Category Archives: news-t

Celtic seek away-day cure

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Celtic head to Finnair Stadium on Wednesday desperate to improve on a wretched away record in the Champions League and keep their European dream alive (KO 19:00 CET 20:00 local time).

Neil Lennon’s men have won just one of 33 away matches in Europe but take on HJK Helsinki in the second-leg of a Champions League third round qualifying clash with a 2-1 lead from the first leg in Glasgow.

The Bhoys – overwhelming 1/40 favourites to win the Scottish Premier League – have only managed to score in 10 out of their last 22 European road trips and their approach to this return fixture is intriguing. The fact that Celtic do not have to win this game to progress makes it even more difficult for punters.

HJK Helsinki can be backed at 13/8 to win in 90 minutes, while a rare away win is quoted 11/8, but the evidence suggests the draw could have legs at 11/5 and this would see the visitors progress.

Backing teams who do not need to win is always a minefield and it may be that Lennon decides to pack his midfield and frustrate the home side.

Key to their hopes will be the fitness of combative midfielder Scott Brown, who has a hip injury, and whether Lennon decides to try protect his side’s advantage or go for the kill.

James Forrest is battling to recover from a groin problem, Charlie Mulgrew makes his returns from his weekend suspension and Georgios Samaras has recovered from a face knock.

The Finns returned home seething at Czech referee Miroslav Zelinka for allowing Celtic to take the corner that led to the winner while HJK were making a substitution and have their own motivation to send the Scottish champions packing.

The home side will have the edge in terms of match sharpness given that their domestic campaign is past the half-way point and can boast a proud home record of having not lost at Finnair Stadium since August 2010 in the Veikkausliga.

This time last year in the same competition the Finnish champions put 10 past Bangor City without reply and last month walloped Icelandic title winners KR Reykjavík 7-0.

The wheels have started to come off in recent weeks and it needed a goal on 82 minutes from Mika Vayrynen to salvage a 3-3 draw against VPS last time out. This followed a 1-0 defeat away to Honka in which Antti Muurinen’s men were reduced to nine men on a day to forget.

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Brazil continue quest for Gold

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The Men’s Olympic Football tournament semi-finals take place on Tuesday and, aside from Brazil, there are some surprise countries in the last four with South Korea, Mexico and Japan all still in the hunt for the Gold medal.

Brazil are understandably the favourites for Gold (2/5) in what has often been a surprising Olympic Football tournament so far but they may not have it all their own way against a talented South Korea (9/1 to win Gold) side at Old Trafford.

In the other semi-final, Japan meet Mexico at Wembley with seemingly little to choose between the sides.

Brazil v South Korea

Brazil were tipped to win gold before the tournament got underway and remain firmly in the driving seat to achieve that feat ahead of the semi-final against South Korea.

They have impressed so far in the competition, although some games have been closer than many would have anticipated.

Brazil kicked off with a closely-fought 3-2 victory over Egypt before a more comfortable 3-1 success over Belarus and followed that up with a final 3-0 group win against New Zealand.

The talent in the Samba squad is undeniable with Chelsea new boy Oscar, Manchester United target Lucas Moura and established stars Neymar, Hulk and Alexandre Pato all contributing so far.

Goals have clearly not been a problem but they survived a big scare when just about overcoming nine-man Honduras 3-2 in the quarter-final and may be vulnerable at the back.

Not too many people are giving the Koreans a chance in this clash (Brazil 4/11, S Korea 13/2, draw 3/1 – 90 mins match prices) but they have shown plenty so far to suggest they can at least worry Brazil at Old Trafford.

Their victory over Team GB on penalties ended Stuart Pearce’s side’s involvement but, on the balance of play, they were the better team over the 120 minutes in Cardiff and possess plenty of talent in their squad.

Chu-Young Park and Bo-Kyung Kim are among several players to have caught the eye so far and they look a fit, organised and close-knit side who can handle the big occasion. A group win over Switzerland, sandwiched between draws against Mexico and Gabon, sealed their place in the knockout phase and they can approach the Brazil clash with nothing to lose as they are expected to be knocked out.

