whatsthiswhatsthis

Bayern Munich v Chelsea

Here we are, it’s the pinnacle of European football, the tournament every team wants to win but which few will ever get the chance. The current holders are Barcelona after they comfortably defeated Manchester United in last year’s final by three goals to one.

This year, we will see a new holder of the trophy as the final is contest between Chelsea and Bayern Munich, neither of whom have had the most successful of domestic seasons, with Chelsea finishing their season in 6th and Bayern seeing rivals Broussia Dortmund take the German league and cup double.

But this is something different, something considered by many to be above all of that and, if victorious, will undo any poor domestic performances. The match will be held at the Allianz Arena, the home of Bayern Munich, but in a final anything can happen, so don’t write Chelsea off just yet.

Bayern Munich

Bayern were drawn in by far the toughest group, as they were paired with Manchester City, Villareal and Napoli. The German giants managed to come out of the group comfortbaly in first position having lost just once – a 2-0 defeat at Man City – by which time they had already qualified.

They went onto face Basel in the next round and suffered a shock 1-0 defeat in Switzerland before thumping the Swiss champions 7-0 at the Allianz Arena, in which the competition’s leading scorer, Mario Gomez, managed to grab himself 4 goals. Bayern faced Marseille in the quarter-finals and brushed the French outfit away, winning both legs by two goals to nil.

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That set them up with a semi-final against Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid. Bayern one a cagey first leg 2-1 and many predicted a trip to the Bernabeu would be a step too far. After 15 minutes Bayern found themselves 2-0 down to a double from Christiano Ronaldo. Robben, on 27 minutes, put away a penalty to make it 2-1 and that was how it would stay throughout the 90 minutes and the subsequent period of extra time. The match went to penalties and two Manuel Neuer saves from Christiano Ronaldo and Kaka put Bayern on their way to a 3-1 win on penalties.

For the final, Bayern will go into the match having lost their German Cup final 5-2 to Broussia Dortmund and will also be without the suspended David Alaba, Holger Badstuber and Luiz Gustavo. Despite this, they are the home side and are favourites with the bookies @ $1.76 with Luxbet.

Chelsea

Chelsea will have been pleased with their group draw, as they faced Bayer Leverkusen, Valencia and Racing Genk. They did, however, make hard work of it, but a 3-0 win over Valencia in their final group game earned them top spot as Leverkusen could only manage a 1-1 draw at group whipping boys Racing Genk.

Chelsea travelled to Napoli for the first leg of their two ‘last 16’ encounters. It was to be a tough night for Chelsea as they went down 3-1, but with their domestic season in tatters AVB was sacked and Di Matteo came in to try and turn things around. The blues took the second leg to extra time where Branislav Ivanovic netted the winner to take them to the quarter finals.

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There they faced Portuguese club Benfica who had lost just one of their 8 champions league games up until this point. Chelsea played well, tactically and deserved to go through 3-1 on aggregate to a semi-final showdown with Barcelona.

Barcelona were massive favourites but Chelsea showed amazing spirit, and after riding their luck as well as defending well, managed to win the first leg 1-0 through a Didier Drogba strike. The second leg didn’t go as expected, with John Terry being sent off in the first half, but a remarkable effort from the remaining Chelsea players and a truly delightful goal from Ramires was capped off by Fernando Torres roung Valdes to earn a 2-2 draw, sending Chelsea into the final 3-2 on aggregate.

Chelsea need to win to make sure they are in the tournament next season after finishing 6th in the EPL. It’s the one tournament Roman Abramovich has always wanted, but they will be missing key players through suspension; John Terry, Raul Meireles, Ramires and Branislav Ivanovic. Chelsea go into the game as underdogs, but they were heavier underdogs to defeat Barcelona and they managed, so this is far from a forgone conclusion. Bet365 have Chelsea at $4.50 to win in 90 minutes and at $3 to lift the trophy.

It’s tough to predict much in finals, but I think Bayern will be too strong. I do, however, believe that Chelsea will not go down without a fight and that they will find the net.

My tip for this one would be Both Team to Score @ $1.83

Also, back either Bayern or Chelsea to win in 90 minutes at Luxbet and if they fail but do go on to win in extra time, then Luxbet will match your stake with a bonus bet up to $200!

