We have (2) x £50 FREE BETS courtesy of Sean Graham to giveaway this week and all you have to do to win one of the bets is answer this simple question - who won Euro 2004? answers to puntersguide@irelandclick.com before this Thursday 5th June.
Friday, 30 May 2008
WIN a £50 bet on Euro 2008
We have (2) x £50 FREE BETS courtesy of Sean Graham to giveaway this week and all you have to do to win one of the bets is answer this simple question - who won Euro 2004? answers to puntersguide@irelandclick.com before this Thursday 5th June.
Transfer Whispers
We will be keeping you up to date with transfer gossip throughout the summer - all taken from the daily papers.
News has it that Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is on the verge of joining Juventus for £14million.
Old Chelsea gaffer Jose Mourinho will take over as Inter Milan boss in the next 48 hours - with an instant swoop for Chelsea stars Frank Lampard, Ricardo Carvalho and Didier Drogba.
Aston Villa are launching a £8million bid for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart while Barcelona claim Arsenal winger Alexander Hleb will move to the Nou Camp next season. One for Celtic fans - injury prone Harry Kewell looks set to join the Parkhead club while Rangers have sold Filip Sebo to Valenciennes for £1million..
Tottenham are closing in on deals to sign Barcelona youngster Giovani dos Santos and Sevilla winger Diego Capel.
Arsenal are expected to sign Marseille midfielder Samir Nasri for £12.5million today.
News has it that Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is on the verge of joining Juventus for £14million.
Old Chelsea gaffer Jose Mourinho will take over as Inter Milan boss in the next 48 hours - with an instant swoop for Chelsea stars Frank Lampard, Ricardo Carvalho and Didier Drogba.
Aston Villa are launching a £8million bid for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart while Barcelona claim Arsenal winger Alexander Hleb will move to the Nou Camp next season. One for Celtic fans - injury prone Harry Kewell looks set to join the Parkhead club while Rangers have sold Filip Sebo to Valenciennes for £1million..
Tottenham are closing in on deals to sign Barcelona youngster Giovani dos Santos and Sevilla winger Diego Capel.
Arsenal are expected to sign Marseille midfielder Samir Nasri for £12.5million today.
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Thumbs up for a Spain group win
WELCOME TO THE PUNTERS GUIDE (BELFAST MEDIA GROUP) ALL NEW EURO 2008 BLOG..
HOPEFULLY OVER THE NEXT MONTH WE CAN HELP YOU BEAT THE BOOKIE AS EURO 2008 GETS UNDERWAY
JUST over a week to go folks before the Euro 2008 Championships get under way in Austria/Switzerland with a month of live soccer ahead.
It starts with two matches live every day for two weeks – heavenly or what! The games will kick-off every evening at 5pm and 7.45pm.
On to the business end of things and Sean Graham bookmakers have installed Germany as their strong 4/1 favourites. We start this week with the group betting and next week who we think will win it outright.
Group A
Portugal lead the betting in Group A at 11/8 and it’s 9/4 the Czech Republic; joint hosts Switzerland get a 7/2 quote and making the Group up are Turkey at 6/1.
A tight wee group this and I wouldn’t be lumping on Portugal at 11/8 – they do have the best player in the world in their squad in Ronaldo (below left) but how much did the season take out of him? They do possess quality up front with Helder Postiga and Hugo Almeida leading the line and they will get goals.
The Czech Republic are a solid outfit and will take all the beating in this group with the likes of Libor Sionko up front, but the strength in this team is their defence and they have the best keeper in the world, Petr Cech, keeping goal. They will, however, miss the guile of Tomas Rosicky who misses the competition through injury. Switzerland are captained by Arsenal defender Phillipe Senderos and that does not fill me with confidence while Turkey are not the team of old and will struggle in this group.
Selections 1. Czech Rep 2. Portugal
Group B
The Germans have a great draw and are 4/6 to win Group B which includes Croatia 9/4, Poland 13/2 and joint hosts Austria at 14/1.
To me Group B is two-horse race and we have an liking for the Croats at 9/4. As we all know, they cantered home in the qualifying and look a footballing side under Slaven Bilic, but can they cope without their top striker Eduardo? He will be a massive loss but they have strength in depth and watch out for new Spurs signing Luka Modric (left) who will be a big player for them at Euro 2008. The Germans, with an in-form Michael Ballack, should finish second in this group ahead of Austria and Poland.
Selections 1. Croatia 2 Germany
Group C
No doubt about it Group C is the Group of Death. World Champions Italy are the 13/8 favourites to win the Group and it’s old foes France at 15/8. Holland get a 5/2 quote while Romania are the outsiders at 10/1.
What a group this is and any of the four teams could win it – including Romania. The Romanians are no 10/1 shots, they finished above the Dutch in qualifying and will make it hard for all teams in this group relying on Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu who is back to top form. Italy do not light my fire at all and there is no way I would back them at those short odds to win this group and in fact can’t see Roberto Donadoni’s world champs qualifying from this group. Holland (below) under Marco Van Basten are improving, and fast! Their strike force of Ryan Babel, Jan Huntelaar, Dirk Kuyt, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink is easily the best at Euro 2008 and I fully expect the Dutch to win this group. France are another team who possess a quality strike force, but Raymond Domenech’s side look shaky in defence and that might be damaging for the French later in the competiton as we expect them to notch second, just ahead of Romania.