With that in mind, a draw at 3/1 after 90 minutes to take this game to extra time might not be a bad bet but expect Brazil to progress overall.

Japan v Mexico

Wembley hosts the other semi and totesport cannot separate Japan and Mexico in the 90 minute match market with both sides on offer at 6/4 to win while the draw after normal time is 11/5.

Mexico may be the more established football nation but at this largely Under-23 level, Japan have shown they are a country to be feared in the future with plenty of rising stars in their ranks.

Their shock 1-0 win over much-fancied Spain set the tone for the competition and they followed that up with a similar success over Morocco before holding an impressive Honduras to a goalless draw.

Despite being relatively unknown to much of the footballing world, Japan clearly have some top players with Maya Yoshida and Yuki Otsu among those to catch the eye. Their stunning 3-0, last-eight, win over Egypt means Mexico should be wary of what awaits them on Tuesday.

However, the Mexicans have been among the best performers in the competition so far and disposed of Senegal 4-2 in the quarter-final to lay down a marker for this last-four clash.

Spurs forward Giovani dos Santos has been one of their star men, scoring both goals in the 2-0 group win over Gabon and then the third against Senegal and he will again have to play well if they are to see off Japan.

They have other key men Japan will need to watch with the likes of Jorge Enriquez and Javier Aquino threats but, as the match odds suggest, this is tough one to call.

It could also go to extra time, and even penalties, with Japan tipped to just have the edge.

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SPL back after dramatic summer

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It’s been a traumatic time over the summer for many involved in Scottish football, following Rangers’ much-publicised financial meltdown. But the new SPL season kicks off this weekend and there will be many clubs just keen to just get on with the game.

For so long, the top of the Scottish Premier League has been made up of the Old Firm duo of Rangers and Celtic but, with the former demoted to the Third Division after their liquidation and subsequent reformation, there will be a new look and fresh feel about the table in 2012-13.

Rangers’ absence offers the likes of Dundee United, Hearts and Aberdeen the chance to push Celtic, while Dundee, who have finally been given the go-ahead to replace Rangers, join their city rivals in the division and are already looking forward to the renewal of the Dundee derby on August 19.

Saturday sees five games taking place with defending champions Celtic’s hosting of Aberdeen in the lunchtime kick-off the highlight.

Celtic v Aberdeen

Neil Lennon, like many SPL managers this summer, has had to work prudently in the transfer market and has only added goalkeeper Fraser Forster to his squad, while several squad players have been moved on.

However, the Bhoys are expected to get off to a perfect start (Celtic 1/4, Aberdeen 10/1, draw 5/1 – 90 minutes betting) and are likely to have too much for  the Dons in the season’s opener. A correct score bet of 2-0 looks tasty in this at 11/2.

Prediction: Home win.

Hearts v St Johnstone

The Tynecastle clash between these two, in contrast, is less clear-cut although the Jambos are favourites to come out on top (Hearts EVS, draw 5/2, St Johnstone 13/5 – 90 minutes odds) and get their campaign off to a winning start.

Last season Hearts finished just two points ahead of the Perth-based club with the duo fifth and sixth in the final standings, so there was little to choose between them across the campaign. Expect this game to be tight as well with a draw at 5/2 worth backing.

Prediction: Draw.

Kilmarnock v Dundee

Dundee (3/1 – 90 minutes betting) have been hoping to get the nod to replace Rangers all summer but the late confirmation of their place in the top flight has meant a few months of uncertainty for boss Barry Smith. He says his side are relishing a tilt at the SPL this season even though he admits it has been difficult strengthening his squad.

Killie (10/11, draw 12/5) finished a respectable seventh last term and will hope for something similar in 2012-13. Only Jeroen Tesselaar and Rory Boulding have been recruited so far and their opposition, as SPL newcomers, will be up for the challenge at Rugby Park but a narrow home win still looks on the cards here.

Prediction: Home win.

Ross County v Motherwell

This is one of the stand-out opening-day games with many predicting County will put on a good show in the SPL following their impressive title-winning campaign in Division One last term.

