Author Archives: SoccerCapper

Reds to break Scottish Hearts

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Liverpool and Newcastle are in European action on Thursday night as they look to cement their place in the group stages of the Europa League. The Reds have already seen off Belarusian outfit FC Gomel to reach this round and will hope for a similar result when they face Scottish outfit Hearts. Meanwhile, the Toon travel to Greece looking to achieve a positive result against Atromitos Athens.

Atromitos Athens v Newcastle 6pm

Newcastle fans haven’t seen their side in European action for over five years so will be eager for the Toon to continue their recent revival when they travel to Greece. The Magpies were one of the teams of the season last term as they finished fifth, ahead of the likes of Chelsea, Everton and Liverpool.

Alan Pardew’s men look to have picked up from where they left of last season if Saturday is anything to go by, beating Tottenham 2-1 at St James’ Park in their Premier League opener. However, punters can expect Pardew to field a much-changed team in the Greek capital having left Demba Ba and Cheick Tiote at home.

New boys Vurnon Anita, Gael Bigirimana and Romain Amalfitano could get their first starts, while Steve Harper, Mike Williamson and Ryan Taylor could also feature. Teenage striker Alan Campbell is also part of the squad but isn’t expected to start.

Thursday’s opponents have yet to get their season underway but certainly shouldn’t be underestimated after finishing fourth in the Greek Super League last season. However, they are without their top goalscorer Konstantinos Mitroglou, who banged in 17 goals while on loan from Olympiakos.

With Atromitos lacking a goal threat and given Newcastle’s good defensive record you’d fancy the Toon to at least get a draw. Newcastle are 6/5, with the Greek’s 9/4 and the draw 23/10.

Hearts v Liverpool 7:45pm

The Reds faithful will be desperate to forget about Saturday’s disastrous start to the Premier League season following Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to West Brom. Much like Pardew at Newcastle, Brenadan Rodgers have opted to make wholesale changes for the trip north of the border.

Skipper Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez, Martin Skrtel, Glen Johnson, Joe Cole, Oussama Assaidi and Jose Enrique won’t travel to Edinburgh, with Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Jay Spearing, Jonjo Shelvey and Andy Carroll all in line to start.

Liverpool’s opposition have made a solid start to the SPL season with a win and two draws but should be no match for the Reds. Hearts have had another tough summer, with ten players leaving the club and two joining as their financial issues continue. The Jambos have managed to keep hold of Andrew Driver, John Sutton and David Templeton, and that trio will be key to Hearts if they are to pull off what would be a huge upset.

A draw wouldn’t be the worse result for Liverpool but Rodgers will be desperate to secure a win ahead of a huge test against champions Manchester City on Sunday. Hearts are 6/1 to win the match, with the Reds 8/15 and the draw 11/4.

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Mourinho has Real chances

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It has not taken long for Spain’s big two to be given the opportunity to strike the first psychological blow in the title race as they square off in the first-leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Thursday at the Nou Camp, kick off at 9pm.

This is not as common a fixture as one might think given the two clubs’ dominance of the Spanish league, with the Copa del Rey perhaps not treated with as much respect as the FA Cup for example.

However, these two giants did clash in the Super Cup last season after Jose Mourinho won his first piece of silverware for Real via the Cup route, with Barcelona coming out on top.

The Blaugrana secured a 2-2 draw at the Bernabeu in the first-leg before edging the return encounter 3-2 to land the spoils – although it was not a portent of things to come.

The two arch rivals clashed six times in total last season and although Barcelona only lost one of those matches, it was the crucial league fixture late in the season that effectively ended their hopes of usurping Real at the top.

Pep Guardiola’s men had earlier got the better of Los Merengues 3-1 at the Bernabeu in La Liga and progressed in the Copa del Rey on the back of a 2-1 away win (4-3 on aggregate) but it is the league success that may have given Real the confidence that they can more than compete with the previously perceived ‘best team in football’.

With home advantage, Barcelona have been installed as 5/6 favourites in the match betting following a successful start under Tito Vilanova – a 5-1 home win over Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Real Madrid made a less than convincing beginning to the new campaign as they were held 1-1 at the Bernabeu to last season’s ‘best of the rest’ Valencia, and they are available at 3/1 to get their first win on Thursday, with 11/4 on offer for the draw.