Selections 1. Holland 2. France
Group D
Spain lead the betting in Group D at 5/6 and it’s 4/1 Euro 2004 champions Greece, with Sweden and Russia both at 4/1.
The world’s under-achievers in soccer are Spain by a country mile, they are a football-loving nation who just seem to freeze in the big tournaments.
They usually glide through the qualifying tournaments, but this time round they faced a real struggle, even though they won their group. I think that will have toughened them up and for me they are a banker bet at 5/6 to win Group D. They have quality in depth, from defence to their strike force, and a lot will rest on the shoulders of Fernando Torres (above), but he has already shown that he relishes a challenge. So who will join them in the quarter-finals?
Sweden finished behind Spain in the qualifying stages, but they seem to lack quality.
I think Greece and Russia will battle it out for second spot. Greece qualifed with ease, losing only one game, while Russia qualified at the expense of England and I think they could be the surprise package at Europe 2008.
Selections 1. Spain 2. Russia
So this is the way the PG quarter-final line up pans out: Czech Republic v Germany, Croatia v Portugal, Holland v Russia, Spain v France. What a mouth-watering prospect.
Next week: We predict who we think will lift the trophy and the Golden Boot, and we call the opening matches.
HOPEFULLY OVER THE NEXT MONTH WE CAN HELP YOU BEAT THE BOOKIE AS EURO 2008 GETS UNDERWAY
JUST over a week to go folks before the Euro 2008 Championships get under way in Austria/Switzerland with a month of live soccer ahead.
It starts with two matches live every day for two weeks – heavenly or what! The games will kick-off every evening at 5pm and 7.45pm.
On to the business end of things and Sean Graham bookmakers have installed Germany as their strong 4/1 favourites. We start this week with the group betting and next week who we think will win it outright.
Group A
Portugal lead the betting in Group A at 11/8 and it’s 9/4 the Czech Republic; joint hosts Switzerland get a 7/2 quote and making the Group up are Turkey at 6/1.
A tight wee group this and I wouldn’t be lumping on Portugal at 11/8 – they do have the best player in the world in their squad in Ronaldo (below left) but how much did the season take out of him? They do possess quality up front with Helder Postiga and Hugo Almeida leading the line and they will get goals.
The Czech Republic are a solid outfit and will take all the beating in this group with the likes of Libor Sionko up front, but the strength in this team is their defence and they have the best keeper in the world, Petr Cech, keeping goal. They will, however, miss the guile of Tomas Rosicky who misses the competition through injury. Switzerland are captained by Arsenal defender Phillipe Senderos and that does not fill me with confidence while Turkey are not the team of old and will struggle in this group.
Selections 1. Czech Rep 2. Portugal
Group B
The Germans have a great draw and are 4/6 to win Group B which includes Croatia 9/4, Poland 13/2 and joint hosts Austria at 14/1.
To me Group B is two-horse race and we have an liking for the Croats at 9/4. As we all know, they cantered home in the qualifying and look a footballing side under Slaven Bilic, but can they cope without their top striker Eduardo? He will be a massive loss but they have strength in depth and watch out for new Spurs signing Luka Modric (left) who will be a big player for them at Euro 2008. The Germans, with an in-form Michael Ballack, should finish second in this group ahead of Austria and Poland.
Selections 1. Croatia 2 Germany
Group C
No doubt about it Group C is the Group of Death. World Champions Italy are the 13/8 favourites to win the Group and it’s old foes France at 15/8. Holland get a 5/2 quote while Romania are the outsiders at 10/1.
What a group this is and any of the four teams could win it – including Romania. The Romanians are no 10/1 shots, they finished above the Dutch in qualifying and will make it hard for all teams in this group relying on Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu who is back to top form. Italy do not light my fire at all and there is no way I would back them at those short odds to win this group and in fact can’t see Roberto Donadoni’s world champs qualifying from this group. Holland (below) under Marco Van Basten are improving, and fast! Their strike force of Ryan Babel, Jan Huntelaar, Dirk Kuyt, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink is easily the best at Euro 2008 and I fully expect the Dutch to win this group. France are another team who possess a quality strike force, but Raymond Domenech’s side look shaky in defence and that might be damaging for the French later in the competiton as we expect them to notch second, just ahead of Romania.
Selections 1. Holland 2. France
Group D
Spain lead the betting in Group D at 5/6 and it’s 4/1 Euro 2004 champions Greece, with Sweden and Russia both at 4/1.
The world’s under-achievers in soccer are Spain by a country mile, they are a football-loving nation who just seem to freeze in the big tournaments.
They usually glide through the qualifying tournaments, but this time round they faced a real struggle, even though they won their group. I think that will have toughened them up and for me they are a banker bet at 5/6 to win Group D. They have quality in depth, from defence to their strike force, and a lot will rest on the shoulders of Fernando Torres (above), but he has already shown that he relishes a challenge. So who will join them in the quarter-finals?
Sweden finished behind Spain in the qualifying stages, but they seem to lack quality.
I think Greece and Russia will battle it out for second spot. Greece qualifed with ease, losing only one game, while Russia qualified at the expense of England and I think they could be the surprise package at Europe 2008.
Selections 1. Spain 2. Russia
So this is the way the PG quarter-final line up pans out: Czech Republic v Germany, Croatia v Portugal, Holland v Russia, Spain v France. What a mouth-watering prospect.
Next week: We predict who we think will lift the trophy and the Golden Boot, and we call the opening matches.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
