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 Preview

My week-end preview of some of this week-end's matches in Europe.

Man Utd v/s Fulham. This looks to be a hard game for the Red Devils and the danger is there that they could be shocked by the visitors if they haven't synced well as a team yet; i.e, much will depend on how the players play with Van Persie and how the make-shift defence is able to withstand the potent Fulham attack. It is very probable however that if Man Utd get some flow in their attacking game and get on the score sheet, they could open the floodgates. Man Utd as a draw-no-bet looks the safest form of punt, but it won't shock me if Fulham get at least a point from this game by exploiting weaknesses in a team that has yet to gel with some big-name newcomers.

Sunderland v/s Reading. I mentioned last week that Sunderland would be difficult to tame at the Emirates and so they proved. I really expect expect them to do well this year and possibly squeeze a Europa spot. They won't get chances of an easier 3 points than when they host Reading, who've lost in mid-week at Chelsea. At current odds, Sunderland as a draw-no-bet looks great value.

Swansea v/s West Ham. Swansea were amazing in their opening match against QPR, trouncing Mark Hughes' men with 5 unanswered goals. The hosts have made some good signings over the summer but their best signing has been their manager Michael Laudrup. He's got a great football brain and will certainly help them play good intelligent football. Provided they are not suffering from over confidence from last week's win, they should continue on their winning ways against West Ham. A draw-no-bet on the hosts looks safe as well.

Valencia v/s Deportivo. Deportivo have started their campaign well by beating Osasuna by a pair of goals while Valencia have gotten merit in drawing at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid. In fact, Soldado and could be counted as unlucky to have a valid goal ruled out for offside. The home advantage should be favourable to Valencia here although it is a team that will only get better as the season prolongs given the number of new faces in the squad. Valencia is a good draw-no-bet here.

Osasuna v/s Barcelona. The Catalans beat arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup during the week and don't seem to have lost any of their awesome style of play under new coach Villanova. Messi is already in great form and that does not bode well for the hosts. That should be an easy 3 points for the Blaugrana who cannot afford to let go of such favourable pickings. Straight win for Barca.

Getafe v/s Real Madrid. Real have possibly played their 2 toughest opponents in Spain in the last week and have failed to win in both; a draw against Valencia and a defeat at Barcelona. The team is not at its cohesive best yet since the regulars have missed much of the pre-season. However, Mourinho will be gunning for 3 important points against Getafe, who've logically lost their first match away at Sevilla. A close to must-win game for Real Madrid to keep in touch with Barcelona and I see them winning this game.

Win: Barcelona, Real Madrid

Draw-no-bet: Man Utd, Sunderland, Swansea

A game of many tales

So many things to talk about in the Barcelona vs Chelsea match yesterday.

Such as an awful injustice to Barcelona who deserved to win over the 2 legs. They had their chances at 2-0 up against ten men. They hit the post four times, they missed a penalty. But there has been justice in a certain way for Chelsea, who got dumped out of the competition against the same opponents in controversial fashion a couple of years back, when they should have had at least 2 penalties in their favour. So Barcelona can feel aggrieved today, but the Chelsea fans were nurturing the same feeling of paramount injustice 2 years ago. Massive payback time for the Blues.

We can talk of warriors in the Blue dressing room, in the likes of Ramires. The Brazilian got a second yellow to rule him out of the final, yet scored for his teammates to send them through. It was heroics a la Roy Keane during the Man Utd treble season where the Irishman started the Red Devils comeback trail after receiving a yellow card that ruled him out of the final as well. No, we are far from the crying Paul Gascoigne who lost composure and plot after picking his yellow in the 1990 World Cup semi-final against West Germany.

It was 2 Spaniards that ultimately undid the Spanish giants; Mata was the one that sent Ramires through on goal despite being surrounded and under pressure from 3 Barcelona players. And Torres who scored the killer goal that quieted the Nou Camp, with it the dream of the hosts to win 2 consecutive UCL finals.

Of Messi, we can talk of the world's best player who can miss penalties when they really count; a last-minute one against Sevilla earlier in La Liga that cost Barcelona 2 invaluable points, and yesterday possibly the most important he had ever taken and might ever take. He found the crossbar, the same one I was talking about regarding Cech's reliable friends, in the previous post.

