Tag Archives: Hearts

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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Hearts set for derby honours

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The Scottish Premier League throws up its first big clash of the season on Sunday, as Edinburgh giants Hibernian and Hearts get set to battle for the bragging rights of the capital at Easter Road (Hibernian 9/4, draw 9/4, Hearts 5/4 – Match Betting).

Hearts got their campaign off to a strong start last weekend as they breezed past St Johnstone at Tynecastle with a 2-0 victory.

A goal from John Sutton from the penalty spot and a late finish from highly rated attacker David Templeton was enough to give the Jambos the three points in an accomplished performance from manager John McGlynn’s men.

Templeton (9/1 – First Goalscorer) managed to win the penalty in the first half before scoring a goal of his own in the second and justified why plenty of clubs in the Championship south of the border have been linked with the 23-year-old.

With Glasgow Rangers dropping out of the SPL, Hearts certainly have a great chance to establish themselves as the second best side in the Scottish top flight behind the undoubted winners of the competition this term – Celtic.

McGlynn will have been pleased with the win over Saints but it will be a completely different challenge when they take on their old rivals on Sunday.

Hibernian had an opening day of the season to forget, as they were thumped 3-0 on the road at Dundee United last Sunday.

Manager Pat Fenlon will have had plenty to work on in training over the last week but he certainly won’t have to get his squad geared up for this Edinburgh derby which should produce a superb atmosphere at Easter Road.

Leigh Griffiths (13/2 – First Goalscorer) up front for Hibs will be a player the Hearts defence will have to keep their eye on and although he did not open his goalscoring account against Dundee United, he will be a threat on Sunday.

Hibs will be boosted with the news that Alan Maybury  and Gary Deegan could make their debuts for the club in the fiery atmosphere of the derby, which will certainly be a baptism of fire for the Irish pair.

Danny Galbraith is set to miss the game, as the winger still needs time to get back up to full match fitness having gone under the knife to rectify a groin injury.

As for Hearts (25/1 – SPL Outright) they will still be without Jamie Hamill, who is recovering from a knee injury, but do welcome back the suspended Danny Grainger who missed the win over St Johnstone but should feature this weekend.

The fact this is a derby will make it a closer affair than it should be and it’s hard to judge at this early stage of the season how this one will pan out.

But based on their contrasting opening days of the season, and with the likes of Sutton and Templeton in their ranks, it looks like the Maroon half of Edinburgh will be cheering at the final whistle.

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Motherwell out to break Hearts

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Motherwell are on the verge of an historic achievement if they can qualify for the Champions League this season, but first they must get through a tough trip to the capital to take on Hearts on Tuesday night (Hearts 11/8, draw 5/2, Motherwell 9/5 – Match Betting).

With Glasgow Rangers deep in the midst of financial turmoil it’s highly unlikely the Old Firm outfit will be allowed to play in Europe next season, which has opened the door for Motherwell to potentialyl have a shot in the biggest competition in club football.

The Steelmen currently find themselves in the third place in the Scottish Premier League table, with five points between themselves and Dundee United, who look like they will miss out on the rare chance to play in the Champions League.

However, manager Stuart McCall has insisted he will not be taking anything for granted with three games of the season to go and all their focus will be on picking up as many points as possible to keep Dundee at bay.

Motherwell will certainly be buoyed by their last outing as they knocked five goals past fifth-placed St Johnstone with an accomplished performance at Fir Park.

Michael Higdon scored his 15th goal of the season whilst Estonian Henrik Ojamaa bagged himself a brace against a lacklustre Saints outfit on Saturday.

The pair will certainly cause the Hearts defence problems if Well can reproduce the attacking football that made them a constant threat at the weekend.

However, it will be a very different test when they make the trip to Tynecastle to take on a Hearts side who have booked their place in the final of the Scottish Cup to face rivals Hibernian (5/4 – Scottish Cup Outright).

The Edinburgh outfit sit in sixth place in the SPL table and will be looking for a top-four finish if they can have a strong end to the current campaign.

Hearts (4/7 – Scottish Cup Outright) have relied heavily on the goals of Rudolf Skacel this season with the Czech bagging 15 goals compared to just the five from Jamie Hammill, who is their second highest goalscorer.

In a season with Champions League qualification a serious possibility due to the situation at Rangers, Hearts will be very disappointed they aren’t in the mix for the lucrative European competition.

Motherwell have won the two previous meetings between the side this season, with a 3-0 win at Fir Park and a 1-0 win at Tynecastle, and it’s hard not to see them making it a clean sweep considering what’s at stake.

