Tag Archives: treble

Video: Graham Hunter returns with this 5/1 La Liga treble led by Antoine Griezmann

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Three years ago Antoine Griezmann made his worst mistake getting drunk in Paris and costing him a year in the national side. Fast forward three years and he’s playing out of his skin.

Jackson Martinez scored his first Champions League goal for Atleti in midweek, Torres is scoring and making and Ángel Correa is a nightmare to play against – Home win and both teams to score with Jackson and Griezmann to score.

Watch the video below.

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Atleti Madrid v Valenica, Sunday 19.30, Sky Sports 5

  • Three draws and a win apiece in the last five games at the Calderon
  • Valencia are rubbish on the road and 13th in the table

Graham’s Bet: Atleti to win & Griezmann to score in a wincast @ 2/1

Barca v Eibar Sunday 17.15, Sky Sports 5

  • Mammoth tusk for Eibar to win this one
  • Barca are in red hot form and scored five goals last week

Graham’s Bet: Barca to win & Neymar to score in a wincast @ 8/15

Celta Vigo v Real Madrid, Saturday 16.00

  • Celta have great away form and pumped Barca in Vigo.
  • Rafa has shored up Madrid defensively, but they are going to hate Celta

Graham’s Bet: Score draw & Nolito to score @ 33/1

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

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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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Graham Hunter: A Catalan conflict can open the door for Real Madrid and a 9/1 treble

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Espanyol v Barcelona – Saturday, 3pm

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Right, so it’s a bit neck-and-neck at the top of La Liga just at the moment and we’ve six games left.
The top two might meet in the Champions League Final and they don’t particularly like each other.
It’s kinda tense.

Which makes Barcelona’s stroll across the city to Espanyol not exactly a … stroll. There’s a Spain Oddity, which might appeal to David Bowie, whereby if two teams finish on identical points the first criterion via which to separate them is – head-to-head. It becomes a little like a Cup tie. ‘Which team won more of the Liga meetings between the two and if it has been a win apiece then what’s the goal aggregate?’

Thus it is that if Barcelona should drop two points between now and the end of the season and Madrid win all their games they’ll finish tied on 94 points. The reason that Madrid would win the title in that scenario is that the first Clásico ended 3-1 to Carlo Ancelotti’s side while Barça won the second 2-1 – ergo Madrid win the title on a 4-3 aggregate over their nearest rivals.

I think it’s a cool system.

So what Madridistas are doing this weekend is sending positive vibes to the only other set of fans who dislike the Blaugrana just as much as they do – those at Espanyol. Just as a matter of interest, the last time Spain’s Primera Division was settled on the head-to-head rule was as recently as 2007 – Madrid winning thanks to a victory and a draw in the two Clásicos.

Espanyol fans will be dreaming, happily of their part in that when on the penultimate day, after Leo Messi had put Barcelona ahead with a Maradona-style ‘it was my head ref honest!’ goal via his hand, they equalized in the last minute and effectively cost Frank Rijkaard’s side the title.

It’s not identical this weekend because the Catalan derby is being played in Cornella, not at the Camp Nou. But there’s a hint of … ‘could we screw them up again?’ The hard fact for the league leaders is that while they’ve only lost three times in the last 24 away Catalan derbies [and since the Power8 stadium was inaugurated in 2009 they’ve three wins and two draws] not even a draw is guaranteed to keep them top.

In fact it’s feasible that dropping points here could cost Luis Enrique’s men the treble. Feasible at least.
So, how to call it?

In Barcelona’s favour – attitude, determination not to cede the title to Madrid, determination not to trip up here of all places, a good winning run, Suárez and Neymar on good goal form.

A photo posted by FC Barcelona (@fcbarcelona) on

Against them – the fact that they aren’t putting in 90 minute performances too regularly right now. A draw at Sevilla thanks to a major second half drop off, a thrashing of PSG in the making at 2-0 up by half time and in total charge surrendered because they drop into cruise-control for the rest of the match. Espanyol – their two great positives are ex Madrid keeper Kiko Casilla and ex Barça striker Sergio García.

Casilla says: “When it comes to this derby it doesn’t matter the size of your budget or your salary bill – it’s us v them and they aren’t the only ones with a say in who wins the league”. Fightin’ talk.

Los Periquitos have only conceded four times in eight matches and a draw’s not impossible here. Barcelona, on form, will win and stay top – Suárez and Piqué profile as possible scorers. Neymar? One in seven in La Liga, four in four all comps. But Espanyol not to be discounted – a 0-0, a 1-1 and a 1-0 are three of the last five results in this fixture. Barça have every important player available, Espanyol bring back Salva Sevilla and Juan Fuentes while Víctor Sánchez is suspended against his old team and Felipe Mattioni injured.

