European leagues - Curtain Call

 It's the curtain call for European leagues this week-end and today the verdict fell on La Liga where Atletico Madrid hang on to its slim lead to win the title over arch-rivals Real Madrid. There's still much at stake in the other leagues and here are some predictions.

Premier League. What is mainly of interest here is which of Liverpool, Chelsea and Leicester are going to miss out on a UCL spot; only two of them will be happy fellas by the end of the day. The Kops were saved by the most improbable goal from keeper Allison in stoppage time last week to have their destiny in their own hands. They host Crystal Palace, a team that is capable of the best and worst depending on their mood. It will be Roy Hodgson's last match at the helm for the Eagles but I don't think the esx-Liverpool manager will be throwing a wrench to his old club's UCL aspirations. Liverpool should win this one although it will not surprise me if the Kops are made to sweat till the end.

I believe Leicester will overcome Spurs although this is bound to go to the wire as well. The Foxes will have to wait for Chelsea's result at Aston Villa, a rather difficult match on the cards for the Blues. Again here, old connections can play a role as Villa assistant coach John Terry might play villain against old club Chelsea. The Villains are a tough nut to crack although I feel they are more apt to get a result on the road than at home. Chelsea have enough quality to edge this match and I think they will. So, for me, Liverpool and Chelsea will bear the 2 remaining UCL spots at Leicester's expense.

In France, coronation will either go to Lille or PSG. Monaco has an outside chance but will need those 2 to falter and scoring bucketloads against Lens to win the title. It won't happen. As it stands, Lille has a slightly harder task on paper than PSG as they visit 12th place Angers while PSG go to 16th place Brest. However, the latter are fighting their lives in a relegation scrap, so PSG's might actually be having a harder match-up. Lille have a strong record on the road, so they have quality to go get a result at Angers and hence sccure the title.

In Italy, in a similar fashion to the Premier League, 3 teams namely Juventus, AC Milan and Napoli are vying for 2 UCL spots. Juventus should be able to rely on Ronaldo to get the must-win at Bologna. Napoli are also favoured at home against Verona. Milan have a very tough match as they visit Atalanta. The latter have nothing to play for, so that might ease things a bit for the Milanese; however the hosts are still a formidable team at their best and I think they will kill off Milan's UCL hopes. I see Juventus and Napoli making it to next year's UCL.

EPL UCL spots: Liverpool, Chelsea

French champions: Lille

Serie A UCL spots: Juventus, Napoli

UCL final 2017 - Juventus on the cusp of greatness

I've gone against Real Madrid the last 2 times they won the UCL final and both times they lifted the cup. However, I am more confident in the chances of Juventus, their opponents this year, than I was with Atletico Madrid, their city rivals they beat on both occasions.

Juventus has simply crushed Serie A for the past years. No team comes close to them. They started their dynasty with Pogba and Vidal and although these have left for richer pastures, the team has remained dominant in Italy. Super coach Conte has gone but newcomer Allegri has done an equally remarkable job to maintain their domestic supremacy. Europe is something they have not conquered during that period and it would be the icing on top for this team.

It is well documented that the Italians, however traditionally dominant at home, have a relatively poor record in the European Cup. Only 2 wins out of 8 finals is a stigma they desperately wish to erase. Contrast that to rivals Real Madrid which are going for their 12th win in the competition. But the past is the past and there are strong reasons to believe that this might be the year of the Old Lady. Their defence is their biggest strength. Ask Messi and the full-powered Barcelona which were brushed aside without scoring a scoring goal in the quarter finals. Ask the young Monaco team, re-known for their attacking flair and dynamic, which could only find the net once against the vaunted Italian defence. This is a very balanced team with workhorses like Marchisio and Khedira supporting the talented cast of Dybala, Higuain and Mandzukic upfront. There is no superstar they have to rely on, the whole is bigger than sum of the parts, where each part fits into a system devised by an astute manager. This is a big contrast to Real Madrid.

The Los Blancos rely on one man, Ronaldo. Take him out of the equation on a match of this significance and this team will struggle to find goals. Except maybe Ramos, their captain superlative that has been getting well-timed goals out of nowhere in their past finals.  The Whites are full of talent but they are not a balanced team. They will struggle to open up the organized and defensively-minded Italians. However, with goal-thirsty Ronaldo, they cannot be dismissed in any match.

