Tips for Soccer: Which European Nations will Make it Through to World Cup in Brazil?

With the World Cup 2014 in Brazil more than a year away the teams are engaged in an intense battle to get a ticket to Brazil. Top European nations are vying for spots in these qualifiers. 53 European nations are competing for a place in the finals at Brazil. Out of these only 13 nations will make it through. The group winners will directly qualify for Brazil while the eight runners up go into play-offs against best record third, fourth and fifth teams. This week saw many World Cup qualifiers being played.  So let us analyse where the top teams stand.

Group A is wide open

Featuring the likes of Belgium, Croatia, Serbia, Wales, Macedonia and Scotland there are many possibilities in this group. Belgium and Croatia are the runaway leaders with 5 wins and 1 draw in their six matches. Serbia is nine points adrift. In the last match Belgium got over the line against Macedonia with a solitary goal from Eden Hazard, while Croatia won after a struggle against the Welsh in a 2-1 tie.

Italy Breaking Away from the Pack in Group B

Italy is clearly the favourites among the betting systems to book a place in Brazil. They have won 4 off their 5 matches, ending in level terms in one match. This week Italy had an easy win over Malta thanks to the brace by Mario Balotelli. The second placed Bulgaria has played one game extra and they face stiff competition for the runners-up spot from Czech Republic and Denmark.

Germany the Clear Favourites in Group C

Clinical Germany just like Italy are ahead of the pack with 5 wins in their 6 matches played so far. Germany had a comfortable 4-1 win over Kazakhstan with a brace from Marco Reus. Austria are cherishing the second position though they have played one match more than Sweden, who are looking favourites to end in second place.

Group D belongs to the Dutch

Netherlands have again performed admirably in their qualifiers winning all their matches. They are only a couple of good performances from booking a place in Brazil. Hungary and Romania will be vying for the second place. Some experts writing tips for soccer are even giving Turkey an outside chance.

Group E still Remains Uncertain

Switzerland is leading this group but there are many other contenders. Iceland and Albania would be looking to perform well in the remainder of ties and make World Cup debut while Norway is also not out of reach.

Russia Leading with Buffer Matches in Hand

Russia is only the other team than Netherlands who have won all their 4 matches. This means they have two more matches in hand. Portugal and Israel have a chance to get through to the top if Russia happens to slip.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Surprise all in Group G

Bosnia and Herzegovina who suffered heartbreak in the play-offs are latching onto the pole position in this group. They have a three point lead over Greece. Slovakia is the other challenger in this group.

England’s Woes Lead to Montenegro’s gain in Group H

Stunningly enough Montenegro is still leading in this group thanks to the draw against England. England is in second place and they will also have to contend with Poland and Ukraine.

Spain Redeeming Themselves in Group I

Spain and France are the clear favourites in all betting systems to go through. At the present moment Spain is leading France by a single point. Other teams in this group seem to be merely making up numbers.

Soccer Picks: Players to watch out for in UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals

There is a host of International soccer ties scheduled in the next few weeks, thus we will be missing EPL action. So, we will ponder upon the soccer picks for the quarter finals of UEFA Champions League in this blog. Though the English challenge is over but there are some great teams still remaining in the league. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga will represent Spain in the Champions League while Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich will be the German challenge. Italy has a sole team remaining in the form of Juventus, so does Turkey and France in the form of Galatasaray and Paris Saint Germain. It is very hard to tip you about the betting systems and who you should bet upon among these teams.

Among the teams Real Madrid is clearly the favourite. They have a tie against Turkish giants Galatasaray who looked wobbly at many times during this campaign. But the claims of Didier Drogba (ex-Chelsea and now Galatasaray striker) will ignite some hope among the fans. Jose Maurinho’s men have been in sublime touch whether in Europe or in Spanish La Liga. Christiano Ronaldo teamed up with Gonzalo Hinguain and Karim Benzema will form a too hot to handle pairing. Real midfield is also formidable with the likes of Luka Modric, Michael Essien, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira. Real Madrid would be the safest bet in the betting systems to win this year’s title.

But as ever Bayern Munich will be the dark horse. This German side has a great record in the Champions League and they are also in prime form in this year’s campaign. Claudio Pizarro and Mario Gomez are looking dangerous upfront and they are provided all the creative passes by Arjen Robben, Franck Ribbery, Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteigger. They would among the soccer picks of many football betting experts.

You can never forget Barcelona in the rush. They had to struggle through their qualification process and overcame AC Milan with a great performance. Barcelona has a forward line to crave for in the form of Lionel Messi, David Villa and Alexis Sanchez, while their midfield has some of the best players in Andres Iniesta, Alex Song, Cesc Fabregas and Xavi Hernandez. Though no one is betting for Malaga or Borussia Dortmund but they may surprise many.

