BR Team Tips
Serie A closes it’s doors for the summer on Sunday evening, but there is still one more round of fixtures to get stuck into and hopefully a few more pennies to be made. One of the final day fixtures that catches they eye as a potential money-maker is the match taking place in Turin between Torino and Sassuolo. Neither of this pair have had much to play for during the last few weeks as, over the course of the campaign, they’ve done more than enough to stay in the division but not quite enough to challenge for Europe. However, the…
Having lost 2-1 in the first-leg of this play-off, Lorient’s grip on their Ligue 1 status has definitely loosened slightly, but, back in front of their own fans, the top-flight club really ought to fancy their chances of turning things round and thus remaining in the elite division for another season at least. Nothing can be taken away from the performance of second division Troyes on Thursday night; they defended pretty well for the most part and took their chances when they came. However, you could argue that the hosts were perhaps fortunate to score twice having created little in…
This play-off match is still finely balanced after the first leg in Dundee ended 0-0. One slip up or moment of genius could decide the match in what is likely to be a tense affair. After losing four consecutive matches towards the end of the season, Hamilton have found a little bounce going into this match with one win and a draw in their last two – including that 0-0 in the first leg. The Accies’ problem this season had been scoring goals and they ended the regular season as the second-lowest scorers in the Scottish top flight – only…
These League Two play-off finalists have been scoring goals for fun in the run up to this match and, if nerves don’t get the better of them, the Wembley crowd on Sunday afternoon should witness an entertaining affair. Blackpool just about sneaked into the play-off spots on the final day of the regular season thanks to a 3-1 win against Leyton Orient. They then played in two very exciting matches against 4th place Luton and came out 6-5 winners on aggregate. Before these play-off matches, the Tangerines were rather conservative, favouring clean sheets and defensive solidity to all out attack.…
The main event in Germany on Saturday evening sees both Frankfurt and Dortmund travel to the Olympiastadion in Berlin for the DFB-Pokal final where the latter will be looking to break something of a cup final hoodoo. Having finished runners-up in each of the last three renewals of this competition, Dortmund will be hoping it’s a case of fourth time lucky for them, while Frankfurt will be hoping to reclaim a title that they last won back in 1988. On paper, Dortmund are the massive favourites here but, thanks to what has been a shaky back-line this season, things might…
On Saturday night, Barcelona have the chance to ensure that they don’t walk away from the 16/17 campaign empty handed as they face an Alavés side who’re looking to pick up their first major trophy in the Copa del Rey final. Having lost their La Liga title to bitter rivals Real Madrid last weekend, as well as failing to make even the last four in the Champions League, it’s been a fruitless season for Barcelona up until this point, but if they’re capable of picking up the Copa del Rey here, then Luis Enrique’s final season in charge will probably be…
France’s premier cup competition comes to a head on Saturday night as Angers and PSG face each other in the Coupe de France final at the iconic Stade de France. Having failed to keep hold of their league title, PSG will be hoping to claim their second trophy of the season after winning the Coupe de la Ligue back at the start of April. On the other hand, Angers will be hoping to get their hands on a major trophy for the first time in their 98 year history. As the team who’ve dominated French football over the last few…
The grand finale of the English football season takes place on Saturday as Chelsea and Arsenal make the relatively short to Wembley to contest the FA Cup Final. Chelsea of course go into this match in pursuit of a league and cup double in what has been a fantastic first season for manager Antonio Conte. The Italian manager has his side in brilliant form going into this match with seven back-to-back wins in all competitions. Unsurprisingly, the Blues have been in excellent form in both boxes this campaign with 85 scored and just 33 conceded in their 38 league matches.…
On Thursday night, Troyes and Lorient go head-to-head for the right compete in France’s top division next season. Having dropped out of the top tier last season, Troyes have performed well in Ligue 2 and will be looking to cap things off by returning to Ligue 1. On the other hand, Lorient have endured a poor campaign overall but can still save themselves by coming out on top (over two legs) against second division opposition. From a betting point of view, there probably isn’t too much between this pair, despite the disparity in divisions. Lorient may well be the Ligue…