Lionel Messi continued from where he left off last season, bagging a brace at the weekend, and it is no surprise to see him installed as the 5/2 favourite to be the first/last goalscorer on Thursday, 4/7 Anytime.

The price on a home win may well tempt some given Barca’s record at the Nou Camp – it was their road form that let them down in La Liga last season – but the same could be said on Real’s odds of 3/1.

They were not at their best at the weekend but there is no doubt that Mourinho will have his troops ready and motivated for tomorrow’s clash and they rarely put in two disappointing performances on the bounce.

More can certainly be expected of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is priced at 4/1 to open the scoring and 11/10 anytime, with Sunday scorer Gonzalo Higuain next best at 7/1 and 15/8 respectively.

Mourinho’s men have a pretty good record at the Nou Camp of late with a win, two draws and one defeat from their last four visits so it could well pay to oppose the home side.

Regardless of the victor, there has been a strong trend of goals between the two, which is unsurprisingly reflected in the betting – Over 2.5 Goals at 8/13, Under 2.5 Goals at 6/5, while 4 or more goals is on offer at 7/4.

It is of course a two-legged affair so there may not be that sort of desperation from the side that is behind but at odds of 50/1 a 2-2 draw, which occurred twice last season, could reward those searching for the big prices.

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Ставки на матч Боруссия Менхенгладбах – Динамо Киев!

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Футбол. Лига Чемпионов

Боруссия Менхенгладбах – Динамо Киев. Еще пару лет назад попадание в менхенгладбахцев в Лигу Чемпионовkiev kranjcar feyenoord1 300x188 Ставки на матч Боруссия Менхенгладбах – Динамо Киев! выглядело чем-то удивительным, но приход молодых и перспективных игроков резко изменил расклад сил. К сожалению, в межсезонье команду покинул Марко Ройс, который перешел в «Боруссию» из Дортмунда. После такой потери их шансы на повторение успеха в этом сезоне резко сократились.

«Динамо» Киев преподнесло своим болельщикам «сюрприз», но вот только не со знаком «+», а со знаком «-«. В прошедшем туре неожиданное поражение от «Ворсклы» не на шутку напугало болельщиков киевлян, так как хоть это был и выездной матч, но играли подопечные Семина не с «Шахтером», а с аутсайдером чемпионата. Возможно, это как раз было связано с тем, что «динамовцы» мысленно были уже в Германии.

Защитник «Динамо» Тарас Михалик признает, что в предстоящем матче перед его командой поставлена всего одна задача, и она формулируется очень просто – выйти и не пропустить ни одного мяча. Так же Михалек заметил, что для него непринципиально против кого играть, против Марко Ройса, который ушел из «Боруссии» или новичка команды Люка де Йонга.

Юрий Семин в разговоре с прессой заявил, что у его тренерского штаба не так много информации по «Боруссии», в отличие от их сегодняшних соперников, которые могли проанализировать игру «Динамо» с момента старта в чемпионате. Действительно в Германии сезон еще не начался и это как плюс, так и минус для «Динамо».
Первый матч в таком противостоянии всегда получается очень нервным, так как за горизонтом уже маячит Лига Чемпионов. По мимо ухода Ройса «Боруссия» потеряла еще и центрального защитника Данте, а как мы знаем перестроить игру в защите порой бывает намного сложнее, чем в нападении. Как с этим справился Люсьен Фавр, мы сможем наблюдать на протяжении 180 минут этого противостояния.

Первый матч наверняка получится закрытым и если только не произойдет повторения второго тайма первого матча «Динамо» с «Фейеноордом», то все должно завершиться Тоталом Меньше 2.5, да и ничья стала бы логичным результатом, каждая команда не захочет рисковать.

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Reading target capital gains

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Reading rescued a late point against Stoke City on their return to the Premier League on Saturday but face an altogether different challenge against FA Cup and Champions League winners Chelsea on Wednesday.

Adam Federici guaranteed himself an appearance on a Christmas blooper DVD when he gifted the Potters the lead but Adam Le Fondre spared his blushes with a late penalty.

It was a fair result and no more than Brian McDermott’s newcomers deserved for a late onslaught, while Tony Pulis must have felt he’d had his pocket picked.

Stoke had been the better side for the majority of the game but nerves may have got the better of Reading. They will need to improve for a tough assignment in west London, and difficult first road trip against Chelsea, who are quoted by Totesport the 9/2 third favourites in the Premier League outright betting.

