Inter Milan to Pip Fiorentina to Coppa Italia Final?

Posted on April 16, 2010 by SoccerCapper

It is the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday as Inter Milan travel to Fiorentina with a 1-0 lead.

These two sides were inseparable on Saturday evening as they cancelled each other out to a 2-2 draw. A result which has dented Inter Milans Scudetto chances this season. A repeat of this result would not be enough for Fiorentina as they trail 1-0 on aggregate, so the dynamics of this match will be slightly different from the weekends encounter between the pair.

Bet on Coppa Italia Semifinal, 2nd leg Fiorentina v Inter Milan

The Nerazzurri are may well be gunning for revenge after seeing a late goal from the Violas centre back Per Kroldrup secure a 2-2 draw which opened the way for AS Roma to leap them to top of Serie A on Sunday afternoon.

Fiorentina are showing good home form now and are unbeaten in their last four games. Jose Mourinho’s men know a draw will be enough for them to book a date in this season’s final and set up a potentially historic season as they continue to be in with a chance of completing the treble which includes the Champions League if they can get past mighty Barcelona in the semis.

A win for Fiorentina will see them keep alive their only chance of silverware this season, and they will take heart from the weekends performance which saw them lead Inter for much of the game.

After playing each other only a few days ago, barring any major changes to the starting elevens on both sides, it is hard not to look at a repeat result once again. A draw will be enough to take Inter through and it is worth backing again with PartyBets.com.

“To keep up this kind of form is very difficult and no one will give out anything to us until the end,” David Pizzaro told Roma Channel “But the important thing was to move top and now it’s all in our hands. We must become aware that we are in first place.”

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Ferguson aware of derby impact

Posted on April 16, 2010 by SoccerCapper

Title-chasing Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson accepts the derby clash with Manchester City at Eastlands on Saturday will be a “pivotal” game in the clubs’ respective seasons.

The Red Devils are going for a record 19th league title (13/2 Outright) after drawing level with Liverpool on 18 last season, with Ferguson’s men also looking to become the first outfit to win four Premier League crowns on the bounce.

But Ferguson concedes that top-four hopefuls City (4/9 Top 4 Finish) have their own agenda to fight for over the course of the remainder of the campaign, something which gives derby day a whole new twist.

The Scot said: “In over 23 years at United it is the first time we have played City when they have a chance of actually achieving something.

“Whenever we have played City they have always said they will beat us, whether it is a chairman, director or somebody else.

“That is what a derby game does. Supporters want to hear that.

“But this is a different game in terms of City’s position and you can be sure whatever happens it is going to be pivotal in terms of both clubs’ prospects for the season.”

Ferguson’s opposite number, City chief Roberto Mancini, claims the Blues are facing the most important run of games in the club’s 130-year history immediately after the United clash, as he looks to guide them into the qualifying rounds of the Champions League.

And the Italian concedes the ease of his summer transfer business will be decided by the outcome of City’s season.

He admitted: “It is important we finish in fourth because we can change the way we are going.

“It would put us in the Champions League next year and that would make it easier to get the players we want.”

The derby at Old Trafford finished 4-3 in United’s favour back in September when Michael Owen came off the bench to score the winner five minutes into stoppage time.

A win for United at Saturday lunchtime would see them close to within a point of leaders Chelsea who do not play until their evening encounter with Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

But with four games to play Ferguson knows United’s title destiny is now out of their own hands following the 0-0 draw at Blackburn last Sunday.

Speaking after the game, he said: “It’s a blow, there’s no question about it. It makes it really difficult to win the league now.

“That is a fantastic result for Chelsea. It has slipped away from us.

“We have a lifeline if Chelsea blow it.”

Chelsea went on to beat Bolton in midweek to establish a four-point cushion with four games left for both themselves and United this term.

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Messi, Ibrahimovic back for Barcelona but Derby Worries Pep Guardiola

Posted on April 16, 2010 by SoccerCapper

“It’s a real final, a key game at the end of the season and a terribly tough match. With (Espanyol coach Mauricio) Pochettino now in charge, it will be the toughest match we have had.” – Pep Guardiola.

Barcelona (1.30) travel to city rivals Espanyol (9.00) on Saturday evening and it may be somewhat surprising that Barca coach Pep Guardiola has chosen to classify this match with such importance considering the opposition are 13 places lower in La Liga and 46 points separate them.

Barcelona have been unstoppable in recent seasons with Europe’s biggest and best teams failing to stop them so a lowly Espanyol outfit look pretty unlikely to be able to halt Barcelona’s charge for the Primera Division.

However this is a city derby and it is well known that the form book goes out of the window in the blood and thunder of a local derby. Espanyol can take some confidence from recent matches against Barca to give them hope of an upset their last four encounters at home with Barcelona read W1 D2 L1.

