Saturday 17th November

Back over 2.5 goals (4/7, Betfred) in the Arsenal/Spurs game

Today’s 12.45 Kickoff see Arsenal meet Spurs in the first London derby of the season between these 2 rivals.  This fixture is well known for its high tempo and end to end attacking football, you would have to go back to the 2008/09 season to find a 0.0 draw between these two teams, since that stalemate all 7 matches have been over 2.5 goals with last season 2 matches producing 10 goals!

Arsenal last 4 matches have been over 2.5 goals, they are scoring goals but are also leaking goals in defence, they have scored 13 goals in those matches and conceded 12.  Spurs are in a similar position, 4 of their last 5 matches have seen more than 2 goals, scoring 7 goals and conceding 7.  Arsenal and Spurs are better at attacking than defending and with the vast amount of talent on show from both sides today and the bragging rights for the winner this match could go either way but one thing is certain, there will be goals!

Both teams will be looking to put one over their arch rivals today with plenty of goals on the cards in this one.

Back over 2.5 goals (7/10, Bet365) in the QPR/Southampton game

As predicted last week the QPR/Stoke game finished under 2.5 goals.  As I said in last week write-up Mark Hughes has changed his tactical approach in recent weeks, the Hoops are starting games cautiously in order keep a clean at the start of games so they can ease their selves into the game before finding themselves 1.0 down.  The Hoops last 4 games have finished under 2 goals, they have scored 2 goals and conceded 4 in those matches.  That pattern needs to change against fellow strugglers Southampton today and with Mark Hughes time running out he knows this afternoon is a must win game and one where QPR can attack and be the aggressor against a Saints side that have conceded the most goals in the league.  Today is not a day for the Hoops to sit back and soak up the pressure from the opposition, today Hughes needs to show the fans and board that he is the right man to get QPR moving up the table and look positive and attack at home.

8 out of the 11 matches Southampton have played in the Premiership this season have finished with more than 2 goals being scored.   Southampton have conceded a mammoth 29 goals in their opening 11 games and Like QPR Nigel Adkins side have been more cautious in recent weeks and have been more defensive for the same reasons as their opponents.  Saint do have talent within their side and are capable of scoring goals especially against a team with a similar poor defensive record.

Both sides will see today as winnable and a springboard to kick start their season, expect goals.

Back Newcastle (Evs, Betvictor) to beat Swansea

Newcastle are 10th in the League after 11 matches with 3 wins, 5 draws and 3 loses, scoring 12 goals and conceding 15.  All 3 of Newcastle league wins have come at home where the crowd really get behind their team, St James Park is never an easy place to visit.  The Geordie faithful will be looking for a performance and a win from their side after a poor showing last week at home to West Ham where they were haunted by one of their old players, Kevin Nolan.  Coloccini and Cabaye are both absent from the starting line-up today but Newcastle have enough talent in their side to cope and I expect the likes of Ben Arfa, Cisse and Ba to cause problems for Swansea today.

Swansea are 1 point and 1 position behind Newcastle in 11th spot in the league with 3 wins, 4 draws and 4 loses, scoring 16 goals and conceding 15.  The Swans are in poor form away from home in the league at present with no wins from their last 4 matches, losing 3 and drawing last weekend against Southampton who will count themselves unlucky they didn’t win the game.   They have only scored 1 goal in those 4 matches whilst conceding 6.

Expect Newcastle to get back to winning ways against a Swansea side struggling on their travels.

Back Everton (10/11, Betvictor) to beat Reading

Reading are 18th in the Premiership having played 1 game fewer than the rest of the league.  They have 0 win, 6 draws and 4 loses, scoring 12 goals and conceding 18.  Reading home form hasn’t been dreadful this season having only lost 1 game, that coming against Tottenham, the problem is they have drawn 4 of the 5 games they have played and today they face an inform Everton side who are full of confidence and will fancy the challenge of taking maximum points from the Madejeski Stadium.   Reading don’t posses much of a threat upfront and have a poor defence that have conceded 9 goals in their 5 home matches.

