UCL Round 2

Here are some of my views on a few of  today's UCL matches.

Basel v/s Shalke. The Swiss outfit were quite impressive coming out deserved winners at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago. They must have a great chance against the struggling Germans who are in a precarious bottom part of the table in the Bundesliga. I like Basel at market draw-no-bet odds and that is the selection.

Stueaua Bucharest v/s Chelsea. I cannot fathom the Blues not going through in this group and after their shocking loss in the opening round, they must be going out for the all-out win here. Nothing other than 3 invaluable points will do and I strongly feel that's what they will get out of there.

Porto v/s Atletico Madrid. The Spaniards will feel invincible after taking the scalp of bitter rivals Real Madrid at the Bernabeu over the week-end. Truly, this Atletico team is dangerous to any opposition at the moment. Porto are solid at home but there is a feeling that they are not top-notch. I strongly value the visitors' odds as draw-no-bet.

Win: Chelsea
Draw-no-bet: Basel, Atletico Madrid

Cup consolation for Real

First, a salute to Beckham who's decided his boots at the end of the year. Same year as SAF, Paul Scholes and Phil Neville, who have defined Man Utd for the past 20 years. Becks is simply the best crosser of the ball I have ever seen. No-one can bend it like Beckham. Also, Becks is the best free-kick taker in the 25-30 yard range I have ever seen. Zidane could have been the best below 25 yards but Becks had deadly aim at longer ranges. Although he's won in 4 different leagues, I'm pretty sure he would be as equally happy or more so playing all his career at Old Trafford, like Giggs and Scholes. The fact that he's really stayed a humble guys throughout his massive on and off-field successes say a lot about the man. A real rare true icon.

Tonight sees the Copa del Rey final between Real and Atletico Madrid. On one hand, there's a divided Real team whose manager Mourinho has burnt all of his bridges to the club and is on his way out. On the other, Atletico will try to use these apparent conflicts to finally secure a win over their city rivals. This final also pits 2 men who've never lost a final, I believe; Mourinho and Falcao have been in quite a few important ones and always found a way to win. Falcao always seems pumped for these kinds of occasions.

My verdict is that Real Madrid will prevail. The final being at their home Bernabeu gives them a massive advantage. It is a mountain to climb for Atletico. I don't give much credence to the theory that Real will be hampered by the stories of disarray in which the club seems to embroiled; that Mourinho has lost the locker room etc. He may have lost the players' esteem but they are still a strong force that can cause damage when playing in unison. They can still rely on CR7 to put them on the score sheet. Atletico's best chance will be for it to go to the lottery of penalties. I think Real will settle this game sooner than that.

Win Copa: Real Madrid

Week-end European fixtures

It will be Bayern v/s Barcelona and Dortmund v/s Real in the semi-finals of the UCL. In fact, any combination would have been mouth-watering; these are really the 4 best teams in the world. My early inclination is that one of the German teams is going to win the trophy, and I also feel it could very well be an all-German final; I'm sure the majority will not agree. We'll get to those fixtures when the the first leg will be played. Here are some thoughts on some of this week-end's matches.

Arsenal v/s Norwich. I don't think the Canaries will drop and I also don't think they can go to the Emirates and win. Arsenal look to finish another disappointing season on a strong note and am backing them for the Win. They will be missing Diaby in midfield although the return of Wilshere should bring that loss in perspective.

Aston Villa v/s Fulham. Got to go with the Villains to snatch at least a point from this contest. They are on a real fight for survival and must be gunning for maximum points against Fulham. Their form is alright against middle-tier teams and I fancy there will be a few goals in this contest. Aston Villa is the value draw-no-bet selection of the week-end.

Everton v/s QPR. It's almost game over for Rangers who will drop in my opinion. Although it will be difficult for them, Everton are still in contention for the fourth spot and will aim for maximum points. With the return of Fellaini and Pienaar, Everton look a safe draw-no-bet selection.

