Graham Hunter: Barca, Atleti and Real to pick up this 8/1 La Liga Treble for the weekend

Okay, okay – I hear you Paddy Power punters.

I hear that Atlético Madrid are your most-backed La Liga team to win the title.

So you pretty much didn’t care if the Istanbul inhabitants hoisted their ‘Welcome To Hell’ banners when Diego Simeone’s team reached the Galatasaray stadium on Wednesday.

That was Europe. Pah!

But you’d obviously prefer it if Eibar’s inhabitants, players and hotel owners were all ‘hippy peace and love’  and ‘San Fransisco flowers in your hair’ when Atleti go to the Ipurúa stadium on Saturday night [Sky Sports 19.30]


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The easier Atleti pocket three points the happier you’re gonna feel. Right?

Three points? Quite possibly.

Peace and love? Ain’t gonna happen baby.

Atleti may be kindly regarded by those with rebel sentiments but they are still a ‘Madrid‘ team travelling to the Basque country.

Up there you don’t just get another notch on the bed post for sticking it to any team from the Spanish capital – you get a diamond-encrusted king-sized, four poster with a nubile young chambermaid awaiting your orders. Ribena or Rioja I mean.

Eibar’s right sided midfielder Keko began at Atleti and knows what’s awaiting his former club.

“With coach Mendilibar every one of us knows there’s a single obligation if we want to be picked. “We have to snarl and bite and run like dogs of war. “The day any of us wants the ball to feet or thinks we can play luxury football they’ll be dropped and we’ll lose”

Right now, the world seems upside down.

Atleti, league winners in 2014, Champions League finalists that same month and trophy- winners every single season since 2009/10 are sixth to Eibar’s fifth.

diego simeone, atletico madrid manager

Unlike Cholo Simeone’s team the Basques are unbeaten and Eibar also have the better goal difference.

But since Eibar repaired their pitch, which was like the Somme,  good teams go there, feel unstressed in front of what is [since a couple of weeks ago] a 6,000 maximum crowd and knock the ball about.

Meaning Eibar have a task on their hands.

Antoine Griezmann remains a right good guy to back for both first goal and any-time. Jackson Martinez, too, merits some any-time action.

Buzzing with form given freedom to roam across the front line Griezmann got two in Istanbul in midweek – both off his left foot. [As have 9 of the Frenchman’s last 11 goals been. Hint hint]

Eibar are a cracking story, represent great values – but have their work cut out.

Barça, now here’s a shock, profile as a home banker [19.30 Sunday, Sky Sports]

Lionel Messi 2013

They host Levante, popularly known as the Frogs, who are knee-deep in trouble here.

Geddit? Knee-deep, knee-deep. Frog noises. Okay, never mind.

The Spanish and European champions were much more vulnerable to shocks at home than away last season.

Not only did they lose to Celta and Málaga at the Camp Nou they lost to nil, too [0-1 and 0-1]

Luis Enrique’s team still start without Claudio Bravo, Dani Alves, Gerard Piqué and Rafinha and come off the back of consecutive tiring, testing away matches in Madrid and Rome.

But that should be a question of the win margin, not whether Barcelona triumph.

Every so often the Catalans find this lot a bit indigestible and the margin ends in a single goal.

Far more often it’s a walloping.

Of the last five Levante visits to the Camp Nou Barcelona have scored five twice, seven once – but the others have been 1-0 and 2-1.

Here’s a stat to help you make your decision.

In their seven competitive matches so far Barça have hit the woodwork SEVEN times.

An indication of sloppiness/bad luck? Or that they are just about to punch someone’s lights out goal-wise?

The ‘villains’ have been Rafinha, Pedro, Piqué, Sergi Roberto, Mascherano, Luis Suárez and Messi.

Perm between the Argentinian, Neymar and Suárez for first goal – but I’ve a slight preference for Suárez this time out because he’s bursting with form and confidence while both Neymar and Messi gave evidence, in Rome, that jet lag from the international break still wasn’t out of their systems.

Madrid host Granada early on Saturday [15:00 kick off UK time] and they will win. By 3+.

Cristiano Ronaldo

James Rodríguez, Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos and Danilo all out injured isn’t a happy stat if you fancy Madrid to rack up five or six goals.

