Midweek Bets

Judgment day has come for 8 European teams who have last chance to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil next summer. The first matches have already been played and on thursday night we'll see the last 90 minutes of the European qualification.​

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Croatia - Iceland​

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The first match was a definite surprise. Croatia, who is supposed to be the favourite, played really bad and even with one player advantage couldn't manage to beat the surprise participant in this fase of the European qualification. Iceland was even the better team, but this match will be different.​

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Croatia is definitely not in form with coaching change recently, but it will be a disaster for the team to miss the WC in Brazil. The Balkan representative has better players and a home advantage on Thursday evening. There are couple of teams that can cause some trouble at Zagreb for the home side, but the weak team of Iceland is definitely not one of them. Croatia will take this and our tipster expects it to be with more than one goal difference. Our prediction here is Croatia to win (-1.5 Asian handicap) on 2,075 Odds.​

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Sweden - Portugal​

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This is the most expected match on Thursday night, as Portugal won the first game at Lisboa, but only with 1:0. Ronaldo won the battle against Ibrahimovic, as the Swedish striker had a rough game and didn't have any opportunities as Paolo Bento managed to organize his defense and stop the PSG goalscorer.​

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This showed that Sweden is really dependable on Zlatan but today they are host and Stockholm is a tough place to play. The teams have already played 6 matches and the draw is the most frequent result. Portugal's main goal will be not to lose this match and the team can be deadly on counter attack, securing the goal needed for qualification. The game will be entertaining and with goals in both nets 1.83 is the odd here.​

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France - Ukraine​

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This was the biggest surprise on Friday night Ukraine smashed France and were able to squeeze a 2:0 win, which gives the team great opportunity to play at WC2014. But France won't go without a fight. The coq gaulois have a great team and even Benzema is a substitute player in Deschamps tactic. But today he probably will play because France is in need of goals. The team will put to pressure Ukraine's defense and will try to qualify. That goes through a win with at three goals (or 2:0 that will lead the game to overtime). That given we expect France to win (-1.5 Asian handicap) at 2.15, or maybe to win to nil at 2.00.​

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Romania - Greece​

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Probably the hardest game to predict after the quality win Greece managed to accomplish on Friday (3:1). Romania has some key players missing in defence but the priority is attack and Pitcurka will make some changes so the home side will be unpredictable against a team that will be well balanced and expecting the attacking spur of Romania. Although Greece showed great defense in the qualifications I expect them to concede tonight. Probably not early in the game but Romania will make sure to score goal. When they score, that will be the first goal of the game therefore Romania to score the first goal of the game is the bet for this match at 1.72.​

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Accumulator with those four events make odds of 13,06 in Bet365.​

Roma - Cagliari
The first game that I will predict is Roma versus Cagliari. The team of Roma lost four points in the run for the title in the last two rounds after draws with Sassuolo and Torino after 10 consecutive wins before that. As many other title contenders, it was expected to see fall in the form of the Romans. Before this round, the team was first but now Juventus is again on the leader position as where the team was most of the time during the last two seasons. At home against Cagliari getting back the leader position does not look that hard.
Cagliari lost three in a row before the last round where the team beat Torino. But even after the win, the teams away performance is terrible - only two points won in the last six games. Gervinho is back for Roma which is great news for Rudi Garcia. Totti is still out due injury but he has great substitute in the face of Adem Ljajic who has three goals in five apperiances.
The last six games between the two were terrible for Roma - two wins and four losses, including 2:4 loss on 01.02.2013 in Rome. Still, looking at the shapes of both team, I would definitely go with a win for Roma.
Possible starting line-ups:
Roma: Sanctis, Maicon, Benatia, Castan, Dodo, Pjanic, Rossi, Strootman, Florenzi, Ljajic, Gervinho
Cagliari: Avramov, Murru, Astori, Rossettini, Pisano, Ekdal, Conti, Dessena, Cossu, Sau, Ibarbo
Prediction: Roma to win @1,40 Bet365
Malaga - Athletic Bilbao
Malaga is in terrible form. The team of Bernd Schuster does not have anything in common to Pelegrinis team, the quater-finalists of last edition of the Champions League. Malaga is very close to the relegation zone.
Athletic Bilbao is on fifth place and is one of the few teams in Primera which are in top form. Missing players would be Balenziaga, Aduriz and Gomez but the important thing is that the key defenders are on line, along with top form middlefielders Muniain, Susaeta,Marcos, Benat and Iturraspe. The scary thing about the manager is Guillermo who is expected to start as a striker. He is only twenty years old and has not even started a game this season (only one appearance on total). But still, even with this young boy in front I believe that Athletic Bilbao would at least take the point, Bilbao being the favourite of winning this game.
Malaga would also miss key players in the face of Jesus Gamez (the central back) and El Hamdaoui, one of the main strikers of the team.
Possible starting line-ups
Malaga: Caballero, Antunes, Weligton, Angeleri, Sanchez, Darder, Tissone, Fabrice, Portillo, Eliseu, Cruz
Athletic Bilbao: Iraizoz, Saborit, Gurpegi, Laporte, Iraola, Iturraspe, Benat, Muniain, Marcos, Susaeta, Guillermo

Prediction: X2 (double chance) @1,53 Bet365