web analytics

Posts Comments

You are here: Home / Archives for Soccer

Football Tips with Bet With Aus – EPL Week 38

By Leave a Comment

Welcome to the weekly EPL tips blog from Bet With Aus, bringing you free football tips for the EPL.

So here we have it, the final game of the EPL season and there is still a title to be decided between two teams, Champions League qualification between three teams and one remaining relegation place to be decided between QPR and Bolton Wanderers. As such, I will be previewing EPL fixtures in which there is something to play for. As always, do make sure to check up on team selections prior to betting so there are no nasty surprises. Aside from that, please do give us any feedback in the comments section at the bottom. Enjoy the read!

EPL Football Tips with Bet With Aus

Everton v Newcastle United – EPL Football Tips

Everton have had a brilliant season and will look to finish on a high to ensure they finish above their arch rivals Liverpool. They are unbeaten in 8 EPL fixtures and have won their last three home games in a row. Their last home game was an impressive 4-0 thumping of Fulham which saw Tim Cahill back amongst the goals.

Newcastle have also had a very good season and find themselves still in with a shout of Champions League qualification on the final day of the season. They have won six of their last 8 EPL fixtures and have won three of their last four away games including their last, which ended in a 0-2 victory over Chelsea.

The first of my football tips is Newcastle +0.5 (double chance) @ $1.62 with Sportingbet

Manchester City v QPR - EPL Football Tips

Manchester City have been great to watch this season, Aguero and Silva being the particular highlights. They are in pole position to snatch the EPL title away from United and I fully expect them to do so. They’ve won their last five games in a row, keeping a clean sheet in four of them. They have only failed to win one home game all season, the last of which was the, potentially title deciding, 1-0 win over Manchester United.

QPR would have hoped to have secured their EPL status by now, but they have had a disappointing season in my view. Rangers have made a late rally to stay in the EPL by winning their last five home games in a row, including beating Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool. They have, however, lost their last six away games in a row and haven’t won an away game in 12 attempts.

My tip for this game is Sergio Aguero – First Goalscorer @ 3.75 with Bet365 where you will get paid out 1/3 odds if Aguero does not score first but does score in the match.

Stoke City v Bolton Wanderers - EPL Football Tips

Stoke, given their Europa league exerts, will quite possibly be happy that they weren’t dragged into a relegation battle. Their end of season form is pretty poor, however, with just one win in their last 10 EPL fixtures and none of the last five. They have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 10 matches and have won once in four home games.

Bolton have been significant relegation candidates all season long after they started the season with eight defeats in their first 10 games. Bolton have won just one of their last seven games and it was followed by their previous away game – a 2-2 draw at Sunderland.. Bolton will be up for this, big time.

My tip for this game is for both teams to score @ $1.60 with Sportingbet

Twitter - EPL Football Tips

Sunderland v Manchester United - EPL Football Tips

Sunderland had a disappointing start to the season under Steve Bruce but improved after the appointment of Martin O’Neill. They are, however, on a poor run of form winning just two of their last 13 games home and away, and not one of their last seven games – 4 of which have seen the Black Cats fail to score.

Manchester United are in a bit of a surprise situation give the state of play after City lost 1-0 to Arsenal a month ago. The champions have won only two of their last five matches, a run which includes the all important 1-0 loss to Manchester City. United have lost their last two away games in a row, failing to score in each of them.

My tip for this game is for there to be under 2.5 goals @ $2.15 with Sportingbet.

Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham - EPL Football Tips

Tottenham began the season on fire and for a long time looked like genuine title contenders, but in the end the lack of quality in depth within the squad has taken it’s toll and they now face a battler to qualify for next year’s Champs League. Spurs have won just three of their last 12 EPL fixtures but are unbeaten in their last three.

Fulham will be pleased with their top half finish but they can still make it into the top 7  which would be the club’s highest ever finish in the EPL, so they will want to win this. They go into this game with the 6th best form in the league over the last 8 games, which is better than Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham. They have managed to win five of their last seven including two of their last three away.

My tip for this game is Rafael Van Der Vaart to score at anytime @ $2.05 with Sportingbet.

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal - EPL Football Tips

West Brom have had a good season and can be proud of some of the football they have played to get to their current 10th place and they will want to hold on to a top half finish. They are in good form with just one defeat in their last 6 games, including three wins and four clean sheets. This will be Roy Hodgson’s last game in charge before he takes over as England manager and he, and the players, will want to go out on a high.

Arsenal have had a ridiculously turbulent season, from the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford to 5-2 victory over Spurs at the Emirates. A little under a month ago they looked like they had sewn up third place and automatic qualification for next year’s Champs League, but no wins in their last four EPL fixtures have left the club with a nervous last day of the season. They look shapeless without Arteta and don’t always perform under pressure.

The last of my football tips is HT Result: West Brom +0.5 (double chance) @ $1.66 with Bet365.

Thanks for reading over the past few months, it’s been a great season in the EPL, full of shock results and quality football. Good luck with the punt during the off season and I’ll be back for the start of next year’s EPL action.

Stan Jackson.

Share
Filed Under: Banter, Soccer Tagged With: , , , ,

Euro 2012 Preview – Fixtures, Odds & Predictions

By Leave a Comment

The Euro 2012 Championships get underway at the beginning of June and what a tournament it should be too. Spain go into this one as heavy favourites after lifting the Euro 2008 trophy and considering the number of stars that litter their side.

Can anyone challenge them or will it be two Euro’s in a row to go with their 2010 World Cup triumph? Check out our preview of each group below, followed by our predictions, the tournament fixtures and an infographic loaded with stats from prior Euro Championships!

Euro 2012 Preview

Group A

Based in Poland

  • Czech Republic
  • Greece
  • Poland
  • Russia

Venues:

National Stadium, Warsaw– Capacity: 58,145

Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw– Capacity: 44,901

This looks to be the easiest group on paper with none of the so called heavyweights present however all 4 sides have a chance to progress to the knockout stages from this group. It’s what I’d like to call this years “group of death”.

