Saturday Match Previews of the Championship

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Tomorrow will be an exciting day in football as the last day of the Championship season has many exciting matches. Out of the twelve matches that are to be played, nine of them have something riding on them.

Cardiff are playing Hull and a win could see Hull going up to the Premier League. However, Cardiff are a tough team but have nothing to play for so they may not give much, it all depends what sort of mood they are in. Watford will be playing Leeds and if they win and Hull do not, then they could go up instead. They have everything to play for and so it is likely that they could win. Whoever out of Hull and Watford does not get the promotion will get at least third place and meet Brighton in the play offs. Why not take a bet on a match using http://topbet.eu/ to make it even more exciting.

Championship preview

The two other places are being fought out between Crystal Palace, Bolton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester. Crystal Palace and Bolton are the Favourites. This will be quite complex with various combinations of wins losses and draws determining who will go through. You may need to go to FIFA’s page to get an idea of the current scores and what combinations might take certain teams through. It has been predicted that goal difference could play a part and if this is the case then it could see each team going for a high score, which could be exciting.

Wolves must beat Brighton if they want to avoid relegation and they need Barnsley and Peterborough to both lose their matches as well and have a five goal difference. Barnsley will be able to survive a drop if they beat Huddersfield. Sheffield Wednesday also need to win their game as do Millwall and Huddersfield.

It is all pretty complicated with a lot of places to play for. Sports fans are bound to be pinned to the sofa in front of the TV, catching the latest action on their mobile or listening on their radios or online to find out how their favourite teams are doing.  It can be a great time to place a bet with so much excitement in the matches and this will give you even more fun. Some results are easier to predict than others and so why not have a go and see whether you can get the results right.

Placing Football Bets

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If you enjoy football, but have never placed a bet, then it can be worth thinking about whether it is worth doing so. There are many ways that you can do so, in betting shops as well as online and it is easy to do. You just need to decide on which team you think will win and how much you want to bet. You can bet on things like how many goals will be scored, who will score the first goal and things like that. It can be better to start simply by betting on who will win though.

If you are concerned about placing a bet and wasting your money, then you may wish to place a free bet. There is a great guide to free betting that you can use in order to find out more about it. It can be useful to know how to do it and whether any money can be made in doing so. It is certainly worth finding more out about it as you could end up winning money without having to pay any out.

Football Bets

Placing a bet can make watching a match a lot more fun. You will have a good reason for wanting a particular team to win, which is good and you will be able to really celebrate if they do win. If you bet on your favourite team, then you will have double the pleasure if they do win. If you bet on the team that they are playing against, then you will have a reason to celebrate whatever the result. If your favourite team wins then that will be good but if the team they are playing wins, you may not be happy about the result but you will at least have gained something!

It can be a good idea to think hard about when you want to place your football bets. You need to consider whether you want to wait until you know more about who will be playing in the match and what the team seem to be like. You may feel that until you know exactly who is playing, you will not know whether you think the team will win or not.

It can really help to make a match fun, if you bet on the results. You may be able to get a free bet and still win some money, which could be good. You may rather bet for money and you may therefore be able to win more. Thinking hard about when to place your bet can be important too.

Champion League: The quest for the Championship begins

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With Wembley Stadium playing host (again) to the Champion League this 2013 expect it to be more challenging and exciting as the route to 2013 Championship proves to be an uphill journey to all qualifiers. The quest is to win qualifying rounds and to advance to the semi-finals and then to the finals. The road seems to be as tough as teams face different challenges as the final draws near.

Factors like key absences, penalties and rankings can deteriorate any team’s hope and ambition to beat every opponent that comes close to cutting off them from the Championship road. From latest player’s performances, up to what each team can do and how far their ambitions can be reached can make a big difference on conquering the championship tasks. The winner has in the end must be able to endure all of these challenges.

There’s a good line up to start with to pick your bet to the championship. There’s the Arsenal who have been doing fantastic task during semi-final rounds. But Mainz is still not counting itself  out as it still have some good playing time to carry the team to championship road. The cards are still good with the Schalke as it has been trying to better off its standing. However, Bayers Munich with key men Javi Martines and Claudio’s continues absences may cloud its bet to the Championship but with Hodger’s news of giving full playing time may eventually put them back to the rims of the Championship.

Champion League

As long as it continues to show powerful momentum staying 15 points clear from Borussia Dortmund, expect Bayern Munich to stay on top of its record-breaking season’s performance. And there’s always Chelsea whose fans undaunted support openly help them to steal away the Cup. Chelsea may again do a repeat of their dramatic win as to put The Champion League on the top of football history. The Championship trophy is still a toast against the teams who will outdo each other. The real Madrid has its game on their sides alongside with Manchester United and the French PGS has been doing impressive performances with their last conquests.

