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Spurs to do it for Harry

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp may not be travelling with his side to Russia but the north London outfit will be expected to get something out of their Europa League clash with Rubin Kazan on Thursday (Rubin Kazan 8/11, draw 11/4, Tottenham 7/2 in the match betting).

The Spurs manager has been forced to have an operation on a minor heart problem and has not been able to travel with the side for their European night.

However Redknapp should not have too many concerns about his side, who have been playing some exciting, attacking football in recent weeks.

The Lilywhites do come up against a Rubin Kazan side which has proved difficult to beat in Europe, with even Champions League title holders Barcelona learning to their cost.

Spurs sit top of their group and a point in the heart of Russia would be a decent result for the Premier League outfit.

Stoke City will have endured an exhausting week of football, as they get set for their second of three games this week against Maccabi Tel Aviv (Maccabi 15/8, draw 23/10, Stoke 7/5 in the match betting).

A long trip to Israel will be the last thing the Potters wanted after they were on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline at the Britannia Stadium on Monday, before they take on Bolton Wanderers this Sunday.

The Staffordshire outfit are yet to taste defeat in Europe this term and will come up against a Tel Aviv side who are yet to win in the competition this season.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis and his men should be able to seal all three points in Israel, but a lot will depend on how the team copes with the hectic schedule.

Fulham are in the midst of arguably the closest group in the Europa League this term, with just four points separating top and bottom in the table.

Martin Jol’s side looked strong in their 2-0 away victory over Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium last weekend and a return to Craven Cottage will also be welcomed.

Fulham’s strikers are starting to prove their worth with the likes of Andy Johnson, Bobby Zamora and Moussa Dembele scoring goals in recent weeks.

With the London outfit coming up against bottom of the table Wisla Krakow, Jol’s men should seal all three points in this one (Fulham 4/11, draw 7/2, Wisla Krakow 17/2 in the match betting).

Birmingham City continue their journey in Europe from their base in the Championship with a home clash with Club Brugge (Match Prices – Birmingham 11/8, draw 12/5, Club Brugge 15/8).

The Belgian outfit go into this game on the back of a thrilling 4-5 defeat at the hands of Genk in their domestic league but still sit in fourth place in the table.

Birmingham were frustrated in their last outing in a 0-0 with Brighton on theweekend but will go into this game with confidence after a decent run of results.

The Blues sit top of their group in the Europa League but look set to struggle against a Brugge side who have plenty of experience in Europe and should come away from St Andrew’s with all three points.

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High-flying Eagles on a role

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There are nine games taking place in the Championship on Tuesday, with all of the top four sides in action. The top two teams in the division, Southampton and West Ham, will both be confident of picking up points from home – but nearest-challengers Crystal Palace will be hot on their heels. Here’s our suggestions for a Championship treble …

Crystal Palace v Portsmouth

Dougie Freedman’s Eagles are the surprise package of the Championship, with Palace currently sitting pretty in third after collecting 24 points from their opening 14 games.

It’s all the more remarkable when you consider they were fighting to stave off relegation last term and lost their best player, Neil Danns, during the summer. Palace have lost just one of their seven home games to date, a tight affair to Middlesbrough in September, and have conceded just five goals at Selhurst Park.

They face a Portsmouth team still without a permanent manager following Steve Cotterill’s switch to Nottingham Forest. Pompey are yet to win on their travels this term and go into Tuesday’s game off the back of a 3-1 defeat at Derby.

Neither side are prolific in front of goal, but Carling Cup quarter-finalists Palace are a difficult side to break down and are likely to grind down the visitors and claim another crucial three points.

Suggested Bet: Palace to win @ 11/10

Barnsley v Hull

Hull are on a role and go into this Yorkshire derby unbeaten in their last nine games, a run which has seen them move into the play-off places. The Tigers have looked better away from home than they have at the KC Stadium, with Nigel Pearson’s men looking like promotion contenders.

A 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest on Saturday was the Tigers third away win of the season and Hull have only lost one of seven games on their travels. This away run comes after a record-breaking unbeaten spell on their travels last term and Pearson’s men are masters of hitting teams on the break.

Barnsley had shown signs of real progress last month, but back-to-back defeats have hit the Tykes hard, especially Saturday’s last-gasp home loss to Bottom club Bristol City. Keith Hill’s men appear to lack a real cutting edge up front and although they are heading in the right direction, Hull look too strong and can further enhance their promotion hopes.

