Moving Home!

Profit €72.75

Result Palestino Santiago 2(Saez 18,Maldonado 84p) Union Espanola 3(Gutierrez 77,Canales 82,90)

What a way to finish this blog off with a last minute goal and after 19 weeks we managed to make a small profit of €72.75.This blog is moving home and hopefully the new journey makes more cash,enough for a trip to Africa in 2010!

follow it here.....

www.bohs.ie/agamblingjourney

Week 19 Palestino Santiago v Union Espanola 23rd March 2008

Balance
Loss €8.25

Result Inter Milan 2 (Viera 5,Jiménez 36) Palermo (Materazzi OG 25)

So we are back to square one more or less after being unable to capitalise on the Bordeaux win back in December.An uninspiring performance from Ibrahimovic last weekend didn't stop Inter from collecting the vital three points they needed after a winning goal from Chilean international Luis Antonio Jiménez.After a small stint following Italian football it is time to take this blog elsewhere and with a degree of caution it is Jiménez place of birth Chile.Now I know nothing about Chile domestic football so I am relying on stats totally.Jiménez began his career at a curious little club in Chile;Palestino from Santiago,a club founded by Palestinian immigrants.This weekend they take on another club that takes it's name from the birthplace of it's immigrant forefathers;Unión Espanóla.Both teams are in poor form,Palestino have lost their last three games while Espanola have won just one game in eight.Espanola have won four times this season and three of those have been on the road,one of those wins coming in their last match.Espanola may have a turned the corner and armed with their decent away form a win/draw not bet punt on the away team is my choice at 2.62 with Bet365.
more to follow..

Week 18 Inter Milan v Palermo 16th March 2008

Balance
Profit €41.75

Result Albinoleffe 1 (Conteh 94) Messina 0

Not the goal fest I predicted last week but Sierra Leone defender Kewullay Conteh scored a late late goal to keep the Seriani dream alive.After a defeat yesterday to Pisa they remain one point beind top team Chievo in what promises to be an exciting finish in the race for promotion with four points covering first to sixth.Also heading for an exciting and surprising climax is the race to win the Italian title.It was only a couple of weeks that this blog wrote off the run in for the Scudetto as more or less over with Inter leading by nine points at the time but after Roma beating AC Milan yesterday the gap is only three points now.Inter today take on one of Kewullay Conteh's ex clubs Palermo today.It is sure to be a tense affair and with Inter licking their wounds after a midweek exit to Liverpool in the Champions League expect the Nerazzurri to bounce back today if they of course can keep their discipline.They will be boosted by Mancini's decision to change his mind about stepping down at the end of the season.My choice this week is to put €40 on Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score at 7/5 and €10 on him to bag the first goal at 9/2 both with Paddy Power.The Swede had a great chance on Tuesday night which he hit wide and with Mancini picking five strikers in his squad for the Palermo game he will be looking to hit the net today to keep his fellow strikers behind him in the pecking order.
Inter's opposition today are best known for their colourful attire,the hard men from Siciliy wear pink shirts,a unique colour in sporting clothing.Why pink?No the shirts didn't run in the wash.The club originally wore red and blue but in 1905 club member Giuseppe Airoldi in a letter to club chairman Joesph Whitaker suggested that the club change their colours to pink and black as red and blue was already used by many teams.He wrote that pink and black were the colours of 'bitter and sweet' and because Palermo's results were 'as alternate as a Swiss clock' the new colours would be apt.Not everyones cup of tea on choice of colours.A little in the feminine side but there have been worse.
Footballpunts three least attractive kits ever are as follows
3. Chelsea away 2007-2008.
The official colour is electric yellow,to me it looks like ugly luminous green.Abrahomvic would do anything to get his hands on the Champions League,trying to blind the opposition is taking it to new levels!They look more like men at work than professional footballers.
2. Republic of Ireland France 1998 qualifiers.
The orange jersey wore in a game remembered as one of Ireland's all time lows.Two penalties given away for handball ,Jason McAteer sent off for impersonating Bruce Lee and of course the ugly orange jersey never to be wore again.The game became a benchmark for bad and in training a player would receive a 'I had a Macedonia bib' if they had poor session.
1.Norwich City 1993
In 1993 Norwich City knocked Bayern Munich out of the UEFA Cup in what is known as their finest hour.They done it in style winning in Munich with a Jeremy Goss screamer however their jersey wasn't stylish at all in the fashion sense of the word.The ugliest jersey I have seen has to be that 'bird shit' shirt that the canaries wore that season.Decide for yourself below!



