sports betting tips

Seeing as we’ve already picked two games we feel are strong ‘Goals Galore’ candidates, we thought we might as well go all the way and reach for the stars on the newly world-famous BetFred ‘Goals Galore‘ coupon.

I’m sure you all know the aim of the game by now: Pick any number of games during the course of the weekend that you feel will feature goals from both teams. It’s as simple as that, no stingy small print, no dodgy salesman – although Fred Done himself is a debatable sort as this new trend of predicting which games will have goals from both sides, will have surely seen him reaping all the rewards as everyone from my Star Trek loving neighbour to his two dozen cats are now trying their luck.

You’d have to be a complete weirdo not to give it ago in this day in age….

Our Picks:

Pick 1: Stoke City V Aston Villa

Pick 2: Millwall V Charlton Athletic

Pick 3: Brentford V MK Dons

Pick 4: Carlisle V Colchester United

Pick 5: Huddersfield V Norwich

Pick 6: Dag & Red V Rotherham

A minimum of 6 selections pays 33/1 with BetFred.

How many we got right:-

We wish you the best of luck with your Goals Galore picks!

Stoke City V Aston Villa

Saturday, 13^th March – 15:00 GMT (English Premier League)

Matt’s Tip: Both teams to score – 1.91 SkyBet

Value Punt: Stoke City to WIN 3-2 @ 40/1 SportingBet

We’re going goal crazy here, or Goals Galore as a certain Mr. Fred Done of BetFred would say. Our second pick is another ‘Both teams to score’ as we put our shillings on both Stoke City and Aston Villa getting on the score sheet in what promises to be an entertaining affair if past results between the two are anything to go by, with two of the previous three meetings producing 4+ goals.

Stoke (3.40 Expekt), whom are almost certain to stay up for the second successive season, will now have their hungry eyes set on a top ten finish, what would be outstanding for a team with very few, if any, stand out players in their squad. Their physical, aggressive manner has entitled them to the tag of ‘most awkward team in the league’, with no-one in their right mind actually looking forward to their fixtures with Stoke, especially if its at The Brittania, fortress Britannia as the fans like to call it as Stoke don’t go down without a fight at home.

However, their record at home of 6-4-4 paints a different picture, one that gives off a vibe that Stoke are far from unbeatable at home, although its taken some of England’s finest to dethrone Stoke from their kingdom. With Birmingham’s 1-0 win being perhaps the only anomaly, Arsenal, Chelsea & Man Utd are the only teams to have beaten Stoke on Potters soil. That just about says it all into how difficult, robust and stubborn a side Stoke are when playing in front of a buoyant home crowd. Even so, genuine quality has proven to get teams through a Stoke physical this season so the Potters are exposed as they welcome Aston Villa to The Brittania with the aim being to record their first home victory against a team inside the top seven in the table.

Villa (2.30 VCbet) made a quick recovery from their Carling Cup final hangover by sticking four past Reading last weekend in a 4-2 victory which sealed their entry into the last four of the competition. However, their progression in the tournament didn’t come without it’s fair share of scares, big ones as well as Villa went into the break 2-0 down at The Madjeski. Their defence was all over the place that day, with no sign of man marking and their positioning wayward. The second half was a different story though as Villa tore through a mediocre Reading defence and slamming home four after the break to make for a convincing looking scoreline in a not so convincing game of football for Villa.

That outing at reading alone proved Villa are still vulnerable at the back but have the class up front to make up for their defensive flaws. However, against a Stoke side who have a knack of scoring in their home encounters (13/14) Villa could come unstuck if they don’t score at least a couple at The Brittania. That’s a real possibility though as Villa themselves are partial to scoring in away outings, which is handy. In twelve away outings thus far, Villa have scored at least one goal in ten of them, with their only drab spells in front of goal coming at Tottenham Hotspur (0-0) and Arsenal (3-0). They’ve scored at Chelsea and Man Utd, which proves they have the quality to unlock some of England’s tightest and expensive defences, while goals at Birmingham and Fulham are evidence enough that Villa have the tenacity to plug away at those well drilled defences, much like that of Stoke City’s.