Of the 64 teams that entered the group stages of this competition back in September 2016, it is Ajax and Manchester United – two teams who were once considered giants on the continental stage – who’ve made the final in Sweden. If the betting is anything to go by – United are a best price of 17/20 to win the game in 90 minutes – then the English outfit are massive favourites and really ought to be getting the job done. However, as the graphic below shows, based on their exploits in this competition so far, the pair look much…
In what are rather odd circumstances for a relegation play-off match, both of these sides will go in with a bit of confidence having each won last time out. Dundee United may have finished 3rd in the Scottish Championship, however, they have been fantastic in both of their play-off ties, firstly against Greenock Morton and then against Falkirk. There can be no doubt that they pose a significant threat to Hamilton here. Goals have been the theme for The Tangerines in this latter part of the season, especially in the final third where they have found the back of the…
The Dota 2 action is coming thick and fast and there’s no shortage of top calibre tournaments on the horizon. We’re set to preview the Manila Masters which is approaching at the end of this week but for some of the teams that haven’t made it there’s the no small matter of the LootBet Invitational to secure the final spot at the $100,000 Summit 7 which gets underway in June. The first fixtures get underway later today with Ninjas in Pyjamas facing off against Thug Life and Team Empire playing against mousesports. Below is a look at the two matches…
For both Wolfsburg and Braunschweig, an entire season boils to down to this two-legged tie. For Wolfsburg, this is a chance for them to save themselves and go again next season, while Braunschweig will be looking to round-off a decent campaign in the second tier by earning promotion to the Bundesliga. Unlike both the English Premier League and Championship, where the bottom three are all condemned to relegation, the top two divisions in Germany operate a slightly different system. Whoever finishes third from bottom in the Bundesliga plays whoever finishes third from top in the second division to decide whether…
Stockholm is the venue for one of the final European games of the season on Wednesday night as Ajax play Manchester United for the right not only to get their hands on the Europa League trophy but also the right to play in next season’s Champions League. Domestically, Ajax have been on a good run in the last few weeks with six wins from their final seven league games. However, they still lost the league title to Feyenoord on the final day. This is Ajax’s first European final since 1996 and they will be determined to get their hands on…
Unlike several of the fixtures on Serie A’s penultimate weekend, this fixture between Empoli and Atalanta is important for both. The hosts are fighting against relegation and need all the points they can get, while Atalanta will be looking for a result that would secure them a top five spot with a game to spare. Although Empoli have just about been keeping their head above water of late, they’re fancied to find life tough against an Atalanta side who’ve been one of a Serie A’s most solid outfits over the course of the campaign. At the prices, siding with the…
The final game of the season for both Watford and Manchester City carries little significance; Watford are safe and sound for another year at least, while Man City have secured themselves a top four spot, although you’d expect that they’d rather finish 3rd than 4th – something that can be achieved with a win here. Guardiola hasn’t exactly conquered the English game in his first season at City, but 3rd would still represent a decent campaign and is certainly something to build on. From a forward perspective, City have naturally been one of the best teams in the division, although…
These two have under-performed this season and go into this match with nothing to play for. However, there are signs at both clubs that things could get better next season. Manchester United are guaranteed a 6th place finish this season and are no doubt focusing on the Europa League final in their quest for Champions League football next season. Manager Jose Mourinho has said he will give youngsters a chance this weekend, however, he has also said that he will not be playing them all together and so Palace will still no doubt have a tough match. United are in…
These two sides have had rather indifferent seasons and will be glad when this campaign is over as they look for an improvement next time round. After failing to win in five attempts from mid-April to mid-May, Southampton are in relatively good nick going into this final match with a win and a draw in their last two matches, putting them 8th in the table. Although they have done relatively well to give themselves a chance of finishing 8th, many Southampton fans have been critical of their side this season and particularly manager Claude Puel due to what they perceive…