Champion League Championship has gone underway and fans as early are cheering for their favorites. Who will win the Championship is the biggest question of the day and will continue until the final game is over. Fans of the Champion League from the Middle East and other Arabic-speaking countries  can found football news and more at this site: kuratalqadam.com

Is Walcott anywhere near ‘The Next Thierry Henry’?

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Theo Walcott is still a young player, looking to improve his somewhat raw game, there is no doubt any player in the world would love his electric pace, but to be considered as the next Henry, he is going to have to improve a lot! Walcott has been quoted by the English press in recent days, that he wants a new contract, but would like to play a forward role, and try and emulate what Arsenal legend Thierry Henry did for the club. We have a go at the press sometimes for labelling players up to the next superstar, but do we rarely find that a player wants to big himself up to the rest of the world.

Theo Walcott, still only 23, has been playing for Arsenal for 6 seasons now. Walcott possesses a great threat with his pace, and ability to run at ease past players. However, it is also clear to most football fans, that he has always been unable to improve his technical game, as well as his strength. Walcott could be understandably one of the most frustrated players in the Premier League, and many don’t seem to think he has a ‘football brain’.


Have physical attributes is one thing, but being able to understand the game inside out, is another skill Walcott seems to be missing out on. Arsenal are one of the best teams in the Premier League at playing good football, and have clever players throughout the squad. Theo Walcott sticks out like a sore thumb whenever I come across any Arsenal matches, and can be likened to a ‘headless chicken’. Half of the time he plays, he fails to run with the ball. First touch, passing and decision making as always been his downfall, and proves that having blistering pace is not enough.

Thierry Henry is perhaps the biggest Arsenal legend of all the time. Scoring hundreds of goals, and won numerous FA Cups and Premier League titles. He was awarded player of the season on three occasions, and without doubt makes the all time Premier League team. Thierry Henry also had electric pace, but with that he created goals with superb passing, involved in great passing moves, able to beat players, stay on the last man and was often clean through on goal due to clever running and timing. None of which you associate Theo Walcott with.

Walcott isn’t a regular starter for Arsenal, and finds himself on the bench now and then for Arsenal. He recently rejected a £75,000 contract and talks are still ongoing with him and Arsenal. Once Wenger signed him, he must of seen the potential, but truth be told, he hasn’t become anyway near the player some people had labelled him as when he was a late teen. Players still mature at this age, but Wenger may soon be frustrated and let him leave the club. Walcott should be grateful to be at a club like Arsenal, known to make footballers instead of buying them, but perhaps needs to focus on his own game more than anything else.

Champions League: Favourites?

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Champions League got underway last week, and was as dramatic as he finished last season. Chelsea got their defence of the trophy underway, but let a 2-0 lead slip to an impressive Juventus. Real Madrid beat Manchester City in the best game of match day 1, with a last minute Ronaldo goal. Barcelona, Manchester United, and Arsenal got off to wins, and French outfit PSG looked impressive in their first Champions League game in 8 years.  The final is once again in Wembley this year, and looks favourite to be walking down Wembley Way come May. A terrific venue for a final, what two teams will take place in that final?


Favourites

Barcelona: Probably been favourites for the last 5 seasons now, and there is many reasons why! Barcelona has not been knocked out before the semi finals in the last 5 years. They won it in 2009 and 2011. Close losses in the 2008, 2010 and 2012 semi finals too, each time to the eventual winners, it really does prove that they are the team to beat, and remain so to this day. Lionel Messi is the best footballer on the earth, and supported by other great players like David Villa, Andres Iniesta and Xavi. To beat Barcelona, you will need to be at your best and need a slice of luck, so Barcelona are the clear favourites in my view. Only problem I see with them this season is their defence, so they are definitely not unbeatable.

Real Madrid: Have come really close in the last couple of seasons, narrowly losing in the semi finals to Barcelona, and last year Bayern Munich, with the latter being decided on penalties. Real Madrid weren’t too much of a threat in this competition, but Mourinho has made them one of the favourites once again. They won La Liga last season, and that may give them the boost to go all the way. They looked a fantastic team last year, and this season has bolstered their squad with the signing of Luka Modric.

Ronaldo is still untouchable, along with many other creative players and a solid defence. Also, when you have Mourinho in charge, it seems to give them an extra motivation, and all teams will fear Real Madrid. Can they win their 10th title? It’s been 11 years since their last one.