Boss Derek Adams has been one of the busier managers over the summer and the signings of Ross Tokely, Gary Glen, and Martin Scott look astue buys.

Motherwell finished third, though, last season and will be difficult first opponents for County (17/10, draw 9/4). Stuart McCall is another manager who has had to shed several players from his squad but there is still enough quality there to ensure they claim the three points. Back an away win at a tempting 8/5.

Prediction: Away win.

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Big boys join Europa race

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The Europa League third qualifying round gets underway on Thursday and several of Europe’s sleeping giants will be searching for a stress-free passage to the play-off round, where a place in the group stages will be at stake.

Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool face Belarussian outfit FK Gomel, who set up the plum tie with the 2004/05 Champions League winners with a narrow win over FK Renova of Macedonia.

Attacking threats for Gomel include former BATE Borisov hitman Aleksandr Alumona and new signing Andrey Sherakow, who arrived from Minsk, though there is a very definite lack of big-match experience in the squad.

Unsurprisingly, Gomel are priced as 7/1 outsiders to take anything from their home leg against the Reds, with Rodgers’ men a near-certainty at 1/3 to take an advantage with them back to Anfield.

Elsewhere, another former Champions League winner, Inter Milan, will aim to move a step closer to qualification for the Europa League when they take on Hajduk Split.

The Croatian outfit’s finest moment in Europe came in the 1994/95 season, when they reached the quarter final of the Champions League, though recent years have been tinged with frustration, having finished as runner-up in the Prva Liga for the last four years.

They take on a team who topped their Champions League group last season only to be eliminated in the second round, and fail to produce the goods in Serie A, finishing a distant sixth and well out of the title race.

But Inter Milan’s hopes of staging a comeback in the upcoming season are high, and, at 4/11 to fit into place the first piece of the jigsaw and win this first leg clash, they are expected to have too much of Hajduk Split.

Meanwhile, La Liga side Athletic Bilbao should be far too strong for NK Slaven Belupo when the two sides meet for the first of two legs tomorrow evening. The Croats have a habit of starting games strongly in Europe, but will struggle in the Spanish heat.

Bilbao’s 1/10 price tells you all you need to know about this game, but a 10/1 price on a 5-0 win for the Spaniards represents extremely good value, as does a 6-0 scoreline, which is available at 16/1.

Further British interest at this stage of the competition is represented by Dundee United, who welcome Dynamo Moscow to Tannadice Park tomorrow evening, and who will rightly fancy their chances of defying their 10/3 price and taking a lead with them into the away leg.

Dynamo are available at 7/10 to escape with the win, but Peter Houston’s men will be feeling far from charitable, and a siege mentality from the hosts could force the Russians to settle for a draw, which is available at a rather generous 23/10.

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Celtic face tough Euro test

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Celtic head into their Champions League third round qualifying tie with HJK Helsinki as favourites to move a step closer towards a place in the group stages of the competition, though their opponents head into the match with wind in their sails.

The 2011 Finnish champions, who currently trail 2012 league leaders FC Inter by two points, qualified to face the SPL holders with a 9-1 aggregate victory over Icelandic side KR.

And, while questions could be raised about the standard of opposition, the impact a comfortable victory can have on a team ahead of a big match should not be underestimated.

HJK are priced at 6/1 to leave Celtic Park with a first-leg win on Wednesday, which seems extremely generous considering their hosts’ lack of competitive action in recent months.

Celtic are priced at 4/11 to take an advantage with them back to Iceland for the second leg, while a draw is available at 16/5.

But, when you consider as well that manager Neil Lennon could be without key attacking duo Anthony Stokes and Kris Commons for the clash, it may be difficult for the Glasgow side to break down their less illustrious opponents.

Elsewhere in the third qualifying round, Celtic’s SPL rivals Motherwell welcome Panathinaikos to Fir Park Stadium for what will be a big occasion for the old Lanarkshire club.

The Greeks finished second in last season’s Super League, while the Steelmen’s third-placed finish in last year’s SPL was enough to ignite their own hopes of mixing it with Europe’s biggest clubs in 2012/13.