STATS
Ibrahimovic league goals this season 15.Nine of those have been first goals.

TRIVIA
Why do Italy play in blue despite the colour not featuring in the national flag?
Last weeks answer Filippo Inzaghi.

Week 17 Albinoleffe v Messina 8th March 2008

Balance
Profit €91.75

Result Livorno 1(Diamanti 62) Catania 0

Last weekend was a good one thanks to Serie A newcomer Alessandro Diamanti's wonder goal to give Livorno the three points that this blog predicted.I'm quite enjoying following the mixed bag that is Italian football and this weekend I am taking my journey down to Serie B,to one of Diamanti's former clubs Albinoleffe who are currently flying high in the race for promotion to the top division.Albino who?More on that later,let's try to make some cash for now.Today it's the team known as the Seriani versus Messina,second versus tenth.When evaluating what is a good bet plain old number crunching has to be taking into account and this week I am relying on this facet of the bet alone as I am not what you would say 'in the know' on either side.So on pure maths overs is my bet this weekend.In the last four matches involving the home team the goal has been breached 12 times,so far so good and Messina,the last four matches involving the team from Sicily has yielded a whopping 21 goals.To get anything over evens on the overs I'd take as great value considering this form and the 2.16 on betfair is the bet for me.Before more on Albinoleffe check out Diamanti's goal against Catania,top notch.

So Albinoleffe,who are they?Not exactly a household name but if they can keep their form between now and the rest of the season we will hear a lot more about this fairytale story,another Italian football miracle.Castel Di Sangro's promotion to Serie B in 1996 was hearalded as a miracle,Albinoleffe if the can make Serie A it will be just as great as one.The club was formed in 1998 with the merger of two Serie C2 sides Albinese and Leffe.The two teams were from neighbouring towns in Bergamo,Albino and Leffe with a combined population of 23,000.Despite Albinoleffe's lofty position in Serie B they only average crowds of under 3,000 people.From the beginning both sets of fans were not happy with the idea of their clubs amalgamating and support for the new club has never taken off the ground.Leffe fans had the biggest gripe as they viewed themselves as the bigger club having become something of a fixture in C1 and they've even had Filippo Inzaghi and Giuseppe Signori on their books early in their careers.Albinese had been a fifth tier side(Serie D) for most of their history so a big fan base was never on the cards.This hasn't perturbed the players at all and straight away they went about their business.In the 1998-1999 season they were promoted to C1 under coach Oscar Piantoni but it was his successor Elio Gustinetti who began to write the first chapters of the fairytale.Gustinetti assembled a side of local talent and lower division journey men and todays squad still has that look about it.He led the club to promotion in 2003 through the playoffs overcoming Pisa at Bergamo's communal Atleti Azzurri d'Italia stadium where the Seriani play all their home games.The crowd that day was 11,000,one thousand of those home supporters.
In Serie B the aim has been 50 points every season,the figure normally needed to survive in the second tier.The first couple of seasons the Favola continued but Gustinetti parted company with the club to coach Arezzo.The new man Vincenzo Esposito found the burden of keeping the story going too much and after a bad start in their third season in Serie B Emiliano Mondonico stepped in to rescue the club from relegation after a playoff win against Avellino.Last season they came 10th under Mondonico which was seen as an amazing achievement,along the way twice holding the mighty Juventus to two draws.There was clearly something special going on at the club but in a suprise move their coach decided to drop a division and take over Cremonese.They say you should never go back but this cliche has so far been made redundent by Elio Gustinetti who has comeback as Albinoleffe's knight in shining armour and who has so far this season guided the Sariani to second playing swashbuckling football by all accounts.With big city clubs - Brescia,Chievo,Pisa and Lecce breathing down their necks there is still a massive battle on to guarantee that promotion spot.Even though they are close to completing a dream season the local apathy still exists,if they make the big league maybe this apathy will be lifted but there is still a long way to go.

