Tag Archives: Wisla Krakow

Piast Gliwice vs Wisla Krakow

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Today’s featured game is the Polish Ekstraklasa game between Piast Gliwice and Wisla Krakow. Piast Gliwice have had a disappointing campaign and find themselves battling relegtion as a result. Giants Wisla Krakow have had an average campaign with ups and downs but have a good chance of winning the title and are starting to show good form at a key stage of the season so we should see a good game tonight between two sides desperate for points.

Piast Gliwice have only lost five out of twelve at home this season, which isn’t that bad considering their league placing. Their problem lies in not winning enough of those games – they’ve won just three of those games this season, in fact. Few sides score less goals at home than Piast and with just one goal scored in their past four games, it’s hard to see that record getting better. Piast have lost three out of their last four games, two of them in acceptable fashion but the other was a ridiculous defeat at home to bottom club Polonia Warsaw. I rate Polonia as the better side, don’t get me wrong, but losing comfortably at home to a fellow relegation battling side is just unacceptable. If Piast get relegated this season then they can only blame themselves. Piast are in bad shape ahead of this game too, not only through a lack of goals and momentum but also in goal. Bizarrely enough, Piast are missing both first team goalkeepers for this game. They’re missing Rafal Kwapisz due to alcohol-related issues, issues which are supposed to have seen him sacked by now, and they’re also missing Maciej Nalepa through suspension so Piast are relying on an untested 17-year old goalkeeper to keep out one of the most potent sides in the division. You don’t need me to tell you that this isn’t a good combination, particularly with the hosts tonight in such poor form so I really expect Piast to have too many problems to deal with tonight.

Wisla Krakow enter this game on the back of a 0-0 draw at home to title rivals Lech Poznan. However, this is a good and bad result. It’s bad because if they want to affirm themselves as the dominant force in Poland then they need to control the arising Lech Poznan, which they didn’t do. Atypically, this would be a poor result for them but I think the instructions were not to lose as the title is now Wisla’s to lose due to not losing against Lech Poznan. There are five games remaining and Wisla are three points clear so they’ll be happy. They’ve played well lately, particularly tactically, and they’ve not conceded in any of their last three games so they’re looking very composed. I would question their goals tally of late but their momentum is strong and they’re facing a very young goalkeeper tonight, something they should be able to exploit. Wisla have won an unthinkable nine times in twelve away games this season and frankly deserve to win that title for this record alone. They owe a lot of their success to an impressive average of nearly two goals scored per away game so I have to favour them tonight as they’re in-form with two consecutive away wins, even on a difficult pitch against Polonia Warsaw.

I’ll be the first to admit that 4/6 aren’t great odds in general but for this selection I do consider them to be. Given the goal-shy and demoralised displays of Piast plus their goalkeeping issues, they should stand a good chance of losing to anyone tonight, let alone one of the best sides in the league. The worst thing is that Piast can’t simply sit back and defend their inexperienced goalkeeper – they have to attack and try to take points to avoid the drop so he could be terribly exposed against a very good Wisla side. I fancy Wisla to win this one comfortably with their momentum and potency. I’m really surprised they’re not more odds-on than they currently are so I’d have to recommend backing them, maybe even with an impudent -1.75 goal handicap if you feel lady luck is smiling upon you!

Verdict: Wisla Krakow to win at 4/6.

Tuesday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Olympique Lyonnais vs Bayern Munich – over 2.5 goals at evens.

