All articles by: Ieuan Ivett

Arsenal vs Ostersunds – Match Preview

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Arsenal vs Ostersunds
Thursday 22nd February 2018
Europa League, Round of 32 – 2nd Leg

Emirates Stadium, BT Sport 1 – 20:05 GMT

Arsenal vs Ostersunds – Arsenal will host Swedish side Ostersunds in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 tie. The first leg saw the North Londoners run out 3-0 victors in their travels to Sweden in which their efforts have all but booked them a place in the next round.

Last week’s first leg would have been pleasing for any Arsenal fan to watch, as their side ran a rampant display and sent a message to the rest of the competition that they are not to be taken lightly. Mesut Ozil and Nacho Monreal were amongst the goals as well as an own goal from Ostersunds defender Sotiris Papagiannopoulos that helped Arsene Wenger sit comfortably in his seat with the rest of the Arsenal coaching staff.

Their Swedish opponents however did make an account for themselves despite the heavy scoreline. With the less possession during the match of 44%, they managed to get 10 shots on goal with five on target however none were good enough to trouble David Ospina in the Arsenal net. In recent months, due to the Swedish League calendar, Ostersunds have been filling their weeks with friendlies. These have been against the likes of Dynamo Kyiv and Lokomotiv Moscow; in which they were able to draw both. Backtracking to their league campaign that ended in November 2017, striker Saman Ghoddos highlighted his importance to the Swedish outfit. He bagged 8 goals and 4 assists over the season; more than any other Ostersunds player. 

The hosts have been fairing rather averagely this season in the Premier League. They are currently sixth in the standings 7 points behind their North London rivals Tottenham in fifth. At the Emirates they have not found scoring hard to come by as they have scored two or more goals in 84% of their home Premier League matches. Summer signing Alexander Lacazette hasn’t had a fruitful spell at the Emirates after starting his Arsenal career in such bright fashion. The Frenchman has scored nine goals with three assists in the league and the new signing of Pierre Aubameyang has also got fans excited for the Gunners frontline.

Despite their efforts at one end of the pitch, Arsenal’s disciplinary record is far from perfect. They have average just under 2 yellow cards per match; a fitting correlation given the shared feelings of frustration for much of this season. The man in charge of giving the cards is Slovakian referee Ivan Kruzliak. The match will be televised on BT Sport 1 and kicks off at 8:05pm.

Prediction: Arsenal 2 – Ostersunds 0.

Suggested Tips – Arsenal vs Ostersunds – (BET365)

  • Correct Score – Arsenal 2-0 – (link no longer available)
  • Over 2.5 goals & Both Teams to Score – No – (link no longer available)
  • Arsenal to win by Nil – (link no longer available)
  • To score in both halves – Arsenal – (link no longer available)

Suggested Tips & RequestABets – Arsenal vs Ostersunds – (SKYBET)

  • Price Boost -Danny Welbeck and Henrikh Mkhitaryan both to score in 90 mins – 7/2
  • Price Boost – Danny Welbeck to score first – 7/2
  • Popular RequestABets – Holding to score a header and Arsenal to score a penalty – 66/1
  • RequestABet Specials 80/1 and above – Welbeck to score a hat trick and Arsenal 3-0 – 125/1

 

Chelsea vs Barcelona – Match Preview

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Chelsea vs Barcelona
Tuesday 20th February 2018, Stamford Bridge
UEFA Champions League

BT Sport 1 – 19:45 GMT Kick-Off

Chelsea vs Barcelona – Chelsea will host Barcelona in the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League this Tuesday night. As soon as the draw was made, this fixture seemed to be the one that captured the fans imaginations. 

All eyes will be on under pressure manager Antonio Conte as he will be hoping to prove he is the right man for the Chelsea job following a run of poor results and performances. This match will be their biggest test possibly all season, against a Barcelona side who are yet to lose a game in La Liga.