Russia look to be the strongest of the 4 sides and should progress comfortably to the next round, the last spot looks to be up for grabs though. Poland will be looking to put a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign behind them after they failed to qualify for the finals. Euro 2004 winners Greece have gone downhill since their maiden tournament win and will be looking to get back to the top. While the Czech Republic could be the darkhorses from this group, they finished second in their qualifying group behind Spain.

Predictions:

Qualifiers – Russia, Czech Republic

Tournament Odds:

Russia – 20/1
Czech Republic – 66/1
Poland – 66/1
Greece – 66/1

Group B

Based in Ukraine

  • Netherlands
  • Denmark
  • Germany
  • Portugal

Venues:

Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv – Capacity: 42,000

Arena Lviv, Lviv – Capacity: 33,400

This will be a fiercly contested group with clear favourites Germany and the Netherlands expected to go through to the knockout stages. However one can never count out a team containing one of the 2 best players in the world in Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal have been disappointing on the international stage over the last few tournaments and will be wanting to make amends here.

Germany are second favourites behind Spain to take out the Euro 2012 tournament and with players of the Calibre of Podolski, Muller, Gotze and Ozil they will be right up there. The Netherlands will be strong also, with PFA and FWA Player of the Year Robin van Persie leading the line with Arjen Robben, Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Rafael van der Vaart providing assistance.

Denmark will struggle in this group and it will be between the big 3 for the 2 spots in the knockout round.

Predictions:

Qualifiers – Germany, Netherlands

Tournament Odds:

Germany – 13/4
Netherlands – 7/1
Portugal – 20/1
Denmark – 80/1

Group C

Based in Poland

  • Spain
  • Italy
  • Republic of Ireland
  • Croatia

Venues:

PGE Arena, Gdansk– Capacity: 44,000         

Municipal Stadium, Poznan– Capacity: 43,000

This looks to be the most clear cut of the 4 groups with Spain reigning champions and odds on favourites to win the tournament let alone get out of the group. Italy have not been anywhere near their usual level in recent international tournaments despite their resolute defence. In qualifying the Italians only conceded 2 goals in their 10 matches, the problem will be putting the ball in the back of the net with the likes of Giuseppi Rossi out injured and Antonio Cassano just returning from injury.

The Croatians will have a tough time getting anywhere in this group, their best chance will be a draw against Italy and a win over the Republic of Ireland. With an ageing squad the Irish may struggle to make an impact despite Trappatoni’s ultra organised setup.

Predictions:

Qualifiers – Spain, Italy

Tournament Odds:

Spain – 12/5
Italy – 12/1
Croatia – 40/1
Rebulic of Ireland – 66/1

Group D

Based in Ukraine

  • Ukraine
  • Sweden
  • France
  • England

Venues:

Donbass Arena, Donetsk – Capacity: 50,149              

Olympic Stadium, Kiev – Capacity: 83,450

France and England are the automatic favourites for this group, Sweden have regressed completely since the mid to late 2000′s when they were a European powerhouse. The Ukraine despite being hosts will be lucky to get anything out of this group. They have never competed in the Euro’s before and have ageing stars to rely on in Shevchenko, 35 and Tymoshchuk, 33.

England are always touted as tournament favourites and more often than not they fail to deliver on that promise. Up until a week ago they didn’t even have a manager to lead them into the tournament however this has now been put to bed with West Bromwich Albion Manager Roy Hodgson getting the gig. Harry Redknapp will now have to settle with some Euro punditry as he missed out on the job many thought he had nailed down.

France, they could be the darkhorses in this tournament. Laurent Blanc has somehow managed to control all the ego’s that led to the 2010 World Cup debacle. They have a number of players in fine form for their clubs with Johanne Cabaye, Matthew Valbuena, Franck Ribery and Loic Remy all playing great football. Add those to the already impressive line-up of Nasri, Ben Arfa, Benzema, Gourcuff and the French appear to have plenty of depth heading into this one.

Predictions:

Qualifiers – France, England

Touranment Odds:

England – 9/1
France – 12/1
Ukraine – 40/1
Sweden – 80/1

Prediction for Overall Winner – Germany

Euro 2012 Infographic – Stats

Euro 2012 Infographic

Source: the Euro 2012 Betting Tips Portal

Euro 2012 Fixtures 

Group A

Playing on Saturday, June 9

Poland v Greece in Warsaw (2:00)
Russia v Czech Republic in Wroclaw (4:45)

Playing on Tuesday, June 13

Poland v Russia in Warsaw (4:45)
Greece v Czech Republic in Wroclaw (2:00)

Playing on Sunday, June 17

Greece v Russia in Warsaw (4:45)
Czech Republic v Poland in Wroclaw (4:45)

Group B

Playing on Sunday, June 10

Netherlands v Denmark in Kharkiv (2:00)
Germany v Portugal in Lviv (4:45)

Playing on Thursday, June 14

Denmark v Portugal in Lviv (2:00)
Netherlands v Germany in Kharkiv (4:45)

Playing on Monday, June 18

Denmark v Germany in Lviv (4:45)
Portugal v Netherlands in Kharkiv (4:45)

Group C

Playing on Monday, June 11

Spain v Italy in Gdansk (2:00)
Ireland v Croatia in Poznan (4:45)

Playing on Friday, June 15

Spain v Ireland in Gdansk (4:45)
Italy v Croatia in Poznan (2:00)

Playing on Tuesday, June 19

Croatia v Spain in Gdansk (4:45)
Italy v Ireland in Poznan (4:45)

Group D

Playing on Tuesday, June 12

Ukraine v Sweden in Kiev (4:45)
France v England in Donetsk (2:00)

Playing on Saturday, June 16

Ukraine v France in Donetsk (4:45)
Sweden v England in Kiev (2:00)

Playing on Wednesday, June 20

Sweden v France in Kiev (4:45)
England v Ukraine in Donetsk (4:45)

Quarter-finals

Playing on Friday, June 22

 1 – Winner Group A v Runner-up Group B in Warsaw (4:45)

Playing on Saturday, June 23

2 – Winner Group B v Runner-up Group A in Gdansk (4:45)

Playing on Sunday, June 24

3 – Winner Group C v Runner-up Group D in Donetsk (4:45)

Playing on Monday, June 25

4 – Winner Group D v Runner-up Group C in Kiev (4:45)

Semi-finals

Playing on Thursday, June 28

Winner quarter-final 1 v Winner quarter-final 3 in Donetsk (4:45)

Playing on Friday, June 29

Winner quarter-final 2 v Winner quarter-final 4 in Warsaw (4:45)

Final

Monday, July 1 in Kiev (4:45)

All kick-off times AEST

Share
Filed Under: Banter, Soccer Tagged With:

Football Tips with Bet With Aus – EPL Week 37

By Leave a Comment

Welcome to the weekly EPL tips blog from Bet With Aus, bringing you free football tips for the EPL.

