Cristiano Ronaldo

Who will win the 2012 Ballon D’Or? Well, since the shortlist was cut down to the final three of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Cristiano Ronaldo, 2012 Ballon D’Or betting has been running rampant. Are we expecting a foregone conclusion here or are we going to have new winner? A couple of years ago, FIFA merged the World Player of the Year and the European Player of the Year awards into one, the Ballon D’Or. So with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi picking up the honour last year ahead of club team mates, Andres Iniesta and Xavi, he became the first official winner of the trophy in its new guise. However, that was the second consecutive year in which he had been recognized as the best player in the world, as he won the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2010, so he is sort of on for a hattrick here, and not surprisingly, he is the front runner in the 2012 Ballon D’Or betting, and the award gets handed out on January 9^th.

Who votes for the winner? International team captains, coaches and journalists all get their say and this year Lionel Messi is in the same position of being clear and outright favourite in the Ballon D’Or betting. In a three man race, he looks to be so far ahead that it may be all done and dusted. Is he going to be denied a hattrick of being named the best player in the world? The little Argentinean again had another incredible season last time out for his club, netting 31 goals 38 matches. Not a bad return, huh? He also of course won the Champions League with Barca. His trickery and mastery and just the inability of defenders in knowing how to deal with him, continues to make him one of the true legends of the game.

The biggest pressure on him in 2012 Ballon D’Or betting is Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Man Utd player netted an incredible 40 goals for his club last season in his 38 matches, which is just phenomenal. Still, he came up empty handed though, missing out on the La Liga and Champions League title, while watching Messi revel in all his glory. So that could be the big difference when it comes to voting here. Messi won things, arguably inspiring and firing his club towards success, while Ronaldo couldn’t get any silverware into his cabinet. This line up for the 2012 Ballon D’Or betting this year is exactly the same as the line up in the 2010 FIFA World Player of the Year. The outcome then? Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi.

So does Barca midfielder Xavi have any chance of a look in here? He is going to get sick of being shortlisted into the last three for this honour and not get recognized. This is the third straight year he has been in this position, and the previous two situations has seen him come in third place. Will the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have both won Player of the Year before, have any influence on Xavi’s outcome here. Is there a better possession midfielder in the world? No. He is the heartbeat of Barcelona and Spain, the fulcrum through which all good things happen. He deserves recognition, and you just wonder if he will get something of a sympathy nod this time from his peers just to recognize what a phenomenal player he is. Xavi won just as much as Messi last year, but with all that said he is third favourite in a three horse race, which seems really cruel for one of the best players on the planet. Would Barca have won their five titles in 2011 without Xavi? Probably not.

2012 Ballon D’Or betting odds
Lionel Messi: 1/14 at Stan James
Cristiano Ronaldo: 8/1 at SportingBet
Xavi: 20/1 at Victor Chandler

2012 Ballon D’Or Coach of the Year Betting
Another foregone conclusion in this market, more likely than not. The shortlist is Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola (1/10), Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson (6/1) and Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho (16/1). With Barcelona sweeping all before them last season in Europe and on the domestic front, the recognition will have to go to the most successful of the three. All prices here are listed at Stan James.

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The shortlist for the 2011 Ballon D’Or was announced this week, and naturally there was a huge Spanish influence once again. We have 23 men on the list for the Ballon d’Or, which is now of course one award for the FIFA World Player of the Year and the FIFA Ballon d’Or which used to be separate. No great surprises of last year’s winner, as that was the one and only Lionel Messi, picking up the great honour for the second year in a row. The list of 23 will be whittled down to just three on December 5th of this year, and the winner will be crowned on January 9th in Zurich. So we have a big man field in 2011 Ballon d’Or betting to look at, so that means right now there will be more value around than when the field is trimmed to the top three. Barcelona’s Messi is firm favourite to win the title yet again, and is as short as 1/6 at Ladbrokes to retain the title as the best footballer in the world. It is hard to raise an argument against him really. His incredible talent just continues to shine on and there is really no-one else on the world stage that can match his talent. The closest rival really is Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who continues his superbly impressive goal efforts in La Liga. It will likely all come down to Lionel Messi and Ronaldo occupying two of the top three spots, which leaves the final spot up for grabs. Again, it may all get a bit predictable again, as it will probably be filled by someone else from La Liga, probably Andres Iniesta or the always impressive Xavi, or maybe Cesc Fabregas with his impressive start with Barca. With the list of 23 nominees there have been, and always will be controversy. There is only one British player on the list, and that is Wayne Rooney from Man Utd, but again, stand him up alongside Lionel Messi and the Argentinean would win this award every time. The lack of British nominees again points to problems within the English game, and perhaps paints a worrying picture for the future and bleak prospects for Euro 2012 one would imagine.