Finally, the summary wouldn't be complete without mentioning John Terry; Captain Terrific or maybe more appropriately Captain Idiotic. How quick off the mark he was to say he was not the dirty player that the video replays clearly labelled him. Well, you knee-ed the guy thinking you wouldn't be caught. At least Zidane was provoked during his moment of madness against Materazzi. At least Beckham was against Diego Simone. You were unprovoked but still wanted to show Sanchez how dirty you are, on and off the pitch.What a captain, to let his team down during the most difficult circumstances. If there is a justice, it's that he won't play the UCL final. The only final he'll have to contend with is the one he royally screwed up by missing the crucial penalty against Man Utd. Missing this year's final will hit him as bad or very possibly worse.

With so many suspended players missing the final, it's hard to see Chelsea lifting the trophy in the end. It seems destined to go to either Real or Bayern. But who knows, things can change in a few week's time. 

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

Turning point?

This was a week-end full of story-lines to say the least...

Let's start with racing where Ebony Flyer flopped badly in the Queen's Plate. There have been no real official excuses for her tame effort from the connections. There are a couple of things that could have undone her. First, her high draw could have taken a bit out of her as she tried to angle for a stalking spot from the start. Second, the hard race might have come too soon for her. Sure, she came out second in her prep race 3 weeks before, but maybe she needed more recuperation time in between races, particularly coming back from a wind operation. Anyways, her no-show was disappointing, and I would need to re-assess her real chances in her future races.

In football, Real won and Barcelona only drew; I am convinced that the silly points that the Blaugrana are losing on the road (think Sevilla, Espanol) will prove their undermining at the end. My recommendation in previous posts to load on Real for the title is looking good at the present.

But the football news of the week-end were the returns of legends Paul Scholes and Thierry Henry to their respective clubs. Scholes' return was necessary to fill the void left by a missing playmaker in the Red Devil's midfield. It remains to be seen if the red-headed genius still has the legs to perform at this level. Henry's return was fairy-tale as he notched the winner on his return. His game is no longer about speed, so it remains to be seen how he fits in the Arsenal attack.

How Man Utd's win at the Etihaad against neighbours Man City in the FA Cup, will affect the title run-in will be interesting. The Red Devils were on a 2-game slide and their mental strength would have been seriously rocked if they had faltered again. Clearly, the game was changed when Kompany was red-carded. If City can cope with his 4-game absence, they will get out of it full of belief and confidence. If not, this could be the turning point of the season. Mancini can complain all he wants about not having a complete squad. Like everyone, he knows has got the best in the Premier League. The title is still theirs to lose.

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

Change of guard

It would have been a great week-end with Tottenham and Real Madrid winning, and Liverpool and Barcelona drawing on draw-no-bets, but the Man Utd recommendation went awry. Man City went to Old Trafford and conquered big time.

Obviously, the score is very flattering for City but the game changer was Johnny Evans' dismissal. The Citizens played well and possibly could have won even without the central defender's sending off. More than the 3 points, this victory will also have given a tremendous mental boost to Mancini's men, raising their belief that they can hit it off with the best.They are clearly in the driver's seat and if they keep their head straight without being distracted by the off-field antics of some of their rogue players, they will be hard to dislodge at the top.

On the Red Devils' side, the defensive partnership of Ferdinand and Evans is possibly a recipe destined for disaster. At 32, Rio is past his best and the string of injuries that have beset him for the past 2 years are clearly taking a toll on his fitness for the rigours of the Premier League. He's still got some class in his play but not the elite and dominating player he once was. As for Evans, he's the weak link of the whole Man Utd team. A team sheet with Evans at the center of defence is a delight for opposing strikers out there. Next time Evans is in the starting eleven against a credible opponent, think twice before loading up on Man Utd, in my opinion.

Tottenham's winner at Blackburn was a fantastic result for this blog's predictions, and Blackburn certainly looks to be playing a major role at the bottom of the table, in my opinion.

In La Liga, Real Madrid jumped to the head of the pack by expectedly thrashing Malaga. I feel they are on a good winning run. Barcelona lost 2 important points by drawing against Sevilla. It remains to be seen if Messi's penalty miss in injury time could prove disastrous for them at the end of the season. The thing is, Messi always seems to be aiming for the same spot for most of this penalties and Sevilla's keeper played the probability game to great effect.

In racing, yet another Montjeu winner in the Racing Post Trophy as Camelot came out an easy winner in a small field. Weak field too, I should add. The previous editions of the race certainly were more competitive paper-wise and involved better-seasoned juveniles. So it is too early to gauge the real merits of Camelot, who nevertheless looks a smart sort. It would certainly be folly to have any sort of ante-post punt on him for next year's Guineas or Derby.

Manchester Derby and Football preview

Rennes and Celtic drew for a voided recommendation.