Head-to-head

Barca have only managed to win three while losing two and drawing the other four.
Espanyol were the only team to win at the Nou Camp in La Liga last season when Barcelona were still hunting the title.

You can bet on now Barcelona (1.30)v Espanyol (9.00) now

On the team news front, the home side will be without their number one keeper Carlos Kameni as he serves a ban after being sent off in Wednesday’s 3-1 defeat to Racing Santander.

Barcelona will be without Eric Abidal and Andres Iniesta but Zlatan Ibrahimovic is expected to be on the bench. The news has been full of plaudits for Lionel Messi in the last few weeks after a string of stellar performances and goals, but it is now midfielder Xavi who is putting in the world class performances too and he is 9.00 to get the first goal in this match.

Guardiola will not allow his troops to slip up in this potential banana skin game and the quality of Messi et al will ensure another Barcelona victory. Back a 3-1 win for Barcelona which is available at 11.00 with PartyBets.com.

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Sheffield Wednesday Must Triumph In The Steel City Derby

Posted on April 16, 2010 by SoccerCapper

The 2009/10 season has been grim for both Sheffield clubs; Wednesday are locked into a desperate fight against relegation and United have fallen away badly in the race for promotion. Both sets of supporters would like to see the end of the campaign.

Sunday’s game at Hillsborough still has real significance for Sheffield Wednesday. The Owls are still in the bottom three and stand in real need of three points. United’s chance of reaching the play-offs has all but slipped away but their supporters could take some satisfaction from adding to the problems of their city rivals.

If this game wasn’t a derby, Sheffield United would be the ideal opponents for Wednesday. The Blades’ away form has collapsed dramatically and they have been beaten twelve times away from Bramhall Lane. Their record is actually worse that the Owls, who have lost eleven games on the road.

Confidence is low in both dressing rooms though Sheffield United did win last Saturday- however, they have plunged to tenth place after a season when they were expected to be a top six side with some ease. Two points from their last four games has dragged Sheffield Wednesday back into the relegation mire after a relatively good run of results.

Head-to-Head from 124 competitive games:

Sheffield United 45 Wins
Sheffield Wednesday 41 Wins
Plus 38 Draws

You can bet on Sheffield Wednesday v Sheffield Untied Now

The importance of this game to the Owls can’t be overstated because next week they have to travel to in-form Cardiff City. Their final game sees them host fellow strugglers Crystal Palace in what would be a nerve-shredding ‘winner take all’ encounter.

The Owls have lost their last two matches by a single, late goal and manager Alan Irvine will not want to go into the last day having to beat Palace to stay up. The team aren’t playing badly but the rub of the green has been missing.

The visit of the Blades could be the moment to pull off a win. Though Kevin Blackwell’s team should be highly motivated for a derby, they will also be suffering some deflation after their steep decline.

In the past two campaigns Wednesday have had the edge, unbeaten in four fixtures before this season’s first game. Sheffield United squeaked through 3-2 back in September after going in three goals to the good at half-time.

The Owls look ready to overturn that result. Irvine will point out that only a deflected strike denied them a point at Middlesbrough last week. Sheffield United have only a mathematical chance of reaching the top six and with their Championship status on the line, Wednesday should be able to win a battling encounter.

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Mancini wants the goals to rain

Posted on April 16, 2010 by SoccerCapper

Roberto Mancini has urged his free-scoring side to continue slamming in the goals, believing that the number of goals scored could be crucial in the race for fourth place. City are currently 4/9 favourites to finish fourth.

City face Manchester United at Eastlands on Saturday with both sides looking for the points for different reasons. City are hoping to consolidate their current standing of fourth in the League whilst United will be hoping to keep the pressure on Chelsea at the top of the table.

United will be hoping to bounce back against their local rivals after picking up a disappointing point in a goalless draw at Blackburn last Sunday. This has seen United’s title odds lengthen to 13/2 after Chelsea posted a 1-0 success against Bolton at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening. The Blues are now 1/8 to secure their first League title since 2006 as they are now four points ahead of United at the top of the table.

Tottenham Hotspur kept up the pressure on City in the race for fourth by beating local rivals Arsenal in the North London derby on Wednesday evening. Their 2-1 success propelled them to fifth in the table, one point and one place behind City. In the process, they severely dented Arsenal’s title hopes as the Gunners now lie six points behind Chelsea. They are 20/1 outsiders to win the League.

Many see the race for fourth being between City and Spurs, with some citing the clash at Eastlands between the two sides on May 5 as being pivotal in the battle for the final Champions League spot. However, both City and Spurs face tough run-ins, meaning that Liverpool and Aston Villa could mount a late surge if they can improve their consistency. Those two sides are 20/1 and 25/1 to finish fourth respectively. Meanwhile, Spurs are 2/1 second favourites to secure Champions League football for next season, with City 4/9 favourites.

