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UEFA Champions League Final Preview – Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund – (Saturday 25th May – 7.45pm)

After a tremendously exciting, dramatic & action packed journey which saw the Champions League start way back in June 2012, the big moment of truth has arrived with two of european football’s super-heavyweight contenders, Bayern Munich & Borussia Dortmund set to do battle for what looks set to be a truly fascinating all German final & win the Champions League to claim the greatest prize available in club football.

Wembley is truly magnificent venue & stage for this year’s Champions League Final and now it rests between the giants of Bayern Munich & Borussia Dortmund to see which team can best hold their nerve on this magical occasion & produce the necessary quality, team spirit & desire to claim the prize that every team in europe dreams of winning, no matter their previous history or success, the Champions League is the ultimate prize.

For UEFA & indeed the entire footballing world this is a great final profile with many interesting factors to it with the Europan giants Bayern Munich having the opportunity to win the Champions League after failing to do so on home soil last season while Borussia Dortmund have the opportunity to once again upset the odds & get the better of another european giant just as they have done all throughout this seasons competition.

Bayern Munich & Borussia Dortmund both bring their high quality squads into this showpiece event knowing they have the necessary talent & qualities within their squads to achieve their goals & win the Champions League

Equally they both have massive respect for each others squads facing the reality that based on this years results in the Champions League, this is the biggest test either side could face & so ultimately it’s going to be about both teams having to show great character, belief, spirit & of course their incredible, undeniable quality on the night.

I have had a good look at the likely set ups of both teams, their strengths & weaknesses, the likely tactical approaches of both sides & indeed the statistical records of both Bayern Munich & Borussia Dortmund in this years Champions League & based on all of that here are my own honest thoughts on the match & the betting recommendations that I feel offer value & are worth consideration:

Key statistics for Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund (based on results from this years Champions League group stages & knockout stages):

Bayern Munich:

Matches played = 12  – 9 wins, 1 draw & 2 defeats
Goals Scored = 29
Goals conceded = 10
Both teams to score matches = 6
Over 2.5 goals matches = 7
Over 3.5 goals matches = 5
Clean sheets = 5
Matches failed to score in = 1

 

Borussia Dortmund:

Matches played = 12 – 7 wins, 4 draws & 1 defeat
Goals Scored = 23
Goals Conceded = 12
Both teams to score matches = 7
Over 2.5 goals matches = 8
Over 3.5 goals matches = 5
Clean sheets = 3
Matches failed to score in = 2

 

Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund match preview:- At the end of the season, it’s always said that the league tables don’t lie & the teams at the top always deserve to be there, well that’s exactly what can be said about Bayern Munich & Borussia Dortmund place in this fantastic Wembley showpiece as they the German giants chase european club glory after dominating their own country in recent years.

Bayern Munich & Borussia Dortmund have unquestionably produced the finest form & performances seen in the Champions League this season & the wins Bayern Munich enjoyed while destroying Juventus & Barcelona in the Quarter Finals & Semi-Finals without conceding a goal can quite quite rightly be ranked as some of the best performances ever seen & so can the performance that Borussia Dortmund produced in beating Real Madrid 4-1 in the semi-final 1st leg, along with their group stage performances against Real Madrid & Manchester City.

Indeed the performance Bayern Munich produced when absolutely taking Barcelona apart in every department of the pitch with power, skill, energy & sheer quality to beat them 4-0 is the best single performance I’ve seen from any side ever & that performance Borussia Dortmund produced just a day later to beat Real Madrid 4-1 ranks right up there amongst the best ever performances so it just cannot be disputed that this final is between the best two sides in europe this year, the incredibly high levels of quality within both squads cannot be disputed & the only factor that can be disputed is which of the German giants will prevail here at Wembley.

With this being a one off occasion & with having to be decided on the night then it definitely makes it more complicated to work out who might win this & indeed hard to dismiss any of the possible outcomes because given the quality both Bayern Munich & Dortmund have then both are capable of winning it in 90 minutes & it’s also highly possible that this could be a scoring draw given the attacking, fiercely competitive nature of both sides.

Both sides have an overload of top quality in every department, Bayern Munich can boast the brilliance of Robben, Schweinsteiger, Ribery, Lahm, Dante, Muller, Gomez, Neuer, Kroos, Boateng & the more while Dortmund can boast having the likes of Lewandowski, Reus, Goetze, Blaszczykowski, Pizszchek, Gungodan, Sahin & many more.

Both sides are physically strong, very skillful, have pace & technique in abundance, both play with high energy & both are fiercely competitive so this should be a classic match & could well end up being one of the  best Champions League finals seen in recent times.

With Bayern Munich & Borussia Dortmund so closely matched in terms of quality & team strengths I was seriously tempted to go with a scoring draw in this as I do believe that’s entirely possible as I can envisage both teams scoring as it’s going to be very tough for both defences to handle attacking talent each side as, indeed I can’t rule out Borussia Dortmund winning this.

For me though I just can’t escape the way Bayern Munich destroyed Barcelona 4-0, I can’t ignore the way they won all 4 quarter final & semi-final ties without conceding a goal & I just believe BAYERN MUNICH will be too strong, too powerful & too good for Dortmund on the night in what should be a great game & hopefully one full of goals.
Match Betting recommendations:
Outright Match result & Correct Score options:- BAYERN MUNICH to win 2-1/3-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime:- Muller/Robben/Ribery

 

Well hopefully you find those views interesting & useful, as ever I recommend you do as you choose with the advice & endeavour to search around for the best betting terms & conditions before you place your bets.

Previews & Predictions for Premier League matches + League 1 & League 2 Play-Off Finals – weekend 18th & 19th May

It’s the final weekend of what has yet again been another fascinating, enthralling, at times unpredictable & mostly high quality season in the Premier League and here are my views on how I think the final matches might work out.

Obviously caution has to be noted when punting on the Premier League matches as only 2 of the matches, Newcastle United vs Arsenal & Tottenham vs Sunderland mean anything of note but there are still bets to be had & hopefully we can target the right ones.

To go with the finale in the Premier League, there are also the massively important League 1 & League 2 Play-Off Finals as Brentford, Yeovil, Bradford City & Northampton Town are all chasing their dreams of getting promotion and no doubt they will all be trying their hardest to achieve those dreams.

I’ve had a look at all the matches from the Premier League & the League 1 & League 2 Play-Off Finals and here are my views on them with the betting recommendations I believe are worth consideration:

 

Premier League previews & predictions: (all 4pm kick-offs on Sunday)

Newcastle United vs Arsenal:- Newcastle United have endured a largely nightmare season & come into this final match of the season having only secured Premier League safety by beating QPR last weekend & quite frankly the only emotion Newcastle United staff, players & fans will be feeling is relief & gratitude that they haven’t gone down.

For Arsenal this match represents one last, massive chance to realise their seasonal ambition of a top 4 place & Champions League football for next season and quite simply everybody at Arsenal knows that 3 points here will guarantee they finish in the top 4 & for Arsenal that will be job done again.

So clearly in terms of motivation & desire to win this match then it most definitely rests with Arsenal, they have to look to win this match, they’ve got the quality to win this match & will believe they can do it but the real, key question is can they handle the pressure & expectations on them to actually pull the win off.

My answer to that is I can’t recommend backing Arsenal at 8/15 to win this match, yes Arsenal have a clear edge in terms of player quality & will believe they can score goals but now the pressure is off Newcastle United I think they will be intent on finishing the season well in front of their own fans, showing real pride & I believe a scoring draw is the value call here, I know that won’t please anybody at Arsenal but I think it’s the bet to go with here.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options: DRAW 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options: Cisse/Walcott/Cabaye

 

 

Tottenham vs Sunderland:- Tottenham’s Champions League hopes do not rest in their own hands & they know that even if they win it will not be good enough if Arsenal also win but nevertheless the fact Tottenham still have a chance to achieve a top 4 finish is commendable & I believe it is something they will actually achieve.

I say that because I believe Newcastle United will cause real problems for Arsenal & I’ve gone for the draw in that fixture, meaning that a Tottenham win against Sunderland will be enough for Spurs to reach the top 4 & I certainly do believe & fully expect that Tottenham will beat Sunderland here.

I actually believe Tottenham are worth backing to win this with something to spare because Sunderland have not been in very good form, they certainly don’t travel very well, they don’t look like scoring goals & now they are officially safe they have nothing left to play for so I just don’t see them offering anything here.

Admittedly Tottenham have let punters down on several occasions when strongly fancied & indeed long odds on to win but I seriously can’t envisage any other result here apart from a Tottenham win & I believe it’s worth backing the likes of Bale, Dempsey, Defoe, Adebayor, Lennon & the rest of Tottenham’s quality to show what they’ve got & win this in style, assuming they do I believe that will be enough for the top 4 place they’ve chased all season.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options: TOTTENHAM to win 2-0/3-0
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options: Bale/Adebayor/Dempsey

 

 

Liverpool vs QPR:- Liverpool will win this with complete ease & may well absolutely rip QPR apart here, I fear for QPR’s goalkeeper & they may well need to replace the nets once Liverpool have done here.

Liverpool have been pretty impressive in recent weeks, creating & scoring goals for fun with Daniel Sturridge full of confidence & banging in the goals with the hugely impressive & talented Coutinho providing the tricks, flicks & high quality service into him and I just don’t see how QPR’s pathetic team & defence will cope with them.

Liverpool are 2/9 to win this & even that price looks good against QPR, indeed 1/9 would still represent value against Harry Redknapp’s pathetic excuse for a team & surely the only way to go here is to back Liverpool to finish the season on a high & hope they can go again next year.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options: LIVERPOOL to win 3-0/4-0
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options: Sturridge/Coutinho/Borini

 

 

Manchester City vs Norwich city:- How many will Manchester City score here?? – I know that will sound incredibly dismissive of Norwich City but Chris Hughton’s side have achieved safety & that’s genuinely job done for them, not well done but done nonetheless and they’ve got nothing left to play for.

Of course neither have Manchester City with the title lost & 2nd place assured but I am expecting Manchester City’s high quality squad to look to finish the season on a high & as long as they take this seriously then I can see them winning this with ease & probably with a few goals as well.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options: MANCHESTER CITY to win 3-0/4-0
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options: Aguero/Tevez/Silva

 

 

Southampton vs Stoke City:- When this season started, all that both Southampton & Stoke City wanted to achieve was Premier League safety, ideally comfortably as possible, admittedly it wasn’t comfortable but they’ve both done it & so it’s now time to relax & actually enjoy the football.

The fact neither side has anything but pride to play for obviously makes it a trappy betting heat as absolutely anything is possible although saying that I don’t really envisage Stoke City winning this as their away form is poor & they don’t score too many goals usually.

I was really tempted to go with a scoring draw here given that both sides can play with freedom but I think this is a great chance for Southampton to give the home fans some final day cheer & I believe it’s worth backing Southampton at a shade of odds on to win here.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options: SOUTHAMPTON to win 2-1/3-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options: Lambert/Rodriguez/Lallana

 

 

Swansea City vs Fulham:- I’m looking forward to seeing how this match up of Capital One Cup winners Swansea & Fulham goes as it should be a good, open & entertaining football match with both teams having the pressure off & freedom to play.

Swansea have had a magnificent season with Michael Laudrup & the fact they won a trophy & secured european football for next year really does put them right up there amongst the top achievers in the Premier League.

