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.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
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!)
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!)
Saturday, March 1, 2008
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.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
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
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
Saturday, February 16, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
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
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
Sunday, January 27, 2008
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.
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.
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