Everton are the surprise package of the season, everyone knows how good this side is that David Moyes has built but unlike previous seasons Everton have started the season brightly, they are 4th in the league with 5 wins, 5 draws and 1 lose in their opening 11 games.  After 4 draws in a row Everton got back to winning ways against Sunderland last weekend and will be looking to extend their winning run.  The impressive Mirallas is injured for today’s match but with the likes of Pienaar, Fellaini, Jelavic and a Leon Osman on a high after a good display on his international debut expect Everton to have too much firepower for Reading to handle

Everton to make it 2 wins from their last 2 matches in the league

Saturday 10th November

Back under 2.5 goals (4/5, Stanjames) in the Stoke/QPR game

Stoke are in fine form defensively at home, 10 of their last 12 matches have produced less than 2.5 goals and they have only conceded 1 goal in their last 4 matches.  The likes of Huth, Shawcross and Wilkinson have been playing together for many seasons and collectively they have created a tight unit at the back that’s hard to beat.  Stoke are 15th this season with 9 points from 10 games, the reason for their low league position is down to drawing too many games, they have 1 won, drawn 6 and lost 3, scoring 8 goals and conceding 10.

QPR are yet to win a game in the Premiership this season, they are 19th in the league with 0 wins, 4 draws and 6 loses, scoring 8 goals and conceding a hefty 19.  The Hoops have tightened up the defence in recent weeks with their last 3 matches against Arsenal, Everton and Reading all being under 2.5 goals.  Mark Hughes is starting to realise he can’t win games conceding so many goals, QPR have numerous attacking talent to choose from in their squad but less options at the back, that being said QPR are now playing a less open game and are concentrating on keeping games tight, not conceding goals and getting a bit of luck at the other end.

Expect tomorrow to be a tight affair, neither side will want to concede due to the lack of goals being scored by both at the other end, 16 between them in 20 games.

Back Coventry (21/20, William Hill) to beat Scunthorpe

Coventry have found life hard in League 1 since being relegated from the Championship, they are 19th in the table with 4 wins, 5 draws and 7 loses, scoring 18 goals and conceding 23.  Since the appointment of new manager Mark Robbins in mid September Coventry have vastly improved, losing only 3 of their last 11 games.  Coventry have won their last 3 matches in all competitions and beat League 1 high flyers Crawley Town 3.1 at home last weekend.  In striker David McGoldrick they have a forward capable of scoring on a regular basis, he has 9 goals to his name so far and will hopefully add to that tally on Saturday.

Scunthorpe have also struggled this season, they sit 3 positions below their opponents in 22nd with 3 wins, 5 draws and 8 loses, scoring 15 goals and conceding the most goals in the league, 28.  They went 8 games without a win before beating a Walsall team who hadn’t won in their last 9 fixtures, before the win last weekend they had lost their last 3 matches and conceded a total of 10 goals in doing so.

Expect a revitalised Coventry to extend their winning run on home soil.

Lay MK Dons (2.32, Betfair) to beat Sheffield United

MK Dons are 8th in the table with 26 points from 16 games with 7 wins, 5 draws and 4 loses.  They have a similar goal aggregate to today’s opponents having scored a lowly 19 goals but conceded only 11.  MK Dons have been very inconsistent this season but their home form remains rock solid with only 1 lose coming to inform Stevenage.  The Dons are in decent form of late winning 2 and drawing 1 in their last 3 fixtures, that being said Sheffield United are a class above the likes of Cambridge City, Scunthorpe and Leyton Orient and will be a tougher test for the home side tomorrow.

Sheffield United are 2nd in the League, 2 points behind first place Tranmere Rovers.  United have been the most consistent team in the league this season and along with Manchester City are the only unbeaten team in the football league thanks to 8 wins and 8 draws from 16 matches.  I have been a big follower of United this season, in my opinion they are the best team in League 1.  Utd are solid at the back, conceding the fewest goals in the League, they have consistently performed well this season and are in fine form of late, winning 5 of their last 6 matches, conceding only 2 goals and scoring 9.

