Some Fans Are On The Pitch...

This weeks title is an allusion to the fact that a number of leagues are already decided as we enter the final few weeks of the seasons around Europe. Last weekend saw Borussia Dortmund and Charlton both seal their leagues and provide decent paydays for all who followed me in on them pre-season. Real Madrid also as good as wrapped up La Liga by finally beating a tired looking Barcelona at the Camp Nou. We also saw a swing in the race for the Premier League title letting Man City back in and making Monday night's Manchester derby the biggest for quite some time. Midweek was taken up by European competition semi finals once again. In a massive upset both of Spain's giants exited the Champions League to leave Chelsea and Bayern to play out the final in Munich. There can rarely have been a bigger shock than Chelsea somehow losing one centre back early to injury and falling one behind, then losing their moronic captain to a sending off and going two behind, before scoring themselves and somehow holding on for a memorable victory. Once Terry had been removed I even found myself able to get behind them! Barcelona were reduced to looking like Arsenal can at times, with no idea how to breach a committed and disciplined defence. I'm no hater of them, although they can be boring, but I think the more deserving side on the night won. In the other semi Real raced into a two goal lead, both courtesy of Ronaldo, and then seemed confused as to how to approach the rest of the match. This apprehension allowed Bayern to come on to them and they duly scored to take the tie to extra time and then penalties. After a selection of poor penalties and misses Bayern won through Schweinsteiger's cool fifth penalty. In the Europa League we will see an all Spanish final contested by Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao in Bucharest. Both these sides have entertained for much of the tournament and possess strikers in Llorente and Falcao that many big clubs covet. In Bilbao's case it is just reward for the bold decision made in appointing Marcelo Bielsa as manager and letting him try to change their entire playing style. Music comes courtesy of The Ramones with the belting Commando. West Brom v Aston Villa, Saturday 1500 A Midlands derby with lots riding on it for the away side. West Brom have looked good again this season under Roy Hodgson's astute management and he will surely have taken some satisfaction in beating Liverpool at Anfield last weekend. He may well not have been the right man for the job when there, but he was chased out in a disgusting manner and in Dalglish, the fans choice, they have looked even worse for large spells. Hodgson has made WBA hard to beat with a defence first back four and two central midfielders who know they should always make sure the defence is protected before venturing forward. He has an enviable choice of forwards with the unpredictable Odemwingie, hard working Shane Long and also the immensely strong Marc-Antoine Fortune to choose from. Odemwingie is a fantastic player when the mood takes him and can link very well with Yusuf Mulumbu. With both these starting Villa's defenders wont be looking forward to the trip to the Hawthorns. Villa are yet to pull clear of the relegation fight and the reverse from 1-0 up to 2-1 down in five minutes at home on Tuesday shows how poor they are. They have not won in over ten matches now, and look poor and the back and worse in attack. The loss of Darren Bent to injury has shown the paucity of attacking options McCleish has at his disposal. With his normal choice to have nine behind the ball and one up top it doesn't work when the one is the god awful Emile Heskey. At Heskey's peak I thought he was pretty dire, and as he approaches the end of his career he looks dreadful. Villa's chairman should hang his head in shame if they go down as McCleish's record clearly showed he was a poor manager and the fans made their feelings clear from the moment it was mentioned. Back West Bromwich Albion at 2.2 with Stan James. Norwich City v Liverpool, Saturday 1730 After all the talk of how brilliant Brendan Rodgers is, it is Paul Lambert who is now getting some credit. And rightly so with his Norwich side looking to finish the highest of all the promoted clubs, and also having rarely looked outclassed by any side this season. With the amount of times I tipped them this season it is obvious I thought they had enough to stay up, and even flourish, but they were tipped by many to go straight back down. Their collection of players who have been excellent at lower levels and hungry to prove themselves has worked wonders, and has probably helped to keep a good spirit with no obvious stars to rock the boat. From the goalkeeper John Ruddy (ex-U's didn't you know!?), right through to hulking striker Grant Holt they have all performed when called upon. The fact these two have been mentioned as outsiders for England's Euro 2012 squad tells you how well they've done. They played well at Anfield and earnt a draw and they are more than capable of going one better at Carrow Road. Liverpool eh? What a shower they've been since xmas. If Kenny stays next season I would seriously advise laying them every week as I am certain it will yield profit over the course of a season. They were possibly unlucky last week to lose to WBA at Anfield having dominated play and with only a silly mistake allowing Odemwingie in to score. However comma the lack of goals is no rare occurrence this season and is a problem Dalglish should have done better in fixing. He spent a fortune on Carroll, and then Downing and Adam as they could presumably provide good balls for the big man to contest. Downing has been horrendous with not a goal or assist to his name in the league and Adam has become the scapegoat for large sections of the crowd for the overspending on average players. If Kenny clings to his job expect much of the same next season, I have no faith he can adjust to the modern game tactically or scout properly. Back Norwich Draw No Bet at 2.75 with Paddy Power. Man City v Man Utd, Monday 2000 The Big One! I am loathe to give a prediction for this match at this moment before there is any team news. I would be inclined to follow City's home form and also their better recent form, but they are quite short at 2.2ish at present. I'll wait and those who follow on Twitter @TopTopTips will see my prediction on Monday afternoon/evening. Getafe v Mallorca, Saturday 1700 Two sides with little to play for meet on Saturday evening in Madrid. Getafe sit three points off Athletic Bilbao for a Europa League place next season, but are in eleventh spot as their are still so many sides with hopes of a European spot in Spain this season. At home this season they have again been in good nick with a record of eight wins, five draws and only three losses. Their away form has let them down to the extent that they are where they are in the league, but at home in their little bowl ground they are very hard to beat. They have also won the last four home matches by a combined score of eleven to two and have beaten Valencia 3-1 in that run. They could yet get a Europa spot if they can pull something out in their away matches as well as at home. Mallorca sit one spot below Getafe, but have been more bothered with relegation than Europe for much of the season. They are another of the many sides in Spain that are completely broke, actually in large debt, due to the TV monopoly Barca and Real hold at present. On the road they go four wins, five draws and eight losses scoring seventeen and conceding twenty six so far. They have actually won two of the last five away, but they were tight victories over the two hopeless bottom clubs and should be treated as such. Back Getafe at 2.0 with William Hill. Bologna v Genoa, Sunday 1130 Bologna have been on a very good run since xmas seeing them only lose three times having lost nine before the break. They looked to be a certainty for the drop, but have made themselves very tough to beat and ground out victories that would have been losses before. They have won four, drawn three and lost two at home since the change of manager at xmas and that's a respectable record that would have made mid-table a certainty over the whole season. They have tailed off slightly of late with two 1-1 draws in their last two matches having seen themselves all but safe now. Some of you may have seen the pictures of the Genoa match last weekend being halted by their Ultra's screaming for play to stop and the players to remove their shirts as they weren't fit to wear them. Thankfully after some talking between players and fans this was halted and the match was resumed. Unfortunately they still saw Genoa lose 4-1 to Siena at home, combined with the 1-0 loss to AC on Wednesday they are one point above the Serie B play-off now. It sort of serves them right for allowing the big clubs to cherry pick their best players for a few years now and has left them a shadow of the side that was challenging for Europe 3 years ago. Back Bologna at 2.7 with William Hill. Hamburg v Mainz 05, Saturday 1430 Hamburg have appeared many times on the column this season due to them being absolutely awful. They can still be relegated to the Bundesliga II for the first time in their history if the results in the last two games go against them. They have snuck a draw and a win out of their last two matches to fortunately leave them five points clear of the relegation spots with two to play, but many would not have shed a tear at them departing as they offered little to the neutral. The summer transfer policy of Frank Arnesen signing the players he brought to Chelsea as youths and never made the grade proved as bad as it sounds. Many were hopelessly out of their depth thrust into a major European league and huge changes will be needed to stop next season being another battle for survival. A home record of won only three, drawn six and lost seven means that they have actually been worse in front of their critical fans than on the road. Mainz have been up and down all season long. They definitely have the capability to give most teams a tough game, as seen in holding Bayern to a draw the weekend before last, but have struggled for consistency. They have been draw specialists on the road with a lack of goals meaning they have struggled to convert these into wins. They go two wins, eight draws and six losses away and have very little to play for now. I think with Hamburg all but safe Mainz should be able to play out another low scoring draw here. Back the Draw at 3.5 with Ladbrokes. Trabzonspor v Galatasaray, Saturday 1700 Last weekend Gala let us down in somehow conspiring to dominate and lose at home to eternal city rivals Fener. This should be a different match altogether. Conspiracy theories abound that after Fener bought the title from Trabzon last season they may well ease off in this and go all out against Fener later on to deny them another crown. Regardless of this Gala have much the better side and Yilmaz is once again missing for Trabzon. As mentioned last week Yilmaz is central to Trabzon's success recently, this season he has scored thirty two of his sides goals, over half. They still had too much for Besiktas last weekend in his absence, but Gala will be a much harder proposition. Gala will be really motivated for this with the perceived injustice of losing to Fener's only two shots last Sunday afternoon. Gala had all the play, and should have been well ahead, but failed to take their chances and Fener punished them. In all honesty the only side that have looked any where near Gala's level this season are Fener, and they should still clinch the title by beating Trabzon and Besiktas in the play-offs. They are strong at the back and all the way through the side and have no injury concerns again. Back Galatasaray at 2.25 with SportingBet. Fenerbahce v Besiktas, Sunday 1700 Fener will be on a high after the previously mentioned win against Gala in their rivals stadium last Sunday. Whilst they may not have deserved it on passages of play, this will probably only fuel their confidence going into this match. Their weakness this season has been away from home and their less than stellar back four. Both of these problems should be untested in the main by a Besiktas side that have again been hit and miss in the play-offs. The attacking threat of Moussa Sow and Alex Da Silva should be more than enough to see off Besiktas and put pressure back on Gala. Besiktas should have given a weakened Trabzon side last weekend, but managed to lose 1-0. They were devoid of ideas for the most part and this has been the case quite often away from home this season. They have some players of very decent pedigree such as Simao and Quaresma, but they only seem to turn it on infrequently and most regularly at home. They are bottom of the Super Final group now and look destined to finish there. Back Fener -1.0 Asian Handicap at 2.06 with BetVictor.

