznan may still have striker issues as Rengifo and Chrapek are both ruled out of this game but today they’re facing much easier opponents – Lechia Gdansk. The hosts have had a massively impressive Ekstraklasa campaign so far but they’re drastically punching above their weight, something that I feel is gradually becoming exposed as they’ve won just one game in their last five, losing three along the way. Lechia Gdansk have injury problems in defence with Kawa, Kozans, Cvirik, and Mysona missing. For a side that suffers a lot defensively when they are at full-strength, this is a hefty blow and one that plays right into the hands of Lech Poznan. The biggest loss of the afore-mentioned is Cvirik, who tends to keep the Lechia Gdansk defence as organised as can be expected. Without him, I fully expect Lechia Gdansk to have issues today with defending. Although I expect a close and somewhat gritty game here, there surely has to be value in the away win at evens in light of the above information!

Maritimo vs Pacos de Ferreira – home win at 4/5. In my eyes, this is something of a no-brainer. Maritimo are simply too good for Pacos de Ferreira. Neither side has made an impressive start to their respective campaigns but the hosts finally won their second game in the Liga Sagres lately against Academica de Coimbra, a result that will have gifted the hosts some good momentum ahead of this game. Neither side are playing their best football at the moment but Maritimo at least have an extra gear they can move up to in due course and also possess the momentum to take them there – Pacos de Ferreira currently have neither of those things. Therefore, the home win at 4/5 looks a good call today.

International vs Astra Ploiesti – home win at 11/10. This is a very risky call indeed when you consider that International have lost all of their five home games so far in the Romanian Liga. However, their away form is stunning; they’ve won four out of five away games so far, a record matched only by giants Steaua Bucharest! You have to feel that the hosts can surely utilise their impressive away form at home somepoint and I can’t see a better opportunity than today as they hosted a fellow promoted side – Astra Ploiesti. The visitors have lost three and drawn two of their five away games so you sense that something has to give between these two sides today! International have got the ability and form to start winning games at home, something their away form shows all too clearly, so I think the home win at 11/10 could prove to be good value today.

CFR Cluj vs FC Poli Timisoara – home win at 11/10. This was definitely a close contender for my featured game today! I had to do a double-take when I saw that the home win for CFR Cluj against FC Poli Timisoara was at 11/10! I almost laughed out loud, I can tell you! Why on earth are they so high? CFR Cluj are twice as good as FC Poli Timisoara – fact! They’ve beaten FC Poli Timisoara at home in the league for two out of their last three seasons in the Romanian Liga, drawing the other encounter. The visitors may be unbeaten in the Romanian Liga this season but it’s only a matter of time before that record is shattered. Have FC Poli Timisoara really been tested yet, though? True, they gained a respectable 0-0 draw at Unirea Urziceni but they were well out of form at the time. FC Poli Timisoara claimed a slender victory over Rapid Bucharest but Rapid Bucharest entered that game on the back of another defeat, thus a loss in morale. Today FC Poli Timisoara take on a very dangerous CFR Cluj that will have been riled from their defeat away to Sparta Prague mid-week. It’s not for no reason that CFR Cluj have won four out of five games at home this season, drawing the other, with just two goals conceded. CFR Cluj are a much better side and I can only urge you all to back the home win at 11/10 before the odds inevitably drop!

Real Valladolid vs Deportivo La Coruna – away win at 17/10. These odds surprise me somewhat, too. Deportivo La Coruna aren’t a very good away side – facts from past seasons indicate this all too clearly. However, they’ve looked very good in this campaign with five wins from seven games, winning their last four games consecutively. Having already claimed two wins away from home this season, Deportivo La Coruna are beginning to show that they’re a threat both at the Riazor and away from it. To make matters easier for them, they’re facing lowly Real Valladolid, a side that I really think will be playing Segunda Liga football next season because they don’t have enough quality to stay in the Primera Liga. They’ve lost three of their last four games and are yet to win a home game in three attempts so far this season. To make matters worse, they can barely gain any squad cohesion to ultimately lead to momentum/consistency because they’re often having men dismissed and thus suspended. Real Valladolid have got a lot of problems, to be blunt, and I think Deportivo La Coruna are perfectly placed to take advantage of that at 17/10.