Suggested Bet: Half-Ttime/Full-Time – Draw/Hull @ 9/2

Millwall v Coventry

Many will have been surprised by the Lions poor start to the season, but Kenny Jackett looks to have got his team back on track. Millwall are unbeaten in their last four games, including back-to-back wins over Ipswich and Leicester.

The departure of Steve Morison was a big loss and Millwall struggled for goals early season, but they have bagged nine goals in their last four matches. Darius Henderson has made big impact in recent weeks and the Lions have moved out of the bottom three up to 17th.

In contrast, Coventry have won just one of their last eight league games and look set for a relegation scrap this season. There were signs of encouragement in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Doncaster, but goals still remain a problem with just four in seven games on their travels.

Suggested Bet: Millwall to win @ 8/11

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Champions League match-day 4

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The Champions League group stages have now reached match-day four and both Manchester clubs are in action on Wednesday as they seek to secure a spot in the knock-out stages of Europe’s elite club competition (Champions League match-day four).

Manchester United are currently second in the Group C table, after one win and two draws from their opening three fixtures.  The Reds host Romanian minnows Otelul Galati on Wednesday night and are heavy favourites to secure the victory at 1/10, the visitors are a massive 25/1 to record a shock win at Old Trafford and the draw is 9/1.

United should have no problems in seeing off their Romanian opponents and in the half-time/full-time market a Manchester United/Manchester United result pays out at 1/4. Boss Sir Alex Ferguson is set to name a strong side as although Otelul shouldn’t represent a massive test United need to secure the victory to bolster their chances of reaching the latter stages and Javier Hernandez can be backed at 5/2 to open the scoring.

Manchester City desperately need to secure three points in their trip to Villarreal. The Premier League leaders have impressed domestically but have struggled in Europe and have won one, drawn one and lost one so far, leaving them third in the Group A table.

A loss for Villarreal would be catastrophic as they are yet to register a single point in Europe after three games.  It promises to be a hard-fought game at El Madrigal on Wednesday but City should have the quality to secure the win against Villarreal, who are also struggling for form in La Liga, and City are 8/13 to come away as winners, while the hosts are 5/1 and the draw is 11/4.

Boss Roberto Mancini is expected to include Manchester derby hero Mario Balotelli in his Champions League squad for the first time this season. The temperamental Italian has missed the first three games of the campaign due to a suspension that has been hanging over him since last season but Balotelli has plenty of Champions League experience, having been a member of the Inter Milan squad that secured the title in 2010.  Balotelli is priced at evens to score at any time and considering his form of late it could be worth backing the 21-year-old to hit the target in Spain on Wednesday.

The pick of Wednesday night’s ties is arguably Real Madrid’s trip to Lyon, in what could well be an entertaining contest. The Spanish giants have picked up maximum points in their three fixtures to date, while Lyon are level on points with Ajax in the Group D table. A win for Real would see them  qualify for the next round and the La Liga league-leaders should be able to get the better of the French outfit, with a Madrid victory priced at 8/13.

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London duo can secure key wins

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The Champions League is already at Matchday Four this week, with big group games for all the English sides as they chase qualification. Firstly, we preview the action involving Arsenal and Chelsea on Tuesday night.

Arsenal v Marseille

After a difficult start to their domestic campaign, Arsenal now appear to have turned the corner and Saturday’s impressive win over Premier League title contenders Chelsea was their eighth in nine games in all competitions.

Wenger’s men came in for plenty of criticism early on in the campaign and the 8-2 rout at Manchester United, as well as the subsequent 2-1 defeat at north London rivals Spurs, left some Gunners fans questioning whether the Frenchman was still the coach to lead the side forward.

However, important victories in the past few weeks – including Champions League Group F successes over Marseille in France and Olympiacos at the Emirates – have lifted the pressure on him.

A win over the Le Championnat side on Tuesday (Match Prices – Arsenal 4/6, draw 11/4, Marseille 9/2) will leave them in a commanding position in the group, and a place in the knockout phase surely beckons once again.

The Gunners to be leading at HT and FT looks good value at 6/4, while Theo Walcott to score anytime at 5/2 in the game also looks appealing.

Genk v Chelsea

Chelsea will need to quickly forget about Saturday’s defeat to Arsenal and claim another Champions League victory (Match Prices – Genk 11/1, draw 5/1, Chelsea 1/4) to aid their chances of qualifying from Group E.

An easy 5-0 win over the Belgian outfit a fortnight ago suggests three points should again be straightforward for Andre Villas-Boas’ side but, with the ongoing controversy surrounding skipper John Terry and the weekend defeat playing on their minds, it may not be quite as predictable as that on Tuesday.