I can’t see United unbeaten record ending tomorrow and the odds for laying MK Dons are very attractive.

Tuesday 6th November

5 fantastic selections to follow this week with 3 Champions League ties and 2 English league games to back.

Back Bournemouth (4/6, General) to beat Shrewsbury

Bournemouth are 16th in League 1 with 18 points coming from, 4 wins, 6 draws and 5 loses, scoring 24 goals and conceding 27.  Bournemouth were on a 4 game losing run before the return of Eddie Howe as Manager at the beginning of October, since his return Bournemouth have won 4 games and drawn 1 scoring an impressive 16 goals in the process.  They have won their last 3 at home and will be looking to continue their impressive form against a Shrewsbury side in poor form.

Shrewsbury are 20th in league 1 with 14 points coming from 3 wins, 5 draws and 7 loses, scoring 16 goals and conceding 20.  Shrewsbury are in poor form of late, they haven’t won in their last 3 league games, drawing 1 and losing 2.  At the weekend Shrewsbury lost to Conference side Hereford in the FA cup, they have conceded 11 goals in their last 4 games and will find Bournemouth a tough place to play on Tuesday night.

Look for the home side to continue their impressive run of form and beat Shrewsbury.

Back Crystal Palace (20/21, Betvictor) to beat Ipswich

It’s the battle of the new managers at Selhurst Park where Ian Holloway takes charge of his eagles for the first time against newly appointed Mick McCarthy Ipswich side.  Ian has the luxury of taking over a team playing well and winning games, Palace are unbeaten in their last 11 matches, they beat Blackburn with ease at the weekend and have scored 12 goals in their last 5 games.  With this being Holloways first game in charge his fine new players will be looking to impress their new manager and show him how good their side are.

Mick McCarthy took over at Ipswich last week and instantly did what Paul Jewell couldn’t in 12 consecutive matches, win!  McCarthy recorded his first win with a 1.0 victory at St Andrews against a poor Birmingham side.  Ipswich Town are bottom of the Championship on 10 points with 2 wins, 4 draws and 8 loses, Town have scored the fewest in the league, 11 goals from 14 matches, they have conceded 26 in total.  Just like the Palace the Ipswich players will be looking to show their new manager what they can do in order to gain a starting birth in the side but these Ipswich players need their confidence rebuilding and will struggle tomorrow.

Expect Ian Holloway to come out on top in the battle of the new managers

Back Olympiakos (20/21, Betvictor) to beat Montpellier

Olympiakos are top of the Greek league, 5 points ahead of second place PAOK on 25 points with 8 wins and 1 draw from 9 games, scoring 22 goals and conceding 5.  Olympiakos are a strong team at home in both domestic and Europe football, they are used to playing Champions League football and beating big sides, they beat Arsenal 3.1 in last season group stage.  Olympiakos are 3rd in Group B after 3 games, losing at home to Schalke, losing away at Arsenal and winning away at Montpellier in their last fixture.

Last season French Champions Montpellier are struggling in Ligue 1 and the Champions League.  They are 14th in the league with 12 points from 11 matches, 3 wins, 3 draws and 5 loses.  Montpellier have 1 point from their 3 opening games in their first ever participation in the Champions League, they have lost both home games to Olympiakos and Arsenal and scored a late equaliser in order to gain a draw away at Schalke.

Olympiakos need to win tomorrow night to give themselves a chance of qualifying and with their home form they should get the win

 

My final 2 selections are the same bets as I posted in the previous round of Champions League but this time round both teams play on home soil.

Back Real Madrid (1/2, Bluesquare) to beat Borussia Dortmund

I am backing Real Madrid for the same reason I selected them in the previous round (http://www.cklfootballtips.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/tuesday-23rd-wednesday-24th-october.html) Since losing in Dortmund Real Madrid have won all 3 of their fixtures and scored 13 goals, Dortmund have won 2 and drawn 1 scoring 6 goals.  I expect Madrid to win on home soil.