Roberto Di Matteo’s men pulled off a job-done, 2-0 away win at Wigan at the weekend in which they mustered just three shots on target, while new signing Eden Hazard caught the eye.

The DW Stadium encounter highlighted potential flaws at the back and suggestions Chelsea’s defenders do not enjoy players running at them, while Fernando Torres might have made the game more comfortable.

The last time the two sides met was in 2008 when the Blues pulled off a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to a Michael Ballack goal, so there is little to go on here in terms of recent history and the personnel have changed markedly for both sides.

Chelsea will be confident of a first win on home soil this season and this is reflected in the price of 1/4 in the match betting, with the draw quoted 9/2 and the Royals priced up the 12/1 rags.

Torres had an effort cleared off the line at Wigan and might have won his side a penalty on another day. The Spain striker is the 3/1 favourite in the First and Last Goalscorer market and 8/11 Anytime to open his account for the season.

Another option here would be to go split stakes on the 1-0 (13/2) and 2-0 (11/2) correct score outcomes, working on the theory McDermott might look to flood his midfield and stifle Chelsea.

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Rovers set for mauling by Tigers

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With the pain of relegation still fresh in the memory, Blackburn Rovers still have extremely fragile confidence despite a summer of big spending. Their first home game of the season sees them play Hull City and the Yorkshire side appear primed to pile more misery on Rovers’ beleaguered supporters (Blackburn 10/11, draw 5/2, Hull 3/1 in the match betting).

Rovers will be hoping for a fast start against The Tigers at Ewood Park, with the grumblings of discontent among the supporters showing no signs of easing.

The Lancashire outfit’s relegation last May was the culmination of a hugely disappointing season both on and off the pitch.

On it Steve Kean’s men struggled to find any consistency, while off it, the fans loudly voiced their opposition to both Kean and the club’s Indian owners, Venky’s.

The atmosphere around Ewood was poisonous, unpleasant and at times aggressive. Kean will be all too aware that a poor start against Hull will see the moans and groans return.

Rovers have been busy in the transfer market so far this summer in a bid to ensure immediate promotion, bringing in eight new players, including Colin Kazim-Richards, Nuno Gomes, Danny Murphy, Leon Best and Dickson Etuhu.

Four made their debuts against Ipswich on Saturday with one of those, Kazim-Richards, giving Rovers the lead (Kazim-Richards 11/2 to score first on Wednesday).

That looked to be enough for Rovers but they paid the price for sitting back and trying to hang onto their lead when Ryan Lowe scored a late own-goal to ensure a share of the spoils.

Co-owners Balaji Rao and Venkatesh Rao as well as global adviser Shebby Singh watched the game against the Tractor Boys amid speculation Kean may lose his job should Rovers make a poor start.

Singh even had to apologise over the summer when he suggested Kean would be sacked if Rovers lost three games in a row while speaking at a fans’ forum.

It all means there will be nerves aplenty upon kick-off in Lancashire, with the atmosphere once again threatening to turn toxic if the home side make a poor start.

Hull will be no doubt aware of that and will look to capitalise on the disharmony on the terraces by striking early.

The Tigers travel across the Pennines on a high after a 1-0 victory over Brighton at the KC Stadium on Saturday. Jay Simpson came off the bench to grab the only goal at the KC and is handily priced at  15/2 to do so again.

Boss Steve Bruce arrived earlier in the summer charged with launching a sustained promotion bid this season and he has already brought in six new players – Nick Proschwitz, Sone Aluko, Alex Bruce, Abdoulaye Faye, Ben Amos and Eldin Jakupovic.

With at least two more expected to follow before the deadline and a run of just one defeat in seven games in pre-season, the club look well set to claim their first win at Blackburn since 1986.

Their odds of 3/1 appear great value given Blackburn’s off-field disharmony, with even more value found in the half time/full time markets.

Blackburn and their fans will be nervous, while Hull will be determined to capitalise on that so a strong opening from the visitors is likely. A Hull City double half time/full time result has great odds of 6/1 and appears the value bet in this encounter.

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Bhoys to take first-leg advantage

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The Champions League qualifiers continue on Tuesday with a number of mouth-watering ties including Celtic’s trip to Helsingborgs IF (Helsingborgs 13/8, draw23/10, Celtic 8/5 in the match betting), while the highest-profile meeting sees Borussia Monchengladbach face Dynamo Kiev.