A Right Royal Midweek...

The title this week refers to my attendance at the Reading v Notts Forest match midweek where a late Mikele Liegertwood goal confirmed Reading's return to the Premier League next season. Having been languishing in 16th as late as November it is a fine achievement by Brian McDermott and his players to haul themselves to a position where a positive result over the weekend could actually see them win The Championship. With the change of ownership expected over the Summer it should be interesting times ahead. It has been fairly quiet apart from that match domestically with the Champions League and Europa League Semi Finals taking centre stage. Both Spanish sides were strongly fancied to meet in the final of the Champions League, but both go into their home second legs with one goal deficits to overcome. They will both definitely like their chances of overturning them though with their wealth of attacking options and vociferous home support. I would expect the Chelsea match at some point to again descend into a fine show of cheating. With the likes of Drogba, Busquets, Alves etc all in action, it can only really be that way. The Europa League matches were again the more exciting ones to watch for a neutral with plenty of attacking and less gamesmanship on the whole. Atletico Madrid won 4-2 in the all-Spanish match against Valencia and should now hold on for the final. Sporting take a 2-1 lead to the cauldron that is San Mames against Athletic Bilbao. Having scored freely all season, Bilbao will fancy their chances of progessing. Music this week is from Beatsteaks with Hello Joe. Arsenal v Chelsea, Saturday 1245 Straight off the back of the aforementioned Champions League Semi Final is Chelsea making the short hop across London the take on Arsenal. Arsenal's fantastic post-xmas run that took them from a distant fifth right up to third has faltered somewhat of late. They have traditionally struggled against the relegation candidates at the tail end of seasons and losing to Wigan on Monday continued the trend. They were incredibly sluggish to start and had fallen two behind in fifteen minutes and whilst they dominated much of the rest of the match, they failed to convert this into goals. It has been noticeable lately that Van Persie seems to have been slightly subdued and they really need him firing again to start getting some goals. This should provide the perfect opportunity. Chelsea managed to escape from their home leg with Barcelona with a 1-0 win. With around 25% possession and four shots compared to Barca's twenty five, they may well consider themselves lucky. Didier Drogba was also doing his level best to remind everyone why he used to be so widely despised. He went down like a proverbial sack of shit everytime anyone from Barcelona got near him. He also reminded us of his undoubted quality when scoring the decisive goal. It is a crying shame that he will probably be remembered as a lesser player because of his histrionics, but he'll only have himself to blame. I really think they might leave something out of this match after Tuesday's exertions. Also Drogba has been the difference against both Spurs and Barca and I would fully expect Torres to take his place and give him a rest. Back Arsenal at 2.0 with BetVictor. QPR v Tottenham, Saturday 1730 I haven't gone back and checked all my blogs individually, but I don' think I've backed QPR more than once all season. It has been with good reason to be honest, they've been pretty much hopeless until very recently. In saying that their away form still leaves plenty to be desired, but they are at least picking up some points at home now to leave them with a chance of escaping from relegation. I'm definitely no huge fan of Mark Hughes managerial abilities, but after spending a lot of money in January to try and turn things round, it does look like he may well have done enough. As mentioned they have been particularly good at Loftus Road and have been unbeaten in their last four home matches, beating Arsenal, Liverpool and Swansea in that time. Bobby Zamora finally looks to have found some form and that bodes well as he is a useful player for a struggling side. Spurs season has absolutely imploded since being 2-0 up against Arsenal. Redknapp's lack of rotation has been an issue raised by people before and it once again looks likely to cost Spurs the Champions League place they looked assured of in February. The likes of Luka Modric and Scott Parker who cover a lot of ground every match looks shattered at present, and I don't foresee them getting a rest. Every summer Redknapp asks for investment in his squad to take them on a level, and every summer he buys players for this reason and ignores them. Steven Pienaar being a recent example. The constant forgiveness of Gareth Bale's far too regular forays into the centre of the park is also another reason Modric's effectiveness has been curtailed as he all too often finds Bale in the way. Basically, if these matches are Redknapp's England audition, he is not covering himself in glory at all. Back QPR Draw No Bet at 3.0 with Bet365. Barcelona v Real Madrid, Saturday 1900 El Clasico returns on Saturday night! It's now all to play for in the Primera with Real drawing with Malaga, Valencia and Villarreal of late to cut their lead to just four points. Barcelona have now won eleven matches in a row in La Liga and can go within a point of Real with five to play with a home win on Saturday night. The win is priced up around the 1.66 mark, and that certainly seems fair, but I will be looking for some extra value elsewhere for the benefit of the column. They can often be slow to go ahead in matches as they wear teams out slowly with their passing and movement and it they never seem in a rush to score. This has often been the case against Real where they can be safe in the knowledge that hotheads like Ramos, Pepe and Ronaldo will be likely to blow up if things are not going their way. For this reason I think their could be a chance of level scores at the break before they go on and win. Needless to say Real could really do with not losing this or the pressure will really begin to tell. Unfortunately they again lost composure against Bayern Munich late on on Wednesday night to leave themselves in something of a poor mental state. Whilst I have all the respect in the world for Mourinho's ability to carve out winning teams, the man's petulant child act is often carried across to his players when things do not go their way. This can be seen in numerous matches between these two giants where Mourinho has so far failed to get a league win against their rivals. All too often they get frustrated with Barcelona's dominance and lose their cool. Patience is the only thing asked against Barca and I again fail to see Real keeping their cool. Back Draw/Barcelona Half Time/Full Time at 5.0 with Coral. Real Sociedad v Villarreal, Sunday 1100 Next up from La Liga is this seasons major disappointments Villarreal travelling to Sociedad. Sociedad are the other Basque side along with Bilbao and suffer a bit in comparison. They relaxed their own Basque's only policy a number of years ago in an effort to improve the clubs fortunes, and it has been something of an intermittent success. Under John Toshack they almost won the Primera title around a decade ago, but have ambled along ever since. This season has been no different in that respect. They rely on excellent home form to cover up the fact they are often pretty poor on their travels. The backing they receive at home is excellent and along with Bilbao's home support is most similar to England in terms of passion in all of Spain. This season they go seven wins, five draws and four losses from sixteen home games scoring twenty four and conceding sixteen in that time. This is an excellent record in a league containing powerhouses Real Madrid and Barcelona. Villarreal have been a huge disappointment this season and look likely to begin a decline in standards. Under Manuel Pellegrini they were a force to be reckoned with across the continent due to his numerous South American contacts and fine tactical acumen. Since he left though the brilliant signings and attacking flair have all but disappeared. Nilmar was the sole bit of flair left and he looks a shadow of the player of two years ago thanks to the lack of support he receives. Guiseppe Rossi also being injured for the whole season has not helped, as he was by far their most regular supplier of goals. Their away form reads won two, drawn three and lost eleven. They have only scored a paltry nine times and have conceded a whopping twenty nine. This looks a foregone conclusion. Back Real Sociedad at 2.4 with BetVictor. Catania v Atalanta, Saturday 1945 Over to Serie A and it's Montella's overachievers Catania hosting another surprise package in Atalanta. I have previously mentioned the fine job Montella is doing in keeping Catania's heads well above water with a limited budget and in only his second managerial role. Many expected a season of struggle for the Sicilian's, and it is to Montella's great credit they have never looked anything like in trouble. He is surely destined for bigger things at some point. They sit in eighth position and it has mostly been their away form that has stopped an astonishing push for a European place. Their home record is won eight, drawn five and lost only three with twenty two scored and only twelve conceded. They are without a win in five, but I think this is a good opportunity to get a win again. Atalanta have also done very well to avoid being anywhere near the relegation places and sit comfortably in mid-table in eleventh spot. Similarly to Catania they have been reliant upon good home form for this, and have been very hit and miss away from home. Their record away is won four, drawn seven and lost five, they have only scored seventeen in those games and that is the main reason for all the draws. This lack of goals is due mainly to not having a prolific striker and therefore basing their tactics around packing the defence and midfield and hoping to nick a goal for a win. It works sometimes, but against Catania's mean defence it may come unstuck. Back Catania at 2.25 with BetVictor. Juventus v Roma, Sunday 1945 Juventus are still unbeaten this season and an awful lot of that is down to the defence that Antonio Conte has built his side upon. They are happy to grind out results and it's easy to understand why he has gone down this route. Juve have not fully recovered from their demotion to Serie B in terms of free-flowing football and crushing all before them. The quickest route to success is often to make your team hard to beat and then move on from there. It is much easier to build a solid defence and midfield, then search for those players who will provide the flair and know-how further forward. In all thirty two matches this season Juve have only conceded eighteen goals and will always fancy themselves to keep a clean sheet and nick a goal or two. Roma have featured many times in their attempts to try a whole new way of approaching the game in Italy. As mentioned many times before, this has had very mixed results so far. There have been some excellent results, but there have been weeks where it has looked dreadful. Similarly some signings have been excellent and some have been major disappointments. Bojan Krkic has always been marked up as one to watch since his Barcelona B and Spain U21 days, but it looks like he has failed to live up to his reputation. Former Chelsea reserve Fabio Borini has looked a much better player than Bojan, and he never got a look in at Chelsea. Back Juventus To Win To Nil at 2.37 with SpreadEX. Werder Bremen v Bayern Munich, Sunday 1430 The title was pretty much decided in Germany last week in the favour of all those who followed me in on 6.5 shots Dortmund retaining their crown. Bayern failing to beat Mainz away left Dortmund needing only a win this weekend to confirm their title. Bremen should see this as a great opportunity to get something from what would normally be a match they would not expect to win. They have not had the best season in recent memory, but they can still qualify for the Europa League if they get the results and others go their way. They've been good at home for much of the season and go won eight, drawn four and lost three. They've scored twenty eight and conceded eighteen in that time to leave them looking a tough match for anyone. Bayern now will be focussing their attention on the Champions League tie with Real Madrid as the league is all but a forgone conclusion. I would expect to see the likes of Robben, Ribery and Schweinsteiger all rested this weekend so they are as fresh as can be to try and cling on to their 2-1 lead at the Bernabeu. This will leave them open to a poor result here, and they have had a few already this season away from home. The 0-0 at Mainz last week was a case in point where they find it very hard to get good results if they don't get an early goal. They can get frustrated and for all Mario Gomez's goals, he is still not the type to create a chance out of nothing. Back Werder Bremen at 3.25 with SportingBet. Trabzonspor v Besiktas, Saturday 1700 We again head to the Super Lig Championship play-offs this weekend and we have Trabzon hosting Besiktas this weekend. Trabzon are missing their only reliable goalscorer this weekend in Buruk Yilmaz and this will definitely effect their chances of a win. They don't score any anyway and Yilmaz has over half of them. He has scored thirty two out of the sixty goals Trabzon have netted this term and you can imagine in his absence that will really hurt their chances of victory. Trabzon have also lost five out of seventeen at home this term, which is not that bad in most leagues, but as one of the Turkish Big Four you would possibly expect slightly better. Besiktas have proven to once again be a mixed bag of a side. They have often chosen to sign players with big reputations who have not quite turned it on in the major leagues on big salaries. The likes of Simao, Guti and Quaresma have looked like mercenaries a lot of the time and only turn it on sporadically. In saying this, they do show why they have played in far better competitions when they can be bothered. Manuel Fernandes is the exception to this rule. He impressed a few years ago when on loan at Everton from Valencia and I was surprised when seemingly only Besiktas took a punt on him. He has been probably the best central midfielder in the Super Lig and will certainly make Trabzon's midfield sweat. Back Besiktas Draw No Bet at 2.87 with Stan James. Galatasaray v Fenerbahce, Sunday 1700 Without a doubt the biggest match in Turkey is the Gala v Fener match. It is a huge match on any occasion, but this has been turned into all but a title decider with Gala so far ahead. They sit nine points ahead of their Istanbul rivals at present and should they win it will be over bar the shouting or some sort of monumental collapse. If you also factor in the fact away fans are unwelcome at any of these play-off games it is another card in Gala's favour. In the regular season Gala only drew three and lost one at home from seventeen, scoring thirty eight and only conceding fourteen. It is a phenomenal record and shows exactly how far ahead of the rest of the field they have been. Fener have been almost equally as dominant at home this season, but their away record has been way off the mark. They have won six, drawn five and lost six on their travels and it is this that leaves them trailing so far behind Gala this time out. Even the signings of the likes of Moussa Sow in January have failed to arrest this disparity in their form and they wont relish this trip at all. They failed to beat Gala in their previous league meetings, and I would expect them to fail again and watch their eternal rivals celebrate wrapping up the title. Back Galatasaray at 2.1 with Stan James.