Stoke v/s Man Utd. The Red Devils are on a mini-slump and although they still have a more than comforting advance at the top, they will want to stop their losing run. Stoke have been toothless for quite a while and they look to be a team that needs major restructuring. Tony Pulis does not seem to be able to get any more out of the current team. It's true that the Mancunians have always found The Brittania a difficult place to go but they've not lost there. This is a match they need to make a statement to knock any revived title hopes a City fan might have nurtured. Man Utd is a win recommendation.

In Europe, Atletico Madrid should beat Granada while in the Ligue 1, PSG should come back with full points from their travel to Troyes.

Win: Man Utd, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, PSG
Draw-no-bet: Aston Villa, Everton

Week-end football

For this week-end's fixtures, I do not anticipate as many drawn matches as last week although there is no doubt that there are some favoured teams that will be made to work to get the full points. Here are some selections.

Liverpool v/s Norwich. The Reds got themselves a good striker in Sturridge from Chelsea. He can be lethal when full of confidence and he will have gotten some of that after scoring on his debut at Old Trafford. Norwich are a well-organized team that plays good counter-attacking football. If the score is still level late on, they might see themselves snatching a winning goal to steal the points. They have lost 4 of their last 5 league games, so it seems stretching to see the Canaries winning this all out. I would go for Liverpool as a draw-no-bet.

Man City v/s Fulham. Straight win for the hosts here. They should win this with their B team. They have lost the Toure brothers to the African Nations Cup but this should not matter against Fulham. Man City is a win selection.

Newcastle v/s Reading. I will give the Magpies home advantage here. They are on a poor run but have shown signs of regaining some form and confidence lately. There is no doubt that they are weaker force without Demba Ba, but his departure will give the likes of Cisse and Amoebi to shine. Reading are very vulnerable on the road and it's thus hard to warm to their chances. Newcastle is a draw-no-bet.

Swansea v/s Stoke. It is hard to find someone with a more nightmarish games than Stoke's Walters last week. Two own goals and one penalty miss against Chelsea that led to a 0-4 drubbing at home. It must be said that Tony Pulis' team is showing a very patchy form in the past few games. Swansea will rely on the exploits of Michu to do the damage again. The Spaniard is the find of the season and will be keen to add to this impressive goal tally against the stumbling visitors. This could go either way and I believe it will be decided by a goal, so I'll sit on the fence on this one.

West Brom v/s Villa. Got to go with the home team here even though I have been wrong on my last 2 selections regarding them. I side with them here because they are facing a Villa team in crisis. The Villains have the most terrible record of the past 6 weeks, leaking goals in abundance. West Brom are not in the best of shapes either having lost their last 3 league games. This is a great chance for them to start a winning sequence and they are a draw-no-bet selection.

In Spain, I like Malaga and Atletico Madrid as Wins at home to Celta Vigo and Levante respectively.

In Germany, Bayern Munich should easily win its home game against Greuther.

In Italy, AC Milan looks a safe draw-no-bet against Bologna.


Win: Man City, Malaga, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich
Draw-no-bet: Liverpool, Newcastle, West Brom, AC Milan

Week-end football

Arsenal won their UCL game and qualified as expected.

Here's to hoping for a good week-end of selections to make up for last week's disappointments. My thoughts on a few of them.

Man Utd v/s QPR. Straight win for the hosts here, who will be keen to work on their goal difference against the league's worst team. Even if Sir Alex Ferguson's statue unveiling could somewhat put some distraction on his players, they should be too good for the manager-less visitors.

Everton v/s Norwich. The hosts will be without inspirational Fellaini. Norwich will come buzzing from their defeat of Man Utd last week. I like Everton's form at home and have them as a draw-no-bet.

Stoke v/s Fulham. I like Stoke as a draw-no-bet here. They have good form at home and Fulham are experiencing a torrid time in defence. The visitors can score but are leaking in abundance too.

Southampton v/s Newcastle. Southampton will be keen to have a go against the struggling Magpies. The latter will be welcoming back their powerful midfielder Tiote but will still be missing a few key players owing to injuries and suspensions. The Saints will need to take any chance they get to get a result, and I believe it is worth siding with them as a draw-no-bet.