An absolutely juicy week-end of football coming up with the Manchester Derby as the main attraction. This is really a 6-point game and whoever draws first blood will seemingly have the mental advantage going forward. Both teams played and won in mid-week so the recuperation time will be about the same for both. I've got to give the edge on the hosts on this one because their form at home is rock-solid. There is no-one better than Sir Alex Ferguson to get them pumped up for such a match against their neighbours. If City were to win this game, it will definitely signal the start of a new world order in English football. But I don't think it will happen for the Citizen on Saturday and I see the Red Devils either winning or drawing this game. I recommend them as draw-no-bet.

Liverpool boasts strong form at Anfield and the visit of Norwich is a great chance for them to bag the 3 points. I have a feeling Suarez will be in his element against the smaller opposition and I cannot see Liverpool losing this game. I recommend them as a strong draw-no-bet.

I mentioned before that Blackburn is a very exposed team that will be losing many games this year. I anticipate another difficult game for them at home against a surging Tottenham team. Spurs will have a decimated defence going to Ewood Park but their offence should prove too potent for the hosts. Harry Redknapp's men might feel from the exertions of the mid-week European game against Rubin Kazan but their big guns were mainly rested, so they should be ready to fire on Sunday. Tottenham is recommended as draw-no-bet.

I am expecting challenging games for Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga. Barcelona host Sevilla which have yet to taste defeat this year in 7 games. I don't think the hosts will lose but I anticipate the game to be evenly-contested for most of the 90 minutes. It won't be a walk in the park for Guardiola's men because Sevilla are no push-overs. Still the hosts should prevail or come up with a point, so they are recommended as a draw-no-bet.

Real Madrid face an arguably easier task than Barcelona as they travel to Malaga, a team that has started the campaign quite brightly and sitting in 6th. Their spending on good players like Joaquin and Cazorla are reaping benefits. However, the Los Blancos are in very good form of late and seem to have picked up a notch after having lost 5 points in the early weeks of the campaign. As such, it's very hard to oppose them. They should win this game or at least come up with a point. Mourinho's men are recommended as a draw-no-bet as well.

Draw-no-bet: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Man Utd, Liverpool, Tottenham

Title Showdown

 Today Friday, got 2 good racing recommendations out of 3; Elnawin won its race at Ascot at 13/2 for an excellent return while Royal Liaison came out Placed 3rd at Hamilton. Fine Style, on the other hand, could only come out 3rd while I expected it to win.

Here we go for the week-end's predictions; Sunday sees the deciding game in the Premier League where the winner takes all at Old Trafford. Man Utd host Chelsea and on paper, are favourites to beat their rivals and all but secure the title.

Alex Ferguson came up with a masterstroke this week by fielding a weakened Utd side to beat Schalke and qualify for the Champions League final. This allowed most of his first team to rest for the showdown with Chelsea. A bold decision that would have been classified suicidal if Schalke had caused an upset; but upset there was none. So will a rested Utd full team be able to overcome a Chelsea team that will be not only apt to defend its title but also look for revenge after its ouster at the hands of the Red Devils in the Champions League? I think so. Utd are excellent at home and are in good form. Their confidence will be boosted by their recent qualification to the European final. Even Chelsea fans will recognize that their team has been on the lucky end of the referees' decisions in their past games and should actually be more than 3 points adrift. Drogba and co won't go without a fight but it will be a daunting task of them to go win at Old Trafford. They did it last year, but the circumstances were different. Unless they get the rub of the referee-ing again, which is not impossible, Chelsea will not win on Sunday, in my opinion. I recommend a draw-no-bet on Man Utd.

In the other EPL games, I see the Tottenham v/s Blackpool game being high-scoring, and the hosts should prevail. I recommend them as an outright win. I like Bolton's chances against Sunderland as the Black Cats are having a lot of injury problems at the meantime. Bolton is a recommended draw-no-bet. Fulham hosts Liverpool and to me, the Cottagers are the big value bet of the week-end. They are difficult to deal with on home soil, and Liverpool do have trouble on the road. So I see Fulham as a draw-no-bet is an excellent-return value punt.

In Spain, Barcelona play after Madrid's visit to Sevilla, so it's useless to speculate on the outcome at the Nou Camp as much of it will depend on how things turn out at the Sanchez Pizjuan. I like Valencia's chances at home to Real Sociedad. The latter beat Barcelona in fortuitous circumstances last week, and will welcome any precious points on the road until the end of the season. Valencia are on see-saw form of late but should have too much firepower for the visitors. I recommend the hosts as draw-no-bet.