STATS
Goals scored in Albinoleffe home fixtures 39 in 14 games
Goals scored in Messina away fixtures 34 in 13 games



TRIVIA
Who scored both goals against Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League final?
Last weeks answer Cristiano Lucarelli(he actually plays for Parma now after leaving the Ukranians in January.Nobody told me!)

Week 16 Livorno v Catania 2nd March 2008 WINNER!!

Balance

Profit €22.75

Result Cagliari 1(Matri 87) Lazio 0

So very close to a much needed win last week.The game was heading for a stalemate until substitute Alesandro Matri guided a fine header towards Marco Ballotta's far post and into the net to earn a vital three points for the Islanders in their battle against relegation.Despite another loss at least last weekend I got a bit of value out of the draw bet and if relegation dogfights are your thing then you will be guaranteed plenty of value following the Italian league scrap for survival.With only nine points separating bottom club Cagliari and Torino in 13th place the fight for survival promises to be captivating unlike the top of the table with Inter cruising to another title with the same nine points between the Nerazzurri and their nearest rivals Roma.This weekend I am following the relegation battle and I will have a look at the third from bottom Livorno versus fourth from bottom Catania,two teams squaring up to each other from both sides of the relegation zone.My choice this week is to go for the team on the wrong side; Livorno to win at 2.38 with betfair.

With two successive trips to the San Siro; the first a draw against AC then a defeat against Inter followed by two narrow defeats at home to Napoli and away to Fiorentina,Livorno should relish easier opposition with the visit of Catania to Stadio Armando Picchi.Catania won the reverse fixture one nil back in October but they have not got a point on the road since November and they are one of three clubs not to have won on their travels this season.Don't be fooled by the midweek draw at home to AC Milan as the Champions League holders started with out Nesta,Oddo,Kaka,Pirlo and Gattuso.It is a Livorno win for me this weekend to send the Sicilian team into the drop zone.Livorno need to hit some form soon and with most of their fellow stugglers still to come to the Picchi they should be confident of picking up some more vital points in the six pointer games.The Amaranto also have a goalscorer,Francesco Tavano in double figures this season,a stat that the teams around them cannot claim.If Tavano keeps scoring Livorno can stay up.Francesco 'Ciccio' Tavano currently wears the number 10 shirt for Livorno after a brief retirement of the jersey.

Livorno's number 10 jersey was retired in 2005 after Igor Protti retired.Protti became a Livorno legend after he joined them for a second spell(his first spell was in the 80's) in Serie C1.He guided and captained them to Serie A on the way becoming capocannoniere in CI and B resulting in him becoming the first player to be top scorer in all top three divisions.Protti ended the 1996 season joint top goalscorer with Giuseppe Signori whilst playing for Bari,a feat made all the more remarkable as Bari were relegated that season.Protti had short spells with Lazio,Napoli and Reggianna before heading to Livorno for a second time in 1999 and the rest is history.He may have never won an Italian cap or the hearts of the nation but he will always be in the hearts of the Livorno fans and he himself retired a supporter.After receiving the freedom of the city Protti unretired the jersey in 2007 announcing that he wanted to give back the dream of wearing the number 10.