But there are some other representatives from the Barclays Premier League on the 23 man list, with Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and Manchester United’s Nani making the cut so far. Naturally there are some glaring omissions such as Tottenham’s Gareth Bale, Man City’s David Silva, and of course there is the question of has Nani really been a better performer than Arsenal’s Robin van Persie? To that end, has anyone in the Premier League been better than the Dutchman? So, the arguments can all rage on about who should be on the 23 man list, and show should not, but at the end of the day, for your 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or betting, it is not likely to matter, as Lionel Messi is once again the stand out talent and is worth backing.

2011 Ballon d’Or Betting Odds
Lionel Messi: 1/6 at Ladbrokes
Cristiano Ronaldo:  8/1 at William Hill
Andres Iniesta: 33/1 at Stan James
Xavi: 33/1 at Stan James
Wayne Rooney: 49/1 at Unibet
Luis Suarez: 74/1 at Unibet
Iker Casillas: 100/1 at William Hill
Mesut Ozil: 125/1 at SportingBet

Full 2011 Ballon d’Or Player nominees: Eric Abidal (France), Sergio Aguero (Argentina), Karim Benzema (France), Iker Casillas (Spain), Dani Alves (Brazil), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Diego Forlan (Uruguay), Thomas Muller (Germany), Nani (Portugal), Neymar (Brazil), Mesut Ozil (Germany), Gerard Pique (Spain), Wayne Rooney (England), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), Luis Suarez (Uruguay), David Villa (Spain), Xabi Alonso (Spain), Xavi (Spain).

Real Madrid v Barcelona 2011 Spanish Super Cup betting is a great way to open your football wagers on the Spanish front. The two heavyweights come together on August 14th in the first leg of the domestic Super Cup. The two were no strangers to each other last year of course, as they battled it out for La Liga title as well as coming together in the Champions League and the Copa del Rey. It was Barcelona who prevailed in the Spanish Primera as well as the Champions League of course, and now the early season throws them back into battle again. So who will prevail? Who takes the edge in Real Madrid v Barcelona 2011 Spanish Super Cup football betting? Well here we take a look at the two sides, their pre season preparations, their signings and what differences we may see this season. One of the biggest rivalries on Continental Europe looks set to resume.

Barcelona look set to land Cesc Fabregas finally from Arsenal, but they have generally been taking things pretty quiet on the transfer market. This could be an ominous sign that coach Pep Guardiola has enough faith in his current squad to go out and repeat successes. We have not seen the best of Barcelona through pre season though, and they have suffered some loses. Three of them in fact, including a defeat against Manchester United. But can we pay attention to all of that, when competition levels are low and players are getting back to match sharpness? These are the games when it really counts, and Barcelona will want to come out firing. The Catalans have bolstered their forward ranks bringing over Alexis Sanchez from Udinese. Looking over the comparative pre seasons of the two giants, you could suggest that Barcelona are perhaps a little less prepared for this opener than Madrid. There will be battles of ego and battles of some of the best football talent in the world here of focus. Their strengths are in the movement of the ball in midfield, with Xavi and Iniesta the king pins there, and of course the ever existing threat of Lionel Messi. We looked a lot last season at how to beat Barcelona, and while Real Madrid triumphed in the Copa del Rey, it is hard, and still is, to see where Barcelona can be picked apart with any great regularity. Barcelona are going to create chances and if you cut off one supply route, there are numerous others which they exploit. Barcelona are the team to emulate, but will they be caught cold on this opening fixture of the season for them? It is never an easy task to play away from home in the back yard of your most bitter rivals, but Barcelona cope with things like that with relative ease. Barcelona will be strengthened in cover if Fabregas arrives but nothing else on the surface is likely to change too much this season. It is still up to the rest of Spain and the rest of Europe to try and catch them up.

Real Madrid have gone spending their cash though, with a big signing at the back with Fabio Coentrao coming in. There have also been a couple of signings in midfield to bolster strength in the depth. Coach Jose Mourinho did manage to get something out of Barcelona last year, when Real Madrid snatched a late winner in the final of the Copa del Rey. People wondered if there was going to be a momentum shift then, but it was Barcelona who prevailed over the two legs of the Champions League semi final. So that suggests that Jose Mourinho has a lot more work to do in order to not only catch up, but surpass Real’s bitter rivals. Madrid have gone well in their pre season, but they haven’t used too many of their big stars while touring China. This is naturally home advantage for Jose Mourinho and they cannot fall into the trap of being caught being over confident. They can look at Barcelona’s squad and see they haven’t put it together in their pre season matches, but they should be written off at Mourinho’s peril. Cristiano Ronaldo will again by the biggest cog in the Real Madrid machine this year, but as with Jose Mourinho, you know that if anyone is capable of tactically bringing down the best club side in the world, then it is him. Real Madrid tried their best, and succeeded a lot of the time last season to limit the number of chances that Barcelona would create in the match. They were not going to give Barcelona their own way in the middle of the park, and that is where Madrid won the biggest battles against their rivals. They have a lot of firepower and wealth in their squad, but often it is repressed when it comes to facing Barcelona. Sharp, incisive counter attacks may be their best way still to get the better of Madrid, but if they use this first battle ground of the new season wisely, it could lay down an important marker for the season ahead.

