sajtion

Levante vs Osasuna
OK, so I'm starting to feel guilty now that punters are coming here to find our previews on the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga but every week we're choosing matches with the lower-placed teams. Unfortunately, this week is another case of that as we preview Levante versus Osasuna in this 5:30pm BST kick-off at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia. Apologies but that's where the value is guys!
Levante have had a satisfactory start to the season with Paco Lopez's side sat in 12th with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses from their 6 league games so far. The Frogs are going through a rough spell at the moment with no win in their last three league games. However, the two games they have lost during that run have both been away to Real Madrid and Real Betis. Neither performance was overly disappointing so they'll be hoping they can galvanise and bounce back to winning ways here.
Osasuna are adjusting to life in Spain's top flight after winning the Seguna Division last season. Los Rojillos are one place behind Levante in 13th place with 1 win, 4 draws, and 1 defeat from their 6 league games up until now. It shows a resilient side that aren't familiar with the losing habit. Head coach Jagoba Arrasate saw his team lose 2-0 to Real Madrid in midweek to inflict a first defeat on the La Liga new boys. It'll be interesting to see how they approach this game knowing they now haven't won in 5 league matches.
On paper, this game is actually a very close one to call. Hardly anything separates these teams in the league table but with the ELO ratings favouring a home win I also feel the wise bet is backing the hosts. Osasuna have proven hard to beat but how much will the loss in their last game affect their confidence? Levante are a team that are very tough at home so I think I'll just favour an outright home win over a draw no bet wager.
Levante to Win @ 2.22 with Marathonbet
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.94 with Unibet

Nimes vs St Etienne
Ligue 1 continues to thrill and excite this season with the table still very tightly congested after 7 league games. Our preview this week takes in the clash between Nimes and St Etienne at the Stade des Costieres for a 4pm BST kick-off this Sunday afternoon. Can the home team build on their solid start to the season or will the visiting team manage to start turning their poor start around?
Nimes had a positive finish last season to end up 9th in Ligue 1 last season. Head coach Bernard Blaquart will want to see his team bounce back after the midweek loss away to Montpellier. It was a disappointment after the Crocodiles delivered a successful tip for us last weekend in their 1-0 win at home against Toulouse when we backed them to seal victory. Hopefully, they'll do the same again here. Back-to-back wins with two consecutive clean sheets at home is encouraging reading.
St Etienne are in complete disarray. The club is clearly suffering from the dreaded Europa League hangover after finishing 4th in Ligue 1 last season and being involved in the Europa League group stage this year. An opening round 3-2 loss away to Belgian side KAA Gent won't have helped their disheartened spirits at all. No win in the last 6 league games for Ghislain Printant's side is also worrying. Oh, how the fans would long to have Jean-Louis Gasset back out of retirement.
I simply don't back St Etienne to win a game at the moment. The transition period that inevitably had to happen after Gasset's retirement isn't going smoothly. The Europa League distraction won't have helped and against this Nimes side that look defensively sound at home I think they'll struggle to take anything from this game. I'm going to have to back a home win.
Nimes to Win @ 2.37 with Bet365
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.96 with Marathonbet
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Football... don't you bloody love it?! 

I think this is the day that Huddersfield Town will turn the corner. The Cowleys have had some time to work with the players and I think they will have targeted this home game against Millwall to get back on track and it’s a must win to jump above Stoke following their defeat last night. True their form is appalling but they have some decent players and at 7/5 as the home team they will be my bet of the day to boost a few accumulators.
Come on the Terrriers!

I don't even want to add up what Stoke have cost me over the last 2 seasons! They were at it again failing to lose to Brentford last week so I'm just going to avoid betting in their games. But I would love to see Forest absolutely batter them!! Forest rested most of the team against Arsenal and got thumped, hopefully that won't affect confidence and the fresh legs help. If I had to bet it would be on a Forest win at better than 2/1.
I like Swansea to get back on track against Reading (4/5) and I've put Derby in my acca (around evens) mainly because of who they are playing.

newcastle were idiots. they were far too cautious and defensive, scared of conceding a goal. if manager was benitez he'd get the three points. they are nicely primed up for relegation under bruce

how aston villa lost that match against arsenal last time is strange. they should have come away with three points. burnley are good at scraping and i can't see aston villa getting the better of them. i'm taking burnley to win
west ham are doing terrific in the league but this will be a challenge for them. i don't think they are that good defensively and bournemouth has a knack of scoring goals. they can cut open any team on their day. i wonder how much west ham league position and unbeaten run will give them confidence. perhaps i am naive of thinking to go with west ham but both teams to score is a given.
 