STATS

Livorno at home W2 D5 L5 F13 A19

Catania away W0 D5 L8 F9 A23

TRIVIA

Which Livorno fans favourite now plays for Ukranian side Shakhtar Donetsk?Last weeks answer 1990,England 1-1.

Week 15 Cagliari v Lazio 24th February 2008

Balance
Profit €72.75

Inter Milan 2 (Suazo 14,18) Livorno 0
Juventus 1 (Del Piero 45) Roma 0

Last Saturday after 18 minutes in the San Siro my overs bet was looking home and hosed but with a combination of Inter with one eye on Anfield and a resilient Livorno display in the second half my third goal just didn't appear and with bated breath I waited for the result to come through in Turin later that evening.Thankfully only one Del Piero goal separated the sides and I was quids in on my unders.A great free kick from the Italian dead ball specialist.


The width of a post denied me maximum profit last week as Livorno hit the left stick in the second half with a free kick.So despite the best efforts of Honduran international David Suazo it was not to be.This week I am visiting Suazo's previous club Cagliari who find themselves rooted to the bottom of Serie A.They play Lazio at the Stadio Sant'Elia and I am predicting a draw here.Since the islanders came back up to Serie A in 2004 four of the seven games played between the two teams have ended in draws.There has been six league matches played in Sardinia between the two sides since 1997 and five of them have ended as a stalemate.On league form Lazio would be favourites but they have only won away once so far this season and look set to finish mid table.With all their European eggs in a Copa Italia basket they are probably wishing away the rest of a disappointing league season.So with Cagliari rock bottom and hungry for points and with Lazio going through the motions in the league my advice is €50 on the draw which is a popular result in this fixture at 3.2(betfair).Whether this point will save the red and blues is doubtful as Cagliari have struggled since selling the Honduran goalscoring machine.
David Suazo may be one of Honduras' most famous football sons but Caribeen country is more known for a 'football war' rather than the players it has produced.The truth be told that it is a myth that the war was caused by rioting at a World Cup qualifier between Honduras and El Salvador.The match was merely a spark that contributed to the six day war in 1969.The background of the war was caused by immigration problems between the two countries.Honduras had economic problems which the Honduran government blamed on Salvadorian immigrants in Honduras ;thought to be in the region of over 300,000.The government began to associate the Salvadoran immigrants with illegal land invasions and in 1969 the Honduran government refused to renew the 1967 Bilateral Treaty on Immigration with El Salvador and a land law reform was passed that took away land from Salvadoran immigrants and redistributed this land to Honduran born citizens.Just before the qualifiers Salvadorans began to stream out of Honduras back to an overpopulated El Salvador after attacks on immigratnts.The first game was in Tegucigalpa,Honduras on the sixth of June in which disturbances broke out during a game in which the home side won 1-0 but tensions got worse during the second game in San Salvador.Before the game the Honduran players were kept awake all night by disturbances outside the hotel.The Honduran anthem was insulted and the flag was burnt and replaced by a rag by the hosts.Emotions began to run high for both nations and after a 3-0 win for El Salvador, Honduran fans were attacked on the streets.In retaliation actions against Salvadorans in Honduras became increasingly violent resulting in tens of thousands fleeing the country.In an atmosphere of hysteria created by the media and governments of both countries Honduras broke diplomatic relations with El Salvador.
Two weeks later on the 14th July 1969,a couple of weeks after El Salvador won the playoff game in Mexico 3-2 after extra time the real war began as El Salvador invaded Honduras.Six days later after pressure from the Organisation of American States the war ended after a cease fire was enforced.Some 2,000 people were killed during the conflict known as the football war which ended in a stalemate, a draw but really both sides effectively lost.
On a football note El Salvador went to Mexico and lost their three games to Belgium,Mexico and the USSR conceding nine goals and scoring none.

STATS
Cagliari Serie A at home W2 D3 L6
Lazio Serie A away W1 D6 L4

TRIVIA
Ireland have played one game at the Stadio Sant'Elia.What year,against who and what was the result?
Last weeks answer Abédi Pelé

Week 13 and 14 Double week Inter Milan v Livorno/Juventus v Roma 16th February 2008 WINNER!