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Atletico Madrid v Elche – Saturday, 5pm

Bet Now: Desktop | Mobile There were more good words than good play from Atleti in midweek when they lost the Madrid derby and exited the Champions League. Cholo Simeone refused to blame the referee for Arda’s red card, all the players who spoke mentioned departing the competition with pride, that they’d be back soon and more determined than ever. There was a ‘we’ve not let anybody down vibe’. Now we’ll see whether the painted smiles masked broken hearts. This is when the reigning champions need to prove that they gave their utmost against Madrid, that they left beaten but unbowed and that they are capable of not carrying any psychological after-effects into this match. Atleti’s four point lead over Valencia, guaranteeing them Champions League revenue again next season is utterly vital for this club and you can expect them to fight like tigers to protect it. You can expect the fans to show defiance by turning up and howling their support for Los Rojiblancos. But was there any damage done between Cholo and Griezmann when the in-form youngster was bizarrely removed from the game in midweek? Otherwise he should have goal solutions …. and it’s time Mandzukic, Torres and Raúl García came to the party again in that respect. Elche? Only two teams have scored fewer than them, only two have scored more than them … so how they hell are they within a win and a draw of staying up? Because they lose to the big guns and neatly pick off the weaklings around them – Cordoba, Levante, Almeria, Eibar. Only if Atleti are carrying a big hangover from losing to Madrid is this not a two goal win for the champions. Gabi and Mario Mandzukic, are back with respect to the Depor game – only Mario Suárez, Ansaldi and Cani are dropped. Get on Graham’s tips: Desktop | Mobile

Sevilla v Rayo Vallecano – Sunday, 6pm

Bet Now: Desktop | Mobile Last week I suggested the big question was: ‘when will Sevilla’s huge European exertions cost them a ‘hangover’ in La Liga?’ the only sad thing being that I didn’t say: right here! This’ll be a 1-1 draw! Different story here you’d imagine. Although the Europa League holders had to travel to and from St Petersburg this week and that doesn’t come without an impact on freshness of mind or physical tiredness the buzz of having eliminated Zenit, the really top quality performance in Russia and the fact that they are at home should be a positive cocktail of advantages.

Remember – Sevilla are 24 home games without defeat in over a year, they have a deep squad, they are desperately trying to get a finger-hold on fourth place and they’ve beaten Rayo 5-2, 2-1 and 4-1 the last three meetings.
Indeed while Paco Jemez’s side is fun to watch and has massively over-performed to be so high up La Liga they’ve still lost six of their last seven away matches and twice conceded six goal defeats in doing so.

Beto had a ‘mare for Sevilla and Sergio Rico should return, Pareja is out for months with ligament damage but Iborra, Reyes, Denis Suárez and Gameiro are all available to add freshness to Unai Emery’s athletic, hard running team. Both teams to score, Bacca, Vitolo, Gameiro all looking backable for the Europa League holders.

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Celta Vigo v Real Madrid – Sunday, 8pm

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Of course, even if the underdogs win the Catalan derby it’s never straightforward at the top of La Liga. In theory, Barcelona could suffer the embarrassment of dropping points to a cock-a-hoop Espanyol .. but then be rescued by the team which Luis Enrique made.

Madrid, fresh from their agonizing and tiring derby on Wednesday via which they sneaked past Atlético and into the Champions League semi final must visit the Balaidos Stadium in Vigo where they never get a pleasant welcome and where, last year, they lost. In fact it’s just short of a year since Los Blancos formally kissed goodbye to the title in that 2-0 defeat to Luis Enrique’s mob – both goals scored by Charles.

It was a Madrid team shorn of Ronaldo, Benzema, Carvajal, Pepe and which needed to put Raúl de Tomas, Burgui and Willian José on the bench. They’ve all gone on to great things of course …. hold on. No. And, symmetrically, this huge test of nerve and desire comes when Ancelotti will be without Benzema, Bale and Modric for sure. Marcelo returns and, just as with Barcelona in their match, if Madrid play near their top they can certainly win.

But it may influence how you punt to know that before last season the last time Celta beat Madrid at the Balaídos in La Liga was 2001. [Celta did win 2-1 in La Copa back in 2012]

In between there were six straight Madrid wins – no draws – but five of those wins were by a single goal. Three 1-2’s and two 0-1’s. Almost without exception it’s a hostile, characterful place with a fishing/industrial background and a blue-collar attitude to match the Celta shirts.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Complacency is usually punished. Nolito, as always, is Celta’s best and most threatening player although Larrivey may profit from the aerial ball into the box. That said while Santi Mina’s four goals this season all came against Rayo he’s a quick-footed talent whose reputation would soar if he scored here.

Madrid by a goal would be the percentage bet but go figure for yourselves what the impact of tiredness, tension and injury absences might do.

