Newfanzone Bookies Corner (Game Week 15)

This is Game week 15 of our Bookies corner where we help Punters forecast on the best matches to put their money on.

Tobi Olubiyi’s (@tobipreety) predictions:

Italian Serie A

Bologna Vs Napoli – Napoli win:

Napoli have been impressive this season with just 1 defeat in 14games and currently the table toppers after their latest feat which was a win against Scudetto favourites Inter Milan at the Stadio San Paolo to extend their run of straight wins to 5 in all competition.
Bologna will have it tough albeit on their home turf against high flying Napoli who have not lost in 18 matches. Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain is in the form of his life scoring 12goals in 14 games.
I see Napoli getting the victory in this game against 18th placed Bologna.

Inter Milan Vs Genoa – Inter Milan win :

Genoa will be travelling to the San Siro stadium where they have not been able to get a victory since 1994 and on the back of just one win from their last 5 games. It’s also worth noting Mancini’s Inter are wounded lions at the moment after loosing their last game to League Leaders Napoli which was their first defeat in 8 matches.
The Nerazzurri will be looking to get inspiration up front from Mauro Icardi and Jovetic to get them the victory.

French Ligue 1

Bastia Vs Monaco – Monaco Win or draw:

Monaco have not been as dominating as they have been in recent years in the Ligue Un. With a fringe squad and a bunch of average players they would be lucky to make the Champions league place at the end of the season. A trip to Bastia could prove tricky as they have won only 1 of their last 5 games which included a hard-fought 3-all draw at the Stade Velodrome against Marseille.

I expect Monaco to get something out of this game and put a dent to Bastia’s current run of only defeat in their last 5 games.

St Etienne Vs Rennes – St Etienne Win:

The perennial Dark horses of the Ligue Un in recent years, St Etienne will host 9th placed Rennes who are 3 points behind them. St Etienne have recently been on a bad run with just a win in 5 matches in all competitions but to be fair to them they have come against relatively tough opposition facing Lyon, Marseille, Rosenborg, and Lille during this period. I expect Christophe Galtier’s men to get back to winning ways and get all 3 points at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

English Premier League

Arsenal Vs Sunderland – Arsenal win :

The Gunners are having their usual mid- season injury crisis with key players picking up injuries at the same time. Sanchez, Koscienly,Carzola, Walcott, Rosicky, Coquelin, Welbeck and a couple more players are injured for arsenal. There has been very few good news coming from the arsenal medical department and the Physio’s treatment table of late but there has been indications Koscienly and Walcott could play a part in this fixture against Sunderland. Arsenal will depend on the fine form of their assist-master Ozil who has been linking up well with their attackers and creating goals therby creating a new premier League record of assists in consecutive games.

The Black cats have currently jumped out of relegation waters with an impressive back to back wins under new manager Sam Allardyce. I see Arsenal getting the win at the Emirates staking their claim for their title push.

West Brom Vs Tottenham – Tottenham win :

Tony Pulis would be fired up for this one after back to back games against London clubs, winning against Arsenal and getting a point at West Ham. He will be looking on to spur his team to a victory against Spurs another London club,Pochettino’s men haven’t lost in 13 league games since the opening day and made Chelsea labour for a goalless draw last game. I believe this new look Tottenham with Harry Kane back in form will be too strong for West Brom and they will get the victory against the baggies.

Spanish La Liga

Gary Neville photo credit, pixgood.com

Valencia Vs Barcelona – Barcelona win:

This would be the first game after the Neville brothers re-United at Valencia since after their playing days together at Manchester United.‎ They couldn’t have wished for a tougher opposition to kickstart thier la liga campaign as the catalans will come visiting at the Mestalla. Barcelona have been scoring goals without remorse and even put 6 past their King’s Cup opponents without needing the services of Neymar, Messi or Suarez who are the most inform trio in Europe’s top 5 leagues. Valencia would have their work cut out against Luis Enrique’s team who they have managed to defeat only once in their last 6 games together. I expect Barcelona to get maximum points away from home.

Athletic Bilbao Vs Malaga – Athletic Bilbao Win:

In form Bilbao will finally return to play infront of their home fans at the San Mames after playing 4 consecutive away games in all competitions and winning their last 3 consecutively. They would need goal scoring veteran Aduriz to kill off Malaga after his run of 10goals in 13 matches this season.
18th place Malaga are still wallowing in relegation waters after a bad run of 4 consecutive defeats in their last 5 matches. The Lions of San Mames led by coach Ernesto Valverde should be able to get a win in front of their home fans.

German Bundesliga

Wolfsburg Vs Dortmund – Both Teams score (BTTS):

An exciting game at the Volkswagen arena as the 2nd placed Dortmund will be battling 3rd placed Wolfsburg. The home team would be hoping to close the wide gap of 7points in between them. There has been goals from both teams in 5 of their last 6 games against each other and I expect that to continue on saturday. Wolfsburg have been scoring a lot of goals this season, finding the net 40 times in 13 Bundesliga matches. Especially with the form of Gabonese Striker Aubameyang who has 17goals in 14games and the best shot conversion ratio in Europe’s top 5 leagues.
These two teams are difficult to separate but I expect a lot of goals and I see both teams getting on the score sheet.