Enjoy the game and good luck with the punt!

Round 8 of the 2012 AFL season and the AFL ladder. is starting tot take shape.

We continue the Sports Banter preview of Round 8 matches with Part 2, which includes Essendon v Richmond, Brisbane Lions v GWS Giants, Carlton v Adelaide Crows and West Coast v St. Kilda.

Part 2 begins with the between The Bombers and The Tigers as 2nd host 12th at the MCG.

Essendon v Richmond MCG, Saturday 7.50pm (EST)

Essendon keep going from strength to strength this season and you would have to say they are serious challengers for the flag on what we have seen so far. I keep expecting them to falter at some point but they haven’t looked like doing that yet. Richmond head into this “Dreamtime at the G” match on the back of a solid win over the Swans last week and they have clearly improved on last year.

Essendon smashed West Coast by 61 points last week, the Perth outfit were previously unbeaten. They welcome back Michael Hurley from a hamstring injury and it’s going to be hard to find a place for him in the side, who do you leave out? The Bombers have Leroy Jetta and Alwyn Davey in superb form up front so far this year, they have kicked 25 goals between them already.

Richmond were unlucky to lose to Carlton, Collingwood, Geelong and West Coast early in the season, they have had the toughest start to the season out of any of the teams and the only way is up from here. Last weeks win against Sydney showed just how far they have come since last season and I can see this one being a close match. Essendon may just have too much firepower up front though.

Essendon by 10

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Brisbane Lions v GWS Giants Gabba, Sunday 1.10pm (EST)

This could be closer than you would think with the Giants getting their first win of their existence last weekend and the Lions going down once again, this time to Geelong where they were absolutely thumped. To me, the Lions are in a similar situation to the Demons, down on confidence and a win doesn’t look like is coming any time soon. GWS will be on a high after last weeks win and this may just see them lose a bit of focus going into this one.

The problem for Brisbane seems to be mainly up front, with Jonathan Brown a machine but not getting enough of the ball to contribute much to the scoresheet. he has only kicked 8 goals so far this season and the Lions will need plenty more from him if they are going to be competitive.

The Giants will need to get over last weeks win quite quickly as their younger players will be susceptable to getting ahead of themselves and will need the older heads to pull them to the side and get them focussed. GWS has impressed with its work at the clearances for a first-year club, currently sitting eight in the AFL with 39 per game thus far.

Brisbane by 10 points

Carlton v Adelaide Crows Etihad Stadium, Sunday 3.15pm (EST)

Carlton head into this match on the back of a disappointing loss to St Kilda on Monday night and have not really found their form this season despite promising so much late last year. Adelaide were on fire last weekend, downing a Geelong side many had tipped to be challenging for the flag again this year. They’ve been good all season, apart from a blip against the Hawks, and currently sit inside the top 4 alongside Carlton.

This, for me, is the match of the round. Both sides look to play attacking footy, with the midfield of each team packed with energy. Carlton’s stars in Chris Judd and Marc Murphy will have a point to prove after being outperformed by the Saints last week so expect a big performance from them.

Adelaide’s Kurt Tippett came in for plenty of criticism after his performance against the Hawks, he’ll need to step it up even more with Taylor Walker suspended for 2 matches. He was leading the race for the Coleman medal and they will miss his presence, and goals, up front. I think this may just be the difference and Adelaide may not have enough firepower to outscore the Blues.

Carlton by 12

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West Coast v St Kilda Patersons Stadium, Sunday 4.40pm (EST)

Another cracker of a match between two quality sides here. St Kilda showed what they are capable of after disposing of the Blues on Monday night while we all know that the Eagles are a good side following their 6 match unbeaten start to 2012. They had a hickup last week, going down to the Bombers by 61 points, their lack of depth coming back to haunt them after a number of key injuries in the last few weeks.

This week, the Eagles should be boosted by the return of NicNaitanui, Adam Selwood, Will Schofield and Ash Smith. This will be a massive boost to the Eagles and will go along way to getting them back to winning ways. The Eagles lost the clearances 42-24 last week against the Bombers and the return of Naitanui should get them back on the front foot in that regard.