 

MK Dons vs Liverpool
OK, so last night didn't go as we had hoped but we take these cup bets with a pinch of salt. Next up, we take a look at another potential upset when League One side MK Dons face Premier League leaders and reigning Champions League winners Liverpool in a 7:45pm BST tonight at Stadium MK. Can the home side take advantage of a weakened Reds side?
MK Dons have had a mixed start to their league season with 4 wins and 5 defeats putting them in 15th place in the league table. Back-to-back 1-0 losses in the league against Ipswich and Southend means that Paul Tisdale's side are in desperate need of a win and even to simply score a goal. On the plus side, their form in the cup competitions has been a welcome relief from league action. In the EFL Cup, the Dons have beaten arch rivals AFC Wimbledon on penalties after a 2-2 draw and navigated their way past Southend with a 4-1 victory. In the EFL Trophy, their only game so far ended in a 3-0 win over League Two side Stevenage.
Liverpool could not have started the league season much better. Jurgen Klopp's men have a 100% record in the league with 6 wins from their 6 league games. This has consisted of 17 goals scored and just 5 goals conceded. It's expected that the Reds will make wholesale changes tonight with a number of fringe and youth players giving the nod such as Caoimhin Kelleher, Dejan Lovren, Joe Gomez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Rhian Brewster potentially being given a start. Liverpool were eliminated at this stage by Chelsea last season, Leicester at the same stage the season before that, but they did reach the semi-finals in 2016/17.
I have a feeling Liverpool should have enough to get through this game but it's always worth backing the home side to try and get something in these games. Once again, I'm using this competition as a freebie to back the underdog. I don't recommend you follow me if you are serious about winning your bet but if you fancy a more risky punt as an EFL Cup treat then let's do this! MK Dons double chance is my call. It'll probably end in tears. If you're sensible you'll back MK Dons +2 or Liverpool -2 depending on your preference. I'm going all out though! Come on you Dons... and I never thought I'd be supporting MK Dons to win a game of football!
MK Dons Double Chance @ 4.10 with Marathonbet
BTTS @ 1.75 with Bet365

burnley and newcastle present the best value to take on this weekend.
i wouldn't read too much into norwich beating man city last time although they may fancy themselves scoring. they are too open at the back and burney can turn them over for that reason.
newcastle has to win this match and get three points and with them being hosts they should get over the line against brighton who haven't won in in last four games.
i can't see tottenham being able to manage their champions league match with this early kick off. the only team who could edge it in the end is leicester though it may take second half to run the spurs team down
i'm not too sure about everton at the moment. it's hard to really know what to expect. they give me the impression that sometimes that they are yo-yo club, sometimes good and sometimes bad. they will be expected to win this match but sheff utd will come looking for goals. it's too risky to take on
i think liverpool can beat chelsea youth side. they've got too much experience in the squad

yeah i'm not too sure how to call that game. i thought maybe it could be 1-1 at half time and then sevilla becoming stronger in the second half. you also have to bear in mind real madrid haven't done too bad in league, sitting in third place and unbeaten despite injuries but then there was a loss against psg in champions league. sevilla had to travel in europa league as well so on balance you could see a poor game of football where they just cancel each other out and happily take a point

Yes, that Sevilla versus Real Madrid one is an interesting game. Seeing Gareth Bale refusing to hold the Real Madrid pennant suggests the team is fractured. I've always questioned Zinedine Zidane's managerial capabilities. His league record was inconsistent and his Champions League success relied on individual brilliance from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale himself. I think he's been found out now. I'm not sure Sevilla will win but I'm not really convinced Real Madrid will either!

Nottingham Forest vs Barnsley
A long, long time ago in what feels like another world both Nottingham Forest and Barnsley were competing in the top flight of English football. Fast forward to the modern day and the two clubs face-off in a Championship fixture at 3pm BST on a Saturday afternoon at the City Ground. Neither team has huge ambitions to get promoted this season so it's all a bit low key.
Well, we say neither club harbours ambitions to go up but Nottingham Forest are starting to get some momentum. Sabri Lamouchi's side lost their opening game of the season in a 2-1 defeat at home to West Brom but it's all been encouraging stuff since then. It's now 6 league games unbeaten for the Tricky Trees with 3 wins, 3 draws, and 2 clean sheets. Be careful to whisper it now but is there a revival stirring in the home land of Robin Hood?
The same cannot quite be said for Barnsley. Daniel Stendel's men are struggling to adapt to life in the second tier after promotion from League One last season. The Tykes couldn't have started the season better with a 1-0 win over promotion favourites Fulham. Sadly, since then it's gone downhill with no win in 6 league matches including 2 draws and 4 losses. That run of results has left the club in 22nd place with just Huddersfield and Stoke below them.
It won't make for pleasant reading for Barnsley fans knowing that the last time they came to the City Ground they suffered a 3-0 hammering at the hands of their hosts. They come to a Forest side that have won 3 of their last 4 competitive matches. As obvious as it seems, the sensible bet appears to be backing a home win at this price and you feel this Forest team could only get better over the coming weeks. One thing to keep an eye on is that Forest do love scoring late with 5 of their last 6 goals coming in the final third of the game.
Nottingham Forest to Win @ 1.82 with Marathonbet
Draw HT/ Nottingham Forest FT @ 5.25 with BetVictor