AC Milan v/s Juventus. Both played and won in mid-week. Milan is just a poor team this year and it is surprising that they are still with coach Allegri. I think they are up for a rude opposition in arch-rivals Juventus and I like the visitors' current draw-no-bet odds, so that's the selection.

In Spain, I like Real Madrid's chances for the win as they visit a struggling Real Betis side. Christiano Ronaldo can make light up the score sheet again there.

Atletico Madrid host Sevilla and I like the hosts' chances as a draw-no-bet.

In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich should overcome Hannover at the Olympic stadium just like PSG should resume winning ways against Troyes in Ligue 1.

Win: Man Utd, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG
Draw-no-bet: Everton, Stoke, Southampton, Juventus, Atletico Madrid

Week-end football

Wednesday's results went as expected except for Barcelona who got dinged at Celtic. It must have been written somewhere that Celtic would come out on top on their 125th anniversary, though they were outplayed in every statistical department of the game.

The week-end games coming up look tricky and here are my thoughts.

Arsenal v/s Fulham. This is a game pitting 2 teams with very good attacks but poor defence. So there could be potentially lots of goals in this match. The pressure seems to be mounting on a weekly basis on Arsene Wenger; there does not seem much light at the end of the tunnel for the Gunners fans as far as garnering trophies after some many years of wait. Each defeat, like last week's at Old Trafford, stokes the fires of reported unrest and dissent throughout the club hierarchy by the media as regards Wenger's failing policy for the club. But Arsenal have home advantage here against a Fulham team that seems to be puffing of late. Arsenal is a draw-no-bet recommendation.

Everton v/s Sunderland. Will Sunderland finally score a goal? They might very well do it, but then it sounds hard to believe that Everton will not score a few themselves. I believe Martin O'Neil will get things sorted out for the Black Cats but going to win at Goodison Park seems too much of a tall order given their current form. The odds are that Everton will win this, or get a point from this game at the very least. The hosts are a safe draw-no-bet.

Reading v/s Norwich. There isn't much difference between these 2 teams; they will both be fighting relegation and will be keen to get 3 full points here. Can go either way.

Southampton v/s Swansea. Same as above game. Both teams are capable of the best and worst.

Stoke v/s QPR.Stoke is my value win of the week-end. Obviously, they are always good at home, and QPR looks like a team in real distress. How much longer owner Fernandes will keeping voicing his unconditional support to Mark Hughes will be interesting. It's not entirely the manager's fault. They've been hit by a slew of injuries that is the main source of their woes. Stoke for the win, is the selection.

Wigan v/s West Brom. Two teams in good form, and there's really little to choose between the two. I expect a tight game and will side with the Latics because of their home advantage. Wigan is a draw-no-bet selection.

Aston Villa v/s Man Utd. I expect the Villains to give Man Utd a tough game. They are doing well under Lambert and have put together a good string of matches lately. Man Utd always seem to find it hard when facing mid-table Premiership sides after Champions League football. This is possibly because the style of play is so different. It would be no surprise if Man Utd won this late, but it wouldn't be a surprise either if they hit an off-day and get undone by the hosts. The result can go either way.

Man City v/s Tottenham. It is clear that Man City have yet to hit any kind of top form that they displayed for much of last season. They are struggling to get results going their way either in the league or in the European Cup. Tottenham won't be an easy game for them; the Londoners should have won last year's fixture only to be beaten on a last-gap penalty. Both teams played in mid-week, so there will be fitness issues on both sides. There is no certainty in the result.

Newcastle v/s West Ham. Both teams have injury concerns going into the game. The hosts will be without their lynchpins Tiote and Coloccini, while the Hammers seem to be left with only one fit central defender. I expect the potent Tyneside team to take full advantage of the visitors' depleted defence. Newcastle is a Win selection.