Simple logic – Lyon have to win and Bayern always score away from home. I hope I don’t sound bitter here but Bayern have rode their luck on the road this season, particularly at Old Trafford, but I can only respect the fact that they’ve taken their chances. They’ve scored in every away Champions League game this season, which is considerably better than their goalscoring record at home. Their combative style has led to them scoring fourteen goals in five away games – nearly three per game on average – which is highly impressive and no doubt largely due to the tactically masterful Louis van Gaal. I don’t know how this game will pan out results-wise but I’m sure Bayern will score. The other side of the coin is that I don’t believe Puel is good enough to guide Lyon to victory tonight. He already bottled it whilst playing 10-men Bayern in Munich and went defensive, tactics publically opposed by star striker Lisandro Lopez. Lyon are still some way from the complete unit and I think it’s shown but a little more slyly than people have noticed this season. They were poor at home to Bordeaux in the last round of the Champions League – only Bordeaux bottling the big occasion due to a lack of experience got them the win that ultimately saw them through that night. Despite Lyon’s wide range of offensive weapons, they’re quite a droll side in front of goal against sides that know how to defend so I’m not convinced they’ll win. What I will say regarding that, however, is that they have to score in this game so they have to go for it, thus bringing goals one way or another. All of Bayern’s away games this season in the Champions League have gone over 2.5 goals and two out of Lyon’s last three Champions League home games have gone over 2.5 goals so the bet on over 2.5 goals tonight looks something of a gift.

0-0 anyone?!

Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at evens.

Al Shabab vs Pakhtakor Tashkent – home win at 10/11.

There’s not much in this game but Al Shabab are more experienced in this competition and are good at home as they’ve already demonstrated in this campaign with two wins from two home games. Al Shabab need to win this game to qualify for the latter stages and realistically this competition wouldn’t be the same without them in the next round. Uzbek sides don’t travel too well due to the distance and Pakhtakor won’t be too concerned about seeing that change today as a draw puts them through to the latter stages. They should be concerned, however, as they’ve already lost in Iran against Sepahan in this campaign and claimed an unconvincing victory at Al Ain. Al Shabab are good at home as no defeats in their last six home games in the Champions League indicates all too well with four wins during that run. There’s a bit more of a quality difference between these two than meets the eye and I think the bookies may have underestimated that today.

Pakhtakor have lost five out of their six previous trips to Saudi Arabia in the Champions League and were undone comfortably at home by today’s hosts so I think taking the much-needed home win for Al Shabab at slightly generous odds of 10/11 looks a good bet today.

Verdict: Al Shabab to win at 10/11.

Grenoble Foot vs Paris Saint-Germain – away win at 11/10.

First of all – approach with low stakes. Neither side has anything to play for which makes it a dangerous game to bet on, in my experience. However, I simply can’t overlook the fantastic odds PSG have been priced at for this game. Whilst they’re above evens, they’re a decent shout tonight. Why? Grenoble Foot are far and away the worst side in the division. They’ve been relegated from virtually the first day of the season; only mathematics has now confirmed what all Ligue 1 observers knew eons ago. Grenoble have already lost ten games out of seventeen at home this season, a record worthy of relegating a side, in my opinion. They average conceding over 1.5 goals per home game and just about manage to score in each game on average. However, they’ve taken relegation badly (for some reason!) and have now lost four out of their last five games, conceding a hefty twelve goals during that run so they’re looking a little suspect tonight as you’d expect from a demoralised and talentless side. They are starting to score more goals to their credit but that’s happened a little too late, really!

PSG aren’t good on the road as just three away wins this season proves very well indeed. However, denying the fact that they’re twice as good as Grenoble would be futile. Whether the real PSG turns up or not is another matter, however, hence my recommended cuation for this one. However, they’re on a good run and are now unbeaten in seven games in all competitions, a run which is sure to have given them some good momentum. They’re barely conceding goals, which is imperative to their success tonight because they’re not scoring many either. This game has under 2.5 goals written all over it, really, but PSG should have enough to make a difference against a leaky Grenoble defence.

As I mentioned earlier – do approach with caution as these two sides have nothing to play for. However, there’s a fair difference in momentum and actual ability and it’s a difference that shouldn’t be as underestimated as it has been with those odds – I would have thought that the bookies would put PSG at 5/6, in which case I wouldn’t touch them, but whilst they’re over evens they’re worth a punt.

Verdict: Paris Saint-Germain to win at 11/10.

Accumulator fodder:

Suwon Bluewings, Wisla Krakow.

Recommended bets:

Wisla Krakow, Suwon Bluewings, and AS Monaco at 4/1.