The title race is the closest it has been for years after Man City registered a 1-0 victory in the Manchester Derby earlier this week. The race for Champions League places is also one of the closest for years while the relegation zone is as cluttered as ever. This weekend I’ll be looking to tip for Arsenal v Norwich, Newcastle v Man City, Wolves v Everton and Manchester United v Swansea. As always, do make sure to check up on team selections prior to betting so there are no nasty surprises. Aside from that, please do give us any feedback in the comments section at the bottom. Enjoy the read!

EPL Football Tips with Bet With Aus

Arsenal v Norwich City – EPL Football Tips

Just a few games ago it looked like Arsenal had all but secured 3rd place and, with it, automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League. Defeat at home to Wigan, followed by draws with Chelsea and Stoke, however, has left the Gunners just one point ahead of Tottenham and Newcastle. The Gunners made all the early running at Stoke only to, almost inevitably, go behind to a Peter Crouch goal. Van Persie leveled the scoring but there was to be no comeback this time from Wenger’s men. Norwich have been brilliant this season, their first in the EPL since the 04/05 campaign. Finishing in the top half is only a feint possibility now but they have performed well enough throughout the season to make sure they didn’t finish it being involved in a relegation scrap. They have won just one of their last six matches and have now lost three on the bounce after the 0-3 defeat to Liverpool last weekend.

Arsenal are winless in their last three games, managing to find the net just twice. Injuries are taking their toll on the Gunners’ squad as Walcott and Arteta now find themselves on the treatment table. They have managed just 1 point from their last two home games after the surprise 1-2 defeat to Wigan and 0-0 draw with Chelsea. They face a Norwich side who have lost four of their last five away games, but only once by more than one goal. The Canaries may be tiring at the end of a long season, but they are far from giving up and will try to make life difficult for an Arsenal side who have been looking rather toothless of late in attack. Norwich have lost only two away games by more than two goals so I don’t expect this to be a walkover for the Gunners.

The first of my football tips is Norwich +2.5 @ $1.6 with Bet365

Newcastle United v Manchester City – EPL Football Tips

Newcastle are having a season they can have only dreamt of. After the loss of Carroll, Nolan, Barton and Enrique there were a number tipping Newcastle as an outside bet for relegation, but I take my hat off to Alan Pardew who has done an excellent job. They are one point off 3rd placed Arsenal after their 0-2 win against Chelsea in the week, in which Papiss Cisse scored a contender for goal of the season. Should Newcastle win Champions League qualification then, in my mind, there is no doubt that Alan Pardew should be manager of the year. Manchester City are now favourites for the title after their 1-0 triumph in the Manchester Derby, but they face what is quite possibly the toughest game possible at this point in time.

Newcastle have lost just twice at home all season, but their last home defeat was way back on December 21st. Since then, the Magpies have gone nine games without defeat and are currently on a four game winning streak at St James’ Park – with a clean sheet in each of them. They are the league’s form side and so I find the odds for them ($5) to win almost inexplicable. Manchester City have lost five away games this season but do still have the second best away defensive record in the league. They have won their last two away games in a row, including a 1-6 thumping of Norwich City that saw Carlos Tevez score a hat-trick. Both teams are desperate for the points so I will play safer than going for the outright Newcastle win, but I cannot ignore the bias towards City in the odds.

My tip for this game is Newcastle +0.75 @ 2.125 with Bet365

Twitter - EPL Football Tips

Wolverhampton v Everton – EPL Football Tips

Wolves will be playing their football in the Championship next season after a 0-2 defeat to Man City left them with no chance of escaping the drop. They found themselves 3-0 down away to Swansea in 15 minutes last weekend, but fought back to earn a point in a 4-4 thriller. Despite this, they have been poor this season and are likely to lose a number of their better players in the summer. Everton have the fifth best form in the EPL after going on a run of seven games without defeat including a 4-4 draw at Old Trafford. As many predicted, their last game at Stoke ended in a draw and so they will be looking for three points at Molineux in order to extend their lead over rivals Liverpool in the EPL.

Wolves are on a torrid run, losing their last nine home games in a row, including the 1-5 derby defeat to West Brom that sealed the departure of Mick McCarthy back in February. Things never improved, and the woeful running of the club regarding employing a new manager clearly took its toll on the players as they haven’t won a game since then. Everton are in good form but have won just once in their last four away games despite averaging over two goals per game. Jelavic has been brilliant and our own Tim Cahill finally got himself on the scoresheet in the recent 4-0 win over Fulham.

My tip for this one is Everton -0.75 @ $1.875 with Bet365

Manchester United v Swansea City – EPL Football Tips

After the 2-0 victory over QPR, United looked to have pulled off a great comeback to be in pole position for the EPL title. This result, however, was followed by defeat to Wigan, in a game which United didn’t really turn up for. They looked to be back on track with victory over Villa, but the 4-4 draw with Everton and the defeat to Man City have left the Champions with it all to do now. This could be United’s first trophyless season since the 04/05 season. Swansea have been impressive in their debut EPL season, earning plaudits from away fans for their brand of football. Like Norwich, they have a chance of a top half finish and will look to end the season strongly, although recent results seem to suggest that they may have run out of steam. They’ve won just one of their last seven EPL fixtures and let a three goal lead slip at home to Wolves last week.