Back Manchester City (9/20, Betvictor) to beat Ajax

Just like Real Madrid I selected Manchester City to win away in the previous round against Ajax, but they lost. (http://www.cklfootballtips.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/tuesday-23rd-wednesday-24th-october.html)  City need to win tomorrow night or they are out of the Champions League.  City face a miracle to qualify to the next round and I can’t see them qualifying even if they win tomorrow. That being said City won’t give up until mathematically possible and will want to show the rest of Europe what they are capable of in their remaining games.  City haven’t hit top form in recent weeks winning once and drawing once since the loss in Amsterdam and have only scored 1 goal.  Ajax have won 1, drawn 1 and lost 1, since they played City, scoring and conceding 4 goals.  City have to go all out in order to win and although they are not in good form, odds of 9/20 with Betvictor are respectable and worth backing with City playing at home.

Saturday 3rd November

Back Chelsea (5/6, Coral) to beat Swansea

Chelsea lost their unbeaten league record last Sunday when losing at home to Manchester United.  They clawed their way back into that game, getting back to 2:2 after finding themselves 2:0 down, had it not been for the sending offs for Ivanovic and Torres they may not of lost.  Apart from that lose Chelsea have looked emphatic this season. Gone are the Mourinho days of winning 1-0 with strong, athletic, powerful players, the strict shape of the team is now not so rigid with players now interchanging positions with a passing game.  After a summer of high profile departures and big money acquisitions Chelsea have reduced the current age of their squad, bringing in bucket loads of young potential and losing the old guard and dead wood.  The current Chelsea side now play the flowing attacking football Abramovic has craved for years and the Stamford Bridge faithful are loving the change in tack-ticks and the new entertaining philosophy.  The likes of Hazard and Oscar have settled well and added a new dimension to the Chelsea game working well with the talented Mata.  Chelsea have too much movement and quality on the ball against a Swansea side that play a very open game which will suit a Chelsea side who create countless opportunities to score goals.

Swansea led the league after the first 3 rounds of matches, winning all 3, conceding no goals and scoring an impressive 9, not a bad start to the season for new boss Michael Laudrup.  Since those early lofty days Swansea have trickled down the league having only won 1 game in their last 7 premiership matches, that coming at home in a 2.1 win against an up and down Wigan side.  Swansea aren’t in great form at present but still maintain a decent home record having only lost once at home this season, that coming against an inform Everton side. Apart from Everton, Swansea have yet to face a big side or a side in good form, they have failed to keep a cleansheet since their opening 3 matches and have conceded 13 goals in the 7 scoring only 6.  

Expect Chelsea to have too much flair and creativity against Swansea tomorrow and get back to winning ways.

Back Manchester City (3/4, Stanjames) to beat West Ham

One would think I have a vendetta against the Hammers, I have opposed them on more than one occasion this season.  To all my West Ham fans that follow me I can assure you I don’t, I do find them an easy side to predict though and they have done us proud so far in all 3 selections they were involved in, scoring more than 2.5 goals in both matches where goals were the selection and losing at home to Arsenal.  If you are a West Ham fan stop reading now as once again I am backing the opposition to put the mighty Hammers to the sword.  I don’t think there is much more I can write about the Hammers that I haven’t already in previous posts, West Ham are a very solid side with some top players, when on song they are a match for any side in the league but on an off day they are a poor side who struggle to score goals.  Against superior opposition in need of a win and a performance I see them struggling.

Manchester City look a shadow of the side we saw tear teams apart at this stage last season.  Last season City were keeping clean sheets and scoring goals for fun, that no longer seems the case, they say winning the title isn’t the hard part, retaining it is.  Every football team and fan looked at the fixture list to see when they would be playing City, when you become the Champions everyone wants to knock you off your perch and take your scalp.  The pressure wasn’t on City last season but this season it is and they need to show the league they can handle the added pressure and thrive on it just like their local rivals have done for so many years.

City have more quality in their side and need to get back to winning ways. They are winning games by not playing well at the moment but it’s only a matter of time before they start clicking again and I expect that to start tomorrow.

