Soccer betting tips and predictions

*matches in all competitions

Benfica last 5 matches:

Benfica 3 home matches:

Trabzonspor last 5 matches:

Trabzonspor last 3 away matches:

One of the most interesting matches in this 3rd Round of the Champions League preliminaries as Portugal’s Benfica welcomes Turkish side Trabzonspor.

Although granted as the big favorite in this two leg confrontation, Benfica will most likely face a though opponent. Benfica managed to finish second in the last season of the Primeira Liga with an outstanding gap from champions FC Porto of no less than 21 points but with an important margin of it’s own from next in line Sporting.

This will be their first official match of the season and the home ground will give them a good advantage no doubt especially after some good results in friendly matches this summer.

Trabzonspor having to face now one, if not the most impressive opponent they could have encountered in this stage of the Champions League. They finished second in the Turkish Super Lig but only due to an inferior goal ration in comparison with champions Fenerbahce.

Their results in friendlies this summer have not been great, dominated by draws and inconsistency in play with some gaps in the offensive compartment.

My pick:  Benfica to win ( under 2.5 goals )

 Loading ...

*matches in all competitions

Twente last 5 matches:

Twente 3 home matches:

Vaslui last 5 matches:

Vaslui last 3 away matches:

Champions League 3rd preliminary round with Twente welcoming Romania’s Vaslui in what is expected to be a very interesting and spectacular confrontation.

Twente no doubt the favorite in this double leg knock out as they finished second in the last season of the Dutch Eredivisie just two points below champions Ajax and continuing their trend showed in the past years.

This is their first round on the Champions League preliminaries so they may have a handicap regarding official matches after the summer break but their friendly matches results where very good against though opponents.

Vaslui for the first time in this competition, they finished third in the last season of Romania’s Liga 1 but as the second place team was relegated they now have the opportunity to play in the Champions League.

They are known as an offensive team with a spectacular game but as it often happens to teams like this their real problems appear in defense where they show real gaps, for example their first match of the season last week when they conceded 3 goals from Rapid Bucharest.

My pick:  Twente to win ( over 2.5 goals )

 Loading ...

*matches in all competitions

Ekranas last 5 matches:

Ekranas 3 home matches:

BATE last 5 matches:

BATE last 3 away matches:

The 3rd round in the Champions League preliminaries kicks off on Tuesday with 8 matches as the competition gets more intense, among them an eastern confrontation as Lithuania’s Ekranas welcomes BATE of Belarus.

 Ekranas is virtually unknown team on the European stage so far although they have a totalitarian domination over Lithuania’s A Lyga in the past years managing to finish as champions each time.

Their previous round speaks  volumes about them as they managed to eliminate Malta’s Valletta after 2-3 in their away match and a victory by the slightest of margins at home.

BATE although not a favorite to reach the group stage in the Champions League is a team more accustomed to European tournaments especially making it’s mark on Europa League, a competition in which they are more likely to land from the next stage.

They are clear favorites to qualify and even to win this away match although they may face a very defensive team that will try and prevent them from getting that most important away goal.

My pick:  BATE to win ( under 2.5 goals )

 Loading ...

*matches in all competitions

Uruguay last 5 matches:  

Paraguay last 5 matches:

Uruguay FIFA ranking: 18

Paraguay FIFA ranking: 32

Copa America’s final on Sunday with Uruguay eager to profit on this opportunity and take home a record 15th title whilst Paraguay is aiming for the second one in their history.

Uruguay is the favorite in the eyes of the bookies but if one thing has been proven so far in this edition of Copa America, favorites rarely live up to their name as teams like hosts Argentina or the mighty Brazil have been knocked out early on.

Of the two teams, Uruguay is clearly the most spectacular but their game so far has been concentrating on defense rather than offense as they only conceded 3 goals and scored 6.

Paraguay already in the history books as the only team that managed to qualify to the final stage after all draw results, both their knock-out, quarter final against Brazil and semi-final against Venezuela where passed due to the penalty shoots.

With no goals scored or conceded in their last 2 matches in normal time Paraguay is expected to display a closed game and strike on the counter attack, no doubt a similar tactic to that displayed by Uruguay so far and  it can be assumed that the team who manages to strike first will get a huge advantage.

My tip:  Uruguay to win  ( under 2.5 goals )

 Loading ...

*matches in all competitions

Vointa last 5 matches:

Vointa 3 home matches:

Steaua last 5 matches:

Steaua last 3 away matches:

Romania’s Liga 1 kicks off the new season this weekend and displays only one game on Saturday as the best known team of the competition Steaua Bucharest travels to the newly promoted Vointa Sibiu.

Some dramatic events that took place after the last season closed sent two of the first league teams in inferior divisions and allowed Vointa Sibiu an early promotion although they placed only third in their 2nd league division.

Only founded in 2008, this team has managed to step up a ladder every year ending up in the country’s top division with the confidence they can obtain a good result in this difficult start.

Steaua Bucuresti on the other hand, a club with a long tradition and the best trophy record of all in the Liga 1, is struggling at the middle of the table for some years now. They already lost the first trophy of the year as they lost the Supercup last week against last season’s champions Otelu Galati 1-0 but more importantly displayed a poor football.

They finished on the 5th spot last season (4th after Poli Timisoara was relegated) with rather modest results and displayed throughout the competition. The transfer window has brought new changes to the team with players that have failed to convince gone and new additions, although most of the new players where brought free of charge or with very little money so their quality is that expected, fact reflected in the summer friendly matches.

My pick:  Steaua to win ( under 2.5 goals )

 Loading ...