United need the points more than Swansea do, a lot more. They will also be looking to erase as much of the goal difference deficit as they can and I fully expect them to throw everything at Swansea this weekend. Their results against sides in and around Swansea are flawless P6 W6 F12 A0. Swansea have failed to find the net in five of their seven EPL fixtures away to sides in the top 8, although they may take solace from the fact that Everton managed to score 4 past the Champions in their last game at Old Trafford. I’m relying on United scoring plenty here, but I feel they have little choice other than to go for exactly that.

The last of my football tips is for there to be over 3.5 goals at $2.05 with Sportingbet.

Thanks for reading, and if you do have any comments leave them in the comments section – it’s literally made for this type of thing! ;-)

Share
Filed Under: Banter, Banter's Best Bets, Soccer Tagged With: , , , ,

Football Tips with Bet With Aus – EPL Week 36

By Leave a Comment

Welcome to the weekly EPL tips blog from Bet With Aus, bringing you free football tips for the EPL.

As the English Premier League approaches its climax we still have a title race on our hands between the two Manchester clubs. The race for 3rd and 4th has become that little bit more interesting with Chelsea in the final as, should they win the Champions League, 4th place in the EPL will now go into the Europa League. We also have two spots left to be filled in the relegation zone, so there is plenty to play for. As always, do make sure to check up on team selections prior to betting so there are no nasty surprises. Aside from that, please do give us any feedback in the comments section at the bottom. Enjoy the read!

EPL Football Tips with Bet With Aus

Everton v Fulham – EPL Football Tips

Everton and David Moyes should be very proud of their season. With an inevitably small budget and, subsequently, squad, Everton sit two point above Merseyside rivals Liverpool with just four games to go. The toffees have lost just twice in 14 games and are unbeaten in five after their incredible comeback in their 4-4 draw at Old Trafford last weekend. The loan return of Steven Pienaar and the signing of Jelavic have proved to be an inspired decision as the club’s season has seen a remarkable turn around since the New Year. Fulham are just two points behind Everton and level on points with big spending Liverpool– their home form is bettered only by the current top 6 teams. Their away form, however, is poor, collecting just 14 points from their 16 away EPL fixtures. They are four games unbeaten and comfortably defeated Bolton 0-3 in their last away outing.

Everton, for a long period, struggled to score on a regular basis and rarely found the net more than once a game. They have improved in recent games but are facing a Fulham side that have conceded more than one goal just once in their last ten games. Everton have seen under 2.5 goals scored in 70.6% of their home games, including four of their last five home EPL fixtures. 75% of Fulham’s away games have seen under 2.5 goals scored, including three of their last four. History isn’t on our sides with this one, but defensively these sides have improved greatly and I think this will be a tight game.

My tip for this game is Under 2.5 goals @ $1.75 with Sportingbet.

Wigan Athletic v Newcastle United – EPL Football Tips

Wigan are making a real fist of staying in the EPL, with victories over Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United in recent weeks. Defeat at Fulham has left them just one point above the relegation zone after Bolton’s victory over Aston Villa in midweek.Wigan have lost just one of their last six home games and have kept a clean sheet in each of their last two. Newcaslte are the EPL form side and now sit just three points behind third place Arsenal, but the Magpies do have a game in hand. Fourth place would be no more than they deserve this season, although if Chelsea do win the Champions League fourth place in the EPL will go in to the Europe League rather than Europe’s premier competition.

As we have mentioned, Wigan have been on a strong run at home and are unbeaten in three, winning their last two to nil. Their performances recently have been well beyond their ability – when you look at their home results against sides in the top half they have just one victory in nine attempts and haven’t managed to score more than one goal in any of them. Newcastle have been in impressive in their away fixtures to sides in the bottom half, winning six of their nine games and losing just once – a 4-2 defeat to Norwich City back in December. Newcastle have won six games in a row while keeping clean sheets in five of them, including each of the last four and I believe that they will be too strong for Wigan. Odds of $2.50 are appealing but I will play this one safely.

My tip for this one is Newcastle – Draw No Bet @ $1.75 with Sportingbet.

Twitter - EPL Football Tips

Stoke City vs Arsenal – EPL Football Tips

Stoke City suffered this season due their small squad and involvement in the Europa League, yet they still find themselves just four points of 8th position. They will strive to be in the top half come the end of the season but will need to turn around a poor run of results as they have won just once in their last seven EPL fixtures. A heavy defeat at Newcastle last weekend will need to be quickly forgotten. Arsenal are having an interesting season to say the least, with some remarkable highs and lows during the campaign. They are in the driving seat in the race for third place, but defeat to Wigan, followed by a goalless draw with an under-strength Chelsea, has left them with more to do than would have hoped after beating Manchester City 1-0 at the beginning of the month.

Stoke City have failed to score in only three of their 16 home EPL fixtures this season, losing on only four occasions at the Britannia Stadium. They are currently on a four game unbeaten run at home, three of which they have won. Stoke have scored in each of their last four home fixtures but haven’t kept a clean sheet in seven, both home and away. Arsenal have scored in each of their last five away fixtures but have a clean sheet in just 26% of their away games. Both sides have scored in 56% of Stoke’s home games and in 65% of Arsenal’s away games – I see that happening here.

My tip for this one is Both Teams to Score @ $1.67 with Sportingbet.

Manchester City v Manchester United – EPL Football Tips

This is what it all comes down to – one game. A City win and it’s in their hands. If City fail to win, the title is more than likely going to Old Trafford again. What a game it promises to be! Still, on with the analysis…

Manchester City finally lost their 100% record at home to Sunderland in an amazing 3-3 draw that, at one point, saw City trailing 1-3 with 5 minutes to go. Since then they travelled to the Emirates Stadium where they suffered a 1-0 defeat that many considered the final nail in the coffin of their title hopes. Three comfortable victories later and they are right back in it, and in my opinion Roberto Mancini has done well and deserves another season at the helm regardless of Tuesday morning’s result.