Following the withdrawal from the SPL of Rangers, there is belief at Motherwell that the team can challenge Celtic’s domestic supremacy, and advancement in Europe will also be high on head coach Stuart McCall’s list of priorities.

His side are available in the match betting at 3/1 to win the first leg tie, while Panathinaikos are priced at 4/5 to ruin the party, with the draw up for grabs at 11/5.

It’s a tough game to call, but a siege mentality from the hosts could make life difficult for the Greeks, who could be prepared to settle for a draw to take back to Athens.

Another tie to look out for is the showdown in Denmark, where FC Copenhagen face Club Brugge.

The men from the Danish capital qualified from their group in the 2010/11 Champions League and will be desperate to replicate that success after failing to make the competition last season.

Brugge, meanwhile, will be looking to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 2005/06 season, when they defied the odds to take a point from Bayern Munich before bowing out at the group stage.

Copenhagen are priced 21/20 to win the game, while Brugge are at 21/10, and the draw is at 11/5. But a cursory glance at the two teams’ domestic fortunes last season indicates there perhaps isn’t as much between these two sides as those odds suggest.

With that in mind, a punt on Brugge at relatively long odds could be a decent option here.

Finally, Bate Borisov will look to reach the group stages of the Champions League for a second consecutive year, but must first overcome Debrecen, who were comfortable winners in their second qualifying round tie against Albanian champions Skenderbeu Korce.

Debrecen have not reached the ‘competition proper’ since 2010/11, but, following their comfortable Hungarian league triumph in 2011/2, they will approach this challenge with confidence.

Bate are the favourites at 4/5 in the match betting, though Debrecen’s odds of 3/1 bely the team’s ability and recent form, so a bet here on the visitors at such a good price would make a lot of sense.

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RVP owes Arsenal some loyalty

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Arsenal captain Robin van Persie’s future is well and truly in the spotlight, but the Holland star owes the Gunners some loyalty despite their lack of silverware (Arsenal 1/6 to win no trophies in 2012-13).

The Dutchman will be 29 next month and for a striker he will know he possibly has three or four years left at the highest level – certainly as a first-team regular.

Van Persie, who is out of contract in 12 months, has already revealed he has no intention of re-signing for the Emirates outfit which leaves the financially prudent Arsene Wenger in a sticky situation.

The French boss is often moaned about for failing to spend the cash at his disposal and it is highly likely he will be horrified at the prospect of van Persie, who was on fire last season, walking away for nothing.

Van Persie will be able to sign a pre-contract agreement at the start of 2013 – should he not move on this summer – and a free-transfer move would be more lucrative for him in terms of wages.

From Wenger and the club’s point of view there is also the chance he could be persuaded to re-consider in 2012-13 if the Gunners make a strong start to the campaign – recent history has seen Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez both perform U-turns but admittedly for different reasons – although the converse is also true.

Reigning champions and current 5/4 favourites for the Premier League title, Manchester City, as well as Manchester United and Juventus are all credited with an interest in the product of the Feyenoord youth system.

However, one thing hardly mentioned is van Persie’s injury record over the years and the way Arsenal have continued to believe in him when other strikers such as Emmanuel Adebayor, Eduardo and Nicklas Bendtner have been allowed to leave the club.

Van Persie joined Arsenal in 2004 and has played just over 200 games for the north Londoners, which works out at around 25 a season for a side which has often played twice that amount of matches.

Last season’s goalscoring heroics are not in question, but it must be remembered 2011-12 was his first campaign since 2008-09 when he was regularly available for selection.

From the player’s point of view, he probably has one big contract left to sign before he hangs up his boots but going from being the main man at Arsenal to just part of a large squad – albeit one in the shake-up for honours – could quite possibly be a culture shock.

Van Persie – even if 100% fit – would have no real guarantees over a regular first-team shirt and there is the real possibility of his career fizzling out as he struggles for game-time or match fitness – crucial for a striker – at a club which would not bend over backwards for him.