Balance
Profit €75.25

Result Juventus 2(Del Piero 14,Iaquinta 31) Inter Milan 3(Balotelli 10,54,Cruz p39)

One thing you can be guaranteed when you are running a blog is the odd time you will get a bout of laziness and last week I got the dreaded lazyitis but now I'm back rejuvenated and hoping to tip up some winners after a dismal January.My last game didn't go to plan although it did have a bit of everything,five goals,a Del Piero freekick,a penalthy,a sending off and a couple of goals from Inters new star in waiting.AC Milan may have Alexandre Pato whom I had the pleasure of seeing make his debut but Inter have 17 year old Mario Balotelli Barwuah.Watch this kid.
Today I am going to make up for last week and tip a double punt on Juve and Inter again ,one an overs bet and the other an unders bet.Inter play Livorno and I will tip €50 on overs at 1.9 with Bet365.Juventus play Roma and i'll have a go at unders at 1.95.
Back to Balotelli,he has so far been used sparingly for Inter and has only played four games,three in the cup and a substitute appearance in the league.In those four games he has scored four goals,two in the cup game against Juventus.Mario has ambitions to play for Italy but his international career is currently in limbo as he has to wait until he is 18 before he can turn out for the Azzurri due to Italian citizenship law.
Mario was born in Italy of Ghanian immigrants and at a young age he was taken in by the Balotelli family but was not legally adopted therefore he has to wait until he is eighteen before he can obtain Italian citizenship.Ghana could have done with him in the recent African Cup of Nations but he turned them down when offered to join the squad in a friendly last year.Next April and October Balotelli could be a name we'll be very familiar with when Il Trap leads Ireland to play Italy in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.Check out Balotellis handful of goals on his website below.A complete striker,tall,fast,strong and skillful he is definetly one to keep an eye on and Inter can be very happy that they have this young star on their books.
http://www.mariobalotelli.it/en/

STATS
Inter Milan have gone 28 games unbeaten since 19th September 2007 when Fenerbache beat them in a Champions league group game.

TRIVIA
It looks as though Ghana have missed out on striker Mario Balotelli Barwuah but whi is their all time leading goal scorer with 33 goals?Last trivia answer,Roma beat Inter Milan to win the Copa Italia in 2007.

Week 12 Juventus v Inter Milan 30th January 2008

Balance
Profit €125.25

Result Athletic Bilboa 1 (Llorente 78) Barcelona 1 (Bojan 35)

So very close to the cleansheet on Sunday night but unfortunately it was soiled by Llorente with 12 minutes to go.Llorente was credited with the goal but it was clearly an own goal from Lilian Thuram which gave a deserved draw to the Basque side.Thuram is seeing out the end of his career at Barcelona after an amazing career in which he has won pretty much every national and club honour available to him.He has won a World Cup and European Championship with France.He has won league titles with Juventus,he won national cups in France and Italy with Monaco and Parma respectively and he has won the UEFA Cup also with Parma.He probably chose Barcelona as his last club to have a good go at the missing medal,the Champions League.They still have a chance this season in that competition but with last weeks results La Liga will surely not make his impressive CV and my balance has sadly taken another hit.So where to now?The last three weeks in Spain haven't been a success so a change of league is needed,Italy it is.
The Coppa Italia medal is on Thuram's CV,not won with his last club though,Juventus.Again like the Copa Del Rey in Spain the Italian version is seen as a hindrance for the top clubs as they have bigger fish to fry in Europe.Juventus unfortunately didn't have Europe this season after coming back from Serie B after the Moggiopoli scandal.To win the cup so will be high on The Old Lady's' agenda this year.They currently have the record number of cups with nine and one more will see them get a silver star for being the first club to reach the milestone of ten cups.In the first leg of the quarter finals they drew 2-2 with league leaders Inter Milan and with Inter heavily involved in the Champions League and the title run in against Roma I fancy Juventus to win tonight at 3.3 with Bet365.
Inter haven't lost since September in all competitions so the run must end sometime,hopefully tonight top scoring partnership Trézéguet and Del Piero can finish the job off in this fascinating second leg tie.Players who went down with the Old Lady and will be hoping to get one over on their ex mates Ibrahimovic and Viera who like Thuram jumped ship from I Bianconeri when the shit hit the fan after the match fixing scandal.So after Calciopoli there is so much at stake in the Derby d'Italia for Juve and they will be hoping they can get one over their old rivals.Whether they ever deserve to win another title is a matter of opinion,I'm just hoping they can take one step closer in this competition to end what has been a bleak January.