Genk are sixth in the Belgian league after 12 games and, like the Blues, were involved in a high-scoring clash over the weekend – but they came out on top, 5-4, at FC Bruges.

It would still be unwise to back against Chelsea in this one, though, but do not expect a similar drubbing to the one they dished out to Genk at home, with 2-0 in the Correct Score market (5/1) looking like a good bet. Fernando Torres has finally looked more like himself in recent weeks and the Spaniard to open the scoring at 11/4 is also worth a punt.

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Bayern aim to take control

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Neither Manchester City or Manchester United have exactly been firing on all cylinders in the Champions League so far this season and both clubs will have one eye on the other games in their respective groups on Wednesday, as they chase qualification for the knock-out phase.

We preview the other games in Groups A and C, as leaders Bayern Munich and Benfica look to continue their push towards the knockout stages.

Bayern Munich v Napoli – Group A

This is among the games of the night on Wednesday with the top two in the group going head-to-head at the Allianz Arena. Napoli claimed what could turn out to be a valuable point at City in their first game and could yet deny Roberto Mancini’s side a place in the knockout stage.

But Bayern have been ultra-impressive so far this season – both in Europe and domestically – losing just two games and conceding three goals in 17 in all competitions. They sit top of the Bundesliga – four points clear of Schalke – and the likes of Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Muller have formed a formidable midfield partnership.

The 1-1 draw in Italy between these two a few weeks ago shows it is likely to be a tight contest in Germany, but Bayern really should have won in Naples, so expect a home win from the clean-sheet masters on Wednesday (Match Betting – Bayern 3/10, draw 9/2, Napoli 9/1).

Bayern frontman Mario Gomez is on fire and he looks a good bet at 3/1 in the First Goalscorer market, to add to his 10 strikes so far.

Benfica v Basel – Gp C

The other game in Manchester United’s group looks a little more clear-cut, with Benfica hot favourites to win (Match Betting – Benfica 3/11, draw 4/1, Basel 11/1) and maintain their unbeaten start to the tournament.

United and Benfica are without doubt the favourites to make it through eventually, but Basel’s 3-3 draw at Old Trafford proved they can go to the biggest venues and get a result – they were minutes away from a win too – so don’t be surprised if the Swiss champions spring another surprise in Portugal. At a big price, the draw could be worth a punt, bearing in mind the state of the group before kick-off.

Benfica are a tough nut to crack at home and will look to start well and, as a result, Benfica/Draw in the HT/FT market at 20/1, may look like a long shot but could be worth a wager.

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Championship previews

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There are two Championship games on Wednesday evening with Derby hosting Cardiff and Blackpool travelling to Elland Road to face Leeds United. The top of the table is extremely congested at present and victory for any of the sides would see significant movement in the standings (Derby 7/4, Cardiff 6/4, draw 12/5 – Match Betting).

Derby County v Cardiff City

Derby’s stellar start to the Championship season appeared to have hit the buffers until they took advantage of managerless Portsmouth to record their first win in six attempts last Saturday.

Defeats at Leicester and Middlesbrough, plus draws against Reading, Southampton and Barnsley, had seen the Rams slip to fifth in the table but, despite only taking five points from their past five games, they are still very much in the mix for a play-off spot.

Boss Nigel Clough has had to deal with several injuries and it is unclear who will play up front in mid-week, with Steven Davies, Nathan Tyson and Theo Robinson all ruled out.

Chris Maguire scored against Pompey and looks set to start despite suffering a broken nose last time out, and Clough must choose between 15-year-old schoolboy Mason Bennett, 18-year-old Callum Ball, Tomasz Cywka and Conor Doyle.

Derby will face a Cardiff side who have also struggled of late and, like their opponents, have picked up just five points from their last five matches.

The Bluebirds are currently ninth in the Championship table but three points at Pride Park would see them move above Derby.

Scoring goals has generally not been a problem with five against Barnsley and three in a losing cause against Peterborough.

But the Welshmen have already conceded 10 goals both at home and away and the rearguard needs to be tightened up if they are to sustain a promotion challenge this term.

Cardiff have won only once away from home in the league this season and there seems no reason why that record will change after the clash with Derby.

Leeds United v Blackpool

Leeds are desperate to regain their top-flight status after seven years out of the limelight and have made a decent start to their campaign with 22 points from their first 14 games to sit just outside the play-off places (Leeds Evens, Blackpool 13/5, draw 5/2 – Match Prices).

