Football betting review 29th August
No it’s not a beautiful dream, football is officially back on our screens and in our hearts with the first meeting between the top four in England, the dawn of the new La Liga season, the draw for the Champions League group stage and even the odd fixture in the League Cup to salivate over.
Few fixtures this weekend will be as anticipated as Real Madrid’s ribbon-cutting episode against Deportivo La Coruna. Recession proof Real made Manchester City look frugal over the summer with the exorbitant additions of Ronaldo, Alonso, Kaka and Benzema and will be looking for instant returns on their investments, both in terms of style and substance. The reaction to watching rivals Barca win the treble last year – and with some swagger – has seen a high turnover of personnel and the appointment of a new coach, Manuel Pellegrini. The Chilean will be charged with blending the superstars, managing a few ego’s and developing a defensive resilience that has long been lacking.
As for Depor, as if anyone beyond La Coruna will be paying any attention, they will be looking to build on a 7th place finish last year and still boast a few veterans of their glory days at the start of the decade.
Anything but a dominant victory for Real will be seen as a disappointment but, while they have been impressive during the preseason, opening day fixtures are notoriously unpredictable and the pressure at the Santiago Bernabeu will be oppressive. Ronaldo scores and Madrid celebrate a 2-1 victory.
Further west, the San Siro will be ablaze with flares and local discord as Internazionale duel A.C Milan. The Derby games finished with a win for each team last term but it was Inter, under Jose Mourinho, that won the Scudetto and are favourites to do so again this season. Their supremacy over their cross-town opponents appeared as wide as Ronaldinho’s waistline a few weeks ago however, as the Brazilian has laid off the carbs and restored his form, so the gap has shrunk and this Saturday’s game is a highly anticipated harbinger for the title race ahead. Inter come into the game on the back of a limp draw at home to newly promoted Bari while Milan, despite a desperate succession of friendly results, performed well in beating upstart Siena last week and in Ronaldinho’s compatriot Alexandre Pato, have one of the most gifted young players on the planet.
Both teams will likely feature former Real Madrid and current Dutch Internationals; Klaas-Jan Huntelaar for the Rossoneri and newly acquired Wesley Sneijder for Inter.
In what should be a good advert for Italian football, returning to a British audience thanks to the moguls of second choice soccer, ESPN, Milan will likely make the early running but Inter have the organisation and tactical awareness to at least salvage a draw. 1-1 in the Derby della Madonnina.
Although the main course and dessert to Saturday’s action are distinctly European, the starter is a full English affair as Arsenal and Manchester United will battle at Old Trafford. The Gunners have been in good form to open up the campaign but will still be haunted by their Champions League defeats to United last season and have been distant onlookers to their adversaries most recent trilogy of Premiership trophies.
In spite of their domestic monopoly, Ferguson’s charges have only recorded one victory over the Londoners in the last six league fixtures and cannot call upon their mercurial former no. 7, a consistent scorer versus Arsenal over the years. New no.7 Michael Owen will not be a direct replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo but, along with Berbatov and Rooney, will need to shoulder some of the goalscoring weight. All three were on target in their last outing against Wigan.
Both teams will likely be without key players even if Cesc Fabregas overcomes his hamstring injury but, although the likes of Rosicky, Walcott and Nasri will limit Wenger’s attacking options, it is the Red Devils that may be more affected as Rio Ferdinand will definitely miss the tie and both Jonny Evans and Wes Brown are battling for fitness.
Arsenal’s scorelines have been slightly flattering to this point and a trip to the Theatre of Dreams will test their resolve, their squad depth and likely their fan’s optimism. United to end the Gunner’s winning streak 1-0.