Celtic boss Neil Lennon has already said that following Rangers’ much publicised demotion, his side must start to perform in Europe after years of failing to live up to expectations.

The Bhoys began their domestic season with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Ross County on Saturday but are likely to welcome back a number of their key players for the trip to Sweden, most notably striker Gary Hooper.

Hooper has been linked with a move away from Parkhead this summer but having managed to keep hold of him, boss Lennon knows his goals will be vital to any chance his side has of making it into the group stages.

Celtic will be confident of earning a result at the Olympia, but won’t have it all their own way against a competitive Helsinborgs side, who will fancy their chances.

Age Hareide’s men won the Swedish Premier League last term and don’t be surprised if they cause their Scottish opponents a number of problems.

This one looks almost too close to call but there seems to be a buzz surrounding Celtic at the moment and their determination should see them return to Scotland with an advantage ahead of next week’s second leg (Celtic 11/2 to win 1-0).

The other match that catches the eye is the tie between two old stalwarts of European football, Borussia Monchengladbach and Dynamo Kiev (Monchengladbach evens, draw 12/5, Kiev 11/4 in the match betting).

After winning the UEFA Cup in 1975 and 1979, Die Fohlen have had a couple of difficult decades but appear to be on the rise again and impressed by finishing fourth in the Bundesliga last season.

They have once again strengthened this summer and look out for striker Luuk De Jong to make an impact in the first leg.

The Dutchman was linked with moves to both Newcastle and Spurs earlier this year but eventually opted to join Borussia and will be desperate to live up to his hype, especially in Europe.

Just like their opponents on Tuesday, Dynamo Kiev appear to be a team on the rise and are in the midst of building a side capable of emulating the heights of past years.

Key to their chances in Germany will be the performance of winger Andriy Yarmolenko who is one of Europe’s hottest prospects.

After a difficult start to his career, the 22-year-old seems to have settled down and a big performance at Borussia-Park could even see him seal a move away from the Ukrainian capital.

Like the other game, this looks like a tough one to call but Monchengladbach’s added quality should just carry them to a single goal victory (Monchengladbach 7/1 to win 2-1).

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Rovers to rally for Tigers test

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Blackburn Rovers will be looking to get a first win under their belts when they host Hull City at Ewood Park on Tuesday (Blackburn 10/11, draw 5/2, Hull 3/1 – Match Betting) having been held to a draw on the opening weekend of the Championship season.

Rovers manager Steve Kean will still be ruing his side’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town at Portman Road last weekend, after they conceded a late own goal to give the Tractor Boys a share of the spoils.

Looking at the starting line-up, Blackburn (10/1 Championship outright) have been able to keep hold of most of their squad from the Premier League last term and with the likes of Nuno Gomez and Danny Murphy in their ranks, Kean has made some shrewd signings, with plenty of experience in the transfer window.

As for Hull, they made a promising start under manager Steve Bruce on home turf, with a 1-0 victory over a much fancied Brighton outfit.

The Tigers did have to wait till just five minutes from time before Jay Simpson scored his first goal in 16 months for the East Yorkshire club and they would need to create many more chances against Rovers, if they are to get anything out of the game at Ewood Park.

It might not be the most friendly of atmospheres in this battle of the Roses clash but Blackburn should have the quality to edge out the Tigers.

Just down the road Bolton Wanderers will be in action for their first home outing of the Championship campaign when they take on Derby County (Bolton 8/11, draw 5/2, Derby 4/1 – Match Betting).

The Trotters, who are fancied as the favourites to win the Championship title this season, were brought down to earth last weekend when they were convincingly beaten by Lancashire rivals Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor.

Manager Owen Coyle has plenty of experience in the Championship having previously managed Burnley and he will be eager to get Bolton’s first points on the board at the Reebok Stadium.

Derby have goals in them but what has been worrying for boss Nigel Clough is the goals that have been leaked at the back.

Comfortable leads over Scunthorpe United and Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup and the Championship have been squandered and Bolton (7/1 Championship outright) could record a convincing win, if the likes of Kevin Davies and Marvin Sordell are firing on all cylinders.

As for Burnley they will be hoping to build on that dream start to the season when they travel to the North East to face Middlesbrough (Middlesbrough 11/10, draw 12/5, Burnley 12/5 – Match Betting).

