Cesena V Bari
Date & Kick-Off: Sunday, 17 April 2011 – 14:00 (GMT)
Competition: Italian Serie A
Eleven-points adrift of safety with only six games of the season left to play, Bari have become a hopeless cause and the fact their opponents on Sunday, a Cesena side who do actually stand a fighting chance of staying up, are favourites didn’t come as too much of a surprise. That said, in no which way are third-from-bottom Cesena a 1.50 (1/2) shot, regardless of who they’re up against this weekend.
Granted Bari are rock-bottom and all but certainties for the drop, however they have at least struck all the right chords with their pre-match comments in recent weeks, and credit to them as they’ve kept to their word. Bari coach Bortolo Mutti insists his team will fight to the very end, and while that end may be nigh, the statistics wouldn’t necessarily indicate that Sunday will officially mark the end of Bari’s two-year spell in the top-flight of Italian football, though the odds on both teams would suggest otherwise.
Not only will the Galletti arrive at Cesena’s Dino Manuzzi stadium in the north of Italy riding the crest of a two-match unbeaten run – recording a 2-1 victory away at Parma two weeks previous before a slightly disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Catania last weekend – their opponents, while they may have struck some form in front of goal of late, have managed a jaw-dropping one win in fifteen Serie A games since the early part of January, dismal form which is however mirrored by Bari.
So, anyway, Cesena look an appalling bet at the odds considering there are a number of stats – as well as team news that as many as four players could miss Sunday’s crunch encounter for the hosts – which make them look extremely vulnerable on paper but also Bari a slice of value, even though resignation of their plight back to Serie B is likely to consume them soon enough.
I would definitely advise small stakes, as this almost has an inevitable feel to it judging by their respective odds.
Betting Tip: LAY of Cesena @ 1.54 BetFair
Side Bet(s):
Match Outcome: Draw @ 4.20 VictorChandler
Draw 2-2 (Correct Score) @ 23.00 bWin
Bari haven’t had a 2-2 draw since the second game of the season away at now second in the table Napoli. Cesena, though, have drawn three of their last four Serie A fixtures 2-2, as well as their last two home games. Bari don’t tend to score or concede many on their travels, but I consider this to be value nonetheless.