City have scored 14 goals in the last three games and Roberto Mancini feels that goal difference could be crucial in the final reckoning. City have a current goal difference of 28, whilst Spurs have 27, and Mancini is hoping to retain this advantage.

Speaking to the Manchester City website, Mancini stated; “We know that it is vital we have a good goal difference because that could possibly decide who finishes in fourth place.

“We have been scoring a few goals in recent weeks, which is good. There is no reason we cannot continue to keep scoring if we play in the manner we have been of late, no matter the opposition.”

The big news ahead of Saturday’s Manchester derby is the potential return of Wayne Bridge. The left-back has missed the last five matches after undergoing a hernia operation and could bolster City’s back line. Meanwhile, England fans will be waiting to see if Wayne Rooney is on the team sheet after missing the last few games with an ankle injury.

Manchester City are 17/10 to get the win they need to consolidate fourth place whilst United are 11/8 to increase the pressure on Chelsea with a three point display. The draw is 12/5.

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Are Sevilla about to end 14 year Real Valladolid Jinx

Posted on April 16, 2010 by SoccerCapper

Sevilla travel to the Estadio Municipal José Zorrilla on Tuesday night to take on Real Valladolid and will be hoping to collect their first win at that ground in nearly 14 years.

Sevilla collected a valuable three points at the weekend when they came from behind to beat Malaga 2-1 away from home. That win put them into fourth place in the league temporarily before Real Mallorca continued their fine home form this season by disposing of Valencia 3-2 on Sunday to reclaim the coveted Champions League qualifying spot.

Real Valladolid are in deep trouble, as they lie second from bottom and six points away from safety. They will be desperate for a win but the prospect of this happening is slim as Real Valladolid have not scored any goals in their last four league games and only have a sorry 2 home wins to their name this season so far.

Bet on this match: Valladolid v FC Sevilla

Sevilla may be hitting form just at the right time as they are embroiled in a proper dogfight for a top four spot with Mallorca and Athletic Bilbao. But with talent such as Luis Fabiano, Jesus Navas and Freddy Kanoute at their disposal they will be expecting to clinch Champions League football once again next season.

The last match between these two sides in December ended in a 1-1 draw, with Sevilla grateful to a Luis Fabiano penalty for salvaging a point after going a goal behind. It is a result Valladolid will probably be happy to take again, but a point certainly wouldn’t please Sevilla and their new coach. Back Sevilla to repeat their weekend away win against Malaga and boost their chances of gaining a Champions League place at PartyBets.com

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Champions League Final Line In Sight for Man City

Posted on April 16, 2010 by SoccerCapper

Roberto Mancini’s men took a step closer to fourth place with a convincing 5-1 home demolition of Birmingham on Sunday.

The Manchester outfit made it 14 goals in three matches as Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez both struck braces to push their goal difference above that of rivals Tottenham – which could prove crucial come May.

A relatively dull first half sprung to life with four goals in five minutes following a quick fire double for Tevez, a reply from Birmingham’s Cameron Jerome and a neat finish from Adebayor.

Tevez’s first came from a 38th minute spot kick after Birmingham’s Scott Dann was adjudged to have felled Adebayor in the area.

The Argentinean’s second, just two minutes later, resulted from a corner that Nedum Onuoha initially thought he had scored from, however, replays showed that Tevez got the final touch to make it 28 goals for the season.

Birmingham pulled one back in the 42nd minute through a Cameron Jerome header after James McFadden had sent in a teasing cross.

But just one minute later Adebayor restored the two goal cushion by latching onto a delivery from winger Craig Bellamy.

Alex McLeish’s men came out for the second half with a renewed impetus but failed to break down the Man City defence.

And with the game entering the closing stages, Birmingham’s failure to find the net was punished by a Nedum Onuoha blast that made the score 4-1.

The Midlands team were merely playing for pride when Adebayor sprung the offside trap to secure a 5-1 victory and with it, snatch away any of the pride that Alex McLeish’s side had hoped to maintain.

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Portsmouth Down But Not Out With FA Cup Final Berth Won

Posted on April 15, 2010 by SoccerCapper

Pompey battled admirably and showed real grit to make it to their second final in three years but the South Coast side certainly had the rub of the green. Perhaps they deserve it after such a terrible year.

With the score at 0-0 and the game into extra- time, Spurs centre back Michael Dawson became the umpteenth player to slip on the Wembley surface over the weekend. Unfortunately for Dawson, he did it on his own six yard line as he moved to intercept a routine knockdown in the box.