It seems to me that the time of the Italians has come. Time for Juventus to confirm their supremacy in Europe, beyond Serie A. Time for Buffon to finally lift the coveted cup, the only one missing from his glorious resume. Time for a team other than Real or Barcelona, other than Messi or Ronaldo, to win the UCL final.

UCL - Round 1

Champions League football starts on Tuesday and this year's competition looks wide open now that many of the leading clubs are under new management. There are certainly bound to be a few surprises out of the preliminary stages. Here are my thoughts on some of Tuesday's matches.

Man Utd v/s Leverkusen. I am probably one of just a handful that think that Man Utd are thoroughly exposed Group A. I don't think it's as easy a group for them and the fact that they are odds-against to land the group looks too short to me. Let's not forget that it will be Moyes' only second venture at this level and as his predecessor SAF would say, experience is the key. They might go through to the knockout stages but I doubt it will be plain sailing. Their opponents Leverkusen, Shakhtar and Sociedad will all be tough cookies. Tomorrow's opponents Leverkusen are in very good form in the Bundesliga, having won 4 of their first 5 games. They have a dangerous striker in Kiessling who will be a goal scoring threat at Old Trafford. I think this will be a really close game and wouldn't be surprised if it ended in a draw. Still, Man Utd are always formidable at home on these European nights and could very well nick it at the end. The Red Devils are a draw-no-bet selection.

Real Sociedad v/s Shahktar. I really fancy the Spaniards to finish in the top 2 of this group. They are a real talented team that ended up 4th in La Liga and knocked off French outfit Lyon in convincing fashion in the qualifying round. They will aim to get maximum points at home to further their aspirations for the next round. Shakhtar are on their 4th consecutive UCL season but have lost arguably their best player in Willian to Chelsea. At current odds, I really like Real Sociedad as a draw-no-bet.

FC Kobenhavn v/s Juventus. No contest here, this looks like 3 straight easy points for Juve.

Benfica v/s Anderlecht. The hosts look good value to land the spoils. I have reservations about the quality of this Belgian side, which does not seem anywhere as good as its predecessors. One of these 2 teams should accompany favourites PSG to the next round, so the Portuguese will want to get maximum points from this encounter.

Olympiakos v/s PSG. The French should get at least a point out of this if they fail to win, so they are a draw-no-bet selection.

Bayern v/s CSKA Moscow. Straight win for the defending champions.

Viktoria v/s Man City. Pellegrini knows UCL better than Mancini, so I expect City to do well in the competition this season. They should very well go through to the next round. They will have Kompany back for the game and should be difficult to score against. Viktoria are a decent team that actually managed to tie Milan at home a couple of years ago. So the Citizens should be on their guard on this one and it's safest to stick with them as a draw-no-bet.

Win: Bayern Munich, Juventus, Benfica
Draw-no-bet: Man Utd, Real Sociedad, Man City, PSG

Choker tag on the line

The UCL final at Wembley is the main event of the week-end, pitting the 2 German teams Bayern Munich and Dortmund. On paper and based on form, Bayern looks difficult to beat and is the overwhelming favourite. But looks are very deceiving. For those that think that the Munich team will win it easily, consider this; Bayern have not beaten Dortmund in a league game for the past couple of years. They have lost more UCL finals than they've won. They lost when to Porto in 1987 when practically no-one thought the Portuguese had the slightest chance. Last year, they lost the final to Chelsea when playing at their vaunted Allianz Arena. They also lost to Man Utd during the Red Devils' Triple Crown coronation in 1999, and again to Mourinho's Inter Milan in the 2010 Final. In comparison, Dortmund's sole UCL final appearance and victory came as a massive under-dog against Juventus in 1997.

So, the word "choker" springs to mind when The Bavarians get to the final. But that's not to say that this year  might not be different; Bayern really look overwhelmingly strong this year. They crushed the Bundesliga early and annihilated Barcelona on their way to Wembley. This is a team that is really on the ascendancy and will be peaking in the coming years, provided upcoming coach Guardiola does not wreck them.