In their four previous outings against each other, they have met in the latter stages of this competition, where games have often been very tight with not much to decide the ties. The hosts have scored two or more goals in the Premier League in 51% of their matches whilst Tuesdays visitors have done it in 83% of theirs. Both squads have proven world class goalscorers in Eden Hazard and Olivier Giroud facing off against Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez; all of the aforementioned are capable of snatching a chance, if it comes.

The game could become a rather end to end encounter, with both sides possessing their biggest threats on the counter attack. As the statistics show, their counters have often led to corners as Chelsea have been awarded an average of 6.4 corners in the Premier League and Barcelona have been awarded an average of 5.4 corners. Both clubs also have aerial threats to make one of those corners count.

The occasion is clearly very big for both sides, as any UEFA Champions League match comes with extra pressure. These encounters are often feisty, with many cards being brandished and I don’t see Tuesday night being much different. The referee for this match will be Cuneyt Cakir, a referee renowned for not being very lenient.

The two clubs have a history of abrasive encounters however their discipline this season in the league has both been exemplary. Chelsea have been awarded an average of 14.4 booking points and their Spanish opponents have been awarded an average of 17.1. 

The match is first of two legs to be played, with the prize being a place in the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals. The match will be televised in the UK on BT Sport 1 and kick off at 19:45.

Prediction – Chelsea 0 – Barcelona 1 .

Suggested tips – Chelsea vs Barcelona – (BET365):

  • Correct score, Barcelona to win 1-0 – (link no longer available).
  • First Goalscorer – Luis Suarez – (link no longer available).
  • Barcelona to Win to Nil – (link no longer available)

Suggested tips – Chelsea vs Barcelona – (SKYBET):

  • Scorecast Boost: Lionel Messi to score first and Barcelona to win 2-1 – 33/1.
  • Scorecast Boost (Double Chance): Eden Hazard to score first and either Chelsea to win 2-0 or Chelsea to win 2-1 – 40/1.
  • Price Boost: Luis Suarez to score and Barcelona to win in 90 mins – 5/1.
  • Price Boost: Lionel Messi to score from outside the penalty area – 8/1.

Suggested RequestABets – Chelsea vs Barcelona – (SKYBET):

  • Scorecast Boost: Lionel Messi to score first and Barcelona to win 2-1 – 33/1.
  • Soccer Special Price Boost – Tue 20th Feb -Barcelona, Bayern Munich & Aston Villa all to win – 6/1.
  • Cross Sport Specials Tue 20th Feb –  RequestABet – Make Magic to win (19:40 Wolves) & Messi to score anytime – 16/1.
  • Cross Sport Specials Tue 20th Feb – Barcelona, Bayern Munich & Warburton all to win – 11/2.
  • RequestABet 80/1 and above – Chelsea vs Barcelona – Messi to score, Barcelona to win, 6+ corners each team and Cahill to be carded – 66/1. 
  • Popular RequestABets – Chelsea vs Barcelona –  Morata to score first and Pique to be shown the first card – 100/1
  • RequestABet 80/1 and above – Chelsea vs Barcelona –  Dembele to score, Barcelona 3-1 and Umtiti & Roberto to be carded – 400/1.
  • Popular RequestABets – Chelsea vs Barcelona – Morata to score a header and Messi to score from outside the area – 66/1.
  • RequestABet 80/1 and above – Chelsea vs Barcelona –  Hazard to score, Chelsea 1-0, 12+ match corners and Paulinho to be carded – 250/1
  • RequestABet 80/1 and above – Chelsea vs Barcelona –  Dembele to score, Barcelona 3-1 and Umtiti & Roberto to be carded – 400/1.
  • Popular RequestABets – Chelsea vs Barcelona – Messi & Hazard to score, 4+ corners each team and 10+ booking points each team – 12/1
  • RequestABet 80/1 and above – Chelsea vs Barcelona –  Luis Suarez to score a header and Hazard to score from outside the area – 250/1

Odds and markets last updated on February 20 February 2018 @18:15 GMT.