James Rodríguez is the shining light right now – not only talented and fully integrated but consistently behaving like a team leader. His link up play with Ronaldo and Chicharito make Madrid very tempting here. There’s enough to suggest that both teams score but that Madrid out-gun the light blues.

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Espanyol and Barca to draw, Atletico and Real Madrid to win – 9/1

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Graham Hunter: Get Real with his 10/1 correct score punt on Madrid plus an 8/1 treble involving Barca, Valencia and Fernando Torres

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Córdoba-Real Madrid Saturday 3pm

The kind of match to watch out for. Córdoba spent months looking like they weren’t cut out for la Primera and their cowardly President sacked Albert Ferrer by emissary, and then text, rather than be brave enough to tell him to his face.

A pox on him I say.

When the Andaluz side lost heavily at the Camp Nou in December, the players got the mother and father and next door neighbour of all rollickings from their flint-hard aggressive coach, Miroslav Djukic who then told the world in general that his lads lacked ‘cojones’ and had simply turned up to swap shirts with the Barcelona stars.

At that stage they’d won just once and were in free-fall. Since the tongue-lashing they’ve picked up seven of the available nine points.

The European champions have had a week of dedicated training and preparation thanks to being out of la Copa – but these games, I guess, are the kind of David v Goliath moments when a small side desperate to stave off relegation sometimes somehow catches the big-guy complacent and dozy.

El Blackoutico! Money-Back if there's a goal inside 15 minutes of Real Madrid v Barcelona

If, and I stress IF, that’s your considered view on this test for Carlo Ancelotti’s mob then try this.

Nabil Ghilas is the striker Algeria left behind when they went to the Cup of Nations and he’s got a bee in his bonnet about it.

I’d have loved to have defend my country’s colours but since I moved to Spain they’ve ignored me and now I’m set on scoring against Madrid and winning to show them what I can do. I’ve shed six kilos since the start of the season and right now I’d not say that it’s a dream to score against Iker Casillas because when I’m on the pitch and in form I always believe I can beat anyone.

He’s top scorer with five – one of which won Córdoba their first victory away at Athletic Bilbao for 42 years.

But the two who stand out, quality-wise, are the pair who combined for last week’s 10-second goal against Eibar. Fede Cartabia, a flamboyant Argentinian winger on loan from Valencia, made it for Florin Andone – a 21 year old Romanian brought up near Barcelona. Ferrer loved the kid’s attitude and emerging ability but injury hampered his development.

Now he’s got three goals in five games and although the impoverished club charges him €50 he can barely afford [he’s on youth team wages] for each match shirt he keeps – he’s going to swap this one with a Madrid star come hell or high water. Preferably having beaten them.

Ronaldo, (above) despite knee pain, should start, Pepe is still injured so Rafa Varane plays and you’d imagine that Sami Khedira should deputise for Isco, also injured [and a loss].

Usually you can stand on Honest Carlo’s words and the Italian reckons his team benefitted from a dedicated week, are ready to perform and, thus, it’s probably time to back Goliath to duck the slingshot. 1-3. NB, a promising 24 year old Portuguese striker, name of Bebé is in the Córdoba squad. They say United are interested….

Graham’s bet: Real Madrid to win 1-3 @ 10/1 

Luis-Enrique 840

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Elche-Barcelona Saturday 5pm

Keith Moon dies, Charlie Chaplin’s coffin is stolen and then recovered, Jamie Carragher, Gigi Buffon and Emile Heskey are all born, Dallas [JR, Sue Ellen and the Poison Dwarf] airs its first episode and Garfield is created.

  1. The last time Elche scored against Barcelona.

Nine games across those Buffon-Carragher-Heskey years, an aggregate of 30-0 in favour of the Blaugrana during those 810 minutes.

Three of those matches have come this season with a 3-0 league win on the opening day complemented by an aggregate 9-0 thumping in the Cup where Fran Escribá’s side was clinically dismantled.

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that if, again I stress that word really heavily, you see something to set your little gambler’s heart going pitter patter in the way Elche play then it must be because of Jonathas.

The Brazilian striker is reminiscent of Diego Costa, albeit in 2009/10 with Valladolid, when he’d remorselessly harass defenders when he didn’t have the ball and wage war on them when he did.

Jonathas, already 25, won’t turn into a world class finisher like Costa did but he has power, height, aggression and reasonable technique.

As for Barcelona – will they be the group which drew 0-0 at Getafe and Málaga and surrendered 1-0 at Real Sociedad? Or will they repeat the urgency, unity and dazzling skill of last week’s 4-0 win at Deportivo la Coruña?

Lionel Messi 2013

Despite a monumental challenge in Madrid this Wednesday against Atlético in the second leg of the Cup quarter final, Luis Enrique’s named a strong squad, not resting a single key player.