Against them is a strong Dortmund team that has the belief that this Cup is theirs for the taking. They were nearly dead and buried against Malaga, yet conjured up 2 goals in injury-time to make it through. They were not supposed to overcome mighty Real Madrid, yet they outplayed and outscored them. On its best day, this team can beat anyone, even Bayern. They are led by a maestro motivator in manager Klopp. They have world-class players like Lewandowski, Reus and Gotze that can open up any defence. But here's one thing; Gotze will miss the final due to a hamstring injury. That's a massive blow for Dortmund. He's their playmaker and although he's Bayern-bound next year, he would have been a real threat for the men in yellow.

The pressure will definitely be more on Bayern. They have to score first and preferably early to settle their nerves. Their ability to impose their game will be instrumental. They have beaten their opponents in the German Cup this season which will have given them belief that they can win the game in 90 minutes. Dortmund will most probably sit back and rely on their deadly counter-attack. Anything can happen in a final; the team that makes of the most of its chances will win. There's no certainty here; but I think that with some luck, Bayern is ready to dispel the myths and confirm the current thinking that they are indeed the best in Europe. Whether in full or injury-time, or on penalties, my feeling is that the Bavarians will prevail.

UCL Quarters

The UCL quarters start today with 2 mouth-watering clashes between PSG and Barcelona, and Bayern against Juventus.

PSG v/s Barcelona. PSG will soon become a European heavy-weight behind the backing of Qatar's coffers. They are a team in the making and are not yet up to the likes of Barcelona.They look set to win the French Ligue 1 and have done well to reach this stage of the UCL. But the buck should stop here. Their main weapon is Ibrahimovic and Barcelona will put their focus to shut him down and hence subdue the Parisians' premier goalscoring threat. I believe they should do so and let Messi and co dictate things at the other end of the pitch. Barcelona are not invincible and will be keen not to repeat their nightmare of San Siro a few weeks back where they surrendered 2 goals. The return of manager Tito Villanova behind the bench will no doubt strengthen the team and I advise them as a solid draw-no-bet.

Bayern is crushing the Bundesliga but Juventus will be as strong a team as they will face all season. The Italians will certainly try to squeeze at least a goal on this trip so that they can make the difference back home. This looks to be the tightest match-up of the quarter-finals and on quality, the Germans have the edge only marginally. They will be looking to make a strong statement at home and I see them as a strong draw-no-bet as well.

Draw-no-bet: Barcelona, Bayern Munich

Week-end European football

All of the Wednesday selections won, which hopefully, bodes well for the upcoming week-end matches. Here are some of my thoughts.

Liverpool v/s Southampton. Much of Liverpool's chances reside on the form of Luis Suarez. If he scores, they have a great chance to win. If he doesn't, it's hard to see where the goals will come from. Southampton have racked up points at home lately, where they are particularly strong. Like all bottom-tier teams, they find it much harder on the road. They can get a point from Anfield, but I don't see them winning. Liverpool is a draw-no-bet recommendation.

QPR v/s Aston Villa. Rangers will be hoping to get a first win of the dismal campaign against the Villains. There is no doubt that they are a better team with Harry Redknapp in command. I think they will pose Villa with problems and it will not be surprising if they scrape through with 3 full points. The visitors are a decent team, but they will come up against an inspired Rangers. Looking at the odds, I see the hosts as a good value draw-no-be.

Juventus v/s Torino. There are only a couple of teams that aspire full confidence when handicapping Serie A games and Juventus is one of them. They lost to AC Milan, albeit controversially, last week, and they will be keen to keep their healthy lead at the top by winning the Turin derby match. A straight win for the Old Lady.

Barcelona v/s Atletic Bilbao. Barca is on fire and Messi is a man on a mission to break Gerd Muller's season-goal record. Bilbao is a broken team where manager Biesla seems to have lost the plot after club in-fighting with players like Llorente. Straight win for the Blaugrana.

Nice v/s PSG. After a recent dry spell, things look to be returning to normal for the visitors. Although they were dumped out of the French Cup on penalties in mid-week, their priority remains the championship and they should have too much firepower for Nice. Carlos Ancelotti's men are a safe draw-no-bet.


