There are just two rounds of qualifying left in the European World Cup qualifying groups and there has been some mixed news for all the sides still with a chance of making the tournament in South Africa from Fifa this week. The ruling body have announced that the teams who finish second in their Euro qualifying groups will be seeded before their play-off match. For the Republic of Ireland this will come as a massive blow, should the hold on to second spot they will face one of the higher ranked teams in the Fifa rankings, such as France, rather than a draw which may have thrown up a much more beatable team.
[click to continue…]
GD Star Rating
loading...
Scottish football may have fallen behind some of the other European leagues in recent years but no one can deny that the Old Firm is one of the hottest contested derbies in world football. Both Rangers and Celtic have a massive fan base who create an intense atmosphere and Sunday’s Old Firm at Ibrox should be a tight and hard fought contest.
Rangers are the current holders of the SPL title but they trail league leaders Celtic by four points at this early stage of the season. The two Glasgow sides have dominated Scottish football throughout their history, with Rangers lifting the title on 52 occasions and Celtic 42, and the Old Firm games are vital to the team who will lift the trophy at the end of the season.
Both sides played in Europe in midweek but don’t expect that to affect the player’s performances. Rangers were frankly hammered by Sevilla who defeated them 4-1 in Glasgow, while Celtic failed to take revenge on Rapid Vienna and were held to a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park. Despite their European obligations the season is young enough for the palayers to have had time to recover and the fans will not forgive them if they put in a lackluster display. As the home side Rangers will have to attack from the off and put pressure on their fierce rivals. This will allow Celtic the opportunity to get forward on the break and if star man Aiden McGeady is declared fit for the fixture he could be vital for the visiting side.
Rangers Utility man Lee McCulloch knows the importance of Old Firm success as his side bid for their second successive SPL title.
“Old Firm games have a big say in what happens in the title race and not just because of the result,” he told Scottish newspaper the Daily Record. “If you come out on top it can give you a lift and you tend to take your momentum into the couple of matches that follow.”
The key men for the current champions could well be Nacho Novo, who scored a terrific goal against Sevilla, frontman Kenny Miller and midfielder Pedro Mendes. Make no mistake, even though the season is only six games old victory is vital for Rangers. If they lose they will trail Celtic by seven points and the pressure will really be on them. They have also drawn their last three SPL ties 0-0 and need to get scoring again, striker Kris Boyd appeared as a substitute in the game against Aberdeen last weekend and he could well be the man to solve that particular problem.
This is Celtic manager Tony Maowbray’s first Old Firm fixture since he took charge at Celtic Park. However, Mowbray spent four years during his playing career at Celtic and is no stranger to the passion and the atmosphere of one of football’s most famous derby fixtures. The key men for Celtic could well be their defenders as you would expect Rangers to put pressure on the visitors backed by the loud support of the home fans. Though Aiden McGeady, Greek striker Georgios Samaras and Scott McDonald are all talented forwards who will cause the Rangers defence problems.
McDonald insisted the Celtic players will be up for the big occasion and is targeting three points, he told the club’s official website: “We have a massive game against Rangers and we need to pick ourselves up for it. Rangers have been saying they are ready for it after their disappointment in Europe and so are we.
“I’m pretty confident it will be an attacking game and I love these matches as they are such great challenges.
“Rangers at Ibrox is a tough one and we’ll be well up for it, I managed to score there last season and it would be nice to repeat that.”
Old Firm derbies are always great occasions and this should be no different. The two sides meet at 12.30 (GMT) on Sunday afternoon.
Written by Gareth Freeman, a sports writer promoting Irish horse racing tips for Betfair.
GD Star Rating
loading...
Real Madrid spent plenty of money in the summer to rejuvenate their faltering team. After falling way short of eventual Spanish and European Champions Barcelona last season Los Merengues forked out huge transfer fees on the likes of Ballon d’Or winners Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, while Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso also completed big moves to the Spanish capital. So far it seems to be working and Madrid sit top of their Champions League group table (albeit after just one game) and La Liga table (level on points but with a superior goal difference to Barcelona). Real will have another chance to prove their Champions League credentials when they face Marseille at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
[click to continue…]
GD Star Rating
loading...
