After the success of this BLOG, the time has come to move on to a more stable and secure website - www.Sports-Analyst.net

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Thank's all and GL for the future!

I think the -1.5 line on the host's here is short of what it should be. It's fair to say that Real are missing some key players with RVN and Robben on he injury list this week. Both are important missings here of that there can be no doubting. But let's not discount this side just for this reason. There are still a number of quality players in this Real side. The defence has been an issue for Real this season. Cannavaro is back in there but it still doesn't quite look right. Casillas made an error in mid-week with the wall that lead to Del Piero's 2nd goal and it's fair to say they haven't really been defending aswell as they would have liked. But this has been their way for the last couple of seasons. It's going forward that they have really shown what they are about. Despite missing some key players, they have the quality to come in and do a job in this game. Higuain is likely to come in for RVN again and he has shown signs in recent weeks of the player he can be. Sneij! der, Van Der Vaart, Guti and Raul are all still very good players in the final third and they will make things happen for sure. The full-backs get forward well and support the attack and provide good width. I think this is were they step up again and it's a good oppurtunity to against this Malaga side. Perhaps people are slightly put off as they have had a couple of decent results away from home, even a win at Sevilla just recently but i feel Real need this win and they will get it.

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Big handicap here again i know but it's one i really do like. I think we have been helped by Barca's poor performance here during the week against Basel. If not we'd be seeing poorer odds than this thats for sure.



Let's not read anything into that game though. Barca were poor, can't deny that but they rested a host of players and looked much better when Messi and Xavi entered as subs. These two are the key players for Barca and they will return to the side along with Eto'o, Dani Alves and Toure im sure. I think it's clear to see the impace that Guardiola has had on this Barca side. They are now playing with so much more confidence. They are passing and moving like the old days when they won the CL not so long ago. Xavi is making things happen in the middle and as i said, he will be fresh after his rest. The Midfield gets forward well and supports the attack and this has been working very well for Barca so far this season. Of course they play their usuall style with three attacking players. Two pulling out wide and providing good width and im not sure how Valladolid can deal with this.



Valldolid have done ok in their home fixtures this season but away from home it has been a different story. They are yet to get anything on the road yet this season and it's really difficult to see them getting anything here either. I just think the way Barca has been playing, there is simply no question that they will not win this game.

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I can't see the Reds not taking this game and taking it with some ease. The Albion simply don't have the quality in the defensive area's to keep this Liverpool side at bay for the 90 minutes.



We had a similar situation as this a few weeks back when West Brom traveled to Old Trafford but this time they are actually in worse shape than they were back then. Defensivly they are naive and lack any form of solidity in this area. The centre backs are not commanding enough and usually the teams they are playing against are getting alot of chances and of course scoring alot of goals. The midfield is also lacking any real grit and a tough tackling defensive midfielder. Going forward they don't appear to have the goals in them that they had last season which is of course understandable seeming as they are no playing in a stronger league than before with better equipped players. It seems like they are still relying on the tactics that got them out of this division. Trying to score more goals than the opposition and it will simply not work when coming up against sides with much better quality.



Liverpool on the other hand have really shocked me this season. I can safely say that i hadn't expected them to be challenging for the title but this season they seem to have that little bit of extra quality about them. Defence has never been an issue for them and they do tend to keep alot of cleans sheets. The midfield has abit more about it now with Riera playing wide left offering them good width. The full-backs also getting forward more providing overlaping runs and Kuyt cutting in from the right and actually scoring goals. The middle is solid as usuall aswell. Mascherano usually sits although im not sure if he will play here. They may go for the more attacking option of putting Keane up front alongside Torres who is likely to return. If not Gerrard is likely to sit behind the loan striker of either Torres or Keane with Alonso joining Mascherano in a deeper role. But the quality of this midfield can't be doubted and i think this side certainly has the quality to ! break down this poor West Brom defence.

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Second ECC bet comes from the Norwich Vs Preston game. The host’s have really been disappointing at points this season. But at home they have been decent for the most part and I’m not convinced that the bookies have really taken that into consideration here.

They have beaten the league leaders at Carrow Road convincingly by scoring 5 goals in the process and also given Birmingham a good game. Their record on paper may not look up to much but the truth is, they have played much better than this would suggest. They have tended to take the game to their opponents at Carrow Road and I don’t expect to see anything different here, this is a big game for them I feel, they lose here and they could be in for a long hard season. Last weekend at Burnley they have put in a really poor performance. But they had created some chances. Lita has looked sharp in front of goal despite missing a few chances last week. He will have a more usual strike partner in Sibierski available for this game and he is also a handful. The midfield and defence perhaps lacks that steel and grit that I go on about so much that’s really important in this league and this is perhaps where they have been going wrong but I do feel they match up quite well against Preston.

Preston really started the season like a house on fire but have really been in a serious downtrend for sometime now. They just can’t seem to turn this poor form around at present. They have had a decent result in the opening round beating Ipswich away but after this they have failed to show anything away from Deepdale. Last time out they have lost at home to Saints after leading 2-0. Saints have come back from the dead in what must be a confidence zapping defeat. They do have some decent players but im of the feeling they are at rock bottom now and although Norwich are not far off it as well, their home form should make the difference here.

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I ‘d say this is probably my best bet of the weekend and by the morning, this will be down somewhere around evens (as a rough estimation) – In fact the price has already dropped. Onto the selection.