The End Is Nigh...

Last weekend saw us make a small profit overall, which was added to again slightly midweek for followers on Twitter. You can find me @TopTopTips if you're interested in a few more non-blog tips. It does tend to be the only place where I publish midweek as I haven't the time to do a full article midweek.

There has been an awful lot of football between the weekends this time. Most major European leagues have had a full programme of fixtures in the absence of the UEFA competitions. In England we saw Man City gain slightly on city neighbours United after thrashing WBA 4-0 and seeing United surprisingly lose 1-0 to a resurgent Wigan side. With United being five points clear still they really should hang on, but they haven't impresses in ages and had better hope this was a small stumble and not the wheels coming off.

In Germany there was a top of the table clash between giants Dortmund and Bayern Munich in Dortmund. BvB had let their lead slip to just two points heading into the match and had looked a shadow of themselves at times recently. Bayern have been blowing sides out of the water over the last month and would look for a win to get ahead and steam to the Bundesliga title. Fortunately for those that followed my advice and backed Dortmund for the title at 6.5 pre-season and backed Dortmund to win this match were happy as Dortmund managed a 1-0 win. They really should now have enough to get over the finishing line in first place.

Music comes from In The Red with To Shake To Tremble.

Liverpool v Everton, 1230 Saturday

First up is the FA CUP Semi Final between the two Merseyside clubs. Liverpool's league form has been the worst in the whole division except for Wolves for the past ten matches. This has seen them slip from having a slim chance of a Champions League spot, to having more chance of finishing in the bottom half of the table. This has been attributed by those that still think Kenny Dalglish has the faintest idea what he's doing, to the side concentrating on the cup competitions. This would be understandable as the match got very close, but to slack off for over a month is no preparation for any match at all. The club sacked Damian Comolli this week, the head of player recruitment, in a move which presumably places blame at his feet. I would agree he should take a share of the blame, but to continue with Dalglish would still see them in dire straits, in my opinion. This is no bad thing for us though, as laying Liverpool should continue to make us money.

Everton started the season terribly, before having their usual revival, and are now looking likely to finish ahead of Liverpool. The January signings of Landon Donavan and Steven Pienaar on loan and Nikola Jelavic from Rangers have both been successful. Donovan added a spark to their play and made those around him improve their efforts before returning to LA Galaxy. Pienaar has returned and again showed the form he was never afforded the opportunity to show at Spurs and Jelavic has been a revelation. The Croatian has shown lots of nice touches, some powerful play and has added goals to a side that constantly struggles in front of goal. Everton come into this match off the back of thrashing Sunderland 4-0 midweek and full of confidence. They will see this match as a chance to add some silverware to have something tangible to show for Moyes brilliant reign.

Back Everton at 3.25 on Betfair.

Tottenham v Chelsea, 1800 Sunday

The other FA Cup Semi Final sees Chelsea lining up against Spurs. Spurs league form has completely petered out of late in much the same way as Liverpool's has. They look devoid of motivation at times, and the players that have served them so well for a lot of the season seem to be failing to find their form at this crucial point in the season. Aaron Lennon's injury combined with Luka Modric and Scott Parker's combined loss of form and Gareth Bale refusing to stick to his best position are all contributing. Some of this can sadly be laid at Redknapp's door. Bale should be pulled aside and told in no uncertain terms that he serves the team far better on the wing than in the centre. Modric and Parker have played nearly every minute of every match and are now shattered. And with all his signings there really should be a replacement for Aaron Lennon. They still should really be concentrating on Champions League qualification, but will want to reach the final of this too. It may well be another match too far sadly.

Chelsea have looked more resilient under Di Matteo's management than they did under Villas Boas earlier in the season. This has stabilised their performances somewhat, but has done nothing to address the major issues of the sides rapidly increasing age and deteriorating abilities. Di Matteo has restored the likes of Lampard and Drogba to the starting line up, and it is still just about getting results, but they are not the force they once were. Lampard in particular has had his role restricted to playing in front of the defence lately as another man in their own half to aid the defence. Personally I think they have better players in the squad for that role, but if it keeps morale up then I can see the argument for it. Chelsea have been hit and miss, but seem to be raising themselves for the big games.

Back Chelsea at 2.9 with BetVictor.