Win: Juventus, Barcelona
Draw-no-bet: Liverpool, QPR, PSG

Tuesday EPL football

Pretty good week-end of football with only Real Madrid and Juventus being the let-downs. The latter were unfortunate to lose on a controversial penalty to AC Milan, while the Spanish champions look to have burned their chances of retaining their title by losing at Real Betis. I know it's early, but Barcelona have a firm grip on La Liga and they have a good margin of error; I cannot see them lose the league this year.

For once, the mid-week features an entire fixture list of Premier League football. On Tuesday, Aston Villa entertain Reading. Both have had some resurgent form of late, in comparison to their rather laborious start to the season. I fancy the hosts here; they have striker Darren Bent back to join the potentially productive strike force of Benteke and Agbonlahor. Unlike against their last scoreless draw against Arsenal, there's every reason to believe that they will score against a below-average Reading defence. The Royals almost snatched a point at Wigan over the week-end only to lose the game in injury time. They must however consider themselves lucky to have tied the game late, due to an own-goal blunder from Wigan's goalkeeper Al-Habsi.

A straight win for the Villains is the selection.

Win: Aston Villa

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

UCL Round 2

Real Madrid and Man City drew their games; while it was an OK result for the Spanish team, it means that the Citizens are virtually out of the Champions League. How they were not awarded the penalty at the death is mind-boggling. Like everyone, the ref saw the infringement and shirt-pulling on Ballotelli, yet found it more appropriate to blow for full-time. Why have allowed the preceding free-kick to take place, in the first place? Mancini's anger toward the officials is understandable here; the poor decision robs them of an almost-guaranteed victory, and any hope of qualification to the next round.

For tonight's games, I see wins for Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Barcelona. Valencia and Juventus look safe draw-no-bet selections as well.

Win: Bayern, Chelsea, Barcelona.
Draw-no-bet: Valencia, Juventus

Make or Break

If Chelsea wanted some sort of justice to their controversial ouster at the hands of Barcelona in the UCL a few years back, they must feel they got it on Wednesday night. There was only one deserving winner in that game, and it certainly wasn't Di Matteo's men. Not scoring a vital away goal might come and bite back the Catalans in the second leg, which promises to be dramatic to say the least.

This is the final straight of the football season where any drop of points for the contenders can spell the doom to their title chances. Man City hopes are clinging to a thread at this point and they couldn't ask for a better road trip at Molyneux. Wolves have yet to win under their current manager, and it does not look it will happen against the Citizens. With in-form Tevez, Man City should win this and polish their goal differential as well, in case this becomes the deciding factor in the end.

Arsenal host Chelsea and I fancy the Gunners here; the reason being that Chelsea will have their eye on the upcoming UCL match in Barcelona. There is little doubt that many elements of the first-team will not be risked for Sunday's game. Their defense is already stretched and Drogba looks a definite non-starter. This is a glorious winning opportunity for the Gunners and they are good value as draw-no-bet

Man Utd host Everton in another must-win game for the leaders. The Toffees have been in great form of late, so this is not going to be a cake-walk for the hosts. They will need to get the quick first goal, or else there will certainly be jitters to break Everton's defence. A draw-no-bet on the Red Devils looks safe, but I believe they have enough fire power to claim the 3 points. A Win looks good value.

It's the Clasico in La Liga where Barcelona have to beat Real Madrid at the Nou Camp to have any chance of retaining the title. A draw will give the Los Blancos enough breathing room until the end. The coming week will make or break the Catalans. They wrongly negotiated the first leg at Chelsea by getting beaten and not scoring a goal. They are bound to be distracted on Saturday's game as they will want to be at their peak for the return UCL match a few days later. Madrid too will have an eye on their return leg against Bayern, but this the Clasico is not a must-win game for them. In fact, it would not surprise me if Mourinho went for the draw and parked the bus. He'll deny it, but this is sure to be in his plans. The Clasico can go either way and it would not surprise me if Real further advanced its cause for the title by obtaining a favourable result at the Nou Camp.

