пятница, 28 ноября 2014 г.

Opta Stats: Queens Park Rangers v Leicester City

Will Harry Redknapp's QPR climb off the bottom of the Premier League after their game with Leicester?

It might still be 2014 but QPR's match with Leicester looks likely to have an impact on the relegation fight. Opta provides the vital statistics.

Queens Park Rangers had a player sent off in both league meetings with Leicester last season. Both games ended in 1-0 wins for the Foxes. A 1-0 Leicester win is priced at 11.010/1.

Leicester City have won three and lost just two of their last six league visits to Loftus Road. They are 3.412/5 to win.

No Premier League team has picked up fewer points over their past six games as Leicester (two, level with Villa). QPR are 2.47/5 to win.

Leicester have won only one of their last 25 Premier League games against London sides (L15 D9). The draw is 3.45n/a.

The Foxes have taken just three points (all from draws) in their last 16 Premier League games in London. QPR are 3.9n/a to win half-time/full-time.

Charlie Austin has scored four goals in QPR's five Premier League games at Loftus Road this season. Austin is 2.6213/8 to score.

QPR & Leicester are two of the three (alongside Newcastle) Premier League sides not to score in the opening 15 minutes of games this season. The odds of the game being 0-0 at half-time are 2.767/4.

QPR & Leicester have both conceded a joint-high five goals in the 15 minute period after half-time. You can back the second-half to contain the most goals at 2.111/10.

Leonardo Ulloa scored five goals in his first five Premier League appearances, but has failed to score in the seven games since in the competition for the Foxes. QPR are 3.185/40 to keep a clean sheet.

Championship Betting: Blackpool to finally win on the road

Will Lee Clark get his first win as Blackpool boss on Saturday?

Mike Norman provides us with three more recommended wagers from Saturday's Championship fixtures, including two in-form home sides as well as perhaps a surprising best bet selection...

Bolton 2.3611/8 v Huddersfield 3.259/4; The Draw 3.613/5

Bolton slightly disappointed in only drawing 1-1 away at Blackpool last Saturday, but they remain of interest and their recent home form entitles them to win this game.

Neil Lennon has overseen three home wins on the spin since he took over at the Macron Stadium and in each of those games the Trotters scored exactly three goals. Brentford, flying high in the table, Cardiff, and Wigan were the opposition, so it's not exactly as if Bolton had some easy matches on paper either (not that there are any of them in this division).

Saturday's opposition Huddersfield have slipped to 14th in the table following just one win in six games and they've conceded three goals in each of their last two away matches - both resulting in defeats.

In fact the Terriers have an extremely poor defensive record on the road; they've managed just one clean all season and in their other nine league and cup away games they've conceded at least three goals on six occasions. Stats, trends, and current form all point to a home victory.

Recommended Bet
Back Bolton to Win @ 2.3611/8

Brentford 2.3211/8 v Wolves 3.259/4; The Draw 3.711/4

This match is almost an identical replica of the above game in that the home side are the team in form, whereas the away side are the ones struggling at present.

I said just a few weeks ago that newly-promoted Brentford could be proud of their mid-table position at this higher level, but since then the Bees have won four straight league games and moved up to fifth in the table.

Mark Warbuton's men have scored 10 goals in those four victories and three of the wins were against top-of-the-table Derby, and early season promotion fancies Nottingham Forest and Fulham. There's no doubt that they are high on confidence and capable of making it five wins on the spin against out-of-form Wolves.

In stark contrast to Brentford, Kennny Jackett's men have conceded 10 goals in three straight defeats including a 5-0 thrashing at Derby and a 0-3 home loss to Forest, coincidentally two of the sides that Brentford defeated in recent weeks.

Form is often turned on its head in this division but on what we've witnessed in recent weeks it's hard to get away from the home side here.

Recommended Bet
Back Brentford to Win @ 2.3211/8

Rotherham 1.768/11 v Blackpool 5.49/2; The Draw 4.03/1

On current form both Bolton and Brentford look rock solid this weekend and perhaps I should have made one of those teams my bet of the day. But I have a strong hunch that Blackpool are about to hit a bit of form, and I'm more than happy to make them my best bet against a Rotherham side who are really struggling at present.

The case for backing Blackpool on their own form is a hard one to make admittedly - they are yet to win on the road and they are becoming detached at the bottom of the table.

But there have been signs in recent weeks that they are beginning to turn things around under new boss Lee Clark. They drew 2-2 with an in-form Fulham side in their last away game - a superb result in fact - and last week they held Bolton, another side in great form recently, to a 1-1 draw.

Those two recent results alone give them a chance but it's hard not to glean even more confidence when you consider the form of Rotherham at present.

Steve Evans' men have fallen into the relegation zone following six games without a win. The Millers have failed to score a single goal in their last four league matches, including two home losses - one of which was to struggling Birmingham last Saturday.

Confidence will be low at the New York Stadium, and the fact that they'll be expected to win this game will heap more pressure on the home side. It's a long shot yes, but this is a great opportunity for Blackpool to register their first away win and I'm quietly confident.

Recommended Bet
Back Blackpool to Win @ 5.49/2 (best bet)

Championship 2014/15 Season P/L

Staked: 68 pts
Returned: 79.24 pts
P/L: + 11.24 pts

*based on 1pt each bet, 2pts best bet

The Editors' Premier League Betting Battle 2014/15: Round 13

Mark Hughes will be scheming another big upset and Luke fancies his chances of doing so at a big price

All four editors are going to the Saturday 3pms in search of profit, read on to see where the tenners are being deployed...

Mike Norman
Back Under 1.5 Goals @ 3.412/5 in QPR v Leicester
Saturday, 15:00

I've had no joy at all with my last three Battle bets, all of which came in the Match Odds market. So I'm reverting back to my tried and tested 'Goals' markets for the time being at least, though I'm still a little out of my comfort zone this week.

That's because I like to look for games where I can see plenty of goals being scored and therefore able to take a punt in the Over 3.5 Goals and Correct Score (by backing Any Unquoted) markets. But I'm struggling to find such a game this weekend, so will take a chance on Under 1.5 Goals at Loftus Road instead.

Admittedly QPR have scored plenty of goals in front of their own fans, but in recent games against Liverpool and Man City they weren't expected to win and the pressure will have been off. Saturday's game against Leicester will be very different.

For starters it's a game that neither side will want to lose and I can see an emphasis on defending more than any other part of the game. QPR have just one win in nine to their name and are bottom of the table, while for Leicester it's no wins in seven in which they've failed to score a single goal in six of those outings.

I'm expecting an extremely cagey affair here and believe the goalless draw to be a massive player, but realising that a sending off, a moment of magic, a freak own goal can often bring any game to life I'll play it a little safer by backing no more than one goal to be scored.

Mike Norman 2014-15 P/L: +2.40

Joe Dyer
Back Under 2.5 Goals @ 2.466/4 in Manchester United v Hull
Saturday, 15:00 

Leicester and Sunderland served up the expected but much-needed draw last weekend to give me a boost up the table and my goal this week is to jump back into profit. 

While the King Power stalemate was a nicely-priced yet somewhat obvious selection (for me anyway) this week's route to a winner is based on a price simply being 'wrong'. 

We're used to the Under/Over 2.5 line hovering around the even money mark so I'm naturally drawn when either option trades nearer 2.56/4, the assumption being that the opposite is a sure thing. 

The game in question is Manchester United v Hull on Saturday afternoon where you can back Under 2.5 at 2.466/4. 

United are clearly capable of scoring heavily but they haven't hit more than two goals in a Premier League match in their last seven outings. Prior to last weekend's 2-1 defeat of Arsenal (where their second was a breakaway scored in the 85th minute) they'd found the back of the net twice in three games. 

Hull, too, have lost their scoring touch in recent weeks. A six game run in September and October saw them score twice in six successive league and cup games, but it's just three in their last four since a 2-2 draw at The Emirates. 

The concern is that neither defence has kept a huge number of clean sheets but United are clearly improving at the back and City haven't been conceding heavily in recent matches either. I think all of that makes the Unders price far too big and that'll be my bet this week.

Joe Dyer 2014-15 P/L -9.10

Luke Moore
Back Stoke to beat Liverpool at 5.59/2
Saturday, 15:00

A solid win for me last week as Newcastle (narrowly) did the business for me against a woeful Queens Park Rangers, and I think with a few more well thought out bets I'll back on an even keel against three other tipsters that, let's be honest, aren't showing much!

I started this entry intending to back Overs in this game at a decent price of 1.9420/21, but I've changed my mind and decided to back Stoke to win at Anfield on Saturday. 5.59/2 for a team whose showpiece results have all come away from home this season, against a side that are under huge pressure and lacking in confidence, can't stop conceding, have lost at home to Aston Villa already this term...the list just goes on and on.

I can't ignore this price, and I think Mark Hughes relishes surgically placing flies in other teams' footballing ointment. He'll be saying exactly what Neil Warnock said to his charges last weekend - get in Liverpool's collective faces, turn the crowd, put Brendan Rodgers under more pressure etc. Put simply, I don't think Liverpool's manager knows what his best XI is, he's lost his way and I can see the Reds floundering again on Saturday. The price is simply to good to ignore.

Luke Moore 2014-15 P/L: -24.30

Dan Thomas
Back the Draw in West Ham v Newcastle at 3.613/5
Saturday, 15:00

I'm beginning to think I'm cursed. Sergio Aguero on absolute fire all season - I back him to score against West Ham and he misses a load of sitters. Southampton one of the most solid teams in Europe - I back them against toothless Villa and Fraser Forster loses the plot and lets a soft one in. Cue violins.

So I need a decent priced winner to get me back on track and it's to the Boleyn for my bet, where fifth plays sixth in an intriguing match-up.

Newcastle have won a scarcely believable six in a row, including famous wins at White Hart Lane and the Etihad, and a price of 3.7511/4 on the away victory certainly has some appeal, but this season's West Ham are a resilient bunch and I can see the two teams cancelling each other out. A result, I suspect, both managers might take if offered before the game.

The Hammers are without a win in three, but they were unlucky to lose 2-1 at Everton last week and would have beaten Villa in their last home outing were it not for some Brad Guzan heroics, so their form doesn't concern me - especially if they get some of their key players back from injury. 

Dan Thomas 2014-15 P/L: -42.70

A 10 bet is placed on each selection on Betfair's Exchange. Profits are calculated before commission.

Editors 2014/15 Season P/L

1. Mike Norman: +2.40
2. Joe Dyer: -9.10
3. Luke Moore: -24.30
4. Dan Thomas: -42.70

Opta Stats: West Ham United v Newcastle United

Can West Ham return to winning ways when they face in-form Newcastle?

It's a case of familiar foes this weekend when West Ham's Sam Allardyce and Newcastle's Alan Pardew face their former clubs. Opta provides the stats.