Bologna vs Roma
History will tell us that Serie A is always a cruel mistress and this season is proving no different. This week is a tricky one to decipher so I'm going to raise the stakes and choose a game that I feel could offer us a surprise. It's Bologna versus Roma in a 2pm BST kick-off this Sunday at the Stadio Renato Dall'Arca. The home side are certainly a team to watch this season.
Bologna have been an emotional story already with head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic remaining in charge of the team as he undergoes treatment for cancer. The former Serbian international is pulling off the impossible and, as a former Lazio stalwart, he will certainly be keen to get one over on his old rivals here. I Rossoblu remain unbeaten so far this season with 2 wins and 1 draw. The standard of their opposition hasn't been up there with the elite yet so this will be their biggest challenge of the season thus far.
Roma are licking their wounds after a disappointing 6th placed finish last season. It has meant that Paulo Fonseca's men are competing in the Europa League this season. They won their opening group stage game 4-0 against Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir. It remains to be seen what impact that will have on their preparations for this game. Everyone knows the curse of the Europa League. On the domestic front, 1 win and 2 draws has been underwhelming yet not a disaster.
I'm very keen to watch this game because there are so many subplots going on. I think Mihajlovic will get his team really pumped up for this one and I wouldn't be surprised if Bologna sprung a surprise and took something from this game. My gut says to back the home side and the ELO ratings support me. I'm not entirely convinced they can get the win though so I'm going to bottle it and back the draw.
Draw @ 3.65 with Bethead
Draw HT/FT @ 6.30 with RedZone
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i think inter milan is better team with the players they have recruited in the summer but i haven't been impressed with them in champions league on tuesday or their narrow win over udinese in domestic league. ac milan are terrible against lower sides but raise their game against top so i won't get involved in this match.
i fancy to underperforming underdogs this weekend sampdoria and fiorentina.
sampdoria started the season in really poor form and disjointed performances but now they are playing at home and has got improve. torino was embarrassed by lecce on monday and they won't have an easy day here.
atalanta were badly beaten in champions league on wednesday and without scoring themselves, that will knock the confidence out of them and will play on their minds. i feel fiorentina has been knocking on the door recently and there is a good performance in them waiting to show. they picked up valuable draw against juventus and they could steal the limelight from the hosts in this match
parma is great value if you believe they can score two goals which i think could bag them victory. lazio is playing far away in romania in europa league and parma will bring their intensity for this match

bordeaux is the form side at the moment and i expect them to win comfortably and continue on the positive trend. brest has got something about them. they have only lost once this season picking up three draws so are are capable of spoiling but i will side with the hosts
 

Newcastle vs Brighton
It seems silly to suggest that relegation six pointers can take place this early in the season but there is a feeling that it's exactly the case when Newcastle host Brighton for this 5:30pm kick-off on Saturday evening at St James' Park. Both sides have been loitering around the bottom three so far this season and defeat here could be a worrying sign for the losing team.
Newcastle began their season with back-to-back defeats with new manager Steve Bruce facing criticism from all quarters. It had appeared that their form had turned round when they earned a shock 1-0 win away to Tottenham and then held Watford to a 1-1 draw at home. However, the 3-1 loss to Liverpool ended their unbeaten run before it had really got properly started. Bruce is arguably doing better than some anticipated but the expectations weren't very high.
Brighton fans developed a sense of optimism when new manager Graham Potter oversaw his side hammer Watford 3-0 away on the opening weekend. Unfortunately, it's been pretty bleak since then with 2 draws and 2 defeats. The 2-0 loss at home to Southampton was particularly demoralising. The Seagulls need a win here to prevent this spell without a victory extending to five league games.
Just 1 point separates these two sides in the league so neither team will want to lose this game. Brighton might have to do all the travelling to get to this match but their record at St James' Park over recent years hasn't been too bad. Newcastle have only won 1 of the last 5 meetings between the two teams at their own stadium. Brighton are also unbeaten in the last four encounters between the sides. I'm not sure I can split these two teams in this game so I have to back a score draw.
Draw @ 3.25 with Unibet
BTTS @ 2.00 with RedZone

i'm willing to take a punt on some teams but i wouldn't be confident in them. 
i think wigan could edge charlton. credit to charlton for being pretty good but their unbeaten run came to an end last week
sheff wed to win is another one with monk as manager.he motivates players well. fulham are decent but haven't look too convincing or showed cutting edge lately.
hull to win because luton will give them a chance to score one or two goals. luton too open at the back
bristol city to win because i'm thinking home comforts here. swansea are strong but bristol city scored 12 goals in last six games

fantastic odds in bundesliga and i am sure there will be some surprises

my acca tip
burnley
nottingham forest
fleetwood
rotherham
burton
cambridge
colchester
oldham
walsall
stake £25   pays £15.000
good luck

