Top 5 Bets for the Euro 2020 Qualifiers: October 14-15

The second round of the Euro 2020 qualifies will resume today and England, Portugal and Spain will all be in action. Here are the top five bets for your consideration. Bet on football here.

Bulgaria v England – Both Teams to Score – 2.35 – October 14th

England will take on Bulgaria as Gareth Southgate’s men attempt to atone for what was a poor showing in Prague on Friday. The Bulgarians have not scored in their last two, but they have scored three in two at home, while they’re facing an England back-line that has not been at its best lately. The Three Lions are likely to adopt a more attacking approach after Friday’s let-down, but it is not easy to fancy them to keep a clean sheet either. More importantly, the chances of both teams scoring are inordinate than the current odds suggest.

France v Turkey – Home Win – 1.45 – October 14th

France will look to go top of Group H with a win when they host Turkey tonight. It has not exactly been a struggle for France during qualification, though they were expected to be out in front by the time match-day eight came around. That said, they only lost in the reverse of this fixture, whilst winning 100% of their other games in Group H. The Turks are not as menacing as the French who will have the home fans rallying behind them and that should see them win this one.

Ukraine v Portugal – Over 2.5 Goals – 2.20 – October 14th

Ukraine will host Portugal on Tuesday evening as the visitors look to close the gap between them and their opponents who lead the way in Group B. Portugal are yet to play away from home in Group B without conceding but on the other hand they have notched nine in two on the road during qualifying. They both have averages of 1.7 and 2.35 expected goals for their respective home and away games and therefore backing Over 2.5 Goals sounds like a good punt.

Sweden v Spain – Away Win – 1.85 – October 15th

Sweden will face Spain on Tuesday evening, as they attempt to confirm their position inside the all-important top two in Group F. Spain have been on a rebuilding mission and the results seem to be positive, as they currently lead their group by five points. When the pair met earlier in the group, Spain won by three goals to nil and we expect much of the same going into this one as well.

Greece v Bosnia – Herzegovina – Home Win – October 15th

Can Greece turn around a terrible streak with a home victory over Bosnia when they take on each other on Tuesday? The Italians have dominated the group, but both of these sides are off the pace. Greece are in terrible form and they sit seven points shy of the top two with just three games to play. Bosnia have failed to win any of their last four visits to Greece and we don’t think they have enough to change that here and the home side should be able to take advantage.

Top 5 Bets for the weekend: October 12-3

The international break is here and there will be plenty of action in the Euro 2020 qualifiers. We have done our research on the top bets to keep a keen eye one. Bet on football here.

Denmark v Switzerland – Double Chance (1X) – 1.30

Denmark will host Switzerland in a pivotal qualification tie in Copenhagen this weekend. The two sides are second and third respectively in Group D and they will be trying to outdo each other. Interestingly, Denmark have finished level in five of their most recent seven games overall since November last year. The Swiss also hold an undefeated record in Group D after four matches, winning two and drawing two of their opening quartet of qualification contests.

Norway v Spain – Both Teams to Score – 1.90

Norway are unbeaten in their last qualifiers but only sit fourth in Group F and play host to the three-time Euro winners and current group leaders Spain this weekend. Both teams scored in two of the last three meetings between these two nations and we are confident that both teams will score in Saturday’s match.

Italy v Greece – Under 2.5 Goals – 1.95

Italy will be out to make it seven Euro 2020 qualification wins from seven when they host an out of form Greece outfit in Rome. We expect Italy to ease to victory again against the Greeks, though we don’t envisage the winning margin to be quite so big. With the Greeks well-established defensive robustness away from home and Italy’s modest goal-scoring figures, Under 2.5 Goals looks the smartest way to approach this game.

Malta v Sweden – (-1 Handicap) Away Win – 1.25

Malta have lost their last five qualifiers and will be expected to lose a sixth when they take on Sweden. The visitors have won three of their last six and they have a 100% record against Malta that is expected to continue this here. Malta have failed to score in each of their last five matches and Sweden have kept two clean sheets in their last four attempts, and we don’t expect any drastic changes in their current circumstances.