In Italy, I see a definite win for AC Milan against Bologna. Juventus have a tougher task at home to Roma, and a draw-no-bet on the hosts should be safe.

Win: Man City, Man Utd, AC Milan
Draw-no-bet: Arsenal, Juventus

Taking on the world

A couple of disappointing results on Sunday marred what looked to be a very promising week-end after Saturday; Juventus and Sevilla failed miserably, Man Utd drew and the rest of the selections won.

Man Utd made yet another remarkable comeback but I don't know whether to label their 3-all draw at Chelsea as a point gained or two points lost. On the basis of the game itself, I believe they deserved to get the 3 points out of the match; without their 10-minute folly at the start of the second half, they were mostly the best team on the pitch. But their problem is their weak defence. Johnny Evans (again) on the team-sheet should just give shudders to Utd fans. Rio Ferdinand is clearly not the defender he once was. Their chances to concede goals goes dramatically up with the absence of Vidic. Goalkeeper De Gea has been the subject of ridicule since he joined the club but his save from the Mata free-kick in the end was just top-class.

Chelsea played without core players like Terry, Cole, Drogba and Lampard and were mainly opportunistic on their goals. Again, their best player turned out to be Mata. Stifle Mata (if you can) and the whole Chelsea machine comes to a halt; I don't see them getting any silverware this season.

So at the end of it all, Man City open a 2-point lead at the top but Sir Alex's team looks to have turned up the notch a few levels, just as you'd expect them to at this time of the season. City's remaining schedule looks arguably easier and they will greatly benefit from the return of some of their stars from the African Nations Cup. Provided they don't choke, the odds are still in City's favour.

In racing, Alpha turned out an easy winner in the Withers. It will be interesting to follow the Triple Crown trail this year with its record number of entries including quite a few from powerhouses such as Ballydoyle and Godolphin.

Just following some of the latest racing news that Black Caviar might feature at Dubai World Cup night before going to Royal Ascot. I dearly hope that happens and what's certain for me is that there'll be only one horse to punt on. Even with the other superstar sprinter Sepoy to challenge, Black Caviar is just a notch above any other sprinter in this world. Every racing fan is certainly waiting for her to strut her stuff on the world stage this year.

Week-end preview

Gamilati justified the confidence in her in spectacular fashion by trouncing the Guineas field. To be fair, Pimpernel, who came out second, was boxed in the straight and could have been closer than the 5.5 separating the 2, but she was never going to beat Gamilati. It will be interesting to see what route the connections take with the daughter of Bernardini but she looks poised to compete in the top 3-year old filly races this year. She's to be followed, that's for sure. So is Pimpernel who gave a good impression on her return.

Staying in racing on Saturday, the same Blue team send out Alpha in the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on the Kentucky Derby trail. I cannot see him out of the first 2, so I recommend him as an each-way.

In football, Man Utd face a tough trip to rivals Chelsea in what could be 3 crucial points for the taking for both teams. Although the Red Devils have a poor recent record at Stamford Bridge, I have a feeling they will not come empty-handed this time. They were very good on the road against Arsenal and arguably against Liverpool as well. If they can show the same amount of grit and determination, they are well capable of beating a Chelsea side that will be missing Terry and Drogba amongst others. It's not certain, but Man Utd as a draw-no-bet looks great value to me and is my recommendation.

I see leaders Man City either winning or drawing against Fulham at the Etihaad, so I have them as a draw-no-bet as well. Same for Arsenal, who should be taking 3 points against Blackburn but a doubt persists with the absence of some of their players and the uneasy form they are in at the moment. So, it's safer to have the Gunners as draw-no-bet too.

In Serie A, Juventus should win against Siena, so a win on Buffon and co looks safe.

In La Liga, Barcelona should win at home against Real Sociedad. It will be a matter of how many goals they are able to score in this one. Real Madrid should be safe draw-no-bets as they travel to Getafe. They are well on their way to the title. I like Sevilla's chances at home to sorry Villareal and have them as a draw-no-bet.

Win: Juventus, Barcelona

Draw-no-bet: Man Utd, Man City, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Sevilla

Each-way: Alpha

The Joker back in business

Not a great week-end with only 4 punts winning out of 7, with 1 void and 2 losses. The big guns of Barcelona, Real, and Manchester teams won, but Juventus could only draw for a void, while Fiorentina and Valencia got shocking losses at home.