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

UEFA Champions League:

Olympique Lyonnais vs Bayern Munich (6) over 2.5 goals

Copa Libertadores:

San Luis vs Estudiantes De La Plata (7) 1-1
Guadalajara vs Velez Sarsfield (6) 0-0

Asian Champions League:

Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Pohang Steelers (6) 0-0
Adelaide United vs Shandong Luneng (7) 1-0
Suwon Bluewings vs Armed Forces (10) -1.75 handicap
Henan Jianye vs Gamba Osaka (7) 1-2
Mes Kerman vs Al Hilal (6) 0-0
Al Sadd vs Al Ahli (5) 2-1
Al Ain vs Sepahan (6) 1-1
Al Shabab vs Pakhtakor Tashkent (6) 1-0

Ecuadorian Primera A:

Emelec Guayaquil vs El Nacional Quito (6) 1-0
Deportivo Cuenca vs Barcelona Guayaquil (6) 0-0

French Ligue 1:

AS Monaco vs Le Mans (7) 1-0
Grenoble Foot vs Paris Saint-Germain (7) 1-2

Polish Ekstraklasa:

Cracovia Krakow vs Odra Wodzislaw (6) 1-1
Polonia Warsaw vs GKS Belchatow (6) 0-0
Piast Gliwice vs Wisla Krakow (7) 1-2
Zaglebie Lubin vs Slask Wroclaw (5) 1-0

Swedish Superettan:

Falkenberg vs Degerfors (7) under 2.5 goals
GIF Sundsvall vs Jonkopings Sodra (6) over 2.5 goals
Trollhattan vs Hammarby (5)

Enjoy your free betting tips!

Brest vs Vannes OC

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Today’s featured games is the Ligue 2 encounter between Brest and Vannes OC. The hosts have been very impressive in Ligue 2 this year and currently find themselves in fourth place in the table. They’ve won three of their last five games and are unbeaten on that particular run. The main reason for their success has been their consistent home form which has seen them yield five wins from seven games, drawing once and losing just once. Brest are looking twice the side that they were last year and look one of the harder sides to beat currently. Vannes OC, by contrast, are not having a good season. They’re currently thirteenth in the Ligue 2 table with one win and four defeats from their last five games, which isn’t good enough. Whereas their away record isn’t exactly the worst in the league, it’s still poor with three defeats, two draws, and one defeat from their six away games played this year. Vannes OC basically are not looking good enough to take anything from this game so I’m going to call a home win at bargain odds of 5/6 for a very much in-form and reliable Brest.

Friday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Brest vs Vannes OC – home win at 5/6 – see introduction for full details.

Universidad de Chile vs Fluminense – home win at 11/10. I don’t know what it is about Chilean sides playing Brazilian sides but they seem to have more success in stopping their Brazilian counterparts playing football much better than any other South American nation does. Perhaps it’s their dogged style of football that really gets to the Brazilians – I’m not sure. This point was illustrated in the first leg of this game as Universidad de Chile drew 2-2 in Brazil against Fluminense. Universidad de Chile are one of the more experienced continental sides in South America, I think it’s fair to say, and stand a great chance of progressing to the Copa Nissan Sudamericana here tonight against a Fluminense side more focal upon avoiding relegation from Serie A. The hosts have a good enough squad to win this game and the home advantage against a potentially distracted Fluminense makes the home win at 11/10 look a good call tonight.

Liga de Quito vs Velez Sarsfeld – home win at evens. Copa Libertadores reigning champions Liga de Quito tonight host Velez Sarsfeld in the Copa Nissan Sudamericana quarter-final game. An impressive 1-1 draw in Argentina in the first leg leaves the Ecuadorians with the edge as the Argentinians vist their lofty fortress in Quito. Many sides have travelled here and failed so it will take a mighty display from Velez Sarsfeld to avoid falling to a similar fate. What convinces me of this outcome is not only that this is a nightmarish away game for any side and that Velez Sarsfeld have to come here and attack to have a chance of success but also that Velez Sarsfeld’s performances of late have been inconsistent at best. For instance – they’ve beaten lowly Godoy Cruz de Mendoza and newly-promoted Atletico Tucuman but have also lost at home to Newell’s Old Boys. When travelling to a good home side like Liga de Quito, you really need to be at your best. Basically, I don’t think Velez Sarsfeld are currently in a position to get a result here so I think the home win at evens for the Ecuadorians looks a good bet tonight.