He should also remember the way Arsenal have stood by him given his injury record and the faith placed in him by appointing van Persie as captain when Cesc Fabregas jumped ship to Barcelona last summer.

Van Persie is a 10/1 shot to finish with the Premier League Golden Boot in May for the second season in a row although there are no guarantees he will be around to defend it.

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Sleeping giants stir ahead of battle

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Unsurprisingly, the three relegated teams are expected to be among the front-runners in the race to earn promotion to the Premier League next season, but there are one or two sleeping giants ready to awake from their slumber and seal a return to the promised land.

Some 18 of the 24 teams that will make up next year’s Championship have experience in the Premier League, and every one of them will harbour a belief that they are capable of securing a return in the near future.

But some are closer than others, and it is Leicester, who last graced the top level of English football in 2004, that are fancied as the favourites to earn promotion back to the Premier League, priced at 2/1.

The Foxes have assembled a strong squad during the close season and look easily capable of overcoming the disappointment of missing out on the play-offs last term.

Expect former Everton man Jermaine Beckford to be at the forefront of City’s attacking threat, although they do appear short of other strike options at this relatively early stage of transfer window period.

Of the three teams relegated at the end of last season, it’s Bolton who many believe have the best chance of bouncing back at the first attempt.

In Owen Coyle, the Trotters have a manager who already has a Premier League promotion on his CV, and that experience at the top of the club should not be underestimated, to the extent that their 9/4 price seems rather generous.

Wolves endured a torrid time in the Premier League last season and their relegation back to the league they climbed out of three years ago appeared nailed on from an early stage of the campaign.

The club disposed of interim manager Terry Connor at the end of the 2011/12 campaign in favour of recruiting a relative unknown to oversee first team affairs, and what they hope will be a successful campaign in the Championship.

Stalle Solbakken is the man who’s been tasked with leading Wolves’ march back to the Premier League and, at odds of 11/4, they are fancied to be in the mix at the end of the season.

Solbakken made six appearances for Wimbledon in the 1997/98 season, but his lack of experience of the English game beyond that brief spell could hinder the Molineux outfit’s hopes of bouncing back at the first attempt.

Blackburn, meanwhile, have kept their faith in Steve Kean, who will be under great pressure from the club’s Indian owners to bring Premier League football back to Ewood Park.

But at 7/2 they are not fancied to be in the box seat for one of the three promotion places up for grabs, and it is difficult to see the 1994/95 Premier League Champions coasting to success next year.

Outside of those four, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United will head into the new season with renewed hope of sealing what their supporters believe is a long overdue return to one of Europe’s elite competitions.

The two clubs have proud histories at the summit of English football, but those memories of success in major competitions are becoming more and more distant.

Both teams head into the campaign under new managers, and it is Neil Warnock’s Leeds who have a particularly strong chance of defying their 4/1 price and earning promotion.

Warnock has masterminded countless promotions during his managerial career and knows exactly what it takes to turn also-rans into genuine promotion contenders.

Forest, on the other hand, opted to appoint a less well-known name following the departure of Steve Cotterill.

Former Doncaster Rovers supremo Sean O’Driscoll has been plucked from relative obscurity at Crawley and given the opportunity to earn a place in City Ground folklore by leading the team back to the Premier League.

At 7/2, they are expected to at least make the play-offs, but O’Driscoll’s lack of experience at the top end of English football’s second tier could prevent Forest from taking that final step and earning promotion.

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Jelavic targets golden boot

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The new Premier League season is fast approaching, with less than a month to go before the battles at the top and bottom of the table are renewed.

While most people’s focus will be on the success of their team, there are those who might have one eye on individual glory as well. We examine who could pick up the biggest prize on offer to just one player – the Premier League golden boot.

As any football manager will tell you, a natural finisher can be worth his weight in gold when it comes to achieving a club’s long-term ambitions. Last season was a prime example as Robin van Persie carried Arsenal to third almost single handily. Without the Dutchman’s goals, the Gunners would have struggled to finish in the top half, let alone in a Champions League position.