Lay Liverpool (1.62, Betfair) to beat Newcastle

Liverpool odds to beat Newcastle are far too short, currently trading on average at 1.62 with Betfair, that’s a poor price for a team mid table against a Newcastle side who finished 5^th last season.  Brendan Rodgers has found out rebuilding this Liverpool team will take time, they now play the passing game Rodgers brings to his sides but his players are still getting used to the new style of play.  Liverpool don’t have the team or squad to compete for the Premiership title with Champions league qualification being a big ask for a side who rely heavily on Gerrard and Saurez.  Liverpool have won 2 drawn 4 and lost 3 matches this season scoring 12 goals and conceding 14, winning only won 1 game at home beating Reading 1.0, Newcastle will be tougher opposition.

Newcastle have had a slightly better start to the season sitting 2 places and 3 points above their opponents in 10^th position, winning 3 games, drawing 4 and losing 2.  Alan Pardew has brought stability to Newcastle, they are a massive club who have been on a rollercoaster ride for years but now seem to have found their way with a competitive side on the pitch a settled boardroom and more importantly happy supporters.  Newcastle have been hard to beat this season only losing to Chelsea and Manchester United, the defence is a solid unit, Cabaye and Ben Arfa are both in good form and upfront they have the league top goalscorer, Demba Ba.  Newcastle are unbeaten in their last 2 matches and will cause Liverpool Problems on Sunday.

This game has always been a tight affair in the past, some of the best games in the history of the premiership have come in this fixture, the 4:3 classics spring to mind.  Liverpool are too up and down with too few many average players, a Liverpool win is too short a price and needs to be laid against Newcastle.

Tuesday 30th October

Back Sunderland (8/11, Paddy Power) to beat Middlesbrough

Martin O’Neill takes the cup competitions seriously; he knows the impact and momentum a good cup run can bring to his side.  O’Neill won this cup earlier in his career when in charge of Leicester City and will field a strong side tomorrow in order to progress to the next round.  If brutally honest his Sunderland side will struggle to compete for a place in Europe this season and are well safe from being relegated, this means the cup competitions offer Sunderland and O’Neill a real chance of silverware and a successful season.  Sunderland have looked rock solid so far this campaign losing only 1 game in the league.  Their main problem this season is a lack of goals, having scored only 6, with only one goal scorer in their side, Steven Fletcher.  Fletcher has scored all 5 of Sunderland goals in the league with the other being an own goal.  Not scoring goals and only having Fletcher as their only goal scorer isn’t Sunderland’s only problem, drawing too many games is most defiantly another to add to the list.  Sunderland have drawn 6 of their 8 league games, winning 1 and losing the other.  On 3 occasions the Black Cats have drawn from winning positions, against Swansea, Liverpool and West Ham.  Away from the league Sunderland have found winning games slightly easier, they won their first round tie in the Capital Cup 2-0 at home to Morecambe, with young Irish striker McClean scoring both goals and won comfortably away at MK Dons 2-0 with both goals being scored after going down to 10 men due to Lee Cattermole’s sending off.  Expect Sunderland to continue playing a strong side in this competition and continue their winning form.

Middlesbrough are in fine form of late, winning their last 4 matches in the Championship against tough opposition like Brighton, Hull and Bolton.  Middlesbrough are sitting comfortably in 3rd position in the league with 25 points from 13 fixtures, winning 8, drawing 1 and losing 4, scoring 21 goals and conceding 18 in the process.  Middlesbrough have a very respectable squad for a championship side with numerous strikers to choose from upfront, meaning lots of completion for a starting berth which many managers would love to have.  Tony Mowbray’s attackers are in fine form this season with young Lukas Jutkiwicz having scored 4 in 6 and McDonald scoring 3 in his last 4 along with Dutchman Emnes scoring 2 in his last 4 matches.  These 2 sides were hard to separate when they met in the league cup last season with Sunderland forcing a replay at home before winning away in extra time.

Expect this match to be just as tight as last season FA Cup encounters, but like last year expect Sunderland to progress to the next round, this time round in 90 minutes.