Both teams to score – This really does look a shoo-in on paper for ‘Goals Galore‘ (Both teams to score) as I can’t see either side not scoring. Stoke generally always score at The Brittania (13/14), while Villa have only failed in their attempts to find the back of the net in two out of twelve away outings, so the statistics read in our favour. Moreover, we feel both teams have the beating of their opposing defences, with Stoke’s physical and aerial attributes looks too much for Villa’s defence to handle, and this was the case when the pair met at The Brittania last season in a 3-2 win for the Potters, while Villa have the quality and composure to get around a physical strong but not so able Stoke defence.

I don’t think this will end in the same scoreline as last season, 3-2 to Stoke (40/1 SportingBet) but I do feel both sides are more than capable of breaking through each others rearguards. In fact, I’d be unpleasantly surprised were this to end in a stalemate or a to NIL win for either side, as I think this fixture is made for Goals for both sides.

Millwall V Charlton Athletic

Saturday, 13^th March – 15:00 GMT (English League One)

Matt’s Tip: Both teams to score – 1.83 SkyBet

Alternative: Over 2.5 Goals – 2.15 Bet365

Value Punt: Millwall to WIN 2-1 – 9.50 SkyBet

Two teams with high hopes of ending the season in the play-off’s go head-to-head on Saturday as a formidable Millwall (2.38 Ladbrokes) host a rejuvenated Charlton Athletic (3.40 Bet365) at The New Den with the home side expected to take home the spoils according to the bookies. Considering just how intimidating a side Millwall are at home (12-4-1), that’s probably a fair assessment, but there are a group of teams in the league that posses the players and have the talent within their ranks to beat a team of Millwall’s stature and some would argue Charlton do fall into that category, so is there a chance a shock could be on the cards or will Millwall’s run of eight home games without defeat extend to nine?

We definitely be more inclined to say the latter, an extension of Millwall’s unbeaten home run, as The Lions have been formidable at The New Den this season having lost just one game their all season. Put that into comparison with the three away defeats Charlton have suffered this season, and you can see why the bookies have shown Millwall so much respect. Nevertheless, Charlton are more than capable of making this a proper game and even if Millwall do run out worthy and expectant winners, Charlton should still get on the score sheet at some point as they’ve not failed to score in an away fixture since October 3^rd, 2009 when they drew 0-0 at Leeds Utd, of all the places. They’re on a run of scoring in their last eleven away encounters, thus proving they have the credentials to push Millwall stunning home record to its limits.

Moreover, Charlton have a whole host of potential scorers ranging right through their squad; Deon Burton (13gls), Akpo Sodje (8gls), both of which are Charlton’s main men up front, while the midfield of Charlton boasts a potential goalscorer in every department, with Nick Bailey (11gls) and Jonjo Shelvey (4gls) banging in goals from the centre of midfield, whilst the pace of Llyod Sam has not only seen him fly past his full-back marker and deliver a cross worthy of a finish but he’s also put 4 away himself. There are a few more regular candidates for goalscoring action, but this is just to prove a point that Charlton are a side with goals in them, and they will need that heading up to Millwall, which you’ll find out why now…

The Lions are also a side full of goals having failed just twice to find the opposing goal in a home fixture at The New Den. However, something they do have which Charlton don’t is a more reliable defence, which is a big concern for us with Millwall’s experienced back line has kept eight clean sheets in seventeen home games this season, with the Lions keeping four of those in their last six home games. However, their sturdy defence has only really been efficient against the lesser teams in the division, whereas when real attacking quality arrives to The Den, Millwall generally falter at least once. Norwich, Southampton, Colchester United, Leeds United and Huddersfield; all teams of high calibre in this league, all of which were dispatched in the end but not without a scare along the way, with all five of the teams just mentioned scoring at The New Den this season, which just goes to show that Millwall aren’t as impenetrable as the statistics would like to make you think.