Carlton Cole has scored in three of his last four Barclays Premier League matches against Newcastle United. Cole is 3.185/40 to find the net.

Newcastle have won four and lost just one of their last eight Premier League visits to Upton Park. They are 3.711/4 to win.

This match sees former Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce (PL record at Newcastle: W7 D5 L9) against former West Ham manager Alan Pardew (PL record at West Ham: W20 D9 L26). The draw is 3.55/2.

West Ham have only won two of the last 17 Premier League matches against the Magpies (W2 D7 L8). You can lay the Hammers at 2.226/5.

West Ham have gone three Premier League games without a win for the first time since April. They are 2.26/5 to get back to winning ways.

Newcastle are looking to win six Premier League games in a row for the first time since April 2012. The draw half-time/Newcastle full-time double result is 8.415/2.

The Magpies' record run of wins in the Premier League is seven (recorded in 1994 and 1996). You can back them to equal that record by winning to nil at 6.05/1.

Andy Carroll has nine Premier League goals in 41 apps for West Ham; he scored 14 in 41 PL apps for Newcastle. The Magpies are 4.47/2 to keep a clean sheet.

Newcastle are the only team not to score a single goal in the opening 30 minutes of a Premier League game this season. The odds of the second-half containing more goals than the first are 2.111/10.

Opta Stats: Sunderland v Chelsea

Will it be smiles all round for Chelsea when they face Sunderland?

Sunderland are the next team tasked with halting Chelsea's seemingly unstoppable progress. Opta rates their chances.

There have been 53 goals scored in the last 12 Premier League games between these two sides, including 29 in the last six at the Stadium of Light. Over 2.5 goals is 1.865/6.

Chelsea have won 17 of the last 19 Barclays Premier League meetings with Sunderland. They are 1.422/5 to win.

Cesc Fabregas has scored four goals against Sunderland in the Premier League, more than he has netted against any other opponent in the competition. Fabregas is 3.412/5 to score.

Fabregas has scored in three of his four Premier League matches against the Black Cats at the Stadium of Light. He is 8.07/1 to score the first goal.

There have been 12 goals scored in the opening 20 minutes of the last 10 Premier League games between Chelsea and Sunderland. The odds of the first-half containing the most goals are 3.259/4.

Sunderland have lost their last nine Premier League home games against Chelsea. Another win for Chelsea would set a Premier League record for consecutive home defeats to the same opposition. Chelsea are 2.111/10 to win half-time/full-time.

Diego Costa has scored 11 goals in 10 Premier League appearances, while Sunderland's Jozy Altidore has scored two in 65. Costa is 1.728/11 to score, with Altidore at 4.57/2.

Since the start of last season, Costa has scored 38 goals in 45 league matches. Within the top five Euro Leagues, only Cristiano Ronaldo (51) has more in this period (Messi also has 38 goals). Costa is 4.03/1 to score the first goal.

There have been three own goals netted in the last three PL meetings between Sunderland and Chelsea. Both teams to score is 2.1411/10.

Rumours: Liverpool and Arsenal battle for Xherdan Shaqiri

Is di Maria Paris bound?

Angel di Maria could be leaving Old Trafford (I have a feeling this story will rumble) and a Bayern Munich squad player is wanted by top English clubs.

Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly preparing a surprise close-season bid for Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria.

Di Maria only joined the Red Devils in the summer from Real Madrid for a fee close to 60million but that recent move does not appear to have dampened the interest of PSG boss Laurent Blanc who sees the Argentinian as a potential target.

The Parisian club were heavily linked with Di Maria before he joined United but found their spending powers restricted by the Financial Fair Play rules. French newspaper Le 10 Sport has reported that PSG will make an approach for the 26-year-old next summer, especially if the Premier League outfit fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Bet 10 Get 30 with Betfair Plus Money Back if you Lose

Elsewhere and the Mirror understands that Tottenham will look to solve their defensive woes by signing Ajax right-back Ricardo van Rhijn in January. Spurs sent scouts to France to cast an eye over the 23-year-old in the recent 3-1 Champions League loss to PSG.

The Dutch international is seen as the man to replace the injury-plagued Kyle Walker and provide a bit more stability for the north London club. Van Rhijn is expected to cost around 5million and comes highly rated after scoring two goals and providing one assist in his 11 league starts this season.

Staying with Spurs and the club have confirmed scout Paul Mitchell has been appointed after leaving Southampton. Mitchell is credited with bringing in Graziano Pelle, Dusan Tadic and Sadio Mane this summer and Tottenham are hopeful he can continue to seek out top talent.

According to ITV Sport, Mauricio Pochettino is hoping that Mitchell can use his Saints links to secure deals for Morgan Schneiderlin and Jay Rodriguez when the January transfer window comes around.

The Mirror has reported that Bayern Munich are prepared to allow out-of-favour midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri to leave on loan in January. Arsenal and Liverpool have been heavily linked with the Swiss international and will be buoyed by the recent turn of events. The Bavarian club will allow the 23-year-old to spend the second half of the season out on loan in return for a 1.5million fee, with the option to make the switch permanent for 12million at the end of the campaign. The former Basel man has found first-team chances hard to come by, with Franck Ribery, Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Wolfsburg v Everton: Toffees to come unstuck in the Wolves' lair

Kevin De Bruyne - genius on the pitch, naughty scamp off it

Everton have managed to stay unbeaten in the Europa League so far, but Kevin Hatchard suspects that run could come to an end at in-form Wolfsburg...

Wolfsburg v Everton
Thursday November 27, 18:00
Live on ITV4

When Group H was drawn, it was described by many as a typical "Group of Death". Everton, Lille and Wolfsburg all seemed to be on a similar level, with Krasnodar the whipping boys. That's pretty much how it has worked out, but Everton and their astute manager Roberto Martinez deserve huge credit for remaining unbeaten so far. 

Gutsy draws in Russia and France have been blended with convincing home wins against Wolfsburg (4-1) and Lille (3-0), and Everton realistically need just a point to progress. In truth, even if they lose this game in Germany, I would still expect the Toffeemen to beat Krasnodar at Goodison and book their place in the last 32. They might not even need to do that.

Wolfsburg had a wobble at the weekend as they lost 3-2 at Schalke (one of their bogey sides), but their form over the last couple of months has been superb. Before that reverse at the Veltins Arena, Dieter Hecking's men had racked up eight wins in a row, scoring 25 goals in the process. Indeed, the Wolves have scored at least twice in each of their last eight games.

Wolfsburg's driving force in attack has been Chelsea reject Kevin de Bruyne, who couldn't convince Jose Mourinho that he has the right mentality to succeed at the highest level. While he has been known to attract attention for his exploits off the field, the willowy winger has been simply sensational on the pitch. He leads the Bundesliga with nine assists, and his elusive running and dead-ball delivery is proving tough for opposition defences to handle. The Bundesliga seems to agree with him - he previously excelled during a season-long loan with Werder Bremen.

Everton are without some key players. Influential left-back Leighton Baines and in-form forward Steven Naismith are both injured, while Darron Gibson, Gareth Barry and Steven Pienaar have all been sidelined. Ivorian striker Arouna Kone could play for the first time in over a year after recovering from a serious knee injury.

With a huge game against Borussia Monchengladbach coming up this weekend, Wolfsburg boss Hecking has suggested he will make changes to his starting eleven, but I still think stars like De Bruyne will start. Wolfsburg have lavished money on a deep squad, and they know only a victory will guarantee qualification. I think 1.865/6 looks a decent price for the home win, especially as the hosts have improved massively from that demoralising night at Goodison Park.

Recommended Bet
Back Wolfsburg to win at 1.865/6

2014/15 Europa League P/L (1 pt per bet)

Points Staked: 38

Points Returned: 45.76

P/L: +7.76 points

Champions League - What teams need from final game

Anfield will be up for the final game against Basel

Alex Johnson takes us through all the ins and outs for the final games of the group stage of the Champions League.

The Champions League group finale does not always live up to expectations, with many issues already decided by that point.

This year there are a couple of deciding games coming up in two weeks' time. We look at the permutations for Matchday Six on December 9 & 10.

For last season's Premier League champions and runners-up, qualification somehow remains in their own hands despite some hugely underwhelming performances.

Manchester City and Liverpool know that victory in their final games will secure them runners-up spots in their respective groups.

Manuel Pellegrini's side snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Bayern Munich this week and that was enough to ensure a win in Rome will send them through.

The smash-and-grab victory against 10-man Bayern was their first in this season's competition, making it all the more remarkable.

City must better CSKA Moscow's result against Bayern - but if they lose their game against Roma, or it ends in a 0-0 draw, they would go out of the competition.

Roma would progress with a draw unless the Russians can win at the home of the reigning Bundesliga champions.

Bet 10 Get 30 with Betfair Plus Money Back if you Lose

Like City, Liverpool have won only once in the competition - courtesy of Steven Gerrard's stoppage-time penalty against Bulgarian newcomers Ludogorets all the way back on Matchday One.

Ludogorets earned a measure of revenge when Georgi Terziev headed in a late equaliser on Wednesday night in the return game.

It all means that Brendan Rodgers' side simply must defeat Basel at Anfield to progress alongside defending champions Real Madrid.

The famous 'European night' atmosphere will engulf the Merseyside venue but anything less than victory and the Swiss side will advance.

Chelsea and Arsenal secured their progress this week. The Blues comfortably topped Group G while Arsenal, despite beating Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates, need an unlikely positive result for Anderlecht at the Westfalenstadion to give them any hope of claiming top spot in Group D.

In Group G, Schalke must win away at Maribor and hope Jose Mourinho's side account for Sporting Lisbon at Stamford Bridge.

In Group A, last season's runners-up Atletico Madrid require a point against Juventus in Turin to take top spot. A draw would also be enough to see the Serie A champions hold off a late surge from Olympiakos.

Despite slipping to defeat in the BayArena against Monaco in their penultimate game, Bayer Leverkusen are assured of a place in the last 16.

Zenit St Petersburg kept alive their hopes of making the knockout stage for the third time in four years with a 1-0 over Benfica on Wednesday.

The Russians will require their second away win of the season when they face Monaco to make that a reality.

Porto's victory over BATE Borisov this week ensured they will top Group H ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk in second spot.

Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona may have steamrollered their way through Group F but the former's 3-2 success at the Parc des Princes back in September ensures a thrilling race for top spot will conclude at the Nou Camp.

Neither dropped a point in accounting for Ajax and Apoel Nicosia along the way but both camps will be all too aware of the inherent danger of finishing as runners-up.

Eleven teams have booked their spots in the knockout phase and can look forward to Champions League football early next year.

Five more elusive spots will be decided on Matchday Six with no fewer than 11 clubs still daring to dream of progress.