Spanish heavyweights Atletico Madrid are still seeking their first La Liga victory this season. In four games they’ve drawn two and lost two and they face the daunting task of traveling to Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium on Saturday as they attempt to get it right at the fifth attempt.
Over the last couple of weeks my ‘game of the week’ style articles have focused heavily on English football, being English this is understandable but I will certainly be checking out La Liga action on Saturday night. You could argue that the talent now resides in Spain and not England. Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi could all stake a claim for the best player in the world and Spanish football is perhaps a more skillful, if slightly slower, brand than the English game.
Atletico and Valencia are blessed with some outstanding footballers. Diego Forland, Simao and Sergio Agureo all ply their trade in Madrid and are all outstanding players. Argentine Aguero in particular is an exciting young talent and I’m sure he will enjoy a very successful career. Valencia are a club in turmoil with massive debts to pay on their new Mestalla stadium but they resisted bids for their top stars over the summer transfer period and kept the big names. Los Che’s star man is without a doubt David Villa, the Spaniard, who is perhaps the best striker in the world, was the subject of huge bids by Real Madrid and Barcelona but Valencia managed to hang on to him. In midfield Valencia still have a wealth of talent with Joaquin and David Silva just two of the big names vying for places in the starting eleven.
[click to continue…]
GD Star Rating
loading...
Over recent years the Arsenal youth academy has introduced some fantastic players into English football. On Tuesday night Arsene Wenger’s side take on Championship high-flyers West Brom in the Carling Cup in a game where we may see the next crop of Arsenal youngsters make an appearance.
Wenger likes to use the Carling Cup to test his fringe and youth players and this season should be no different, even if they are under pressure to end their trophy drought. One youngster who looks set to have a big future at Arsenal and indeed in football is ack Wilshere. The 17-year-old caused a stir in the Emirates Cup over the summer with two stunning goals which led some to suggest he could force his way into Fabio Capello’s plans for the World Cup in South Africa. Wenger is a manager who likes to protect his younger players from the spotlight and as yet Wilshere has had very little action this season. However, it seems highly likely the midfielder will start against the Baggies tomorrow as the Arsenal boss rests his first-choice players and he could well be one to watch over the course of the season.
The opposition must not be ignored of course. West Brom won many an admirer with their passing football in the Premier League last season and they’ll be up for the challenge. Manager Roberto Di Matteo likes his side to play an open attacking brand of football and he won’t change this just because they’re at the Emirates. The Baggies will consider the league and promotion their top priority and will go into this game eager to prove themselves without the real pressure of being expected to progress. This tie should be a great one between two attacking sides who like to keep the ball on the floor and it should be a fantastic encounter.
[click to continue…]
GD Star Rating
loading...
Fair enough, it isn’t the biggest Manchester derby ever but it is certainly one of the most important for years, perhaps even decades. For the first time in a very long time City see themselves as genuine contenders to take the title from United and after a summer of unprecedented spending they should go into this tie full of confidence. Both sides are level on 12 points, though United have played a game more, and they will both be eager to emerge victorious from one of England’s most highly charged derby fixtures.
City managed to tempt Carlos Tevez away from United over the summer and following his arrival they put a sign up in Manchester with Tevez’s image on a blue background with the words ‘welcome to Manchester’ written across it (see pic). This riled the United fans and I expect this to be a very hard fought contest. There are question marks over whether Tevez will play against his former club as he has been struggling with an injury but if he is fit enough to play I;m sure boss Mark Hughes will use the Argentine, even if he is restricted to a place on the bench.
Despite the arrival of a wealth of attacking talent at Eastlands over the summer they are in the middle of a striker crisis. Tevez is unlikely to play, though there is a possibility, while Roque Santa Cruz is also described as ‘very doubtful’ to face the current champions. Emmanuel Adebayor will play no part after the FA banned him for three games following his unsavoury exploits in City’s victory over Arsenal last weekend, while Brazilian superstar Robinho is also ruled out through injury.
The Premier League betting odds are heavily in United’s favour, perhaps in light of City’s problems up front, but I still expect this to be a very close affair. The war of words between the two clubs has already started, with United the more vocal of the two sides, to add some extra spice to an already fiery encounter.
Wayne Rooney has stated he expects United to emerge with all three points after the meeting at Old Trafford on Sunday as the England striker believes they have a winning mentality that money can’t buy.