Both teams to score – What we have here is two adventurous teams, two sides desperate to gain promotion back to The Championship, the league which in effect becomes a Lotto as to who goes up into the glamours Premiership. The pair both have strong claims for promotion this season, but it’s gaining victories over sides in close proximity that not only builds gaps in positions but also significantly boosts the confidence of the players as should these two meet in the play-off’s, the side who won the very last encounter would have the mental edge in the knowledge that they’ve achieved victory over the same opponent before, and recently.

With all this winning mumbo-jumbo aside though, we’re expecting two courageous teams to take to the New Den pitch in a bid to notch up a vital win and aid their cause with three points. To do that they need goals and both look likely of breaching each others goals so we’re expecting plenty of action, fruitful as well we hope. The odds on this specific market aren’t great (1.83 SkyBet), but Millwall do have a knack for winning these sort of fixtures, against those in and around them, by a 2-1 scoreline (9.50 SkyBet) so perhaps a small wager on that could prove beneficial, while another bet on there being 3 or more goals (2.15 Bet365) could also bare fruit for us all.

This saturday we are proposing 10 draws selections in the english football weekend. One match from the Premiership, one match from the Championship, five matches from League One and three matches from League Two.
 
We play them in a 3 out of 10 system bet (triples).

So here are the UK draws selections for the 13th March 2010:

Premiership
Stoke V Aston Villa

Championship
Preston V Nottingham

League One
Brentford V Milton Keynes
Brighton V Swindon
Millwall V Charlton
Southend V Exeter City
Stockport V Gillingham

League Two
Barnet V Accrington
Bradford V Aldershot
Torquay V Crewe
 

so take your choice, have a great weekend with draw bets!

Lille V Liverpool

Thursday, 11^th March – 18:00 GMT (UEFA Europa League)

Matt’s Tip: Liverpool to WIN – 2.50 Bet365 & VCbet (LOST!)

Alternative: Both teams to score – 1.91 WilliamHill (LOST!)

Just three days after suffering defeat at the hands of Wigan Athletic, Rafael Benitez takes Liverpool to France for the first of two legs against a tricky Lille side who have been in pretty good knick this season. However, with the Reds boasting far greater European pedigree, Liverpool are the clear favourites to go through to the quarter-finals (1.40 Boylesports) although the bookies aren’t 100% sure Rafa’s men will be fully committed to their Europa cause on Thursday night, with Liverpool as big as 2.50 with Bet365 & VCbet to win in France.

It would appear we have more confidence in Liverpool snatching a vital away win in France, although more fool us after their abysmal display at Wigan on Monday night. In a fixture Liverpool were duly fancied to walk through (Wigan V Liverpool), yet again the Reds failed to impress, or even turn up for that matter, as they crashed to their ninth league defeat of the campaign at the DW stadium, and, in the process, dampening the spirit of the Liverpool camp.

It’s been a dreadful season for Liverpool, with their claims for winning the league a distant memory and now even a fourth place finish extremely unlikely, so a decent run in this competition is the only way they can make it up to their disgruntled fans, although even victory in the Europa League won’t fully amend the broken hearts around Merseyside. Rafaeal Benitez has spoken about the teams desire to delve deep into the Europa League, but it’s down to the players to back up his comments, something they’ve failed to do throughout most of the season, it has to be said. However, there is still no getting away from Liverpool’s superior quality within their ranks in comparison to Lille’s, with the likes of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, not only big names, are both fit and available for the trip to France, although neither played at all well on Monday.

Liverpool won’t play again until Monday night when they take on Portsmouth so they will have no excuses for fielding a weakened side for tomorrow’s clash in a fixture they could really do with winning after Monday’s nightmare result. The fans need cheering up, while the players need a big boost in confidence and victory in France just might do that, although a much improved performance from every single player is required if they are to do so.