Chelsea v/s Liverpool. Both teams played in mid-week, against Russian teams; Chelsea were lucky to win against a very good Shakhtar Donesk. Liverpool played their second team in a loss to Anzhi. The concern with Chelsea is their defence has been very porous with the absence of Terry. The absence of Ashley Cole looks set to add to their defensive woes. Liverpool have gathered a few positive results lately and their main problem seems to be their lack of realism in front of goal. Suarez is certainly missing an able partner up there. This could very well end up in a draw, but I'm just going to avoid having a punt on the game.

Over Europe, I see wins for Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Ajax, PSV Eidhoven and Porto.

Win: Newcastle, Stoke, Athletico Madrid, Bayern, Ajax, PSV, Porto
Draw-no-bet: Arsenal, Everton, Wigan

Super Cup and Week-end preview.

A couple of hours before the Super Cup between Chelsea and Athletico Madrid gets under way and I really fancy the Spaniards here. Gauging by their La Liga start, they look to be in great form. Much of their goal scoring  lays at the feet of their awesome striker Radamel Falcao, who has a knack of scoring on the big occasions and finals. At current odds, Athletico Madrid at +1.0 Handicap looks a steal as I see them either winning this or drawing in 90 minutes.

Some preview of some of the upcoming week-end games.

Tottenham v/s Norwich. The Canaries won this fixture last year but Spurs will be particularly keen to get their first win of the season here. Villa-Boas will be under big pressure should they fail to lose this. I fancy both teams to do worse than last year, and Tottenham should ride the home advantage here. They are a good draw-no-bet selection.

Man City v/s QPR. Straight win for the home side here although they are not in full flow yet, and did get a huge scare in this game last year.

Liverpool v/s Arsenal. Liverpool are riding the good and the bad and this shouldn't be surprising as new manager Rogers experiments with what his squad has to offer. Their 2 sub-par games against Hearts in Europe sandwiched a really good performance against Man City where they should have bagged 3 points. Arsenal need a goal and win quick to dispel any notion of post-RVP crisis. It might be adventurous to see Arsenal win this but it won't be surprising and I see great value in their odds as draw-no-bet.

Newcastle v/s Aston Villa. It will be rewarding to go against Villa this season and Newcastle will see them as easy fodder. Draw-no-bet should be safe with the hosts here.

Southampton v/s Man Utd. On paper, this should be a straight win for the Red Devils. However, they will be without Rooney and with a suspect defence. Traditionally, they don't have a great record when visiting Southampton of old, but these are different times. Provided they are effective on goal, Alex Ferguson's men should come away with 3 important points.

Real Madrid v/s Granada. Buoyed by their Spanish Super Cup win and their need to catch up in the league, this should be the start of a winning sequence for the Los Blancos.


Win: Man City, Man Utd, Real Madrid.
Handicap: Athletico Madrid +1.
Draw-no-bet: Tottenham, Arsenal, Newcastle.

Oh Frankel

No surprise seeing Real Madrid winning the derby against Atletico Madrid. Not many footballers would have attempted that Ronaldo shot that led to his second goal. Absolutely brilliant. There is only one real hurdle left for Real Madrid and that is their away game to Atletic Bilbao. With their 4-point cushion, if they win this game, they can afford to lose to Barcelona, as there is little doubt that they will get maximum points in their other remaining encounters.

Actually Real Madrid could make some breathing room for themselves this week-end as they host Sporting Gijon. A certain win for the Los Blancos. Barcelona travel to Levante for a tricky match; the hosts are a force to reckon with at home and it would be a mistake to think that Barcelona are sure winners of this game.

In the EPL, Man Utd could also be opening a gap as they host Aston Villa. I cannot see Villa winning this one at Old Trafford, and they might get lucky to steal a point. But I believe it is worth going for a straight Win for the Red Devils. Man City are in for a tough trip to Norwich, who are a tough cookie at home. This game can really go either way.

I like Sunderland's chances at home to Wolves. If only the bottom-of-table club could have some discipline in their ranks; they just keep shooting themselves in the foot by collecting red cards early in the game. That's one of their many problems. Sunderland as draw-no-bet should be safe.