So, for those who like to bet in-play the things to look for would be a) does Luis Enrique’s team press and mob the opposition … or give off a ‘can’t be bothered’ Kevin the Teenager approach to that blue collar work? The other thing, which for purely alphabetical reasons we’ll call b) is: how fast is the ball moving between players.

Recently Messi (above) and Co. have made the football fizz and zip between them and opposition [Elche, Atlético and Depor] simply haven’t been able to cope.

It’s not a time to back against Messi, he’s hotter than Johnny Torch, but there’s value in looking at Alba and Pedro. Alba simply knows where the goal is and pops up every so often at longer odds while Pedro might get more game time than normal in order to assure one of the ‘big’ three up front is particularly fresh for the midweek tie at Atleti.

Maybe we’ll get memories of ’78 – ticker-tape, the Argentinian World Cup, the debuts of 3-2-1 and Grange Hill plus that last Elche goal against Barcelona [though this lot have only put two shots on target against the Blaugrana in 180 minutes this season].

But even though Escribá and gang organized a 0-0 nil in this fixture against a knackered Barça last May it’s tough to see them doing anything other than shipping two or more goals this time.

Graham’s bet: Barcelona (-2 on the handicap) @7/5

Fernando Torres 800

Atlético-Rayo Vallecano, Saturday 7pm

This, for the uninitiated, is a Madrid derby. For the initiated, it’s a game without the crackle of excitement it would usually merit because Rayo’s boisterous, noisy, loyal and generally admirable fans are boycotting the game.

Pity. Paco Jémez’s team made life objectionably difficult for the Spanish champions on the first match weekend of the season

But it’d be remiss of me not to remind you that the last time Rayo beat their neighbours they were coached by Juande Ramos, Kasey Keller was in goal and Jimmy ‘Pichichi’ Hasselbaink was up front for Los Colchoneros.

In fact let’s stick with Jémez for a minute. Utterly dedicated to the Pep Guardiola school of football his team are more ‘front-foot’ than the forward half of a pantomime horse.

There are hints that a) he’s well enough thought of at Atleti that he might be next in the door whenever Cholo Simeone leaves but also b) that whether or not the Atleti job is on offer this summer Jémez, who’s asking for a bigger contract raise in order to renew than Rayo want to pay, may hit the road anyway.

Suffice to say that he’ll ensure his team try to put on a show today. Future employers may be watching. [A nice little vignette is that Jesus Muñoz, Jémez’s assistant, was room-mate to Atleti legend Fernando Torres when El Niño first broke into the Atleti team. Wouldn’t you just bet on Torres repaying the friendship with a goal to break Rayo hearts?]

Anyway, not to repeat an earlier point, Simeone’s champions have a testing mid-week match with Barcelona and you’d bet he’ll shuffle the pack in terms of a starting XI.

Raul Garcia should start, might score, both Koke and Arda need to prove fitness. Diego Godín is suspended so Manucho might just get a chance to add to his headed goal at Real Sociedad last week.

But Rayo really want to get Leo Baptistao fit enough to play, and score, against his former team.

Graham’s bet: Fernando Torres to score anytime @ 5/6

Nuno Espirito Santo 840

Valencia v Sevilla, Sunday 8pm

A downright corker.

Two sides, both economically challenged, locked in mortal battle for the fourth place in La Liga which can win you anywhere from €10m to €50m of Champions League revenue.

You want more!

Two sides who fought to a standstill in the semi final of the Europa League last season, until Stéphane Mbia popped up with one of those ‘where the hell did that come from?’ second-leg-94th-minute-away-goal winners.

More? Mas? As they say here in Spain.

Both sides have recently been thumped by Espanyol in the Cup – Valencia 2-0, Sevilla 3-1.

And, finally, you still want even more? Okay. Unai Emery, currently the coach of Sevilla, Europa League holder and sitting cosily in fourth position, did terrific work in charge of Valencia, helped them make huge profits on footballers who thrived under him and kept on getting Los Che champions league qualification. But he was perpetually undervalued – by the club, by the media, by the fans. He’ll be given a sometimes frosty, sometimes hostile welcome back at the Mestalla on Sunday night.

Two wins apiece in the last four of this Liga fixture in Valencia and Mbia’s on international duty so not able to repeat his feat.

Bacca often repays a backer, Gameiro’s form is on the rise and Valencia have been conceding headed goals of late so you may like to look at Pareja or Carriço.

As for the home side, Negredo played for Sevilla long enough to know their weaknesses and score against them, Álcacer is long overdue reward for his good movement and Andre ‘I shoot on sight’ Gomes deserves to hit the net more often for his quality of movement and work rate. Draw looks good, but Sevilla look a tad tired. Valencia to win by one goal.

