All articles by: Ieuan Ivett

Sunderland vs Leeds United – Match Preview

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Sunderland vs Leeds United – Match Preview – Championship action returns with Leeds travelling to Sunderland for their fourth fixture of the season. Both sides have started relatively well, occupying sixth and seventh place in the table both on five points. The ‘Blackcats’ and the ‘Peacocks’ will both be aiming for high finishes in the Championship this season so this game is of huge importance in their efforts to beat potential promotion candidates.

The hosts have shown some fighting spirit following an embarrassing previous season in the Premier League; finishing bottom of the table. Three tough fixtures to begin their Championship season has not fazed the northerners too much, most recently drawing away to Sheffield Wednesday.

Lewis Grabban has hit the ground running since his move to the Black Cats Photo Credit: skysports.com

New signing, Lewis Grabban has hit the ground running in red and white with a brace away at Carrow Road. Grabban must fill the boots of England legend, Jermaine Defoe, who transferred to Bournemouth in the summer and has begun his boot-filling process impressively. The Leeds defence have remained solid so far but Grabbans’ pace could cause havoc.

Skybet Anytime Goalscorer – Lewis Grabban to score a Brace – 7/1

Manager, Simon Grayson, has installed an attacking style of play that the Stadium of Light hasn’t seen for years. Frustrated with wasted chances away to Sheffield Wednesday, Grayson would have put the strike force through their paces in training to assure a more clinical Sunderland takes the field this Saturday. Can Sunderland capitalise on chances this time around?

Skybet Correct Score Group Betting – Sunderland to Win 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 – 2/1

Leeds have had an unexciting start to their Championship campaign, with two bore draws from their recent outings. After coming agonisingly close to play-offs last season, the departure of Garry Monk at the helm and arrival of Thomas Christiansen is yet to get many Leeds fans off their seats.

Samu Saiz scored a hat trick in the win over Port Vale Photo Credit: skysports.com

One arrival that has pleased the Leeds faithful is attacking player, Samu Saiz. The Spaniard scored a hat-trick in their recent Carabao Cup victory over Port Vale. The strength and pace of the forward has proved to be a useful asset to Leeds but will it come in handy this Saturday?

Skybet Anytime Goalscorer – Samu Saiz to score Anytime in 90 mins – 100/30

Christiansen will be without defender Liam Cooper for the tie, and has expressed his fear in his predicted prolonged absence. Chris Wood scored on the opening day but is yet to find the back of the net since. Can Leeds strong attacking force be too much for Sunderland?

Skybet Match Result – Leeds to Win – 12/5

 

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Spanish Super Cup 2nd Leg – Real Madrid vs Barcelona – Match Preview

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Real Madrid vs Barcelona – Match Preview – After a very eventful first leg, Real Madrid return home for the second leg of the Super Cup final against Barcelona with a 3-1 lead on aggregate. And, as ever, El Clasico provided footballing drama and some huge talking points have been dominating headlines since the final whistle.

Despite scoring the vital second goal for Madrid in impressive fashion, Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed a five-match ban following a red card incident and some rather unsportsmanlike behaviour whilst leaving the field. The Portuguese talisman shoved the referee in disbelief after being shown his second yellow card in three minutes and will be a huge loss for Zinedine Zidane.

Gareth Bale featured for much of the first leg and will be likely to start the second leg. Bale will be one of a few faces in the Real Madrid attack who will surely be looking to entertain the home crowd. Zidane could order his players to sit back and defend their aggregate lead however that isn’t the Zidane style. Can Madrid put the nail in the coffin?

Skybet Correct Score Group Betting – Real Madrid to Win 3-0, 3-1 or 3-2 – 4/1

Can Iniesta, Messi and Co overturn the match at the Bernabeu Photo Credit: skysports.com

Barcelona missed the creativity and flair of Neymar in their front three and will have to reinvest the whopping £198 million they received from PSG. In front of a home crowd, the Catalans were limited to few chances. Their only goal came from the penalty spot, with the incident splitting opinion on whether the penalty should have been awarded. Barcelona will face an even tougher test now at the Bernabeu but the ban for Cristiano Ronaldo is good news. Can they pull it back?

Skybet Full Time Result and BTTS – Barcelona to Win and Yes – 5/2

Asensio looks set to replace Ronaldo in the 2nd Leg Photo Credit: skysports.com

The usual faces were impressing; however, the show was stolen late by Real Madrid prodigy, Marco Asensio. The young Spaniard dropped jaws with his finish and many will tip him to start the upcoming second leg in Ronaldo’s absence. Can he smash the back of the net once more?

Skybet Anytime Goalscorer – Marco Asensio to Score Anytime in 90 mins – 2/1

El Clasico is well renowned for how many cards are brandished and the first leg was no different. With 105 booking points in the last match, will this be the case once more?

Skybet Total Over Booking Points – 90 or more Booking Points – 11/10

 

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UEFA Champions League Qualifier – Hoffenheim vs Liverpool – Match Preview

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Hoffenheim vs Liverpool – Match Preview – Liverpool’s Champions League campaign begins with the first leg of their qualifier against German side, Hoffenheim. Jurgen Klopp will be hoping his side can bounce back from their devastating 3-3 draw away to Watford on the opening day of the Premier League. The hosts are entering the fixture on the back of a 1-0 victory over Erfurt in the DFB Pokal round of 32.

Liverpool will be looking to gain an advantage to head back to Anfield with for the second leg the following week. Much buzz has been surrounding the club off the field this past week with Coutinho dominating the headlines with a bizarre transfer saga. Virgil van Dijk is also a name that has been murmured around Melwood after he handed in a transfer request to Southampton in his aim to play for a bigger club.

Klopp came out and stated he is happy with his defence, however following the Watford match, many fans have laughed at the statement whilst replaying the comedic defending on their Sky + box. Liverpool often fare well in the Champions League and have a very successful history in the competition; lifting the trophy in 2005 being the highlight. Can Liverpool reach the group stages and be the fifth Premier League team to be in the draw for the 2017/18 Champions League campaign?

Skybet Correct Score Group Betting – Liverpool to Win 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 – 5/2

Hoffenheim had a very impressive 2016/17 season in the Bundesliga. A fourth finish behind Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund earnt them this qualification two-legged tie. 30-year-old manager, Julian Nagelsmann has installed a fresh style of play at Hoffenheim; possession based football that is both attractive and clinical. It isn’t often a manager will steal the headlines, however he is paving the way for young coaches in Germany.

Firminho will come up against his former club in the Qualifiers Photo Credit: skysports.com

Klopp is very aware of Hoffenheim’s threat and has mentioned that Liverpool must be at 100% otherwise they will be knocked out. Striker, Sandro Wagner, provides a big threat to Klopp’s shaky defence with his unpredictability and aerial ability. Can Hoffenheim get a huge victory in front of a home crowd?

Skybet Match Result – Hoffenheim to Win in 90 mins – 2/1

 

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