Recent form has been solid, if unspectacular, with eight points from their last five fixtures and only one defeat, and victory against Ian Holloway’s men could see them visit the top six.

A couple of home draws have hampered their progress, while the 3-2 victory away at Peterborough was a massive boost for boss Simon Grayson, and he will want to add another three points to the club’s tally when the Tangerines come calling.

And everything points to a Leeds victory as Blackpool have lost three of their past four games, conceding 10 goals in the process.

Away form always looked like it might be a problem for Holloway’s charges after they suffered relegation last term and he has only led his men to one win on their travels to date.

The north west outfit struggle to score away from Bloomfield Road but will face a Leeds side that has already shipped seven goals at their west Yorkshire base.

Leeds are favourites to win this one and are tipped to sneak it by the odd goal.

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Stoke strength to end Toon run

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Newcastle United have been one of the surprise packages of the season but will have their work cut out on Monday night when they travel to the Potteries to take on Stoke City (Stoke 6/5, draw 23/10, Newcastle 5/2 – Match Betting).

Alan Pardew had to deal with the loss of Andy Carroll in January and although he recruited wisely in the summer, there would not have been too many predicting an unbeaten start for the Geordies in the league this deep into the campaign.

Newcastle lost their first match of the season in midweek in the Carling Cup, going down 4-3 to Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, although it did take a goal right at the death of extra time to seal the win for Steve Kean’s men.

What may worry punters is the fact that Newcastle left it late to force the extra time, needing two goals deep into stoppage time to level matters against a side that was bottom of the Premier League table at the time.

It was not a second string side fielded by Pardew either so it is hardly the best performance to take to a notoriously difficult place for away teams. This makes Stoke worthy 6/5 favourites to win the match.

Tony Pulis’s men are unbeaten at home in the league, triumphing over Liverpool and Fulham while holding both Chelsea and Manchester United to draws. Meanwhile, Luis Nani’s strike for the champions has been the only goal conceded in the league at the Britannia Stadium.

Liverpool did gain some revenge with a 2-1 win at Stoke in the Carling Cup but the Potters will be up for the challenge on their return to Premier League duty and look value to take all three points.

The North East club have the better head-to-head record with 39 wins to 23, but Stoke have never lost to Monday’s opponents in the Premier League and completed the double over them last season, winning this fixture 4-0.

It may be a bit fanciful to think there might be a repeat scoreline (priced at 66/1) as Pulis’s side has scored just seven goals this season in the Premier League, but the home side should still be too strong on their own patch.

There have been just 22 shots on target from Stoke players this campaign but 71% of their goals have come from set pieces so there could be a big price coming good in the goalscoring markets.

Peter Crouch heads the betting at 11/2 to be First/Last Goalscorer and 3/2 Anytime Goalscorer but their threat from set-piece situations is no secret and the likes of Robert Huth (20/1 First/Last, 11/2 Anytime) and Ryan Shawcross (25/1 and 7/1) offer some real value.

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Navas to star for Sevilla

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Bet on La LigaAfter yet another fascinating weekend of La Liga action, Monday sees the end of round ten with a truly mouth-watering encounter at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan with Sevilla hosting Granada (Sevilla 4/11, Draw 10/3, Granada 8/1 – Match Betting).

Sevilla have had a relatively disappointing season so far and appear to have become the league’s draw specialists, having drawn five of their nine games.

They have been in decline over the last few seasons, struggling to repeat the glory days of the Juande Ramos regime when they won consecutive UEFA Cups in 2006 and 2007.

However, look down their squad list and there are still a number of world class players at the club. Taken individually, these players could form part of a side which could mount a major challenge for the title.

Home-grown winger Jesus Navas (11/4 to score anytime) is undoubtedly their star player. Navas was part of Spain’s World Cup winning side in 2010, coming off the bench in the final to play a major part in Andres Iniesta’s winning goal against the Netherlands.

He is so often the ‘Sevillistas’ main source of inspiration and his ability to unlock defences is paramount to his side’s success. His combination with either Diego Perotti or Piotr Trochowski (9/4 to score anytime) on the other wing will be vital if Marcelino’s side are to win the game.

After being promoted via the play-offs last season, Granada have struggled to adapt to life in La Liga and are currently in the middle of a run of nine games without a victory following their shock win against Villarreal in September.

Despite their poor results, Fabri Gonzalez’s team have impressed with their attempts to play football but it is more than likely that they will be relying on their defence to help them grind out a result in Seville.