Faroe Islands v Romania – Over 2.5 Goals – 1.75

Faroe Islands will play host to a Romania side looking to qualify for their sixth European Championship since 1984. The visitors have won all of their seven previous encounters against Faroe Islands and Over 2.5 Goals have been produced in five of the pairs’ seven meetings. Romania have scored Over 2.5 Goals in five of their seven games against Faroe Islands and that should continue in this fixture.

Big Game Focus: Italy v Greece

 

Group J leaders Italy will be looking to make it seven wins out of seven in the Euro 2020 qualification when they host an out of form Greece in Rome this weekend. Here’s the Big Game Focus with some betting tips. Bet on the game here. 

The Italians have been terrific in Group J so far. The Azzurri have won all of their six games, soring an impressive 18 goals and have one foot in next year’s European Championships. Although the Azzurri have been in good form, they have struggled in attack. Can they make it seven out of seven? Italy comfortably beat the Greeks in the reverse fixture between them in June.

Greece have endured a disappointing Euro 2020 qualification campaign. Their 2-0 win at Liechtenstein on match day one remains their only victory in Group J so far, and John van ‘t Schip’s men visit Rome with a dreadful record of just two wins in ten matches in all competitions.

Betting preview

Only three of Italy’s last 12 home matches in all competitions have seen three or more goals scored. Although Greece are enduring a difficult period, the 2004 Euro champions rarely get dismantled away from home. In fact, they have conceded more than two goals in only one of their last 20 international matches away from home. For that reason, you can back Under 2.5 Goals in this game at odds of 1.95. 

Torino striker Andrea Belotti has scored two goals in four appearances in the Euro qualifiers. The 25-year-old has been in good form for his club scoring five goals in seven Serie A appearances. Overall, he’s scored 13 goals in 17 appearances in all competitions this season. You can back Andrea Belotti as Anytime Goalscorer at odds of 2.05. 

The last time these two met, the Italians won 3-0. All the three goals were scored in a pace of ten minutes in the first half. Greece have conceded eight goals in the first half in their last five matches in all competitions.  Therefore, odds of 3.00 for First Half as the Highest Scoring Half look attractive. 

Team news

Azzurri captain Giorgio Chiellini will miss out through injury.

Konstantinos Fortounis is a long-term absentee and will be unavailable for the visitors.

Possible lineups

Italy: Donnarumma, Izzo, Bonucci, Acerbi, Spinazzola, Barella, Jorginho, Verratti, Chiesa, Immobile, Insigne

Greece: Barkas, Bakakis, Retsos, Siovas, Stafylidis, Kourmpelis, Bouchalakis, Fetfatzidis,Vrousai, Pavlidis, Koulouris

 

 

How are the Premier League top six fairing?

The International break is here and today we will take a look at how the Premier League has panned out with a special focus on the top six clubs in the league. Bet on football here.

Liverpool

Liverpool have had a brilliant start to their Premier League campaign after winning all eight fixtures so far. They sit eight points clear of Manchester City ahead of the international break. As a matter of fact they are the overwhelming favourites to win the English title for the first time since 1990. They seem to have picked up where they left last season and they will be hoping to protect the advantage lest they fall into the same trap as last season. In the meantime, they remain the best team in the division and they are setting the standards for others to follow.

Manchester City

Manchester City are the defending Champions and they have made their worst start to a season since Pep Guardiola took charge at the Etihad in 2016. Theirs has been a lack of consistency as they have looked unstoppable at times only to flop the next minute. City’s defensive shortcomings have been largely due to the injuries to Aymeric Laporte and John Stones. Guardiola needs to find a way to make City more robust at the back, especially at set-pieces, before they return to action at Crystal Palace if they are to challenge for the title this season.