The Big Match Tactical View: West Brom v Arsenal

Alexis Sanchez is in superb goalscoring form

Saturday's early kick-off sees a meeting between West Brom and Arsenal, who have both lost their last two Premier League games. Michael Cox looks at the tactics, while Alan Thompson has the lowdown on the best bets.

West Brom v Arsenal
Saturday 12:45, BT Sport 1.
Match Odds: West Brom 4.67/2, Arsenal 1.910/11, The Draw 3.814/5.

Arsenal have received plenty of criticism in recent weeks, and come into this fixture on the back of two consecutive league defeats. However, West Bromwich Albion have also lost their last two matches, against Newcastle and Chelsea, so both will be lacking confidence.

Arsenal have a decent record against West Brom in terms of picking up victories, but they never seem to perform particularly well against the Baggies. There's also a concern they struggle with early kick-offs on Saturday, although many of these defeats have been against the Premier League's biggest sides.

Alan Irvine has often named an unchanged team throughout this season, although he made four changes ahead of the game against Chelsea last weekend, a 2-0 defeat.

Claudio Yacob was sent off against Chelsea, which means Irvine will be forced to change his midfield, although Yacob was making his first start of the season anyway, and Craig Gardner and James Morrison have brought more guile to West Brom's midfield. Alternatively, there's a chance Youssouf Mulumbu could be recalled to give the defence protection against Arsenal's midfield.

This selection decision is probably Irvine's main dilemma. At the back, West Brom haven't been particularly secure this season, but there aren't many options to change things. Chris Baird played ahead of Sebastian Pocognoli at left-back last weekend, but this altered little.

Going forward, there shouldn't be many surprises for the home side. Chris Brunt and Graham Dorrans should start in the wide positions, and the former's set-pieces could be particularly useful. West Brom have scored 13 goals this season, but only five have been netted by Baggies players in open play. Four have come from set-pieces, three have been penalties, and one has been an own goal.

Arsenal have defended corners poorly this season, so it could be worth backing a West Brom centre-back - either Craig Dawson or Joleon Lescott - to open the scoring. In this fixture last season, Yacob headed the opener in the aftermath of a corner.

Arsene Wenger continues to suffer from significant injury problems. Although Laurent Koscielny has returned to full training, he might not be risked from the outset. Arsenal have also suffered injuries to Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta in the last two games, which leaves Wenger with few midfield options. Mathieu Flamini should be recalled. 

Arsenal's formation this season has been unpredictable. Sometimes they play three midfielders in a 4-3-3 formation, however on other occasions it's more like 4-2-3-1 or even 4-4-1-1. 

For this game, there is no reason to diverge significantly from the shape which defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on Wednesday evening. That was a return to the 4-2-3-1 system, with Santi Cazorla playing centrally and creating both goals.

With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain motoring up and down the right, and Alexis Sanchez cutting inside dangerously from the left, Arsenal had plenty of attacking options. Yaya Sanogo started upfront in midweek, although Olivier Giroud or Danny Welbeck should play at the Hawthorns.

Arsenal should try to attack quickly: West Brom can be very well organised when their midfield protects the back four, although the lack of pace at centre-back could be worrying for Irvine's side against the likes of Welbeck, Sanchez and maybe even Theo Walcott.

I'm not convinced Arsenal will keep a clean sheet here, so they could be in for a difficult test, but West Brom tend to concede lots of goals themselves, and could struggle against Arsenal's pace. I like the sound of Arsenal to score in both halves, and will back that at 2.915/8.

Recommended Bet
Back Arsenal to score in both halves at 2.915/8

The Betfair Trader's View: Alan Thompson

Over the previous two seasons Arsenal have lost just once in 20 games away from home against bottom half sides (the defeat coming at Norwich in October of 2010). On the road this season against sides I expect to be bottom half they have won at Sunderland (0-2), Aston Villa (0-3) drawn at Leicester (1-1) and I am undecided if their defeat at Swansea (2-1) will yet prove to be a second defeat in 24 starts against a bottom half side. From their six away games to date only Southampton (5) have conceded fewer goals on the road than Arsenal (7) and they have only failed to score at Stamford Bridge.

Alan Irvines’s men are having a tough time with only one win (Leicester 1-0) in their last seven starts in all competitions and their only home clean sheet coming against Burnley (4-0). In their other five home games they have conceded 10 goals (exactly two in each game) – only Everton (12) have conceded more home goals so far this campaign. Last season though at home against the top six sides they performed exceptionally well only losing to Man City (2-3). The other five games were all score draws! With Saido Berahino in the side they certainly have someone who can trouble the Gunners, he is responsible for seven of their 13 goals this season. However, WBA have failed to score in their last three starts.

You have to go back to January 2012 to find the last time that Arsene Wenger’s men lost three consecutive Premier League games and I can’t see that happening here. I think there is value in backing Arsenal to win at anything over [1.9] but it’s also worth just having a cheap saver on 1-1 @ 8.4

Sunderland v Chelsea: Back superior Blues to carry on their dominance

Jose Mourinho's side are the best in the division by a distance

Luke Moore previews Chelsea's visit to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland and can't see any other outcome than an away win for Jose Mourinho's men...

Sunderland v Chelsea
Saturday 29th November 2014, 17:30
Live on Sky Sports 1

Sunderland

Although the main thing Sunderland are known for this season is the 8-0 drubbing at the hands of an impressive Southampton last month, they've actually bounced back reasonably well since and are unbeaten in their last three games, including a now-decent-looking 1-3 win at Crystal Palace.

Gus Poyet knows it's still going to be a battle to maintain their Premier League status this season however, and domestic games don't come any harder than a visit of Chelsea. The Black Cats' record against the Stamford Bridge is absolutely woeful - they've lost their last nine home games against them in a row.

If Poyet's side are to pull off a frankly miraculous result on Saturday teatime, then they may need to do it without Emmanuele Giaccherini who is still struggling to recover from an ankle injury.

Chelsea

Chelsea are by far the best team in the Premier League at the moment, and it's hard to see any other side stopping them between now and May. Put simply, they'll be domestic champions this season. No-one else has the tools or consistency to stand in their way.

Jose Mourinho's team is an iron fist in a velvet glove, a perfect combination of technical dexterity, physical power and consistently correct decision making. They are tough to stop in 90 minutes, let alone beat. The only danger, and one that Mourinho seems to continue to guard against, is that they somehow beat themselves.

What's more, the Blues have a clean bill of health and will likely line up with a full-strength side on Saturday evening.

Match Odds

Odds for this market are pretty much as you'd expect - Chelsea are short-priced favourites (1.422/5) and Sunderland are big outsiders, way out at 10.09/1. I've already mentioned the home side's utterly appalling record against Chelsea at the Stadium of Light and so for that reason their big price is completely justified. 

Although I think this will be an away win, looking at some of Chelsea's recent results they've occasionally done just enough to get by, and so I think I'll leave this market alone. Of course, if the Blues are motivated to break as many records as they can on their way to the title, there's a chance Sunderland could be steam-rollered, but there's not huge value anyway, 1.422/5 isn't really getting me excited.

If you fancy The Draw by the way, that's currently trading at 5.04/1.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals

I think this market is also dependent on Chelsea's attitude going into the game. They rode roughshod all over Schalke midweek, and it's not as though I can see Sunderland keeping them out for very long; Opta tell us that there have been 12 goals in the opening 20 minutes in the last ten games between these sides and so we should expect goals.

Sunderland average about a goal a game anyway, and John Terry and his merry men have only kept one clean sheet in their last give league games. At 1.855/6, Overs seems a reasonably safe call. I'll go with it.

If you want to take me on, Unders is currently priced up at 2.1211/10.

Half Time/Full Time

We've already established that there tends to be early goals in this game, and so we have a trend to tap into. If we ally that with the fact that Chelsea are the best team in the league and are scoring hatfuls of goals, it makes sense to back Chelsea/Chelsea in this market.

That should be available at around 2.245/4ish between now and kick off, so get on it and back the away side to be leading at the break and the final whistle.

Recommended Bets
Back Over 2.5 Goals at 1.855/6
Back Chelsea/Chelsea in the Half Time/Full Time market 2.245/4 or better

Luke Moore 2014-15 Premier League P/L

Staked: 29pts
Returned: 29.69pts
P/L: +0.69pts

New Customer Offer - Chelsea to win at 4/1!

Not joined Betfair yet? Take advantage of our great Sportsbook offer – 4/1 on Chelsea to win and money back if you lose, as a free bet!

(max 10, applies to Sportsbook bets only, winnings topped up within 24 hours, paid as free bets)

Estoril v PSV: Expect Dutch delight in the Europa League

Phillip Cocu's PSV are on a roll

Having taken in games from Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, Kevin Hatchard continues his European jaunt in Portugal tonight. 

Estoril v PSV
Thursday November 27, 20:05

As a tipster you assess a range of selections, and at times you talk yourself into backing winners, but at other times you can talk yourself out of a good wager. That's what happened last night, as I went for Over 2.5 Goals in Anderlecht v Galatasaray instead of backing the hosts. Anderlecht won 2-0. Gah!!!

That means all three of this week's selections have missed out by just one goal, but never mind, we battle on. It's the Europa League this evening, and a vital clash between Portuguese outfit Estoril and Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven.

PSV will qualify for the last 32 with a win or a draw, while Estoril have to go for it, having lost three of their four group matches so far. One of those defeats was a 1-0 reverse in Eindhoven, and Estoril need to somehow turn around their poor recent form.

Estoril have won just one of their last seven games in all competitions, and their home form is equally shaky, with just two victories from the last eight outings at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra Da Mota. Indeed, the Canaries have won one Primeira Liga game on home soil this season.

I think this game is tailor-made for PSV, as they can invite Estoril to attack them, and then use their abundant pace on the counter. PSV are flying high - the Eredivisie leaders are unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions, and they have won four of their last five away games.  Phillip Cocu's men tend to play well on the road in the Europa League - stretching back into last season they have won five of their last eight UEL road games.

PSV have plenty of firepower - Gladbach and Newcastle flop Luuk De Jong has scored in his last three games, Memphis Depay is one of the rising stars of Dutch football, and the excellent Adam Maher carries a big goal threat in midfield.

I really fancy the visitors, and I'm delighted to see them trading at 2.427/5 for the win. Take advantage of that chunky price.

Recommended Bet

Back PSV to win at 2.427/5 

2014 P/L (1 pt per bet)

Points Staked: 59

Points Returned: 54.41

P/L: -4.59 points

четверг, 27 ноября 2014 г.

Ligue 1 Betting: Marseille and Rennes the value picks

Marcelo Bielsa looks on before l'OM's 3-1 win over Bordeaux

After another profitable weekend last time out, James Eastham picks out the smartest selections on the latest round of French League fixtures, including two big televised clashes...

Marseille v Nantes (1st v 4th)
Fri, 19:30 GMT
Live on BT Sport 1

Marseille produced a heavyweight performance to beat Bordeaux 3-1 last weekend. They went 1-0 down on 55 minutes but equalised five minutes later and then showed they have character as well as class by scoring twice in the final 10 minutes.