Back Southampton DNB  (11/10 SkyBet) to beat Leeds (draw = stakes returned)

Southampton are really struggling in their return to the Premiership; since gaining their first league win of the season to Aston Villa over a month ago they haven’t been able to buy a win, losing 3 and drawing the other in their last 4 matches.  Nigel Adkins will be pleased to turn his attention away from the Premiership to the Capital One Cup this week and try and get his side back to winning ways.  As previously stated earlier in this competition, teams who struggle in their domestic leagues often see the cup as a way to reignite their teams against lower opposition and improve confidence in their side.  Tomorrow will be no different, I expect Southampton to play a strong side and go all out for the win.

Leeds are up and down this season with 5 wins, 4 draws and 4 losses.  As usual Leeds aren’t having any problem finding the net in the Championship with 20 goals to their name but have conceded just as many, 19.  Goals have dried up in recent weeks, scoring only 2 goals in their last 3 matches and not winning any of them, losing 1-0 at home on Saturday to a poor Birmingham side.  This Leeds side is very average and very reliant on their 2 star players, Diouf and Becchio.  Neil Warnock is taking the cup seriously as shown in the last round when beating a 2nd string Everton side 2-1, which helped in making the odds on a Southampton win tomorrow night very juicy.

Leeds and Southampton are both teams who like to get forward and score goals.  At first glance this match screams over 2.5 goals.  However, with Southampton scoring plenty and conceding more, Nigel Adkins will need to look carefully at his tactics and game plan in the upcoming weeks as clearly his current one isn’t working.  This could easily be a high scoring game and if it is I expect the Saints to outscore Leeds, either way I don’t see Southampton losing and for that reason alone tomorrow night the selection is Southampton Draw no Bet.

Saturday 27th October

After 2 wins and 2 disappointing loses in midweek it’s back to League football with a full list of games to pick winning selections from.  This weekend it’s all about the goals!! With a tight fixture list in all 4 English divisions, goals look the most appealing. 6 matches stood out as over 2.5 goals and I have narrowed those down to my 3 favourites.

Back Over 2.5 goal (8/13, Coral) in the Cardiff/Burnley game

Cardiff are joint top of the Championship. Leicester are currently top thanks to a better goal difference than the bluebirds. Cardiff have 25 points from 12 games, winning 8, drawing 1 and losing 3, scoring 22 goals and conceding 15. The majority of Cardiff wins have come at home where they have a 100% league record, beating good sides like Blackpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Wolves, Watford and early high flyer's Huddersfield. Cardiff have goals throughout their side and a bucket load of experience in Premiership veterans Tommy Smith, Heidar Helguson and Craig Bellamy (Injured for this game) plus the likes of new recruit Nicky Maynard and regular goal scoring midfielder Guy Whittingham. You may wonder why I am not picking Cardiff to win this match considering they have won all 6 matches at home. The reason being is Cardiff form seems to have dipped in the last 2 weeks, losing away at Forest before scoring a late goal to see off 9 men Watford at home in midweek.

The possibility of Cardiff form taking a dip isn’t the only reason I have chosen to back over 2.5 goals. Another factor in this selection is they play a Burnley side who have scored more goals than any team in the league. They have the leagues top scorer in Charlie Austin, who already has 14 league goals this season from only 12 games! Burnley are a team who love to entertain and attack the opposition. They are 14^thin the Championship, winning 5, drawing 2 and losing 5 matches from their opening 12. Below middle of the table doesn’t look an attractive position after 12 games but considering the tough fixtures and injuries they had at the start of the season, 14^th is a very respectable showing. Terry Pashley has done a fantastic job since taking over in October. As well as scoring bucket loads of goals Burnley also concede bucket loads, 25 so far this season so over 2.5 looks the correct bet in this game.

With the talent both teams have in attack and the weaknesses both have at the back this game could go either way, one thing for sure there will e goals today.