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Lille will be missing a few key players, none more so than their top goalscorer in Europe, Gervinho. However, that hasn’t deterred the manager nor the players from dreaming of an historical win over one of Europe’s giants, with even the manager claiming his players are hungry for the win and won’t sit back and admire their more illustrious opponents from afar. No, they will instead look to play some attacking football of their on, and, of course, they know full well they need a big result at the Lille-Metropole stadium if they are to harbour realistic hopes of making the quarter-final draw, so we should be treated to some entertaining football if that’s the case.

The French side do, however, boast a very strong record at home this season, having lost just twice at the Lille-Metropole stadium back in Ligue 1. Moreover, they’ve won five of their six home encounters in the competition thus far, with only Valencia avoiding defeat in Lille in a 1-1 draw.

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While we fancy an away win for Liverpool, their defence has been far from convincing of late, all season in fact, so Lille should get their chances to at least score at home, if not bang in a few judging by Liverpool’s recent defensive displays. However, the news that they will try to attack their opponents does concern us as one thing Liverpool do well is exploit open spaces, especially if they can get Torres into space. Baring this in mind, we can see Liverpool catching Lille out on the break, especially if they land the first blow.

While we fancy an away win for Liverpool, their defence has been far from convincing of late, all season in fact, so Lille should get their chances to at least score at home, if not bang in a few judging by Liverpool’s recent defensive displays. However, the news that they will try to attack their opponents does concern us as one thing Liverpool do well is exploit open spaces, especially if they can get Torres into space. Baring this in mind, we can see Liverpool catching Lille out on the break, especially if they land the first blow.

Manchester United V AC Milan

Wednesday, 10^th March – 19:45 GMT (UEFA Champions League)

Matt’s Tip: Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.85 Bet365 (WON!)

With Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United holding all the aces after their sublime 3-2 win at the San Siro last month, the necessity to win falls upon the shoulders of Leonardo and his Milan players, although it does look a tall order considering they need to score at least twice to even make this a competitive second leg. One thing it does do, however, is leave Milan needing to attack, desperate for early goals, and there could be value all over the goal markets as, in theory, this should be an open game of football.

Over 2.5 Goals – I wouldn’t go as far as to say three of more goals is a formality, but this deciding leg should produce it’s fair few goals as Milan can only afford to have an all-out attacking mindset, while United will be dangerous throughout regardless of the two goal cushion they have over their Italian opponents. Moreover, while the situation of Milan will play into the hands of ‘Overs’ backers, both teams have the necessary inventory, the forward prowess if you like, to score plenty of goals, so this bet, one which was a tasty 2.10 or thereabouts in the first leg, looks tremendous value providing we get an electric start to proceedings.

Odds: 1.85 Bet365

AC Milan to score 2 or More, AC Milan to score 3 or More – The Rossoneri need goals, and in bulk supply, if they’re to be celebrating come 90 minutes, or then some if the game does so happen to finish in a mouthwatering 3-2 victory for the away side (50/1 Bet365). You would have to expect some sort of blistering start from Milan as they desperately need to score the opener, else it could be curtains. However, despite losing the first leg, and conceding three away goals, there were plenty of positives to take from that outing, none more so than United’s vulnerability at the back. Ronaldinho had the beating of his marker, Rio Ferdinand, on every occasion leaving the current England captain flat out on deck for most of the game, while the return of Pato, someone with a bit more pace then the rest of the Milan forwards, should keep this sluggish United defence on its toes throughout.

The situation demands goals from Milan, so betting on them bagging a few looks another great value bet, especially for those who’ll be cheering home the Italians instead of a fellow English side… much like us!

Odds: 3.40 PaddyPower

Odds: 10.00 PaddyPower

Ronaldinho & Alexandre Pato Anytime Scorers – Be careful with this bet as it only counts for 90 minutes of play and not Extra-Time, although you will get the full advantage of those crucial, often goal producing, few minutes in injury time. Even so, 90 minutes should be more than enough for a quality, accomplished forward to get on the score sheet and Milan will need their two Brazilian stars to shine at Old Trafford if they are to stand any hope at all.