Hull and Spurs come into this final match off the back of contrasting campaigns and will likely be in very different moods both before and after the game. Hull’s return to the Premier League has finally ended in disappointment, even though they appeared to be making a good fist of survival at one point. On the other hand, Spurs have enjoyed an excellent campaign, one that has yielded their highest ever points tally in the Premier League, and, despite silverware remaining elusive, they’ve shown real progression and are very much a side on the up. With their current predicaments in…
First takes on last in this final Premier League match as champions Chelsea , who will look to finish their successful Premier League campaign with a win, host Sunderland who were relegated a while ago after a grim season. Chelsea are of course in fantastic form at the moment having won their last six matches in all competitions. However, with the title already sealed and an FA Cup final to look forward to next week, it will be interesting to see if Antonio Conte chooses to rest players on Sunday in this dead rubber. As I have said on pretty…
Leicester, who are yet to make a decision on the future of current manager Craig Shakespeare, lost their second consecutive match on Thursday night as they went down 1-6 to Tottenham Hotspur. This looks pretty embarrassing on the face of it but Leicester played their part in an entertaining match and, in the end, Spurs were just too good for them. The fact that the Foxes have conceded an average of four goals per game in their last two shows they have had a pretty appalling time at the back of late. However, it must also be taken into account…
Neither of these sides have anything left to play for this season going into this final match as both have secured safety for another season. Given their poor form in the last couple of months which has seen them win just twice in their last nine matches, Kilmarnock probably cannot wait for the season to end. They have lost two out of the last three and that remainding match was a win against Inverness who are bottom of the table. It is pretty clear that the fight has pretty much gone now with players thinking of their holidays. Killie have…
Starladder i-League is being approached with a real sense of intrigue by Dota 2 fans around the world. A huge game-play match dropped just days before the event and it’s thrown a proverbial cat among the pigeons. To compare it to traditional sports, the changes are so fundamental it would be like playing professional football with a rugby ball – it’s simply that big. Starladder i-League Day One is done and dusted. TnC Pro Gaming, a team that we haven’t seen since their change in personnel breezed past both of their opponents on the way to recording an immaculate 4-0…
This final match is of huge significance for both of these teams; Bordeaux know that a win would give them a decent chance of securing 5th spot and thus a place in next season’s Europa League, while Lorient are in desperate need of a win if they’re to stand any chance of staying in the division, and even that might not be enough, such is the nature of their predicament towards the foot of the table. Unlike so many games at this time of year, although their needs are contrasting, it’s nice that both of this pair still have something…
Only Hamilton have something to play for here as they need to ensure they better Inverness’s result in order stay out of the automatic relegation spot. However, even a win for Hamilton would not take them out of relegation danger as they would still be in the play-off spot. Hamilton are on a terrible run at the worst time possible and their midweek loss against Ross County means that they have now lost their last four matches and, with Inverness having a bit of a revival last time out, Hamilton are now in real danger of going down. Goals have…
This match is only really relevant for one team as Inverness are still fighting for their top flight lives whilst Motherwell are guaranteed safety for another season. Inverness have managed to take their survival fight to the final day of the season thanks to a 2-0 win away at Dundee in midweek. Unfortunately though, it is out of their own hands and they have to hope Hamilton Academical slip up to give themselves any chance of staying up. Interestingly, the fact that Inverness know they have to win here could do them a favour as they do not need to…
Both of these two sides have been regulars at Wembley in the last few years and so both know what to expect from the iconic stadium. Additionally, they actually met in the play-off semi-finals last year, with Millwall coming out on top before losing in the final to Barnsley. Bradford did a thoroughly professional job on Fleetwood Town in the semi-finals to get this far, not conceding in either game. In fact, they were in good form going into these play-offs with just one loss in their last six regular season games, winning three of them. I mentioned previously that…