Real Madrid v Barcelona Spanish Super Cup betting
Real Madrid to win: 6/4 at Totesport
Draw: 12/5 at Stan James
Barcelona to win: 21/10 at Bwin

Real Madrid v Barcelona betting tip: Would honestly look towards a draw here. The are positives for both sides, but at the same time there are questions marks. It is the first competitive game, who will be match sharper? Real Madrid have been better in pre season but have faced lesser opposition than Barcelona. Don’t read too much into pre season results anyway as they are not going to count for much. Real Madrid may grab a little bit more of the early initiative, but you just can’t count Barcelona out, even if they have a cold start. There’s too much talent to leave them wanting, so a first up match ending in parity sounds about right for the two.  This is only the first leg remember, so a score draw Barca would be happy with.

Barcelona v Real Madrid Copa del Ray betting is back on the cards after the weekend’s La Liga action. It is the second of four El Clasico meetings in the space of a couple of weeks, as Real Madrid and Barcelona clash again, this time in the final of the Kings Cup (aka the Copa del Ray). After Barcelona had thumped Real Madrid 5-0 earlier in the league season, the two sides played out a draw at the Bernabeu on the weekend in the return fixture. Barcelona had taken the lead, but ten man Real Madrid managed to claw their way back to take a point, courtesy of an equalising penalty. The way Real Madrid, coached by Jose Mourinho of course, approached the game, showed just what a powerhouse Barcelona are. Madrid were happy to sit and block midfield, and look for counter attacking chances. When Real Madrid cannot stand toe to toe against Barcelona in an open contest, that shows what strength the Catalan side has. It is remarkable, the talent in the squad, which has to be the most envious in the world. Barcelona had all of the possession in the match, but on the counter attack, Real Madrid actually had the clearer cut chances in the first half. That result did nothing for Real Madrid’s hopes of catching Barcelona at the top of La Liga, and so Mourinho will turn his attention to the final of the Copa del Ray, and this is all ahead of the Champions League semi final between the two Spanish giants. This is football at its best, or it should be, as the league meeting on the weekend, was spoiled quite a bit by spoiling tactics, some niggling tackles and a lot of pettiness.

Barcelona will naturally go as strong favourites here again in Barcelona v Real Madrid Copa del Ray betting, and any match which they enter really, is all about them losing the game, as much as it is about the opponents winning it. Barcelona almost seem to start matches with an advantage, and that is why they remain strong in the betting. They are the team to beat, and frankly not many teams can do it. For Real Madrid, they need to get something out of this season, but the Copa del Ray has not been happy hunting ground for them, having not won the King’s Cup for 16 years. Can the special touch of Mourinho end Madrid’s wait? Los Blancos reached the final of last year’s competition, where they were beaten 2-0 by Sevilla, rather unexpectedly. What kind of confidence boost their 10-man draw against Barcelona will give them, remains to be seen, as Mourinho is just as likely to err on the side of caution, not wanting another embarrassment like the 5-0 league thrashing. The first leg of their Champions League semi final is on April 27th in Madrid, with the return leg at the Nou Camp on May 3rd. This is a chance for some bragging rights there, and Madrid will need all the confidence they can get, going into the games as underdogs. With Barcelona still eight points clear in the league, and facing a tough time in the Champions League, this could represent their best chance of silverware.

For Barcelona, their last appearance in the final of the Copa del Ray was in 2009, when they thumped Athletic Bilbao 4-1. That was the 25th time they had won the cup, but the first time since 1998. Real Madrid’s total of King’s Cup wins stands at 17 (but have been runners up 19 times), with their last appearance in the final coming in 2004. So the stats, the star power is all with Barcelona. Barcelona v Real Madrid Copa del Ray betting is leaning firmly towards the Catalan side picking up the trophy again. Barcelona can be taken for the best price of 20/21 at Victor Chandler right now, while Real Madrid are out at 3/1 with Stan James to take the glory. A draw for ninety minutes will reward 14/5 at Victor Chandler. Always worth looking at goal scoring markets with these two, and in the Anytime Goalscorer Market (which is covered at Stan James if the game ends 0-0, because they will refund lost stakes) Lionel Messi is 5/4 at Stan James, while Cristiano Ronaldo is 11/8, the same price as David Villa. All good value really. The El Clasico saga continues on Wednesday night, as not only Spain’s but arguably Europe’s best go head to head once more.