Manchester United: Last season was bizarre for Manchester United, as they were placed in an easy group but failed to finish above Benfica and Basle. Before last season though, they have reached 3 out of for Champions League finals, winning one and losing two. They will look to avoid complacency in the group stage, and once they play in the knockout rounds, everyone will fear them. Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa will give them that extra edge up front, and with a consistent back four, they will be hard to beat for any team. When the fans are up for it, Old Trafford is the toughest place to go for any European team, as I expect this United team to be there in the latter stages of the competition this year.

Manchester City: They don’t have the Champions League experience like the other three favourites, but in terms of their squad, they will be in with a fantastic chance. They have a tough group to get out of first, but if they make it through to the next stage, I expect them to come a long way in this. Solid team throughout and have attacking players likely to hurt any defence in front of them. Mancini is the manager and often plays a more conservative approach, and that may benefit the Manchester City fans, as Chelsea won it last year being tough to break down.

Bayern Munich: Unbelievably close last year, and perhaps should of won it. Fantastic all the way through last season, looked flawless, and got their bit of luck when they beat Real Madrid on penalties in the semi final. At home in the Allianz Arena for the final, it looked inevitable for them to win the Champions League on home turf. As if that wasn’t painful enough, they did of course lose two years ago to Inter Milan. This year they will be desperate to make amends for two final losses, and have kept the same team as last year, with a few more signings. They have what it takes to win, they just need a bit of luck, when in recent years they just simply haven’t.

Chelsea: It’s never been done in the modern Champions League era, but Chelsea will try and be the first team to retain the Champions League trophy. Manchester United came closest, as they got to the final after winning it one year, and Chelsea will look to go one better this year. It will be tough though for them. They were rather fortunate to win the title last year, and perhaps their courage and commitment was the main reason they won it last, something which they may lack this year, due to being successful last season. We will soon find out if they have the hunger to retain it.

Juventus: Opened up with an impressive 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge. They won Serie A last year, and went the whole season unbeaten. They have a new found spirit at Juventus, and they look a team tough to beat, with some incredible danger going forward to. Legendary midfielder Andrea Pirlo is still pulling the strings and would love to the trophy one more time in his illustrious career. If a team from Italy wins it this year, it will be Juventus, and not many people will be surprised if they reach the semis or final this year, or even going the full distance.

Arsenal: I’d say some people may forget Arsenal when mentioning favourites to win the Champions League this year, but it may work to their advantage. They have started the Premier League and Champions League very well and yet to lose. Cazorla looks a fantastic player in the midfield for Arsenal, and on their day can beat anyone in the competition.  They have come close before, but it seems Barcelona always get in their way. They have been knocked out to them 3 times, and if it isn’t them, it is usually another English team. Arsenal have always missed out on that luck you need to win this trophy, but in terms of quality, they certainly can, as Chelsea proved last year, you don’t have to be the best team to win it.

PSG: Surprise package from France. They have recently seen a injection of cash into their club, and a fantastic squad has been assembled for their first season in the Champions League in 8 seasons. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, and Ezequiel Lavezzi joined in the summer to join a club continuing to improve. They opened up with a win, and look dark horses to win this competition. Manager Ancelotti has won it before with AC Milan, so they have a man who has the know how to go all the way. They won’t be expected to win it, but will be a hard game for any of the other favourites mentioned.

Can AVB lift Tottenham’s curse when playing Manchester United?

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Premier League goes into its six round of matches this weekend, and the pick of the games is Tottenham’s visit to Manchester United this Saturday evening. Tottenham haven’t won a match, in any competition, against Manchester United since 2001. That is 27 games, including cup games, home and away, where Tottenham have gone into a match against United, and come away getting no more than one point. To put it into perspective, a lot of teams in that period, who have played a lot of games against Manchester United have still beaten them. You look at teams like Derby, Burnley, Norwich and many more. Also, teams like Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, who are similar to the level of Tottenham in the last 10 years, have beaten Manchester United on numerous occasions.


It does seem to be some sort of curse for Tottenham though against Manchester United. Back in 2001, they were 3-0 up against United at half time, only to lose 5-3. A similar feat was repeated in 2009, when Tottenham were this time only 2-0 up, but were on the end of a 5-2 defeat. They have been other incidents too, where Tottenham didn’t any luck at all. Back in 2005, they scored a ghost goal minutes from time at Old Trafford. The ball was clearly over the line by a Pedro Mendes shot, everyone could see it had gone in, apart from the linesman on the near. The match finished 0-0 but Tottenham are thinking what could of been.