Arsenal

Arsenal are sitting in third position after eight games, and this is excellent considering their squad that remains imbalanced and in need of extra defensive quality. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been their best player after scoring seven of the team’s 13 league goals so far. However, they need to change the reality of their winless run against the ‘Big Six’ opponents. In games against Liverpool, Spurs and United, Arsenal have taken just two points and they need to find a way to beat their biggest rivals to cement their top-four ambitions.

Leicester City

Tottenham have endured their worst run since the 2008-09 campaign after collecting just 22 points from their last 20 Premier League games. The alarming loss of form has seen Leicester City step up and take their spot in the top four. Brendan Rodgers has Jamie Vardy at his lethal best once again and the young contingent are also stepping up to offer support. It will be interesting to see how they hold on.

Chelsea

Chelsea have bounced back from their 4-0 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford on the opening weekend to climb to fifth position going into the international break. Frank Lampard’s Chelsea have been inconsistent, but with the transfer ban, he has had to trust youngsters such as Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori. All three academy products have now been called into the senior England squad as a reward for their progress, which has been a highlight of Chelsea’s season so far. Lampard’s challenge is to build on the momentum and find some winning consistency.

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace have equally done well for themselves this season and surprised a few on their way to sixth place. Black Stars striker Jordan Ayew is having a stellar start to the season, whilst the free signing of Gary Cahill has made Roy Hogdson’s team more defensively sound. The Eagles are unbeaten at home since Man City beat them at Selhurst Park in April. Unfortunately for Hodgson and co. Pep’s boys are the team they play directly after the break. Can they maintain an unlikely push for a Europa League spot?

 

Big Game Focus: Germany v Argentina

Germany and Argentina will meet in Dortmund for an international friendly match as these two clash in a rematch of the 2014 World Cup final. Bet on the match here.

Both of these sides did not have the best time at the 2018 World Cup, and they have never quite picked up in the last couple of months. Argentina are in the middle of a transition period, with some young talents being asked to step up.

The same could be said of the German squad as well as they are looking to promote a new group of players, after relying too much on the side who beat Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final. The fact that almost all of their players called up for this clash have less than 50 caps for the national side speaks to that.

Betting preview

The Germans have struggled at the back after conceding seven goals in their Nations League clashes with France and Holland. With Argentina’s fresh forward line they should find it difficult to contain them. Germany have scored twice in their last five internationals making odds of 1.65 for Both Teams to Score look attractive.

Germany have won four of their last five matches and they will have the added advantage of playing in front of their fans. Argentina have failed to win in two of their last three away trips and therefore backing a Home Win at odds of 1.75 looks good.

Four of Germany’s last five friendlies have seen exactly three goals scored and there is a good chance that this could happen again. This one looks ripe for goals and you can back Over 2.5 Goals at odds of 1.75.

Team news

Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger is expected to miss out here, as well as Manchester City’s Leroy Sane. Joachim Low has a big test to choose between the first choice keepers Manuel Neuer and Marc-Andre ter-Stegen for Bayern and Barcelona respectively.

Argentina have made a few changes to their squad here, and Erik Lamela is their most experienced midfielder. Angel Di Maria and Sergio Aguero have been left out of Lionel Scaloni’s squad, while captain and talisman Lionel Messi is still serving a three-month ban issued by CONMEBOL for comments made at this summer’s Copa America.

Possible line ups

Germany: Ter Stegen, Stark, Sule, Tah, Halstenberg, Havertz, Kimmich, Klostermann, Gnabry, Werner, Reus.

Argentina: Marchesin, Tagliafico, Rojo, Otamendi, Foyth, Acuna, Paredes, De Paul, Correa, L. Martinez, Dybala.

Things to look out of for in the Champions League: Round two group fixtures

The Champions League second round of fixtures will continue this week as Liverpool, Barcelona and Chelsea all seek to redeem themselves. Bet on Champions League football here.

First big test for Inter Milan

Barcelona and Inter Milan will square it off against each other at Camp Nou in their Group F fixture. Both sides shared the spoils with Borussia Dortmund and Slavia Prague respectively in their first round of European fixtures, meaning that we are likely to see both of them going for the win here. The Italians have had an impressive start to their local campaign but this will be their first real test of the season. Can Antonio Conte gain a positive result away to Barca?