Back Over 2.5 goals (5/6 Ladbrokes) in the Wigan/West Ham game

Wigan are 16^th in the league with 1 win, 2 draws and 5 loses, scoring 8 goals and conceding 15. Wigan are an unpredictable side capable of beating the best teams in the league as well as losing to the worst! That being said Wigan are always competitive, they don’t have the wealth other teams have with Martinez doing his transfer business on a shoe string trying to unearth gems like Victor Moses who they sold to Chelsea in the summer. Martinez has done a wonderful job at Wigan and always sends out a side ready to fight for the team and leave everything on the pitch. Wigan last home match was a 2:2 draw to Everton, I expect more goals to come at the DW stadium.

West Ham did us proud at home to Southampton last weekend in our over 2.5 selection, scoring 4 of the 5 goals at Upton Park. In the preview last week I spoke about how West Ham like to play attacking football but don’t poses the best defence, not much has changed since last week. Andy Carroll is fit again and ready to lead the line tomorrow meaning Wigan’s poor defence will have their work cut out keeping him, Nolan and co quiet.

Wigan are in desperate need of a win and I expect tomorrow to be a lively game with plenty of action and more importantly, plenty of goals.

Back Over 2.5 goals (8/11, Stanjames) in the Tranmere/Preston game

The Tranmere train has slowed down since we backed them to win at home to Yeovil 2 weeks ago, losing their last 2 matches conceding 5 goals and scoring only 2. Tranmere have some of the best attackers in the league and a midfield that creates chances for them. The defence that looked so strong early in the season is now starting to form cracks with both Doncaster and Bournemouth showing that they aren’t unbreakable at the back, that's good news for us tomorrow.

Preston and Tranmere are 2 of the leading scorers in League 1 this season, between them they have scored 55 goals with Preston scoring 24 of them. Preston are 8^th in the league with 6 wins, 3 draws and 5 loses, conceding 18 goals. Preston are a good side, they don’t have any standout stars in their side or a clinical striker with numerous goals, what they do have is a hard working team with goals spread throughout the side, meaning they don’t have to rely on a top marksman upfront. Preston last game was a 3:2 win away at Scunthorpe, lets hope there is more of the same tomorrow.

With both teams scoring plenty of goals this season, a Tranmere defence that looks shaky and a Preston defence that’s always questionable expect there to be goals tomorrow.

Tuesday 23rd / Wednesday 24th October

Back Sheffield United (4/6, Coral) to beat Walsall

Anyone can select an unbeaten side to win! The hard part is selecting an unbeaten side to win at the correct time! Sheff Utd are unbeaten all season. If you had backed them in every game since the season kicked off you wouldn’t have a green bank account, you would have a red one. This is due to the fact Utd have drawn 7 of their 13 unbeaten fixtures. Utd are solid at the back, conceding only 10 goals, but still struggle to beat sides by large margins having only scored 17 goals, the same as tomorrow’s opponents Walsall. That being said Utd have got into their groove in recent weeks, winning 4 of their last 5 competitive matches and drawing the other.

Walsall’s form is the opposite of Sheffield United’s, losing 4 of their last 5 competitive matches and drawing the other. Like Utd they have struggled to score goals, but unlike Utd they don’t have a solid defence that’s hard to penetrate, conceding 19 goals this season.

It’s hard to see Walsall form improving away at Utd. Utd are finding their form and the confidence that comes with an undefeated team on a winning run. Expect Utd to extend that run and up the win column by 1 to equal that of the draw column. Tomorrow night’s table will read, 7 wins and 7 draws after this match.

Back Man City (3/4, William Hill) to beat Ajax

Man City are in their 2nd consecutive season in the Champions League and just like last season, find themselves in the “group of death”.  Once again they have started slowly in Europe’s biggest football competition, losing and drawing their opening games. In the last round of matches City scored a late equaliser to salvage a point at home to Dortmund, had they not scored that goal, their participation in this seasons tournament may have been over before it started.  Ajax are the weakest side in this group and the team others in the group would have selected as the side they must take all 6 points from. So far both Dortmund and Real Madrid have taken maximum points from Ajax and Roberto Mancini will know anything less than a win tomorrow night will leave City facing an uphill challenge, a position City will not want to find themselves in. City will go all out in order to win this match and with the attacking talent they possess upfront, they can take all 3 points.