Finally, some horse racing notes where the Grand National takes place on Saturday. A great spectacle I'll watch but I have no clue on the form of the National Hunt horses. Hopefully, Mc Coy won't win it again as I think he's won everything there is to win now and it's about time that someone else shares the honors.

On the Flat front, Frankel's injury yesterday has given a mighty scare to the racing world. The agony of waiting  will last 1 week by the time he's due his second scan to reveal the extent of the injury. Hopefully, it is only a superficial injury, as connections are hopeful it is. Frankel is having the horse nation on tenterhooks just like Rooney and Beckham had the English nation on the leadup to the last World Cup and European Championships. This is the year Frankel is supposed to show he's the greatest of them all, and I really hope it turns out that way.


Win: Real Madrid, Man Utd
Draw-no-bet: Sunderland

Capital Derby

Mourinho may have won his last 5 derbies against Atletico Madrid, but all that will count for nothing if his team does not win this one today. After Barcelona cut the gap to 1 point yesterday, the pressure is all on Real to win to keep the destiny of the title in their hands. Anything less than 3 points will swing the prospects back to Barcelona, something that was unimaginable a few weeks ago.

The good thing for the Los Blancos is that Atletico will be playing without 3 first-team regulars, including their in-form striker Salvio. Provided they are mentally ready and have not been distracted that their 10-point lead has been whittled down to 1 point, Real Madrid should be winning this game unless they get really unlucky like against their last trip to Villareal. It's a certainty for me that they will not lose, so the safe prediction is a draw-no-bet on the visitors.

Draw-no-bet: Real Madrid

Week-end football

Valencia was an oh-so-easy winner against poor Genk, thrashing them 7-0. No surprise there. Week-end football is coming up and am hoping that the hot streak continues, so let's get at it.

A struggling Chelsea side is hosting Wolves and there is no manager in the game under pressure as is Villa-Boas nowadays. A defeat could be the tipping point for him to be toppled. However, I don't think they will lose this game. Wolves will be missing a few first-team players, and the Blues will be eager to right their sinking ship. Their lack of confidence might be low, but in the end Chelsea should come up with at least a point in this game. A draw-no-bet on the hosts is recommended.

Man Utd host Newcastle and getting the 3 points is far from a certainty for the Red Devils. The recent loss of Anderson to injury means that their midfield is really stretched to the limit. They had a hard game against Benfica in mid-week, which is hardly the best preparation to face the Magpies. I personally think there are big question marks regarding Rooney; his recent hip injury, his lack of goal scoring since the news of his family being involved in betting scams, and his re-positioning in a midfield role in the team. It will be interesting if he finds his full confidence back against Newcastle, a team he's been known to have the knack of scoring goals against. As for Pardew's men, they have overachieved since the start, but will be missing a few first choice players for the game. I would not be surprised if this game ended in a draw, and I can't see the hosts losing this; so a draw-no-bet on Man Utd is recommended.

The banker of the week-end is Real Madrid who host Athletico Madrid. The Los Blancos haven't lost to their city rivals for years, and that won't change over the week-end. Real is on fire right now. Athletico will be missing many players including their much-vaunted striker Falcao. I see lots of goals for the hosts in this game. They will certainly win and they are an easy Win recommendation.

Barcelona are on the road to Getafe. The Blaugrana were impressive in midweek by winning at the San Siro. Once Real will have dispatched Athletico, Messi and co will have no choice to win to retain the gap to 3 points between them and the Los Blancos. They should have all the class and firepower to do it and should win their game. They are recommended as an outright Win as well.

Win: Real Madrid, Barcelona

Draw-no-bet: Chelsea, Man Utd

Week-end Preview

It was far from being Really Lovely as the daughter of Galileo could only manage a 4th-place finish, out of placings. I hope this week-end gets me back on track with my selections.

The 17:25 race at Ripon looks a great spot for Yasir from the Godolphin blue to score his first win. He looks a very progressive sort who should be suited by the mile and a half distance. On his last outing, he was a fast finisher at Folkestone over the same distance and given his room for improvement, he should be tough to beat in this race. He should easily be in the first 3 in my opinion, and I recommend him as a Place. He should probably be winning this as well, but with my rotten form, I'll stick to a safe Place.