Ronaldinho terrorised the United defence in the first leg, with a rusty Ferdinand useless against the quick feet and vision of Ronaldinho, He was constant thorn in United’s side at the San Siro, in fact he was the only Milan player to really come away with any credit as the rest of the AC team was merely floating above adequate in terms of their effort input. However, the former World Player of the Year now has a sparing partner, a Brazilian as well, as one of Serie A’s trickiest customers pays United a visit as Alexandre Pato aims to be Milan’s superman, and believe me, they need one. In a team full of veterans and golden oldies, Pato brings about fresh enthusiasm, some pace in behind the United defence, and another player who boasts tricks and skills in abundance. Neither will be pleasing on the eye to the United defence, but the pair are more than capable of unlocking United back line, one which was blown wide open at Wolves on Saturday against far lesser attacking opposition.

Odds: 4.30 Coral

Odds: 4.30 Coral

Good Luck with you bets in the intriguing Manchester United V AC Milan game!

Arsenal V FC Porto

Tuesday, 9^th March – 19:45 GMT (UEFA Champions League)

Matt’s Tip: Nicklas Bendtner First GoalScorer – 11/2 Coral (WON!)

Alternative: Nicklas Bendtner to score in 90 minutes – 2.88 Coral (WON!)

News that Cesc Fabregas. The key creator in the Arsenal ranks, is a definite absentee has rocked the Gunners as they aim to overhaul Porto’s one goal lead from the first leg. Wenger will now need some big performances from those who usually shy away from the limelight, the likes of Theo Walcott, Arshavin, Eduardo, Tomas Rosicky and, more importantly for us, one from Nicklas Bendtner, whom was at the centre of attention on Saturday as he missed a host of clear cut chances in Arsenal’s 3-1 win at home to Burnley in the Premiership.

Bendtner hasn’t been back from injury for too long but has already been thrown straight in at the deep instead of Eduardo, who has been fully fit and raring to go for quite some time, which just goes to show how highly he rates the Danish international, or how little he thinks of that diving Brazilian/Croatian. Either way, Bendtner will get the nod tomorrow and Wenger will need a sharper, more clinical Nicklas on the pitch tomorrow evening in a game where Arsenal need a good few goals in order to keep their Champions League dream alive.

For us, Arsenal don’t have the strength in depth to really challenge the high and mighty for the European crown, but as far as this tie with Porto goes, Arsenal are still capable, still equipped to go through and defy the one goal deficit they currently find themselves in. The one man they need on top of their game is Bendtner though, as he will be their main attacking threat in front of the Porto goal, the one player where all thee through balls, all the crosses are directed to.

If Saturday’s home encounter with Burnley was a sign of things to come then Bendtner should be a certainty to score at the Emirates on Tuesday night, providing that is he gets his right scoring boots on, and not those pink ugly things. Bendtner found himself in so many scoring position on Saturday that he could of bagged two hat-tricks, and that isn’t an exaggeration. He missed one-on-ones, point blank headers and even a couple of open goals, sort of. He was out of sorts on Saturday in terms of finishing and find the goal, but it would be typical for him to regain his shooting radar and bang one in against Porto in a far bigger fixture than the last. If he does manage to get into similar positions to those on Saturday then we’ll willingly risk a few quid on him fairing much better this time around.

As far as qualifying goes, we feel Arsenal might struggle without Cesc Fabregas, although there is no doubt Arsenal still have enough inventory to unlock the Porto defence. We just have that bad gut feeling that it won’t be Arsenal’s night tonight, although these terrible thoughts, naughty if you like, should only arise once Bendtner brought home the bacon for us!