Borussia Dortmund

Ingolstadt Vs Hoffenheim – Under 2.5goal:
It’s been a dream start to life in Bundesliga for newly-promoted Ingolstadt who are currently 11th on the log after an impressive 5 wins and 4 draws in their 14games so far. Hoffenheim are rooted to the bottom of the table after picking up 1 win all season. These 2 teams are not fond of scoring a lot of goals as the home team have scored a dire 10 goals in 14 games, the lowest in the league while the visitors have scored 15 goals in 14 games. I don’t expect an explosive end to end game with lots of goals, I believe both teams will score less than a total of 3 goals in this game.

Paul Ayorinde’s (@el_pauleta) predictions:

Italian Serie A

Lazio V Juventus- Double chance on Juventus:

Lazio continued their bad form last weekend when they lost to by a lone goal to Empoli while Juventus continue their resurgent as they trashed Palermo 3-0 away from home. I expect Lazio to be fired up for this match but I tip Juventus to get at least a point at Stadio Olimpico on Friday night.

Inter Milan V Genoa- Inter win:

10-man Inter Milan lost 2-1 against Napoli on Monday night in an unlucky fashion while Genoa snatched a draw at home against newcomers Carpi. I am expect Mancini’s men to get back to winning ways this weekend. I tip Inter Milan to win at the San Siro on Saturday night.

English Premier League

Swansea City V Leicester City- Double chance on Leicester:

Swansea continued their poor form last weekend losing by a lone goal against Liverpool while Leicester got a well-deserved draw against Manchester United. Swansea have picked up just 1 point in their last four premier league games, so I don’t expect them to be much of a threat against Leicester on Saturday. I tip Leicester City to get at least a point at the Liberty stadium.

West Bromwich Albion V Tottenham- Double chance on Tottenham:

West Brom picked up a point at West Ham on Sunday while Tottenham played out a goalless draw against Chelsea at the weekend to extend their unbeaten run to 13 Premier League matches. West Brom are on a good run of form, so i expect this match to tough for Tottenham. I tip Tottenham to get a point at the Hawthorns on Saturday.

Newcastle V Liverpool- Liverpool win:

Newcastle continued their abysmal form losing 5-1 against Crystal Palace in Game week 14 while Liverpool defeated Swansea 1-0 at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp’s men are in rich-vein of form after defeating Southampton 6-1 in the League Cup. I tip Liverpool to win convincingly at St James’ park on Sunday.

Spanish LIGA BBVA

Valencia V Barcelona- Barcelona win:

Valencia lost away from home last weekend to struggling Sevilla in a match that ended the reign of Nuno Espirito Santo while Barcelona continue their winning run defeating Real Sociedad 4-0 at Camp Nou. I expect Barcelona to be too strong for Valencia at the Mestalla on Saturday. I tip Barcelona to win in an entertaining match.

Lionel Messi
photo credit: Marc Puig i Perez
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Deportivo La Coruna V Sevilla- Double chance on Deportivo:

Deportivo defeated Las Palmas away from home in Game week 13 while Sevilla got a lone goal victory against Valencia. Deportivo have lost just one game in their last five Liga BBVA matches, so i tip them to get at least a point at home on Saturday.

German Bundesliga

Cologne V Augsburg- Double chance on Cologne:

Cologne played a goalless draw against Darmstadt last weekend while Augsburg also played a goalless draw against Wolfsburg. I expect the match to be tight because both teams give extra details to defending. I tip Cologne to get at least a point at home on Saturday.

Wolfsburg V Borussia Dortmund- Both teams to score(BTTS):

Wolfsburg played a goalless draw with Augsburg last weekend while Dortmund defeated Stuttgart 4-1. In the last 3 Bundesliga meetings between Wolfsburg and Dortmund at the Volkswagen Arena both teams got on the score sheet, so I expect the trend to continue this weekend. I tip Both teams to score at Volkswagen Arena on Saturday night.

French Ligue 1

Ajaccio V Nantes- Double chance on Ajaccio:

Ajaccio continued their impressive form with an away win at Montpellier on Wednesday while Nantes held Olympique Lyon to a goalless draw on Tuesday night. I tip Ajaccio to get at least a point at home on Saturday.

Newfanzone Bookies Corner (Game week 9)

Finally the International break is over and football lovers can get back to enjoying the exciting club football that we love so much. Some key players have returned to their clubs with injuries, some with a low morale from their country’s poor performance or bad treatment from the coach during the series of fixtures. Some players have ended their goal droughts and some have travelled thousands of kilometres to represent their various countries which could result in fatigue. We have to be mindful of these factors as it could affect them and their teams either positively or negatively which will influence the outcome of the matches.

