Sunday, November 7, 2010

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07-11-2010 15:00 Bari - Milan

Down But Not Out

Bari may be at the foot of the table in Serie A but by no means are they out. With eight points from nine matches, the Galletti are still very much win in with a chance of clawing their way out of the relegation zone as 17th placed Parma has as many points as them.

However, Bari cannot afford to relax thinking of the point difference as form-wise they couldn’t be doing any worse. Giampiero Ventura’s side have suffered defeats in each of their last four league fixtures and have won just twice in Serie A all season.

However, both those wins for Bari have come at home but they have scored just three times in the league all season at the Stadio San Nicola.

Overcoming Midweek Disappointment

Milan’s season has been inconsistent and they continued to maintain that in midweek when they drew 2-2 with Real Madrid in the Champions League. The draw has also placed the Rossoneri’s knockout stage qualification into some doubt as Ajax are just a point behind them and Auxerre just two.

Nevertheless, Massimiliano Allegre’s side will have the confidence to get past bottom-side Bari in Serie A at the weekend. Last weekend the Diavolo suffered a 2-1 defeat to Juventus in Milan and although they have to pull themselves out of the pit they have fallen, they should be able to defeat Bari given their superior squad.

Milan’s away form in the league this season has been mixed as they have won two out of four matches, having scored four goals and conceded four as well. But the Rossoneri’s last away game ended in a 2-1 win against Napoli in Naples.



TEAM NEWS
   
Bari

Romero, Raggi, Salvatore Masiello and Ghezzal are unavailable because of injuries.

Milan

Onyewu, Bonera and Oddo are out injured for the Rossoneri. Boateng is suspended Robinho is likely to start in the trequartista role with Pato and Ibrahimovic as the two main strikers.

Prediction
Bari will test Milan but Allegri’s men should come out on top in the end.

Bari 1-2 Milan

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07-11-2010 15:00 Lazio - Roma

Staying Top

Come what may, Lazio will remain in pole position in Serie A at the end of Week 10. Edy Reja’s side are currently four points ahead of second-placed Inter and will remain at the top of the table irrespective of their result against Roma.

However, the Rome derby is more than just about points and a win is certainly on Lazio’s agenda. The Aquile are having a brilliant season and they will be keen to augment it by defeating Roma in the first Derby della Capitale.

Furthermore, a win will also boost Lazio’s credentials as Scudetto challengers. Even after over two months of Serie A action, there are still questions of when and not if Lazio’s bubble will burst but a defeat of their arch rivals will certainly help change that perception. The former Italian champions are on a six-match winning run in all competitions.

Losing Is Not An Option

Losing a Rome derby is never an option, either for Roma or for Lazio, but given the current situation with the Lupi, they cannot afford to drop points against their arch rivals.

Claudio Ranieri’s side are currently ninth in Serie A with 12 points from nine matches and with their Scudetto hopes already having disappeared, they now have to start focusing on Champions League qualification and, therefore, cannot drop any points here.

On Wednesday evening the former Italian champions gained a valuable win in Europe as they defeated Basel 3-2 in Switzerland. It extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to three games; Roma are also unbeaten in their last three league fixtures.

Roma talisman Francesco Totti, who is suspended for the match, believes that Lazio will win the game but this shouldn’t make the Lupi players feel any less discouraged.




TEAM NEWS

   
Lazio

Meghni and Quadri are out injured for the Aquile. Biava is out suspended.

Roma

Taddei, Pizarro, Brighi and Okaka are unavailable for the derby because of injuries, while Nicolas Burdisso is a doubt. Totti is suspended.



Prediction
The formbook flies out of the window in a derby and indeed this match between Lazio and Roma could go either way. Expect a closely contested fixture that could be decided by a single goal. Lazio should just about find that winner.

Lazio 1-0 Roma

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07-11-2010 14:30 Arsenal - Newcastle United

Bouncebackability
 
Arsenal's chances of seriously challenging for honours this season will be tested by their ability to respond to defeats and the visit of Newcastle is the perfect opportunity, after the Gunners went down to an unexpected 2-1 defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek, thanks to a goal from former Emirates favourite Eduardo.

The only other blip of an otherwise superb start to the season saw Wenger's men get stunned at home to West Brom, losing 3-2, and then visit to Chelsea where they were taught a lesson. The Gunners have a chance to keep pace with The Blues at the top of the league with some winnable games against Wolves and Everton coming up, and a win over Newcastle would be the perfect catalyst.