Graham’s bet: Valencia to win @ 6/5 or Valencia to win by exactly one goal @ 11/4

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Graham Hunter: This 34/1 La Liga treble should draw a crowd while Alfie can make Moyes merry at 6/1

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If the world were spinning correctly on its axis then there’d be more cheers and fierce booing before this match than anything during it – no matter how many goals Messi scores, or if Cordoba happen to produce the shock of all shocks in Saturday’s 3pm clash with Barcelona.

The reasons come in the shape of the Cordoba coach and their President.

WDW& BTTS All matches

Miroslav Dukić was a no-nonsense central defender for Deportivo La Coruña back in 1993/4 – a time when Super-Depor had led La Liga for 23 straight weeks, right up to the final weekend of football.

Depor were at home to Valencia, Barcelona, their pursuers, at home to Sevilla. So long as Depor matched Barça’s result they were guaranteed champions.

Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team thrashed Sevilla 5-2 and until the 89th minute in the Riazor Depor were tied 0-0 against Gaizka Mendieta’s Valencia. Then, penalty Depor. Bebeto ducked responsibility, Dukić stepped up … the Camp Nou froze while transistor radios were pressed to thousands of ears – and the penalty was saved.

A fourth straight Spanish title for Cruyff’s Dream Team. Surely Dukić is owed the [ironic] honour of being applauded out on to the Camp Nou?

Barcelona-800

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What of Cordoba President Carlos González?

Well in the Dream Team that day, at right back, was one Albert Ferrer – Olympic Gold medallist, European Cup winner at Wembley and, thanks to Dukić, newly champion of Spain again.

Last summer he took Cordoba up to Spain’s Primera Division for the first time in 42 years, he was given about eight games to prove himself and then González, the coward, wouldn’t even face him when he sacked him, sending ‘Chapi’ Ferrer a text saying how ashamed he was of his actions that he couldn’t bear to see him. If that doesn’t deserve a hostile reception at Chapi’s spiritual home, I don’t know what does.

Neymar is fit again, and should start, while Luis Enrique expects ‘more of the same’. ”

We’ve prepared for a typical game – a rival who shuts up shop at the back and tries to cause problems on the counter. If there’s anything we are accustomed to – it’s that.

Most of Barça’s stars have had a week off, they average four goals every home game and there’s nothing to suggest that this should be hugely different.

David Moyes

Levante v Real Sociedad, Saturday, 5pm

David Moyes is learning as he goes in his new country and while he learned something nice this week, that Alfie Finnbogason CAN actually still score goals, there was something altogether less pleasant for him to assimilate when it came to surveying the Levante game on Saturday at 5pm..

La Real’s away form has been horrible for many, many months. They seem to lack the physical stamina, the concentration and worst of all the belief to consistently pick up good results on the road.

But Levante is a case apart. Not only have the Basques NEVER beaten little Levante in Spain’s top division, in five of their last seven meetings La Real have taken the lead only to go on and either draw or lose. Savage stuff.

Moyes the Merrier

It looks likely that Carlos Vela won’t make it because of a muscle strain and there are seven more of Moyes’ squad who are fitness doubts.

Perhaps there’s a blessing in disguise. He’s filtered a variety of ‘kids’ into his last few matches and to absolutely no ill-effect.

Finnbogason’s two goals in the Cup victory over Oviedo means he’s a striker with some confidence again and worth following (6/1 for first goalscorer) in that he has at least got himself into something like six or seven scoring positions in the last two matches.

Chory Castro should make the game and is in form, Iñigo Martínez [despite missing a sitter v Athletic] threatens from set-pieces while for Levante their burly Brazilian striker, Rafa Martins, who’s taken a Finnbogason-length of time to score, is now looking fit, quick and dangerous whether as a starter or sub.

Hard to have faith in La Real on the road but if they go one up this time, have a punt on them not losing this time.

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Eibar v Valencia, Saturday, 7pm

One way in which this new, voracious Valencia give you a bit of joy is that only once in their last seven away matches have they failed to score. They are ‘in’ almost every game, combative, buzzing with menace and self-belief despite being newly constructed and brimful of youth.

Maybe that’s part of the explanation for their record of four red cards already this season. For that reason André Gomes [potentially their most impressive addition this season] will be missing from midfield in the Basque country in this tiny [literally] stadium which is directly in proportion with the tiny [27,000 inhabitants] town, whose inhabitants have never enjoyed Primera football before.

Sent off last week against Rayo, the last time Gomes missed a game it was, just to round the argument off nicely, the only time in the last seven away matches when Valencia failed to score. In fact that week they went from having thrashed Atlético at home to losing, limply, at Deportivo la Coruña. Gomes is on five bookings so he’ll miss the next match too while both Gayá and Javi Fuego are one yellow off suspension. Does or doesn’t that influence how forcefully they play? I always wonder.