In football, there are bound to be a few surprises in the EPL although my inclination is that most of the favorites should either win or draw their games. I see Newcastle, Man Utd, Man City and Arsenal as having the best chances to bag 3 points, and are my draw-no-bet recommendations.

The Red Devils' travel to Stoke is bound to be a difficult one as proven in recent years, but they thrive in such circumstances and I think Stoke will find it difficult to cope with their speed. If Rooney and co play with the same fluidity of the past few weeks, they will be a tough team to beat. Man City looks strong on paper against Everton although I'm a little concerned that they might have an eye on the upcoming Champions League match against Bayern. A draw-no-bet should provide a safety net in case Mancini's men lack the focus to beat the Toffees.

Call me crazy but I will stick to Real Madrid for another week although they've totally did me wrong in their last 2 outings. I recommend a heavyweight recommendation on them as draw-no-bet as I cannot see them being beaten at the Bernabeu no matter what slump they are in. If they find their goalscoring touch, it might be a goal-galore game for them. They should be winning this game and have the newly-promoted pay for their last 2 uncharacteristic outings. Barcelona face an in-form Athletico Madrid team and with their defensive problems, the hosts are no certainties to have an easy night by any measure. Sure they will dominate possession and will score, but they'll have to make sure they don't leak any goals as well. I'll abstain on speculating on this one.

Place: Yasir

Draw-no-bet: Man Utd, Man City, Newcastle, Arsenal, Madrid

Tuesday preview

A fantastic week-end really where 8 out of 9 recommendations won and the remaining one was voided. Dick Turpin,  Nadal, Ajax, Athletico Madrid, Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona all won, while Bayern Munich (luckily) drew for a voided bet.

In the Premier League, Man Utd won impressively against a resolute and well-organized Everton team. The Red Devils deserved the win, and Chicharito did not have a necessarily good game but still scored when it mattered. Chelsea gave themselves a chance as title pursuers by beating West Ham as expected, but I don't think they'll catch Man Utd. Arsenal, oh dear, are out of it.

This week is much about the Champions League semi-finals. Mostly everyone seems to be writing off Schalke. Even the players themselves see Man Utd as overwhelming favourites to go through, probably to ease the pressure off themselves. The reality is that this is by no means a done deal and Schalke is a really good team that has the capacity to beat the Mancunians. It's true that it looks like Man Utd has a sort of mini-mental blockage when it comes to German opposition in European semi-finals; Dortmund, Leverkusen, Munich (although last year, Man Utd were simply unlucky not to go through). But I don't think any type of such blockage will play into effect in this year's semi-finals. The more realistic of the 2 teams will win, as I think both matches will be very tight. If Man Utd play like it did in Munich last year, it will have every chance to win the first leg; on that night, they outclassed Bayern only to go down on defensive mistakes. Same for the return leg. The current form of the Red Devils right now makes me sway in their favour, and I recommend them as a draw-no-bet.

In racing, at Wolves 17:45, I like Wolfgang from the Hannon yard. This two year-old Amadeus Wolf colt is described as small but speedy by his patrons, and looks the one to beat among a string of maidens and newcomers. The yard can always have one ready first-time out, so I recommend Wolfgang as a Place bet.

At Yarmouth 16:10, Asraab from the Godolphin yard makes a lot of appeal on his seasonal return. This Oasis Dream colt has shown a lot of potential in his 2 starts, posting a win and a second. He should take all the beating in this handicap contest, and I put a Win recommendation on him.

Win: Asraab
Place: Wolfgang
Draw-no-bet: Man Utd

Week-end Preview.

Big Buck's won the World Hurdle for a record 3rd consecutive time. Glad the recommendation won, and that was my first and last foray on jump racing for this season!