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The old Barcelona v Real Madrid rivalry has a new edge to it this year. Enter Jose Mourinho, the ex-Chelsea boss who has had his run ins with Barcelona plenty of times during his career. The new Real Madrid boss is ready to stoke the fires once more as he takes his Madrid side to Barcelona, in the hope of opening up a four point lead over their nearest rivals. Real Madrid haven’t enjoyed too much success at the Nou Camp over the past couple of seasons, but will the Mourinho factor make all of the difference this time around. This is a battle fought on many fronts. There is the history between the clubs which amounts to one of the most passionate derby matches in world football. There is the match up between the managers, with Jose Mourinho going up against Pep Guardiola who beaten Real Madrid in his last four matches. Then of course, there is the battle between two of the world’s greatest footballers, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. The two players are among the elite in the world and are really showing it this season. Messi is on an incredible ten match scoring streak, while Ronaldo leads the way in the goal scoring charts. Messi has thirteen in twelve games, Ronaldo has fourteen in twelve games. Remarkable.

For such a great match, there is of course online bookmaker offers to take a look at: BetFred run a La Liga Special. What the popular online bookmaker offer is, that if the last goal on the live match happens to be a penalty, then BetFred will refund all losing first and last goal scorers, correct score and score cast bets. This great coverage on Barcelona v Real Madrid is up to £200 per bet. BetFred also offer £50 in free bets when you open a new account with them. Simply make your first bet on a new account and BetFred will match that first stake up to the value of £50.

Madrid have a slender advantage at the top of the Spanish league, edging out defending champions Barcelona by 1 point. Both sides have hit 33 goals in their twelve matches, and both have defensive records that have barely registered a scratch upon them. This is the overall might and power of these two clubs at the moment, arguably the best two in Europe. Mourinho’s Real Madrid are the unbeaten side, and have won their last seven straight matches. Barcelona have won their last straight six matches, including an 8-0 thrashing of Almeria last weekend. That really won’t count for anything when the two sides meet tonight at the Nou Camp. There should be fireworks and there should be goals as bragging rights are played for. This is probably Europe’s biggest domestic match, a real clash of two titans. There is little to separate the teams so where should your football betting lie for El Clásico? Well, home advantage usually takes precedence when two teams are so evenly matched, and Barcelona do have a good record against Madrid lately. Is that enough to edge this one, or will all that parity come into play and they teams share a spoil of the points? A very good price at Bet365 is Real Madrid 0 Asian Handicap for 6/4, or if you do want to get behind the home side, then a Barcelona -1 Asian Handicap is excellent value at 2/1 at Bet365.

The Paddy Power Football Special In a Liga of Their Own are looking at the high scoring potential of these two Spanish giants for coverage on your betting. If El Clásico produces more than four goals in the match, Paddy Power will give refunds of all losing correct score, first/last goalscorer and score cast singles. With a generous £25 matched first bet for new customers to Paddy Power, then it too provides some great betting on Barcelona v Real Madrid with a highly recommended online bookmaker.

Lionel Messi El Clásico Bets (13 goals on the season)
Anytime Scorer: 11/10 at Bet365
First Goalscorer: 19/4 at Victor Chandler
To Score Two or more goals: 6/1 at Totesport

Cristiano Ronaldo El Clásico Bets (14 goals on the season)
Anytime Scorer: 7/5 at Paddy Power
First Goalscorer: 6/1 at Unibet
To Score Two or more goals: 9/1 at Paddy Power

Real Madrid: P12 W10 D2 L0 GF33 GA6 Pts 32
FC Barcelona: P12 W10 D1 L1 GF33 GA8 Pts 31

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Online Betting Offers

888Sport are providing punters with a great football betting promotion on the “El Clásico” Barcelona v Real Madrid match on Monday, and this is your time to get down a good First Goalscorer bet. 888Sport are providing coverage on First Goalscorer bets for the big match of the weekend, because if you back a First Goalscorer who doesn’t score first, but does find the back of the net at some point during the match, then the bookie will generously give you a refund. You will get your lost stake back as a free bet and this is a great opportunity not to miss and this offer is provided up to the maximum of £50 per bet! So, who will strike first in the battle of the superstars? Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is down as 9/2 for First Goalscorer, while Real Madrid’s Ronaldo, who is on fire this season, is 11/2 to be First Goalscorer. Those are already great odds to take advantage of, and made even better when you consider that you will get a stake refund if they do score, but just not first in the match.

Barcelona v Real Madrid – it is time for the big Spanish clash of the season. The two giants of Spanish and European football go head to at the Nou Camp, with pride on the line between the two rivals. Jose Mourinho has immediately taken Real Madrid to the top of the league, and have left Barcelona clinging to their tails. However, with a win for the Catalans, defending champions Barcelona could take their place back at the top of La Liga, as the two continue their duel for supremacy in Spain. The match is also about individual performances as well as team efforts, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Villa all on display. Mourinho’s Madrid remain unbeaten in the league, but need to overturn some recent poor form against Barcelona, if they are going to open up a four point lead over their nearest rivals for the tile. It is Madrid who have gained an early upper hand in the title race, and they head to the Nou Camp on the back of a strong midweek win against Ajax in the Champions League. Cristiano Ronaldo has found a new lease of life under Mourinho, and has rewarded his new boss with 14 goals in 12 league matches.