Paul Ayorinde’s (@El_pauleta) predictions:

English Premier League

Tottenham V Liverpool– Both teams to score(BTTS): Spurs sit 8th in the Premier League heading into their clash with Liverpool hoping to give Jurgen Klopp a debut to forget as Liverpool manager. I expect a tight match with both teams scoring a least goal at White Hart Lane.

Watford V Arsenal– Arsenal win with over 2.5 goals: Quique Sánchez Flores’ side host Arsenal on Saturday evening hoping to upset their more fancied opponent. Arsenal are in great form and brimming with confidence following their 3-0 win over Manchester United in Game Week 8. I expect Arsenal to get an easy win at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

Manchester City V Bournemouth- Man City wins: Manchester City come back from the international break with what i will term an “injury crises”. Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure are all doubtful for Saturday’s game against injury ravaged Bournemouth. The Cherries have lost their last two Premier League games on the road and away trips don’t get much tougher than The Etihad. I tip Manchester City to win at home on Saturday.

Spanish BBVA Liga

Real Madrid V Levante- Real Madrid win with Under 4.5 goals: Real Madrid will be looking to get back to winning ways after their 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid in Game Week 7. Levante will be brimming with confidence after defeating table topping Villarreal in Game Week 7. I expect Real Madrid to get a low-scoring win at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday afternoon.

Villarreal V Celta Vigo- Both teams to score(BTTS): it is the battle between first and second on the league table at the El Madrigal on Sunday. I expect the match to be an entertaining and tight match between two good sides. I tip both teams to score.

German Bundesliga

Werder Bremen V Bayern Munich– Bayern win with over 2.5 goals: Bayern Munich will be looking to continue their blistering form against Anthony Ujah’s Werder Bremen on Saturday. Bayern’s Mario Gotze is injured and Kingsley Coman is doubtful for the weekend game but I expect the Bavarians to be too strong for their opponent. I tip Bayern Munich to win convincingly at the Weserstadion.

Eintracht Frankfurt V Borussia Monchengladbach– Double chance on Monchengladbach: Borussia Monchengladbach will be hoping they can continue their recent progress in the Bundesliga against Frankfurt on Saturday. Monchengladbach have won their last three matches in the league and I expect them to get at least a draw away from home on Saturday evening.

French Ligue 1

Bastia V Paris Saint-Germain- PSG win: PSG will be looking to tighten their grip on first position as they travel to Stade Armand-Cesari-Furiani on Saturday. Paris Saint-Germain have won the last 3 ligue 1 at Bastia’s staduim, so i tip PSG to get a win on Saturday afternoon.

Italian Serie A

Inter V Juventus- Both teams to score(BTTS): it will be another installment of the Derby della Madonnina, as Inter Milan welcomes rivals Juventus to the San Siro on sunday. In the last six meetings between these sides, both teams have registered at least a goal against each other, so i don’t see that trend ending on Sunday. I expect both teams to score at Stadio Guiseppe Meazza on Sunday night.

Torino V AC Milan- Double chance on Torino: After a fantastic run Torino lost their second game of the season to new boys Carpi while AC Milan were humilated at home by Napoli. I expect Torino to bounce back from the defeat against Carpi and get at least a poiny at home on Saturday night.

CHAN: Mba Doubtful, As Three Exit Eagles Camp…Medics Assure On Gambo

CHAN: Mba Doubtful, As Three Exit Eagles Camp…Medics Assure On Gambo

Super Eagles 2013 Nations Cup hero, Sunday Mba, who is one of the players being relied upon to pull the strings at the forthcoming CHAN African Nations tournament, may after all not be available for the tournament, according to Head Coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi.

Keshi, said on Thursday, that Mba, was on his way to France to join Bastia, the French side that first indicated interest in the player after the Nations Cup triumph. Assistant Coach, Dan ‘the Bull’ Amokachi was to add that the player could leave camp as early as Friday, as he was not one of the players listed for the friendly game in Port Harcourt on Saturday against a Rivers selected side.

“We have resigned ourselves to fate and working hard to discover those who can fill Mba’s shoes, as he seems to have nicked a deal with Bastia and may not be part of CHAN tourney. We just to brace up and wish him the best because it’s a career thing” he said.

Also on Thursday, the weeding process of the CHAN Eagles continued with three players exiting camp. Keshi who addressed the players once again told them that they have all it takes to play for the national team but there was not time enough to fit into the system and he would continue to monitor them for future call ups. “Take heart because as I always say, many are called but few are chosen, we would soon be back knocking on your doors.

Those who left camp on Thursday were Sunshine Stars Kingsley Onome Eduwo, Bendel Insurance’s Bello John Ikeleji and Eric Kwame of Plateau United. More players are expected to exit the camp of the national team after the training game in Port Harcourt and Monday’s other practice match against Nigerian league champions, Kano Pillars.

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles medical team has assured the technical crew that Kano Pillars, Gambo Mohammed will be ready on time for the CHAN tourney. Gambo has been out with a harm-string problem, recovered last week but there was a relapse in the course of the week which forced him out of Thursday’s morning training. “He should be back and better”, Amokachi assured of the highly regarded striker.