Home And Away: Halmstads heroics to continue

Halmstads have won seven of their last eight games

Jonno Turner has picked two in-form second-tier teams relegated in the previous campaign for Monday's column...

John Terry has retired from international football. In a statement, the Chelsea captain said, "what more is there to achieve after winning the World Cup in 2010 and the Champions League in 2012?"

Terry revealed that he has made the decision in order to spend more time at home with other player's families. It remains to be seen whether Roy Hodgson will recall Rio Ferdinand to the squad for "footballing reasons".

A cracking last week saw us back seven winners from ten picks, and left us over 60 in profit in total - and I hope the gambling Gods will be smiling upon us this week, too.

We're off to France for our first pick as unbeaten Dijon welcome struggling Clermont to the Stade Gaston Gerard, looking to reclaim top spot.

The hosts slipped to third in Ligue 2 while not in action but have won three in four at home prior to the arrival of the division's bottom club, an impressive response to relegation as they bid to secure their place back in the top flight at the first opportunity.

Visitors Clermont are in the midst of a nightmare start and are winless in five in all competitions, losing four of those. They have also gone 13 away league games without a victory, that poor run playing a key part in their lowly position.

To make matters worse, they have conceded a whopping seven goals in the last two of those, a slump that they will be desperate to arrest.

Dijon have lost only two of their last seven encounters with Clermont though and I expect their momentum to carry them over the finish line here.

Bet 1: Dijon (HOME) to win @ 1.834/5

Over to Sweden for our second tip now as in-form Halmstads travel to Trelleborgs aiming to continue their winning run.

They are unbeaten in eight going into this one, and have won seven of those - an excellent return which has strengthened their standing in third in the Superttan.

Three consecutive away wins will have confidence levels high, but it's the manner of those victories which is particularly impressive. Ten goals and two clean sheets in that period point to some excellent all-round performances, their response to last year's relegation increasingly impressive.

Hosts Trelleborgs by contrast have won just once in three on their own patch, and are currently 14th, a relegation play-off paying position.

In the bigger picture, they have won just one in seven, with five losses and a draw suggesting that they will struggle in this one. They have failed to score in two of their last three games and with chances hard to come by against Halmstads, that poor attacking form may haunt them in this one.

Halmstads have won the last two meetings between these sides, and I think they'll make it a hat-trick in this one.

Bet 2: Halmstads (AWAY) to win @ 2.1211/10