Athletic Bilbao v Mallorca, 1700 Sunday

A team that has featured often this season in the column are Athletic Bilbao. I thought it would be interesting to see how Marcelo Bielsa got on once appointed, and it certainly has been that! He has transformed a side renowned for getting by on a physical approach to one that is now still keeping a physical edge, but also playing some fantastic stuff. They have progressed to the Europa League Semi Finals and will be very keen to win a first competition in a few years. They are also in the Copa Del Rey final in Spain, but face Barcelona so have a much smaller chance in that. These cup exploits have effected their league form. They have been as high as fifth, but have slipped out of Champions League contention of late. They have also not been as dominant at home as they usually are. They have only won seven of sixteen at home and can definitely be beaten there.

Mallorca have again struggled to keep their heads above water for large chunks of the season. They are another side that is permanently without cash in La Liga and are without any unpolished diamonds of late. They have had the likes of Samuel Eto'o in the not so distant past to give them that extra bit of class and then an extra cash influx when it comes to selling these stars on. This season they have been a comfortable mid-table side, they've won enough to keep well clear of the dross at the bottom of the table. This midweek they had an excellent result too, presumably as the pressure is off and they can now play for fun. They won away at Santander 3-0 and looked excellent from the off. With Bilbao's eyes elsewhere, they could take advantage again.

Back Mallorca and the Draw Double Chance at 2.25 with Coral.

Udinese v Inter Milan, 1945 Saturday

A clash of two sides whose fortunes have vastly differed this season. Udinese have fallen off the chase for the Serie A title in the last month, but there should be no shame in that for a side who sold their best three players last summer. They were unbeaten at home until well into the new year and have not been soundly beaten all season. They're a very organised side with the goals of the evergreen Antonio Di Natale and some South American flair chucked in for good measure. Di Natale again scored in the 3-1 win against Parma last weekend. They were then beaten 3-1 by Roma in midweek. But, Di Natale never plays two matches in a row in any sort of fitness now and Roma are very good when the mood takes them. Udinese still go eleven wins, four draws and a solitary loss at home, and have scored twenty eight whilst only conceding ten. They should have enough to see an Inter side in permanent transition.

As mentioned Inter are again in transition. The second new manager of the season was appointed just over a week ago with youth team boss Stramaccioni stepping up. Claudio Ranieri initially holted an alarming start to the season, but recently results had again gone south. This did seem to coincide with the return to the side of Wesley Sneijder. The Dutchman is some player when on top of his game, but that has not been the case since the World Cup Final for me. That season ended with Inter winning the treble of Serie A, Copa Italia and the Champions League and Holland reached the World Cup Final with Sneijder integral to both sides. He has always had issues with his attitude, and he seems to believe his career has peaked I think and eased right off. He strolls around quite often now seemingly believing he should always have the ball, but then does little with it.

Back Udinese at 2.5 with William Hill.

Hamburg v Hannover 96, 1430 Saturday

First up from Germany is the clash between strugglers Hamburg and upwardly mobile Hannover. Hamburg's issues have been listed here before, but basically can all be levelled at the feet of Sporting Director Frank Arnesen. His policy of buying half of the Chelsea youth team he put together has not worked, mostly because they are nearly to a man, dreadful. The likes of Jeffrey Bruma and Michael Mancienne may have been well spoken of three years ago, but now people have seen how they have developed it is now wonder Chelsea were willing to give them away. They have slipped perilously close to a first ever relegation being now two points above the last relegation spot taken up by Hertha. They still desperately need points, but are not looking likely to get many.

Hannover have again exceeded expectations this season. As it's now two seasons in a row of achieving above predicted wisdom, those predictions may well be revised next term. They are a well drilled unit of a team who rely upon a tremendous work ethic and no stars to mention. They have had Mame Diouf, formerly of Man Utd, scoring a lot since signing in January, but he is hardly a star. He fits well into their system as he is a physical player who can thrive without a lot of support. This is ideal for a side who don't commit many forward. They do have a pretty poor away record, and for that reason I'll be backing a draw.

Back the Draw at 3.1 with Boylesports.

Besiktas v Galatasaray, 1700 Saturday

The Super Lig enters it's first year of end of season play-offs this weekend. Thanks to the corruption charges against Fener last season the powers that be decided this would be the best way to ensure fairness. Gala have dominated proceedings so far and will be slightly disappointed to have their lea halved, but confident of holding on for the title. They have by far the best team in the division, with strength in every position. Muslera in goal is likely to get a huge move I would imagine on the back of a very impressive seasons performances. Then you have Mellberg at centre half and the power of Felipe Melo in midfield. Up front you also have the guaranteed goals of Milan Baros, and also Johan Elmander fining the divisions defences easy pickings most weekends.

Besiktas picked up enough after xmas to push through to a spot in the top four and a chance to battle for the title/Champions League spot. They've been hit and miss for a while now, and have gone down the route of overspending on 'names' from abroad like Quaresma and Guti in recent years. Whilst they do occasionally shine, they look much closer to being there just for the money nine times out of ten. They have been decent at home, but for a top side four defeats is actually a few over the season. I would expect Gala's team to triumph in this one.

Back Galatasaray at 2.37 with BlueSq.

Fenerbahce v Trabzonspor, 1700 Sunday

The other two sides involved in the play-offs are the remaining giants of Turkish football in Fener and Trabzon. Both have had spells where they've flatered, but come through strongly. Fener have the individual players to do brilliantly, they're possibly better than Gala on paper, but often it all doesn't quite fit. The signing of Moussa Sow in January showed intent on their part, and he does look very good, but it isn't enough to make them complete. The defence can be very brittle and can be gotten at. They will likely fall short over the course of the play-offs as Gala are a far better away side.

Trabzon had problems keeping up with domestic football whilst they were left in European competitions, but have since picked up since their exit. The goals of Yilmaz have again made draws into wins for them. There is no more reliable scorer in Turkey than Yilmaz, he scores all sorts too, including freekicks. He has been in good form of late, and that bodes well for Trabzon's Super Lig challenge as he makes them look a much more threatening outfit. They've drawn their last four too, including the same match two matches ago. It was 1-1 in that one, and I'm tempted to have a half stakes punt at the same occurring again.

Back 1-1 Correct Score for half stakes at 6.5 with Ladbrokes.

For a little extra treat I've cast my eyes over the Grand National. I would back Black Apalachi EW and also Seabass and Giles Cross on the nose. I wouldn't be putting the rent on them though!

Some Eggceedingly Good Tips...

Good evening all. It was a better weekend last time out for us with a return to profitable ways. The best price for me was the ridiculous almost 3.0 on Newcastle to beat Liverpool at St James Park. I understand that Liverpool have spent a lot of money, and therefore should be a good side, but all they've shown this season is that they are anything but good. At present you could argue noone barring Wolves is playing worse in the entire league. Sometimes these opportunities present themselves where anyone can see that the price is wrong and should be taken up by punters everywhere to get one over the bookmakers.

We also saw something of a procession in the Champions League with the three big favourites of Real, Barca and Bayern all progressing with relative ease to the Semi-Finals. Chelsea again made hard work of beating Benfica, but did manage to progress to take on Barcelona in a couple of weeks time. I can only see that match going the way of the Catalan side. Chelsea have built their entire team around John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba since Mourinho's reign. The system was designed to have a holding midfielder who did nothing but prevent a ball over the top exposing Terry's lack of pace, this player also did the dirty work freeing up Lampard to concentrate on only attacking and Drogba was good enough to feed off scraps and bulldoze a path on his own. Now that all three of these have aged and their talents waned the whole thing looks slow and ponderous. The lack of a class defensive midfielder now also means that they no longer have that solid look that they have been renowned for.

This weeks music is from Tim Barry with Moving On Blue.

Bolton v Fulham, Saturday 1500

As we get to the business end of the season Bolton are another side who seem to have realised they are going down unless they put some performances in. I am still shocked that Owen Coyle seems to have been left immune from criticism from either the mass media or Bolton's supporters. After an initial flurry of results immediately following his appointment, the Trotters have been pretty dire. It also seems every season he relies upon borrowing one good player from a better club to drag Bolton to safety. First it was Jack Wilshire from Arsenal, then Daniel Sturridge of Chelsea and lately it has been Ryo Miyaichi of Arsenal who is providing a touch of class. He and a rejuvenated Martin Petrov are currently bombing down the flanks and causing opposing sides problems.

Fulham have again failed to address their poor away form. It has been a little better this time compared to recent seasons, but if they ever aim to move above mid-table they really need to do better. They also seem to have slowed down since thrashing Wolves 5-0 around a month ago. This is something you often see as the season draws to a close and a side has very little left to play for. Fulham are in no danger of relegation, and they are miles off challenging for a European place, so they seem to have eased off. The January signing of Pavel Pogbrebnyak also looked inspired, but after his flurry of goals, he too seems to have taken an edge off his efforts.

Back Bolton at 2.62 with SkyBet.