The Saints small forwards were on fire last week against Carlton with Stephen Milne, Terry Milera and Ahmed Saad combining well and tearing the Blues apart. With Sam Fisher out, the Saints backline looks relatively small but Jason Blake has been a revelation back there and he will need to be at his best this week up against the likes of Naitanui, Lynch and Darling. With West Coast getting a plethora of key players back this week, I think they will have too much for the improving Saints.

West Coast by 20

Round 8 of the 2012 AFL season kicked off on Friday night with a rematch between last season’s Grand Final teams, as Collingwood entertained the Geelong Cats.

Part 1 of the Sports Banter preview of Round 8 includes Port Adelaide v North Melbourne, Hawthorn v Fremantle, Sydney Swans v Melbourne Demons and Western Bulldogs v Gold Coast.

Each of these matches will come with a preview and a free footy tip from Sports Banter – so without further ado, let’s get started with Port Adelaide v North Melbourne as 15th host 11th.

Port Adelaide v North Melbourne AAMI Stadium, Saturday 1.45pm (EST)

Port Adelaide head into this match in much the same position they found themselves in last year, languishing towards the bottom of the table with just 1 win to their name. North Melbourne suffered a shock at the weekend, going down to the Western Bulldogs, they we extremely disappointing and it appears that they took the Dogs lightly and were made to pay.

Port Adelaide heave been very disappointing this season but after last season’s debacle I don’t think anyone thought they were going to do well. They have a young side and a coach who doesn’t seem up to the task in Matthew Primus. Sometimes ex players don’t make good coaches and this is a prime example of that.

The Kangaroos will need to be on their game here though or they could suffer another embarrassing defeat. The Kangaroos’ recent record against the Power has been quite good, having won five of their last six clashes. Even at AAMI Stadium, North has beaten Port six out of 11 times, including three of their last four encounters.

No brainer for me this week, Kangaroos by 30.

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Hawthorn v Fremantle Aurora Stadium, Saturday 2.10pm (EST)

Another tough match to call with Fremantle in such good form and the Hawks not having the best start to the season. One thing the Hawks do have going for them is the fact that they have had some tough matches already this season and only really have 4 of what you would consider tough matches left before the finals.

The Hawks were early season favourites but losses to Geelong, West Coast and Sydney had them on the back foot early on. They have hit back to sit just inside the top 8 however this is a crucial match for them. Clarkson welcomes back Stephen Gilham after he did his ACL last year, and their defensive options will receive a further boost in the next week or so with JarradBoumann likely to return. That seems to be the trend of the top teams so far with the Pies, Cats and Hawks all suffering from injury concerns.

Fremantle have not been pretty to watch at all this season but they have been getting the job done and that’s all that will matter in the eyes of coach Ross Lyon. This will be a massive test for them though as they will find it hard to restrict the Hawks to the lowly scores they have kept the likes of Brisbane and Port Adelaide.

I think this one will be ugly, but the Hawks by 30.

Sydney Swans v Melbourne Demons SCG, Saturday 4.40pm (EST)

This could be a landslide if the Demons recent matches are anything to go by. Sydney have now lost to in a row and will be looking to get back to winning ways after winning their first 5 matches. The Demons are yet to win a match and I tip them to get the wooden spoon, this despite the emergence of Gold Coast and GWS in the last two seasons. This shows just how bad the Demons are actually travelling.

The Swans are still without captain Adam Goodes and you could see how much he was missed against the Tigers last week, although their performance overall was quite disappointing really. The Swans really need centre half forward Sam Reid to get back to some form after a great opening few weeks of the season, they need someone to step up in the absence of Goodes and he may be just the man to do it.

The Demons are 0-7 and at the bottom of the AFL ladder, they have struggled all over the pitch to be honest, you can’t pick just one area where they have been worse than others. They have Mitch Clark up front who is kicking goals and Clint Bartram doing his best at the back, they just lack some serious depth to compete with the other sides in the competition at the moment and are going through somewhat of a rebuilding phase it seems.