Atletico Gramenet vs Badalona – home win at 5/6. Hosts Atletico Gramenet have won three from four home games so far this season, drawing the other game, thus leaving them unbeaten at home so far. Their form is patchy but they’re always reliable on their own turf when it comes to producing the goods. Visitors Badalona (no – not a childish pun on Barcelona!) have lost three of their four away games, winning just once. Although both sides are barely stringing together two wins in a row, both are very similar in the sense that they only turn up in their home games. For that reason, the home win at 5/6 looks something of a no-brainer to me today!

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:

Arsenal de Sarandi vs Gimnasia De La Plata (7) 1-1
River Plate vs Boca Juniors (6) 1-2, at least one red card in this game
Tigre vs Argentinos Juniors (7) 0-1
Colon de Santa Fe vs San Lorenzo de Almagro (5) 1-1

Australian A-League:

Wellington Phoenix vs Gold Coast United (7) 1-1
Sydney FC vs Brisbane Roar (7) 2-1

Austrian Bundesliga:

Austria Vienna vs LASK Linz (8) -1.75 handicap
Salzburg vs SV Ried (9) over 2.5 goals
Wiener Neustadt vs Sturm Graz (6) 0-1
Rapid Vienna vs SV Mattersburg (8) -1.75 handicap

Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:

Dinamo Minsk vs Torpedo Zhodino (8) 1-0
BATE Borisov vs MTZ-RIPO Minsk (8) 3-1

Belgian Eerste Klasse:

Roeselare vs Club Brugge (9) 1-2
Mechelen vs Anderlecht (7) 0-1

Belgian Tweede Klasse:

Antwerp vs Turnhout (7)

Brazilian Serie A:

Coritiba vs Atletico Paranaense (5) 2-1
Goias vs Fluminense (4) 1-1
Internacional vs Gremio (7) 1-0, at least one red card in this game
Santos vs Sao Paulo (5) 1-2, at least one red card in this game
Botafogo vs Flamengo (5) 1-1
Corinthians vs Cruzeiro (6) 1-0
Avai vs Sport Recife (7) 2-0

Bulgarian A PFG:

Sportist Svoge vs Levski Sofia (5) 1-0
CSKA Sofia vs Minior Pernik (9) -2.75 handicap

Colombian Futbol Profesional:

Deportivo Pasto vs Real Cartagena (5) 1-1
Once Caldas Manizales vs Boyaca Chico (7) 2-1
Cucuta Deportivo vs Envigado (7) 2-0
Deportes Quindio vs La Equidad Bogota (6) 1-1
Atletico Junior Barranquilla vs America de Cali (8) 3-1
Atletico Nacional de Medellin vs Independiente de Santa Fe Bogota (7) 1-1

Croatian Prva Liga:

Dinamo Zagreb vs Cibalia (8) 2-1

Cypriot Division 1:

APOP/Kinyras vs AEL Limassol (6) 1-2
APEP vs Doxa (6) 1-0
Ermis vs Aris (6) 1-2, draw no bet

Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:

Ceske Budejovice vs Viktoria Plzen (6) 0-0
Bohemians Prague vs Sparta Prague (8) 0-2

Danish Superligaen:

Esbjerg vs SonderjyskE (8) 2-0
Midtylland vs HB Koge (7) 2-0
FC Copenhagen vs Silkeborg (8) 2-1
Aalborg BK vs Brondby (5) 1-1

Danish 1st Division:

Fyn vs Vestjaelland (6)
Viborg vs Kolding (9)
AB Copenhagen vs Vejle (5)
Frem vs Skive (6)
Fredericia vs Roskilde (9)
Lyngby vs Hvidovre (7)
Naestved vs Thisted (7)
AC Horsens vs Braband (7)

Finnish Veikkausliiga/Ykkonen Play-Off:

JJK Jyvaskyla vs KPV Kokkola (7) 2-1

English Premier League:

Bolton Wanderers vs Everton (7) 1-1
Liverpool vs Manchester United (6) 0-1
Manchester City vs Fulham (7) 2-1
West Ham United vs Arsenal (8) 1-2

French Ligue 1:

Auxerre vs LOSC Lille (7) 1-1
Racing Club Lens vs Toulouse (5) 1-0, draw no bet
Olympique de Marseille vs Paris Saint-Germain (7) 2-1, at least one red card in this game

German Bundesliga:

Hertha BSC Berlin vs VFL Wolfsburg (7) 0-2
Schalke 04 vs Hamburger SV (6) 1-1
VFL Bochum vs Werder Bremen (7) 1-2

German Bundesliga 2:

Karlsruher SC vs Rot-Weiss Oberhausen (5)
Alemannia Aachen vs Union Berlin (6)
St.Pauli vs Energie Cottbus (7)