Liverpool v Aston Villa, Saturday 1500

This could be a horrific game to watch. As already mentioned, Liverpool look nothing short of dreadful at the moment. If reports are to be believed this week the American owners of the club have asked 'King' Kenny to submit a report on how he feels the season has gone. They are currently on course for their worst season since the 50's so I would have to say it has been something of a disappointment. It really is very easy to criticise the signings made over the Summer as well as Andy Carroll, but they were all hugely over-priced and none have performed well. The strangest thing to me is that Stewart Downing was signed with the impression given it was to supply Carroll with crosses, but the two have not played together often enough to do that. Jordan Henderson looks far too raw, and Charlie Adam looks horrendously out of his depth and too slow. Basically I think the whole thing needs another overhaul, with pace being a key element missing, and if Dalglish is again allowed to preside over it I'll be amazed.

Villa fans never wanted Alex McCleish as manager, and it is now obvious why. The man had taken Birmingham down twice in three seasons and had them playing some of the worst football in the entire Premier League during his time there and Villa supporters wanted no part of that. He has somehow managed to take Villa to the brink of a relegation fight in only one season. The players look absolutely miffed about the 'style' of football they are being asked to play, and N'Zogbia has even publicly described it as 'the worst season of my career'. Emile Heskey is still being regularly played, the centre backs look like an accident waiting to happen, and most painfully for Villa fans the promising crop of youngsters the club has are not being used at all. Even saying all this though, Villa are not easy to beat. McCleish's tactics at every side he has managed have been to pack men behind the ball and try and nick a goal and Liverpool will have to break them down to get a win, something they look incapable of at present.

Back Aston Villa and the Draw Double Chance at 2.75 with Stan James.

Espanyol v Real Sociedad, Saturday 1700

In Spain there is still the possibility that any side between fourth and ninth could qualify for the Champions League next season. At the bottom of that group in ninth is Espanyol with forty one points so far. They have got this high up the league mostly on the back of some very good home form. Their home record reads won eight, drawn two and lost five. They did also lose last week at home to an in-form Malaga side who are looking to cement that Champions League spot after heavy investment over the last year. Their two home matches before that though were won by a combined scored of 8-2. This is a much more realistic view of how good they can be against sides that aren't up for it when visiting.

Sociedad are these days pretty pleased if they stay away from the relegation spots having been something of a force in the late 90's and early 00's. They are now eight points clear of the final relegation place and should be safe for another season in the Primera next term. They haven't been too bad at all at home, but on the road they've been dreadful for the most part. They have won just three matches, drawn two and lost ten away from home and it is this that has them well away from European spots. Their away goal difference is also minus seventeen and now they're seemingly safe I can't see them getting anything from this match.

Back Espanyol at 1.9 with Bet365.

Levante v Atletico Madrid, Sunday 1100

Another couple of sides who still have hopes of Champions League qualification are Levante and Atleti. Levante were widely expected to again struggle in the top flight as they are completely broke, play in a run-down stadium and have an ageing, small squad. But they have occupied the fourth spot in the table for most of the season, only recently relinquishing it to Malaga. They had looked lethargic for a while in truth, but no side had won enough to take the fourth spot from them. However, they do seem to have found an extra bit of gusto again of late. Their home record is also excellent as many sides do not like travelling to the rougher part of Valencia to their ramshackle home. Their home record is won eight, drawn three and lost four. In this time they have only conceded sixteen goals to show that their strength is a very good defence.

Atleti have now progressed to the Europa League Semi Finals and will be looking to win the competition to salvage what has been another topsy turvy season for them. They have rallied enough under Diego Simeone in the league to also now be able to qualify for the Champions League. However comma with their poor away record this might well prove beyond them. Away from home they have only won two matches, drawing five and losing eight. A big part of this record is that they have struggled for goals, only scoring thirteen in these fifteen matches. Falcao often seems lacklustre when travelling and without him firing they look short of ideas. I would imagine this will be a tight game, but Levante can definitely sneak it.

Back Levante to win 1-0 for half stakes at 9.5 with William Hill.

Atalanta v Siena, Sunday 1400

Sunday afternoon and we have a mid-table clash from Serie A. Both sides will be fairly happy to have ended the season free from the worries of relegation. Atalanta's season has seen them giving some very good sides a tough match at home and it is this home record that has seen them safely in mid-table. Their home record reads won seven, drawn six and only lost two. In these fifteen matches they have scored nineteen, but only conceded eleven goals. Even in the notoriously defensive Serie A that goals against record is excellent and they deserve praise for it having not spent any money really.

Siena have also avoided the threat of relegation, and similarly it is due to a good home record. The reason they do find themselves in the bottom half of the table is a horrible away record. They have won a solitary match on the road and have drawn six and lost seven. In fourteen away matches they have only scored nine goals, and obviously this makes it very difficult to beat sides when goals are so rare. Atalanta will fancy another home victory in this.

Back Atalanta at 2.5 with BlueSq.

Freiburg v Nurnberg, Saturday 1430

Freiburg have been near to the the threat of relegation for a lot of the season, but have now pushed on and won four of their last five matches to put themselves as good as safe. That they have done this does make it seem like they could have done a lot better with a bit more effort this season, but that is no reason to put us off backing them. Possibly their most impressive win came last weekend against Leverkusen and consigned their manager to the chop. They won 2-0 away and could have had more, such was their dominance. Their home record is mixed with five wins, four draws and five defeats, but it is their position as one of the most in-form sides that has me interested.

Nurnberg, on the other hand, have lost their last four games and would probably just like this season to end so they can start again. They were on the cusp of a chance of a European place, but this poor recent run has left them in lower mid-table no man's land. They have been poor away from home all season and a record of won four, drawn one and lost nine will attest to. They have also only scored nine goals in those thirteen matches and that is simply dreadful in a league where goals are a regular fixture.

Back Freiburg at 2.15 with SkyBet.

Schalke 04 v Hannover 96, Sunday 1430

Both sides that meet here were in action in the Europa League last night, but both exited the competition. In truth Hannover didn't do nearly enough against Atletico Madrid to deserve to qualify, but Schalke provided two excellent matches against Athletic Bilbao. Their were goals galore and it was a shame to see either side exit the competition. Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Raul both got a goal and both impressed immensely. After a number of moves to big sides it seems Huntelaar has finally found a home and has scored fifteen goals in his last thirteen matches. Raul has also found some excellent form in the twilight of his career and seems to be enjoying a free role behind the Dutchman. They are on the rise in the league too and are still looking for automatic Champions League qualification.

Hannover make life hard for themselves by not scoring very many goals, and this again cost them last night. The January signing of Mame Diouf from Man Utd has been a good one, but even his good form can't mask the fact the rest of the side needs to start contributing. They are a solid, hard-working outfit, and any side that beats them will have earned it, but the addition of some flair would add an extra dimension to their play that they sorely miss at present. They are up to fifth in the table, but are too far from Schalke to qualify for the Champions League. Their home form is excellent, they are unbeaten still, but their away form is not up to scratch. They have only won two matches, drawing five and losing seven. As mentioned they struggle for goals and have only got ten in those fourteen matches. I don't see them getting anything at all here.

Back Schalke -1.0 Asian Handicap at 2.19 with BetVictor.

There may be some Turkish tips on Twitter over the weekend for those following @TopTopTips, but due to it being the last match before the play-offs there is still some debate as to how some teams will approach their matches if they have nothing to play for. This uncertainty means I'll not dive in yet.

The Final Furlong, Or So...

Unfortunately last weekend was the worst in a while for the blog. We started well with the German match coming in, but then only saw the Italian Double and laying Atletico Madrid come good for the rest of the weekend. With a very small loss midweek from 3 Euro competitions tips, it has not been my finest period. Hopefully I can improve on these figures over the weekend.

As mentioned, midweek was mostly concerned with the Euro Cups, the 'Champions' League and the Europa League. Whilst I have mentioned before how I shy away from any meaningful bets on the Europa League for most of it's duration, I feel safer now that we have reached the Quarter Final stage. You'd hope teams would now be taking it seriously. The Champions League this week saw only one real surprise with Chelsea winning away at Benfica. Obviously it wasn't a huge shock, Chelsea re far from a poor side, but nevertheless I would have expected more from Benfica. They have been relatively impressive in topping Man Utd's group and progressing this far, only to fairly tamely surrender any home advantage they had and leave themselves staring exit in the face.

I personally find there is often some value available in the Europa League if you have a root around at teams recent form and how their domestic campaigns are going. This week I thought AZ Alkmaar were brilliant value at a shade under 3.0 at home to Valencia, and I was proven correct. The Dutch side are no mugs and have challenged for the Eredivisie title in recent seasons. Valencia are obviously a good side, but one that is hopelessly out of form at the moment. The lead that looked unassailable for third spot in La Liga now looks increasingly fragile. The fans have never took to the studious coach Unai Emery and now results have finally gone backwards the atmosphere is terrible and is contributing to the malaise displayed on the pitch.

Music is from Millencolin with Farewell My Hell.