Fulham on the other hand have largely had a season to forget as they’ve been very inconsistent & indeed very disappointing in a lot of their matches but they’ve got real quality in the likes of Berbatov & Ruiz and nobody quite knows what to expect from them in any given match.

I certainly don’t expect Swansea to lose this as Fulham’s away record is poor, Fulham are capable of getting a few goals & possibly edging a draw from this but I think this is another case where the home team have the most motivation for winning & indeed I believe Swansea are worth backing to give their fans one last win from what has been an incredible season for them.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options: SWANSEA to win 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options: Michu/Dyer/Pablo Hernandez

 

 

West Brom vs Manchester United:- Without being disrespectful to West Brom, the entire focus of this match will be around the fact it is Sir Alex Ferguson’s last ever match in charge of Manchester United & to be honest I think it’s all about Manchester United looking to win this in style & give Sir Alex the final send off he deserves.

Of course Steve Clarke will want his West Brom players to finish well & indeed respond to a truly horrific performance against Norwich were they lost 4-0 but I just can’t see how Steve Clarke will get his team to bounce back here with nothing to play for & I genuinely think this is a case of Manchester United showing what they can do & winning the game.

I’m expecting the game to be open, attack-minded & free flowing, there should be a few goals as there is no pressure on either side and so it should come down to which side shows the most quality in attack & that means the likes of Van Persie, Hernandez, Valencia, Giggs, Welbeck, Nani, Kagawa can show their quality, get the goals & give Sir Alex Ferguson a win in his 1500th & final match for Manchester United.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options: MANCHESTER UNITED to win 3-0/3-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options: Van Persie/Hernandez/Giggs

 

 

Chelsea vs Everton:- Chelsea have secured a Champions League place for next season, they’ve secured Europa League glory so they’ve done their job while Everton have secured 6th place & finished above Liverpool, basically it’s a case of job done now for both sides & I’m expecting this to be a good, honest & open contest with the pressures & demands of the season finally released.

With Chelsea having had a season without the Champions League, then just getting back into it will feel likes enough, of course it’s not for a team of Chelsea’s stature & wealth but right now it will suffice & Rafa Benitez can at least send out the Chelsea players relaxed & just tell them to enjoy themselves here in his last game in charge.

The same of course also applies to David Moyes who takes charge of Everton for the last time before he moves on to Manchester United next season, he’ll want to finish on a high but more importantly he knows he’s done a great job, that the Everton players have done a great job & this really is a time to enjoy their football.

I must admit I’m seriously tempted by the 4/1 on offer for Everton to win this as they’ve always enjoyed a very good record against Chelsea & usually do particularly well in this fixture, although that’s usually via a hard fought, deserved score draw & that’s the way I’m going to here as Chelsea will be more than happy to get this long, hard season finished & Everton will be happy to finish with a positive result in David Moyes’s last game.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options: DRAW 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options: Torres/Mirallas/Mata

 

 

West Ham United vs Reading:- I simply think this is a great opportunity for West Ham United to finish the season with a home win & get 3 points against a Reading side who are already thinking of the Championship next season.

Sam Allardyce can be proud of what he’s done at West Ham United this season, it’s not been high quality or spectularly entertaining but he’s done the job of keeping West Ham United safe & that’s certainly more than enough for everybody connected to West Ham United, they’ll want more in the coming years but right now it ranks as one of the achievements of the season in my book.

For Reading this season was always going to be very tough & most likely too tough, it’s proven to be that way & they’ve gone down, not without a fight mind & in Nigel Adkins they’ve got a manager who will have a seriously good go at getting them straight back up, but in terms of this match then I just don’t see Reading offering anything to worry West Ham.

Taking odds on in these pointless, meaningless end of season matches is not always the best policy but this time around I can’t see any reason to oppose West Ham against a poor Reading side who’ve already gone & so a West Ham United home win looks the call to me.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options: WEST HAM UNITED to win 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options: Carroll/Nolan/Jarvis

 

Wigan vs Aston Villa:- When Wigan equalised against Arsenal to make it 1-1 & indeed looked like possibly going to get the win, then this fixture had the look of being a monumental, winner takes all relegation scrap but now Wigan are down it means absolutely nothing & it’s basically a game neither side want.

I’m not going to mess around talking about this match for too long because Wigan have been unpredictable all season when they had something to play for & I’ve got a feeling it will be worse now they don’t, I simply think that both teams will look to play the right way here, look to score goals & I think a spot of value lies in backing a scoring draw here.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options: DRAW 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options: Agbonlohar/Kone/Maloney

 

 

League 1 & League 2 Play-Off Final Match Previews:

League 1 Play-Off Final Preview – Brentford vs Yeovil Town:- To start with I want to say that I think it’s entirely fitting & totally deserved that Brentford & Yeovil are the two Play-off finalists as they finished 3rd & 4th respectively after 46 league games, finishing only 2 points apart & with their star strikers, namely Clayton Donaldson & Paddy Madden finishing top of the League 1 goalscoring charts.

It’s clear for all to see that the credentials of Brentford & Yeovil coming into this Play-Off Final are absolutely rock solid, they’ve both got talented squads, excellent managers & they’ve both shown that vital mix of quality, belief & sheer determination to win through to this final stage so this is undoubtedly a very tough call to make & it would not surprise me if this was a match that went the whole way to extra time & maybe even penalties.

I’ll admit that with those thoughts in mind & with all the facts in front of me, that is what the price for the draw in 90 minutes that was my first port of call & I have to say that the 9/4 for the draw is very tempting & certainly holds a lot of merit and many will be tempted by that given how close a call this looks.

With all of that taken on board & with maximum respect given to Gary Johnson & his Yeovil players, it’s Uwe Rosler’s BRENTFORD that I’m going to put my faith in here & I believe they are worth backing to get the win & seal promotion to finally erase those incredibly painful memories of being denied by a 97th penalty miss in their final league match of the season.

Now that incredibly dramatic, never seen before scenario that occurred in that breath-taking final league match against Doncaster Rovers & saw Brentford have certain promotion snatched from them in the dying seconds would have destroyed most teams & left them emotionally, mentally & physically defeated, but not Brentford & the incredible character they’ve shown to reach the final is the key for me.

Incredibly as though that match against Doncaster was not punishing enough, Brentford’s determination, character & courage was tested to the limit again in the Semi-Final 2nd leg when they let a 3-1 lead go & had to come through a penalty shoot-out to edge past Swindon.

The fact Brentford could do that after everything they’d already been through just makes me believe that no matter how this game works out during the 90 minutes, I do believe that BRENTFORD will be hard to beat, they’ll give absolutely everything once again & they’ll find a way to win it, I just believe BRENTFORD are worth backing to have the edge over Yeovil & win promotion to the Championship with maybe Clayton Donaldson the man to lead the way.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options: BRENTFORD to win 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime:- Donaldson/Forrester/Trotter

 

 

League 2 Play-Off Final Preview – Bradford City vs Northampton Town:- This League 2 final represents a different scenario to that of the League 1 final which sees the 3rd & 4th place finishing teams take each other on, here we have 6th place Northampton Town taking on 7th place Bradford City so clearly neither were the strongest sides in the regular League 2 season but it’s those two that have earned their place in a final which should prove a good one to watch.

I say that because both Bradford City & Northampton Town look to play football the right way, admittedly Bradford City are a more positively attacking side & have more creative flair than Northampton Town do but their desire to be positive & look to win the matches they play in are identical & this should be a game that entertains & hopefully provides a few goals to enjoy.

Betting wise the bookmakers have Bradford City as favourites for this at around 11/8 while Northampton are general 2/1 shots to win it in 90 minutes, now given that Northampton secured 4 more points than Bradford during the season then many will feel Northampton are a big price & indeed that 2/1 is not without merit given that in Rory O’Donovan & Luke Guttridge, Northampton have 2 strikers who can cause hassle & get the goals against any team at this level to win any type of match.

Northampton are tempting & so is the draw given I expect this to be a really competitive, open game of football but I believe the bookmakers have got the prices right as I make BRADFORD CITY deserving favourites to win this match & indeed they are my to call win it inside 90 minutes, although admittedly to win it outright might well be the safer play.

I’ve got to go with BRADFORD CITY here as they’ve impressed in huge matches against big sides such as Arsenal, Aston Villa & Wigan, indeed they got passed all of those to reach the Capital One Cup final at Wembley & although they lost the final 5-0, that experience of the big Wembley occasion may well just give the Bradford City players the edge here as it will help them to adapt easier to everything that goes on with a big day at Wembley.

I’m also going with Bradford City to win this because I feel they’ve got more attacking flair & ability in their side with the likes of 23 goal man Nakhi Wells & they can also call upon the likes of James Hanson, Gary Jones, Garry Thompson, Zavon Hines & Kyle Reid to provide the creativity & back-up goal threat that I think ultimately will be too much for Northampton Town on the day.

So I’m taking BRADFORD CITY to put their Capital One Cup experience to maximum use & I believe they are well worth backing to get the job done & hopefully with a few goals along the way, Nakhi Wells to be the star of the show once again.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- BRADFORD CITY to win 2-1/3-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime:- Wells/Hanson/Thompson

 

Well hopefully you find those views interesting & useful, as ever I recommend you do as you choose with the advice & endeavour to search around for the best betting terms & conditions before you place your bets.

2013 Europa League Final preview – Chelsea vs Benfica – Wednesday 15th May

After a tremendously exciting, dramatic & action packed journey which saw the Europa League start way back in June 2012, the big moment of truth has arrived with two of european football’s premier teams, Chelsea & Benfica set to do battle to win the Europa League.

The focus of the footballing world turns to Amsterdam with the Amerstam ArenA a truly magnificent, vibrant stage for this year’s Europa League Final and now it rests between Chelsea & Benfica to see which team can best hold their nerve on this magical occasion & produce the necessary quality, team spirit & desire to claim the trophy on the night.

Chelsea & Benfica bring their high quality squads into this showpiece event knowing they have the necessary talent & qualities within their squads to achieve their goals & win the Europa League but equally they will both have massive respect for each others squads facing the reality that this final becomes the biggest test of their respective seasons & ultimately it won’t just be about quality but indeed also which side shows the greater character, belief & spirit on the night.

The magnitude & intensity of this clash, the incredible mix of experience, quality & sheer talent that both Chelsea & Benfica bring to this match is remarkable & the vast capabilities of both managers makes this Final an incredibly tough one to call & so it’s going to be fascinating, intense viewing with Chelsea going for the rare achievement of winning all the major Europan football trophies & Benfica looking to relive their great past & win a major once again.

I have had a good look at the likely set ups of both teams, their strengths & weaknesses, the likely tactical approaches of both sides & indeed the statistical records of both Chelsea & Benfica in this years Europa League & based on all of that here are my own honest thoughts on the match & the betting recommendations that I feel offer value & are worth consideration:

Key statistics for Chelsea & Benfica in Europa League (from Last 32 stage onwards):

Chelsea:-

Matches played = 8 – 6 wins, 0 draws & 2 defeats
Goals Scored = 15
Goals Conceded = 9
Both teams to score matches = 5
Over 2.5 goals matches = 5
Over 3.5 goals matches = 4
Clean sheets = 1
Matches failed to score in = 1

 

Benfica:-

Matches played = 8 – 6 wins, 1 draw & 1 defeat
Goals Scored = 14
Goals Conceded = 7
Both teams to score matches = 5
Over 2.5 goals matches = 4
Over 3.5 goals matches = 3
Clean sheets = 2
Matches failed to score in  = 1

 

Chelsea vs Benfica – Wednesday 7.45pm:- Now for once this is a final that I’m really looking forward to & I’m expecting Chelsea & Benfica to put on a show in the Amsterdam ArenA & give us all of watching plenty to enjoy.