Ajax were once a dominant force in Europe, not anymore, Ajax are now seen as a feeder club for Europe’s elite. They still possess arguably the best youth academy in the world, but can no longer keep their players before sell them at the height of their career. Instead they produce these talented youngsters and sell them young in order to keep the books ticking over and in order to fund their next protégée. Ajax are still a good side with some good players but Man City are a  better side with better players with much more to play for tomorrow night than the Dutch club.

This is a must win match for City and I expect them to go all out in order to get their CL campaign up and running. Anything less than a City win in my eyes will see them out of this competition and looking ahead to next seasons participation. Expect City to have too much quality for Ajax and come home with all 3 points.

Back Porto (8/13, Ladbrokes) to beat Dynamo Kyiv

Porto are still a force to be reckoned with on the European stage, especially at home. They have started the season in typical fashion and sit in the league where they ended the last campaign, 1st. They have won 4 games and drawn 2 from their opening league fixtures and are top on goal difference thanks to scoring 15 and conceding only 4 goals. They lost their star player, Hulk, during the summer to Zenit, but still have plenty of talent in their squad thanks to the links of Moutinho, Defour, Martinez, Kleber and Rodriguez.

Dynamo Kyiv are 3rd in the Ukraine league after 12 matches with 24 points. 8 Wins, 0 Draws and 4 Loses. Scoring a lowly 19 goals but conceding only 12. Kyiv travelled to PSG in the last round and were convincingly beaten 4:1, with the match all but overcome the half hour mark with PSG winning by 3 goals to nil. Kyiv have lost their last 2 league games, 1 away and 1 at home, conceding 5 goals in the process. This doesn’t bode well for Kyiv and I can’t see them adding to the 3 points they have from beating the weakest team in the group, Dinamo Zagreb.

Expect Porto to extend their lead at the top of group A with a comfortably home win tomorrow night.

Back Real Madrid (11/10, Coral) to beat Dortmund

Real Madrid have had a dreadful start to La Liga and trail Barcelona by 8 points. With Barcelona and Real Madrid the strongest sides in Spain by a long way, Madrid will find it extremely difficult to claw back those points and compete for the league title this season, with both sides rarely losing in La Liga, often win comfortably home and away. Last season Madrid won 32 of their 38 league matches, losing only 2 games all season, with one of those loses coming to Barcelona. Last season combined Madrid and Barcelona scored 235 league goals!!! Mourinho and Madrid won’t be giving up on the league title so early in the season but know the magnitude of the task at hand, and will have one eye firmly fixed on finally bringing the Ultimate prize back to the Bernabeu – The Champions League. Madrid have regained their form in the last month, winning 5 of their last 6 in la Liga and the CL,  drawing the other away in the Nou Camp, against Barcelona. They have scored 18 goals in those 6 matches and conceded only 6. They have numerous attacking options and players like Ronaldo, Di Maria, Higuain and Benzema, who can all produce a moment of magic and change a game in a split second.

Dortmund have been the standout side in Germany for the past 2 seasons winning the title at the expense of German heavy weight and Champions League runners up Bayern Munich.  Dortmund lost one of their prized assets this summer in the shape of Kagawa who joined Manchester United but still have plenty of talent in their side, with the likes of Gotze, Blaszcykowski, Reus and Lewandowski.  Dortmund currently sit 4th in the league table thanks to a somewhat average start to the campaign with 3 wins, 3 draws and 2 loses, the second of those loses coming this weekend in a 2-1 home defeat to inform Schalke. Bayern have scored 18 goals and conceded 11 from their league matches. They are well of the pace of leaders Bayern Munich who have won all 8 of their fixtures.

Just like the odds suggest, a Real Madrid win in Germany will not be easy tomorrow night. With the current form of the Spanish champions and the form of both their attackers and defenders I see Dortmund struggling in front of their home supporters. I see Real Madrid pinching this one and flying home with another 3 points in the bag and a big gap between them and 2nd place in this group.