Wigan v Stoke City, Saturday 1500

Now, you may have gathered I have been running something of a personal campaign to see Wigan removed from the Premier League due to the lack of local support and the fact they are rubbish for 80% of every season. I am tired of them surviving by the skin of their teeth every year and it looks like they may well spite me again. They have been as good as bottom for a long while until recently when they somehow managed to get two wins on the spin to give them a chance of staying up. Last weekends win away at Anfield obviously grabbed headlines as it continued Liverpool's wretched recent form, but Wigan again showed they seem to be able to raise their game when really required. There has always been some talented players there, it is a shame they seem unable to play well until the threat of the drop looms large.

Stoke looked in a spot of bother mid-season when it seemed like their Europa League run may well leave their league status in jeopardy. They have not got a large squad and fighting on all fronts was costing them dearly. The experience will be good for them though, and now they have exited that competition their league form has also stabilised and they seem comfortably mi-table once again. They are now without a win in three matches though and look like another side where Wigan can gain valuable points. They're going to stay up again aren't they?

Back Wigan at 2.7 with Boylesports.

Newcastle v Liverpool, Sunday 1330

Newcastle have recently got back to winning ways and are again not out of the race for a Champions League spot. January signing Papiss Cisse has impressed a lot with five goals in his first six appearances further outlining the depth of stupidity behind Liverpool's signing of Andy Carroll. Cisse had an excellent record of scoring in the German Bundesliga for a smaller side and yet this proven record was deemed to value him at less than a third of what Liverpool paid for Carroll, the English tax indeed. Anyway, the Magpie's have pushed up level on points with Chelsea and only five behind Spurs in fifth place. Whilst Alan Pardew may be playing down their chances of getting fourth spot, I am sure he will be telling the players to go out and enjoy themselves as underdogs. Last weekend they absolutely blew WBA away in the first 30 minutes and Hatem Ben Arfa was brilliant down the wing. The Frenchman was always seen as a talent, but only now has he really begun to show it. An out of sorts Jose Enrique will not relish facing him on his return to St James Park.

Liverpool are going from bad to plain laughable at the moment. The fact that a significant proportion of the fanbase remain behind Kenny Dalglish does nothing to dis-spell the theory that they are the strangest, most cultish group around. The man did improve performance slightly upon his original appointment, but it looks more and more like it was merely a reaction to a new broom, than any sort of ability on his part. The easiest stick to beat him with is the signings of Carroll, Henderson, Downing and Adam at well over £100million pounds for the lot. But he deserves every whack he gets for it. They are all no more than average and have added nothing much to a side that is crying out for creativity (to help Suarez) or just some sort of pace. The manager and many fans will point to the Carling Cup, and silverware is nice, but if it is at the expense of the team regressing then I doubt many will envy them.

Back Newcastle at 3.12 with BetVictor.

Sporting Gijon v Real Zaragoza, Saturday 1700

My only tip from Spain this week sees two struggling sides meet in Gijon. Both have steadily slipped backwards in the past few seasons, mostly due to money worries. Gijon have been surviving because they are tight at the back and make it very difficult for any side to play against them. They are not afraid to play a bit dirty if necessary and their home form has normally been excellent considering their expenditure. Considering they are second bottom at present their home form of won four, drawn four and lost six is not actually horrendous, but sadly losing ten from fifteen away has them in the position they currently occupy.

Zaragoza have been bottom for the vast majority of the season, but have recently shown signs of life. They have won back to back matches over giants Atletico and Valencia to pull level on points with two other sides and give them hopes of survival. They are scoring goals again and they are treating every match as if they have nothing to lose. This approach is giving me faith that two poor sides may well serve up a thriller.

Back Over 2.5 Goals at 2.1 with Ladbrokes.

Roma v Novara, Sunday 1130

Roma are in a bit of a transition under their American owners at present, trying to see if they can change the approach teams take to Serie A. They started this revamp by taking Luis Enrique from in charge of Barcelona's B side to take the reigns and try and replicate some of the more technical elements of Barcelona's play. The theory being presumably that Barcelona would beat all the sides in Serie A easily so why not aim to copy them? This hasn't had immediate effects, but recently there have been signs that something is coming together. The form of ex-Chelsea player Fabio Borini has been a highlight, with the youngster grabbing five goals in his last six matches. This has even led to talk of a late call-up to the Italy squad for Polkraine in the summer. He will be looking forward to facing a leaky Novara side.

Novara have probably not much enjoyed their season in the big league aside of doing the double over Inter Milan. They are not down yet, but as they are eight points from safety and only have nine matches remaining it is fairly safe to assume they'll be back in Serie B next season. They have looked a bit better lately, but against sides that have been experiencing some slumps in effort themselves after long seasons. Roma have had very little to play other than the league for a while now and I would expect them to dish out a good win here.

Back Fabio Borini To Score Anytime at 2.0 with Paddy Power.

Hertha Berlin v Wolfsburg, Saturday 1730

Hertha Berlin finally looked like they might have enough to escape in last weeks impressive away victory over Mainz. Otto Rehagel was appointed a few weeks ago in a last throw of the dice move by the club to try and escape the drop. For the first few matches it looked like a bad move, and in the thrashing by Bayern two weeks ago they looked doomed. However comma King Otto has now moved back to the tactics they employed under Markus Babbel to win promotion and they got a good result. If they can keep that fighting spirit then they definitely have every chance of sticking around in the top league as the players are more than able.

Wolfsburg have only two away wins to their name all season, one on the opening weekend and one a couple of weeks ago to down one of my tips! They are comfortbaly mid-table and probably too far off the top sides to move for European football so I would imagine effort will slow somewhat in the coming weeks. The problem they have had is a very leaky defence, they have conceded an astonishing thirty two in thirteen away matches so far this season. Hertha Berlin have another good chance to move up the table.

Back Hertha Berlin at 2.5 with BetVictor.

Hannover 96 v Borussia Monchengladbach, Sunday 1430

Two sides meet on Sunday who have built their teams around solidity and hard work. Hannover have also progressed as far as the Quarter Finals of the Europa League and with them sitting in upper mid-table, I would expect them to perhaps concentrate on that competition slightly more. They don't score that many, and with ex-Man Utd 'star' Mame Diouf up front it is perhaps no surprise, but they keep it tight and nick games by wearing teams out and punishing their tiredness. Unfortunately Gladbach should be able to match them for graft.

I can't really add much about Gladbach that I haven't already this season as they have been such a regular feature of the column. They are similar to Hannover in approach in the main, but are elevated by the presence of Marco Reus and the pace and flair he brings. They press teams high up the pitch and rely on stamina to keep this pressure up and force mistakes out of their opponents. Where Hannover rely more on power though, Gladbach have Reus to open sides up and scare defenders into mistakes. They've been off the boil of late and lost last weekend, but I think they could get a win if Hannover feel the effects of their Thursday exploits.

Back Borussia Monchengladbach Draw No Bet at 1.9 with William Hill.

Kayserispor v Eskisehirspor, Saturday 1330

At present we are only a couple of matches away from the Super Lig breaking up into it's play-offs for the first time ever. Whilst the Big Four have settled into the spots for the Champions League and Title play-offs there is still plenty of sides in with a shout for the Europa League play-offs. Kayserispor are one of those sides. They are six points off with two to play so mathematically there is still a chance. With Eskisehir holding the bottom place of the play-offs currently they could get closer by beating them this week. They have a home record of won eight, drawn three and lost five, which is very good, but there is no particular give away as to which side will turn up most weeks. They are capable of a 3-3 draw with Trabzon, but lost at home to gencler the week before.

Eskisehir are the masters of shutting up shop and closing games out. They look for one nil wins where possible and reduce the risk of getting beaten by getting five or six behind the ball at all times. They are without a win in three now, but narrowly lost last weekend 1-0 and drew 1-1 the week before when away. I think they will be trying even harder not to lose in the hope of clinging on to their play-off spot and see this as possibly an awful match to watch.

Back the Draw at 3.2 with Stan James.

Trabzonspor v Fenerbahce, Sunday 1700

Another big match this weekend sees Fener travelling to Trabzon. Both sides are assured of their spots in the play-offs for the Super Lig now, but with points still important they should both be going for victory, or at least not to lose. Trabzon's form has picked up since they left European competition and their smallish squad was more able to cope with the workload. The striker Yilmaz has again looked excellent all season long and has been banging the goals in that keep them well up the table. They are unbeaten in four and took the lead away at Gala last weekend only to be pegged back by a last minute equaliser. They should be confident of gaining a victory and catching Fener up.

Fener made some big signings in January in an attempt to claw back the lead that gala had built in the first half of the season, but this has not happened. The likes of Moussa Sow have impressed, but the team has not gelled together enough to get into a run of good form. They now trail by seven points and if they lose this they will have a real job to hold on to the league title. They haven't lost in six, but the only side in form they faced was Gala and they were lucky to hold on to a 2-2 draw by the finish. I think that Trabzon have a brilliant chance here.

Back Trabzonspor at 2.37 with Stan James.

Sun Is Shining...

Good morning followers. A good weekend last time out with a healthy profit shown, it would have been even better but for Udinese capitulating against Napoli from 2-0 up to finish 2-2. The weekend was obviously overshadowed by the awful situation concerning Fabrice Muamba. His situation seems to have gradually improved so all my best wishes to him in his future recovery.