Manchester United have had a fairly typical season whereby they potter along picking up points and crack on in the final stretch. Their last three games have thrown everything into jeopardy as defeat at Wigan was closely followed by an incredible 4-4 draw with Everton. They are usually so careful at this stage of the season, but they are not used to their Mancunian rivals being so close to them in the league and maybe, just maybe, this is getting to some of United’s players.

I see this game as being a very close encounter. City have to go for it, they need three points, but they don’t need to force it and find themselves behind due to a United counter attack as they did in this season’s FA Cup meeting at the Eithad Stadium. Since it will a close match, whatever the score entering the final 20 minutes, one team will desperately need a goal, making a late goal at either end a far more likely proposition. Four out of the last five EPL fixtures between these two sides have seen a goal after 74:59 minutes.

My tip for this game is for there to be a goal after 74:59 minutes @ $1.83 with Bet365.

Enjoy the weekend’s action and good luck with the punt!

Share
Filed Under: Banter, Banter's Best Bets, Soccer Tagged With: , , ,

Brisbane Roar Cheat Their Way to A-League Grand Final Victory!

By 9 Comments

What an absolute joke of a finish to what is supposed to be the grand finale to the Hyundai A-League season. Perth Glory were absolutely ripped off by blatant cheating by Besart Berisha 4 and half minutes into what was supposed to be 4 minutes of injury time.

Berisha A-League Grand Final 2012 Dive

The match was looking like it was heading to extra time when the Brisbane Roar striker got himself into the box and looked to have a shot. Rather than connecting with the ball he had a complete air swing and threw himself to the floor in a heap. There was no contact by any of the Perth Glory players whatsoever! Berisha appealed for the penalty and the referee duly obliged to the disgust of every Perth Glory player, and the amazement of even some of the Roar players!

The penalty was given and Berisha celebrated as if the Grand Final was already won, knowing that he had just cheated his way to a win for his club. Berisha stepped up and converted the penalty himself to end a Hyundai A-League season riddled with controversy with even more drama.

Brisbane Roar did not deserve to win that match, period. Perth Glory controlled the Roar in all aspects and it really wasn’t what the Glory players deserved after a fantastic performance.

Once again referees, and in this case a cheating Berisha, have ruined a good football match and something really needs to be done about this.

Brisbane Roar have now won 2 grand finals in a row, last year they came back from 2 goals down to down the Mariners in injury time. This season they came from 1 goal down but the Glory were stripped of the chance to take the match to extra time.

 

Besart Berisha Wikipedia screenshot

 

A sad way to end the season to be honest, let us know your thoughts on the match, and the blatant cheating, below in the comments.

Share
Join the forum discussion on this post
Filed Under: Banter, Soccer Tagged With: , , ,

Football Tips with Bet With Aus – EPL Week 35

By Leave a Comment

Welcome to the weekly EPL tips blog from Bet With Aus, bringing you free football tips for the EPL.

Week 35 of the English Premier League and the title race is still not over between the two Manchester clubs. The race for 3rd and 4th is also still on after Arsenal lost to Wigan in the week. We’ll be looking at football tips for games including Arsenal v Chelsea, QPR v Tottenham and Manchester United v Everton. As always, do make sure to check up on team selections prior to betting so there are no nasty surprises. Aside from that, please do give us any feedback in the comments section at the bottom. Enjoy the read!

EPL Football Tips with Bet With Aus

Arsenal v Chelsea – EPL Football Tips

Arsenal are doing all that they can this season to cast doubt on their actually ability at the top level. Victory over Wigan in Tuesday morning’s game would have all but guaranteed the North London side automatic Champions League qualification. As it went, Wigan took all three points and how Arsenal face a touch challenge entertaining an improved Chelsea side. Roberto Di Matteo has done well since he took over, firstly by including Lampard and Drogba more often than Villas Boas ever did. Chelsea will go into the game having beaten Spurs 5-1 at Wembley to reach the FA Cup final and will be on a high after beating Barcelona midweek. It remains to be seen whether the second leg will act as a distraction during this London derby for Chelsea who may to look to rest a few players in preparation for their trip to the Nou Camp.

Since the days of Mourinho at the Bridge, Arsenal have not faired too well against Chelsea, at home or away from home. This may be changing, however, as this fixture last season saw Arsenal run out comfortable 3-1 winners, with the 3-5 victory at Stamford Bridge adding weight to this theory. The fact remains that while both of these sides have excellent ability going forward, defensively they are not too strong against the top sides. Arsenal have seven home clean sheets this season, only one of which has come against a top 6 side. Chelsea haven’t been prolific in their away games this season but have failed to score at the Emirates Stadium in only one of their six visits.

As such, the first of my football tips is Both Teams to Score at $1.57 with Sportingbet.

Newcastle United v Stoke City – EPL Football Tips

Newcastle fans, for the first time in a number of years, can be genuinely proud of their team’s performance this season. They sit in 5th position and are level on points with fourth placed Spurs, each with 5 games to play. Newcastle’s home form has been good and they will be going all out to qualify for the Champions League, a competition which they last competed in 10 years ago. The Magpies are on a run of five straight victories, four of which have come with a clean sheet, with in-form striker Papiss Cisse scoring in each of these. Stoke, as ever, have been solid this season without ever hitting the heights. Tony Pulis maintains that avoiding relegation is their number one goal and, in all fairness, this was their first year in the Europa League, so they have had a lot to contend with. They are not too far away from a top half finish and so that will be their motivation for the remainder of the season.

Newcastle are on a fantastic run of form, with Cisse scoring becoming a forgone conclusion. They have victories in a row since defeat at Arsenal, and with Champions League football in their sights they will be more motivated than ever. Their last three home fixtures have been won-to-nil and they haven’t lost a game at St. James’ Park since the 21st of December, a run of 8 games. Stoke haven’t been great away from home, although nobody really expected them to be; they sent up for 3 points at home and get what they can from away fixtures. Stoke haven’t won an away game in seven attempts, losing four of these and have gone without an away clean sheet since the 0-0 draw with Liverpool back in mid-January.