A 2-1 win for Motherwell (2-1 – Correct Scoreline – 10/1) looks a good bet, as Motherwell have looked strong in front of goal and Hearts might just have one eye on their Edinburgh derby cup final on May 19.

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Messi to break Milan hearts

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After a stalemate at the San Siro, Barcelona – and their star playmaker, Lionel Messi – will be out book their place in the Champions League semi-finals with a win over AC Milan (Barcelona 2/7, draw 9/2, AC Milan 10/1 – 90 minutes).

The second-leg at the Nou Camp will give the Catalan giants the chance to make up for what was a below-par performance in Italy last month.

Much has been made about the state of the pitch at the San Siro in the first encounter between these two sides, with Barca unhappy with what they believe were tactics to stop them playing their passing game.

On the pristine surface at the Nou Camp, which is akin to greens we will see at Augusta for the Masters this week, Barcelona (6/5 Champions League outright) will have no problems playing their own free-flowing football that will make Milan work hard for a sniff of the ball.

The likes of Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta were kept off the scoresheet during the first leg, as Milan produced a dogged performance to stop the La Liga outfit getting that crucial away goal.

With the fact that goals could count as double for Milan (22/1 Champions League outright) when they make the trip to Spain, will be a worrying factor for Barca mastermind Pep Guardiola.

And there were chances for AC strikers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho in the first-leg, so the home side will have to be extra vigilant in defence if they don’t want to get stung by their Serie A opposition this week.

The last time Milan played away from home in the Champions League they were played off the park by Arsenal at the Emirates.

In that 3-0 defeat to the Gunners, Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri saw his side go from an accomplished European outfit to a rabble, who allowed Arsenal to dominate proceeding in north London and the Premier League side were unlucky not to go through.

Milan will have learned lessons from that but it?s hard to look past Barcelona reaching the semi-finals, especially on a decent pitch at the Nou Camp.

In Tuesday’s other quarter-final encounter, Bayern Munich have the task of seeing off the job against Marseille at the Allianz Arena (Bayern 2/7, draw 9/2, Milan 10/1 – 90 minutes).

The Bundesliga giants made light work of beating  their Ligue 1 opponents in the first leg in the south of France and are deservedly firm favourites to go through to the next round, to most likely face Real Madrid.

With Mario Gomez, Frank Ribery and Arjen Robben, who is coming back into form, Bayern (9/2 Champions League outright) should have no problem in seeing out their 2-0 advantage from the first-leg.

Marseille manager Didier Deschamps would surely be out of a job were it not for his side’s Champions League journey, considering their miserable form in recent weeks.

Bayern supporters should have no fears of not only going through to the final four of the competition on Tuesday but also winning the game on the night in Bavaria.

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Messi to break Milan hearts

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After a stalemate at the San Siro, Barcelona – and their star playmaker, Lionel Messi – will be out book their place in the Champions League semi-finals with a win over AC Milan (Barcelona 2/7, draw 9/2, AC Milan 10/1 – 90 minutes).

The second-leg at the Nou Camp will give the Catalan giants the chance to make up for what was a below-par performance in Italy last month.

Much has been made about the state of the pitch at the San Siro in the first encounter between these two sides, with Barca unhappy with what they believe were tactics to stop them playing their passing game.

On the pristine surface at the Nou Camp, which is akin to greens we will see at Augusta for the Masters this week, Barcelona (6/5 Champions League outright) will have no problems playing their own free-flowing football that will make Milan work hard for a sniff of the ball.

The likes of Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta were kept off the scoresheet during the first leg, as Milan produced a dogged performance to stop the La Liga outfit getting that crucial away goal.

With the fact that goals could count as double for Milan (22/1 Champions League outright) when they make the trip to Spain, will be a worrying factor for Barca mastermind Pep Guardiola.

And there were chances for AC strikers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho in the first-leg, so the home side will have to be extra vigilant in defence if they don’t want to get stung by their Serie A opposition this week.

The last time Milan played away from home in the Champions League they were played off the park by Arsenal at the Emirates.

In that 3-0 defeat to the Gunners, Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri saw his side go from an accomplished European outfit to a rabble, who allowed Arsenal to dominate proceeding in north London and the Premier League side were unlucky not to go through.

Milan will have learned lessons from that but it?s hard to look past Barcelona reaching the semi-finals, especially on a decent pitch at the Nou Camp.