The combination of Charlie Austin and Martin Paterson looks like it could be a fine partnership in the Championship this term and Boro will have to be on their guard, having already tasted defeat at Barnsley last weekend.

Middlesbrough (25/1 Championship outright) have brought in Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran on loan to strengthen their options in the middle of the park and he is set to make his debut on Tuesday night.

Burnley have gone somewhat under the radar in the build-up to the campaign and they look like they should be able to secure a draw at the Riverside, against a Boro side who have not had the best of records on home soil in recent seasons.

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Toffees stuck on for point

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After watching everyone else kick-off their 2012/13 campaign over the weekend, Everton and Manchester United complete the opening round of fixtures at Goodison Park on Monday, in what is traditionally one of the most one-sided fixtures in the Premier League.

The Toffees have a dreadful record against their rivals from up the M62, winning just four times in the Premier League era, their last victory coming in February 2010 (Everton 10/3, draw 12/5, Man Utd 10/11).

Indeed United have picked up more points against Everton than any other Premier League side and go into the game bolstered by the arrival of Robin van Persie, who could make his debut at Goodison in what is a fearsome looking strike partnership with Wayne Rooney. Fellow new boys Shinji Kagawa and Nick Powell are also set to be included in Ferguson’s squad.

Despite their impressive record against the Blues, it is the Red Devils who are smarting after their last encounter. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men blew a 4-2 lead at Old Trafford in April to eventually draw 4-4, a result which ultimately cost them the league title.

For Everton the battling draw was one of a number of impressive results during the tail end of the season. David Moyes’ men have a reputation for starting slowly and picking up again in the spring and last season was no different.

Their defence was largely sound – they had the third best defensive record in the league last season – it was scoring goals that was the problem in the autumn.

However, the signings of Nikica Jelavic and Steven Pienaar on transfer deadline day in January proved crucial. That added creativity and a goal threat that saw the Toffees soar up the table, with Jelavic bagging nine goals in 13 games – the 6/1 for him to score first on Monday is worth considering.

They eventually finished last season in seventh place, above neighbours Liverpool for only the second time in 25 years. They have also won seven of their last nine league games at Goodison Park and are unbeaten in nine league games in all. The reason behind their poor starts is often speculation surrounding their best players and lack of funds to bring in any new faces.

However, on this occasion boss David Moyes has actually been able to strengthen, sealing a permanent deal for Pienaar and snapping up Steven Naismith from the now defunct Rangers. Jack Rodwell was sold to Manchester City last week for £12million but Moyes has already spent £6million of that on Belgian forward Kevin Mirallas, with the promises of further new faces.

The air of optimism – instead of despair – hanging over Goodison should be enough to ensure a raucous atmosphere during the game.

Van Persie aside, the ace card for United will undoubtedly be former Toffees striker Wayne Rooney. The England star has scored 14 goals in his last 14 Premier League games and loves to start the season with a bang – he has hit 10 goals in his last nine Premier League games in August.

He is unsurprisingly therefore the 4/1 favourite to open the scoring first on Merseyside, though value could be found in the scorecast. With the Toffees capable of grabbing a point, a Wayne Rooney 1-1 scorecast is priced at tempting 22/1.

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Ставки на матч «Анжи» – «Зенит». «Реал» Мадрид начинает сезон!

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Футбол. Россия. Премьер-лига

Анжи – Зенит. Многие воспринимают этот матч, как последнюю возможность остановить «Зенит», так какZenit trio win1 300x188 Ставки на матч Анжи Зенит. Реал Мадрид начинает сезон! команда Лучано Спаллетти напоминает «красную стрелу», которая может без остановок  проследовать до чемпионства. Но когда смотришь в таблицу и видишь, что команда после 4-х туров не теряет очков, разница забитых и пропущенных составляет 12-1!!! То поневоле задумаешь, что это будущий чемпион…

На самом же деле еще слишком рано делать такие далеко-идущие выводы. Четыре тура – это конечно хорошо, но чемпионат длинный и еще может произойти все что угодно. Вот, например, сегодня «Зенит» 2.25 приехал в Махачкалу без Кержакова, Семака и Анюкова.  Фамилия защитника в этом списке появилась после товарищеской встречи сборной России в которой Александр получил сотрясение мозга. Плюс, не до конца ясна ситуация со здоровьем Романа Широкова, который в свою очередь пропустил матч сборной по причине небольшой травмы.