With his marker grounded, Frederick Picquionne had a simple finish to put Portsmouth a goal to the good. If Spurs fans were bemoaning their luck about that incident, far worse was to come.

Peter Crouch soon had the ball in the net at the other end with a trademark volley but referee Alan Wiley disallowed the goal for an infringement on the goalkeeper. The look on Pompey keeper David James’s face said everything about the decision- he clearly felt that his team had dodged a bullet.

The ‘foul’ was against Nico Krancjar who did nothing but jump to head Gareth Bale’s cross. James came flying out to meet it, missed the ball but inevitably collided in mid-air with Krancjar- the Spurs player didn’t move at all in the keeper’s s direction but was still penalised for the collision.

Any Spurs fans who still felt it might be their team’s day had their optimism punctured when Aruna Dindane then went on a curving run towards the penalty area. Midfielder Wilson Palacios tracked the run all the way but couldn’t get a tackle in until the pair were inside the box.

Inevitably the tackle was clumsy and Wiley gave a penalty- despite the fact that Palacios did get a touch on the ball. Kevin Prince-Boateng delivered the final blow by despatching the spot-kick.

Now Portsmouth can make history. No side has been relegated and won the FA Cup in the same season though several reached the final. Middlesbrough were the last in 1997 and Pompey fans are beginning to think their club is the one to overturn this particular hoodoo.

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O’Neill: It will be tough to finish fourth

Posted on April 15, 2010 by SoccerCapper

Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill accepts that it is “tough but not impossible” for his side to finish in fourth place after their 2-2 home draw against Everton on Wednesday evening. They are 25/1 to realise this target.

The draw took Aston Villa to within seven points of Manchester City in fourth, having played the same number of games. This has led O’Neill to claim that his side will need to win all of their remaining five games if they are to stand a chance of qualifying for the Champions League.

Their campaign started well but a disastrous March, in which they only won one League game, saw the Midlands outfit slip down the table. Manchester City (4/9 to finish fourth) and Tottenham Hotspur (2/1 to finish fourth) are in fourth and fifth respectively and many see the battle for fourth being between these two sides. However, they have more difficult run-ins than Liverpool and Aston Villa so the door may still be open for the two outsiders if they can sort their consistency issues out.

Speaking after Wednesday’s game, O’Neill stated; “I thought before the game that we probably had to win the whole lot of the matches that were left to give us a proper chance (of the Champions League).

“It would have been a tall order and I would have thought that, certainly after this result, to give ourselves any chance we’ll have to win all five.

“It’s not impossible but it will be tough. You’d need a bit of luck here and there but we’ll go to Portsmouth on Sunday and we’ll give it everything.”

Villa face a tricky trip to Portsmouth this weekend and are 8/13 favourites to secure the win. The South Coast side are 4/1 whilst the draw is 11/4. Should they be able to navigate this clash – and their next two against Hull City and local rivals Birmingham – they could be going into the game against Manchester City on 1 May in a significantly stronger position.

Meanwhile in the race for fourth, Tottenham Hotspur kept the pressure on Manchester City by beating local rivals Arsenal 2-1 at White Hart Lane on Wednesday evening. This severely dented the Gunners’ title hopes and moved Spurs to within one point and one place of fourth.

Both sides meet each other on May 5 at Eastlands in what could be a fourth place decider. However, there is plenty of football still to play before then and both sides face tricky fixtures this weekend.

City are at home to local rivals and title chasing Manchester United and are 17/10 to pick up the three points. United are 11/8 to get the win they need to keep their title hopes alive whilst the draw is 12/5.

Spurs don’t have it any easier as they host league leaders Chelsea at White Hart Lane. Tottenham are 11/4 to keep their assault on fourth place on track whilst the Blues are 10/11 to move three points closer to the title. The draw is 12/5.

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Belgium: Mechelen v Lokeren

Posted on April 3, 2010 by SoccerCapper

Mechelen – Lokeren

3 April 2010 19:00 BST
Soccer – Belgium Jupiler League

Pick: Mechelen -1/2 (Asian Handicap) Result: PENDING
Stake: 9/10 Odds: 1.83
Bookmaker: StanJames
Bet on Mechelen -1/2 (Asian Handicap) 1.91 odds with StanJames

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Monthly Archives: April 2010

Inter Milan to Pip Fiorentina to Coppa Italia Final?

Ferguson aware of derby impact

Messi, Ibrahimovic back for Barcelona but Derby Worries Pep Guardiola

Sheffield Wednesday Must Triumph In The Steel City Derby

Mancini wants the goals to rain

Are Sevilla about to end 14 year Real Valladolid Jinx

Champions League Final Line In Sight for Man City

Portsmouth Down But Not Out With FA Cup Final Berth Won

O’Neill: It will be tough to finish fourth

Belgium: Mechelen v Lokeren