Sometimes the nature of the competition & indeed the prize at stake means that 10 months of two teams fighting hard to win through to the final ends up producing a final which is tight, mundane & in some cases a virtual non-event with very little entertainment or excitement provided as the win at all costs mentality & indeed the fear of losing takes over the desire to entertain but I’m fully confident Chelsea & Benfica will look to win this by playing positive, attacking football & score goals.

Chelsea & Benfica have had to play a lot of matches spread all across europe to reach this final & the way they’ve gone about it in generally such a positive way does make me believe they won’t change that approach in the final & the statistics posted above certainly seem to back that theory up.

Both Chelsea & Benfica won 6 of their 8 games from the last 32 stage onwards, those 16 games they played in combined had a total of 45 goals, 10 of the matches had both teams scoring, 9 of the matches had over 2.5 goals & 7 of them had over 3.5 goals scored, Chelsea only kept 1 clean sheet in 8 & Benfica only 2 and they both also only failed to score once during their 8 matches.

Of course those statistics are no guarantee of what will happen on this one off occasion on the night but given the positive way both Chelsea & Benfica play and the attacking talent they both have then there surely a strong chance those statistics will be boosted further here & surely this game will have entertaining football & goals.

No matter the fact that european glory is at stake, I just don’t envisage either Chelsea or Benfica looking to play tight, controlled & defensive football and to be honest even if they are tactics they wanted to try I do not believe that either the Chelsea or Benfica squads are made up in such a way to allow that to be possible & I do believe this will come down to which sides shows the best attacking intentions & quality on the night.

Benfica have to be given massive respect here because they’ve most definitely got the required quality, mentality & confidence to believe they can win this final and the likes of Cardozo, Gaitan, Perez, Gomes, Aimar, Garay, Pereira & Luisao are top class players that would comfortably fit into the squads of the major teams in european football  can push Chelsea all the way if they play to their best.

Rafa Benitez was hated by the Chelsea fans from the very second it was revealed he was taking over as Chelsea manager but surely now that quite frankly stupid over reaction from the Chelsea fans can be put to one side & the Chelsea fans can appreciate the mainly fantastic job he’s done & especially in guiding Chelsea to this Europa League final while handling a hectic push for the top 4 in the Premier League as well.

Chelsea have largely been very impressive in the games since Benitez took over & especially in this competition with some fantastic, entertaining flowing football produced with their games full of goals and I would expect more of the same from Chelsea in this final as the presence of the likes of Mata, Hazard, Oscar, Torres, Lampard, Luiz, Ramires, Ba, Ivanovic, Cole, Cahill provides Chelsea with the proven quality they need to show their best & win this final, indeed if they do that & keep defensively sound then I do believe they will be too strong for Benfica here.

With regards to how I think this game will go result wise then it’s dangerous to rule out of dismiss the chances of Benfica here as they can definitely win this but for me I think this will come down to which sides shows the most attacking, intent, quality & creativity and on that score Chelsea have the edge over Benfica & I think CHELSEA are sound bet to outscore Benfica to win this & hopefully play their part in a game full of quality football & goals.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- CHELSEA to win 2-1/3-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Torres/Lampard/Mata

 

Well hopefully you find those views interesting & useful, as ever I recommend you do as you choose with the advice & endeavour to search around for the best betting terms & conditions before you place your bets.

 

 

Premier League match previews & predictions for matches played Saturday 11th to Sunday 12th May

Aston Villa vs Chelsea – Saturday 12.45pm:- Excellent back-to-back wins against relegation rivals Sunderland & Norwich City really have massively boosted Aston Villa’s chances of staying up but they still need more points to secure safety & that definitely increases the importance & intensity of this match as Chelsea come into it needing the points as well.

Everybody connected to Aston Villa will certainly not want to remember the last time Villa & Chelsea met as Chelsea absolutely destroyed them 8-0 at Stamford Bridge & it could well have been double that, of course nobody expects a scoreline anything like that again here & coming into this match Villa are in just as good, confident form as Chelsea are and they will believe they can get a positive result.

Chelsea need the points in their quest to achieve a top four finish & Champions League place for next season so they’ll obviously be going to win this but they’ve got the problem of the Europa League Final coming only a few days after this match so that will surely affect team selection & affect the mentality of the players involved in this match.

Villa Park will be rocking as Paul Lambert has got the team confident & playing well so I expect the Villa players to reflect that here, Chelsea will be confident of beating anybody right now and will be looking to win this game so it should be open & should provide goals, either side can win this given the attacking talent they’ve got but Villa & Chelsea have shared a few draws in this fixture over the years & I think the value lies in backing this to be another one scoring draw.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- DRAW 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Benteke/Ba/Agbonlohar

 

 

Stoke City vs Tottenham – Sunday 1.30pm:- Stoke City have regained their form & confidence after a very dodgy spell so the Britannia Stadium should be rocking once again & that really isn’t good news for Tottenham who are chasing the points they need for a top 4 spot & this really is one tough test they’ll have to pass if they are to achieve them.

Tony Pulis will really want his Stoke City players to finish on a high in front of the home fans & he’ll believe that the resurgence in Stoke City’s form & confidence levels will mean Tottenham will have to be at their strong, organised & talented best here to get something, it’s not impossible by any means but it will be tough for Tottenham.

Tottenham undoubtedly have more individual quality than Stoke City, they have more match winners in their team & they’ve got the far greater motivation to win but I’m expecting Stoke City to be very hard to break down & beat here and I think the best Tottenham can hope for here is a draw & backing a draw is where I believe the betting value lies.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- DRAW 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Crouch/Bale/Walters

 

 

 

Everton vs West Ham United – Sunday 3.00pm:- David Moyes has always stated that he’ll keep pushing the Everton players to giving their maximum right until the season finishes & I’m certainly expecting Everton to be too strong at home for a West Ham United side who have already achieved their target of Premier League safety & who don’t travel well.

Obviously no Premier League match is as simplistic as that & West Ham United will want to show commitment & energy in this match but Everton are a far superior team in terms of player quality & I believe it’s well worth backing that extra quality to get Everton another win in what’s been an excellent season for David Moyes’s team.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- EVERTON to win 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Jelavic/Anichebe/Fellaini

 

 

Fulham vs Liverpool – Sunday 3.00pm:-  Fulham’s weak, embarrassing defeat at home to Reading really has put them back into the relegation mix & now this match against Liverpool really does much more than it should so the pressure is on & from that I’m expecting this to be an intense, open game as both Fulham & Liverpool will be looking for the win.

I’m expecting commitment & determination from both Fulham & Liverpool here with Fulham wanting to give the home fans something to enjoy for the last home match of the season & Liverpool looking to finish the season strong so they go into next year positive & ready to go.

I can see a few goals going in here & I would not be at all surprised to see either Fulham or Liverpool edge it by the odd goal but I can also see both sides giving as good as they get & on balance a scoring draw looks the value call in this and I’m sure both managers will be happy with that come the final whistle.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- DRAW 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Sturridge/Ruiz/Berbatov

 

 

Norwich City vs West Brom – Sunday 3.00pm:- This match is now an absolutely huge, potentially Premier League life or death scenario for Norwich City as they sit precariously close to the relegation only 3 points above Wigan having played a game more & with only this home game & away game at Man City to come and quite clearly the pressure really is now on Norwich City in this match.

The scary facts for Norwich City are that even a win here might not well be enough to save them come the end of the season because I really don’t expect them to get anything at Manchester City and if they don’t win this match then I’d say they probably will get relegated so this has to be a home win for Norwich & they’ve got to go all out for it.

The big problem for Norwich City though is the fact they don’t look like a side who go all out for games, they don’t look like a team good enough for this level & they certainly don’t look like as side who can score goals, their only strength is keeping games tight & not conceding too many but that’s no good now.

As for West Brom then although they are completely safe, have nothing of importance to play for in terms of points or league position I would expect Steve Clarke to have his players really pumped up for this to respond after shockingly losing 3-2 at home to Wigan after twice being in the lead, he won’t stand for that & I’m expecting one last big push from the West Brom lads here.

Ordinarily I’d have gone for a no or low scoring draw in this as Norwich are hard to beat at home & West Brom have nothing to play for but given how much pressure Norwich City are under in this match I think this is a great time to back West Brom to get the win as they’ve got more attacking quality & can make Norwich City suffer by getting the 3 points & probably virtually relegate Norwich in the process.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- WEST BROM to win 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Long/Lukaku/Morrisson

 

 

QPR vs Newcastle United – Sunday 3.00pm:- Harry Redknapp, the QPR board, players & fans have already given up on what’s been a completely disastrous season for them & I don’t think Newcastle United will have a better opportunity  to get the vital win that will secure their Premier League safety in what’s admittedly not been a very good season for Newcastle either.

Indeed both QPR & Newcastle United will want to forget this season very quickly & it can’t end quick enough for them so I’m certainly not expecting a classic match here but Newcastle United are the only team who have the genuine motivation to win & I believe they are worth backing to take advantage of QPR’s poor quality, poor team spirit & general sense of failure that surrounds them & I believe Alan Pardew’s men can take the 3 points here.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- NEWCASTLE UNITED to win 2-1/3-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Cisse/Cabaye/Ben Arfa

 

 

Sunderland vs Southampton – Sunday 3.00pm:- This is an absolutely huge, vital match for both Sunderland & Southampton and it really is a game that both sides have to look to win & certainly one that they cannot afford to lose so it’s going to be intense,  pressurised & nerve wracking for everybody involved.

Both Sunderland & Southampton are still desperately involved in the fight against relegation, admittedly Southampton’s situation is better given they’ve got more points than Sunderland a bigger cushion but Wigan’s win at West Brom really has dragged them bagged into the mix along with Norwich, Newcastle, Villa & Sunderland and as I say this really is a game neither side can afford to lose.

So the big, key question for me is will either side be able to handle the intense pressures here & control the fear of losing because this is a really tight game to call & despite Sunderland having home advantage, I really do think this is a game that can go either way.

A few weeks ago I would have been really tempted to back Southampton to win this as they were playing very well & looked confident but successive defeats against West Brom & Tottenham have dragged them down & they don’t look as good while Sunderland losing 6-1 at Villa really hit them hard as well so I’m taking this to be a competitive, pressurised & intense match and I believe the value lies in backing a draw.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- DRAW 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Lambert/Graham/Rodriguez

 

 

 

Manchester United vs Swansea – Sunday 4.00pm:- This is not a game to dwell on for too long as neither Manchester United or Swansea have anything at all to play for this season & this occasion really will just be all about Manchester United being presented with the Premier League winners trophy & the celebration that takes places afterwards.

Of course neither Sir Alex Ferguson or Michael Laudrup will admit that beforehand & they’ll talk about both teams trying hard to play well & look to win but I just can’t see either side going all out for it here &  I’d say that good football is just about the only thing that can be guaranteed about this match so it should at least be entertaining to watch.