Вот вам и яркий пример того, как за неделю можно лишиться чуть ли не половины основного состава. И такие потери внушительный даже для такой команды, как «Зенит». Не будем забывать, что до сих пор «сине-бело-голубые» так и не сделали серьезных приобретений на трансферном рынке.

С учетом проблем по составу и особенностей игры в Махачкале, я ожидаю, что «Анжи» 3.00, не проиграет, а возможно и сможет одержать домашнюю победу.

Футбол. Испания. Примера

Реал Мадрид – Валенсия. Почти все лето мы ждали, когда европейский клубный сезон вернется и  это время настало! И нам сразу предоставляют встречу, которая по своему интересу уступает только «Эль Классико».

«Валенсия» 11.00 прямо в первом туре пожалует в Мадрид. Жозе Моуринью уже заявил, что команда собрана и мотивирована также как и в прошлом году. И как обычно «Реал» постарается выиграть во всех турнирах в которых принимает участие.

Пока что «Реал» предстанет перед болельщиками в полностью прошлогоднем составе. Лука Модрич пока не может добраться до Мадрида, так как «Тоттенхэм» все лето мешал уйти своему хавбеку в «Реал», но похоже на ближайшей неделе это произойдет. А вот с Кака, которого уже почти все отослали в Милан пока не все так однозначно, по некоторым данным «Милан» прекратил переговоры по поводу этого перехода.

По поводу результата в этом матче сомневаться не приходится, «Реал» 1.22 победит, возможно с трудностями, но победит. Единственной интригой матча для меня станет игра бывшего «мадридиста» Фернандо Гаго против своего бывшего клуба.

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Home favourites to struggle

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Spanish football is well and truly back and Monday sees what promises to be superb doubleheader, as recently promoted Deportivo La Coruna take on Osasuna, while Rayo Vallecano face Granada.

With all four sides being known for their inconsistency, it’s sure to be an exciting evening and there’s sure to be plenty of goals.

Perhaps the pick of the two fixtures will be the early game between last year’s Segunda Division champions Deportivo and possible La Liga surprise package, Osasuna, at the Riazor (Deportivo evens, draw 12/5, Osasuna 13/5).

After winning the title in 2000, Depor have slowly declined and following years of difficulty, were finally relegated at the end of the 2011 season.

However, after clearing out a number of their squad, they dominated in the second tier, eventually finishing six points ahead of their nearest rivals.

They will be looking to carry their form into the new season but much will depend on the quality of veteran Juan Carlos Valeron.

The former Spanish international is the only remaining veteran of the championship winning side and will be looking to inspire his team to victory on Monday.

On the other hand, Osasuna are one of the success stories of the last few years, defying the odds to consistently challenge for European football, despite their lack of resources.

This summer they have once again invested wisely, with their best signing looking to be the loan acquisition of Joseba Llorente, who could finally provide Los Rojillos with a the consistent goal threat they’ve missed over recent years, so look out for him to be on target on Monday.

This one looks almost too close to call and in what is certain to be an end-to-end game, Osasuna’s extra class may just see them through (Osasuna 17/2 to win 1-0).

The later game sees Granada travel to the capital to take on cash-strapped Rayo Vallecano (Rayo 6/5, draw 9/4, Granada 11/5).

Once again, Rayo have been blighted by financial problems and their squad has been seriously depleted, most notably with the exit of last term’s top scorer Michu to Swansea.

However, they may have just found the perfect replacement in Argentine Alejandro Dominguez who joined from Valencia.

Things didn’t really work out for the 31-year-old at the Mestalla but there is no doubting his quality and he’ll be looking to dictate the pace of the game on Monday.

After upsetting the odds by staying up last season, Granada could well struggle this season but their unique partnership with Udinese has helped them recruit well this summer.

Of the five players they’ve gained in the off-season from the Serie A side, former Italy under-21 striker Antonio Floro Flores could be the key man and he’s certainly still good enough at the top level, scoring 10 times in 18 appearances last year.

Finding the net has been a major issue for the Filipinos but the 29-year-old could make the difference for them this term and look out for him to regularly challenge the Rayo defence on Monday.

Like the first game, this looks almost too close to call but Granada appear to have just that extra bit of quality and should just sneak it by a single goal (Granada 15/2 to win 1-0).

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