Having recently beaten the Magpies 4-0 on Tyneside in a League Cup tie - when Wenger included some fringe players in his starting XI and Theo Walcott claimed a brace - the Gunners will be confident of claiming the three points on Sunday. Yet a clearly irritated Wenger felt his team became too comfortable after Walcott had given them the ideal start in Ukraine, so no doubt his players will resist any temptation to become casual or complacent this time.

London Calling

The Toon Army's last visit to London resulted in a win - although at far less salubrious surroundings as goals from Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll secured a 2-1 win at West Ham.

But their record at Arsenal is not great, the Toon Army have scored in only two of their last seven league visits to The Gunners. And they have already lost to Arsene Wenger's men this season - in some style - getting thrashed at home in that recent League Cup tie. 


But the Magpies are on a decent run, three games unbeaten, scoring nine goals in their last three games, and are fresh off the back of a 5-1 win over arch-rivals Sunderland.

That derby-day victory will no doubt have infused the squad with confidence, and they should travel south relishing the chance to put a spoke in Arsenal's normally smooth-running wheels, with skipper Kevin Nolan looking to build on his three-goal performance against the Black Cats and bolstering manager Hughton's job security.

TEAM NEWS

Arsenal


Arsene Wenger welcomes back a quartet of stars for a much needed win after a shock Champions League defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. Cesc Fabregas (hamstring), Andrey Arshavin (virus), Alex Song (calf) and Denilson (groin) all stayed at home during the week but are available for the visit of Newcastle.

Meanwhile, Manuel Almunia (elbow), Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles), Abou Diaby (ankle), Robin van Persie (ankle), Kieran Gibbs (knee) and Emmanuel Frimpong (knee) are all still out as Wenger has to juggle more injured stars.

Probable starting XI: Fabianski; Sagna, Koscielny, Djourou, Clichy; Song, Fabregas, Denilson; Walcott, Chamakh, Nasri.

 
Newcastle

Sol Campbell won't get the chance to show Arsenal fans he still has juice left in the tank as a thigh muscle strain means he'll have to watch from the sidelines.

Hatem Ben Arfa is still recovering from a broken leg sustained on the end of a Nigel de Jong challenge up at Manchester City a month ago, while Steven Taylor (shoulder), Steve Harper (collarbone) and Dan Gosling (knee) are also absentees for Chris Hughton.

Probable starting XI: Krul; Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Enrique; Tiote, Barton, Nolan, Gutierrez; Ameobi, Carroll.

 

Prediction
With Cesc Fabregas back and the Gunners desperate to bounce back from the embarrassing midweek defeat to Shakhtar, expect goals in this clash, probably at both ends, where a bullish Newcastle side will try to prove they can mix it with the big boys.

Arsenal 3-2 Newcastle

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07-11-2010 12:30 Fiorentina - Chievo Verona

Danger Still Not Clear

At long last Fiorentina appear to have recovered some of their form but things are not yet secure. The Viola are still hovering near the relegation zone, as they have nine points from as many games – just one more than third-from-bottom Cesena.

Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side, though, are unbeaten in their last three matches in all competitions, although they should have done better than just draw 0-0 with Catania in the league away from home last season.

Nevertheless, taking on Chievo on their own ground at the weekend will make them feel confident. The Viola have won their last two matches at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, defeating Bari 2-1 in Serie A and then getting the better of Empoli in a Coppa Italia tie.

Donkeys Continue To Fly

Chievo are rapidly becoming this season’s surprise package in Serie A as their form refuse to take a dip towards the south. At the moment Ceo are seventh in the league standings with 14 points from nine matches, just one behind fourth-placed Juventus.

The Flying Donkeys are unbeaten in all competitions since their 3-1 defeat to Milan in mid-October. They bounced back from that defeat with a 2-1 win against Cesena in Verona, then got past the Sassuolo challenge in the Coppa Italia and drew 0-0 with Parma last weekend.

Nevertheless, Stefano Pioli is probably thinking of securing safety first, which means that Chievo will try to reach the 40-point mark. Which, in turn, means that they will have to carry on winning. Chievo have looked good away from home in the league so far, having won twice and scoring seven goals.



TEAM NEWS

   
Fiorentina

Jovetic, D'Agostino, Zanetti, Felipe, Vargas and Frey are injured for the Viola, who also have Natali suspendd.

Chievo

Luciano and Pellissier are unavailable for the trip to Florence because of injuries while Fernandes is suspended.

Prediction
Fiorentina appear to have recaptured their old form somewhat and will start the match as favourites. However, Chievo are a very expecting side and could just eke out a draw.