Lionel Messi will be the great inspiration for Barcelona. He has always shown up well for El Classico, and will be the biggest thorn in the side of the Real Madrid defence, a defence which has shipped just six goals this season. Even with the amount of talent on show at Barcelona, such as David Villa, Iniesta and Xavi, Barca are relying heavily on the output of Lionel Messi alone this season. The Argentinean has netted 13 goals in his 12 league matches, keeping pace with Ronaldo. Monday will need big individual performances from both players. Barcelona got in a nice warm up match in their last league outing, thrashing Almeria 8-0. Away. That left Barcelona on a run of six consecutive wins, while Real Madrid have won seven in a row, hitting nearly thirty goals in that stretch. Mourinho believes though that this match doesn’t mean as much as it is being billed for, as there are plenty of other fixtures in the calendar which both sides need to win.

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The shortlist for the Ballon D’Or has been released, along with some updated betting prices, and there is a glaring absence of any English players and just a few Premier League players. Didier Drogba, Cesc Fabregas and Asamoah Gyan doesn’t make much of an impact in this illustrious list of the world’s best players. In fact, all the players on the list actually come from European Club sides. This doesn’t paint a particularly great picture of the English game really. So while no Premier League player is going to win the title, it’s almost a slap in the face for England’s top flight, especially as star names such as Carlos Tevez isn’t even there. If he can’t get on there, how does Gyan? Naturally the awards list from FIFA has been dominated by the World Cup winning Spaniards. That is understandable, as along with the German’s, they are the most highly represented at the awards. The Awards are not handed out until next year, and this is the first time in its current format that it will be presented. It is a culmination, a coming together of the FIFA World Player of the Year and the old Ballon D’Or honours. It’s just been all merged into one, as one was voted on by peers and the other, esteemed members of the press. While there are plenty of Spaniards in the mix, and many who will stand out from their World Cup winning campaign, there are a couple of interesting other names in there which may just sway betting away from a Spaniard picking up the title. Naturally this is not just all about performances at the World Cup, but they will certainly have influenced things, especially with the inclusion of some of the German players. Still, here we taking a betting preview look over the front runners for the title. These are the best players in world, who makes the best bet?

Wesley Sneijder: 2/1 at Ladbrokes

It is hard to overlook the Dutchman, as he completed a hat trick of honours last season. With his club Inter Milan, he picked up the Champions League, the Serie A title, and the Italian Cup. That makes for a pretty impressive haul, and missed out on the fourth, and biggest one in the World Cup final, when the Netherlands showed up but forgot to play football in the final against Spain. Sneijder is one of those dynamic link up men, a classic number ten sitting between midfield and attack. He has of course, been linked with moves to Man Utd and Spain, and he does make a strong bet for the title here. His haul of honours says a lot about the player, and he makes the strongest bet. He is the front runner for the award and the one to beat. He is worth jumping on.

Xavi: 7/2 at William Hill

Perhaps surprising that he is at shorter odds than compatriot Iniesta? Not really. Xavi puts in an incredible amount of unseen work in the midfield of Spain, and is a key component in the Barcelona and Spain midfields. His control on the ball, combined with passing vision really is a joy to way and something which he makes look so easily. He isn’t as visibly noticeable as your Iniesta’s and Villa’s, but they wouldn’t be able to go out their work so well if it wasn’t for Xavi, arguably the most accomplished midfielder in the world.

Andres Iniesta: 9/2 at Bet365

The hero of Spain after scoring the World Cup winning goal against the Netherlands at South Africa 2010. The Barcelona man (one of six on the list), and is a class act. If you look for that spark of inspiration in a match, then you look to Iniesta who takes so much possession of that ball. The thing is, that possession is fantastic, his dribbling skills and ability to beat players in phenomenal. Would walk into any team in the world, and deservedly on the list. Could be one of the really strong challengers to Sneijder to pick up the honours, probably over Xavi, simply because of his influence in the World Cup Final, which showed everything great about the little man.

Lionel Messi: 9/1 at Victor Chandler

Still can arguably be classed as the best player in the world. It’s not often you get a bad game out of the Argentinean, and he really showed the best of his abilities at the World Cup. There were doubts over him transferring his domestic form with Barcelona to the world stage, but he had the ball at his feet so much, that it felt like there were more than one of him on the pitch. Didn’t thrill in the goal scoring tally, and that probably will just put him out of the running really. If he’d have hit a few at the World Cup, he’d probably be a much stronger contender in the Ballon D’Or betting.

Diego Forlan: 20/1 at Bet365

One of the star performers of the World Cup. The Uruguay striker, once of Manchester United, pretty much carried his team through to the semi finals, and scored some stunning goals along the way. Showed really what a class act he is, and definitely left one of the best impressions of South Africa 2010. Led Atlético Madrid to the Europa League, and if there is an outsider who deserves the title over the year, then it will be him. However, while he is a true professional, it is highly unlikely that he is going to pick up this title, but deserves a lot of recognition. His goal scoring record in Spain really is outstanding.