Southampton vs Bournemouth
The Premier League is back for another round of intense action this weekend and the fun starts early this week. It's two of the teams from the south coast going toe-to-toe as Southampton play Bournemouth in an 8pm BST kick-off at St Mary's Stadium in a Friday Night Football special. Both sides have been performing well recently so can they be separated here?
Southampton were looking like relegation candidates last season before the appointment of former RB Leipzig manager Ralph Hasenhuttl helped to steer them away from the danger zone. This season started ominously with back-to-back defeats but results and performances have improved lately. The Saints are now unbeaten in three league games with 2 wins and 1 draw. Just one goal conceded in those three games shows that the defence is being shored up and that's a huge positive.
Bournemouth have had a mixed bag of results so far. You could argue they've got the exact kind of results you might have expected. Wins against Aston Villa and Everton, a draw against Sheffield United, and defeats to Manchester United and Leicester. The victory over the Toffees last weekend was as much a gift from Marco Silva's side as Eddie Howe's men had to work for it. They'll need an improved display to take something away from this game. The concern remains a leaky defence.
Four of the last five encounters between these two sides has ended in a draw. Both teams will come into this game high on confidence. I feel a Bournemouth side that have scored freely this season with 8 goals in 5 games might breach this Southampton back-line even though it has tightened up. I can't help but be drawn towards a 1-0 home win or 1-1 draw. I think I'm going to have to back the draw. The Saints have only won 1 of their last 6 home league games which makes you wonder whether Hasenhuttl knows how to best approach these home matches.
Draw @ 3.75 with Betfair
BTTS @ 1.67 with William Hill
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burnley and newcastle present the best value to take on this weekend.
i wouldn't read too much into norwich beating man city last time although they may fancy themselves scoring. they are too open at the back and burney can turn them over for that reason.
newcastle has to win this match and get three points and with them being hosts they should get over the line against brighton who haven't won in in last four games.
i can't see tottenham being able to manage their champions league match with this early kick off. the only team who could edge it in the end is leicester though it may take second half to run the spurs team down
i'm not too sure about everton at the moment. it's hard to really know what to expect. they give me the impression that sometimes that they are yo-yo club, sometimes good and sometimes bad. they will be expected to win this match but sheff utd will come looking for goals. it's too risky to take on
i think liverpool can beat chelsea youth side. they've got too much experience in the squad

there is no way man utd can win this with their even greater changed squad. i expect them to be embarrassed by astana. in my opinion man will lose this match

i fancy a 2-2 draw between mallorca vs athletic bilbao
i think zidane is few weeks away from the sack. real madrid got injuries and suspension so i see another match where they struggle to win. i'm going to go for levante to score 2 goals or more and win
 

there could be many upsets after international break. the lower league sides could do very well. i'm thinking
leicester win
newcastle draw
norwich draw

Atletico Madrid vs Eibar
OK, so Atletico Madrid half did their job for us last weekend by winning the game as we predicted but they just couldn't take the lead before half-time for all their efforts. I'm giving them a chance at 100% redemption this week by backing them again in their 6pm BST kick-off at the Wanda Metropolitano against Eibar on Sunday evening. Can they serve us well?
Atletico Madrid are one of my go-to teams when it comes to betting. Diego Simeone's side are one of the most predictable teams in European football. You know they're going to be well-organised, you know they're going to be hard to break down, and you know they've got it in their locker to get the job done. This season I think if they can keep up this habit of grinding out the results then they could seriously challenge Barcelona and Real Madrid for the title.
Eibar might be a small team by size but they are indeed the little train that could. Football hipsters around the world have got on board Jose Luis Mendilibar's side as they compete in their 6th consecutive La Liga season against all the odds. It's not been the best of starts for the side from the Basque Country with just 1 point from their two league games against Mallorca and Osasuna. Both matches would have been games they'd have hoped to take something from.
Right, so I'm going to back a standard Atletico Madrid clean sheet win. Simeone's men have looked typically solid at the back with a well-structured set-up across the pitch. That's the beauty of Atleti. You know what you're getting. Eibar have looked a little short on that clinical edge up front. If they've struggled to score against the teams they've faced so far then I can't see that improving against this staunch Atletico back-line. A comfortable home win with a clean sheet for me.
Atletico Madrid to Win to Nil @ 2.05 with BetVictor
Atletico Madrid HT/FT @ 2.30 with Coral
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