Liverpool to bounce back 

Liverpool suffered a 2-0 loss to Napoli at Stadio San Paolo in their Champions League opener, meaning that the European Champions are desperate to get back to winning ways. Jurgen Klopp’s charges are likely to go all guns blazing at home to Salzburg and they are favourites to pick up vital points in this one. The hosts have an incredible record at home following seven wins in eight home games and they will be looking to extend that record.

A strong display from Cristiano Ronaldo

Bayer Leverkusen will head to Turin to meet Juventus and the home side will be eager to pick up all three points. As is expected all eyes will be fixed on Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo who has an impressive record in this competition. He has scored 26 goals in 24 appearances against teams from Germany in the UEFA Champions League. It is worth noting that no other player has more against teams from a specific nation. With the Portuguese on form, we can expect a very strong display for him.

Another shaky outing for Spurs?

Tottenham are set to host Bayern Munich in the Champions League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This has been a challenging spell for Spurs, who have won just once in their last four games. Their weekend success over Southampton was not all that convincing, while their League Cup exit to Colchester was just plainly disappointing. Bayern Munich head into this week’s game with some great Bundesliga form behind them and they will have a few questions to ask. It remains to be seen how Tottenham will respond.

Osimhen to trouble Chelsea

Chelsea have little choice but to go for glory at Lille in their second group game, following their home loss to Valencia in the first match. For all their exciting forward play, Chelsea have looked really vulnerable in defending counter-attacks and set pieces. They will have to worry about the threat posed by Lille’s forward Victor Osimhen. The young Nigerian has six goals in seven appearances for Lille in Ligue 1 and he will have instructions to hurt the opposition.

Things to look out for in European football: September 28-29

League action is set to resume in Europe as the Madrid derby takes centre stage. Here is a look at some of the talking points in La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1. Bet on football here.

Bragging rights up for grabs in Madrid

Real Madrid will make the trip to bitter city rivals Atlético Madrid on Saturday as Los Blancos aim to continue their one-point lead at the top of the table. Los Colchoneros will be looking to build on their most recent win over Mallorca during the midweek. Atletico have kept clean sheets in eight of their 13 home games, proving that they are defensively solid and they will be out to take the bragging rights here. Real have not given off the impression that they are league leaders, but surprisingly they sit in first place in the table and they will not give up their position easily.

Athletic Bilbao to continue unbeaten run?

Valencia will travel to Athletic Bilbao where they will be hosted by a high-flying home side and the big question is, can Los Ches get back to their winning ways? The hosts will be disappointed to not have continued their winning streak during the week, but they remain undefeated this season. Valencia will be trying to find their feet under their new coach, and their away record has been mixed in recent games, losing three of their last five outings. San Mamés has always been an absolute fortress and it is impossibly difficult for a visiting side to win here.

High scoring thriller in Germany

Title hopefuls Borussia Dortmund are hoping to get back to winning ways when they host Werder Bremen after being held to a draw last weekend. As always this game promises to be a thrilling encounter between two of the Bundesliga’s most entertaining and attacking sides. This fixture has a history of delivering goals and ultimately, we feel that this game is not going to be any different. These two played each other three times in all competitions last season and there were Over 2.5 Goals scored in all three fixtures.

Napoli to respond to midweek loss

Napoli will be looking to return to winning ways in the Serie A when they take on Brescia in yet another home fixture. Carlo Ancelotti’s men need to pick up all three points from Sunday’s football game if they are to rejoin the race for the Serie A title. The Partenopei failed to turn their dominance into goals in the midweek fixture and were unfortunate not to grab something from the match. Mario Balotelli and his new teammates face an uphill task against Napoli and there is a good chance that they are going to return home empty-handed from the trip to Naples.