Their ref here is Carlos Velasco Carballo who HATES a red card. Ninety eight of them in 191 Liga matches says to me an average of a sending off just about every second game.

Just one in eight matches this season so the law of averages is screaming at him right now. ‘Off, OFF. OFF!’ What to make of Eibar. Not only do they sit ninth, better than any other promoted side across all of Europe’s major leagues, they hit five goals in their last home game and are off the back of a superb away draw to Sevilla.

They ain’t to be taken lightly. Although Mikel Arruabarrena is top scorer with just four, Gaizka Garitano’s side have shared their 19 goals across eleven different scorers including Saúl Berjón who’s an emerging gem of a forward.

Neither Feghouli (9/1) nor Piatti (13/2) are prolific for Valencia but they give the width the pace and both are nice side-bets for an unexpected goal if you fancy moving away from the market-leaders like the Rodrigos or Negredo.

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Athletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid, Sunday, 8pm

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Athletic have a reliance on Aritz Aduriz akin to dolphins and water, human beings and oxygen or Piers Morgan and cheap publicity. Complete. So to see the striker return from injury for the Basque derby last weekend but then be used [instead of rested] for the last 13 minutes of Athletic’s squeaky-bum Cup tie against third division Alcoyano on Thursday night tells you a) how worried coach Valverde was about going out and b) how little he trusts Los Leones’ other striking alternatives. What little Alcoyano knew was that meanwhile Athletic find it harder to score than North Korea does to keep its nose out of other people’s business they had a right chance. Valverde admitted:

We were sluggish up front. To get through we had to grit our teeth and hang on to the single goal lead.

Not a great advert.

Athletic, once fearsome at the new San Mames, have lost at home three times this season already and needlessly dropped other points to draws. They’ll be without Iturraspe in midfield and Laporte at centre back against Atlético, both suspended.

This fixture has a wonderful rhythm to it. Going back years and years if one team wins it’s home game the other will reverse that next time they meet. Better still, if, say, Atleti win in Bilbao, Athletic will win in Madrid next time they meet and vice versa. The original tit for tat. Everyone wants to be tat.

Diego Simeone has some choices to make. Losing at home to Villarreal last week [much against my expectation] his team looked massively tired, with Diego Godin wading through concrete when the scorer, Vietto, gamboled by him.

Then they lost two goals at home to Hospitalet in the Cup. Something’s not right.

On balance the fact that Atleti score and Athletic struggle to do so suggests there’s a risk of an away win here. That’s something they achieved last season [1-2] despite Athletic leading. San Jose is a goal threat for Athletic at set pieces, Borja Viguera is beginning to find his feet. Antoine Griezmann must get his chance to start and if he does he needs to impress his boss with a goal. Atletico need to figure that they can’t give Real Madrid another present while the league leaders [try to] become world champions in Morocco.

Expect the Basque pride to rouse Athletic and the Spanish champions will need one heck of a better pace and intensity than they’ve been capable of recently in order to better a score draw.

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Blues lead Championship treble

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The Championship returns after the international break and teams will continue to jostle for position  in an extremely tight league. Just 12 points seperate the last team in the play-off spots and the side third from bottom, with the unpredictable division offering the punter some big-price winners. Here’s our Saturday home treble selection…

Birmingham v Peterborough (3pm)

Blues have done remarkably well to find themselves in mid-table at this stage, bearing in mind their hectic fixture schedule and the loss of several key players. Chris Hughton continues to work wonders with limited resources and Birmingham sit just four points outside the play-offs, with three games in hand on most of their rivals.

An international break will have helped Blues and they look a decent bet to maintain their unbeaten home record, with four wins and two draws in their six league games at St Andrew’s.

The Posh have scored plenty of goals so far this term, but they are also conceding plenty – 29 goals makes them the leakiest defence in the Championship.

Suggested Bet: Birmingham to win @ 4/5

Middlesbrough v Blackpool (3pm)

Boro have shown they have to be considered as real promotion candidates this season and their fine start is down to a solid run of home displays. Tony Mowbray’s men are yet to lose at the Riverside in the league and have conceded just 10 goals in eight home matches.

Boro have responded well to a 3-0 drubbing at leaders Southampton at the end of last month and a win on Saturday will make it three victories on the bounce, and could see them move into the top two.

Blackpool are dangerous opponents but their away form will be a concern to Ian Holloway. Apart from their freak 5-0 success at Leeds, their only other away win came in the opening game at Hull.

Suggested Bet: Draw HT/Boro FT @ 7/2

Reading v Cardiff (3pm)

Many will be surprised to see the Royals in the bottom half of the table at this stage of the campaign, but they do look like a team on the up. Having lost out in the play-off final last term, Brian McDermott’s men have suffered an early-season hangover, as well as losing some key players.