David Villa: 20/1 at Bet365

Surprised that he’s so far out in the betting? Maybe, because he is probably the best striker in the world at the moment. After sparkling at the World Cup, and having hit 44 goals in 69 matches for his country (becoming the top scorer in Spanish history), Villa secured a move to Barcelona. Has yet to really take off there yet, hitting just two goals in seven matches with the Catalan side. At his previous club Valencia, he hit 108 goals in 166 matches, which is pretty incredible. He is a World Cup winner, won the Silver Shoe at South Africa 2010. He is closer in the running that these odds may suggest, but this is the best price on him that you will find around. Maybe just worth an outside punt.

Cristiano Ronaldo: 22/1 at Bet365

Wasn’t in great form last year after his move to Real Madrid. The Portuguese star also failed to make any kind of impact at the World Cup, after Portugal had a pretty sour qualification campaign. This domestic year has started much differently for him though, and his four goal haul in one match on the weekend may have played him back into recognition. Is La Liga’s top scorer this season and looks to be flourishing under Jose Mourinho. Not going to win as he hasn’t had a good enough year, certainly not by his standards.

Brazil
Julio Cesar (100/1 at BetFred)
DanI Alves (1001/1 at BetFred)
Macon (66/1 at Bet365)

Holland
Arjen Robben (66/1 at Bet365)

Germany
Bastian Schweinsteiger (74/1 at Unibet)
Thomas Mueller (50/1 at Bet365)
Mesut Ozil (74/1 at Unibet)
Miroslav Klose (100/1 at Paddy Power)
Philipp Lahm (100/1 at William Hill)

Spain
Iker Casillas (50/1 at Paddy Power)
Xabi Alonso (66/1 at Bet365)
Cesc Fabregas (66/1 at Bet365)
Carles Puyol (66/1 at Paddy Power)

Others
Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) 80/1 at Paddy Power
Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon) 66/1 at Bet365
Asamoah Gyan (Ghana) 149/1 at Unibet

Winning Group G gets more important with the passing of every day. While the victors at the Moses Mabhida Stadium would potentially play Holland in the quarter finals, they will avoid the half of the draw which includes England, Argentina, Germany and probably Spain. While Vicente Del Bosque’s team are hovering around even money to win Group H, a runners-up berth is surely more likely. Therefore, while Brazil are through to the last sixteen, it’s hard to see Dunga treating this game particularly lightly. He will want to maintain the excellence shown against the Ivory Coast last Sunday, even if the team will be missing the suspended Kaka. While the Real Madrid star sits on the bench and considers how foolish he was to receive two yellow cards, his team-mates are strong favourites at 13/10 (Coral) to land another win which would give them maximum points in Group G. It promises to be an entertaining game, especially as the Brazilian defence is not proving particularly watertight. North Korea and the Cote d’Ivoire both managed a consolation goal against the Selecao in previous matches, so perhaps it follows that Portugal will also find the net, especially as six members of their squad were on the scoresheet against the People’s Republic on Monday. Carlos Queiroz’s team will be going for the win, especially as they have little to fear due to the nine goals’ superior goal difference they have over the Elephants. The Iberian team are 11/4 (Bet Fred) to land a famous win and book themselves a match against the runners-up of Group H. It’s clearly just a matter of speculation as to whom they would meet, although Switzerland going through in second place would give them a strong chance of getting through to the final. The team have a clear match-winner in Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be looking to break free from the shackles of Gilberto Silva to make a difference for his country. The Real Madrid forward is 6/1 (Ladbrokes) to open the scoring and you can bet that he’s been practising his free kicks ahead of this match, although it’s strange that Tiago is priced at 33/1 (Paddy Power) on the same market considering that he scored two against the North Koreans. This will also be a significant match for striker Liedson, who was born in Brazil and became a naturalised Portuguese international recently. He’s 9/1 (Ladbrokes) to break the deadlock. As for Brazil, they still have attacking flair without the suspended Kaka and striker Luis Fabiano is on course to win the Golden Shoe after his excellent brace against the Ivory Coast. The Sevilla forward will be eyeing more goals from this match ahead of the knockout stages where games are traditionally more low-scoring. You can back him at 11/2 (Victor Chandler) to score first. If you think that Brazil will dominate to the extent that they did in their last game, Stan James offers 3/1 that the World Cup favourites lead at half-time and full-time.

Portugal Threat Bigger Than Just Cristiano Ronaldo

Enter Cristiano Ronaldo to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It is fair to say that we could see a major improvement in the quality of dead ball deliveries when Portugal kick off against the Ivory Coast on Tuesday. This is probably the biggest clash in the first round of opening group matches, as these are two strong teams, scrapping for supremacy in the race to keep tags on Brazil in the group. A loss in this opening fixture could spell disaster in such as tough group, with both having obviously having to still play the South Americans. Hopefully this should turn out to be the best match of the opening games, with both teams needing to go for the jugular, but with both teams having their vulnerabilities. Neither side are particularly consistent, and neither have been able to stand up and say that they have made best use of the resources available to them. Portugal struggled through qualification, and while Cristiano Ronaldo did miss a lot of the matches through injury, it could highlight just how much the nation relies upon his heroics. Yes, he is a World Class player, that is not in doubt, and once he had returned from injury, he started to really shine for his new club Real Madrid by banging in the goals. Can he elevate Portugal, who have climbed up to third in the FIFA World Rankings, after a reshuffle of the points system.