My tip for this game is Newcastle -0.75 @ $1.925 with Bet365.

Twitter - EPL Football Tips

QPR v Tottenham Hotspur – EPL Football Tips

QPR are hovering above the relegation zone, currently just two points above Bolton who have two games in hand, so their situation could be described as precarious. They were looking doomed with given their tough run in, but victories over Liverpool and Arsenal have proven that they maybe they do have the stomach for the fight. Spurs were flying in the first half of the season but one win in their last eight fixtures has left them in a fight for Champions League qualification. Maybe the manager’s focus has been swayed by constant conjecture strongly linking him with the vacant England manager’s role.

QPR, as mentioned, were looking likely candidates for the drop after a run of one win in nine home fixtures. An incredible comeback from 0-2 down at home to Liverpool was followed by a well deserved 2-1 victory over Arsenal. Next came a comfortable 3-0 win over Swansea, but the results have been interspersed with five straight away defeats leaving them in their current predicament. Spurs haven’t won an away game in seven attempts and have failed to score in their last three outings, however, QPr have just three clean sheets from 17 home fixtures leading me to believe that Spurs will find the net. Rangers have failed tos core in just one of their last nine home fixtures and I expect this trend to continue as they fight for survival.

My tip for this match is for both teams to score at $1.60 with Sportingbet

Manchester United v Everton – EPL Football Tips

Manchester United are big favourites to retain their EPL crown and go into this game with Everton knowing that victory will set up a title celebration at the home of their rivals Man City in their next fixture. A surprise 1-0 defeat to Wigan last week ended a run of 8 straight victories and 12 without loss. They responded well with a 4-0 drubbing of Aston Villa with Rooney the star once again. Everton have been brilliant this season when you consider the budget they have to work with. Much of the credit should go to David Moyes who has consistently over-achieved with the Everton squads he has had to work with. They will need to put FA Cup semi final defeat behind them if they’re to stand any chance in this one.

Man United are predictable, meandering their way through the season, picking up the necessary points to stay in contention only to turn on the after-burners in the final 10-15 games. They have won 12 of their last 14 games, including all of their last seven – the last four of which have been to nil. Everton have won just one away fixture in seven attempts and haven’t won a league game at Old Trafford since the first season of the EPL, back in 1992! They have lost on their last five visits to the ‘Theatre of Dreams’, managing to score just once 10. I think Everton will struggle, their small squad will be tired and somewhat demoralised by the FA Cup defeat to Liverpool.

The last of my football tips is Man United -1.25 @ $1.70 with Bet365.

All comments and criticisms are welcome so please do have your say in the comments section and I’ll make every effort to get involved with discussion about our football tips.

Happy Punting!

Share
Filed Under: Banter, Banter's Best Bets, Soccer Tagged With: , , , ,

Hyundai A-League Grand Final Preview 2011/12

By Leave a Comment

It’s come to that time of the year where the Hyundai A-League Grand Final takes centre stage. This year we have Brisbane Roar, in their second successive Grand Final, up against Perth Glory who have not been in a Grand Final since 2003. That was in the NSL over a year before the A-League was even introduced.

Hyundai A-League Grand Final 2011-12

With all of the controversy surrounding the A-League this season it will be good to get a result this weekend and move on to the 2012/13 season. This one needs to be swept to the side and thought of as merely a stepping stone to bigger and better things in the future. The last few weeks have been an unmitigated disaster for the FFA, with Gold Coast United axed from the competition and the Jets owners handing back their licence just last week. A sprinkling of good news in between those two public relations disasters saw a new Western Sydney team announced for the 2012/13 season. They’re heading in the right direction with this one but only time will tell if we have 10 teams for next season.

On the pitch, last weekend we were treated to a classic between the Mariners and the Glory, Perth eventually winning out in a nailbiting penalty shootout. The Mariners took the lead early though Adam Kwasnik before Shane Smeltz replied within barely a mnute. The game was end to end and surprisingly neither side could get the ball in the back of the net despite numerous chances.

A penalty shoot out ensued and in the end, Michael McGlinchy sent his shot over the bar for the crucial spot kick. Glory Captain Jacob Burns had the chance to win the match and he duly obliged. The Glory now have a chance to win their first ever A-League Premiership at the expense of the Mariners. In fact, this will be the first season where the winners of the Premier’s Plate are not involved in the Grand Final.

Perth will do it tough though in front of a hostile Suncorp crowd against the side that has already put 10 goals past them in their 3 encounters this season. That doesn’t bode well for them, but in saying that once the finals roll around all regular season form goes out the window.

One thing in the Glory’s favour is the fact that they get a nice rest before the Grand Final, while the Roar had a midweek ACL game to contend with. While they did have the week off before this, it remains to be seen how fresh they will be for the Grand Final on Sunday. No travel would have helped their cause and a 2-1 win can’t hurt their confidence either.

The Roar have the home ground advantage for the decider once again, and will be looking to become the first team to win back to back championships in the A-League. If they could add this record to their 36 match unbeaten streak from earlier in the season you would have to say they have dominated despite not getting their name on the Premier’s Plate.

The key to Perth getting over the Roar is to not let them play their own game. That’s easier said than done but they need to shut down the Roar’s passing game if they are to be a chance. Sitting back and hoping to hit the Roar on the break won’t work and we’ve seen plenty of teams come unstuck with this way of thinking so far this season.

Shane Smeltz now has 66 goals in the Hyundai A-League and he will need to add to that if the Glory want to be crowned champions for 2012. No-one else has his cutting edge in front of goal and they are going to need to score goals here, they won’t keep the Roar goalless at Suncorp.

I have a feeling that this match will go down to the wire, maybe not the classic that we had last season but I think the Glory will take it to the Roar. Put your money on goals in this one, they will more than likely be a dime a dozen!