Van Persie finished atop the scoring charts with 30 goals last season and is 10/1 to retain his gong this year, despite his future being up in the air as he looks to leave Arsenal. Given all the injury problems the 28-year-old has had in his career, it seems unlikely he will enjoy as prolific a season again, especially if he goes to either Manchester City or Manchester United where he will face plenty of competition.

The two Manchester clubs already have two of the best strikers in the Premier League and the co-favourites for the golden boot in Sergio Aguero and Wayne Rooney. Both players are priced at 8/1 to win the individual award after excellent campaigns last term. Rooney managed 27 goals for United last season, while Aguero netted 20 times in his first campaign in the Premier League. With City and United expected to be the main contenders for the Premier League title again, both players will need to have good seasons in front of goal if their respective teams are to be successful.

United and City also have some handy deputies for Aguero and Rooney, with United’s strike force featuring Javier Hernandez (20/1), Danny Welbeck (25/1) and Ashley Young (66/1). City can call upon Mario Balotelli (16/1), Carlos Tevez (14/1) and David Silva (66/1), but neither they, nor the United trio, are likely to win the golden boot.

To take that honour you need a player who the manager has either built the team around, ie Van Persie, or caters towards their style of play. While Liverpool as a team are something of an unknown quantity at this time under new boss Brendan Rodgers, you can bet Luis Suarez will figure heavily in his plans.

The Uruguay striker didn’t score as many as he should have last season due to a combination of his unsavoury antics resulting in a lengthy ban and some bad luck in front of goal. Suarez is 14/1 to win the golden boot this season and if he finds his shooting boots, might be worth an each way bet.

However, across Stanley Park, Liverpool’s rivals, Everton, surely have the best dark horse for the golden boot in Nikica Jelavic. The Croatian hitman joined from Rangers during the January transfer window and hit the ground running, ending the season with nine goals in 13 appearances.

The 26-year-old is 25/1 to finish top of the goal scoring charts this season and is surely worth a few quid given his uncanny ability to find the back of the net. With Steven Pienaar and Steven Naismith likely to be providing the ammunition, Everton and Jelavic could enjoy a good season.

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Juve primed for more title glory

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The 2012/13 Serie A season looks set to be a battle between three giants of the Italian game - Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan. Here is our closer look at their preparations and chances of success in the upcoming campaign.

In this age of austerity and looming Financial Fair Play regulations, Italian clubs have spent the summer shedding their squads of expensive players in order to bring their finances into line.

Add to that the spectre of match-fixing casting an unfortunate shadow over the game yet again, there is a feeling the new campaign represents a fresh start for a number of clubs as they bid to put recent troubles behind them.

Defending champions Juventus are understandably 11/8 favourites to retain their trophy after going unbeaten throughout the whole of last season.

Juve’s 2011/12 title completed the renaissance of a side that had hit rock bottom just six years ago when relegated to Serie B following the ‘Calciopoli’ scandal.

A return of Champions League football is the main reason for Juve fans to get excited this season and crystallises their return to the top of the European game.

Transfers have been reasonably modest so far, with Kwadwo Asamoah, Mauricio Isla and Sebastian Giovinco expected to fill out the squad rather than be first-choice. Brazilian defender Lucio and former Manchester United star Paul Pogba are exciting talents, however, and should see more action.

The crowning glory to Juve’s summer shopping, though, will be a striker. The club are desperate for a big name to spearhead their European challenge with Robin van Persie, Luis Suarez, Stevan Jovetic and Edin Dzeko the names regularly mentioned.

Add one or more of those to the squad and they will be difficult to dislodge at the top of the division.

Behind Juve, 18-times champions AC Milan are 2/1 second favourites for the title, but they, perhaps more than any other club, represent Italy’s efforts to comply with Financial Fair Play.

Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have been flogged to PSG, despite being key first-team players, while further departures have not been ruled out, with Robinho among those consistently linked with the move away.

Incomings, in contrast, have been sparse, with Kevin Constant a loan signing from Genoa and Bakaye Traore a free transfer. Riccardo Montolivo is, though, also a shrewd signing on a free from Fiorentina.