That came as something of a surprise, as there are better teams around than Portugal. Do Portugal need Cristiano Ronaldo to carry them? Well, the fact that Ronaldo himself came out and said that in order for them to succeed at the 2010 FIFA World Cup they would need more than just the handful of star players which they have to perform, points to the reasoning that they do. Ronaldo called for his team mates and unsung heroes to stand up and play their part, and not rely solely on him. Portugal have already lost Manchester United winger Nani through injury, and A Selecção das Quinas need to show the same battling qualities which they displayed over the latter half of qualification. After winning just one of their five opening matches, Portugal suddenly plugged the holes in their back line, and rediscovered their scoring touch. OK, it was not a spectacular turn around, but the fight that Carlos Queiroz’s men displayed in getting over the line, was admirably, if not pretty. Their troubles in actually getting to the World Cup finals will probably mean that a lot of people underestimate them. Being drawn in a group along with Brazil and the Ivory Coast won’t have helped much, but Portugal have more to offer than their early qualification form showed.

With an impressive build up to South Africa 2010, Portugal could be peaking at the right time, now having won their last eight matches. During that run, they have conceded just one goal. So should the Portuguese be worth looking at in a little more depth for your World Cup Betting? Absolutely. They are no slouches, and on the day, they should have more confidence and team mentality than the Ivory Coast. They seem to have gotten over whatever slump was bothering them, and have found their consistency. They really could be ones to watch out for, and while they are out at 33/1 at Bet365 to win the tournament, that could shorten dramatically if they beat the Ivory Coast. The trouble is, if they cannot get the better of Brazil in the group, then the second placed team from Group G will go up against the winner of Group H, which is likely to be Spain. But with a great defensive record at the moment, which may surprise a lot of people, Portugal could be primed and ready to take them on. Let’s not forget, Portugal reached the semi’s in 2006. But for now, they will need to continue their fine form and take out the Ivory Coast, who are being coached by a familiar fellow.

Sven Goran-Eriksson The Missing Link?

Yes, Sven is back at the World Cup. After leading England through two disappointing campaigns, Eriksson was drafted in at a late stage to coach the Ivory Coast at the World Cup. This came about after a poor African Cup of Nations, which they were expected to win, which resulted in the firing of their head coach. So, the nation went for the experience of Eriksson, even though he seemed to be a strange choice, considering the strengths of the Elephants, and Eriksson’s philosophy towards the game. Eriksson is a cautious chap, as most England fans will tell you, and that is a bit of a departure from the free flowing attacking game which the Ivory Coast like to play. What can be said in Eriksson’s defence, is that the Ivory Coast have not had any great success with their style, and perhaps it is time to change. But Eriksson has not had a lot of time to stamp his authority over the side, and picked a predictable 23 man squad to take with him. He may have to cede some ground, and use the players which he has at his disposal in the best way that suits them, and that may mean relinquishing the reins a bit, a letting the natural Ivory Coast way shine through, and perhaps just glossing it over with his defensive and economical tactics.

It is considered a Golden Generation for the Ivory Coast, as their current squad has been together for quite some time. It is a pretty tough first competitive match for Eriksson to take the helm for though, as the stakes really could not be higher. He will know Portugal well, after England lost at both the 2006 World Cup, and the 2004 European Championships to the Portuguese. The big question on everyone’s mind, is will Didier Drogba play? The Ivory Coast talisman was injured in a warm up ahead of South Africa 2010, fracturing his arm, and no-one is sure if he will be able to play or not. The Chelsea man is with the Ivory Coast squad, and has been attending training. The decision will probably be left to the last minute by Eriksson, if for no other reason than to keep Portugal guessing. Will it be third time a charm for Eriksson against Portugal in recent times? He has some good players on his side, capable of winning, but has he had enough time to bring those players together as a team? That has always been the one criticism of the Ivory Coast, they have star players who look good on paper, but not so good on the pitch. See here for more on Ivory Coast v Portugal.