Sedan-Ardennes vs Metz – away win at 15/8. I can’t quite fathom why these odds are so long! Visitors Metz are not the best travellers in Ligue 2 – far from it. However, they remain one of the best sides in the division, regardless of that point. Aside from that, Metz have really entered their stride lately with four wins from their last five games. If this statistic isn’t impressive enough for you then consider that all of the sides they have beaten/drawn with in those five games either are a very good side or showed that they can be a very good side last season. Metz have lately won away to Chateauroux and drew away to high-flying Nantes whilst beating Guingamp, Laval, and Strasbourg at home. This list of sides is very impressive, in my humble opinion, and a weak Sedan-Ardennes shouldn’t really pose a great threat here tonight, despite having a decent home record. Sedan-Ardennes have lost three of their last five games, including two embarassing defeats to Nimes and Istres. Therefore, to be frank, the away win at 15/8 could turn out to be a real bargain tonight.

Arles vs Le Havre – away win at 13/8. Although currently unbeaten at home in Ligue 2 this year, hosts Arles will face one of their toughest tests yet as they host a very much in-form Le Havre. The visitors have won three of their last five games, losing just once. Their most recent victory was a monday night 4-0 demolition of promotion rivals Nantes, which will have inspired Le Havre greatly. Arles are doing well with keeping sides out but that record simply has to end soon enough because Arles are punching above their weight. Visitors Le Havre certainly have a classier side and look far more capable of winning this game than the hosts do. For me, the away win at 13/8 could prove to be a great bet tonight, particularly as Le Havre have already won three from seven away games this season, losing just once along the way.

Empoli vs Reggina – home win at evens. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I love my Serie B home wins and Empoli are amongst my favourite sides to back for it, too! Although atrocious away from home, Empoli become a very different side when playing on their own turf as five wins from six home games indicates. Some poor form lately has cast a few doubts in my mind over the reliability of Empoli but they’re hosting a Reggina side tonight that have lost four of their last five games and look destined to fail in this division despite having only joined Serie B from Serie A this year. Comparing Empoli’s superb home record with an average of nearly three goals scored per home game to Reggina’s away record of four defeats from six away games, conceding nearly two goals per away game, you have to feel that there’s potentially a great deal of value in the home win at evens!

Groningen vs Heracles Almelo – away win at 9/5. I never thought I’d see the day that I backed Heracles Almelo to win an away game but here we are! Visitors Heracles Almelo are playing some of the best football that they’ve ever played, in my humble opinion, and have well-earned their current Eredivisie placing of sixth. They’ve won four of their last five games but their most impressive feature is the fact that they’ve won four from six away games this year with only FC Twente Enschede having won more away games this year. Heracles Almelo’s strength isn’t goalscoring; it’s keeping sides out. They’ve conceded just one goal away from home in six games this year, which is pretty damn impressive! Although I formerly rated Groningen as the better of these two sides, statistics for this year show otherwise in a big way. The hosts have lost so many home games that only bottom-placed RKC Waalwijk have lost more home games than they have. Groningen have lost four of their six home games this season and scored a feeble two goals. Considering the lax attack of Groningen and the watertight defence of Heracles Almelo makes me think an away win is very likely here, particularly with the sharp contrast in momentum and ability at the moment, particularly as Groningen are without a win in their past four games and have lost their last two consecutively. For me, there’s potentially some serious value in the away win at 9/5.

Lechia Gdansk vs Korona Kielce – home win at evens. Many people have dubbed Lechia Gdansk’s start to this Ekstraklasa campaign as “fortunate”; maybe they’re right. However, fortune has no place in what will surely be a home win against a weak, newly-promoted Korona Kielce as the visitors have now lost four games in a row. Korona Kielce looked to be playing ok but all of a sudden they’ve completely capitulated and the result is a sharp descent down the Ekstraklasa. The visitors have lost four from five away games in the Ekstraklasa this season and Lechia Gdansk are well-placed to take advantage of that fact. The hosts may have a somewhat impassive home record this year but they’re resilient, experienced in the Ekstraklasa dogfight and won their last game to give them momentum as they enter this game. With all of the above in mind, the home win at evens could be a real bargain today.