There has been a number of matches midweek around Europe and some interesting results. Man City came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at home. Truth be told it was no less than their performance deserved, they only lacked a last ball or cutting edge. Carlos Tevez came on and set up the winner, and his constant harrying of defenders and barrelling runs definitely unsettled the visitors and made a difference. It is a great shame that he has been brought into the fold in my opinion. City were one of a select few clubs that could have afforded to let him rot, and it may well have encouraged a change in player power over time. But, sadly we will probably now see him make a difference in the title race and all the rest be swept under the carpet.

We also saw Arsenal overhaul Tottenham in the race for third spot and automatic Champions League qualification. As we stand Arsenal are now the leagues form side in the last six matches and look solid, a description that is not often levelled at the Gunners. Spurs, on the other hand, are looking hopeless. I know I am often quick to criticise Redknapp, but I feel justified as most Spurs message boards seem in agreement that it can be seen as his fault. Whenever Aaron Lennon is injured he tries to shoehorn players like Van Der Vaart and Modric into unfamiliar positions and their performances have dipped considerably. Why he has done this is anyone's guess as after all the signings he has made and the acclaim he has received he should be further questioned, in my opinion of course.

Music comes from Queens Of The Stone Age with Sky Is Fallin', a good summer tune for me.

Bolton v Blackburn, Saturday 1500

As mentioned above, Bolton are still naturally shocked by the collapse and what looks like a heart attack suffered by Fabrice Muamba on Saturday in the FA Cup. Before this though they were already in terrible form and looking increasingly likely to be unable to avoid being involved in a relegation fight. This has, in truth, been the case all season as Owen Coyle has presided over the team becoming listless and devoid of flair without any criticism from either the fans or the media that I have noticed. This seems incredibly odd to me. They may not be a big club, or even have anything like a right to be in the top division, but it seems all involved at the club are happy to watch them slip further and further. I can only see the Muamba incident hurting the team so I would imagine they'll slip into the Championship.

Blackburn looked a nailed on certainty to be relegated in the opening weeks of the season. With the few reliably good players they had also being shipped out and noone of note being brought in, it looked like curtains for Rovers. However comma Steve Kean has defied popular opinion to guide them further and further away from the bottom of the table. I have already admitted my error in writing him off, but I would like to repeat it anyway. He should have a serious shout as Manager Of The Year, but he wont, after all the behind the scenes troubles he had he has done an exemplary job of letting the results speak for themselves. They are sixth in the form table over the last six games so I can only back them in this.

Back Blackburn Rovers at 3.0 at Stan James.

Swansea v Everton, Saturday 1500

Another side in great form are Swansea, and they also have a manager who will have a good chance for Manager Of The Year. Brendan Rodgers has taken the raw parts put together by Roberto Martinez and Paulo Sousa and fashioned a brilliant side, with no superstars but a perfect team. The high pressing and short passing game has been compared to Barcelona, and whilst it may be an exaggeration, there are similarities in the play. Both defend from the front and have a player to keep things ticking over in the middle, in the Swans case Leon Brittain. They thing they missed in the first half of the season was the man to provide some pizazz, and now they have him in Gylffi Sigurdsson. The Icelandic international has made a huge difference and added goals and unpredictability to the team, they'll do well to extend his stay. His presence has also seen them arrest their poor away record as they are able to turn clean sheets into wins.

Everton have turned their season round to the point where they are no longer looking over their shoulders. But in truth they have had a poor time of it and I would advocate David Moyes moving on for the good of all parties. This would benefit Moyes more as he has proven himself to be an astute manager and would no doubt succeed wherever he went, Spurs would be my guess. Everton may well find themselves harking back to the mid-table days under him if the replacement failed, but I can't see them improving under Moyes now. They have struggled for goals for a few seasons, but since Tim Cahill stopped scoring around 18 months ago they have really found it tough going. The loan signing of Landon Donavan for 2 months this season and last added some attacking impetus, but after his return to the USA they have again looked out of ideas in the final third.

Back Swansea at 2.25 with BetVictor.

Real Zaragoza v Atletico Madrid, Sunday 1100

The early Sunday kick off in La Liga sees relegation threatened Zaragoza taking on Atleti. Zaragoza had a brilliant midweek win away at Valencia. They were 1-0 down and also down to ten men, but somehow rallied to in 2-1 with Apono grabbing both goals. Zaragoza have fallen victim to the same problems as many in Spain do outside of a select few clubs, namely being broke. Real Madrid and Barcelona hog all the TV money and unfortunately that leaves very little left for everyone else. The clubs then have the decision on whether to gamble on big salaries to attract players and hope for European qualification for cash. Zara took the gamble and have paid for it for years. They are bottom of the table and only something approaching a miracle can save them, but the win against Valencia was a start.

Atleti started out brilliantly after appointing former playing favourite Diego Simeone as manager around xmas. They were barely conceding and putting together a fantastic run. This could never last though, Atleti are not made that way. They are now back to playing good teams off the park one week, and being turned over by minnows the next. They have also reverted back to struggling away from home recently. It is almost like they can only raise themselves for big matches, and find if difficult to do the same when travelling to smaller clubs. The shining light has been Falcao's continued goal getting up front and the glimpses of brilliance from Salvio after a couple of years of adjusting to leaving Argentina so young.

Back Real Zaragoza and the Draw Double Chance at 2.1 with Coral.

I can't see any outstanding value in Italy's matches this weekend so I would simply suggest backing an AC Milan and Juventus double. Both sides have looked good of late and the chase for the title should see them continue winning.

Wolfsburg v Hamburg, Friday 1930

A rare Friday tip this week from the Bundesliga's regular evening slot. Wolfsburg have fallen a long way since winning the title a few years ago. Whilst many may well laugh at how Steve McClaren's appointment coincided with this it was probably bound to happen anyway. The season they triumphed saw them take advantage of a slipping of standards around them and many of their players overperforming. They have now settled into a mid-table position, with their home form thankfully hiding a hideous away record. They go eight wins, two draws and three defeats at home and managed to even get an away win at Nurnberg last weekend which should fill them with confidence too.

Hamburg's problems have been listed here before now so I will only cover them briefly this time. Since the appointment of ex-Chelsea head of scouting Frank Arnesen as General Manager over the summer they have recruited half of the Chelsea reserves. This is understandable to a point as Arnesen was responsible for most of them being at the Blues, however since they all a long way off top level lass the side has suffered. The days of European qualification look a long time ago now and they will do well to avoid slipping in the Bundesliga II. Their home form is as bad as it has been in their history, and is only beaten by Kaiserslautern this season. They has a huge match with Freiburg last weekend that they lost and they look like a team who knows it isn't good enough and has given up.

Back Wolfsburg at 2.1 with SkyBet.

Borussia Monchengladbach v Hoffenheim, Saturday 1430

It has been a couple of weeks since column favourites Gladbach appeared, but they're back this week. They have been a bit off colour in the last month after the goals seemed to dry up for them and they struggled to break sides down. This could be attributed to a belated realisation by other sides that they really are the real thing and they will punish you if you try to play an open match against them. They have also had injuries to contend with to key players who their small squad struggled to replace. The do look like they are back now though with an impressive away win over Leverkusen last weekend followed by holding the recently rampant Munich to a 0-0 draw in the German Cup in midweek. They should now kick on again and make the Champions League spot their own.

Hoffenheim are another side who must long for a few seasons ago when a European push was not out of the question. Since their original promotion to the top division and subsequent flurry of interest and good results they have settled a bit further down the table. They don't look in any danger of heading back down again, but they do look short of the players to take them above mid-table mediocrity. Considering they were an amateur side a decade ago this is probably no bad thing. They have struggled to pick up points away from home this season with a record of four wins, one draw and eight defeats on their travels. They also have only a solitary win since December 17th and will probably be glad to see the back of this season. They will certainly struggle to get anything in this.

Back Borussia Monchengladbach to Win To Nil at 2.7 with Paddy Power.

Eskisehirspor v Gaziantepspor, Sunday 1330

First up from the Super Lig this week is high flying Eskisehir hosting struggling Gaziantep. Eski have again showed they are one of the best of the rest this season and have been hovering around the top 4 all season, but have sadly been unable to break past the Istanbul sides and Trabzon up there. They are the masters of shutting a game down and looking to nick a goal to win a game. This is a bit of an anomaly in Turkey where there may not be many goals, but most sides do look to attack when not against the Big 4. Eskisehir have a home record of win seven, drawn four and lost four. They have only scored an average of a goal a game, but often that is enough for them. They have drawn the last two, but are unbeaten in four, and this is a chance to get a win to get back on track in the race for a Europa League spot.

Gaziantepspor were very good at home last season and that saw them to the Cup Final as well as the safety of upper mid-table in the league. This time out though they have not been quite as good. They are safe from the threat of the drop now, but their away form has been dire. They have played fifteen away winning only two, drawing six and losing seven. They have also only netted twelve times and that has been the route of their problems. Against a side as organised as Eskisehir they will really find it tough to get anything.