Portugal v Ivory Coast Odds and Stats

Ivory Coast 2, Japan 0
Paraguay 2, Ivory Coast 2
Korea Republic 2, Ivory Coast 0
Ivory Coast 2, Algeria 2
Ivory Coast 3, Ghana 1

Portugal 3, Mozambique 0
Portugal 3, Cameroon 1
Portugal 2, China 0
Bosnia 0, Portugal 1
Portugal 1, Bosnia 0

Last 5 Match Goals
Ivory Coast: 9 For, 7 Against
Portugal: 10 For, 1 Against

Recent Stats:
Ivory Coast: P37, W13, D12, L12 with a 35.1% win percentage
Portugal: P50, W28, D12, L10 with a 56.0% win percentage

World Cup Stats
Ivory Coast: P3, W1, D0, L2, GF5, GA6
Portugal: P19, W11, D1, L7, GF32, GA21

Last 10 Match Form:
Ivory Coast: DDDDDWDLDW
Portugal: DDWWWWWWWW

Match Odds
Portugal to win: 5/4 at Bet365
Draw: 23/10 at BetFred
Ivory Coast to win: 13/5 at Totesport

Asian Handicap Betting Tip: Could be a close game, but nonetheless it seems as if Portugal should have enough to edge it. There is a huge amount at stake on this match, so we could see a cautious start by both side. The best prices would be giving Ivory Coast at least a goal advantage, but Portugal +0.25 for 2/5 at Bet365 is decent value on a safe bet.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona Betting Preview: Spain is where the biggest game of the weekend is happening, as the battle for domestic supremacy reaches its pinnacle. The two sides are tied at the top of La Liga with almost identical records. Real Madrid are holding onto the top spot with their fingernails by goal difference, with the two teams on 77 points apiece after 30 games of the season. Barcelona had the upper hand earlier in the season, but some startling form from Real Madrid on the domestic front, has seen them rack up a sequence of twelve consecutive wins.

This won’t be an easy trip for Barcelona, as Real Madrid have an astonishing 100% record at home this season, and have found the back of the net more often than their rivals. There is a lot of pay back to happen for the Real Madrid players, who were humiliated 6-2 in last season’s fixture, at the stage where Real Madrid were also in the ascendancy in form. This will mean that they will be just a little more aware of what can happen in Saturday’s El Clasico, and how quickly confidence can be shattered. Barcelona went on to win the league last season, a vital part of their treble winning season along with the Spanish Cup and Champions League.

Madrid’s top striker Higuain has not been keen to draw comparisons between the two matches. A lot of personal changes have happened at both clubs since last season, as well as the coach at the Madrid side. The incredible run of victories for Real Madrid, spearheaded by Cristiano Ronaldo leading the New Galacticos, has put a lot of pressure on Barcelona boss Josep Guardiola. However, the Catalan crew got the better of Real Madrid 1-0 at the Nou Camp back in November, and are still going strong in the Champions League. Real Madrid fell in the last 16 of the competition to French side Lyon, a huge disappointment for the capital side.

This is vital game, but does not come as late in the season as it did last year, when the heavy Barcelona win essentially ended Madrid’s chase in trying to catch them. While it won’t decide a winner, the result of the game will have a huge impact, because with both teams capable of winning all of their remaining matches, and small gap that is opened up on Saturday, could just be enough to clinch the title in the long run. When you lose six points in a season against your main rival for the league title, it will, more often than not, have dire consequences. This is the situation which will happen if Real Madrid lose again to Barcelon, as they have done in the last three match-ups between the two giants.

Up against Real Madrid’s twelve straight wins, are Barcelona and their seven victories from their last eight league matches. What the Bernabeu will hold for the European Champions this time around will all unfold on Saturday, in Europe’s biggest match between two super powers. Even though Madrid will be the home side, there is extra impetus on them to beat Barcelona, who have looked invincible at times, and Guardiola has built such a strong side, than even when they are weakened they are strong, highlighted by their demolition of Arsenal. Madrid, on paper, and at full strength, appear to be the only side that would be capable of living with the might and power of the Catalan side, and one of the great individual battles will resume at kick off. Cristiano Ronaldo v Lionel Messi. Which would you choose?

Lionel Messi Anytime scorer: 6/5 at Totesport
Cristiano Ronaldo Anytime scorer: 6/5 at Coral
Gonzalo Higuain Anytime scorer: 11/8 at Blue Square
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Anytime scorer: 2/1 at SkyBet

Messi is leading scorer in Spain’s Primera Division, with Real Madrid’s youngster Higuain just behind him. The two will combine to make a formidable pairing for Argentina at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but for now they have the big Saturday Spanish showdown to contest. The tale of the tape shows Messi in ascendancy over both Ronaldo and Higuain in his incredible season, where he has netted 39 times in all competitions. That is the power that Real Madrid will have to try and stop, but they need to play to their own strengths too. Barcelona will be without Eric Abidal, while Real Madrid are awaiting news on the fitness of Brazilian superstar Kaka. Kaka has been missing from the Madrid line up for about a month, and there is no game which he would like to get back for, more than Saturday’s El Clasico. His return would inject a little extra belief that the home side can steal a three point lead over their title rivals and put a stop to their out and out dominance.

Real Madrid v Barcelona Outright Betting
Real Madrid to win: 13/8 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 12/5 at Bwin
Barcelona to win: 17/10 at Bet365