Key to this will be the performance of vice-captain Diego Mainz (14/1 to score anytime), who was one of the stars in their promotion winning campaign and has continued his good form into this season. The former Rayo Vallecano player is likely to be the man charged with controlling Sevilla’s Spanish international striker Alvaro Negredo and their battle will no doubt have a major bearing on the result.

Although Granada will undoubtedly look to take the game to their more illustrious opponents, Sevilla should have too much and if they get off to a fast start, the likes of Negredo and Navas could run riot.

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Spurs too sharp for QPR

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There is just one Premier League encounter on Sunday to preview as Tottenham host QPR in a London derby at White Hart Lane.

Harry Redknapp’s Spurs go into the game looking to extend their unbeaten run to seven matches following defeats to Manchester United and City in their opening two matches of the Premier League campaign.

Indeed they have picked up 16 points from their opening eight matches, which is their joint-best start to a Premier League season and they will hope to improve on that this weekend.

Redknapp’s side, who have not lost a London derby in the league on home soil in 16 matches, also have history on their side having done the double over the R’s when they were last in the Premier League back in the 1995-96 season.

Spurs could have Williams Gallas back in the side if he passes a fitness test, while Steven Pienaar is in line to make his first appearance of the season, but Tom Huddlestone, Michael Dawson and Ledley King are still out.

Neil Warnock’s R’s make the 13-mile trip across the Capital boosted by last Sunday’s 1-0 derby win against Chelsea in a controversial clash at Loftus Road.

QPR’s last all-London clash away from home resulted in a 6-0 thrashing at Fulham, but they have also won on the road at Everton and Wolves this season so should not be underestimated by Spurs.

Warnock will hope to have defenders Danny Gabbidon and Armand Traore available following their recovery from respective knee and thigh complaints in the past week.

Looking at the game and Spurs have managed to score at least two goals in each of their last six league outings, while loan striker Emmanuel Adebayor has a habit of finding the net against Londoner clubs and must be worth considering at 7/2 First Goalscorer.

QPR’s talisman Adel Taarabt has failed to score in his last 11 league and cup games for the club and will be looking to break his duck against his former club at 5/2 Anytime Goalscorer.

However, it is Tottenham who are in a hot streak of form and there should be only one outcome in this match.

Prediction: Spurs Home 90 Minutes @ 2/5
Value Bet: Van der Vaart 1st Scorer Spurs 3-1 Scorecast @ 30/1

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Whites target Bluebirds revenge

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Sunday’s only clash in the npower Championship throws up what will undoubtedly be a fiery encounter between Leeds United and Cardiff City at Elland Road (Leeds 11/10, draw 9/4, Cardiff 2/1).

There is certainly no love lost between these two rivals and Leeds will be looking for payback after they suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Bluebirds on home soil last season.

The Whites have come on a long way since that sorry night at Elland Road and now look to have established themselves as one of the tougher sides to beat in the Championship.

Leeds failed to spend big money in the summer transfer window unlike other teams, with the likes of West Ham United and Leicester City splashing the cash.

However players have come to the fore and one man in particular will be looking to prove a point on Sunday.

Scotland international Ross McCormack (5/1 first goalscorer) was seen as surplus to requirements by Cardiff before he was snapped up by Leeds, and since making a slow start to life in West Yorkshire, has become the club’s top goalscorer this season.

The former Motherwell striker has been a threat throughout the Championship campaign so far and will be desperate to add to his tally against the Bluebirds.

Other players who have pushed on for the Whites have come from the club’s academy as Tom Lees and Aidy White have become mainstays in the side under manager Simon Grayson this season.

Leeds go into this on the back of a defeat to Birmingham in midweek but there will still be plenty of confidence in the ranks.

However in Cardiff they come up against a side who have been a bogie team for the Whites over the years.

Leeds have not beaten the Welsh outfit since the 1984/1985 season and the Bluebirds go into this game in a tidy bit of form.

A City win on Sunday would give them three victories in just over week, after they picked up three points against Barnsley last weekend and beat Burnley in midweek to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.

Cardiff may be without their own Scottish striker Kenny Miller, who required 20 stitches after his collision with his own team-mate Ben Turner.

However manager Malky Mackay still has the services of Welsh striker Rob Earnshaw (6/1 first goalscorer), who will be a player that Leeds need to be wary of on Sunday.

This is a close game to call considering the form of both teams and the high quality of personnel on both sides.

However Leeds have only lost one game at home in the Championship so far and will be fired up for this one with that 4-0 defeat in the back of their minds.

The Whites should scrape this one but expect plenty of goals between these two attacking sides, as Leeds hope to end their long wait for a win over the battling Bluebirds.

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