Twitter - Hyundai A-League Grand FinalHyundai A-League Grand Final Tips & Best Bets

Sports Banter Tip – Brisbane Roar

Banter’s Best Bets:

  • Brisbane Roar @ $1.65
  • Total Game Score Over 2.5 @ $1.70
  • Both Teams to Score @ $1.75

Share
Filed Under: Banter, Soccer Tagged With: ,

Football Tips with Bet With Aus – EPL Week 34

By Leave a Comment

Welcome to the weekly EPL tips blog from Bet With Aus, bringing you free football tips for the EPL.

Week 34 of the English Premier League and the title race has taken another twist. The title is not over just yet so we look to games including the top sides and those hoping to avoid relegation. We’ll be looking at football tips for games including Manchester United v Aston Villa, Arsenal v Wigan and Norwich v Manchester City. As always, do make sure to check up on team selections prior to betting so there are no nasty surprises. Aside from that, please do give us any feedback in the comments section at the bottom. Enjoy the read!

EPL Football Tips with Bet With Aus

Norwich City v Manchester City – EPL Football Tips

Norwich have enjoyed a fantastic first season back in the EPL and currently find themselves in 10th position and 14 points clear of safety. In truth, they have been safe from relegation for some time now but what will be most pleasing for boss Paul Lambert will be the team’s performances, particularly in their impressive 1-2 victory away to Spurs last weekend. They weren’t on the best run of form but that win will give them confidence going into this game. Bookies are giving Man City a 20% chance of winning the title, but they will have to begin their run-in with a win here at Carrow Road in order to keep their hopes alive. City were on a run of three games without victory prior to the 4-0 midweek win over West Brom, in which Carlos Tevez scored his first goal since May 11th, and anything but a win here will all but end their title chances.

Norwich have failed to score in only three of their home games all season and have certainly caught the eye with their counter-attacking football, scoring five more home goals than Liverpool and just one less than Newcastle United. Their problem lies with preventing goals, managing to do so in just 12.5% of their 16 home fixtures – in fact, Norwich haven’t kept a clean sheet in 9 games including each of their last four home EPL fixtures. City have struggled away from home this season and have won just one of their last five away EPL fixtures but they will be really up for this game and will go all out for three points, possibly leaving themselves open to the Norwich counter-attack. 75% of Norwich home games and 50% of City away games have seen both sides scoring and I believe that we will see that happening here.

The first of my football tips is for Both Sides to Score @ $1.67 with Sportingbet.

Sunderland v Wolverhampton Wanderers – EPL Football Tips

Given Sunderland’s start to the season they will, or at least should, be happy with their league position. They have avoided relegation, which would have been objective number one when O’Neill took over, and they have something to build on for next season, although they look like losing Bendtner and Sessegnon in the Summer. They are currently three games without victory but are a much stronger proposition at home and face a Wolves side who, in recent games, appear to have given up. Terry Connor’s men have now lost seven games in a row and will be without Bassong for this game as he starts a suspension for his sending off against Arsenal during their 0-3 midweek defeat to the Gunners.

Sunderland’s home form is top-half stuff; they have lost just once in 9 home EPL fixtures since O’Neill took over and I only see them extending that run at the weekend. Wolves are going down to The Championship; they have the worst home and away records in the EPL – in fact, they’ve managed 22 points all season while Sunderland have 26 points from just their home games. Sunderland have won five of their last seven home games while Wolves have lost their 3 away fixtures in a row and have just one away win in 15 attempts.

My tip for this game is Sunderland -0.75 @ $1.6 with Bet365

West Bromwich Albion v QPR – EPL Football Tips

West Brom achieved safety some time ago in all honesty, but they would have hoped to have built upon last season and maybe had one eye on Europe at the beginning of the season. Their impressive away form hasn’t been matched by their home form which has seen just five wins in 16 attempts, although it should be noted that they have won three of their last four home EPL fixtures. QPR sit two points above the relegation zone with five games to play, which isn’t a disaster but, given the players they have brought in, I’m sure they would have hoped for more. They’ve won their last three home games in a row but have simultaneously lost their last four away games in a row. It is this inconsistency that will prevent them from breaking into the top half of the table.

I’m looking at the goals market for this game since I can’t call a winner as each team has varying degrees of motivation. Both teams leak goals, they have done all season, but they also have players who are more than capable of finding of the net, particularly if Cisse can manage to stay on the pitch! 56% of both WBA home games and QPR away games have seen over 2.5 goals. This includes four of West Brom’s last five home fixtures and four of QPR’s last five away fixtures.

My tip for this one is Over 2.5 goals @ $1.83 with Sportingbet.

Twitter - EPL Football Tips

Manchester United v Aston Villa – EPL Football Tips

The title was all but sewn up for United after the weekend’s results, but a shock defeat at Wigan and with the champions still to visit Man City, the title race has been  re-opened. Let’s not jump to conclusions, United are still five points clear, but with defeat at the Etihad a real possibility this race is certainly not over. Wigan deserved the 3 points against United but it’s rare that the Red Devils slip up twice in a row and I fully expect them to bounce back against Villa. The Villains have won just one of their last 10 games in the EPL, and have managed just 3 points from their last five away games. They are not guaranteed of EPL safety just yet and they don’t have the easiest of run-ins, so may focus on the more winnable games once this fixture is out of the way.

Defeat at Wigan ended a run of nine straight wins for United; they are still on a run of six home wins in a row and will be looking to make that seven at the weekend. During these six home games, United have been ahead at half-time on five occasions and I think they will be quick out of the traps again against a Villa side who have gone in behind at half-time in three of their last five visits to Old Trafford.. This season, Villa have been fairly resilient in the first half of games, going in behind in only five of their 16 away EPL fixtures, but as I say, I think they will be concentrating on picking up points elsewhere and United will be desperate to get off to a good start.

My tip for this one is United at half-time @ $1.57 with Sportingbet.