It's been a quiet last few days on the racing and football front. The news that So You Think is being considered for a Dubai World Cup bid is interesting. He'll be a deserving big favourite if he starts the race. I just cannot see a horse at this time that will have the class to challenge him. But this is more than 2 months away, so I'll get to that in due time.

Havre de Grace won the coveted Horse of the Year Eclipse award yesterday night. Truth be told, last year's racing form in the US was sketchy at best. There was no superstar or horse to be mentioned in the same breath as Zenyatta or Curlin. Havre de Grace is a deserving winner but she's no Zenyatta.

The Australian Open started this week and I cannot see past Djokovic here. He's just a step above the rest and his fans will be feel assured that he has kept last year's form after his first game yesterday. Chances are he will add another Major in a fortnight, and what looks certain is that he will at least reach the final. I cannot see Andy Murray blocking his way to get there. So that's the recommendation.

To Reach Final: Djokovic

Week-end football

Don't want to be blowing the trumpet too loud, but Thursday's results at Meydan gave way to massive cheers all afternoon. Musir won and easily beat Mendip in the match-bet. Master of Hounds was second at odds of 7/1 for Place at the exchanges. Fantastic to hear that several of you followed the selections; hopefully the current vein of form continues going into this week-end.

It's another round of football on the European scene; in England, Man Utd welcome Bolton and it's hard to argue the hosts at the Theatre of Dreams, even though they can throw the odd clanker like against Blackburn a few weeks back. Their injury list seems to be easing and Rooney looks to be back on form. Bolton are a disappointing bunch and manager Owen Coyle is on the hot seat at the moment. Man Utd certainly won't lose this game, and are a draw-no-bet recommendation.

There is no doubt that Man City is feeling the pressure. They have lost another home game in mid-week, in the Carling Cup to Liverpool. They have lost their captain Kompany for 4 games. They will still have too much class when they visit struggling Wigan on Monday. It is the perfect game for them to get their confidence back. Man City is recommended as a draw-no-bet as well.

In La Liga, Barcelona welcome Real Betis in what is a must-win game if they are to keep pace with a flee-ing Real Madrid. The hosts should win this game and are an easy Win selection. Real Madrid face a more difficult encounter when they visit Mallorca. I think Mourinho will have his players spot on for getting the 3 points and I expect them to win this match. They are also recommended as a straight Win.

Third-place Valencia host struggling side Real Sociedad and the hosts have to be very well-fancied here. Both teams lost in mid-week in the Copa del Rey, with Sociedad getting thrashed 6-1 at Mallorca. The visitors are in a precarious situation, being only 2 points above the relegation zone and I expect Valencia to deepen their woes further on Saturday. A draw-no-bet on Valencia looks safe.

In Italy, the competition is heating up at the top of the table with at least 5 clubs within an 8-point gap. There is no clear dominant team in the Serie A. Juventus will look for maximum points as they host Cagliari and I expect them to get at least a draw. So they are advised as a draw-no-bet. Same for Fiorentina as they host bottom-of-table Lecce. The hosts have solid form at home and should recover from their 3-0 drubbing at Roma in the Coppa Italia in mid-week.


Win: Barcelona, Real Madrid

Draw-no-bet: Man Utd, Man City, Valenci, Juventus, Fiorentina

Keep it flowing

Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid all won, while Newcastle drew for a voided punt. The Magpies did not allow a shot on goal and had 22 shots themselves but couldn't find the net. Draw-no-bets are great in those circumstances in that they forgive strikers' day-offs.

Both Manchester clubs were impressive over the week-end in their wins. Man City came out deserved winners over Arsenal in a thrilling game at the Etihaad Stadium. They could have won by more. Man Utd were equally impressive in winning at Loftus Road. The scoreline should have been at least 5 goals difference if they had been more clinical in their finishing and with some luck. I have the feeling that there has been a sense of urgency for the Red Devils to double their efforts since their shocking Champions League exit so as not to be empty-handed trophy-wise at the end of the season. They don't have much room for any more mistakes.