Fiorentina 1-1Chievo
Saturday, November 6, 2010

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06.-07. 11.2010. Bets Of The Week


06.11.2010. 
13:45 Bolton Wanderers - Tottenham Hotspur
"Tottenham will be on a high after defeating European champions Inter and will fancy their chances against a Bolton side who have proved difficult to beat this season. Liverpool were very fortunate to beat a Bolton outfit that are playing a much more attractive brand of football this season but are still unafraid to mix it up and upset technically superior opponents.
"Tottenham's league form has been patchy this season as the Champions league looks to be their priority. Bolton have only failed to score twice in the league this season and will be highly motivated against Spurs who may just suffer a European hangover. I expect both teams to score in this match which is 1.66 with Sportingbet."
Tip: Both teams to score @ 1.66

16:00 Fulham - Aston Villa
"Well, last week we had our first losing week although the games at Bolton and Blackburn both had winning goals scored in the last 5 minutes. The run was bound to come to an end and in truth I am surprised it has lasted so long
"This weekend there does not seem too much value around and some of the prices on the draw are far too short. However I have managed to find three selections and these are the best bets in terms of value.
"The match with the biggest draw bias this week is Fulham v Aston Villa. Record of teams of Fulham's grade when playing at home to teams of Aston Villa's grade reads H5 D6 L6. Fulham's recent home record against teams of Aston Villa's grading is W1 D2 L2. Aston Villa's recent away record against teams of Fulhams grading is W3 D1 L5.
"Head to Head recent record at Craven Cottage reads Fulham 2 Draw 2 Aston Villa 1. Fulham have drawn 2 of their last 5 home matches. Aston Villa have drawn 2 of their last 5 matches."
Tip: Fulham v Aston Villa draw @ 3.20

07.11.2010. 
16:30 Malmo - Mjallby & Helsingborg - Kalmar
"After 29 thrilling weeks of action Sweden's Allsvenskan wraps up on Sunday and the stakes couldn't be higher. A new champion will be crowned as both Malmo and Helsingborg enter the final day level on 64 points each in a scenario reminiscent of 1995 when Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United duked it out for the Premier League on the last day of the season.
"Unlike the drama of 1995 both Malmo and Helsingborg are at home and frankly both should win in their sleep. Malmo's home form has been outstanding but they slipped up against Kalmar spoiling their unbeaten record at the Swedbank Stadion. They face Mjallby, who are out of the running for the European spots, and have lost six times away from home this season. Malmo boosted their goal difference significantly by winning their last two games 4-0.
"Helsingborg have to go and win and win big to have any chance of claiming the title. Even then they will need a favour from Mjallby as Henrik Larsson's old club have scored ten goals less than Malmo and have a poorer head to head record against their local rivals. They take on Kalmar, who will want to show their result against Malmo was no fluke, but they are safe in mid-table and have little but pride to play for. When the teams met back in May it was Kalmar who ran out 1-0 winners.
"Considering the stakes at play it seems a fair estimation that both Malmo and Helsingborg will win which is a well priced double @ 1.75. You may also want to consider a goal handicap on Helsingborg who might well rack up a cricket score on the day."
Tip: Double on Malmo and Helsingborg to win @ 1.75

17:00 Liverpool - Chelsea
"Two unconvincing yet very valuable wins have pushed Liverpool up the table, but their record against sides in the current top four this season is poor – with a draw and two defeats so far.
"There is also the possibility of the return of Frank Lampard for Chelsea this match. Lampard has scored in three of Chelsea's last five Premier League visits to Anfield. Chelsea has kept seven clean sheets this season, three more than any other Premier League side.
"I think Liverpool’s problems have been masked a little by victories over Blackburn and Bolton but will be exposed once more with a punishing home defeat."
Tips: Chelsea to win @ 2.0 & Chelsea to win 2-0 @ 10.0

17:00 Zaragoza - Mallorca
"Real Zaragoza are winless for 11 games in a row overall and although it could be said that a win may be overdue I will take my chances with Mallorca. On their last two away games, against Valencia and Barcelona they managed to stay unbeaten they islanders picked up an impressive four points.
"Mallorca has a good overall record against Zaragoza in recent years with five wins, two draws and just three defeats. In more detailed analysis in the last five games these clubs have met Mallorca have recorded three wins and two draws but when playing at La Romareda the visitors are unbeaten in the last two.
"You have to go back to 2006 for the last home Zaragoza has recorded against Mallorca. It is also interesting to see that Mallorca have covered four of their last five on the spread, while Real Zaragoza have failed to cover seven of their last eight on the spread. Real Zaragoza have actually failed to cover four in a row when spread favourite. Taking in account all the above I will say that the odds for Mallorca represents value and as such I will be backing them."
Tip: Mallorca draw no bet @ 2.20 or Mallorca +0.25 at 1.86