That win ensured Marseille are top of the table going into this week's fixtures. The attendance at Stade Velodrome was 54,323 and there will be another huge crowd this weekend.

Nantes are exceeding expectations (4th) but are a limited side. Their away record is good (W3-D2-L1) but that's more down to the teams they've faced -  Metz, Bastia, Guingamp, Evian and Caen. The only time they faced decent opposition they lost (2-0 at Lille).

Even at home Nantes have dropped points every time they've faced a good team (0-1 v Monaco, 1-1 v Lyon, 0-0 v St Etienne). This step-up in class will be too much for a side with some good Ligue 1 pros but mediocre compared to Marseille in all areas of the field.

Marseille are 1.594/7 to win. For better odds back the hosts -1.0 Asian handicap (for more on how to use the Asian handicap markets, click here). That way you'll make money if Marseille win by two goals or more.

Recommended Bet
Marseille -1.0 Asian handicap @ 2.01/1

Rennes v Monaco (7th v 8th)
Sat, 19:00 GMT

Monaco's status as favourites to win this game owes more to reputation than reason. Monaco may have finished Ligue 1 runners-up last season but have been far more mediocre this season.

Going into the game they lie eighth having won only five of their opening 14 Ligue 1 fixtures (W5-D5-L4). Their away record is a respectable W3-D2-L2 but two of those away wins came against struggling Montpellier and Bastia, and their other win was against a Nantes side whose current league position is misleading because they've had easy fixtures.

Rennes are 2pts above Monaco and an excellent W4-D1-L1 at home. The hosts are unbeaten in seven games (W5-D2-L0) and will be fresher - unlike Monaco, who faced Bayer Leverkusen away in the Champions League on Wednesday night, Rennes had no midweek commitments.

The price of 2.982/1 on Rennes is fantastic value. Either back them to win or back Rennes Draw No Bet (DNB). With the second wager you'll get your money back if the game ends all-square.

Recommended Bet
Rennes DNB @ 2.111/10

St Etienne v Lyon (6th v 3rd)
Sun, 20:00 GMT
Live on BT Sport 2

St Etienne are favourites to win this derby but it's hard to agree with the market's view of the game.

First, Lyon are three places and 4pts above St Etienne in the Ligue 1 table. Second, St Etienne have only the 11th-best home record in the division (W3-D3-L1).

Third, St Etienne's Ligue 1 form immediately after European encounters is moderate - W2-D2-L2 or 1.33 points-per-game, as opposed to 1.64 points-per-game generally this season. Fourth, Lyon arrive in formidable form - they're W5-D1-L0 since the start of October and W7-D3-L0 since the start of September.

All things considered Lyon are a good bet to avoid defeat, especially as they're underdogs on the night. Either back them to win or back them with a small Asian handicap start once the market is liquid, nearer to kick-off. With the Asian handicap wager you'll make money if Lyon win or the game ends in a draw.

Recommended Bet
Lyon +0&+0.5 Asian handicap @ 1.855/6 or better

2014-15 P/L (1pt per bet)

Staked: 43pts
Returned: 46.73pts
P/L: +3.73pts

Extra, Extra! Yaya Sanogo finally scores as Arsenal win

Alexis Sanchez was terrific yet again for Arsenal

Arsenal sealed their place in the last-16 of the Champions League thanks to a 2-0 Group D home win against Borussia Dortmund.

French starlet Yaya Sanogo needed only 73 seconds of his first Gunners start since August to fire the hosts ahead at the Emirates Stadium, before Chile international Alexis Sanchez bagged his 13th goal in 20 appearances since his big-money summer move from Barcelona to seal the win in the second half.

In addition to a much-needed win and a rare clean sheet for Arsene Wenger's men, the three points keep alive their hopes of beating Dortmund to top spot in Group D going into the knockout rounds.

However they will have to win in Turkey against Galatasaray in their final match next month and hope Anderlecht do them a favour by winning against Dortmund in Germany.

Arsenal, who were looking to bounce back form Saturday evening's disappointing 2-1 home defeat against Manchester United in the Premier League, started brightly and made a dream start when going in front inside the second minute.

Sanogo knocked the ball to Santi Cazorla on the edge of the area and then beat the offside trap to collect the return pass down the right before firing a low effort past Roman Weidenfeller.

Bet 10 Get 30 with Betfair Plus Money Back if you Lose

He should have grabbed his and Arsenal's second in the ninth minute as he got in beyond the Dortmund defence and raced through on goal. However he failed to get a shot off and momentarily lost possession of the ball, before getting a second chance only to see the goal-bound strike well blocked by defender Matthias Ginter.

Dortmund managed to come back into the game and the stretching Ciro Immobile was not far away from diverting Lukasz Piszczek's lovely right-wing cross into the net at the back post in the 19th minute.

The German outfit had their best chance in the 39th minute when the Gunners' defence were caught sleeping as Henrikh Mkhitaryan latched onto a Piszczek's head down into the area and his low strike was well saved by the legs of Damian Martinez at his near post.

Dortmund had more purpose about them at the start of the second half but it was Arsenal who looked the more likely to add to the scoreline.

On 51 minutes a quick counter-attack saw Sanchez burst through the middle before lashing a low strike from outside the box which Weidenfeller dived across to his left to push past his post.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain went even closer three minutes later when his half-volley from just outside the box looped over the stranded Weidenfeller but rebounded off the crossbar and bounced away to safety for the visitors.

The killer second goal did arrive on 57 minutes when Sanchez collected a Cazorla pass to him down the left channel before he cut inside Piszczek and curled a right-foot effort into the far corner of the net.

Dortmund enjoyed some good possession as the game edged towards full time but they never really troubled the Arsenal defence.

Ilkay Gundogan forced Martinez into a low save in the 82nd minute when he fired an effort at goal from just outside the area after the Gunners cleared a right-wing corner into his path.

Martinez pulled off a decent close-range stop in the second minute of stoppage time to deny substitute Adrian Ramos a consolation and preserved a deserved clean-sheet for the Gunners.

Premier League 3pm Kick-Offs: Goalless draw a big player in early-season relegation battle

Hopefully Redknapp will have little to smile about on Saturday

There are half a dozen games kicking off at the traditional time of 3pm on Saturday afternoon and Mike Norman, using a combination of Opta stats, current form, and his own thoughts, has previewed them all...

Burnley 2.245/4 v Aston Villa 3.7511/4; The Draw 3.412/5

I never for one moment thought that during this Premier League season I'd be saying that Burnley are strong favourites to make it three wins on the bounce. But that's exactly what we have here, and for me it highlights just how low on quality the Premier League is becoming. But that's a story for another day.

Take nothing away from the Clarets; they took advantage of an out-of-form Hull side and the win they secured over the Tigers obviously provided Sean Dyche's men with a huge lift, enough for them to go to Stoke last Saturday and record their first away win of the season.

Villa meanwhile are now eight league games without a win and they've taken just two points from the last 24 available, scoring a miserly two goals in the process.

Paul Lambert's men have scored just two goals on their travels all season and they continue to be one of the poorest sides in the country whenn it comes to recording shots on target.

I really don't see any reason to desert Burnley here - and that's something else I didn't think I'd be saying this season - especially as Opta tell us that they've lost none of their last 13 home matches against Villa.

I'm not confident at all, but it's just impossible to make a case for Villa, and rightly so the Under 2.5 Goals option is priced at 1.664/6 which is not my idea of a price I like to recommend.

Recommended Bet
Back Burnley to Win @ 2.245/4

Liverpool 1.758/11 v Stoke 5.59/2; The Draw 4.03/1

Laying Liverpool at odds-on has been a tremendous way to profit this season but repeating that strategy here could lead to burnt fingers.

Admittedly it's hard to be extremely confident about the Reds winning for the first time in five league games but a home match against Stoke offers a great opportunity.

True, Mark Hughes' men have been decent on the road this term, winning at both Manchester City and Tottenham, but they come into this game on the back of a very disappointing loss to Burnley, and what's more, they have a horrendous record at Anfield.

The Potters have failed to win at Liverpool in their last 29 league visits, and they've taken just four points from a possible 87 in that sequence. Suddenly, confidence in a home victory rises dramatically.

But I'm going elsewhere for my wager in this match as Opta tell us that Rickie Lambert has scored in three of his four games against Stoke. Providing he starts - and I see no reason why he won't following goals in his last two starts for the Reds - then he looks a decent bet to get on the scoresheet again.

Recommended Bet
Back Rickie Lambert To Score @ 2.89/5

Manchester United 1.331/3 v Hull 12.011/1; The Draw 5.85/1

Despite United being strong favourites to win this game we're getting a decent price about them to win without conceding because of their defensive frailties, but it was a wager that paid out for us when they beat Crystal Palace 1-0 and it's a bet worth repeating.

In fact, United haven't conceded more than once in a game at Old Trafford since the opening day of the season - they've kept two clean sheets in that time and they restricted in-form West Ham, Everton, and free-scoring Chelsea to just one goal apiece.

So maybe their defence - whoever lines up in it - isn't as bad as we make it out to be.

United certainly defended well for the last 60 minutes at Arsenal last weekend and it's fair to say that Hull should present far less of a goalscoring threat than any side the Red Devils have faced in the last few months.

The Tigers are without a win in five Premier League games, and they've hit the back of the net just once in the last four of those matches. Another clean sheet for Louis van Gaal's men looks a distinct possibility.

Recommended Bet
Back Man Utd Win to Nil @ 2.26/5

QPR 2.447/5 v Leicester 3.39/4; The Draw 3.45n/a

This is a huge game for both clubs involved and I wouldn't be surprised at all if they cancelled each other out. The goalless draw is a massive player in my eyes.

I very nearly went for 0-0 in last weekend's game involving Leicester and Sunderland (instead I went for Under 1.5 Goals at a still rewarding 3.711/4) but much of what I thought ahead of that game still rings true for this encounter.

And by that I mean that we have two poor sides in opposition, two teams that don't score many goals, that are relatively out of form, and above all else, will be petrified of losing this game.

The Foxes are without a win in seven matches, and in six of those games they failed to score a single goal, while for QPR it's just one win in nine meaning they sit bottom of the Premier League table currently.

Many will point to the fact that Harry Redknapp's men score plenty at Loftus Road, but against the likes of Liverpool and Man City it was almost like a free game, they weren't expected to win and they could go out and play with little pressure. This game will be totally different.

Of course, it only takes a sending off, an own goal, a moment of magic etc to spoil the bet, but that's why the 0-0 is priced at 11.5n/a and not much shorter, but if this games goes how I expect it to then I'm expecting a very cagey affair with little goalmouth action.

