Isn’t is amazing that I can do the most basic of research and it still provides pointers. A look at Chelsea against promoted sides at home showed them scoring in the first half, eventually scoring 3/4 and conceding at least one. Well this came true again yesterday.

Note too, you reactive traders, that Chelsea went 1-2 down!

Again basic research in the Blackburn v Hull match pointed to 1-0 either way – it was tight and 1-0 to Blackburn.

today there are a lot of europa League matches and I am not going to spend all day going through them all so will check the ones I am interested in.

as well as the Europa league we have El Classico, and the last “derby” between Dundee and Dundee United, I advised betting on bookings and it was a beauty! More of the same tonight?

 

5pm – Anzhi Makhachkala v AZ Alkmaar – 2.02 home

545pm – Ekranas v Steaua Bucharest – 1.39 away

6pm – Atromitos v Newcastle – 2.26 away – how much do Newcastle want a run in the Europa League. We’ll recall the unwelcome distraction it was for Stoke – it affected their Premiership results and they didn’t win the competition. 3 1-0 scorelines in last 3 matches for Atromitos is of course typically Greek. 3 1-0’s, 2 1-1’s and a 3-2 .

Atromitos look to be debutants to this competition, and I hate betting when debutants are involved, because naturally there is no history.

A 90th minute Ben Arfa Daley penalty got Newcastle the 3 points against Spurs. The Newcastle team has some class acts in its ranks, especially in the attacking third.  Newcastle have not been in the Europa League since 2007.

Instinctually, I would say this is advantage Newcastle, perhaps with a 0-0 cover bet given atromitos are typically Greek?

It is a difficult match to weigh up as these 2 do not have history  and both sides are either debutants or have a 5 year absence from this competition.  further, Newcastle play Chelsea at the weekend.  So, as the Racing Post tells me, Demba Ba, Collicini, Tiote, Ben Arfa and Ameobis are all absent. This compounds the problem of getting an angle in and I would not play this match.

6pm – Sheriff Tiraspol v Marseille – 1.68 away

630pm – Bursaspor v Twente – 2.6 away

7pm – F91 Dudelange v Hapoel Tel Aviv – 1.57 away – Luxembourg teams always seem instantly opposable?A quick exit for Dudelange from the Champions League at the hands of Maribor, sees them relegated to the Europa League. Dudelange were last in the EL in 2012 where they won 2-1 at home against Randers, after conceding first. Hapoel scored 3 goals in their 2011 EL matches away against PSV and Rapid Bucharest who are arguably stronger than a team from Luxembourg. Hapoel have scored 2-3-3 in their last 3 EL aways.

All in all, I cannot see Hapoel succumbing to a Luxembourg team ( as long as they take the EL seriously). Speculators might want to back Hapoel scoring 2+ goals as they have done so against better opponents than tonight’s.

7pm – Feyenoord v Sparta Prague – 1.75 home

7pm – Trabzonspor v Videoton – 1.47 home

745pm – FC Vaslui v Inter – 1.82 away – vaslui were knocked out of the Champions League 1-1 at home, 1-4 away by fenerbahce. They now play an Inter side who are shocked to be in this competition. 1.82 tells you that Inter are likely to struggle tonight despite logic dictating Seria A is far stronger than a romanian league.

The last Italian opposition for   Vaslui in 2011’s EL was Lazio, 0-0 at home . Sign of things to come tonight?

Vaslui are unbeaten in 9 home EL legs stretching back to 2008.

WWDW for Vaslui in first leg EL home matches, scoring 2 on 3 occasions. They obviously have a game plan. Arguably though they have not met a team such as Inter Milan before in this competition.

Inter scraped through against Helsinki , winning 0-3 away and losing 0-2 at home.  Inter have not been in the EL since 2004 and logic dictates that they should fins this competition at little easier.

What chance another attempt at a clean sheet and away goal for Inter. They are capable surely?

 

745pm – Hearts v Liverpool – 1.67 away – generally speaking, when an SPL team meets a Premiership team, the Premiership team often obliges. This has been the case on numerous occasions. This makes the 1.67 rather enticing, but again do Liverpool have one eye on the Premiership instead of an also-ran trophy? Suarez and gerrard are rested, hence the rather cautious away odds ( they should be a lot shorter when SPL play Premiership-and what’s more, SPL outside of Old firm!) Hearts look layable as Liverpool should still have enough in them tonight.

2 consecutive draws for Hearts in all competitions, and score draws at that.The last time the Old Firm played Premiership opponents in the EL was last year where Spurs won 0-5 away from home.

Liverpool have been regulars in the Europa League, and in the 7 matches before the 3-0 win over Gomel, the scorelines were either, 1-1(once) 1-0 or 0-0. Remember though that this is new management on this occasion, but it does infer a defensive solidity ( I suppose it is the 2 legged factor at play here?)

6 Liverpool clean sheets in 8 matches. Value seekers might look at a Liverpool win to nil.

745pm – Motherwell v Levante – 1.93 away

8pm – Ath Bilbao v HJK Helsinki – 1.21 home

8pm – Mura v Lazio – 1.27 away

8pm – Zeta v PSV – 1.34 away

930pm – Barcelona v Real Madrid – 1.75 home – that’s interesting. An odds on team in El Classico!

As I said earlier, it is normally a good bet to load up on booking points, and Pepe to get booked for Real madrid is as regular as Santa coming every December.

The last 7 El Classicos saw both teams score and and 6 of those 7 matches finishing over 2.5 goals. 2-1-2-3-3-2-2-1 scored by Barcelona recently in El Classicos.

1-2-2-1-1-2-2 scored by Real madrid. If Madrid only score a single goal they are vulnerable to losing.

This all points to over 2.5 goals ( perhaps over 3.5 goals if you expect both teams to get 2 goals), and both teams scoring. Of course, if real score first, I would lay them/back barca given that both teams have scored regularly and Barca are at home.

New manager syndrome at Barca, but really when you a team like THAT, they could simply put up a mannequin on the touchline – it’s all about the players.