Christiano Ronaldo partly redeemed himself after his nightmare Clasico game by firing a hat-trick against sorry Sevilla. I mentioned it before, I don't think there has ever been a midfielder with such a prolific record of goals. Messi comes close in terms of goal scoring but Ronaldo's goal ratio-to-games is tops. While the Los Blancos were ensuring that they were top of the table come the winter break, their nemesis Barcelona were celebrating yet another title by claiming the World Club Championship in Japan.  Their short express trip to Japan shouldn't have any detrimental effect, physically speaking, on the Blaugrana since they are on their way to the holidays anyway! The second-half of the season sounds breathtaking already.


While the rest of Europe has now gone on a break, the EPL will plough on during the festivities. The congested fixtures come Boxing Day and New Year are some of the elements that make the EPL such a spectacular league. It might be the reason of the burn-out of England's players at international tournaments or of English teams in the Champions League, but football fans surely won't be complaining of the continuance of football. No chance of getting football withdrawal symptoms, at least not for the EPL!

Week-end football

Really Lovely was absolutely lovely in winning her maiden race very easily.

Today saw the draws of the European Cup matches and British teams look to have it pretty tough. But it's really too early to analyze the match-ups because come February, many factors will have changed. So I will get to the matches at that time. Here is my preview of this week-end's football action.

I see Newcastle renewing with their winning ways as they host Chelsea. The Magpies have had a difficult few weeks having met with the likes of Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea, and will be content to finally meet a team that is not superior to theirs. Swansea are not doing as badly as many, including I, expected in the top flight and it remains to be seen if they can keep improving their points tally as the season progresses. Newcastle is also a team that is over-performing although they have really ridden their luck in a few games. They are a tough team to overcome at home and I expect them to either get the full 3 points, or at least a draw from this encounter. I recommend them as a draw-no-bet.

In Serie A, Juventus and AC Milan look set to bag all 3 points as they welcome struggling Novara and Siena respectively. I am always suspect of this Juventus side as they always seem to be dropping one nugget or two at the wrong time, so it's safest to have them as a draw-no-bet; Milan is recommended as a Win.

In La Liga, Real Madrid face a tough trip to Sevilla. The hosts are a very inconsistent team capable of the best to the worst. Although there is no doubt that the Los Blancos will have a challenging night, I see value in backing them as a draw-no-bet. Madrid will want to lead the league come the winter break and they should be able to do that by winning at least a point at Sevilla.

Win: AC Milan
Draw-no-bet: Newcastle, Real Madrid, Juventus

Week-end Preview

Man Utd drew for a voided punt, but Tottenham lost at home, which was very frustrating given that they played with an extra man for more than half of the match. My bad call on that one. Week-end football is coming up and here are my selections.

In the EPL, Man City will look to either extend or maintain their lead. They host Norwich in what should be 3 garnered points for the Citizens. Although their form has been sketchy in the past few matches, I cannot see them lose this game; a draw-no-bet on the hosts is safe.

I also like Everton's chances at home to Stoke. The visitors have played an Europa game in mid-week and are on very suspect form of late. The Toffees are playing great football and obtaining great results lately, and I see them riding the momentum for a few more matches. Everton is recommended as a draw-no-bet as well.

In Spain, more of the same as Barcelona cannot afford to lose points against Levante. The hosts are recommended as a Win. Real Madrid travel to Sporting Gijon, who they will not take lightly as the same Gijon team caused a massive upset by winning the league game at the Bernabeu last year. Although Real should bag the 3 points, a draw-no-bet on them looks to be as rewarding as safe. I also like Valencia's chances as they host Espanol. Another draw-no-bet recommendation on the in-form striker Soldado and his team.

Let's make a rare stint in Italy where some front players look to have easy pickings as they host struggling teams. Juventus should beat Cesena and a Win recommendation is placed on the hosts. Lazio and Napoli should overcome Novara and Lecce respectively, but it's safer to have those as draw-no-bet and play it cautions for those games.


Win: Juventus, Barcelona
Draw-no-bet: Man City, Everton, Napoli, Lazio, Real Madrid, Valencia