In Scotland, the tables have been turned upside down with the defeat of Celtic at the hands of Inverness in mid-week. The advantage is in the Rangers camp, who host Hearts at Ibrox. The visitors are a decent team by Scottish league standards and did beat Rangers earlier this year. However with the momentum on their side, I cannot see Walter Smith's side losing this encounter at home. I recommend them as draw-no-bet.

Finally two things of note in racing. First, St Nicholas Abbey returned to winning ways today by trouncing a second-grade field at Chester. If this run confirms his return to this old self, then we're in for a treat as far as the rest of the campaign at Classic distances go. An Arc or King George with Workforce, So You Think, St Nick Abbey, Planteur could be very interesting...

Second and last, the Kentucky Derby will be run on Saturday. This year's edition looks like a competitive affair with no colt really standing out. Most of the field goes there with good form behind them and it seems that tactics and the weather could play a big part in the outcome. Without going through any recommendation, I think this race might benefit a closer and Nehro seems to be a very good one. I will also take a particular look at Master of the Hounds, the European representative from the Ballydoyle operation. The odds are stacked against it as it's never run on dirt before. However, who knows, anything seems possible in this year's race.

Win: Tottenham
Draw-no-bet: Man Utd, Bolton, Fulham, Valencia, Rangers.

Week-end preview

Another winner in Malpas Missile who easily won her race at Wolves.

Super week-end in football coming up as Man Utd go to Stamford Bridge. If they beat Chelsea on Sunday, I the latter part of the season. This game can end up with any score, so I won't speculate on the result.

I like Arsenal's chances against Stoke. Provided that they haven't been too affected by their Champions League draw to Barcelona, Arsenal should be edging this encounter. I recommend a draw-no-bet on them because you never know if Stoke are going to park the bus on their end, and they are pretty good at sneaking out draws.

In the Scottish Premier, I cannot see Celtic losing to Hamilton. Obviously, there are never any guaranteed away wins in this league, as even Celtic and Rangers have their travel woes. So Celtic as draw-no-bet is the recommendation.

In La Liga, I think the safe bets are to have Barcelona and Real Madrid as draw-no-bets as well. Barcelona are playing their derby game at Espanol, and although I expect Guardiola's men to prevail, derby matches are usually a catalyst for the underdogs (in this case Espanol) to over-achieve. Real Madrid should be beating an out-of-sorts Sevilla team, but again here, because Sevilla is very unpredictable, a draw-no-bet on Madrid should safely pay dividends. Mourinho's teams just never lose at home (for now at least).

Lastly, it would be miraculous if Mazembe won the World Club Cup. I just can't see it happen, Inter should be way too superior even with the absence of their playmaker Sneijder. Mazembe's best chance to lift the Cup would be to prolong the match to luck of penalty kicks. Inter as draw-no-bet should be safe.


Draw-no-bet: Arsenal, Celtic, Barcelona, Madrid, Inter

Week-end football preview

A rotten result in racing where Diogenes came out 5th. No excuses, it was simply not good enough. It's my second successive bad recommendation in racing, and I have the red flags out. I will have to think things over before I give another racing recommendation. The strike rate has taken a blow, and I need to stop that losing streak in racing. Anyway, confidence so far, is still high in football, and I have a few for this week-end.

Premier League. I can't see Man Utd lose to Blackburn on Saturday. The Red Devils have gotten the winning attitude again, and Blackburn just don't have the team to cause an upset at Old Trafford. Man Utd as draw-no-bet is safe. I don't want to speculate on the Aston Villa/Arsenal match, but I think the Gunners will be in for a tough 90 mins. It won't surprise me if the Londoners lose, but with them, any result is possible, as they are so consistent in being inconsistent! So no recommendation on that one.

Bundesliga. I can't see leaders Dortmund losing at home to last-place Monchengladbach. Dortmund should come out as outright winners in that encounter. Bayern Munich should also be able to overcome Frankfurt at home. With the tough mid-week exertions in Rome, it's safer to have Bayern as a draw-no-bet.

La Liga. Mallorca is a team that can be a handful to anybody, and should come up trumps against Malaga at home. Laudrup's men seem to enjoy the underdog role more, as they won on the road in Sevilla and Valencia. Logically, they should beat this weak Malaga team, but a draw-no-bet is the safe option.

Recommendations:
Win: Borussia Dortmund.
Draw-no-bet: Man Utd, Bayern Munich, Mallorca.