This is not a game to go crazy about in terms of staking when betting given that neither side will be giving everything to win but I certainly expect Manchester United to be the more positive, dominant side at home & get the win that will crown their title win & set the title celebrations up in the right way.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- MANCHESTER UNITED to win 2-0/3-0
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Van Persie/Giggs/Rooney

 

 

Well hopefully you find those views interesting & useful, as ever I recommend you do as you choose with the advice & endeavour to search around for the best betting terms & conditions before you place your bets

2013 Snooker World Championship Final preview

17 days of enthralling, intense & high quality snooker action is now all set to come to what will hopefully be an exciting, quality packed 2 days of snooker at the Crucible in Sheffield as four times World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan takes on debutant finalist Barry Hawkins to see who can take snooker’s biggest prize & become 2013 World Champion.

Ronnie O’Sullivan & Barry Hawkins have each had to win through 4 intense snooker matches & each win 53 frames of snooker to earn this chance at World title glory & there’s no doubting that they are the two players who deserve the opportunity to do so & all that’s left is for all us snooker fans to hope that it’s going to be a final that gives the Championships the send off it deserves.

The Crucible Theatre is all about drama & performance and so let’s hope Ronnie O’Sullivan & Barry Hawkins can deliver on the biggest stage that snooker has to offer.

I’ve had a look at the profile for this World Final clash between Ronnie O’Sullivan & Barry Hawkins & indeed looked at some of the varied betting markets on offer and here are my views on how I think the final may go & the bets for consideration:

2013 Snooker World Championship Final preview

I’ll start by saying that I personally believe this clash of Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Barry Hawkins is a final line-up that I certainly would never have expected & I believe it’s the most surprise line-up since Stephen Hendry took on Nigel Bond in 1995 & beat him 18-9.

Looking at the odds framed by the bookmakers for this final then I’d say the bookmakers definitely agree as well as quotes of 1/8 for Ronnie O’Sullivan to win & 5/1 for Barry Hawkins to win illustrate the gap they believe exists between them & indeed the relative chances they both have of achieving World Champions glory.

World Snooker Champion is something that Ronnie O’Sullivan has already achieved 4 times with wins in 2001, 2004, 2008 & 2012 & indeed Ronnie O’Sullivan doesn’t really need any introduction as he’s the one genuine snooker name that transcends the sport of snooker & he’s a player that people outside of snooker would easily recognise & know.

Ronnie O’Sullivan has been given countless tags during his incredible, illustrious & unpredictable snooker career and they include enigma, genius, wild, sensational, crazy & unbelievable and I’d simply say he’s most definitely a potent mix of all of those & most importantly he’s a genuine snooker genius who’s widely regarded by everybody in snooker to be the best, most natural snooker talent there is ever likely to be.

Indeed Ronnie O’Sullivan has displayed all of those characteristics in varying measures at this years World Championships but as I said most importantly he’s showed incredible snooker talent & incredibly I have to say he makes odds of 1/8 look like half decent value as he’s looked that superior to the rest of the players in Sheffield in the last 17 days.

Now that’s not being dismissive or disrespectful to all the other incredible players that have competed at this years World Championships but Ronnie O’Sullivan really has been very impressive in most of the sessions he’s played & incredibly he’s yet to lose a single session of snooker in the 4 matches he’s played to get to this point.

So I’ll say now that I fully expect Ronnie O’Sullivan to be crowned 2013 World Snooker Champion to give him his 5th World Snooker title and take him one position closer in terms of all time successful World Champions behind Steve Davis & Ray Rearden who won 6, Stephen Hendry who won 7, John Pulman & Fred Davis who won 8 & Joe Davis who won 15 titles.

Of course out of those great historical snooker names it’s the achievement of getting closer to Stephen Hendry & Steve Davis that will mean the most to Ronnie O’Sullivan & carry the most relevance in terms of modern snooker, those two have set incredible standards in terms of winning & I do expect Ronnie O’Sullivan to get 1 step closer to them here.

Now I also want to make it clear that I am not just dismissing Barry Hawkins without giving him the maximum credit & respect which his fantastic, gutsy, quality packed performances at this years World Championships deserve and in terms of the quality of player who he’s had to beat to get to the final then there is no doubt Barry Hawkins has achieved more & had a much more demanding test in beating the likes of Mark Selby, Ding & that tough, gruelling semi-final against Ricky Walden.

The way Barry Hawkins won through those matches & indeed especially the Semi-Final in which he did not really start playing well until 12-8 down really does highlight the incredible mix of talent & guts that he possesses and I really do hope he has the opportunity to show it in the final, if he does then Ronnie O’Sullivan will know he’s got a fight on his hands.

I’ll admit that as soon as Ronnie O’Sullivan won through to the final by impressively beating Judd Trump 17-11 then it was only ever going to be Ronnie O’Sullivan winning this in my mind & having saw how Barry Hawkins looked after his incredibly demanding semi-final against Ricky Walden then I’m totally convinced that this final probably will be one tough test too many for Hawkins & I believe Ronnie O’Sullivan can win this with something to spare, especially if he gets into a positive mind set early & gets an early lead.

Now while it’s possible that given his incredible, natural snooker talent Ronnie O’Sullivan could win this final by a huge margin of 12 frames or more, I just don’t see that being the case this year because Barry Hawkins is a top quality player & has proven all tournament that he can fight, he can compete & he can take chances when given them.

So when I look to see what betting opportunities exist & which ones fit in with my beliefs about this match then I feel Ronnie O’Sullivan to win on the Handicap market at -6.5 frames at 5/6 is most certainly a bet that looks very tempting to me as I feel that Ronnie O’Sullivan can win this match in a frame range margin of 18-8 to 18-10, indeed I’d also consider Correct Frame Score bets of Ronnie winning 18-8, 18-9 or 18-10 all around the 10/1 mark for some bigger priced, value fun bets.

Now that’s how I personally believe this World Snooker Final will go & the betting recommendations I believe are worth consideration, here are some statistics covering the last 15 World Snooker finals, hope you find them interesting & useful:

The Final Scores for the last 15 World Snooker Finals have gone like this:

18-17 = 1

18-16 = 3

18-15 = 1

18-14 = 2

18-13 = 2

18-12 = 1

18-11 = 2

18-10 = 0

18-9 = 1

18-8 = 2

• Ronnie O’Sullivan has won his 4 previous World Finals by 18-14, 18-11 & 18-8 twice
• The last time the World Snooker final went to a final frame decider was when Peter Ebdon beat Stephen Hendry in 2002 & the closest it’s been since then was 18-16 in 2005 when Shaun Murphy beat Matthew Stephens
• The winning frame margin has been 5 frames or more in 5 of the last 6 years

 

Well hopefully you find those views interesting & useful, as ever I recommend you do as you choose with the advice & endeavour to search around for the best betting terms & conditions before you place your bets.

 

 

The 1000 & 2000 Guineas meeting at Newmarket Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th May – the races that matter

The 1000 & 2000 Guineas meeting held at Newmarket, the home of flat racing, is always a sensational meeting for horse racing fans & punters to enjoy as it provides 2 days of high quality, ultra-competitive racing action with some of the very best horses in europe taking their shot at classic glory.

I’ve had a look at the 2 day Guineas festival at Newmarket & here are my thoughts on what I believe to be the key, major races & which offer the most interest in terms of quality & for the season ahead.

 

Saturday 3.10 – Qatar Bloodstock Jockey Club Stakes (Group 2) 1 mile 4 furlongs:- 4 fascinating, top class runners have been declared for this Group 2 contest with 6 year olds WIGMORE HALL & DANDINO taking on the 4 year olds NOBLE MISSION & UNIVERSAL, question is which age group will prevail here & indeed which of the 4 runners will as this looks really tight call to me.

DANDINO won this back in 2011 when a seriously well backed & strongly fancied favourite & interestingly that day he beat a Henry Cecil runner with Michael Bell having one placed further behind and both of those trainers take on DANDINO again as Henry Cecil has the classy & progressive NOBLE MISSION & Michael Bell as the tough, classy, consistent WIGMORE HALL.

Mark Johnston’s UNIVERSAL completes the 4 runner field & I do honestly have to say it’s very hard to split these classy horses & especially will be very close if they show their best form in this but the two that I am most interested in for this are UNIVERSAL & NOBLE MISSION who both ran excellent races against each other last time out with only a head splitting last time out & it should be very close between them again here.

Both UNIVERSAL & NOBLE MISSION have got a lot more improvement to come this season & I can seem them both featuring in big races this season but for this race I’m going to take Henry Cecil’s progressive NOBLE MISSION to show his best on a track which he’s got experience of running well at having won at this meeting last year, to show improvement physically from his last run & to reverse form with UNIVERSAL.
Main Selection:- NOBLE MISSION
Main Danger:- UNIVERSAL

 

Saturday 3.50 – Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1) 1m, 3 year olds:- The first classic of the British horse racing season is always a hugely fascinating contest & it’s the first opportunity for last seasons best 2 year old colts to prove they’ve retained the talent they’ve already showed & trained on to show they’ve got what it takes to try & emulate the likes of recent winners SEA THE STARS, FRANKEL & CAMELOT.

Listing those magical names, especially the incredible SEA THE STARS & FRANKEL, just shows how the 2000 Guineas is currently enjoying what can definitely be described as a golden era & this year the likes of DAWN APPROACH, TORONADO, MARS, VAN DER NEER, CRISTOFORO COLOMBO, GARSWOOD & MOOHAAJIM are expected to be the major players in this years renewal & I have to agree that they do look the runners for punters to concentrate on here with all of them totally deserving their place in the line-up & capable of taking the prize but personally I do believe that DAWN APPROACH & TORONADO set very high standards for the rest to aim at & I think it will be those two fighting it out at the finish.

DAWN APPROACH is without doubt the most outstanding contender this time around bringing an ultra impressive record of 6 successive wins from 6 career starts, including the last 2 wins coming via very impressive wins in the Group 1 Vincent O’Brien Stakes at the Curragh & then the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, Jim Bolger’s son of the brilliant New Approach has already showed he’s got the incredible mix of speed, class & stamina that only special horses have & given he’s expected to be even better as a 3 year old then I really do believe he’s the one to beat & most definitely the one I want to be on

TORONADO comes into this classic unbeaten after 4 career wins including winning the Craven Stakes in impressive fashion at this course only a few weeks ago & he comes with maximum confidence from connections with Richard Hannon stating he believes TORONADO is the only serious challenger to DAW APPROACH & that he believes it will be very close between those two.

That stable confidence has to be given maximum respect & there is no doubt TORONADO has displayed more than enough to suggest he can go very close but I personally think it will take DAWN APPROACH to be below his best for TORONADO to take this.

So I do believe that DAWN APPROACH & TORONADO will fill the first two places home & I’m going with DAWN APPROACH to take 2000 Guineas glory for Godolphin so realistically that only leaves one place left for anybody thinking of a potential each way bet, the likes of VAN DER NEER, GARSWOOD, MARS & CRISTOFORO COLOMBO are all prime contenders for that slot & it’s really tough to split them but GARSWOOD was very impressive in winning at the Craven meeting only a few weeks ago & given the massive confidence Richard Fahey has in him then I think he’s the most interesting each way option against the front two in the market.
Main Selection:- DAWN APPROACH
Main Dangers;- TORONADO & GARSWOOD e/w

 

Saturday 5.00 – Qatar Racing Newmarket Stakes (Listed) 1 mile 2 furlongs, 3 year olds+:- 6 very well bred, progressive 3 year olds line-up for this important Listed prize & it should prove to be a race well worth watching & remembering as I’m sure all of the field will be winning a decent race at some stage this season.