But back Rafa’s boys to win, back them by three or more and back Ronaldo for everything short of the Labour leadership.

Eight goals in his last two games is nothing. Last season he smacked 20 in eleven Liga outings and just five months ago he pumped Granada for five in a 9-1 win in this fixture.

Griezmann, Jackson, Suárez, Messi, Ronaldo for first goalscorer or any time scorer; left footed goal from Griezmann; one goal win for Atleti; Barça and Madrid to win by over two and over three respectively. You’re welcome.

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Pick of the Euro friendlies

More Euro 2012 hopefuls are in friendly action on Thursday evening, with France, Germany and Greece all taking the chance to put their players through their paces with the countdown to Poland and Ukraine now on.

France v Serbia
Les Bleus take on Serbia in Reims and then Estonia in Le Mans on Tuesday as they look to bounce back on the world stage after a disastrous 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa.

Coach Laurent Blanc has axed Lyon’s Yoan Gourcuff and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa of Montepellier from his pre-tournament squad as he gears up for the Group D opener against England in Donetsk on June 11.

France imploded in spectacular style two years ago but Blanc led them to the European Championships despite opening their qualification campaign with a home defeat to Belarus.

However, that setback turned out to be their only loss although they came close to another poor result at the weekend when coming back to beat Iceland 3-2 in Valenciennes.

Match Odds: France 8/15, draw 13/5, Serbia 5/1 – 90 Minutes

Germany v Israel
The Germans made it a perfect 10 in qualifying, scoring 34 goals and conceding just seven, to underline their credentials to go all the way this summer.

However they were not given the best draw and will take on Holland, Portugal and Denmark in the tournament’s Group of Death.

Joachim Loew’s men have also lost their last two friendlies with seven goals against and four for them, with France (1-2) and Switzerland (5-3) the opposition.

But they will be stronger for the clash with Israel after which the focus will be the clash with the Portuguese in Lviv on June 9.

Match Odds: Germany 2/11, draw 5/1, Israel 11/1 – 90 Minutes

Greece v Armenia
Greece were the 2004 European champions and were undefeated in qualifying for Euro 2012, having crashed out four years ago in Switzerland and Austria following three defeats in the group stage.

However, the fact they made the 2008 UEFA showpiece was an achievement given the fact the Greeks were unable to qualify successfully for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

Surprisingly, Armenia won half of their Euro 2012 qualifiers before coming up short behind Russia and the Republic of Ireland, however do not discount them to pile tragedy on the Greeks on Thursday night.

Match Odds: Greece 7/10, draw 23/10, Armenia 19/5 – 90 Minutes

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Ferguson to help pick successor

Manchester United (United 11/5 to win the Premier League outright) manager Sir Alex Ferguson will have a key role in deciding his successor, according to chief executive David Gill.

Speculation over when the United boss will retire from management has continued after his side missed out on the Premier League title to Chelsea this season.

Gill has stated that Ferguson has not made any decision on when he will retire but the Scot alongside England legend Sir Bobby Charlton and the club’s owner will choose from a “small pool” of candidates to decide the next manager.

Gill said: “I think Alex will be the key. He knows people. He will have a big role in advising and being a sounding board. I am sure we will talk with the owners and look at who is there and determine who we would like to appoint.

“It would be remiss of us not to use the expertise and knowledge that we have,” he added.
Ferguson has stated that his health would be the only factor in deciding when he would retire from football.

Speculation that the new Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho will be taking reins at Old Trafford after the Bernabeu has continued and the United chief executive would not state whether the two-time Champions League winner is favourite to be the next manager.

Gill said: “He has certainly got something about him. He’s a winner.”

Mourinho has revealed that he would like to work with United and England striker Wayne Rooney, but whether this is at Madrid or in Manchester is unclear.

However, Florentino Perez is supposedly talking to representatives at Old Trafford about potentially signing the player as they claim they can reach the club’s valuation for the forward.

Rooney is currently training with the England (Rooney 10/1 to be the top goalscorer at the World Cup) squad ahead of the World Cup in South Africa.

England will face Japan in their final pre season match on Sunday before the 23 man squad is announced.

Avoiding injury, Rooney is guaranteed a seat on the plane to South Africa and any potential deal with Real Madrid would be likely to take place after the tournament which could increase the player’s valuation if he has a successful tournament.

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