Greek Super League:

Levadiakos vs Iraklis (5) 1-0
Panthrakikos vs Larissa (6) 0-1
Aris Salonika vs AEK Athens (7) 2-1
Panathinaikos vs PAOK Salonika (9) 3-1
Xanthi vs Kavala (6) 0-0

Greek B Ethniki:

Diagoros Rodos vs Rhodos (8)
Ilioupoli vs Anagennisi Karditsas (6)
OFI Crete vs Ethnikos Piraeus (8)
Pierikos Katerini vs Thrasivoulos (5)

Hungarian Soproni Liga:

Fehervar vs Debreceni VSC (6) 1-2

Italian Serie A:

Atalanta Bergamo vs Parma (7) 1-0
Bari vs Lazio (6) 0-0
Cagliari vs Genoa (4) 1-0
Fiorentina vs SSC Napoli (8) 2-1
Palermo vs Udinese (7) 2-1
AS Roma vs Livorno (8) 2-0
Siena vs Juventus (8) 0-2
Chievo Verona vs AC Milan (6) 0-0

Japanese J-League:

Nagoya Grampus vs Jubilo Iwata (6) 2-1
Urawa Red Diamonds vs Omiya Ardija (8) 2-0
Shimizu S-Pulse vs FC Tokyo (6) 1-1
Kawasaki Frontale vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima (8) 2-1

Lithuanian A Lyga:

Kruoja Pakruojis vs Vetra Vilnius (8) 0-2
LKKA Teledema Kaunas vs FK Siauliai (6) 1-2
FK Taurus Taurage vs Banga Gargzdai (5) 1-1
Ekranas Panevezys vs Suduva Marijampole (6) 2-1

Mexican Primera Division:

Pumas UNAM vs Monterrey (4) 1-1
Puebla vs Morelia (6) 1-2
America vs Guadalajara (7) 1-0

Dutch Eredivisie:

FC Twente Enschede vs Groningen (8) 2-1
AZ Alkmaar vs AFC Ajax Amsterdam (7) 1-2
Willem II vs Heerenveen (5) 0-1
NEC Nijmegen vs PSV Eindhoven (8) 0-2

Norwegian Tippeligaen:

Fredrikstad vs Molde (6) 2-1
Stabaek vs Bodo Glimt (8) 3-1
Odd Grenland Skien vs Lyn Oslo (8) -1.75 handicap
Lillestrom vs Brann Bergen (5) 1-1
Tromso vs Start Kristiansand (7) 2-1
Rosenborg BK vs Aalesunds (4) 1-1
Valerenga Oslo vs Sandefjord Fotball (7) 2-0
Stromsgodset vs Viking Stavanger (8) 2-0

Norwegian Adeccoligaen:

Lov Ham Bergen vs Alta (6)
Nybergsund vs Moss (7)
Mjondalen vs Honefoss (7)
Tromsdalen vs Kongsvinger (6)
Skeid Oslo vs Haugesund (9)
Bryne vs Notodden (7)
Sarpsborg vs Hamarkamaratene (7)
Sogndal vs Stavanger (9)

Polish Ekstraklasa:

Odra Wodzislaw vs Cracovia Krakow (6) 0-0
Lechia Gdansk vs Lech Poznan (7) 0-1

Portuguese Liga Sagres:

Maritimo vs Pacos de Ferreira (8) 1-0
Vitoria Setubal vs Leixoes (6) 0-0
Porto vs Academica de Coimbra (9) -1.75 handicap

Portuguese Liga de Honra:

Freamunde vs Feirense (7)
Carregado vs Sporting Covilha (5)

Romanian Liga:

International vs Astra Ploiesti (6) 1-0
Dinamo Bucharest vs Gloria Bistrita (8) 2-0
Steaua Bucharest vs Rapid Bucharest (5) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
CFR Cluj vs FC Poli Timisoara (8) 1-0

Russian Premier League:

Amkar Perm vs Tom Tomsk (7) 2-0
CSKA Moscow vs FK Moscow (8) 2-1
Zenit St Petersburg vs Spartak Nalchik (8) 2-0
Kuban Krasnodor vs Dinamo Moscow (5) 1-0, draw no bet
FK Rostov-na-Donu vs Rubin Kazan (6) 1-2

Russian Division 1:

Alaniya Vladikavkaz vs NoSta Novotroitsk (9)
FK Nizhnyi Novgorod vs Vityaz Podolsk (6)
Metallurg Lipetsk vs FK Krasnodor (7)
Salyut Belgorod vs Cherno Novorosisk (8)
Luch-Energiya Vladivostok vs Anzhi Makhachkala (5)
Energiya Khabarovsk vs Volgar Gazprom Astrakhan (6)
Sibir Novosibirsk vs Volga Nizhyni Novgorod (8) over 2.5 goals
Ural Sverdlovskaya Oblast vs KamAZ Nab Chelny (6)

Scottish Premier League:

Hamilton Academicals vs Celtic (8) 0-1

Serbian Super Liga:

Rad Belgrade vs Partizan Belgrade (7) 1-2

Slovakian Corgon Liga:

Slovan Bratislava vs Spartak Trnava (8) 2-0

Spanish Primera Liga:

Villarreal vs Malaga (5) 1-2, draw no bet
Tenerife vs Deportivo Xerez (8) 2-0
Real Valladolid vs Deportivo La Coruna (7) over 2.5 goals
Getafe vs Athletic Club de Bilbao (5) 1-1
Racing Santander vs Osasuna (6) 0-0
Almeria vs Valencia (6) 1-2
Barcelona vs Real Zaragoza (8) 2-1

Spanish Segunda Liga:

Celta de Vigo vs Rayo Vallecano de Madrid (7)
Numancia vs Salamanca (7)
Elche vs Cartagena (5)
Cadiz vs Real Union Club de Irun (5)

Spanish Segunda B:

Group 1:

Ponferradina vs Osasuna II (7)
Pontevedra vs Sestao River Club (7)
Izarra vs Athletic Club de Bilbao II (5)
Deportivo Alaves vs Eibar (7) at least one red card in this game
Guijuelo vs Compostela (7)
Zamora vs Racing Club de Ferrol (6)
Lemona vs Barakaldo (6)

Group 2:

Atletico Madrid II vs Vecindario (6)
Real Sporting de Gijon II vs Universidad Las Palmas (5)
Cerro Reyes Badajoz vs Real Oviedo (5)
Alcala Henares vs Real Sociedad Gimnastica Torrelavega (7)
Tenerife II vs Lanzarote (6)
Conquense vs Guadalajara (7)
Cacareno vs Toledo (6)
Leganes vs Real Madrid II (7)

Group 3:

Atletico Gramenet vs Badalona (7)
Villajoyosa vs Terrassa (6)
Sant Andreu vs Mallorca II (6)
Espanyol Barcelona II vs Orihuela (6)
Sabadell vs Denia (5)
Logrones vs Gava (6)
Alcoyano vs Benidorm (6)
Alicante vs Valencia II (8)
Ontinyent vs Lleida (8)

Group 4:

Sevilla II vs Melilla (6)
Ceuta vs Moratalla (7)
Sangonera Atletico vs Polideportivo Ejido (7)
Lucena vs Caravaca (7)
Ecije Balompie vs Real Jaen (6)
Aguilas vs Real Murcia II (5)

Swedish Allsvenskan:

Hammarby vs AIK Solna (8) 0-2
Elfsborg Boras vs BK Hacken (8) 2-1
Gefle vs Trelleborgs (5) 1-0

Swiss Super League:

St.Gallen vs FC Zurich (6) 0-1
Sion vs Neuchatel Xamax (7) 1-2
Luzern vs Basel (6) 1-1

Swiss Challenge League:

Biel-Bienne vs Gossau (7)

Turkish Super Lig:

Diyarbakirspor vs Genclerbirligi (7) 0-1
Kasimpasa vs Denizlispor (6) 2-1
Manisaspor vs Antalyaspor (6) 1-1

Ukrainian Premier League:

Zorya Lugansk vs Illichivets Mariupol (6) 2-1
Zakarpattya Uzhhorod vs Shakhtar Donetsk (9) 1-4
Metalist Kharkiv vs Vorskla Poltava (8) under 2.5 goals

Venezuelan Primera Division:

Aragua vs Deportivo Tachira (7) 1-2
Atletico El Vigia vs Deportivo Anzoategui (6) 1-1
Deportivo Lara vs Zulia (7) 2-0
Mineros de Guayana vs Zamora (7) 1-0
Caracas vs Yaracuyanos (9) 2-0
Monagas SC vs Deportivo Italia (5) 1-1
Trujillanos vs Real Esppor Club (8) 2-1
Llaneros de Guanare vs Carabobo (6) 2-0
Centro Italo vs Estudiantes de Merida (5) 0-1

Enjoy your free betting tips!

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!