Recommended Bet
Back 0-0 Correct Score @ 11.5n/a (best bet)

Swansea 1.834/5 v Crystal Palace 5.24/1; The Draw 3.7511/4

This looks like a home banker. Swansea have been terrific at the Liberty Stadium all season with six wins and a draw from their eight league and cup outings.

Even when losing narrowly, and late on, to Southampton - largely due to the fact that they had to play most of the game with 10 men - Garry Monk's side were arguably the better team, and they responded brilliantly to the loss by thrashing Everton 3-0 in their very next home game.

Fresh from a home victory over Arsenal, and with Opta telling us that they have an excellent recent record against Palace (won four and drew two of the last six meetings), Swansea look a decent bet to record another win at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

True, Crystal Palace beat Liverpool last weekend at Selhurst Park but away from home they are yet to record a clean sheet in the league this season, and they've conceded an average of exactly two goals per game on the road.

Recommended Bet
Back Swansea to Win @ 1.834/5

West Ham 2.186/5 v Newcastle 3.7511/4; The Draw 3.613/5

After a terrific run of form West Ham have now gone three games without a win, and on the face of it trailing 2-0 at Stoke (before rescuing a point) given how the Potters are performing on home soil, and failing to beat out-of-form Aston Villa, were perhaps signs that Sam Allardyce's men had just gone off the boil.

Losing narrowly at Everton last weekend was far from a disgrace however given that they had four or five key players absent through injury (Diafra Sakho, Enner Valencia, Stewart Downing, Alex Song and Cheikhou Kouyate), and providing two or three of those return on Saturday then I envisage the Hammers performing well.

In opposition however is one of the Premier League's in-form sides. Newcastle have now racked up six wins on the bounce in all competitions including wins at Tottenham and Manchester City. For a few hours on Saturday, quite remarkably, the Magpies were in a Champions League qualifying position.

Confidence couldn't be higher amongst Alan Pardew's men, and with Opta stating that Newcastle have a good record against the Hammers (lost just two of their last 17 Premier League encounters) I can see them taking at least a point from the Boleyn Ground and wouldn't put anyone off backing them to win.

But I'm expecting this to be an entertaining game between two sides with a lot of belief at present, and being able to back Over 2.5 Goals at a shade over evens looks appealing.

Recommended Bet
Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.021/1

Premier League 2014/15 Season P/L

Staked: 64 pts
Returned: 65.48 pts
P/L: + 0.48 pts

*based on 1pt each bet, 2pts best bet

Champions League: Are Chelsea being underestimated?

Chelsea are as big a threat in Europe as the Premier League

Michael Lintorn thinks that fourth favourites Chelsea are an attractive bet to win the Champions League...

Whereas you can't pick up a paper between Friday and Monday without reading some reference to Chelsea going the entire Premier League campaign unbeaten - an 11.010/1 prospect on Betfair - their Champions League credentials don't seem to be getting anywhere near as much midweek publicity.

The Blues confirmed that they will be participating in the round-of-16 for the 11th time in 12 seasons with a game to spare courtesy of a 5-0 victory away to the same Schalke side who have held Bayern Munich and defeated Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga this term.

However, Jose Mourinho's men are just fourth favourites to win the competition at 7.26/1, a price which puts them behind Bayern Munich 4.216/5, Real Madrid 4.57/2 and Barcelona 6.86/1.

Both Chelsea and Mourinho have exceptional records in the competition, with three triumphs and a runners-up medal between them in the past 11 years alone.

The Special One has taken whichever team he has been managing to the semi-finals in all five editions to date this decade, while the Londoners have been that far a phenomenal seven times in the last 11 years.

The most significant argument in their favour is that they made it all the way to the final four last season with a squad that nobody rated too highly which was only good enough to finish third in the Premier League despite Man United underperforming, eliminating Paris St-Germain along the way.

Chelsea's side which were 47 minutes shy of reaching a Champions League final has been enhanced enormously, with the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Nemanja Matic (cup-tied before), Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa in for Mark Schwarzer, David Luiz, Ramires and Fernando Torres, who started that day.

There is greater depth as well, particularly in attack. Against Maribor, Loic Remy deputised for Costa, scored and then made way for Didier Drogba, who also struck. Then, both the Ivorian and Ramires came off the bench to net in the 5-0 rout against Schalke.

If you subscribe to the view that they will win the Premier League title without much of a struggle, as their eight-point lead over champions Man City and Betfair odds of 1.211/5 indicate the majority indeed do, then that should be beneficial to their European challenge.

It is arguable that Bayern Munich in 2012/13 and Chelsea in 2011/12 both benefitted from reduced domestic strain, the former because they won the Bundesliga so easily and the latter due to being off the pace in the Premier League and therefore prioritising the cups instead.

SPOTY Betting: Podium awaits former Tottenham star

Gareth Bale has enjoyed a successful 2014 under great pressure

Michael Lintorn is backing Gareth Bale to achieve a top-three BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award finish...

After a rather impressive BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award shortlist in 2013 - Chris Froome polled sixth despite winning the Tour de France - the 2014 edition feels like a return to the usual underwhelming non-Olympic-year calibre.

There are two exceptional candidates: 1.364/11 frontrunner Rory McIlroy, who won two of the four golf majors as well as being part of Europe's latest Ryder Cup-winning team, and Lewis Hamilton, who is 4.1n/a having prevailed in an enthralling Formula One Drivers' Championship battle with Nico Rosberg.

The fact that there is nobody else shorter than 70.0 in the betting emphasises that the standard isn't particularly high beyond that. It also indicates that there is a strong chance of 70.069/1 hopeful Gareth Bale completing a third all-male podium in four years.

Footballers don't win the award too often. The sport has only provided two victors this century, though admittedly one was rather inexplicably Ryan Giggs in the similarly unremarkable 2009.

However, there has been an average of just short of a footballer every two years in the top three since 1998 and Bale's circumstances are fairly unique.

He was involved in the most expensive transfer deal of all time, joining Real Madrid for 85 million, thrived under the enormous pressure of having to instantly prove that he belonged alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and ended his debut season as a Champions League and Copa del Rey winner.

Bale hasn't shirked his international duties to focus on succeeding in Spain either, starting all four of Wales' Euro 2016 qualifiers to date as they have gone unbeaten in Group B and scoring twice.

The Welsh factor that is one of his greatest assets. If you produced an Olympics-style medal table of Sports Personality of the Year recipients since 2007, Wales would top it with two firsts (Joe Calzaghe and Giggs) and a second (Leigh Halfpenny last year). Bale has sole access to the Welsh vote in 2014.

Bale is an appetising 2.68/5 to finish in the top three and should be assisted by his perceived main adversaries like Jo Pavey 2.3611/8, Lizzy Yarnold 8.07/1 and Charlotte Dujardin 10.5n/a all being English.

National pride has taken on increased prominence in the voting recently, with last year the first time ever that no English man or woman made the podium. There was only one in 2011 too, whereas before that there had been at least two a year in every instalment since 1972.

Recommended Bet: Back Gareth Bale for a top-three finish @ 2.68/5

Championship Betting: Blackpool to finally win on the road

Will Lee Clark get his first win as Blackpool boss on Saturday?

Mike Norman provides us with three more recommended wagers from Saturday's Championship fixtures, including two in-form home sides as well as perhaps a surprising best bet selection...

Bolton 2.3611/8 v Huddersfield 3.259/4; The Draw 3.613/5

Bolton slightly disappointed in only drawing 1-1 away at Blackpool last Saturday, but they remain of interest and their recent home form entitles them to win this game.

Neil Lennon has overseen three home wins on the spin since he took over at the Macron Stadium and in each of those games the Trotters scored exactly three goals. Brentford, flying high in the table, Cardiff, and Wigan were the opposition, so it's not exactly as if Bolton had some easy matches on paper either (not that there are any of them in this division).

Saturday's opposition Huddersfield have slipped to 14th in the table following just one win in six games and they've conceded three goals in each of their last two away matches - both resulting in defeats.

In fact the Terriers have an extremely poor defensive record on the road; they've managed just one clean all season and in their other nine league and cup away games they've conceded at least three goals on six occasions. Stats, trends, and current form all point to a home victory.

Recommended Bet
Back Bolton to Win @ 2.3611/8

Brentford 2.3211/8 v Wolves 3.259/4; The Draw 3.711/4

This match is almost an identical replica of the above game in that the home side are the team in form, whereas the away side are the ones struggling at present.

I said just a few weeks ago that newly-promoted Brentford could be proud of their mid-table position at this higher level, but since then the Bees have won four straight league games and moved up to fifth in the table.

Mark Warbuton's men have scored 10 goals in those four victories and three of the wins were against top-of-the-table Derby, and early season promotion fancies Nottingham Forest and Fulham. There's no doubt that they are high on confidence and capable of making it five wins on the spin against out-of-form Wolves.

In stark contrast to Brentford, Kennny Jackett's men have conceded 10 goals in three straight defeats including a 5-0 thrashing at Derby and a 0-3 home loss to Forest, coincidentally two of the sides that Brentford defeated in recent weeks.

Form is often turned on its head in this division but on what we've witnessed in recent weeks it's hard to get away from the home side here.

Recommended Bet
Back Brentford to Win @ 2.3211/8

Rotherham 1.768/11 v Blackpool 5.49/2; The Draw 4.03/1

On current form both Bolton and Brentford look rock solid this weekend and perhaps I should have made one of those teams my bet of the day. But I have a strong hunch that Blackpool are about to hit a bit of form, and I'm more than happy to make them my best bet againt a Rotherham side who are really struggling at present.

The case for backing Blackpool on their own form is a hard one to make admittedly - they are yet to win on the road and they are becoming detached at the bottom of the table.

But there have been signs in recent weeks that they are beginning to turn things around under new boss Lee Clark. They drew 2-2 with an in-form Fulham side in their last away game - a superb result in fact - and last week they held Bolton, another side in great form recently, to a 1-1 draw.

Those two recent results alone give them a chance but it's hard not to glean even more confidence when you consider the form of Rotherham at present.

Steve Evans' men have fallen into the relegation zone following six games without a win. The Millers have failed to score a single goal in their last four league matches, including two home losses - one of which was to struggling Birmingham last Saturday.

Confidence will be low at the New York Stadium, and the fact that they'll be expected to win this game will heap more pressure on the home side. It's a long shot yes, but this is a great opportunity for Blackpool to register their first away win and I'm quietly confident.

Recommended Bet
Back Blackpool to Win @ 5.49/2 (best bet)

Championship 2014/15 Season P/L

Staked: 68 pts
Returned: 79.24 pts
P/L: + 11.24 pts

*based on 1pt each bet, 2pts best bet

Against All Odds: Sao Paulo to upset the odds

Will it be a memorable night for the fans of Sao Paulo?

It's the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana semi-final tonight between Sao Paulo and Atletico Nacional and while the Brazilians trail 1-0, Paul Robinson thinks they can still progress.