STATS
Juve in cup this season P4 W2 D1 L1 F11 A8
Inter in the cup this season P3 W2 D1 L0 F9 A3

TRIVIA
Who won last season Copa italia beating Inter Milan 7-4 over two legs?
Last weeks answer Walter Zenga Italia 90

Week 11 Athletic Bilboa v Barcelona 27th January 2008

Balance
Profit €175.25

Result Barcelona 0 Sevilla 0

Sevilla disappointingly gave up their Kings Cup throne in a dull 0-0 draw at Camp Nou losing on the away goal rule.In a game in which they needed to score opportunities were scarce and Barcelona had no worries keeping the clean sheet they needed to go through to the next stage.They kept most of the possession throughout the game and it wasn't until the last 10 minutes that Sevilla really began to go for it.Alves clipped the top of the crossbar with a few minutes to go from a free kick and Sevilla even had the ball in the net from Navarro but the goal was rightly ruled offside.So the draw wasn't the worst result in the world as my €50 was refunded with the draw no bet.
Last week we touched on the Pichichi,this week it is the Zamora Trophy we will focus on,an award given to the keeper with the lowest goals to game ratio.Although cup clean sheets do not contribute to the Zamora,Victor Valdes kept another shut out and since the Sevilla game he has kept two more to record four clean sheets on the trot in league and cup.I am going for a €50 bet on a Barcelona clean sheet against recent perennial strugglers Athletic Bilbao at the Cathedral 'San Mames'.The lions have drawn blanks in their last two games and will struggle to score against the best defence in the league.Barca have only conceded 13 goals in 20 league matches this season which has them on course to be the meanest defence in Spain for the second year running(they conceded 33 last season with Getafe).Not bad for a team that is usually labelled with the cliche 'dodgy at the back' by lazy Champions League pundits.
Valdes is currently leading the way in this years Zamora Trophy with a goal conceded per game ratio of 0.65,Spain's number one Casillas is breathing down his neck at 0.70.It should be a fascinating battle from now until the end of the season as Valdes goes for his second Zamora and Casillas his first.The Madrid man may be the best keeper in Spain but winning the Zamora trophy also depends on the quality of defending in front of him and we all know about Los Galácticos past problems in that department.
The trophy is named after legendary goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora who played for both Catalan teams Espanyol and Barcelona before joining Real Madrid where he enjoyed his most successful period of his career winning the Spanish championship twice and the cup twice.El Divino which he was nicknamed played 46 times for his country with his most memorable game being a 4-3 win against England.This was the first time that a team outside Britain and Ireland had beaten the English and the achievement was made even more remarkable by the fact that Zamora played on after breaking his sternum during the game.Those were the days of brave goalkeepers;Man City's goal keeper Bert Trautmann played on in a cup final in 1956 with a broken neck.A couple of years after Zamora's injury, Celtic goalkeeper John Thomson died in action after fracturing his skull when bravely contesting a ball with Rangers player Sam English.Brave men indeed,these days keepers look for free kicks for any contact at all,even with their own team mates!
Broken neck no bother.