This is what Rooney told English newspaper the Daily Mail: “They have bought some great players and there is a real excitement around the city. It’s great for everyone in Manchester and probably in the Premier League too, because there’s another team now challenging.
“But we all know that it’s not just about who you buy and how much you spend. I’m confident we’ll see off their threat.
“We have the experience of winning big trophies and a manager who has been there, seen it and done it.”
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has described City as ‘cocky’ since their take-over and he will be eager to put them back in their place, so to speak, when the two sides meet on Sunday.
Speaking to American radio station Sirius XM the United boss said: “The rivalry has gone up a notch in the last few months, with them signing all those players and then coming up with that advert and all their posters about Carlos Tevez,
“They’ve been a bit, how can I put it, cocky. Yes, a bit cocky. They’ve got seven centre-forwards now, which is crazy, just amazing.”
Manchester derby days are always events to watch out for in the English football calendar but this one is one of the most anticipated meetings between these two clubs in years. For the neutral it should be a great spectacle with plenty of talent on display, even if City are missing some key players, and hopefully it will produce a couple of goals. The soccer betting favourites may be United in this particular encounter but they won’t get it all their own way and I’m sure City will cause the home side problems.
GD Star Rating
loading...
The pick of this weekend’s Premier League action is without a doubt Manchester City’s home tie with Arsenal. Both teams have something to prove, City may have a 100% start but they’re yet to come up against a side who will also be competing for honours and the match against Arsenal represents a great chance for them to establish their own top-four credentials. After a disappointing campaign by their own standards last season Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal need to re-establish their own place in England’s ‘top four’. Aston Villa gave the Gunners a scare last season but they managed to finish fourth in the league, for a team used to winning silverware this is just not up to their standards. Arsenal hammered Everton 6-1 on opening day but a loss to Manchester United has taken the gloss of their fine start and they need to get back to winning ways. For both teams this game is a chance to prove themselves and with some of the Premier League’s most exciting talent on display it should prove to be a great spectacle.
A lot of the talk surrounding City over the summer was based around the fact that if they were to break into the top-four this season, whose place would they take? The Premier League betting odds had Arsenal down as the most likely candidates to lose out to City and now the two teams meet on Saturday we should be able to get an indication of which team is the more likely to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
To dd some extra spice to an already fiery encounter Manchester City bought not one but two of Arsenal’s most experienced players over the summer. Defender Kolo Toure made a £16million switch to Eastlands after seven years with Arsenal and City boss Mark Hughes will almost certainly start with Toure in the heart of his defence. Last season City’s key problems were undoubtedly in their defence but this season, after three games, they are yet to concede a goal and I’m sure Toure’s presence in that defence is no coincidence to the improved performances. Another man who made the move from the Emirates to Eastlands is striker Emmanuel Adebayor who Hughes splashed out £25million on. Adebayor has something to prove personally after a dissapointing season last time out and scoring against his former employers would be a massive boost for the African frontman.
The stage is set for a great encounter. Both teams are under immense pressure to do well this season and many pundits around the game believe the fight for fourth spot will be between Arsenal and City. After spending such a vast amount of money over the summer Hughes needs to get results and have his side competing at the top. For Arsenal they need to re-establish themselves amongst the Premier League’s elite as a side capable of lifting the title at the end of the campaign and victory over City would go a long way to proving that.
If you’re thinking of betting on the fixture it may be worth checking out the team news for each side. Arsenal are without Samir Nasri, Carlos Vela and Johan Djourou for this one but Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott are expected to be back in time to face City. Whisper it quietly, but Tomas Rosicky may even be fit to take a place on the bench against the league’s big spenders. I’m not holding my breath to be honest, he has suffered set backs before but it would be great to see the Czech wizard back in action.
City are missing Benjani and Michael Johnson through long term injuries with Roque Santa Cruz also set to miss the match. However, Vincent Kompany may feature against the Gunners as City look to establish themselves as real title contenders.
This fixture is possibly the biggest fxture so far of the Premier League season and well worth tuning in for. For the City and Arsenal fans out there I imagine a few are getting a bit nervous about this one, for the neutral like me it should be an excellent spectacle.
GD Star Rating
loading...