Wigan Athletic V Liverpool

Monday, 8^th March – 20:00 (ESPN – English Premiership)

Matt’s Tip: Fernando Torres to Score Anytime – 2.10 Coral (LOST!)

Alternative: Yossi Benayoun to Score Anytime – 3/1 Coral (LOST!)

In what is a big game for both sides, for completely different reasons we must add, Wigan (6.00 SkyBet) play the part of hosts as they welcome Champions League chasing Liverpool (1.62 Bet365) to the DW Stadium for a clash which will be shown live in front of the ESPN cameras.

While we fancy Liverpool’s chances to win this fixture, we have avoided all temptations of betting on them due to their inconsistent nature and poor away stance. We have instead, however, gone for a more consistent Spaniard to bring home the bacon for us as we plump for Fernando Torres to deliver the points for Liverpool with his second goal in just his third appearance back from injury.

Torres now has two games under his belt with Liverpool since missing what seemed an eternity through injury. However, to bolster his match fitness and sharpness, Torres featured for the full second period in Spain’s 2-0 victory away in France. The Spaniard didn’t manage to get on the score sheet for his country but he’s been racking up the minutes and Wigan could be the ideal setting for him to really announce himself back onto the Premiership scene with a couple of well craved goals for Liverpool. A fully-fit Torres would tear this Wigan defence, lacking in any sort of pace or defensive know-how, to pieces, but a 100%, peaked Torres wouldn’t be anywhere near the 2.10 price quoted by Coral to score anytime in the game, either, so it works both ways.

Now, though, could be the ideal time to jump on the Spanish sensation as sooner or later he will come good for the Reds and I don’t see a defence more exposed and vulnerable to sheer blistering pace than that of Wigan’s. They don’t get tight when man-marking, they have very little defensive awareness and are clueless when it comes to tracking back. While Torres might not be 100% there in the fitness department, some smart thinking and keen off-the-ball movement would easily see him go close to bolstering his league tally of 13 for the season. That’s actually a lean goalscoring record for someone whose missed a large part of the season, so I honestly feel Torres is a snip to score on Monday in a game he will probably play for the full 90 minutes in unless Liverpool are over the hill and far away, which, if they are, would probably mean the blonde haired backstreet boys look-a-like has already scored… So kerching either way!

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Yossi Benayoun has also had his fair few troubles with injuries this season, which is a shame because he was shaping up as one of Liverpool’s stand outs players this season after some impressive displays in the early part of the season. The Israel International is also slowly regaining his full fitness but was on the score sheet for Israel in midweek in a 2-0 victory over Romania, so Benayoun could be in ideal nick to terrorise the Wigan defence as well.

Palermo V Livorno – Sunday, 7^th March, 14:00 GMT

Matt’s Tip: Palermo to WIN @ 1.53 StanJames (WON!)

Backing any italian side with an ‘Odds-on’ price tag is always a precarious deed but Palermo really do look a shoo-in for all three points in Sunday’s clash with a Livorno team destined for a relegation dogfight. We have one side, obviously Palermo, who are enjoying a rich vein of form whereas their opponent, and travellers, Livorno, are not only struggling to win a game in Serie A but are barely bringing home scraps from their league encounters at the moment, so surely this is a foregone conclusion, if there is such a thing in the unpredictable football world.

While no result is guaranteed in football these days, Palermo do look the closest thing to finding money on the streets, such is their strong credentials ahead of their clash with stragglers Livorno. Their record, Palermo’s, at home this season is staggering, standing firm as one of just four sides still to remain unbeaten at home after thirteen games. However, what caught our attention the most, second to their pretty pink kit, was their nine wins from those thirteen home fixtures in Serie A but, moreover, their six match winning streak at Stadio Renzo Barbera.