Neutral affair

Olympique Marseille will want to return to winning ways in Ligue 1 when they host Rennes at their Orange Velodrome. The hosts won just two of their last six home matches which doesn’t exactly instill a lot of confidence. And whereas they are unbeaten in their last four clashes with Rennes, they have won just one of those encounters. Draws have been common between the two in recent years and with neither team in top form, it is what looks very likely.

Mad

Big Game Focus: Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid

Atletico Madrid will host Real Madrid in the Madrid derby at the Wanda Metropolitano in one of the fiercest derbies on the continent this weekend. Bet on football here.

Both teams began their La Liga season in contrasting fashion, but this is not expected to play any role when they take to the pitch. Atletico won their first three games but failed to win any of their next three games across all competitions. Diego Simeone’s men will be out to earn the bragging rights and build confidence ahead of their trip to Moscow for their Champions League clash with Lokomotiv on Tuesday.

Los Blancos shared the spoils with Real Valladolid and Villarreal, before being humiliated by PSG in the Champions League. However, they earned back-to-back wins against Sevilla and Osasuna to get things moving in the right direction. They don’t have a very bad record on their travels here and they will be hoping keep it that way here.

Betting preview

Goals are usually in short supply in Atletico Madrid’s fixtures. Under 2.5 Goals has paid out in five of their six Liga games this season, as well as three of their last four domestic meetings with Real. Odds of 1.85 for this to happen are looking pretty good and you can back that to happen.

Real were impressive against Sevilla but given the standard of the opposition, we don’t think they have enough to win against Atletico Madrid on their own turf and therefore backing a Double Chance Home Win looks good at odds of 1.40.

Both sides have seen Both Teams to Score No land in three of their last five outings and we think there is a good chance for this to happen again. You can back Both Teams to Score No at odds of 2.05 this way.

Team news

Alvaro Morata will miss the weekend’s action after picking up two yellow cards against Real Mallorca. In that case, Joao Felix might have to partner Diego Costa up front for the home side. Thomas Lemar is expected to be given a start on the left-hand side of midfield, with Koke on the opposite flank.

Zinedine Zidane took a risk against Osasuna on Wednesday by leaving out Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale and Thibaut Courtois on the bench. They will all be expected back for the weekend clash. Ferland Mendy and Marcelo are both sidelined due to injury for the visitors, which will see Nacho feature at left-back.

Possible line ups

Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Trippier, Savic, Gimenez, Lodi, Koke, Niguez, Partey, Lemar, Costa, Felix.

Real Madrid: Courtois, Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Nacho, Casemiro, Modric, Hazard, Rodriguez, Bale, Benzema.

 

Top five meetings: Manchester United v Arsenal

Manchester United and Arsenal will face off in the Premier League for the Monday night showdown. Here we look back to history for some of the top five fixtures between the sides. Bet on football here.

Arsenal 3 v 2 Manchester United: 1979

This match was played in May of 1979 and it has gone down as one of the greatest FA Cup finals ever. Arsenal began the match very well and they seemed in control of proceedings until five minutes from time. Drama began soon after and by the 90th minute three more goals had been scored. Gordon McQueen and Sammy McIlroy almost engineered a remarkable comeback by United, only for Alan Sunderland to net the winner just a minute after McIlroy had equalized. The match has become known as the ‘five-minute final.’

Manchester United 8 v 2 Arsenal: 2011

This match is the highest scoring of their 219 meetings and Manchester United bullied an injury-plagued Arsenal side at Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick, Ashley Young scored two fine solo goals, whilst Danny Welbeck, Ji Sung Park and Nani all chipped in with a goal each. Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott did pull goals back for Gunners, but by then the damage was done – and the heaviest defeat in Arsene Wenger’s 19-year tenure at Arsenal was already in the history books.

Arsenal 0 v 0 Manchester United (Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties): 2005

Arsenal exerted a measure of revenge for the previous season’s FA Cup defeat against the Red Devils, who actually dominated for large spells. Arsenal were lucky as the goal-frame denied both Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy. at the Millennium Stadium. The Gunners, meanwhile, were reduced to 10 men when Jose Antonio Reyes was sent off towards the end of extra-time. In the first FA Cup final to be decided on penalties, Paul Scholes was the only one to miss from the spot, with Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira slotting home the winner.