Sao Paulo v Atletico Nacional
Thursday November 27, 00:00 GMT
Available on Betfair Live Video  

It's been a much-improved campaign for Sao Paulo as while they couldn't quite catch Cruzeiro in the Campeonato, second place is looking pretty secure and they still have a chance of making the final of this competition.

Muricy Ramalho's side may have lost the first leg by a goal to nil in Colombia, but they weren't exactly dominated. Admittedly they didn't manage to score an away goal, so if they concede tonight they'll need three themselves, but the tie is still in the balance for my money.

The most successful club in Brazilian history have won six of their last seven in front of their own fans, with only one of the victory scorelines not being good enough to force at least penalties if replicated here.

Atletico Nacional are the reigning champions of Colombia and they made it through to the quarters of the Copa Libertadores earlier this year. They've won their last four Sudamericana fixtures by a 1-0 scoreline but they haven't really faced anyone of note away from home.

Juan Carlos Osorio's men have actually lost three of their last four on the road and they failed to score in two of them. This is a huge test for a team that were beaten by Once Caldas at the weekend as although their focus would have been on this match, it's hard to suddenly just turn on the style. 

This should be a very tight game with the hosts holding as much chance of progressing as the visitors. That's why, with Atletico Nacional trading at around the 1.654/6 mark to qualify, I have to make it my lay of the day. 

Recommended Bet
Lay Atletico Nacional to Qualify v Sao Paulo @ 1.654/6

2014 P/L (1pt each bet)

Wagered: 317 pts
Returned: 335.75 pts
P/L: + 18.75 pts (after commission)
(2013 P/L: + 3.80 pts)
(2012 P/L: + 9.60 pts)

Tottenham v Partizan: Back Spurs to Kane Serbian visitors

If he doesn't end up in goal, Harry Kane's a good bet to score first for Spurs

Spurs are on the brink of qualification for the knockout rounds, and with the aid of the in-form Harry Kane, Kevin Hatchard says they can reach the last 32 in style against Partizan... 

Tottenham Hotspur v Partizan Belgrade
Thursday 27 November, 20:05
Live on ITV4

Even the most ardent Spurs fan would find it tough to argue the Lilywhites didn't dodge a bullet in Greece on Matchday Four, as they scraped a 2-1 win at Asteras Tripolis. It was all going so well at half-time, with Tottenham sitting pretty at 2-0 up, but the Greeks came roaring back. Having missed a host of second-half chances, Asteras finally scored a 90th-minute penalty as Fazio was sent off (again), but they couldn't force an equaliser.

It's in the books, as the NFL commentators say, and Spurs now know a win against Partizan Belgrade will seal their passage into the last 32. With a tricky trip to face Besiktas on the horizon, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino will be delighted if qualification can be wrapped up nice and early.

Since Partizan held Spurs to a goalless draw on Matchday One, they have failed to collect any more points, and Marko Nikolic's men can't qualify for the knockout rounds. These failures contrast sharply with their domestic form - they are six points clear at the top of the Serbian Super Liga, but that probably says more about the quality of the league rather than the quality of Partizan.

Spurs tend to play the role of flat-track bullies very well in this competition, especially at home. They have won 11 of their last 14 home games in the Europa League, and their only failures in that sequence came against Basel, Benfica and Besiktas. Partizan doesn't start with a "B", so Spurs should be fine. In all seriousness, Spurs' greater quality should make a difference against opponents that are struggling at this level.

Tottenham are perceived to be having a poor season, but it's worth noting that by hook or by crook they have won four of their last five games in all competitions. If they can put that kind of run together when they are well below par, then they could be really dangerous if Pochettino can finally get them into top gear.

Pochettino is expected to shuffle his pack, with Paulinho, Aaron Lennon and Vlad Chiriches all tipped to start. Nabil Bentaleb could make his comeback after six weeks out, while Fazio is suspended. 

In attack, Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor are carrying knocks but could feature, but if Harry Kane is chosen to play up front, he's worth a dart at 3.814/5 in the First Goalscorer market. He has scored 11 goals in 16 appearances this term, he is the Europa League's joint top scorer with five strikes already (seven if you count the playoff round), and he caused Partizan problems in Belgrade. Keep an eye on the team news, and if he starts, get on. He's the Europa League's new Jermain Defoe.

Recommended Bets
Back Spurs -1.5 on the Asian Handicap at 1.768/11
Back Harry Kane to be First Goalscorer at 3.814/5 (if he starts)

2014/15 Europa League P/L (1pt per bet)

Points Staked: 38

Points Returned: 45.76

P/L: +7.76 points

Europa League Betting: Dynamo to keep on charging

Stanislav Cherchesov - good keeper, good coach

After a successful tournament so far, Kevin Hatchard's back with his best Europa League bets, including a suggestion that Dynamo Moscow will continue to dominate their group...

Dynamo Moscow v Panathinaikos
Thursday 27 November, 16:00
Live on BT Sport 2

With the Russian national team struggling in Euro 2016 qualifying after a dismal World Cup in Brazil, the country's football needs a pick-me-up at club level. Russian clubs haven't been able to make much of an impact in continental competition in recent seasons, but Dynamo Moscow have clinched a place in the Europa League's last 32 with two games to spare. 

Dynamo coach Stanislav Cherchesov was one of my favourite goalkeepers growing up. He loved a moustache (he still has one), and he could be wildly inconsistent, which gave park kickabout amateurs like myself a bit of hope and inspiration. Since taking the reins from Dan Petrescu in April, Cherchesov has led Dynamo to a respectable third in the Russian Premier League, and they have won all four of their Europa League group games. They have specialised in late drama, winning three of those group matches with goals in the last 15 minutes. Indeed, they only qualified for the group stage with a 90th-minute goal from Chris Samba in the second leg of their tie against Omonia Nicosia.

Panathinaikos cannot now qualify for the knockout phase, after they collected just one point from their first four games. They saved their best two performances for the double-header against PSV Eindhoven - they drew 1-1 in the Netherlands, and led 2-1 in Greece before losing 3-2. 

Pana's recent form is patchy, just three wins in their last eight games, and with nothing to play for I can't see them troubling a Dynamo side that has won four of the last five home games. You can boost Dynamo's odds to 2.01n/a if you back them -1.0 on the Asian Handicap, which will pay out in the event of anything bigger than a one-goal home win.

Recommended Bet
Back Dynamo Moscow -1.0 on the Asian Handicap at 2.01n/a

FC Zurich v Apollon Limassol
Thursday 27 November, 20:05

With the top two in Group A - Borussia Monchengladbach and Villarreal - facing off in Spain, FC Zurich and Apollon Limassol know they almost certainly need a win if they are to keep their qualification hopes alive.  

There's every reason to believe there'll be goals in this encounter. Both teams need to go for the victory, and it's worth noting they shared five goals in the reverse fixture, as Apollon won 3-2 in Cyprus. There have been at least four goals in three of Apollon's four group-stage outings, while three of Zurich's matches in Group A have featured five goals apiece.

I'm leaning towards backing Over 3.5 Goals at 2.68/5, but it's also worth considering backing Over 1.5 First Half Goals at 2.568/5, as that bet has paid out in five of Zurich's six Europa League games this season.

Recommended Bet
Back Over 3.5 Goals at 2.68/5

Rijeka v Standard Liege
Thursday 27 November, 18:00

Croatia's Rijeka and Standard Liege of Belgium are still in with a shot of qualifying for the last 32. They are locked together on four points, with Feyenoord two points better off ahead of their showdown with Sevilla in Rotterdam. 

Rijeka have played well in their two home games in the group stage. They beat Feyenoord 3-1, and had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Europa League holders Sevilla. That's contributed to the Croatians' price of 2.0621/20 to win this game.

However, I've been impressed with the job Standard coach Ivan Vukomanovic has done since he replaced Guy Luzon at the helm. Les Rouches have lost just two of their seven matches under Vukomanovic, and they have won three of their five away games, including a highly impressive 2-0 victory at Anderlecht.

Standard beat Rijeka 2-0 in Belgium in the reverse fixture, and now that their confidence has been rebuilt, I think they can get a similar result here. I'm happy to back the visitors Draw No Bet at 2.789/5, to give us the insurance of the draw.

Recommended Bet
Back Standard Liege Draw No Bet at 2.789/5

Dynamo Kiev v Rio Ave
Thursday 27 November, 18:00

Dynamo Kiev can be an incredibly frustrating side to tip. When you think they'll succeed, they fail, and vice versa. However, like a doe-eyed lover who can't bear to leave a cheating spouse, I'm going back to Serhiy Rebrov's side. I can change them, I know I can!

Dynamo are yet to taste defeat in their domestic league, and they are unbeaten at home in all competitions. In their Europa League home games this season, they have beaten Steaua Bucharest 3-1, and seen off Aalborg 2-0. In nine home games in all competitions, they have kept an impressive seven clean sheets.

Considering that Rio Ave were cup specialists in Portugal last season (they reached the final of two cup competitions), they have been a real disappointment in the Europa League. They have taken just a point from their four group games, and they were battered 3-0 at home by Dynamo in the reverse fixture. Rio Ave have nothing to play for, but Dynamo have work to do to make sure of qualification, and I'm expecting a thumping home win.

Recommended Bet
Back Dynamo Kiev -1.5 on the Asian Handicap at 2.021/1

2014/15 Europa League P/L (1 pt per bet)

Points Staked: 38

Points Returned: 45.76

P/L: +7.76 points

Premier League Betting: Unfortunately, size matters

Arsenal fans used to be happy with a 1-0 win. Not now. I blame the French

In his efforts to perfect a new ratings' system for the Premier League, Jack Houghton has discovered, much to his disappointment (and Einstein's), that goal difference matters, which bodes well for Arsenal away to West Brom on Saturday...

A win is a win, isn't it? Manchester City's 4-1 drubbing of Spurs in October is no more impressive than Stoke's tightly contested 2-1 win over the same team, is it?

A number of years ago now, on this very site, horseracing guru Simon Rowlands and me had an ongoing debate about whether having a method of assessing horseracing trainer form was useful to a punter. Simon had come up with an (as always) ingenious and statistically robust way of determining which trainers were enjoying a purple patch, and which were to be avoided.

I had no problem at all with his method. My concern was whether it represented double counting. If you were already assessing the form of horses in a race using some kind of rating system (in my case, speed ratings), weren't you already taking trainer form into account? By then overlaying another measure of trainer form, weren't you confusing things?

There's no right or wrong answer to this debate, of course. Which side you come down on has more to do with your philosophy on ratings systems, as much as anything else. At the time, I liked to quote Einstein's supposed (but actually falsely attributed) maxim, "as simple as possible, but no simpler". Assessing past, and predicting future, performance was all about finding the purest, unadulterated numerical form that I could.