I saw 1st hand last weekend the strength of this QPR side. They are big at the back with Fitz Hall and Delaney very dominant which is exactly what’s needed in this league. Buzsaky is one of the most gifted players outside of the Premiership and will be the playmaker in this midfield. Rowlands and Tommasi will provide midfield steel and strength. Two from Cook, Ledesma, Blackstock and Di Carmine are likely to provide quality in the attacking third as well. This is a very strong unit that will be able to get into the face’s of this Cardiff side and win the physical battle. Their recent form under the new boss has also been improved and they are playing with much more fight and determination than under Dowie.

Now we can’t take anything away from Cardiff, they are a decent side and will cause teams problems. But I feel that they are about to enter a downtrend. They have some important players missing and there are three un-named players with an illness. Their top scorer McCormack is out injured which is a huge blow. Bothroyd is also missing. They have bought Chopra in on loan to compensate for this but I just feel that QPR’s overall strength will play a huge part in this game and were also not sure on who will be playing for this Cardiff side and who is going to be missing. Their regression could be about to start.

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Dear Members,

One official Champions League selection for Tuesday. I also lean Barcelona but im not happy laying -2.5 goals at odds of around 1.82 so I will skip that selection. Onto the selection,

Liverpool Vs Atletico Madrid

I backed Atletico at the weekend to get the job done and they did. But for me, this is a different game and im not convinced they have the defensive stability to deal with this Liverpool side.

Liverpool lost at the weekend after probably playing some of their best football of the season and creating a whole host of chances which they missed. They then got done with a couple of sucker punch's and Spurs took the three points. But from the Reds point of view I think it's encouraging that they are actually starting to play well. The likes of Gerrard and Alonso are getting on the ball and making things happen. Riera has given them an extra option out wide on the left and provides width which they have been lacking over the past few seasons. Kuyt is scoring goals which is rare in it's self. Keane makes the intelligent runs off of the last defender and im sure that the goals will come for him in the end if he keeps playing the way he is. All of this and their main man Fernando Torres is likely to return in some capacity today. If he would have been on the pitch on Saturday perhaps the result would have been different.

Whilst I really do rate this Atleti side, they have shown on more than one occasion that they are vulnerable at the back and do look like they will concede goals. At Villareal they have shown just how weak they can be with 4 goals in the second half of that game despite showing character to fight back to draw the game with ten men. I can't deny the attacking ability of this side. Simao, Maniche, Aguero (If he's fit and plays), Pongolle and Forlan all provide a threat but I think this Liverpool backline is very strong and able to resist them. Also worth a note is how this Liverpool side have controlled proceedings in the 1st game. They were solid again and Atleti didn't really offer much of a threat before their equaliser.

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Selection: Liverpool(-1)@Pinnacle Odds: 2.15. 7/10

Regards
Barty
www.Sports-Analyst.net Manager

Everton picked up their first win in nine during the week with a late goal at the Reebok. They didn’t play that well but had managed to stay in the games (As Bolton missed a lot of chances) before hitting them with a sucker punch goal. But I think overall it’s just a matter of time before the Toffee’s string together a few wins and I think this is their perfect chance to do so. Yakubu has not been in great form so far this season but he will get going sooner or later. Saha is also proven at this level. Fellaini, Arteta and Pienaar all provide decent service.



Fulham are a stronger side than last season and I am expecting them to be ok this season and probably not get involved in a scrap towards the bottom of the table. But there are some weaknesses still there in their side. Defensively they are still very weak and vulnerable. They will always concede goals, especially away from home. The midfield doesn’t really have a strong tackling midfielder which leaves them without that competitive edge. Whilst I am impressed with them going forward I just feel their defensive issues will be to big for them to get anything from this game.

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Well we cashed in finally against this Hull side in the mid-week game against Chelsea as they finally have shown the true quality that they have. I can see a similar style thrashing at Old Trafford on Saturday. United are really starting to hit top gear now that Ronaldo is back and scoring goals. Rooney is also in top form and is likely to return to the side following his rest for the West Ham game. Berbatov is also settling into the Manchester United shirt. Tevez could also come into mix as well. Going forward, clearly they have no problems in the attacking areas. The midfield will also offer the same amount of quality as it usually does and service for the front guys.



I think that we have now seen the best of this Hull side. I said before the Chelsea game that this would be a real test of their true quality and they failed. Although credit must go out to this side, I think it’s time that they start to fall back to their proper position in the table. Whilst defensively they haven’t been conceding many goals, I don’t believe they are as strong as some pundits are making out.



The thing is with United, when they do get in front, they don’t tend to sit back and settle for just the one goal and I expect them to really take care of Hull without to many problems at all.

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Whilst I saw at first hand during this week how fragile this Charlton side is, I believe that the odds/handicap here are not set correctly.



Whilst I did say that Charlton were fragile during the week and really didn’t deserve to take a point at Portman Road. They offered very little going forward and scored their only meaningful attack of the game. Although defensively they didn’t look too bad. At home this season is a different case to their away form. Although they have lost a few games, they do tend to play better at the Valley and with more confidence and I think it’s a matter of time before they are picking up more points.



I think that people are perhaps looking at this Barnsley side after their recent performances and results and perhaps see them now as a much better side away from home than they actually are. They have really picked up form in recent weeks, especially at home. But, despite their last away win at Doncaster, I still feel they are vulnerable at the back if put under any pressure. Despite having some decent players going forward in Campbell-Ryce and Hume to name two I think it will be their weakness at the back that will likely be their downfall in this game.

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