Swans by 50

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Western Bulldogs v Gold Coast TIO Stadium, Saturday 7.40pm (EST)

The Western Bulldogs caused a massive upset last week by beating the Kangaroos and will be looking to back that up this week to give themselves a 4-4 record. The Suns lost their 7th straight to open the season against the new boys GWS last week in a match that they would have earmarked as a certain 4 points. They’ll be doing it tough to get another win this season, that is until they come up against the Demons.

This match has been taken to Darwin and the Bulldogs absoultely love it there, winning their past 4 matches and convincingly. Ryan Griffen plays his 150th match for the Bulldogs in this one and he has been in great form this season, the Suns may struggle to contain him in this one.

With the Suns yet to win a match still, it’s hard to see how they have improved on last years form. But looking closely you can see that they haven’t been losing by massive margins like they did last season. Against Fremantly they only lost by 7 points and they were looking closer to a win until that capitulation against GWS.

Bulldogs by 40

Thanks for reading Part 1 of the AFL round 8 preview from Sportsbanter, click here for Part 2…

Round 8 of the 2012 AFL season kicks off on Friday evening with the blockbuster clash between Collingwood and Geelong. This should be a cracker of a match and with Geelong in indifferent form so far this season it will be a chance to see where they are really at. Sports Banter previews the match including their tip for the winner.

Collingwood v Geelong, MCG, Friday 7.50pm (EST)

The Grand Final rematch has finally arrived and what a time to have it with both sides starting to hit their straps again after a poor start to the season by both teams standards. Geelong had a setback on the weekend however with a bad loss to the Crows and will be looking to pull themselves back into the top 8 with a win in this one.

Signs of 2006 are starting to appear for the Cats, they have not been outside the top 8 this far into the season since then. That was also the last time the Cats missed out on the top 8 altogether so they need to start getting a move on before the season passes them by. Geelong’s most recent victories over Collingwood were by 96 points in round 24 last year and by 38 points in the Grand Final. In fact they have not lost to the Pies since the 2010 preliminary final.

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Collingwood are on a run of 4 straight wins and after losing two of their first three matches are now just 4 points off top spot. The Pies lost another player to injury on Saturday night though with Nathan Brown suffering medial ligament damage that will keep him out for around a fortnight. However, they have Dale Thomas, Chris Dawes and TravisCloke available, and Chris Tarrant is getting closer to full fitness as well.

I think the Pies will get the points here, they have the momentum and stars returning while the Cats are looking for answers. I don’t think they’ll find them here.

Collingwood by 25 points

2012 AFL Preview – Round 7

Round 7 of the 2012 AFL season kicks off on Friday night with early flag favourites Hawthorn taking on a disappointing Demons outfit at the MCG.

With Sydney losing to Adelaide last weekend, only West Coast remain undefeated and sit at the top of the 2012 AFL ladder, 4 points clear on 24 points. Who will be able to bring them down? Can the Swans bounce back after last week’s thriller?

Sports Banter previews all of this weeks matches below including their tips for each match, check them out and be sure to leave a comment with your thoughts on this week’s action!

Melbourne v Hawthorn MCG, Friday 7.50pm (EST)

The Demons have had their worst start to a season since I can remember and they don’t appear to be improving from week to week. In fact this week they will be demoted to 17th if they can’t conjure up a miracle here, with GWS and the Suns battling it out on Saturday night and one all but guaranteed of a win.

Hawthorn have been nowhere near their best this season and find themselves 3-3 to start the year. However, they have had some tough matches amongst their first 6 and have a pretty good run for the rest of the season now. They’ll be looking to build on last weeks 35 point win over St Kilda and should be far too strong for the hapless Demons. With Rioli and Franklin hitting their straps this could be a bloodbath!

Hawthorn by 60

GWS Giants v Gold Coast Manuka Oval, Saturday 1.40pm (EST)

This is the one we’ve been waiting for, if we really want to see how far the Giants have progressed since their first match, this will be the match that tells us. Both sides head into this one with a 0-6 record and looking to notch their first win of season 2012, and in the case of GWS their first win ever!

Last weekend the Giants were beaten by 67 points by a Carlton side that didn’t show up in the first half. They were still in the match until the second term before the Blues woke up and dominated the rest of the match. The Suns gave Fremantle a run for their money only going down by 7 points and they’ll be looking at this match as the one that could lift them above the Demons into 16th place.