In Tuesday’s other quarter-final encounter, Bayern Munich have the task of seeing off the job against Marseille at the Allianz Arena (Bayern 2/7, draw 9/2, Milan 10/1 – 90 minutes).

The Bundesliga giants made light work of beating  their Ligue 1 opponents in the first leg in the south of France and are deservedly firm favourites to go through to the next round, to most likely face Real Madrid.

With Mario Gomez, Frank Ribery and Arjen Robben, who is coming back into form, Bayern (9/2 Champions League outright) should have no problem in seeing out their 2-0 advantage from the first-leg.

Marseille manager Didier Deschamps would surely be out of a job were it not for his side’s Champions League journey, considering their miserable form in recent weeks.

Bayern supporters should have no fears of not only going through to the final four of the competition on Tuesday but also winning the game on the night in Bavaria.

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Bellamy to break Cardiff hearts

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Craig Bellamy has been arguably Kenny Dalglish’s shrewdest signing in his second spell in charge of Liverpool (2/5 in Match Betting) and the Welsh striker could take centre stage against his boyhood club Cardiff City (15/2, Draw 7/2) in the Carling Cup Final at Wembley on Sunday.

Bellamy (4/1 First Goalscorer), who leads Liverpool this season with six Premier League goals, missed last weekend’s FA Cup win over Brighton with a back problem, but has been passed fit to start – as has defender Daniel Agger.

The ex-Bluebirds striker insists he is a changed man since returning for a second stint at Anfield and has put his volatile days of arguments and scuffles well behind him.

Fellow striker Luis Suarez has been the one making the headlines for all the wrong reasons this season and he too may well feel he owes Dalglish and the Liverpool fans a performance in a big game after disappointing in the much-hyped affair at Old Trafford.

Suarez has scored three goals in the competition this season, including a stunner at Stoke City and could be worthy of support in the Anytime Goalscorer market (11/8) because of Cardiff’s recent defensive struggles.

Malky Mackay’s side have conceded nine goals in their last four Championship matches, which will give the Scottish tactician cause for concern as they step up in class to face a Liverpool side driven on by Steven Gerrard – who always turns up on the big occasion for his club (7/1 Two or More goals).

Liverpool have progressed to the final by recording an impressive run of wins away from Anfield against Exeter, Brighton, Stoke, Chelsea and Manchester City.

They have scored 12 goals en route, but only four of these have come in the first halves of matches – which suggests the cagey Reds could be content to win the Cup final in the second half (10/3 Draw/Liverpool in HT/FT).

Kenny Dalglish’s side have added motivation in this competition which they have won more times than any other side as a win at Wembley, their first visit since the 1996 FA Cup loss, match would see the Merseysiders equal Manchester United’s record for most English domestic cup wins.

Liverpool are facing a lower-tier opponent in the League Cup Final for the fourth time and they have won on each previous occasion, against Bolton in 1995, on penalties in Cardiff against Birmingham in 2001 and after a replay over West Ham in 1981.

And the scale of Cardiff’s task can be seen by the fact that just one of the last seven sides from outside the top tier to reach the League Cup Final has won (Sheffield Wednesday in 1991).

Cardiff’s 2-0 win over Blackburn in the quarter-finals this season was the club’s first win in 11 League Cup meetings with top-flight sides and they progressed at the expense of fellow Championship sides Leicester, Burnley and Crystal Palace – twice needing penalties.

Bluebirds striker Kenny Miller (11/2 Anytime) believes his first visit to Wembley Stadium tomorrow could result in the best moment of his playing career.

Miller has denied Liverpool before, scoring a last minute equaliser against them for Wolves at Molineux in 2004, and would love to help City frustrate them again tomorrow.

He is one of the experienced men in Cardiff’s dressing room but is not the only potential scorer for the Welsh standard bearers – who have a few midfielders with an eye for goal.

Peter Whittingham (15/2 Anytime) has 10 to his name already this season, Don Cowie (10/1) enjoyed a goalscoring purple match when he grabbed six goals in the first two months of the campaign, while Aron Gunnarsson (11/1) has been chipping in with his fair share (5 in 28 Championship starts).

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Hearts to be broken in SPL opener

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While most of us haven’t even been on our summer holidays yet the Scottish Premier League returns this weekend, just over two months after the last campaign reached its conclusion.

For the football fanatics it will be a welcome relief from the tedium of pre-season friendly matches, although the players might not agree with any excitement over an early start.

Saturday’s curtain raiser should be a belter between defending champions Rangers and Hearts. Can the Gers pick up from where they left off or can the Jambos make a statement of intent at Ibrox?