That said I do believe this race evolves completely around Mark Johnston’s son of Cape Cross WINDHOEK who showed plenty of speed, class & toughness to win a very strong looking renewal of the Tattersall’s Millions 2 year old Trophy at this course only a few weeks ago & that form is easily the strongest on offer in this line-up.

Mark Johnston said he was very impressed with WINDHOEK that day but he also said he believed there would be more to come from him & if that’s the case then WINDHOEK is definitely the one to beat and I’d say Richard Fahey’s UNSINKABLE & Peter Chapple-Hyham’s MAXENTIUS are the dangers given their form behind the 2000 Guineas runner VAN DER NEER at Lingfield last time out.
Main Selection:- WINDHOEK
Main Dangers:- UNSINKABLE & MAXENTIUS

 

Sunday 2.35 – Qatar Bloodstock Dahlia Stakes (Fillies’ Group 3) 1 mile 1 furlong:- When the likes of Sir Henry Cecil, Sir Michael Stoute, Hughie Morrison, John Gosden, Jeremy Noseda, Roger Varian & Roger Charlton enter horses in important races like this you know they believe they hold a serious chance & that makes this fillies Group 3 so much harder to call with confidence.

Sir Henry Cecil’s CHIGUN, Sir Michael Stoute’s DANK, Hughie Morrison’s SHIROCCO STAR & John Gosden’s STARSCOPE are all high class fillies with class form in the book and they do look the group most likely to provide the winner & places here.

Splitting them is the tough part but I feel on the day it may well come down to a battle of the knighthoods as I believe Sir Henry Cecil’s daughter of Oasis Dream CHIGUN is one who will find massive improvement this year & is proven on good to firm ground while Sir Michael Stoute’s DANK has the Group race form in the book, will like the conditions & although she finished behind CHIGUN when they met on this course last year, there wasn’t much in it at all, I think they’ll finish close together this time around as well & if I had to go with one of then I’d just give preference to Sir Henry Cecil’s CHIGUN who might improve past them all this year.
Main Selection:- CHIGUN
Main Dangers:- DANK, SHIROCCO STAR e/w

 

 

Sunday 3.50 – Qipco 1000 Guineas Stakes (Fillies’ Group 1) 1 mile, 3 year olds:- With the 3 best 3 year old colts around having taken their chance in the 2000 Guineas on the Saturday, the focus now turns to the best 3 year old fillies around to take their chance in their first classic of the season & it’s all set to be a fantastic, exciting contest & indeed one that looks wide open to me.

JUST THE JUDGE, WHAT A NAME, HOT SNAP, SKY LANTERN, MAUREEN, SNOW QUEEN, RASMEYAA, MOTH & AGENT ALLISON all look to be fantastic fillies in their own right & I honestly believe that they can all genuinely be respected as live candidates here so even though the odds covering them range from 5/1 to 25/1, I think this is set-up to be a very open race & I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a double figure priced winner or big priced places.

There is no doubting that judged on form shown so far then JUST THE JUDGE who the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes in good style at Newmarket heads them all & is reported to have been working brilliantly in the lead up to this while the same can be said of French challenger WHAT A NAME who chased home the brilliant Olympic Glory in a Group 1 contest at Longchamp on Arc De Triomphe day and judged on what her connections have said she has to be regarded as a serious contender here.

Sir Henry Cecil’s HOT SNAP was a very impressive winner of the Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes ahead of SKY LANTERN at Newmarket recently & given that she is likely to improve for that run & for the step up in trip she should also run very well here & again should upheld the form with SKY LANTERN based on that although Richard Hannon believes SKY LANTERN will be far better for that run & can overturn the form.

Two others very closely matched on form coming into this are MAUREEN & AGENT ALLISON who finished 1-2 recently in the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Stakes over 7 furlongs, both did the job very well that day & the way they both finished suggested they will be fine over the mile here and for me they are the best options of those at bigger odds, especially AGENT ALLISON who really does look tempting at 25/1 as I think the 1 mile trip will really help her find her best & suit her better than most.

The Irish are represented here by Aidan O’Brien’s pair SNOW QUEEN & MOTH while Dermot Weld runs the Hamdan Al Maktoum owned RASMEYAA, again I’d say all three have to  be respected on their breeding & connections alone while they’ve also got the promise of massive improvement to come, the concern for me is that MOTH & RASMEYAA have only shown form in maidens so far & all three have only run on good/soft ground so I’m not sure how they will handle the track if it stays as quick as it is currently.

I must admit that I really did find this race very tough to work out with confidence because as I said I think all those mentioned are lively contenders & being fillies they are certainly all capable of finding massive improvement now the weather has improved but in the end I’m going to put my faith in the form book for this one & I’m taking JUST THE JUDGE & WHAT A NAME as split stakes main bets against the field, if I had to split them then the main vote would got to JUST THE JUDGE, with AGENT ALLISON thrown in as an extra small stakes each way punt at huge odds, although I really would not be surprised to see any of those mentioned win this great race.
Main Selection:- JUST THE JUDGE
Main Dangers:- WHAT A NAME & AGENT ALLISON e/w

 

Well hopefully you find those views interesting & useful, as ever I recommend you do as you choose with the advice & endeavour to search around for the best betting terms & conditions before you place your bets

Previews & predictions for Premier League matches from Saturday 4th May to Monday 6th May:

I’ve had a good look at the Premier League fixture list for this coming weekend & here are my predictions on how I see the games going & hopefully you find them useful in some way:

Fulham vs Reading – Saturday 3.00pm:- Martin Jol & the Fulham players can be more than happy with what they’ve done in the Premier League this season after another solid year & I believe the home fans will have more to cheer after beating Reading here.

I certainly favour backing Fulham when they are at home & especially when they play sides below them and I most definitely can’t see any other outcome than a comfortable win for Fulham here against a Reading side who’ve been largely pathetic all season & are Nigel Adkin’s men are now resigned to life in the Championship next season.

Dimitar Berbatov has had an excellent season for Fulham producing some incredible goals & at times being virtually unplayable so I think it’s well worth backing him to be the main inspiration for Fulham once again against Reading’s sub-standard defence & guide them to a comfortable home win.
Match Betting recommendations:
Outright Match result & Correct score options:- FULHAM to win 3-0/3-1
First Goalscorer or Players to score anytime:-  Berbatov/Duff/Ruiz

 

 

Norwich City vs Aston Villa – Saturday 3.00pm:- Paul Lambert played a huge part in getting Norwich City to the Premier League & then keeping them there last season & now he faces the task of taking his Aston Villa side desperately battling to do the same so this is going to be a fascinating battle & one that should have a great atmosphere to go with it.

Aston Villa desperately still need the points in their fight to avoid relegation & there is no doubt that with the likes of Weiman, Benteke, Agbonlohar & Nzogbia in attack they’ve got the capability to get the goals they need to win the match but the bad news for them is they are taking on a Norwich City side who can boast a home league record of 7 wins, 7 draws & only 3 defeats and quite simply Norwich City are very tough to beat at home.

Chris Hughton deserves tremendous praise for the way he’s been able to organise Norwich City & make them so hard to beat at home, admittedly their goal scoring return is poor but the fact they’ve been so strong defensively at home, only 18 goals conceded in 17 home league matches, is the main reason they’ve already achieved 28 points at home & in my mind that impressive record means they are the call to add to that tally here with another positive result.

As I’ve said Aston Villa at their best are capable of winning this match & Chris Hughton will be aware of the attacking threat Villa can offer but at the same time he’ll know his Norwich City side can get at the weak, dis-organised Aston Villa defence that simply doesn’t keep clean sheets & I simply don’t see Norwich losing this so for me a competitive, entertaining scoring draw looks the call & a bet that offers plenty of value in my opinion.
Match Betting recommendations:
Outright Match result & Correct score options:- DRAW 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer or Players to score anytime:-  Holt/Benteke/Snodgrass

 

 

Swansea vs Manchester City – Saturday 3.00pm:- Michael Laudrup wasn’t in charge of Swansea last season when they pulled off a huge shock by beating Man City in this fixture but it’s largely the same Swansea squad & after a season when they’ve performed well in the Premier League & won the Capital One Cup then they’ll believe they can take on any side on their own ground & won’t fear Manchester City here in what should be a good, competitive contest.

In terms of the Premier League then it’s all finished for Manchester City with Manchester United winning the title & no real pressure on them losing 2nd place so all that remains for Roberto Mancini’s men is to show pride  & try to maintain their form so that they arrive for their Cup final clash against Wigan in top form so while the need to win is clearly not as big as it might have been for Manchester City, Mancini will want his players to finish strongly & I’m expecting a strong performance from Man City here.

Swansea command huge respect at home as they’ve proven they can compete with & beat the best teams around and they’ll certainly have a better chance of a result here if Manchester City’s approach is not right but for me as long as Roberto Mancini gets the Manchester City players up for this game then I’m expecting Manchester City to be too good with the likes of Tevez, Aguero, Silva, Toure, Nasri, Milner likely to have too much quality & Man City look the side to be with in this.
Match Betting recommendations:
Outright Match result & Correct score options:- MANCHESTER CITY to win 2-0/3-0
First Goalscorer or Players to score anytime:- Tevez/Aguero/Toure

 

 

 

Tottenham vs Southampton – Saturday 3.00pm:- Andre Villas-Boas & his Tottenham players will get the job done & get the 3 vital points won here to boost their top 4 hopes & keep their dreams of Champions League football alive.

Now that will come across as being instantly dismissive of Southampton & disprespectful of what Southampton have done this season but it’s not about that at all & just quite simply about me believing that Tottenham have a far stronger, more dangerous team than Southampton, they’ve certainly got a far greater determination & motivation to get the win and I expect the likes of Bale, Defoe, Dembele, Holtby, Dempsey, Sigurdsson & the rest of Tottenham’s quality squad to have too much here for Southampton.

The way Tottenham turned around a 1-0 deficit into a stunning 3-1 win against Man City in their last home match has given the Tottenham squad a huge confidence boost & surely if they can show that quality, commitment & belief against Manchester City then can do it against a Southampton side who do have quality but play an open style that will suit Tottenham & also have an away record showing 8 defeats & 34 goals conceded at an average of 2 per away league match.

Tottenham have let punters down a few times this season when at home & when fancied to beat sides below them so that’s admittedly a slight concern but right now Tottenham have the form, they have the confidence & they have the superior quality that makes look a very solid bet to win this & keep their top 4 fight going.
Match Betting recommendations:
Outright Match result & Correct score options:- TOTTENHAM to win 3-0/3-1
First Goalscorer or Players to score anytime:- Bale/Defoe/Dempsey

 

 

West Brom vs Wigan – Saturday 3.00pm:- I’m not going to mess about here by talking about this match for too long & quite simply I believe West Brom will win this & win it well.

I know Wigan are desperate for the points, I know Wigan are unpredictable & capable of winning when least expected but for me this is all about Steve Clarke’s West Brom side once again showing their quality & showing how good they can be at home.

West Brom are 7th in the home league table having already secured 9 wins & 3 draws and they’ll be confident of taking on & beating a Wigan side who’ve already lost 10 times away in the Premier League this season.

West Brom are a stronger side that Wigan, they have more quality, they have home advantage & so despite Wigan’s ability to pull out a win from thin air, I really do expect West Brom to show their class & look a solid bet to get another home win.
Match Betting recommendations:
Outright Match result & Correct score options:- WEST BROM to win 3-0/3-1
First Goalscorer or Players to score anytime:-  Lukaku/Long/Morrison

 

 

West Ham United vs Newcastle United – Saturday 3.00pm:- We have a fascinating, competitive & indeed likely to be physical match in prospect here as West Ham United & Newcastle United do battle in a match with plenty of side-shows & connections that will just add to the mix.