Arsenal v Wigan Athletic – EPL Football Tips

Despite a miserable start to the season, Arsenal find themselves in third spot after a run of 9 wins in 10 games, the only hiccup coming in a 2-1 loss at QPR where the Gunners never really turned up. Since then they have beaten Man City 1-0 and the woeful Wolves 0-3 to make it four clean sheets and 12 points in five games. Victory over Wigan will all but guarantee third place for Arsene Wenger’s men. Many had written off Wigan and consigned them to relegation; 11 points from their last six matches has changed the situation and the Latics are now odds-on to avoid the drop. Roberto Martinez guided his team to victory over Liverpool at Anfield before being robbed of points at Stamford Bridge through poor refereeing decisions. They didn’t let their heads drop, however, and fully deserved their 3 points against United in their last EPL fixture.

Arsenal, for all their defensive injuries, have managed to register 7 home clean sheets this campaign, including their last two in a row, giving them the second best home defensive record in the league. When considering only their home games to teams in and around Wigan in the league table, their clean sheet record rises to five in seven. Wigan have actually scored more away goals than they have at home this season, although in their games against sides in the top five positions they have failed to register in three of their four attempts. It should also be noted that Wigan have failed to score in each of their last six visits to the Emirates.

The last of my football tips is ‘1 team to score only’ @ $1.91 with Sportingbet.

All comments and criticisms are welcome so please do have your say in the comments section and I’ll make every effort to get involved with discussion about our football tips.

Happy Punting!

Share
Filed Under: Banter, Soccer Tagged With: , , ,

Hyundai A-League – 2011/12 Preliminary Final – Mariners v Glory

By Leave a Comment

What a week it has been in the Hyundai A-League, you would be forgiven for not knowing that there is actually a pretty important match on this weekend. With the entry of the new Western Sydney A-League club, and the battle between HSG and the FFA over the Newcastle Jets this has taken the gloss away from what should be the most important weekend so far this season.

The Mariners and Glory battle it out for a place in the Hyundai A-League Grand Final against the already qualified Brisbane Roar.

Hyundai A-League 2011-12 Finals Series 

Last weekend the Mariners went down 3-2 in the second leg of the Grand Final qualifier, and 5-2 on aggregate. They performed much better in attack in the second leg but that left them exposed at the back and the Roar duly obliged.

Perth Glory were involved in a cracker of a match against the Phoenix which went to extra time after a 2-2 scoreline at the 90 minute mark. They’ll take confidence from this match and will also go into the match knowing that the last time these two sides met they got the points in a 1-0 win.

The Mariners have not been at their best for the best part of 3 months and this is largely due to the losses of Matt Simon and Rostyn Griffiths to the K-League and Chinese Super League respectively. They were massive losses and have contributed to the Mariners decline in form. They did well to hang on for the Premier’s Plate in the end but did it tough considering they had a 10 point lead late in January.

Perth will be aiming for their first Grand Final in the Hyundai A-League era, once powerhouses in the NSL, it has taken them a good 9 years to get back to the pinnacle of the game. Striker Shane Smeltz has much to do with that, 16 goals in 21 matches and an amazing 4 goal haul a few weeks back against the Victory. He is now the all time leading goal scorer in the Hyundai A-League with 65 goals and would love to add to that tally and take the Glory to the Grand Final.

This should be a cracking match if recent A-League matches are anything to go by. The goals are flying in and I think the game needs an exciting match to try and take some of the focus away from the off-field dramas.

I think the Glory might just cause a bit of an upset in this one, the Mariners have had the wood over them this season with 2 wins in their 3 matches. However, I think the Glory are at the top of their game, have the most lethal striker and will have confidence from the last match against the Mariners which they won.

A Roar v Glory Grand Final is my tip for the Hyundai A-League 2011/12 season.

Best Bets – Hyundai A-League – Mariners v Glory

  • Perth +0.5 @ $1.68
  • Total game score over +2.5 @ $1.91
  • Shane Smeltz – Anytime goalscorer – @ TBA

Share
Filed Under: Banter, Soccer Tagged With: , ,

Hyundai A-League – Newcastle Jets Withdraw – Where to Now?

By Leave a Comment

In what is the most important few weeks of the season for the Hyundai A-League with the Finals series in full swing, we are once again greeted with bad news. Today it was announced that Hunter Sports Group (HSG) has handed back the A-League licence for the Newcastle Jets to the FFA. This means that unless the FFA find a new owner for that licence, we’ll be back down to a 9 team competition in 2012/13 following the axing of Gold Coast United and subsequent entry of the Western Sydney A-League team last week.

Hyundai A-League - Jets Withdraw from Competition

What the hell is going on with football in Australia??? This time rather than the FFA axing a club, the club themselves have pulled the pin! HSG CEO Troy Palmer released a statement along these lines this morning:

“It should never be forgotten that when we stepped in to save the club it was insolvent, there were only 500 members, diminishing crowds, minimal community engagement, no merchandise program and negligible corporate support.

“During the 2011-2012 season we believe we turned this around to be seen as leaders in all these areas.

“Unfortunately, having lost confidence in the FFA management and its ability to find a resolution, it is clear we have no other option.

“It is about removing ourselves from an administration in which we have an untenable relationship.”

So basically, although the club has been improving in all areas, the relationship with the FFA is the reason for the handover. While this is once again bad news for the Hyundai A-League, at least this time it isn’t because a club is struggling financially. By all accounts, the Jets are on the up and anyone who was to take over the licence would find the club in a much better position than it was when HSG first took over the club.

The FFA need to act on this quickly otherwise it’s just going to tarnish the credibility of the A-League further, I don’t know how much more controversy the league can take to be honest! How much more damage can the A-League sustain before it ends up like the old NSL did?

The game needs support from football people, people who actually have an interest in the game, not filthy rich mining magnates!

This is just another example of a billionnaire with no interest in the game, when Tinkler saw he was losing money he had obviously had enough. He has no interest in Football by all accounts, it was only a matter of time before the money talked, and now the bullshit has walked.

Let’s just hope that if someone comes in and takes over the Jets they run them like a football club, rather than trying to turn them into a money making machine!

Share
Join the forum discussion on this post
Filed Under: Banter, Soccer Tagged With: ,
« Older Posts