Even though he turned out for a Catalan XI he spent most of his career at clubs that would not be identified with Catalan nationalism,Madrid and Espanyol.Outside of football he was arrested by Republicans during the Spanish Civil War but was released and fled to France to finish his playing career with OGC Nice in France.It was rumoured that Republicans had killed the popular goalkeeper but this was untrue and was seen as propaganda by the Spanish Nationalists.After he fled he did return to Spain again to play in a benefit match for Franco's nationalists in 1938.The Civil War though effectively ended his playing career and he went on to become an accomplished coach winning two league titles with Atlético Aviación(former name of Atlético Madrid) and a Generals Cup with Celta Vigo.Recognised as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time it is fitting that the honour was named after him.The winner of most Zamora trophies is 1950s Barca goalkeeper Antoni Ramallets with five titles.Still playing with four titles is Santiago Canizares with four trophies but looks as though he may have to leave Valencia if he is to equal Ramallets' record as he is currently out of favour with Ronald Koeman.This year however a Valdes win will do me and a clean sheet tonight will go along way to securing it.




STATS
Barca goals conceded away in the league this year. Played 9 Conceded 8.
Bilbao goals scored at home in the league this year.Played 10 Scored 9.

TRIVIA
Which player holds the record for the longest unbeaten run in World Cup history.He went 517 minutes without letting in a goal.
Last weeks answer Juande Ramos was hit by a bottle from the crowd.

Week 10 Barcelona v Sevilla 15th January 2008

Balance
Profit €175.25

Result Malaga 1(Ballesta 14) Granada 74 1(Guerra 22)

With Futbol24 livescoring running on Saturday night when I heard the first BLEEP after 14 minutes I thought I was quids in but unfortunately eight minutes later the second bleep was to signal a 74 GOL! and disappointingly my computer remained silent for the rest of the evening.I will have one more go at a value bet this evening before I will tighten up on my weekly shouts.
Ballesta,goalscorer on Saturday is a former Pichichi Trophy winner(top scorer in Spain).He scored 27 goals in 1999-2000 season for Racing Santander to take the prestigious trophy.His one goal on Saturday wasn't enough for my handicap bet but hopefully tonight current Pichichi standings leader Luis Fabiano and his club Sevilla can beat Barcelona in the Copa del Rey.I am placing €50 on a Sevilla win draw no bet at 4/1.The Spanish cup is a trophy that has not been a priority for Barca in recent years,they haven't won it or featured in a final since 1998.The first leg finished one-one and this game should be tight.Barca only need a 0-0 so expect all the attacking to come from Sevilla who look to bounce back from defeat last weekend in the league.Sevilla are the holders and with the last two UEFA Cups in their trophy cabinet they are definitely cup specialists.Draw no bet gives me my money back if they can't break Barca down.Sevilla I hope though can pull off a shock even though I am a big fan of Barcelona;bet with the head not the heart.
So the Pichichi, why has it got this strange name?Well,the Trofeo Pichichi is named in honour of Rafael Moreno Aranzadi,a prolific goalscorer who played for Athletic Bilbao and Spain in the 1910s and 1920s.Pichichi was his nickname and he scored the first ever goal San Mamés,went on to play and score for Spain when they reached the semis of the 1920 Olympics before dying tragically in his prime of typhus,aged 29 in 1922.During his time with Athletic he won four Copa Del Rey titles scoring a hat-trick in the 1915 final.

It is fitting that the player with the most Pichichis is a Athletic Bilbao player,Telmo Zarraonaindiá,better known as Zarra.Zarra has a record six trophies and along with Hugo Sanchez he holds the record for most goals in a season,38.Mexican Sanchez has five trophies,all won while at Real Madrid and this makes him along with Di Stéfano as the most successful foreigner,well maybe he is out on his own as Di Stéfano represented Spain along with country of birth Argentina.Real Madrid have had most Pichichi title holders with 24,miles ahead of the rest as next best is Athletic Bilbao with 12 title holders.Other Pichichi holders include Puskás,Rexach,Quini,Kempes,Krankl,Butragueno,Bebeto,Romário,Ronaldo,Vieri,Raúl,Makaay,Ronaldo,Eto'o and van Nistelrooy.Can Luis Fabiano become the fifth Brazilian to take the title?He faces some stiff competition with some top players breathing down his neck.