Rangers v Hearts (12:30pm)

Saturday represents the beginning of a new era in the blue half of Glasgow as Ally McCoist takes charge of his first competitive game since becoming Rangers boss. The former Scotland and Gers striker has some big shoes to fill after watching Walter Smith guide the Light Blues to three consecutive SPL titles.

McCoist’s first game in charge is likely to be a decent test as they take on a Hearts side, who finished third last season and have added some decent players to their ranks. Danny Grainger, Jamie Hamill, Mehdi Taouil and John Sutton have all made the switch from their respective clubs to Tynecastle and should provide manager Jim Jefferies with some good options.

While matters off the field have dominated their build-up to the season Hearts shouldn’t be overlooked by Rangers.

Having said that they do have a terrible record at Ibrox in recent years, losing 13 of their last 16 visits to Glasgow. Recent matches have been low scoring affairs so the bet to look out for is under 2.5 goals at 6/5.

With an earlier start time than usual both teams should be a little rusty but Rangers’ quality should shine through. Rangers are 4/11 to win, while Hearts are 17/2 and the draw is 7/2 in the match betting.

Aberdeen v St Johnstone (3pm)

Two teams who struggled last season clash at Pittodrie in the first of two 3pm kick-offs, with Craig Brown looking to carry on the good work he has been doing with the Dons.

Aberdeen have had another tough summer, losing a number of key players including Chris Maguire, Derek Young and Zander Diamond.

Brown did some great work to make sure the Dons weren’t in a relegation battle last season but another bottom half finish looks as though it is calling to the men from the Granite City.

As for St Johnstone they are 9/2 to finish bottom this season and they could find themselves slipping that way if they don’t find a consistent source of goals after managing just 23 in 38 games last season.

The Dons will need to be strong at home and are 21/20 to get the campaign off with a victory in the match betting, the Saints 11/4 and the draw 23/10.

Motherwell v Inverness

Not much separated these two teams at the end of last season, with Inverness ending up with more points than the Steelmen but finishing below them due to being stuck in the bottom half of the table when the league was divided.

Caley will be looking to make sure they finish in the top six this season, despite the loss of Adam Rooney. The promising young striker has gone to Birmingham City and means, like Motherwell, Inverness are without their main source of goals from last season.

The Steelmen lost John Sutton during the summer and will do well to replace their main threat for the upcoming campaign. Last season Inverness took seven points off Motherwell and we fancy them to do the same again to kick start the campaign. The Highlanders are 5/2 for the away win, while Motherwell 11/10 and the draw is 23/10.

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Gers look to break Hearts

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Following Celtic’s surprise defeat at the hands of Inverness Caledonian Thistle in midweek, Rangers have the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the SPL table, when they face Hearts on Saturday.

Gers can go four points clear of their arch rivals before Celtic make their trip to Kilmarnock in Sunday’s only game in the SPL.

The Ibrox club are on an unbeaten run of seven games in the league and go into Saturday’s game against Hearts (Match Betting – Rangers 1/3, draw 7/2, Hearts 8/1) on the back of a 5-0 thrashing of Motherwell last weekend.

Kyle Lafferty, Steven Naismith and Nikica Jelavic were all amongst the goals against ‘Well, as the trio continue to cause problems for defences north of the border.

As for Hearts, they have struggled to pick up wins in recent weeks as they have drawn their last five games in the SPL.

The Edinburgh club have had an impressive season, and have looked like the only side that can really challenge the Old Firm.

Manager Jim Jeffries has worked wonders at Tynecastle and his side will have a big say in where the SPL title will be heading, as they face both the Glasgow giants before the end of the campaign.

Despite the great strides Hearts have made this season, Rangers are full of confidence and should pick up all three points at Ibrox this weekend.

Meanwhile, Aberdeen have endured a disappointing season and they will want to end with a flourish, starting with their game against St Johnstone (Match Betting – Aberdeen 23/20, draw 9/4, St Johnstone 9/4).

The Dons pulled off a narrow 1-0 victory over Inverness in their last outing, which has eased and worries of being drawn into a relegation battle.

Saints sit just two points above Aberdeen in the table and they were relieved to finally break their goal drought in the 2-1 win over Hibernian last Saturday. The Perth side had failed to score since early March but goals from Liam Craig and Kevin Moon against Hibs put an end to the embarrassing goalless streak.

This should be a fairly even game between these two sides and a draw would not be a surprise result.