More markets will be added over the weekend prior to the game kicking off on Tuesday evening. Keep visiting the tips and preview area for further updates and previews for the remainder of this weeks UEFA Champions League action.

Rochdale vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match Preview

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Rochdale vs Tottenham Hotspur
Sunday 18th February 2018, Spotland Stadium Road
FA Cup – Fifth Round

BBC 1 – 12PM Kick-Off

 

Rochdale vs Tottenham Hotspur – Tottenham Hotspur are back on the road this weekend as they face League One opposition in Rochdale in FA Cup action. The prize is a place in the quarter finals of the competition.

Spurs are fresh from their dramatic comeback in Turin against Juventus in the Champions League, where Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen helped Mauricio Pochettino’s side to restore themselves from an early two goal deficit. Spurs have had no issue finding the back of the net this season on the road, scoring two or more goals in 53% of their away Premier League matches. Against a lower league defence that has conceded 40 goals in 28 goals and sit at the bottom of League One.

Rochdale have had contrasting performances from their FA Cup campaign in comparison to their league campaign. Keith Hill’s side went toe to toe with Championship club Millwall in the last round, where they earned a replay at the Spotland Stadium. Rochdale went on to win the replay 1-0 and continue to have a cup run that has divided fan opinion on whether it’s what the club need. However, a fixture against Premier League opposition is a hard thing to turn down. 

The Northern outfit have not faired very well in front of goal this season with two or more goals in only 29% of their league matches. In a more positive sign for Rochdale, they have managed to keep a clean sheet in 41% of their league home matches despite their poor league position. A team that clearly performs better in front of a home crowd, the fans won’t be writing their boys off.

Premier League official Bobby Madley will take charge of this fixture on Sunday. The referee hasn’t been shy to reach into his pocket this season, having awarded an average of 36.2 booking points in his 13 League matches.

FA Cup ties between a Premier League side and a lower league side is often a tighter contest than it seems on paper. This season has already seen some cup shocks; with Rochdale’s antics last round being one of them. Whether this mountain is too tough to climb is yet to be seen, with Spurs on a recent high after their positive return from their midweek trip to Italy. It is also unclear as to what strength side Spurs will name, with strugglers Fernando Llorente and Moussa Sissoko likely to get some more game time. 

Rochdale vs Tottenham Hotspur will be televised in the UK on BBC One – kick off at 12PM GMT.

Prediction – Rochdale 0 Spurs 2

Suggested tips – Rochdale vs Tottenham Hotspur – (BET365):

Suggested tips – Rochdale vs Tottenham Hotspur – (SKYBET):

  • Correct score, Spurs to win 2-0 – 5/1
  • Tottenham Clean Sheet – 4/6
  • Pundits RequestABets – Matt Le Tissier’s RAB – Rochdale vs Tottenham – Heung-Min Son to score 2+ goals and Tottenham to win by 3+ goals – 13/2
  • Scorecast Boost (Double Chance)  – Rochdale vs Tottenham –  Lucas Moura to score first and either Tottenham to win 4-0 or Tottenham to win 4-1 @ 40/1
  • Price Boost – Rochdale vs Tottenham –  Heung-Min Son and Erik Lamela both to score in 90 mins – 11/2
  • RequestABets 10/1 to 28/1  – Rochdale vs Tottenham – Llorente & Heung-Min Son to score, 14+ match corners and 10+ booking points each team – 20/1
  • Cross Sport Specials – 18/02/18 – Price Boosts – Cross Sport Specials  – Monbeg Notorious (4PM Horse Racing Naas) & Tottenham to win -1 goal – 10/3 (Found in Horse Racing Specials on Sky Bet.

Odds and markets last updated on Sunday 18 February 2018 @16:15 GMT.

More markets will be added over the weekend prior to the game kicking off Sunday lunchtime. Keep visiting the tips and preview area for further updates and previews for this weekends FA Cup and Championship action.