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce used to manager Newcastle United, key West Ham players Andy Carroll & Kevin Nolan were popular, successful players at Newcastle United & Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew was of course once West Ham United manager and all of that certainly does add an edge to this match, both physically & mentally with both managers totally determined to win this & the fans having the weird experience of knowing they want to beat managers who once managed their own team & in Newcastle’s case worrying about players who did great jobs for their team.

Indeed back in January former Newcastle United hero Kevin Nolan returned to St James’s Park with Sam Allardyce & helped West Ham United pull off a famous win by scoring the only goal of the game so no doubting that West Ham United will be looking repeat that on home turf but at the same time Alan Pardew & his Newcastle United players will be desperate for revenge & especially given their urgent need for the points to help secure their Premier League status.

In terms of player quality then I believe Newcastle United have a clear edge and they can definitely win this if they show their best but West Ham United have home advantage, they’ve got the confidence & belief gained from recent good results & they’ve got the knowledge they are very hard to beat at home & I have to say that I do believe West Ham United will get another positive home result here.

Alan Pardew would love nothing more than to get the vital win Newcastle United need against his former club & once again they’ll have the backing of the fantastic away support so I can envisage a strong performance from Newcastle United here but West Ham Unitd have achieved 8 wins & 5 draws so far at home in the league this season & I think they can boost that further.

If I had to choose a winner then it would definitely be West Ham on home soil but for me I think this will will be seriously competitive, physically intense & ultimately I believe that will all result in a hard fought, scoring draw & that will probably satisfy both managers come the final whistle.
Match Betting recommendations:
Outright Match result & Correct score options:- DRAW 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer or Players to score anytime:-  Cisse/Carroll/Nolan

 

 

QPR vs Arsenal – Saturday 5.30pm:- Harry Redknapp never really enjoyed playing Arsenal when he was Tottenham manager & I really don’t expect him to enjoy this experience against Wenger’s men as I’m expecting Arsenal to inflict more suffering on the QPR players & fans.

QPR have looked like an average Championship side at best all season & I just don’t see how this struggling QPR side will cope with the likes of Podolski, Wilshire, Arteta, Cazorla, Walcott, Gervinho & the rest of Arsenal’s far superior quality & a comfortable away win for Arsenal looks the only sensible call to make here.
Match Betting recommendations:
Outright Match result & Correct score options:- ARSENAL to win 3-0/3-1
First Goalscorer or Players to score anytime:- Podolski/Walcott/Gervinho

 

 

Liverpool vs Everton – Sunday 1.30pm:- The Merseyside derby is all about local pride, it’s about passion, commitment & intensity shown by the players and it’s all entirely about which teams shows all of that along with the quality needed on the day and there’s no doubting this clash of Liverpool & Everton is a really tough one to call.

Neither Liverpool or Everton can achieve Champions League football now & all that is left is the fight to see who can claim bragging rights & finish highest, Everton currently have the edge holding 6th place above Liverpool who sit 7th and it’s quite probable that avoiding defeat here will keep Everton in 6th until the end of the season so the challenge is for Liverpool to beat them here.

Liverpool have home advantage, they want to finish the season on a high & indeed they’ll believe they can do that here against Everton with the Kop behind them & given the quality they’ve got, although clearly losing Suarez is a major blow to them, how they cope with that will decide how the game goes.

Of course that said Everton will be trying very hard to win & they’ll go to Anfield believing they can do just that given that they’ve had fantastic results against the other major sides in the league with a win & a draw against Man City, a win & draw against Tottenham, 2 draws against Arsenal & a 2-2 draw with Liverpool earlier in the season.

Overall Everton have only lost 4 times in the Premier League this season & have secured 14 draws, 5 x 1-1 draws & 5 x 2-2 draws, so I really am expecting them to be very hard to beat here & at least get a point from the match.

Indeed when you look at Liverpool’s record in their matches against the big sides & their record overall then that also screams that they’ll be hard to beat & can at least earn a draw from this match, they’ve already achieved 12 draws in the Premier League & have achieved 2-2 draws against Everton, Man City, Arsenal & Chelsea.

So between them they’ve secured 26 draws in the league & the vast majority of them scoring draws so that’s quite an incredible statistic & when you combine that with the fact this will be fiercely competitive, physically intense, highly pressurised & mentally demanding then a scoring draw looks the obvious call here & one that offers great value, with both teams to score & plenty of goals looking very solid as well.
Match Betting recommendations:
Outright Match result & Correct score options:- DRAW 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer or Players to score anytime:- Jelavic/Sturridge/Baines

 

 

Manchester United vs Chelsea – Sunday 4.00pm:- Manchester United & Chelsea have produced some fantastic games this season, providing plenty of exciting, high tension drama & goals as well and I’ve got a feeling that football fans will be in for another treat here.

Yes Manchester United already won the title & yes Chelsea’s need for the points is far greater than Manchester United’s but I can’t entertain the belief that Manchester United will not be up for this & I can’t entertain the idea that Manchester United will be easier to beat, Manchester United will be up for this & they’ll be looking for another win against one of their big rivals.

Manchester United’s other motivation for winning is to further improve their incredible home league record for this season as so far they’ve played 17 home Premier League matches & won 15 of them taking 45 points from a maximum of 51 and they’ve scored  43 goals while only conceding 17, keeping 8 clean sheets & only conceding more than 1 goal in 4 of their home league matches.

Chelsea do of course command huge respect as they’ve got tremendous quality that can hurt Manchester United & they will come into this match looking for the win, they have to keep winning to keep their top 4 hopes alive & nothing else apart from a win will do for them so they’ll be looking to do that & know they can having come from 2-0 down against United to very nearly beat them & then they did beat them to knock them out of the F.A. Cup.

Manchester United & Chelsea have already shared a 3-2 scoreline in the league which United won, a 5-4 scoreline after extra time in the League cup which Chelsea edged & also a 2-2 draw in the F.A. Cup so clearly goals have been a big feature of the games & I’m certainly expecting a few more here.

The talent available to both managers does mean that both United & Chelsea can win this match & importantly they’ll both believe they can so it’s a game that can go either way with a competitive scoring draw a real possibility but I’m taking Manchester United to have one final big push in their last big game of the season & I’m taking Manchester United to have the edge in what will hopefully be a great game to watch.
Match Betting recommendations:
Outright Match result & Correct score options:- MANCHESTER UNITED to win 2-1/3-1
First Goalscorer or Players to score anytime:- Van Persie/Hernandez/Rooney

 

 

Sunderland vs Stoke City – Monday 8.00pm:- How will Paulo Di Canio’s Sunderland side respond to losing 6-1 at relegation rivals Aston Villa?

For me the key to this match evolves around working out the answer to that question because quite simply Sunderland have to respond in a positive, determined manner & they’ve got to be the team looking for the win here but how can those Sunderland players respond positively after being totally humiliated at Aston Villa, it was a truly shocking performance & as bad as anything I’ve seen at Premier League level.

The other bad news for Sunderland is they come up against a Stoke City side who have their belief back, their confidence levels significantly boosted & a Stoke City side once again playing their strong, organised, physical football that is so hard to play against & so hard to break down.

Stoke City do have a pathetic away record in the Premier League & it’s not entirely easy to put faith in a Stoke City side winning this away as they’ve only won 2 of 17 away premier league matches & only scored 11 goals in those games but Tony Pulis’s side will definitely believe that if they stick to their strengths & beliefs they can definitely get something from this match.

Now I believe that Stoke City have now done enough to believe they are safe from relegation whereas Sunderland definitely need another win so it’s clear the motivation to win the points lies with Sunderland but with that also lies the incredible, massive levels of pressure & I really can’t have enough belief in Sunderland to think they can win this & I think a draw is the best they can hope for here & I certainly believe it’s worth backing this to be a tight, competitive draw that will delight Stoke & cause further suffering for Sunderland although in the end the point might be good enough for them as well
Match Betting recommendations:
Outright Match result & Correct score options:- DRAW 0-0/1-1
First Goalscorer or Players to score anytime:- Crouch/Johnson/Adam

 

Well hopefully you find those views interesting & useful, as ever I recommend you do as you choose with the advice & endeavour to search around for the best betting terms & conditions before you place your bets.

 

Premier League  predictions:

MANCHESTER CITY to  beat West Ham 3-0/3-1
EVERTON to beat Fulham 2-0/2-1
SOUTHAMPTON to beat  West Brom 2-0/2-1
STOKE CITY to beat Norwich 2-0/2-1
TOTTENHAM to beat  Wigan 3-0/3-1
NEWCASTLE UNITED to beat Liverpool 2-0/2-1
READING vs QPR DRAW  1-1/2-2
CHELSEA to beat Swansea 2-0/2-1
ARSENAL vs MAN UNITED DRAW  1-1/2-2
ASTON VILLA vs  SUNDERLAND DRAW 1-1/2-2

 

 

Championship  predictions:

LEICESTER CITY to  beat Watford 2-1/3-1
HULL CITY to beat Barnsley 2-0/2-1
BLACKBURN vs  CRYSTAL PALACE DRAW 1-1/2-2
BLACKPOOL to beat Derby 2-1/3-1
HUDDERSFIELD  to beat Bristol City 2-0/2-1
CARDIFF CITY vs BOLTON DRAW 1-1/2-2
IPSWICH  vs BIRMINGHAM CITY DRAW 1-1/2-2
LEEDS UNITED vs BRIGHTON DRAW  1-1/2-2
MIDDLESBROUGH to  beat Charlton 2-0/2-1
NOTTINGHAM FOREST to  beat Millwall 2-0/2-1
WOLVES to beat Burnley 2-0/2-1
PETERBOROUGH vs  SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY DRAW 1-1/2-2

 

 

League 1  predictions:

BRENTFORD vs  DONCASTER DRAW 1-1/2-2
YEOVIL to beat Bury 2-0/2-1
CARLISLE vs COLCHESTER  DRAW 1-1/2-2
CRAWLEY to beat Hartlepool 2-0/2-1
CREWE vs WALSALL DRAW  1-1/2-2
LEYTON ORIENT to beat Oldham 2-0/2-1
NOTTS COUNTY to beat Coventry  2-0/2-1
SCUNTHORPE vs SWINDON DRAW 1-1/2-2
SHEFFIELD UNITED vs PRESTON  DRAW 1-1/2-2
SHREWSBURY to beat Portsmouth 2-0/2-1
STEVENAGE vs MK DONS  DRAW 1-1/2-2
BOURNEMOUTH to beat Tranmere 2-1/3-1

 

 

League 2  predictions:

WIMBLEDON vs  FLEETWOOD DRAW 1-1/2-2
ACCRINGTON to beat Oxford 2-1/3-1
BURTON vs  GILLINGHAM DRAW 1-1/2-2
CHELTENHAM to beat Bradford City  2-0/2-1
CHESTERFIELD to beat Exeter 2-0/2-1
DAGENHAM vs YORK DRAW  1-1/2-2
NORTHAMPTON to beat Barnet 2-0/2-1
ROCHDALE to beat Plymouth  2-0/2-1
ROTHERHAM UNITED to beat Aldershot 3-0/3-1
SOUTHEND to beat  Morecambe 2-1/3-1
TORQUAY to beat Bristol Rovers 2-0/2-1
WYCOMBE vs PORT  VALE DRAW 1-1/2-2

 

 

As always hope you find the above interesting, useful & ultimately successful if you bet but remember that whatever you decide to bet on, please take the time & effort to shop around ensuring you get the best value, check all the latest information before you bet & of course good luck with your bets.