Back Eskisehispor at 2.1 with William Hill.

Galatasaray v Trabzonspor, Sunday 1700

After the excitement of last weeks huge Istanbul derby between Fener and Gala, Galatasaray have another pretty stiff test against third place Trabzon at home on Sunday. However, whilst on paper first versus third should be a tight match, Gala have been so far ahead of everyone this season they should not be too worried. After all the scandals surrounding Fener over the summer Gala used the time to add to the nucleus of a good side and have been imperious this time out. The excellent Muslera in goal with Mellberg at the heart of defence provides a platform for the midfield and attack to spring from in the knowledge they are covered. In fourteen home matches they have only conceded thirteen times and have only lost once so far.

Trabzon have proven to again be the best of the rest in the Super Lig and a lot of that is down to the goals of Yilmaz. When they are struggling towards a draw you can rely upon him to pop up with a goal and turn a draw into a victory for his side. Whilst they have also been good at home they have drawn far too many matches away. They have played fifiteen away and go five wins, seven draws and three defeats. The lack of defeats is definitely good, but the record does not bode well when you're visiting the best side in the division. I don't think Gala will run up a huge win, but they look good things to come away with another victory.

Back Galatasaray at 1.87 on Betfair.

Manchester Exits Europe...

An interesting week in Europe with Chelsea now the last men standing as England's representatives in European competition. I would say I hope this puts to bed any more suggestions that the Premier League is the best in the world, but I know it will still happen.

Chelsea should be commended for doing what only four teams before them have in overturning a 2 goal deficit in the second leg of their Champions League match with Napoli. The caveat is that they will be beaten by Barcelona, Real or Bayern comfortably and I wouldn't be in a rush to back them against anyone barring APOEL over two legs. The hurry to acclaim the old guard for the result should also be tempered with the acceptance they would not have made that effort for Villas Boas. You could say he has to earn that from them and his poor management led to lethargic performances, and that may be true, but they have been disgustingly unprofessional throughout the whole saga. Sadly, it is no more than we have come to expect from them either.

The title not-so-subtly alludes to both Manchester sides bowing out of the Europa League last night too. Both exits were embarrassing. United were outplayed in both legs by the side fighting for fourth in La Primera, and City left themselves too much to do against a side miles off Porto and Benfica in their domestic league. To go back to my first point, this really does show how far the Premier League is slipping at present. Many point to the boredom of Real and Barca endlessly sharing Spanish titles, and they're right on that score, but they fail to note that they would also walk any other league in the world in a similar fashion with their current sides.

Music comes from Johnny Cash with Cry!Cry!Cry!.

I am going to break with tradition and just have a multiple punt at England this week as I fail to see any particular value in the matches.

Back Chelsea, Man Utd and Tottenham as a treble.

Rayo Vallecano v Real Betis, Saturday 2100

The late match in Spain this Saturday sees two of last seasons promoted sides meeting in Madrid. Rayo have a very good case for being the most vehemently supported side in the capital as anyone who has been to the ground or watched them on TV will attest to. This raucous element can work both ways, as a home record of five wins, one draw and seven losses shows, but they have beaten Santander and Getafe recently whilst only losing to a solitary Ronaldo goal against Real. They sit comfortably in mid-table and could still possibly push for a European place which should see them maintaining maximum effort until the end of the season.

Betis have not fared quite so well since promotion. They could still slip back into the Segunda division as they are only four points clear of the final relegation spot. They are another side who have a rowdy home support, and they are famed throughout Spain for the more crazy element of that. Their away form has been the let down for them with a record of won four, drawn none and lost nine when away from home comforts. They are also without a win in their last three matches, although one of those was against Madrid, where they put up a decent fight.

Back Rayo Vallecano at 2.3 with Coral.

Levante v Villarreal, Sunday 1100

The early morning on Sunday has over-achievers Levante taking on this seasons major disappointments Villarreal in Valencia. Levante started off the season brilliantly, and in the absence of any side outside of the top three putting together a run of wins, they have held on at the top of the table to fight for European football. This has been in the main down to that early run, and them being very hard to beat at home. Their home record reads won seven, drawn three and lost three, they have scored twenty three and only conceded fourteen in those matches too. In a league with Real and Barca present that lack of conceding is no mean feat.

As mentioned Villarreal have been a huge disappointment this time out. They were only ever a very small club in the grand scheme of things, propped up by a local businessman to push them ahead of the other also rans. The scouting network that they set up in South America reaped huge rewards, as did taking big club failures like Forlan and Rossi from Man Utd and giving them the confidence to play again. Since the departure of Manuel Pellegrini as manager this has all come crashing down and they are a shadow of the side they were. They have been particulalrly poor away with only one win all season, with three draws and nine losses. I can't back them here.

Back Levante at 2.5 with Stan James.

Bologna v Chievo, Sunday 1400

Italy is fast approaching end game and we have two sides here who are fairly comfortably mired in mid-table. Bologna have, however, pushed on of late as they were in danger of falling into relegation trouble. They have only lost one of the last eleven, and that was to a very good Udinese side. This run has included a draw with Juventus as well as a resounding 3-0 win away at Inter Milan. Their bad start has their home and away form looking mixed taken on a whole season basis, but they are currently one of the hardest sides to beat in Serie A. The likes of Alessandro Diamanti who looked completely out of his depth at West Ham has been reborn as a flair forward who chips in with more than a fair share of goals.

Chievo have slipped back into regular mid-table finishes after almost a decade of over-achieving. The Flying Donkeys (Best. Nickname. Ever) have proven themselves to be worthy of a place in Serie A, although they are rarely pretty in getting results. They are yet another side who rely upon their small stadium giving them an advantage when other larger sides come to town, and this season that has again been the case. However comma away from home their defence can go missing. They have played fourteen away and won three, drawn four and lost seven. All this whilst scoring only eleven and conceding twenty two.

Back Bologna at 2.3 with William Hill.

Udinese v Napoli, Sunday 1945

The two sides that have given the big boys most to fear this season meet on Sunday night in Serie A in Udine. Udinese were right up with AC Milan for the vast majority of the season, but recently they have not been on a great run and have fallen behind the unbeaten Juventus as well as Lazio and Napoli. Their amazing home form has still been good, but away they have begun to struggle for the goals that bring wins. They are also now through to the Quarter Finals of the Europa League and that may well mean they take their eye off the ball in the weeks to come. As they are still fighting for a lucrative Champions League place though we will have to see how that pans out.

Napoli were eliminated from the Champions League themselves this weak after a lacklustre display saw them losing out to Chelsea in extra time. They have generally been particularly good away from home in Europe this season as their counter attacking game is suited to it, but the absence of Maggio in particular seemed to hurt them. This could possibly be as he is more often than not the man that links the flat centre of the park to the rampaging forwards and full backs. Without this middle man, they did look slightly disjointed. He will again be missing this match so I am tempted by longish odds on the home side.

Back Udinese at 2.62 with BetVictor.

Nurnberg v Wolfsburg, Saturday 1430

Only one pick from the Bundesliga this weekend I'm afraid. I'm going to get involved in this one mostly due to Wolfsburg's horrendous away form this season. Nurnberg themselves have been a surprise to many watchers as they sit in the top half of the table after many would have expected them to struggle, if not necessarily get involved in the relegation fight. Where they have differed from many sides below them is in actually winning matches as opposed to scraping draws. Nine wins from all matches this season has left them looking down on a number of sides. At home they go five wins, three draws and four losses so far with fifteen both scored and conceded. This lack of goals is the reason they have not moved higher up the table. They often contest tight matches so the other team always has a chance to nick victory too.

Wolfsburg's away form has been terrible, as mentioned before. They have a solitary win from thirteen away and only three draws and nine defeats. They have also conceded a raft of goals to leave them with only nine in the For column and an appalling thirty one in the Against. This record has not looked like abating recently sadly for them, in their last four away matches they have only scored one and conceded ten. They did pick up a draw, but it was against a very poor Kaiserslautern side.

Back Nurnberg at 2.1 with Coral.

Fenerbahce v Galatasaray, Saturday 1800

The Big One! The Istanbul derby between the two most successful sides in the history of the Super Lig takes place this Saturday evening and it is sure to be combustible. The tow sides hate each other and they are again vying for the top spot in the table as we approach the new end of season play-offs in Turkey. Fener have fallen behind in the race recently after spending big in January to make amends for a summer mostly spent battling allegations of match fixing, with have since been found to be true. They can also point to not losing the home derby since 1999 as a reason to be excited, but Gala are as good as they've been in many a year.

As mentioned Gala have recently streaked ahead at the peak of the Super Lig to go nine points clear of Fener. They have only lost three matches all season, and only one of those away from home. The derby is a completely different matter though. There can be guaranteed to be some strange decisions, players losing their heads to impress the fans and plenty of goals if most matches between the top sides this season are anything to go by. Gala and Fener both have some awesome firepower, and you can guarantee there will be goals as the defences simply are not up to the same standard.

Back Over 3.5 Goals at 3.5 with SportingBet.

Also back Miroslav Stoch To Score Anytime at 2.95 with SportingBet.