During Palermo’s fruitful run of six straight home victories, the likes of Parma, Lazio and Fiorentina have all come unstuck by losing to the Pink Flamingo’s – Not an official nickname for the club but it certainly tickles our ears (let’s hope it catches on). Some of Italy’s better teams have tried their utmost to overhaul a tough, resilient and unbeatable Palermo on their own patch, but all to no avail, and we expect Livorno to fall to a similar, deadly fate, although without much of a fight like the rest. Just roll over, play dead… Very good, Livorno!

It is perhaps worth pointing out that four of Palermo’s last six wins at home have been by a one goal margin, so while they look a sensation on paper, they haven’t exactly been as star-studded as we’ve made out. Nevertheless, wins breathe confidence, no matter how they arise, although I watched them rip a decent Fiorentina side apart at the end of last month, racing into a 3-0 lead before closing out the game in a comfortable and impressive manner. They were awesome that day, breaking out of defence not only at a ferocious pace but in large numbers, and a performance of that calibre would see them record another comfortable home victory.

Palermo’s recent rich of form, mainly at home it has to be said, has catapulted them into 4^th position, with Champions League football for next season now a real possibility if they keep up this winning momentum. Their away form could prove their Achilles heel as they’ve won just three times on the road all season but, however, they recorded their personal highlight result of the season when they beat Juventus 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in their very last outing in the league, a result which will have left the players on cloud nine, plus maintaining their winning home momentum as they return home to Palmero in a game of just as much importance, even if it is against a less glamorous opponent.

We will briefly touch on their opponents, whom are abysmal to say the least. Their recent form reads W:0 D:2 L:5, while they’ve won just twice away from home all season, although both were smash-and-grab victories. The positive for them is their ability to get on the score sheet in recent away fixtures, having done so in five of their last seven away outings, while they did hold the mighty AC Milan to a 1-1 draw at the San Siro, then quickly followed by a harsh 2-1 defeat Fiorentina. Viola, though, aren’t playing at all well of late, while Palermo are, so Livorno fans should expect nothing less than a bumpy ride on Sunday afternoon. A statement made even more true by the fact Livorno have scored just six away goals this season after twelve outings.

Marseille V Lorient – Sunday, 7^th March, 16:00 GMT

Matt’s Selection: Marseille to WIN @ 1.50 SkyBet (LOST!)

Alternative: Mamadou Niang Anytime Scorer @ 2.10 Bet365 (WON!)

With Ligue 1 leaders Bordeaux playing just a few hours later, Marseille have the chance to put themselves top of the league with an emphatic victory at home to a difficult Lorient. A three goal winning margin would be enough to achieve this, but we won’t push our luck by going all sentimental and will instead play safe with the back of Marseille to win, albeit at slim odds.

Marseille will be involved in Europa League action this coming Thursday but that won’t deter manager Didier Deschamps from fielding the strongest possible side for this clash with mid-table Lorient as it’s a fixture they simply must win if they are to harbour any serious title aspirations. Their form, however, is neon perfect, with four wins in succession under their belts, all of which were impressive, even emphatic in some case. Comprehensive wins at home to Valenciennes (5-1) and Nancy (3-1) were accompanied by two accomplished victories away at Monaco (1-2) and PSG (0-3), with the latter the most impressive of the lot, plus it was their very last outing in Ligue 1.

Marseille are the in form side of the two teams, with these huge wins not only leading to a rise up the table but also in confidence levels for the players, while they’ve been absolutely lethal in front of goal during this four game winning streak of theirs; scoring thirteen in four league games. Moreover, the evergreen Mamadou Niang is bang-in-form for ‘OM’ after scoring in each of their previous three home games, scoring six in three at the Stade Veldrome, home of title chasing Marseille, while he bagged a classy hat-trick in his sides most recent win at home, that 3-1 success against Nancy.

Marseille are a team at their peak right now, plus they have the pace and guile of a high-spirited Niang up front. Up against a Lorient side whom can be a handful on their day but have been a tad too inconsistent of late, having lost three of their previous six league encounters and suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat in their very last league outing, Marseille should prove too strong as they continue their relentless pursuit of top spot with their fifth league win on the spin.