Creating my own Elo ratings for football this year has seen that underlying philosophy challenged in a few areas, none more so than when it comes to the question of whether you should adjust your ratings based on the margin of victory.

Initially, my instinct was to ignore it. After all, I'd grown up in an era where Arsenal would grind out 1-0 victories and anything more than that one goal was considered gluttonous. At the time, other teams would beat the same teams by bigger margins, and yet it was Arsenal who were clearly the better outfit.

It also didn't make rational sense to me that the margin of victory told you much about real superiority because, after one goal is scored, the tactics of a game change significantly, usually with the losing team taking more risks, which can surely lead to unrepresentative goal tallies.

Unfortunately, my instincts turned out to be wrong. The first clue came in realising that every other football rating system I could find gave extra value to those teams who chalked up bigger goal differences.

Then followed a very simple piece of analysis. In just about every previous Premier League season that I looked at, the top-ranked team also had the biggest goal difference. What's more, the goal difference in most seasons runs fairly sequentially from biggest positive to biggest negative as you look down the table. If goal supremacy wasn't important, then you would expect to see a more random pattern.

Finally, I started playing around with some data which looked at how teams with similar goal differences across various seasons had faired against each other. If margins of victory were important, I reckoned, then you would expect the percentage of home wins, draws, and away wins to be broadly similar to the average percentage of all games. And lo and behold, they were.

Which is why I'll be backing Arsenal away against West Brom on Saturday. Arsenal's indifferent season and weak recent form means they are a generous 1.9210/11, but they have shown an ability to win by big margins along the way.

Recommended Bet
Back Arsenal to beat West Brom at 1.9210/11

Against All Odds: Boca to bankrupt Los Millonarios

Boca Juniors can book their place in the final

Argentina's biggest rivals meet in the semi-final of the Copa Sudamericana tonight and Paul Robinson thinks that Boca Juniors can avoid defeat.

River Plate v Boca Juniors
Thursday November 27, 23:45 GMT
Available on Betfair Live Video  

It isn't time to panic for River Plate just yet but a run of five matches without a win, culminating in a defeat at Racing Club at the weekend has seen the reigning champions of Argentina drop to second in the league. Their wonderful run of form has come to an end and that is largely down to the goals drying up.

Los Millonarios have netted just twice since their last victory and that includes a blank in a 0-0 draw at Boca Juniors in the first leg of this tie. That means that Marcelo Gallardo's side need to win the match inside 90 minutes or the best they can hope for is penalties. They failed to do that last week at La Bombonera, but they also failed to do it when they played Boca on this ground in October - and the visitors went down to 10 men after 41 minutes.

Opponents, Boca Juniors, got back to winning ways on Sunday as they beat Independiente 3-1. They weren't in the midst of a slump, but the victory will have been a nice boost following a pair of draws. Rodolfo Arruabarrena's men would have been disappointed to not build a lead in the first leg, but they won't fear a trip to El Monumental and they couldn't be facing River at a better time.

The second most successful team in Argentina have an excellent away record to point to as well as they've lost just three of their last 18 on the road, nine of which were victories.

It would take a brave man to back River Plate to win this match at odds-on and I'm not one of those. That's why, with their price trading at around the 1.991/1 mark, I have to make them my lay of the day.   

Recommended Bet
Lay River Plate v Boca Juniors @ 1.991/1

2014 P/L (1pt each bet)

Wagered: 317 pts
Returned: 335.75 pts
P/L: + 18.75 pts (after commission)
(2013 P/L: + 3.80 pts)
(2012 P/L: + 9.60 pts)

Who should win FIFA's 2014 keeper award, Neuer or Courtois?

Manuel Neuer is likely to be named the top keeper again

There are two glovemen on the 23-man shortlist for the 2015 Ballon d'Or, a straight duel between Manuel Neuer and Thibaut Courtois seems likely but who should win?

Officially there are five contenders for the number one shirt in the Fifa FifPro World XI that will be announced on January 12 - once the votes of captains and coaches of over 200 recognised associations have been counted.

Neuer and Courtois are joined by Claudio Bravo, Gianluigi Buffon and Iker Casillas - all five having played significant roles for their nations at the World Cup with vastly-different outcomes.

But it looks to be a choice between two outstanding candidates based on the form displayed by the German and Belgian stoppers over the past 12 months.

And any conjecture could be rendered meaningless if, on December 1, either of the elite duo is promoted to the final three-player shortlist for the Ballon d'Or Gala ceremony in the New Year.

Bet 10 Get 30 with Betfair Plus Money Back if you Lose

However, only one goalkeeper has finished in the top three of voting in the past ten years (Buffon 2006) and it seems highly likely that the main honour will go to an outfield player.

Neuer currently holds the gloves, having succeeded Casillas (the 2008-2012 incumbent) in last year's Fifa Fifpro World XI.

And that looks like it may have been a changing of the guard as the world has finally found a player who, it can be argued, has genuinely changed the definition of the modern goalkeeper's role.

Neuer has helped transform the way goalkeepers play and is now the archetypal 'Sweeper Keeper' - performing a role that allows modern coaches to push their backlines higher up the pitch toward half-way to deny the opposition space and press them in their own defensive third.

His two head coaches, Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich and Die Mannschaft's Joachim Low, deploy extremely high backlines and Neuer's style is perfectly suited to it. And although he only ever faces a few shots on goal each game, his concentration levels must never drop.

In 2014, Neuer didn't only lift the World Cup but also the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal. He reached the Champions League semi-finals and was named Germany's Footballer of the Year for the second time. He finished second behind current Ballon d'Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo in Uefa Best Player award.

At Brazil 2014, he shone on the biggest stage of all - putting in memorable performances against France and Algeria in the knockout stages and, although he wasn't tested by Argentina in the final, picking up the Golden Glove award for the tournament's best goalkeeper

Courtois' achievements, although still memorable, suffer by comparison and he didn't even win Spain's Goalkeeper of the Season award in 2013/2014 - finishing third behind Keylor Navas and Willy Caballero.

The Belgian did take the prestigious Trofeo Zamora for the second season running for having the lowest goals conceded/games ratio at Atletico Madrid.

His club had an incredible campaign for which Courtois must also take huge credit - holding off their giant domestic rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona in an epic Primera division campaign; and coming within a whisker of winning the Champions League final.

Since returning from his lengthy loan to Chelsea he has ousted Petr Cech as the club's number one and shown no sign of weakness as he settles into a different style of football. At 22 he is five years younger than Neuer and could be his heir apparent in the Fifa FifPro World XI one day, but for now Neuer - as his name suggests - is the new face of goalkeeping.

Premier League Stats Review: QPR to win basement battle against poor travellers Leicester

Charlie Austin can lead QPR to victory against Leicester

Stats guru Andrew Atherley says Leicester's awayday woes point to a vital three points for Harry Redknapp's team on Saturday...

The relegation battle has tightened up in recent weeks and, although QPR cannot climb out of the bottom three this weekend, they can improve their survival hopes with a home win over Leicester.

This is one of two crucial relegation clashes in the Premier League on Saturday - the other is freshly buoyant Burnley at home to Aston Villa - and the results could increase the worries of some teams just above the drop zone. In particular, Sunderland (home to Chelsea) and Hull (away to Manchester United) have little prospect on form of picking up points on Saturday and could be dragged nearer the bottom.

QPR v Leicester is one of those must-win games for both clubs and the hosts have the edge, mainly because of Leicester's woeful away form. The visitors have lost five out of six on the road and their only away points came from a smash-and-grab 1-0 win at Stoke in September, which brought their sole away goal as well as their only clean sheet.

Any team, even rock-bottom QPR, must be looking to exploit Leicester's weaknesses on the road and, in fact, Rangers have decent prospects of doing so.

For a start, QPR's scoring record is reasonable. After their opening-day blank in a 1-0 defeat by Hull - which included a Charlie Austin penalty miss - Harry Redknapp's side have scored in all five home games since (netting twice in each of the last four).

Of the five teams that have stopped QPR scoring this season, three are in the top six (the other two are Hull and Tottenham, in the first two games). That record gives considerable encouragement that Rangers will be able to find the net against Leicester.

Leicester, of course, are more likely to score against QPR than they are against most Premier League teams but their failures to find the net are as commonplace against the poorer sides as they are against better opposition. They have failed to score in three out of five against bottom-half teams and in four out of seven against top-half sides.

The odds reflect the positions in the table - with Leicester two points ahead of QPR in 18th place - but this looks a good-value opportunity to back QPR at 2.3811/8.

******

With a full programme of Premier League games to follow in midweek, this is a good chance for teams to make some quick headway and the fixture list has fallen well for Swansea to be one of those teams.

Garry Monk's impressive side have back-to-back home matches against bottom-half opposition - a category in which they excelled under their new manager.

Since Monk was appointed in February, Swansea's home record against bottom-half teams is W6 D1 L1, with three wins out of three this season. It is also noteworthy that five of their six wins in that category were to nil - testament to the ability of Monk's side to dominate possession against lesser opposition.

Their strength in this type of match-up gives them a great chance at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday at odds of 1.824/5 and again at similar odds on Tuesday night against QPR. In the early betting on that game, Swansea are available at 1.774/5.

Palace are likely to prove the most difficult opponents, as they are capable of scoring and have a W1 D1 L2 record away to top-half teams this season. QPR, on the other hand, have been dire on the road against top-half sides, losing all six games with a goal difference of 2-15.

Recommended Bets
Back QPR to beat Leicester at 2.3811/8 (1pt)
Back Swansea to beat Crystal Palace at 1.824/5 (1pt)
Back Swansea to beat QPR (on Wednesday) at 1.774/5 (1pt)

2014/15 P/L

Staked: 29 pts
Returned: 30.05 pts
P/L: +1.05 pts

Rumours: Liverpool line up ВЈ47million triple swoop

Is Nathan Redmond set for a move to Anfield?

Liverpool are ready to splash the cash to sort out their squad according to a report and plenty more rumours from around the world of football.

Juventus are the latest club to be credited with an interest in Lukas Podolski, who seems set to leave Arsenal in January.

The German forward has spoken of his frustration at a lack of first-team chances for Arsenal this season and Germany boss Joachim Low has even hinted he feels it would a good idea for Podolski to find a new club.

Juventus are the current Serie A leaders but they are ready to add to their attacking options in January regardless and Italian media outlet Calcio Mercato claim they will make a move for the former Cologne forward.

Juve are likely to face competition as clubs in Germany and Spain have also been credited with an interest.

Meanwhile, Monaco midfielder Joao Moutinho has reportedly handed in a transfer request in a bid to secure a January move.

The Portugal international is said to be concerned by the direction the club is heading following the exits of James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao.

The Mirror reports Moutinho has now asked to leave amid speculation Premier League pair Arsenal and Liverpool are keen on the 25million-rated former Porto star.

Leicester City have set their sights on Celtic's Kris Commons, according to the Daily Express.