Soccer Tips for Rest of EPL 2012-13 Season

So, the English resistance has now ended in the Champions league with Manchester United crashing out after a defeat against Real Madrid. This has not been the best year for English clubs in Europe. All the other clubs are reeling. All the leading English clubs now have a sole focus i.e. is to salvage some pride in the EPL. Manchester United have looked a solid team throughout this campaign. They have lead all the way through. Last year they were lacking a creative edge in finishing, but that has been provided by the arrival of Robin Van Persie. What’s more, it looks like Nani has again found his lost form. Danny Wellback who looked little raw last season has been a fast mover. Shinji Kagawa, another new arrival, is showing his early signs of devastation. Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand are standing tall in defence, but it would be a relief for Sir Alex to see his young ward David De Gea finally showing good signs. They are leading in the betting systems to take this season’s EPL crown.

But some soccer tips have not wiped out the chances of Manchester City too. Mancini’s boys are well capable of coming back strongly. Carlos Tavez and Sergio Aguerro are a lethal strike force at the top. To back them up there is of course the ever reliable Edin Dzeko. Problem for Manchester City has been their over dependence upon Yaya Toure and David Silva to provide that cutting edge. Yaya has been below par many times this season and Man City have suffered each time.

Tottenham Hotspurs are sitting pretty at number 3 slot. Not many soccer experts would given them such a chance in their soccer tips columns. After losing Harry Redknapp last season it seemed bleak for Spurs. But Andre Vilas Boas seems to have come out strong after his sacking at Chelsea. He is a man with the mission and so is Gareth Bale. Many betting systems would happily put their money upon him as he is playing some dream football. 

Queens Park Rangers and Reading are the two teams who are going down to the championship football next season. Who would accompany them is a question.    

Soccer picks for Game Week 27 of EPL

All the leading EPL teams are back after a busy European weekend. Most of them had a favourable result to show in European club competitions. Most notable would be Manchester United’s draw against a much fancied Real Madrid side at the Bernabeau. Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur also got through their matches in the Europa League with wins. This week the teams will again put all their focus on the EPL crown. Manchester United have proved their metal in the latest match against Real where they matched skill for skill. It seems that Danny Wellbeck is ripe to come of age in the Red jersey. Earlier on this season there were talks about giving him out on loan, but Sir Alex had other ideas. Wellbeck seems to be in prime form and when it is coupled with the dangerous Van Persie, the low lying QPR should be wary. If QPR’s own form was not a worry, their clash with ManU would definitely be a major headache.

Big match over the weekend is the clash between Chelsea and Manchester City. Manchester City is already a dozen points adrift the leaders. If they stumble this weekend then the second consecutive title could be a distant dream. For Chelsea clinching on to the third spot is very important. They have the team, but inconsistency is what hinders their progress. Juan Mata and Ramires are looking hot in the midfield, and Frank Lampard is again back to scoring ways. Chelsea has come up as one of the soccer picks to finish in top three positions this season. 

Everton have a tricky match against Norwich City. Norwich has slumped in form in the recent encounters, while Everton are also not getting best services from their prolific midfielder Marouane Fellaini. Tottenham are expected to get over the West Ham hurdle. Arsenal and Aston Villa will also have a fiercely competed match. Aston Villa has got some good results into their kitty, but Arsenal would be the winner according to any soccer tips. Liverpool and Swansea will be missing EPL action this weekend as they played one extra match last week.

Soccer picks for the match of this week would be the important encounter between Chelsea and Manchester United. Can Chelsea do ManU a favour by winning and erasing chances of Manchester City title win? Only time will tell. 

Tips for Soccer: UEFA Champions League Last 16 Matches

UEFA Champions League 2012-13 has come down to 16 teams and the matches in this phase will start this week. The competition started with 76 best clubs in Europe and now it has been minimized significantly. In the round of 16 there are many reputed names such as Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Juventus, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Valencia and Paris Saint Germain. Some newcomers will also be seen in this stage such as Malaga, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic, Galatasaray and Schalke 04. As ever this will be where best football stars will try show what they have got. Giving soccer tips on whom to put your money on is a risky affair.

Let us start with Paris Saint-Germain, the French big spenders have invested heavily this season right from appointing Carlo Ancelotti. They have a prolific striker in Zlatan Ibrahimovic who is ably supported by Ezequiel Lavezzi. David Beckham’s recent acquisition means there is quality in dead ball situations. Galatasaray on the other hand have been boosted by their latest signing of the Ivorian forward Didier Drogba who performed admirably last season for Chelsea in the UCL. Galatasaray also have prolific Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder in their ranks.

If you are to give safe tips for soccer about the winner of UCL 2012-13 then three teams that would come up are Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona. All these teams have quality and depth in their squad. But it is a pity that only one of the teams between ManU and Real can go further as they are pitted against one another. Manchester United has been on top of BPL table for almost all season. Their forward line has formidable names such as Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney. Real Madrid on the other hand (as always) is a galaxy of stars. They have Christiano Ronaldo (who has been scoring goals at will), Kerim Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain, Kaka, Sami Khedira, Luka Modric and Mesut Ozil in their ranks. When both these teams clash it would be a spectacle for sure.

Barcelona on the other hand has to get over the AC Milan hurdle to progress to the next round. Again a great clash waits. Messi and his team have to get over the stubborn AC Milan defence.