Boss Massimiliano Allegri will have to show all of his man-management skills to build a side shorn of his biggest stars but in contrast to Juve’s summer shopping, they look unlikely to challenge.

Milan’s city rivals Inter will dearly hope they have a better campaign than last, where they went through three managers, with Gian Piero Gasperini, Claudio Ranieri and finally Andrea Stramaccioni occupying the manager’s chair at the San Siro.

Stramaccioni managed to steady the ship during a troubled campaign, where they eventually finished sixth – significantly better that what was expected midway through the season.

Like Milan, the Nerazzurri are also clearing out their experienced players, with Lucio, Ivan Cordoba Goran Pandev and Diego Forlan all departing. Dejan Stankovic and Julio Cesar are expected to follow, while Douglas Maicon, Wesley Sneijder and Giampaolo Pazzini have also all been linked with a move away.

However, while Milan have limited themselves in the transfer market to date, Inter appear to have been shrewd in their dealings, with highly-rated goalkeeper Samir Handanovic joining from Udinese and Matias Silvestre arriving from Palermo. Rodrigo Palacio should also add goals to a side that struggled to find the net last season.

Roma (14/1) and Napoli (20/1) should be considered rank outsiders for next seasons’ title, though the latter could be a handy each-way beat to snatch the runners-up spot.

It is Juve, then, who look the team to beat next year again. The Old Lady appear determined to rediscover past glories after a traumatic few seasons and exert their dominance both at home and in Europe.

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Barca can gain La Liga revenge

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Spain may still be basking in the glory of their stunning Euro 2012 success earlier this summer, but the new La Liga season is just around the corner. Here we look ahead to the new domestic campaign and, in particular, the title battle.

The Spanish top flight kicks off over the weekend of August 18-19 and, predictably, Real Madrid are favourites to retain their crown with totesport making them odds-on at 4/5 to be celebrating again come May.

In fact, a quick check of the outright odds reveals that it is expected to be a repeat of last term and a straight fight between Real and their great ‘El Clasico’ rivals, Barcelona (11/10 – Outright), for the top prize in 2012-13.

Jose Mourinho’s men ended up winning the league last term by nine points and got the better of Barca in the crucial April clash to make amends for their early home defeat against the Catalans. Those three points helped seal the title after a season that had ebbed and flowed but with the capital-based club usually just about holding the upper hand.

It could, of course, be very different in the coming season with Barca sure to want to reclaim their crown and prove there is life after Pep Guardiola at the Nou Camp.

New coach Tito Vilanova has inherited the star-studded squad and also has another one of Spain’s summer heroes to utilise this season after the capture of Jordi Alba from Valencia was confirmed during the European Championships. Alba has emerged as a world-class performer and will slot into left-back as first choice to plug what had become somewhat of a problem position for the Blaugrana last term.

His addition to a squad already containing Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano (to name just five) is a frightening prospect for the rest of La Liga.

But that’s not all. On top of his arrival, Barca are also set to welcome back star striker David Villa, who is expected to be fully fit for the start of the season after recovering from the broken leg he suffered in December. If he stays fit, Villa could be the difference in 2012-13 and his goals could help wrestle the title back from Real’s grasp.

Mourinho and co will, obviously, have other ideas. Some fine-tuning might be undertaken by the Portuguese coach at the Bernabeu and he is looking to add Luka Modric to his midfield from Spurs. If that move comes off – and it is by no means a certainty with Manchester United also very keen – then Real will be an improved outfit for next term because the Croatia star appears born to play in Spain.

Away from the big two, and next on totesport’s outright market, come Malaga and Atletico Madrid – both priced at 50/1. But, sadly for both clubs, the best they can hope for is third and they are expected to trail the big two by a significant margin come the business end of the season. Valencia are on offer at 66/1, meanwhile, but it would surely be a wasted bet to look anywhere else other than in Barca or Real’s direction when considering who will lift the title.

The La Liga race between the two great rivals is set to be as intense as ever, then, and expect it to be closer in the final weeks than last season.

Real will not give up their crown easily but Barca, with Villa back and Alba in, should just have the edge.

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