 

UEFA Champions League & Europa League Semi Final 1st Leg match previews & predictions:

The two major UEFA organised club competitions the Champions League & Europa League have now reached the Semi Final stages with 8 prestigious, fantastic names of european club football including some of the biggest clubs in the world all set to do battle for european honours & glory.

Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund & Real Madrid give the European Champions League a truly fascinating Germany vs Spain scenario with Bayern Munich set to do battle with Barcelona & Borussia Dortmund once again tasked with taking on Real Madrid after already facing them in the group stages.

In the Europa League Semi Finals the reigning Champions of europe Chelsea take on Basel from Switzerland while Turkey are represented by Fenerbahce who take on former european greats Benfica from Portugal.

All 4 semi-final ties from both competitions look set to be incredibly fascinating, enthralling matches & they should provide fantastic entertainment for all those that watch, from a punting perspective it certainly looks set to be a real test but I’ve had a good look at all the matches & here are my views on how I think they games will go & from that betting recommendations worth consideration:

UEFA Champions League Champions League Semi Final 1st leg match previews:

Bayern Munich vs Barcelona – Tuesday 7.45pm:- This first semi-final really does represent what the Champions League is all about with two biggest names & two of the world’s elite clubs set to do battle as Bayern Munich host Barcelona in what promises to be a truly fantastic semi-final.

Now I have to start my analysis of this game by saying I was greatly surprised to see the bookmakers opinions on this match as while quoting Bayern Munich as 5/4 favourites to win it is perfectly understandable, I must admit I didn’t expects quotes of 9/4 to be available for Barcelona to win this particular match.

I can’t imagine anybody would have thought Barcelona would be priced up at anything like 9/4 to win any match, anywhere this season and there will be many punters who believe that really is just way too big a price & a price that has to be taken about a side who can boast the likes of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Villa, Sanchez & the rest of the incredible talent that Barcelona possess.

I must say though that I am not one of those punters because I’ve seen Barcelona on several occasions this season & every time I’ve seen them I’ve not really been impressed & although they have incredible attacking talent with Messi capable of unimaginable things at any moment, I just do not trust Barcelona’s defence and I genuinely believe they are beatable, especially against a side with so much quality as Bayern Munich possess.

I know Arsenal went to Munich & won 2-0, that was a shock & that lurks in the back of my mind as a concern but if I had to put my faith in any side to win a match of this scale on home turf then I would definitely have no problem in backing Bayern Munich as the combined talents & strengths of the likes of Schweinsteiger, Robben, Ribery, Manduzic, Gomez, Muller, Kroos, Neuer & Lahm then Bayern Munich would be the ones.

Indeed I’m putting my faith in the likes of Ribery, Gomez, Robben, Schweinsteiger, Manduzic, Kroos & Muller to have too much attacking quality, class & creativity for Barcelona’s fragile defence and I can see Bayern Munich at their best being too strong for Barcelona here.

Barcelona struggled badly when I watched them away against AC Milan, they lost to Celtic, they struggled to only get past PSG on the away goals rule & I firmly believe that this will be the stage they fail at & I believe it is worth backing Bayern Munich to win this match & take a lead to Barcelona, I think the best Barcelona can hope for is an away goal but even then I don’t think that will be enough this time around.
Betting Recommendations to consider:
Match Result & Correct Score predictions: BAYERN MUNICH to win 2-1/3-1
Players to score First or anytime options: Manduzic/Ribery/Robben

 

Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid – Wednesday 7.45pm:- The very moment Real Madrid secured the result they needed to take 2nd place behind Borussia Dortmund in Group D during the Group phase then I knew that Borussia Dortmund & Real Madrid would be major forces for the rest of the tournament & that’s exactly how it’s proven to be.

Borussia Dortmund won Group D with a fantastic return of 4 wins & 2 draws including very well deserved 2-1 win at home against Real Madrid & a stunning 2-2 draw in Real Madrid were basically they made Real look pretty average & in the end Real Madrid were lucky to get a draw on home soil in that match.

So there is absolutely no doubting that Borussia Dortmund have the respect of everybody connected to Real Madrid & importantly they know that they can show their best against anybody & will believe they can repeat what they’ve already done against Real Madrid and earn their place in the Champions League final.

That said I believe they will have to show their very best form against a Real Madrid side that now looks so much stronger, has more belief right now & in my opinion can boast the talents of the finest player in world football, no not Messi, I truly believe that Cristiano Ronaldo is the finest, most complete footballer in world footballer & any side has to be afraid of what he might do at any given moment during a match.

Indeed Ronaldo’s incredible talents are backed up by the likes of Di Maria, Modric, Benzema, Higuain, Khedira, Ozil, Marcelo, Ramos, Casillas & Pepe and I have to say that I do fully expect Real Madrid to get a positive result from this match, it’s a tough call to say they’ll definitely win but they certainly can & I expect them to get at least a scoring draw.

Betting wise the bookmakers have Real Madrid as favourites ahead of Borussia Dortmund, that’s understandable in many ways & probably main down to the presence of Ronaldo within the Real Madrid team, his brilliance can win this game for Madrid & they will look to show what they can do here but I also expect Borussia Dortmund to do just the same & I believe that this game is set up to be an open, seriously competitive & entertaining scoring draw & for me that’s definitely were the value lies & looks well worth a punt.
Betting Recommendations to consider:
Match Result & Correct Score predictions: DRAW 1-1/2-2
Players to score First or anytime options: Ronaldo/Lewandowski/Ozil

 

UEFA Europa League Semi Final 1st leg match previews:

Basel VS Chelsea – Thursday 8.05pm:- Chelsea fans who saw Basel score 4 goals against Tottenham in the Quarter Finals & indeed watched Basel beat Manchester United last year will know that their team faces a tough test here but I believe it’s a test that Rafa Benitez’s players can pass & probably book their place in the final at the first time of asking.

Now I’m not being dismissive of Basel here & yes they’ve got the talent to prove me wrong but Chelsea have actually impressed me a lot in recent weeks & especially considering the incredibly demanding fixture schedule they’ve faced and while this away trip is another demanding test both physically & mentally, I believe Chelsea have the resolve & most importantly the quality to get them through again.

Basel are a positive, attacking side & I believe they can cause problems defensively, I’d say backing Chelsea at 11/8 to win here looks a good shout to me given the attacking quality they’ve got with the likes of Mata, Oscar, Hazard, Torres & Ba supported by Ramires, Lampard & Moses and I just believe Chelsea can outscore Basel here to take a winning & probably decisive lead back to Stamford Bridge.
Betting Recommendations to consider:
Match Result & Correct Score predictions: CHELSEA to win 2-1/3-1
Players to score first or anytime options: Mata/Hazard/Torres

 

Fenerbahce vs Benfica – Thursday 8.05pm:- The Turkish & Portuguese football leagues definitely don’t register amongst the premier leagues in european football but there is no doubting that both Fenerbahce & Benfica have done their countries proud so far & most definitely deserve their places in the semi-finals & a chance to win a major european prize.

This match & indeed tie really is a tough call to make with confidence as both Fenerbahce & Benfica look equally strong to me in terms of playing talent & I believe whichever of these two clubs gets through this tie will stand a very good chance in the final.

The bookmakers have Benfica as slight favourites to win this at around 6/4 while they’ve got Fenerbahce at around 9/5 and in my opinion the odds should be the other way around because Fenerbahce have been excellent in this competition this season, hard to beat, strong defensively, only losing once so far & that was the final group match when they knew they had already won the group & weakened their side dramatically.

Fenerbahce are also usually incredibly strong at home, they were impressive in beating Lazio 2-0 at home in the quarter finals & they’ll certainly believe they can get a really positive result here & then do what they’ve got to do away from home.

I’ve got huge respect for Benfica, indeed when I saw the Quarter Final draw I did think that Benfica would be the side to beat but now they’ve been drawn against Fenerbahce I actually believe it’s the draw that suits them the least & having to play away first makes it really hard for them, I think the best they can do here is get a scoring draw but even that will be tough.

So I’m going with Fenerbahce to win this 1st leg tie as their fans are amongst the most passionate & determined in european football & I can see them inspiring their team on to make the most of home advantage & take an important lead to the 2nd leg in Portugal.
Betting Recommendations to consider:
Match Result & Correct Score predictions: FENERBAHCE to win 2-0/2-1
Players to score First or anytime options: Webo/Kuyt/Erkin

 

As always hope you find the above interesting, useful & ultimately successful if you bet but remember that whatever you decide to bet on, please take the time & effort to shop around ensuring you get the best value, check all the latest information before you bet & of course good luck with your bets.

2013 Snooker World Championships Preview

Watching sport at any level is enjoyable but watching sport at the very highest level is truly fantastic, to see how the drama & action unfolds as the very best in the world clash is incredible & when that happens in an historic, epic arena then that takes it to the next level & becomes something extra special.

Something extra special is exactly what the World Snooker Championships at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield represents & the great news is it’s that time of year again when the very best in the world of snooker turn their focus to Sheffield for 17 days of guaranteed drama, tension, excitement & of course pure sporting theatre that only snooker played at the Crucible can produce.

Athletics has the Olympics, Tennis has Wimbledon, football has the World Cup, they are the major, pinnacle events for those sports & from Saturday 20th April to Monday May 6th, the Crucible in Sheffield becomes exactly the same for the world of Snooker & hundreds of thousands of snooker fans from all around the world will be glued to the action.

I love playing snooker & love watching it for the pure sport of it but in recent years betting on snooker has really taken off & it’s most definitely something that I’ve got involved in at the major tournaments & course they don’t get any bigger or more interesting than the World Championships, watching & punting on the very best snooker players around really is a fantastically enjoyable combination.

I’ll definitely be one of those thousands of fans watching & I can’t wait for the snooker action to start this Saturday when the brilliant, enigmatic & snooker genius that is Ronnie O’Sullivan kicks off the action in the opening match.

Here is my preview on this years Snooker World Championships, I’ve included the full draw so you can see how the ties may potentially work out round by round, indeed betting wise I’m going to cover the first round matches that catch my eye with correct score predictions & also present my ante-post picks for the Outright Tournament winner market as well for your consideration:

 

History & statistics for the last 15 Snooker World Championship Finals: from 1998 to 2012:

• The last 30 finalists slots have been filled by only 13 different players: John Higgins, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams, Stephen Hendry, Shaun Murphy, Graeme Dott, Peter Ebdon, Neil Robertson, Matthew Stevens, Mark Selby, Ali Carter, Judd Trump & Ken Doherty

 

• There have been 9 different winners in the last 15 years: John Higgins 4 titles, Ronnie O’Sullivan 3 titles, Mark Williams 2 titles & 1 each for Hendry, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy, Graeme Dott, Peter Ebdon & Ken Doherty

 

• 6 Players have been both winners & runners-up during the last 15 years: Higgins, Murphy, Dott, Ebdon, Hendry & Williams

 

The Final Scores for the last 15 World Snooker Finals have gone like this:

18-17 = 1
18-16 = 3
18-15 = 1
18-14 = 2
18-13 = 2
18-12 = 1
18-11 = 2
18-10 = 0
18-9 = 1
18-8 = 2

 

Outright Tournament Winner ante-post predictions:

Attempting to predict the winner of any major sporting tournament ante-post is always a tough & yet fascinating task for punters to handle but the enjoyment gained from doing it & then hopefully the rewards gained from achieving success really does make it worthwhile.