STATS

Copa Del Rey titles

Barcelona 24

Sevilla 4

TRIVIA

Why was last seasons Copa Del Rey quarterfinal between Sevilla and Real Betis abandoned?

Last weeks answer Livingston.

Week 9 Malaga v Granada 74 13th January 2008

Balance
Profit €225.25

Result Boavista 2(Marcelao 40,Jorge Ribeiro) Sporting Lisbon 0

Not a good weekend with Boavista beating favourites Sporting 2-0 at a big price of 4/1.Goalscorers were Brazilian Marcelao from a corner and a nice finish from journey man Jorge Ribeiro after a quick break against the run of play.Sporting had plenty of chances in the second half to draw the match.An equalizer would have been no use anyway for the HT FT bet I placed.Ribeiro aged 26 had played for seven clubs before he joined Boavista.He has appeared for Benfica and Dynamo Moscow and has had loan spells with Santa Clara,Varzim,Gil Vicente,CD Aves and Spanish club Malaga.
Nice goal

Malaga this weekend take on Liga BBVA (Segunda) new boys Granada 74.Malaga are currently on top of Liga BBVA and are looking good for promotion back to La Liga after relegation two seasons ago.At home they have won seven,drawn one and lost one with a plus 14 goal difference.Granada 74 are currently in ninth position and recently only lost 3-2 on aggregate to Atletico Madrid in the Copa Del Rey but the top teams treat that competition in a similar vain to the way the top teams in England treat the League Cup.Malaga's last home game in the league was a three nil win against Sevilla Atlético Club(Sevilla FC's reserve team) who lie in fourth position.Malaga should be good enough to beat Granada 74 with the -1 handicap.Bet365 offer 3/1 on this and I'll have €50 on Malaga to beat Granada by more than one goal.
Granada 74 so who are these new boys?It sounds like a TV station.Well football purists will be sad to hear that they are a sort of footballing franchise.Yes, franchising football teams has hit Europe.This is the Andalusians first season in Liga BBVA and they didn't even get promoted or relegated;they bought their place in Spain's second tier of football.New rules in Spanish football allow purchased clubs to change name and move home.So when Ciudad de Murcia's(a relatively new club) owner had enough of the day to day struggle of keeping his club afloat in a city were Real Murcia have a stronghold he decided to put his club up for sale.
After negotiations with a number of potential buyers 74 won out and jumped from a regional league to Liga BBVA,bypassing third division team Granada Atlético and Segunda B team Granada CF.Granada 74 owner Carlos Marsá for a fee of around €20m has bought a club,changed it's name to his own clubs name and left Murcia with it's players(if they wanted to leave ,their option) to head to a multi-use stadium in Granada;there you have it a football franchise.
Or a safety net for the big clubs?Let's imagine Real Madrid had a Moggiopoli and like Juventus were relegated,there would be nothing to stop them trying to buy their way back into La liga.Hopefully common sense will prevail and the rule will be changed before clubs with tradition are tempted to throw in the towel and sell up to a franchise with a sugar daddy of an owner.
The last laugh could be on Granada 74,with average attendances of less than three thousand and with Granada CF the citys real club they could struggle just like the club they consigned to history Ciudad de Murcia.
http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn/current/aveesp.htm

STATS
Malaga in the Liga BBVA
P19 W12 D3 L4 F31 A14 pts 39

TRIVIA
Football relocation has happened in Scotland,Meadowbank Thistle changed name and relocated.Who are they now?
Last weeks answer the great Alfredo Di Stéfano.