Before I get to the week-end football preview, some comments on the Champions League match-ups that came up earlier during the day. Man Utd v/s Chelsea will be tight with slight advantage to Man Utd in my opinion. Tottenham v/s Madrid, it will be interesting to see how Redknapp plays Mourinho's team. I'm inclined to check how the English coach fared against Chelsea during the Special One's tenure in England. Could it have gotten any easier for Barcelona? Probably not. As I see it, if teams play to their strength, we are going towards a Barcelona v/s Madrid, and Man Utd v/s Inter semi-finals... But injuries always seem to play a part, so fingers crossed and we'll get to the matches in due time.

This week-end's Premier League match-ups sees Man City travelling to a seemingly-resurgent Chelsea. The other leaders will be hoping that this ends in a draw. Man Utd host Bolton in what should be a tough encounter as they are missing so many players and Bolton are no slouch. At the end, I don't expect Man Utd to lose this game, so I recommend them as draw-no-bet. Tottenham host West Ham and there won't be better opportunities for them to get 3 points. West Ham are playing well of late but are quite woeful on the road.  I recommend Tottenham as a draw-no-bet as I don't see them losing this one. Arsenal travel to West Brom in what on paper looks a formality for them. The Gunners come from a depressing fortnight when they've been bounced from 3 Cups! West Brom might offer some form resistance under new coach Hodgson, but in the end, Arsenal will either prevail or end up with a draw (which won't suit them). A draw-no-bet on Arsenal looks safe and is recommended.

In Spain, Barcelona can widen the gap at the top. They will beat Getafe. A win is recommended. Real Madrid face an arguably difficult derby game at Athletico, to whom they haven't lost to for the past 11 years, by the way! The Los Blancos played a tough match in the Champions League mid-week game against Lyon but they have a big enough squad to cope. I think this game will either end in a draw or a Real win. So a draw-no-bet on Real is recommended.

In Italy, I like Lazio, Inter, and Napoli in their home games against lowly teams. There's no sure win for any team in today's Serie A, so a draw-no-bet on all these 3 teams is recommended.


Win: Barcelona.
Draw-no-bet: Arsenal, Man Utd, Tottenham, Real Madrid, Lazio, Inter, Napoli.

Week-end football preview

The Dubai Carnival started with a lot of expectancy on Thursday, and if the results of the first meeting are of any indication, it seems that the trend of Godolphin and Mike de Kock taking most of the headlines (and prizes) is set to continue. Godolphin bagged a treble and the South African stable got a double. As I was mentioning previously, this can be good from a punting point of view, as long as the right horses from these stables are picked (can't pick all of them obviously). Will surely be following the Carnival closely to look for good punting opportunities.

Back to football where there's another busy week-end in all the European leagues. Man City are hosting Wolves and I don't think Man City will lose this game. Wolves often keep games tight on their travels as they usually keep their discipline and it's hard to break them down. They play fast counter-attack football which sometimes can give them results as in Anfield some time back. But this City team is really coming together despite the off-field or training bust-ups that make the headlines for the wrong reasons. Man City are not Liverpool and will have too much quality for this Wolves side. Man City as a draw-no-bet is my recommendation.

I also like Chelsea's chances against Blackburn. I don't think a 7-0 rout against Ipswich means that they are totally back on track. They still have a confidence to build and winning consistency to find before they can regain their fear factor again. However, it can't get worse for them than the previous weeks, and they will have plenty of chances against this average Blackburn side. Chelsea is a draw-no-bet recommendation.

Tough game for Man Utd against Tottenham; a real test for Fergie's men and this can be the game the Red Devils lose their unbeaten tag. I think it will be an open game where both teams will have their chances. That's why it's impossible to predict the outcome on that one.

In Spain, Barcelona is hosting Malaga. I don't need to write much here, and Barcelona is favoured to win this. Real Madrid travel to second-bottom club Almeira and Ronaldo is probably relishing this encounter to augment his goal tally. Madrid legs might be tired after the Copa del Rey match against Athletico Madrid on Wednesday, but they have a full squad to rotate from, and should be able to prevail at the end. I recommend a win on Casillas and his teammates.

Win: Real Madrid, Barcelona
Draw-no-bet: Chelsea, Man City