Reading have picked up in recent weeks and have lost just one of their last 10 games, and that was a narrow defeat at Nottingham Forest. The Royals have shored up at the back, conceding just once in their last three games, and in striker Adam Le Fondre have found a real bargain.

Cardiff themselves are on a good run – five games unbeaten – and are up into the top four in the table. But the Bluebirds have won just two away from home and could be facing Reading at the wrong time.

Suggested Bet: Le Fondre to score at anytime @ 3/2

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Palermo lead Euro treble

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There are three top-flight European games taking place on Thursday, with the focus on Italy and Spain and the teams chasing Europe. Those punters who suffered loses on Tuesday and Wednesday may look to salvage some success with a Thursday treble.

Palermo v Lecce (7:45pm)

The home side are currently ninth in Serie A after a solid start to the season, but they are looking to bounce back from two consecutive defeats. Those losses though came away at Roma and AC Milan and a return to home comforts should see the Rosanero get back to winning ways.

Devis Mangia’s men have won both of their league matches at the Stadio Renzo Barbera, scoring five and conceeding just two in the process. Thursday’s opponents will head to Palermo with just one point from their opening five games and low in confidence.

The Giallorossi were leading 3-0 at half-time in their previous game at home to Milan, but crashed to a 4-3 defeat. Prior to that game, Lecce had scored just one goal in their opening four matches.

Suggested Bet – Palermo to win @ 8/15

Espanyol v Real Betis (7pm)

The teams currently seventh and eighth in La Liga meet at Estadi Cornella-El Prat, with nothing to seperate the two sides.

Espanyol are one place below their opponents but only by one goal and are going into Thursday’s game off the back of two impressive wins.

The Barcelona-based outfit picked up 1-0 away wins at Rayo Vallecano and Racing Santander and look to be on the up.

Betis, in contrast, have lost their last four games and have scored just one goal and conceeded eight in that spell.

Suggested Bet – Espanyol to win 2-0 @ 9/1

Athletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (9pm)

These two teams look pretty evenly matched, with Bilbao struggling at home and Atletico poor away from Madrid. One point seperates 11th-placed Bilbao and ninth-placed Atletico and it could remain that way after Thursday’s meeting.

Bilbao have won just one of their four home matches, a 3-1 success over Osasuna, but are unbeaten in their last four games.

Meanwhile, Atletico, expected to challenge for a place in Europe, have yet to lose at home this term but have collected just one point from three away matches.

Suggest Bet – Draw @ 23/10

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Treble tilt reaches Wembley

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Bet on the Champions LeagueManchester United fans are getting the feeling of deja vu as Sir Alex Ferguson’s treble-chasing squad (6/1 to win Premier League, FA Cup & Champions League) prepare to face rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday.

The Red Devils, who scooped all three major trophies in 1999, will have to play at the remodelled ‘home of football’ three times in the next six weeks if they are to repeat their historic feat while neighbours City would be happy to earn one more trip back as they bid to end a trophyless drought of 35 years (11/5 Manchester City in FA Cup Outright).

Ferguson has got the unshakeable belief that his class of 2011 can do it, while the presence of ‘99 veterans Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs can only enhance the confidence within the dressing room that has been recently buoyed by the return to fitness of Rio Ferdinand.

The England centre back has never won the FA Cup and is desperate to keep his place in the United line-up, despite picking up a knock in Tuesday night’s Champions League win over Chelsea.

Ferguson has declared an almost fully-fit squad for the Wembley clash with only Darren Fletcher (virus) and Wayne Rooney (suspended) absent from those regulars who would have certainly played.

Dimitar Berbatov (11/2 First Goalscorer), who missed the decisive penalty as United crashed out to Everton at this stage two years ago, will probably be given a chance to earn his redemption by Ferguson, although the Bulgarian’s 20 Premier League goals so far this term have already done that for most fans.

Antonio Valencia (10/1) is another anticipated change to the midweek line-up while ferguson hinted that midfielder Anderson is back in his plans after coming through an hour of reserve team action on Wednesday night.

City are without 19-goal leading scorer Carlos Tevez after he sustained an untimely hamstring injury against Liverpool on Monday night, leaving boss Roberto Mancini with a dilemma over who he entrusts with the task of leading the forward line.

Out of form January signing Edin Dzeko (15/2 First Goalscorer) was jeered by City fans at Anfield as he struggled to get into the game while unpredictable summer recruit Mario Balotelli (7/1) still flatters to deceive more often than not.

Mancini can recall defender Micah Richards and you can bet Nigel de Jong starts after inexplicably being left out on Monday.

The Dutchman’s presence in midfield will ensure City have some bite and presence in an area where they were steamrollered by Liverpool in the first half.

History shows that there tend to be few goals when these two sides meet – the scorelines have been 2-1, 3-1, 0-1, 0-0 and 2-1 since Mancini took charge with City winning his first derby at the helm.