Dundee United host Motherwell on Saturday as the visitors look to bounce back from that heavy defeat to Rangers (Match Betting – Dundee Utd 4/5, draw 13/5, Motherwell 3/1).

Motherwell came out 2-1 victors in this fixture at Fir Park back in April and look like they will complete a quick-fire double over United, who have been inconsistent in recent weeks.

Hamilton will be looking to keep their slight hopes of avoiding the drop alive, when they host Hibernian on Saturday (Match Betting – Hamilton 17/10, draw 12/5, Hibernian 6/4).

The Accies are making a good fight of it at the bottom of the table, with Hamilton currently on a three-game unbeaten run. With Hibs struggling for results in recent weeks, Hamilton could bag another three points and keep their hopes of survival alive.

Finally, Inverness will still be on a high after their victory over the Bhoys in the week, as they look towards their clash with St Mirren (Match Betting – Inverness 10/11, draw 12/5, St Mirren 11/4).

Saints have not won in their last four games and will find life difficult at the gateway to the Highlands, with Inverness strong favourites to collect maximum points.

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Hearts to confirm title credentials

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One or two surprises at the weekend saw Celtic open up a five-point gap at the top of the SPL table, while Hearts showed they were genuine title contenders and wouldn’t you know it – they have been thrown together by the fixture compiler this week. Here is a look at all five matches taking place on Wednesday…

Celtic v Hearts

The Hoops now enjoy a little cushion at the top of the table but have been less than convincing on occasions at Celtic Park this season, having lost the Old Firm clash before enduring successive draws against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Dundee United and Kilmarnock before Christmas.

Celtic were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw at Hamilton two weeks ago but have followed up with successive wins against Hibs away and Aberdeen at home to lie five points clear, albeit having played games more than the other title challengers.

Perhaps surprisingly there are more than one but Hearts proved at the weekend that they are still in the reckoning – at least at this stage – after beating Rangers 1-0 at Tynecastle last Saturday – and they lie in third place, seven points behind Wednesday’s opponents but having played a game less – meaning there is plenty at stake for both sides.

Hearts are unbeaten in the top-flight since October 31, when they lost 3-0 at home to Kilmarnock, and go into the match on an 11-match unbeaten away run.

Any game at Celtic is never going to be easy but 5/1 about an away win does offer some encouragement, although taking the 3/1 on the draw is the advice, given that Georgios Samaras and Daniel Majstorovic are ruled out for the hosts, while striker Kevin Kyle and Calum Elliot are struggling to make it for Hearts.

Hibernian v Rangers

It is another trip to Edinburgh for the champions as they look to bounce back from a surprise defeat to Hearts last weekend, but don’t expect lightning to strike twice in this one.

Rangers are of course now without the services of Kenny Miller, the club’s top scorer with 21 goals, following his move to Bursaspor but they should still have too much firepower for Hibs.

Defender Kirk Broadfoot remains on the sidelines for the Gers but he is the only concern and Hibs, who are second-bottom in the table, have not scored in five games and taken just one point from the last 18 available, will not be able to hold out.

An away win at 4/9 looks appealing given the difference between the two sides but backing Walter Smith’s men (-1) on the handicap at 21/20 is the way to go.

Inverness CT v Aberdeen

Inverness lie nine points clear of Aberdeen in the table but have played two games more and are in the middle of a dismal run of form, having picked up just two points from the last 18 available.

By contrast the Dons have started to pick up some points under Craig Brown and actually lie fifth in the form table, with 10 points accrued from the last six games.

There was no disgrace in losing 1-0 at Celtic on Saturday – a massive improvement following a 9-0 loss earlier in the season – and look good value at 2/1 to upset the home side (11/8).

St Johnstone v Motherwell

This looks a tough one to call with St Johnstone, having played a game less, looking to close the five-point gap on Motherwell, who ended an eight-game SPL winless streak with a 2-0 win over Hibs last time out.

The Saints have a fully-fit squad to choose from with Jamie Adams recovering from illness but the Steelmen may have regained confidence following the recent win – which was the first since they beat St Johnstone 4-0 at Fir Park in November.

It certainly has the prospect of being a tight battle and at 23/10, the prediction is an honourable draw.

St Mirren v Dundee United

St Mirren do not have the best of home records this season, with just two wins under their belt, but take on a Dundee United who are struggling to win on the road.

Both sides have a raft of injuries to contend with and the advice is to go with yet another Terrors draw on the road – they already have six from 10 games – at 9/4.

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