A more recent bizarre event happened in 2010, where Manchester United doubled their lead in a game to make it 2-0, where Nani had litelly caught the ball, before kicking the ball into the net. Tottenham have been unfortunate, but most occasions they have feared Manchester United, and have never played a game against them, where they have walked off the pitch knowing they have given it there all. It’s nearly 11 years since their last victory against United, plenty of thrown away leads, devastating defeats, cup exits and cup final losses, but is their luck ever going to change?

Andre Villas Boas could be an instant Spurs hero, if he manages to get three points at Old Trafford this Saturday. Tottenham have perhaps been too defensive when going to Old Trafford, but AVB doesn’t know any other way to play but to attack from the off.

Last season, he took his Chelsea side to Old Trafford, in such a pulsating game. Manchester United won 3-1, but the game could of easily been 6-6 due to the amount of chances created in the game. When AVB met Manchester United at home later on in the year, he drew the game 3-3, in another fixture which could of had even more goals in. Tottenham will attack at Old Trafford, and teams who have done that have been far more successful than teams hoping to shield out their attack and play for the draw. Should be an exciting game, and Andres Villas Boas make get his first victory against Sir Alex Ferguson, but the win would mean so much more to the Tottenham fans who have gone through all the bad luck down the years.

One-legged Football Player Scores Amazing Goal

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This is just simply amazing :)

Top 4 Matches to Watch This Weekend

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Another great weekend of football has passed, and another is just around the corner. Four matches from four different countries, so if you love your European football or football betting, then nothing but good news for you. All the matches are dotted around Europe, and around your weekend so enjoy!

Dortmund v Schalke – Saturday 3:30

This is the Revierderby in Germany, and this promises to be a great football match. Borussia Dortmund are champions of the German league, and they will boast that when their fiercest rivals come to town. Dortmund currently sit in 2nd in the table, after a impressive win at Bayern Munich last week. Schalke sit in 4th, only one point seperates the two sides, so it will be a close tense match with so much passion on show. Strangely enough, Dortmund haven’t beat Schalke at home in the league in their last four attempts and the most recent one was 0-0 where Dortmund had dominated. Dortmund have the biggest ground in Germany, with passionate fans but it doesn’t seem to affect Schalke. This match means so much to both supporters, who will be playing for pride, and the 3 points will definitely come in handy too.

Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid – Saturday 8:00

El Derbi Madrileno, it’s name in Spain, as a continuously dominant Real Madrid welcome their bitter rivals once again. Real Madrid are looking the best they have done in a long time, and actually worthy challengers of Barcelona in the league and Champions League. They currently sit on top of the pile, and will hope to remain there once this match day has finished. Atletico Madrid lost their strike force in the summer, but welcomes Falcao to their ranks, but have been quite disappointing so far this season. They sit in 9th place and collected most of  their points at home. Probably not the best time to go to the Santiago Bernabeu where they haven’t won since 1999. In fact, that was the last time Atletico beat them home or away in any competition. This curse must stop soon for them, but it will be a monumental task against Ronaldo and co.

Lazio v Juventus – Saturday 8:45

A mouth watering match from the top of Serie A. These two sides were perhaps dark horses to win the title before the season started, but it’s November now and not many would have predicted this match to be 1st against 2nd. Both are on 22 points, although Juventus have a game in. Current champions AC Milan are breathing down their necks, and would love the opportunity to bypass both of them in the league.  This match is evenly balanced and it can go either way. Both are in good form, but something has to budge. Juventus have won the last two times they visited Lazio, and are hoping for a hat trick, which send out a real statement. Lazio are stronger this season, and a win would suggest they think they are potential title challengers.

Liverpool v Manchester City – Sunday 4:00

This clash is definitely something to look forward to in the Premier League this season. All the top matches in the Premier League so far have yet to disappoint, including some really shocking scores in the process. Manchester City are flying at the moment in the league, with 34 points from a possible 36. Liverpool are in amongst it around the top, as realistically they are hoping for a top four finish where Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal are all hoping to be in the top four. Liverpool dispatched Manchester City 3-0 when these sides met just back in April, and will be the home faithful will be hoping for the same again. However, Manchester City have improvedrapidly since then, as David Silva is in the form of his life, and Aguero, Nasri and Balotelli also look top quality. Liverpool have been quite poor at home this season, so a win is really needed for them. A Manchester City win would send alarm bells around the rest of the Premier League, and it would look very difficult for anyone, even Manchester United, to stop them.

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