And with no Rooney or Tevez to provide a flash of brilliance to break the deadlock a half-time draw (8/5 0-0 in HT Score) and a low scoring affair (4/6 Under 2.5 Goals) look highly likely.

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Tuesday Top’s Treble

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Carlo Ancelotti and John Terry have done their utmost to try and get seasoned Chelsea supporters on-side for the visit of Manchester United on Tuesday but it could be another night of disappointment for the Stamford Bridge faithful.

Snow prevented this clash from going ahead in December and it is fair to suggest Chelsea’s fight to stay in the title race has frozen over too.

A wretched run of form at the back end of 2010 – blamed in some quarters by the departure of Ray Wilkins – sees the Blues 15 points off Sir Alex Ferguson’s title chasers, leaving them scrapping it out for Champions League football next season.

Their form has picked up somewhat since that miserable run but they have still won only four of their last 14 Premier League games after victories in nine of their opening 12 – and the likes of Sunderland and Liverpool have collected wins at a once near-impregnable Stamford Bridge this season.

United have not been at their vintage best this season but remain on course to win a record 19th domestic title.

They have won only four times on the road this season in the league and Sir Alex Ferguson has the looming worry of some of his elder statesmen nearing the end of their glittering careers to address.

Gary Neville has quit, Edwin van der Saar will leave at the end of the season and the likes of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs cannot be relied on for every game.

Both teams could cancel each other out and the advice here is to take the draw at 23/10 given that United have drawn eight on the road this term – while two of last four trips to the Bridge have ended all-square – and Chelsea cannot be considered cast-iron even at the price of 6/5.

United +1 in the match handicap at 4/6 is not the worst price too given that it factors in Chelsea having to win by a two-goal margin.

Chesterfield were knocked out of their League Two promotion stride on Saturday when they fell to a shock home defeat by strugglers Morecambe but punters should snaffle up the 5/4 for them to get back on track in a top-of-the-table clash against Wycombe.

No-nonsense Mancunian John Sheridan is not the kind of manager to dress up what was a miserable performance and his players will know they will have to turn it on at the B2net Stadium against Gary Waddock’s men in what looks the perfect fixture to atone for the weekend horror show.

Wanderers were involved in a 21-man stoppage-time brawl against Macclesfield and their state of mind is open to question for such a difficult trip.

Four draws on the bounce have hurt Huddersfield Town in their pursuit of a League One automatic promotion place but manager Lee Clark has spoken of the determination of his players to return to winning ways on Tuesday at the backable price of 7/5.

Hartlepool claimed a shock 1-0 win at the Galpharm on Boxing Day but have won only six of their 15 league games at Victoria Park.

There is an old adage in football that draws are only ever any good if there is a win at the end of them and the Terriers, despite concerns over strikers Jordan Rhodes (laryngitis) and Danny Cadamarteri (back spasm), should have too much going forward for their hosts.

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Bayern still on track for historic treble

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Bayern Munich coach Louis van GaalBayern Munich are still on course to win the Treble after defeating Werder Bremen 4-0 to win the German Cup (Bayern 7/5 to win the Champions League).

An Arjen Robben penalty gave Bayern the lead against the cup holders, before goals from Ivica Olic, Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger completed the rout.

Following the win, Bayern coach Louis van Gaal shot a warning to Jose Mourinho, ahead of the Champions League final: “We produced an impressive performance against a very good team, it was perhaps one of our best games of the season.

“Our victory was well deserved. On Wednesday we will start our preparations for the Champions League final.

“Jose Mourihno will have to have seen that we can produce some good football.”

The 4-0 win marked the 15th occasion that Bayern have won the German Cup and their eighth domestic Double.

Bayern have never won the Treble of domestic league and cup along with the Champions League, and could face an Inter side that might also be able to claim the unique honour (90 minutes betting Bayern 23/10 Draw 9/4 Inter 6/5) .

Jose Mourinho’s team won the Italian Cup with a victory over Roma and could complete a domestic Double by winning Serie A later today. Twice champions of Europe, Inter Milan have also never won a Treble.

Only five teams in history have swept the board in such a manner. Celtic were the first team to achieve the distinction in 1976 and have been followed by Ajax in 1972, PSV Eindhoven in 1988, Manchester United in 1999 and Barcelona in 2009.

There is also a personal honour at stake for Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. Whoever is victorious will join Ernst Happel and Ottmar Hitzfeld as the only managers to become champions of Europe with two different clubs.

Happel was the first coach to have done this, having won the European Cup with Feyenoord in 1970 and Hamburg in 1983. Hitzfeld followed him with wins for Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and Bayern Munich in 2001.

Louis van Gaal first won the Champions League as manager of Ajax in 1995, while Jose Mourinho won the trophy in 2004 with Porto.

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