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

Copa Nissan Sudamericana:

Universidad de Chile vs Fluminense (7) under 2.5 goals
Liga de Quito vs Velez Sarsfeld (7) under 2.5 goals

Argentinian Primera Division:

Argentinos Juniors vs Rosario Central (5) 1-1
Independiente vs Gimnasia De La Plata (7) 2-0

Australian A-League:

Adelaide United vs Brisbane Roar (7) 2-1

Austrian Liga 1:

Austria Vienna II vs Wacker Innsbruck (8)
SCR Altach vs Gratkorn (8)
Hartberg vs Admira Wacker (8)
Lustenau vs Salzburg II (6)
First Vienna vs Dornbirn (5) over 2.5 goals

Belgian Eerste Klasse:

Charleroi vs AA Gent (6) 1-2

Bulgarian A PFG:

Lokomotiv Mezdra vs Montana (7) 1-0

Danish 1st Division:

Viborg vs Skive (8)

English Championship:

Derby County vs Coventry City (4) draw no bet

English FA Cup:

Bristol Rovers vs Southampton (6) 1-1
Notts County vs Bradford City (8) 2-0
Huddersfield Town vs Dagenham & Redbridge (6) 2-1

French Ligue 2:

AC Ajaccio vs Dijon FCO (6)
Angers SCO vs Bastia (6)
Brest vs Vannes OC (8)
Clermont Foot vs Nimes (7)
Sedan-Ardennes vs Metz (6)
Strasbourg vs Istres (6)
Arles vs Le Havre (6)
Stade Malherbe de Caen vs Tours (8)
Chateauroux vs Laval (6)

German Bundesliga:

Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs Eintracht Frankfurt (8) 3-1

German Bundesliga 2:

Kaiserslautern vs Rot-Weiss Oberhausen (7)
St.Pauli vs Fortuna Dusseldorf (7)
Paderborn vs Koblenz (6)

Greek B Ethniki:

Ilioupoli vs Ethnikos Asteras (7)

Hungarian Soproni Liga:

Ujpest vs Fehervar (6) 1-1

Italian Serie B:

Empoli vs Reggina (7)

Dutch Eredivisie:

Groningen vs Heracles Almelo (7) 0-1

Dutch Eerste Divisie:

Cambuur Leeuwarden vs Excelsior (7) over 2.5 goals
AGOVV Appeldoorn vs Volendam (6)
Den Bosch vs Dordrecht ’90 (6)
Eindhoven vs Veendam (7)
Fortuna Sittard vs RBC Roosendaal (7)
Go Ahead Eagles vs Haarlem (8)
Helmond Sport vs Top Oss (6)
MVV Maastricht vs Omniworld (8)
Stormvogels Telstar vs Zwolle (7)

Polish Ekstraklasa:

Odra Wodzislaw vs Zaglebie Lubin (5) 1-1
Lechia Gdansk vs Korona Kielce (8) 1-0
Wisla Krakow vs Legia Warsaw (7) 2-1

Portuguese Liga Sagres:

Belenenses vs Pacos de Ferreira (6) under 2.5 goals

Romanian Liga:

Pandurii Targu Jiu vs Gloria Bistrita (7) 2-0
International vs Universitatea Craiova (8) 1-1

Singaporean S-League:

Sengkang Punggol vs Woodlands (5) 1-1

Turkish Super Lig:

Bursaspor vs Genclerbirligi (8) 2-0

Welsh Premier League:

Aberystwyth Town vs Bala Town (7) 2-1
Airbus vs Connah’s Quay Nomads (6) 1-0
Haverfordwest County vs Neath Athletic (6) 1-1
Prestatyn Town vs Newtown (7) 2-1
The New Saints vs Newi Cefn Druids (8) 2-0

Enjoy your free betting tips!