It’s great fun to just watch the very best snooker players in the world taking each other on but there is no doubt the excitement increases several levels when a punting investment has been made on an event & indeed that’s definitely the case when trying to pick the winner of the Snooker World Championships has started.

It’s often very hard to confidently pick the winner even when it gets down to latter stages of this magnificent tournament given the ultra-competitiveness of it & so trying to do just that before a cue has been lifted & before a single ball has been potted really is a test of judgement.

Trying to confidently evaluate which of the 32 players who have made it to the Crucible can last the 17 days of fierce, demanding competition & come out as World Champion is a tough challenge but it’s just the sought of challenge I enjoy & here goes my own thoughts on the major contenders & from that the ones I think are worth consideration from a betting perspective:

I’ll start my analysis of whom I believe can win this World Championship by referring to the World Championship Final statistics quoted above because quite simply the facts show that only a select group of players end up contesting the World Championship final & year after year those select group of players prove to be the main contenders as they are proven to handle everything that comes with playing a Snooker World Championships at the Crucible.

Those players that make it to the finals have proven they’ve got the necessary combination of skill, competitive edge, fighting spirit, the stamina to last the physical test that the 17 days places on the mind & body & indeed the ability to produce their best when it really matters most when put under the most intense pressure.

Now I know that I’m taking a risk in dismissing the likes of Ding Junhui, Stephen Maguire & Mark Allen just on the basis they’ve not made a final yet and there is no doubt they’ve got the talent to prove me wrong but I’m going to stand by the statistics as they look very solid to me & the history books show us what we need to know.

I do strongly believe that the finalists & indeed winner will come from that group of players who’ve made the final in the last 15 years and  I’m going to use the statistics I’ve quoted to cut the field down from 32 to 7 and those 7 are John Higgins, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Ali Carter, Neil Robertson & Judd Trump.

I’ll say right now that I believe any one of those 7 can win this & I do believe the winner & finalists will come from that group of 7 players, Higgins, O’Sullivan, Murphy & Robertson have all already won the World Championships while Selby, Carter & Trump have been runners up so they’ve all proven they’ve got what it takes already & there is no need to doubt them.

Of course all 7 can’t be backed so I’m going to adopt a policy of getting that group down to 4 each way selections by nominating 1 player whom I believe to be the best option in each quarter of the draw as the field of 32 players is split into 4 quarters & in theory the winners of each quarter meet in the semi-finals to fight for their place in the final.

With snooker you can back players each way for the first 2 places ie if your player reaches the final then you are onto a winner so of course I know nominating 4 players means 2 of them are guaranteed to be losers, but I think this line-up of players looks so competitive & so tough to sort out it does make sense to have extra cover in the hope the draw works out, if it does it should be happy days.

So from that group of 7 players that I believe will fight it out, I’m going to with each way bets on JOHN HIGGINS, MARK SELBY, SHAUN MURPHY & NEIL ROBERTSON.

5 times finalist & 4 times World Champion John Higgins gets my vote as he absolutely loves the Crucible, his game & everything about the way he plays is perfectly suited to the unique demands of the Crucible & having secured 3 World titles since 2007 I cannot see any stronger looking, better value options that JOHN HIGGINS at around the 11/1 mark, 1/2 odds each way for getting to the final looks excellent value to me.

MARK SELBY has been in my mind for the World Championships for a very long time now & definitely this season more than ever after the brilliant, confident & importantly winning form he’s shown in some of the major tournaments this year, admittedly Selby has so far only made it to 1 World Championship finals & he’s got the pressure of being amongst the favourites but for me he’s easily been the most impressive player this season & I feel certain he’s set for a major attempt to secure World title glory this time around and 13/2 each way looks solid to me.

SHAUN MURPHY gets my vote as the 16/1 on offer for him looks massive given he’s a 2 times finalist & of course previous World Champion so he’s proven at the Crucible & this time around I believe he’s got just about the best draw he could have & in my opinion there is only Judd Trump in his section of the draw that can cause him serious problems as long as he is at his best here.

NEIL ROBERTSON is without doubt probably in the top 2 or 3 in the world in terms of playing entertaining, exciting snooker & being a recent winner of this great competition he’s proven he’s got the focus, the stamina, the mental strength & everything else that’s required to be a Champion and for me he’s the absolute standout pick in his quarter of the draw, he looks a major contender here & at around 7/1 he’s certainly looks very solid to me.

I think this World Championships is destined to be one of the very best ever given the amazing talent lining up & there will undoubtedly be some epic matches & great excitement along the way, it’s most definitely a very tough tournament to call from a betting perspective but in JOHN HIGGINS, MARK SELBY, NEIL ROBERTSON & SHAUN MURPHY I do believe I have found 4 excellent, very solid looking contenders who will hopefully give us a good run for our money & of course fantastic snooker for us to enjoy.

Ante-post recommendations:

MARK SELBY each way at 13/2
NEIL ROBERTSON each way at 13/2
JOHN HIGGINS each way at 11/1
SHAUN MURPHY each way at 16/1

 

 

Predictions for selection of Round 1matches from the 2013 Snooker World Championships (Best of 19 frames):

I’ve had a look at the set-up of the matches that catch my eye for Round One & here are my Outright Result & Correct Score options for your consideration, correct frame score betting in snooker really does add an extra element of interest & gives punters a way of getting value odds as well:

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Marcus Campbell:- The enigmatic, snooker genius that is Ronnie O’Sullivan kicks of the defence of his title that he won for the 3rd last year & although he’s been away from the snooker since then & talked of not knowing what he’s going to play like, the 3 times World Champion will surely be way too good for Marcus Campbell in this opening round & I think Ronnie is worth supporting to win with comfort.
Match Result & Correct Frame score predictions: RONNIE O’SULLIVAN to win 10-2/10-3

 

Ali Carter v Ben Woollaston:- Right then, time to get the cheap jokes out of the way, I’m expecting qualified pilot & more importantly 2 times Crucible World Finalist Ali Carter to fly through this Round 1 match & secure a safe landing into Round 2. Ali Carter will have respect for Ben Woollaston’s talent but at the same time he’ll know this is a huge chance to get up & running in this tournament and I believe the 2008 & 2012 runner-up is worth backing to start with a smooth, comfortable win.
Match Result & Correct Frame score predictions:- ALI CARTER to win 10-2/10-3

 

Stuart Bingham v Sam Baird:- I love watching snooker & seen quite a few tournaments this season but I’ll confess I know next to nothing about Sam Baird, all I can say is he’s clearly hugely talented & committed to fight his way through the qualifiers to get to this point so no doubt he’ll have the respect of Stuart Bingham here but in terms of the match result then I can’t see anything other than a solid win for Bingham here as he’s enjoyed an excellent season & he’ll be confident of making the most of his superior big tournament experience and lining up in Round 2 to face either Higgins or Mark Davis.
Match Result & Correct Frame score predictions:- STUART BINGHAM to win 10-3/10-4

 

John Higgins v Mark Davis:-  Proven champions & major contenders for the World title always say they have most fear about getting through Round 1 & I would imagine that’s what John Higgins is privately thinking here because there is no doubting that he could have got a far kinder draw than to be picked to play against the tough, talented & confidence boosted Mark Davis and I do think this will be a true Crucible test for John Higgins.

I’ve got big respect for Mark Davis & so will have John Higgins but that said John Higgins know he is a proven Crucible specialist, 5 times World finalist & 4 times World Champion with victories in 1998, 2007, 2009 & 2011 and I really do believe that Higgins is still as well equipped as anybody in the world game & in my eyes he’s a major contender for the title again this year so I’m taking Higgins to show his class, grit & determination to win through here.
Match Result & Correct Frame score predictions:- JOHN HIGGINS to win 10-4/10-5

 

Shaun Murphy v Martin Gould:- As soon as I saw the draw produce this fixture then I did think that this could be one of those 1st round matches that either goes all the way to the final frame or very close to it as both Shaun Murphy & Martin Gould are tough, talented players who have shown their very best form in this competition at this venue and I just sense that this really could be one of the tightest opening round matches.

Shaun Murphy is a former World Champion & former runner-up here so he undoubtedly deserves to be clear favourite for this match but I’ve seen Martin Gould a few times this year and he’s looked in good, confident form & I do believe he’ll see this match as a big opportunity to cause a shock, he’s certainly done it before & he’s capable of doing it again if he shows his best in the match.

That said I’m expecting Shaun Murphy’s superior quality, experience & proven ability to win tough, pressure matches in this tournament to be the deciding factors and I believe it’s worth backing Murphy to win through this 1st round tie & once he’s done that he’ll believe he can go far in the tournament as the draw looks potentially very favourable for him.
Match Result & Correct Frame score predictions:- SHAUN MURPHY to win 10-6/10-7

1st Round match betting recommendations to consider:

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN to win 10-2/10-3
SHAUN MURPHY to win 10-6/10-7
JOHN HIGGINS to win 10-4/10-5
STUART BINGHAM to win 10-3/10-4
ALI CARTER to win 10-2/10-3

 

Full Draw for the 2013 Snooker World Championships at the Crucible, Sheffield:-

ROUND ONE (Best of 19 frames)

1. Ronnie O’Sullivan v Marcus Campbell
2. Ali Carter v Ben Woollaston
3. Stuart Bingham v Sam Baird
4. John Higgins v Mark Davis

5. Shaun Murphy v Martin Gould
6. Graeme Dott v Peter Ebdon
7. Matthew Stevens v Marco Fu
8. Judd Trump v Dominic Dale

9. Neil Robertson v Robert Milkins
10. Ricky Walden v Michael Holt
11. Mark Williams v Michael White
12. Stephen Maguire v Dechawat Poomjaeng

13. Mark Allen v Mark King
14. Ding Junhui v Alan McManus
15. Barry Hawkins v Jack Lisowski
16. Mark Selby v Matthew Selt

ROUND TWO (Best of 25 frames)

17. Ronnie O’Sullivan/Marcus Campbell v Ali Carter/Ben Woollaston
18. Stuart Bingham/Sam Baird v John Higgins/Mark Davis

19. Shaun Murphy/Martin Gould v Graeme Dott/Peter Ebdon
20. Matthew Stevens/Marco Fu v Judd Trump/Dominic Dale

21. Neil Robertson/Robert Milkins v Ricky Walden/Michael Holt
22. Mark Williams/Michael White v Stephen Maguire/Dechawat Poomjaeng

23. Mark Allen/Mark King v Ding Junhui/Alan McManus
24. Barry Hawkins/Qualifier 15 v Mark Selby/Matthew Selt

QUARTER FINALS (Best of 25 frames)

Q1. Winner Match 17 v Winner Match 18
Q2. Winner March 19 v Winner Match 20
Q3. Winner Match 21 v Winner Match 22
Q4. Winner Match 23 v Winner Match 24

SEMI-FINALS (Best of 33 frames)

SF1. Winner Q1 v Winner
Q2 SF2. Winner Q3 v Winner Q4

FINAL (Best of 35 frames)

Winner SF1 v Winner SF2

 

 

As always hope you find the above interesting, useful & ultimately successful if you bet but remember that whatever you decide to bet on, please take the time & effort to shop around ensuring you get the best value, check all the latest information before you bet & of course good luck with your bets.