Commons had been considered a target for former Bhoys boss Neil Lennon, now with Bolton Wanderers, but the Foxes could move ahead of the Championship side in the pecking order thanks to the lure of top-flight football.

A 350,000 January bid has been suggested and Celtic are likely to accept the offer as Commons seems unlikely to agree fresh terms at Parkhead.

Liverpool plan to revive their stuttering season with a 47million triple deal in January, according to the Express.

The Reds have set their sights on Chelsea keeper Petr Cech and the report claims 7million will be enough to snare the shot-stopper, although it remains to be seen if the Blues will allow the custodian to join a Premier League rival.

Porto winger Jackson Martinez is also in Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers' sights and a 30million bid has been mooted, while Norwich's young winger Nathan Redmond is reportedly a 10million target for the Anfield side.

Finally, the Mirror have claimed Hull City plan to raid Spurs yet again, having signed Jake Livermore, Michael Dawson and Tom Huddlestone from the Londoners recently.

They report the Tigers are preparing a 7million move for Aaron Lennon, but they will face competition from Stoke and QPR.

Champions League Tips: Liverpool to receive a favour

Cristiano Ronaldo has three Champions League goals this season

Michael Lintorn expects Real Madrid to lead at half-time, at least one Olympiakos goal and more Galatasaray misery...

(All matches are on Wednesday at 19:45 and on the Sky Sports Red Button service unless otherwise stated)

Anderlecht v Galatasaray

Match Odds: Anderlecht 2.35/4, Galatasaray 3.45n/a, The Draw 3.613/5

Anderlecht are winless in five as hosts, and yet Galatasaray have been so dismal recently that the Belgian club still seem like great value at the above-evens price of 2.35/4. Having taken a point in Istanbul in their Group D opener (and very nearly all three), Anderlecht led Arsenal until the 89th minute at home, before recovering from 0-3 down in the final half hour at the Emirates for a point.

Galatasaray by contrast have conceded four goals in all three Champions League ties since snatching an injury-time draw when entertaining Anderlecht at the start. They were also turned over 0-3 at their own Turk Telekom Arena by Trabzonspor on Saturday, their fourth defeat by three or more goals in six games, to increase the pressure on struggling high-profile appointment Cesare Prandelli.

Recommended Bet: Back Anderlecht to win @ 2.35/4

Atletico Madrid v Olympiakos

Match Odds: Atletico Madrid 1.392/5, Olympiakos 11.010/1, The Draw 5.14/1

Olympiakos won the reverse fixture between these sides 3-2 and will actually be in prime position to top Group A if they complete a double, assuming first place with a home clash against Malmo to finish. However, they are 11.010/1 outsiders because the difference between their Champions League record in Greece (five victories in a row) and on the road (one point from five matches) is so stark.

With the likes of Kostas Mitroglou and Pajtim Kasami finding form and fitness that wasn't so evident when they were part of Fulham's Premier League relegation, Olympiakos don't have trouble scoring though, netting twice at Juventus. They have been shut out just once in 11 Champions League group-stage outings, and Atletico have conceded three times across two November home games to date.

Recommended Bet: Back Atletico Madrid not to keep a clean sheet @ 2.186/5

FC Basel v Real Madrid (Sky Sports 3)

Match Odds: FC Basel 8.615/2, Real Madrid 1.434/9, The Draw 5.39/2

The Opta trends aren't encouraging reading for Liverpool fans regarding their trip to Ludogorets, but the Reds can at least be fairly confident of a bit of assistance from Group B leaders Real Madrid away to the team that the Merseysiders need to catch in second, FC Basel.

Real Madrid have achieved 14 successive triumphs across all competitions. They were ahead by half time in each of the latest five and all of the most recent nine besides the Clasico with Barcelona, and they had scored four times within 37 minutes when they collided with FC Basel at the Bernabeu.

Recommended Bet: Back Real Madrid to lead at half time and full time @ 2.111/10

Opta Big Match Stats: Liverpool to avoid booking spree

Liverpool head to Bulgaria short on striking options

The Opta stats say that Ludogorets will receive more cards than Liverpool in their Champions League clash...

Ludogorets v Liverpool
Wednesday, 19:45
Live on Sky Sports 5

Match Odds: Ludogorets 4.216/5, Liverpool 2.01/1, The Draw 3.711/4

Liverpool have failed to score in their last three Champions League games

The Reds' striking resources are at an all-time low: last season's top scorer Luis Suarez was sold to Barcelona, his second-in-command Daniel Sturridge is somehow still sidelined and now they are without 14 million summer signing Mario Balotelli due to injury too. All that they have left is Rickie Lambert (one goal in 13 appearances since joining and deemed worthy of only nine minutes of Champions League action) and Fabio Borini (no strikes in eight outings this term).

Opta note that Liverpool have been shut out in both away European fixtures and have scored just twice in five Champions League road trips over a longer period. Additionally, they have fired four blanks in seven in all competitions, netting four times in that sequence, not a single one of those between minutes 10 and 85.

Recommended Bet: Back Ludogorets to keep a clean sheet @ 4.84/1

Two of Ludogorets' three goals in the Champions League have come in second-half injury-time

With our first trend indicating that there will be no Liverpool goals in Bulgaria and the bolded stat overhead suggesting that Ludogorets do much of their net-rippling after the interval, there is a compelling case for backing the half-time scoreline to be 0-0 at 3.02/1.

However, the extra security of the straight-up half-time draw is priced at 2.226/5 and can be backed with confidence because three of the hosts' four matches in their debut Champions League group have been level at the break, including both home encounters in the initial meeting with Liverpool.

Recommended Bet: Back the half-time draw @ 2.226/5

Ludogorets have received the joint-most bookings in the competition this season (13)

Opta's card trends have provided invaluable insight recently, allowing us to profit from Man City giving the referee grief against CSKA Moscow and there being a sending off in Hull v Tottenham.

The latest line is to expect Ludogorets to "earn" more booking points than Liverpool (it's ten for a yellow and 25 for a red). The Bulgarian champions are tied with Monaco and Ajax as the most-booked club in the competition on 13 and outdid Liverpool by four cards to nil at Anfield. The Reds even collected fewer yellows than Real Madrid in both of their collisions.

Recommended Bet: Back Ludogorets to "win" the bookings match bet @ 2.26/5

The Big Wednesday Multiple: Liverpool to get back on track with vital win

Liverpool need a big result in Bulgaria tonight

It's that time of the week where Paul Robinson selects a home win, an away win, a match to go over 2.5 goals and a match to go under 2.5 goals. Here are his selections...

Bet 1: Atletico Madrid (HOME) @ 1.36 (4/11) - Live on Sky Sports Interactive at 19:45

Champions League runners up Atletico Madrid still need one more win to make absolutely certain of their progress through to the last 16 and as they have to travel to Juventus on the last match day in a fortnight's time, tonight represents their best opportunity.

Diego Simeone's side lost the reverse leg in Greece but their record in front of their own fans is fantastic. They've lost just one game since the middle of May 2013 and that was to Real Madrid. It's been wins nearly all the way since then in all competitions and Los Colchoneros have won their last six in a row.

Olympiakos have performed admirably to date as with just two games to go, they sit in second place. You have to feel that they blew their chance of making the knockout phase in Turin last time though as they led 2-1 with less than half an hour to go and ended up losing 3-2. Even a draw would have made them favourites to progress, but it's likely that they are now relying on results from elsewhere.

The Greeks have lost their last four Champions League matches on the road and they conceded 10 goals in the process. This game will likely follow that pattern.

Bet 2: Liverpool (AWAY) @ 1.95 (19/20) - Live on Sky Sports 5 at 19:45

This selection may be against my better judgement, but Liverpool seem like value to pick up the victory they need in Bulgaria. It's been a tough time for The Reds of late as they come into this match on the back of four successive defeats. Their Champions League hopes are also hanging by a thread and if they want to qualify, they absolutely have to win this evening.

Brendan Rodgers is a man under pressure but I just get the feeling that he has a big result in him and his players can't really get much worse. If they play to anywhere near their potential then they should win.

Opponents, Ludogorets, have performed with credit in this competition thus far as they weren't even expected to make it into the group stage. While they have lost three of their four fixtures, two of them were by a single goal margin and they beat Basel in their last home game.

Georgi Dermendzhiev's side won't make it easy for The Reds, but I just can't see them having the class to avoid a heart-breaking defeat.

Bet 3: FC Basel v Real Madrid (Over 2.5 goals) @ 1.5 (1/2) - Live on Sky Sports 3 at 19:45

The other Group B fixture pits FC Basel against Real Madrid and we look to be set for a goal-fest.

The Swiss have had four of their last five fixtures go over 2.5 goals, with three of them going over 3.5. Perhaps even more importantly, Paulo Sousa's charges racked up 14 goals themselves during that period and only conceded one. It's hard to see them keeping a clean sheet tonight, but at least their attacking players are in good form and they will be capable of netting against the reigning champions.

There's not much to say about Real Madrid other than that they are the best team in Europe. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema make for an irresistible forward line and it's actually the latter who has impressed me most this year as the Frenchman has banged in five Champions League goals to date.

This selection is a short price, but it's almost a certainty in my eyes and therefore provides a bit of value.

Bet 4: Zenit v Benfica (Under 2.5 goals) @ 1.8 (4/5) - Live on Sky Sports 5 at 19:45

Russian's Zenit St Petersburg come into this fixture sitting third in Group C as themselves, Monaco and Benfica fight it out for second place behind Bayer Leverkusen. Just one point separates the three of them and with the Germans likely to beat Monaco tonight, avoiding defeat here has to be the priority.

Of course, Andr Villas-Boas' side will want to take all three points, but they have to play with caution and that should lead to a low-scoring affair. Three of their four in this competition have already finished with two goals or fewer and their Champions League fixtures have generally always been tight match-ups.

Benfica also need to avoid defeat at all costs and they will have identified their home game in a fortnight's time as their must win fixture. The Portuguese outfit have always been better at defending than attacking and, like their opponents, three of their four this year have rewarded under 2.5 backers.

Jorge Jesus' will likely set his team up to keep a clean sheet and try and nick a goal, and with Zenit doing similar, this has under 2.5 written all over it.

Recommended Multiple

Back Atletico Madrid @ 1.36 (4/11)
Back Liverpool @ 1.95 (19/20)
Back Over 2.5 Goals in FC Basel v Real Madrid @ 1.5 (1/2)
Back Under 2.5 Goals in Zenit v Benfica @ 1.8 (4/5)

*The Multiple pays approximately 7.16 (6/1)

Multiple prices are based on our Sportsbook product, so any winnings are exempt from commission.

2014 P/L (1pt each bet)

Wagered: 47 pts
Returned: 91.05 pts
P/L: + 44.05 pts

(2013 P/L: - 15.49 pts)