Manchester United 0 v 1 Arsenal:  2002

This was yet another close affair and Arsenal were lucky to come out on top. The match was determined by a singular goal as Sylvain Wiltord scored the match winner. Arsenal clinched the title on the ground of their bitter enemies and secured a dramatic turn-around for the North London club. Arsenal went on to clinch their double, when they won the FA Cup a few weeks later.

Arsenal 1 v 2 Manchester United: 1999

This match, played in April 1999, was the defining match of United’s treble-winning season and famous for one of the greatest goals. David Beckham put United in the lead but Dennis Bergkamp equalized and it looked like Arsenal would go on to win as Roy Keane was sent off and soon after Arsenal were awarded a penalty. However, Peter Schmeichel saved Bergkamp’s spot-kick before Ryan Giggs picked up the ball in his own half, to score a brilliant individual effort and secure the win for United.

 

Things to look out for in Premier League: Matchweek 7

 

Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Watford and Chelsea are looking to return to winning ways, while West Ham and Bournemouth are aiming to continue with their good run of form in the Premier League this weekend. Here are some of the Things to look out for in the Premier League: Matchweek 7. Bet on the Premier League here. 

Manchester United v Arsenal – Who will lift the gloom?

This fixture was once one of England’s fiercest rivalries, but years of underinvestment and mismanagement has made it meaningless. A match between Arsenal and Manchester United was one of the biggest matches in English football which would determine who lifts the coveted Premier League title. These two meet on Monday but that rivalry, although it still retains some glamour, it is a distant memory. Now, it’s a fight of who will get into the top four and who will avoid social media banter. Both have made poor starts to the season and whoever wins on Monday will at least bring some much-needed delirium to the fans.

Bottom of the table clash: Wolves and Watford

Both Wolves and Watford are winless in the Premier League this season. The Hornets have already fired their manager Javi Gracia and replaced him with former boss Quique Sanchez Flores. Wolves’ boss Nuno Espirito Santo is a man under pressure ahead of their clash against Watford. The Hornets suffered a chastening 8-0 defeat away to champions Manchester City last time out. The home team have failed to win any of the last five league meetings between these two since the Hornets triumphed 2-1 at Vicarage Road in November 2012

Marco Silva’s last throw of the dice

Everton suffered yet another defeat against newly-promoted Sheffield United putting more pressure on Marco Silva. A clash against rampant Manchester City is not a fixture Silva would want to use to bounce back. Everton spent over £100m in the summer transfer window but currently sit 14th and hopes of breaking into the top six look bleak. A win over City might save Silva’s job, but can he stop Pep’s men?

Lampard to gain first home win?

Chelsea are yet to taste victory in the league at Stamford Bridge. They’ve drawn two and lost once of their three home games. On Saturday, they face Brighton, a team that have taken only one point from 13 Premier League away matches at last season’s top six sides and lost 3-0 at Stamford Bridge last season. If they produce a performance as they did against Liverpool, they shouldn’t have a problem dispatching the Seagulls.

Clash of top six contenders: Bournemouth v West Ham

Both Bournemouth and West Ham have made decent starts to the season and they sit sixth and fifth respectively. Both teams registered huge wins last week and their consistency should be put to test when they meet. The Cherries are unbeaten in five meetings against the Hammers and have won three of those five matches. Moreover, both teams are looking to break into the top six this season given the huge summers they had. Can Eddie Howe’s men continue with their good record against the Hammers?

 

Pochettino to ease the pressure

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is under pressure following a poor start to the season. Spurs have won just three of their last ten league matches and the Argentine is aiming to alleviate some of the pressure when they host Southampton this weekend. Spurs have won just once this season and have lost to Leicester and Newcastle. They have blown leads against Arsenal, Olympiakos and the Foxes. Can they bounce back this weekend?