The Giants welcome back Chad Cornes, Jeremy Cameron and Israel Folau for this one which is a massive boost; I just think that the Suns are on the verge of their first win and should account for the young guns here.

Gold Coast by 25

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Adelaide v Geelong AAMI Stadium, Saturday 1.45pm (EST)

Both clubs head into this match on the back of wins at the weekend. Adelaide secured a 5 point win over the previously undefeated Swans, and Geelong taking care of a disappointing Demons side by 43 points.

Geelong welcome Joel Selwood back to their midfield this week with Steve Johnson set to move back to the forward line following his foray in the middle of the park. It may have been just the move he needed too with a man of the match performance against the Demons. Adelaide will be without ruckman Shaun McKernan after he was suspended midweek, someone will need to step up in his absence. Luckily, the Crows have a number of youngsters waiting in the wings for a chance to impress.

This should be a cracker, I think Geelong will get the 4 points in a tight one but I tip this with no confidence. This is a toss of the coin match for me.

Geelong by 7

Richmond v Sydney MCG, Saturday 4.40pm (EST)

The Swans lost their first match of the season in a thriller against the Crows on Saturday night; on top of this they lost their biggest star, Adam Goodes, for the next 6 weeks due to injury. He has so much influence over this Swans side, not just on the pitch but off it as well. They looked to be getting on top against Adelaide and when he went off it changed the game.

Richmond finally got themselves another win after weeks of going close when they disposed of Port Adelaide on Sunday. After narrow defeats to West Coast and Geelong this win will have done wonders for their confidence and they’ll be looking to knock over a top 4 team here.

The Swans loss to Adelaide may have left them with mental scars and the loss of Goodes to injury will also affect them. For this reason I think Richmond will make it two in a row here in a close one.

Richmond by 8

Essendon v West Coast Etihad Stadium, Saturday 7.40pm (EST)

The Bombers head into this match against the unbeaten Eagles on the back of a 67 point hiding of the hapless Lions. The Eagles managed a 25 point win over the Kangaroos last week and although they weren’t at their best they did enough to keep their 100% record in tact.

The Bombers haven’t fared well with injuries this season. This week Stewart Crameri is in the spotlight after the forward left the field with a knee injury last week. He’s been cleared of structural damage but is still in doubt to face the Eagles this week. They’ll need everyone on deck to take out the new competition favourites.

The Eagles have their own injury concerns with Hams (suspension) and Adam Selwood (hand) unavailable for this match. At some point the injuries will take their toll, I don’t think it will be this week though.

West Coast by 18

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Brisbane v Collingwood Gabba, Saturday 7.40pm (EST)

The Lions have been a disappointment again this season, their 67 point loss to the Bombers last weekend continued their poor start to the year. Collingwood aren’t the dominant force they once were with injuries taking their toll so far this season. They managed a 21 point win over the struggling Western Bulldogs on Friday night.

The Lions have been hammered by the competition’s elite in Carlton, Geelong and Essendon so far this season and it’s hard to see them reversing that trend here. The Lions are at their best when their No. 1 defender, Daniel Merrett, is in form, and he’ll need to be in peak condition to curtail Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes here. Problem is he hasn’t been the same since injuring his back last season.

Rumours throughout the week have been linking Pies midfielder Travis Cloke with a move to GWS. He’ll be looking to silence those suggesting the speculation about his future is weighing on his mind. Collingwood have averaged 3 changes each match this season so far and while they haven’t been at their best it’s given some if their youngsters a chance to shine. They should be too strong for a Brisbane side that’s been on the back of two hidings in recent weeks.

Collingwood by 40

North Melbourne v Western Bulldogs Etihad Stadium, Sunday 1.10pm (EST)

North Melbourne head into this one on the back of a 25 point loss to the undefeated Eagles on Sunday, while the Bulldogs also come off a loss to Collingwood. Neither side was expected to win and the Kangaroos will be looking to this one as a much easier chance of 4 points. They’ve lost to Sydney, Geelong and West Coast in recent weeks and will be desperate for the win.

The Western Bulldogs are at the wrong end of the ladder and they may not move far from where they currently are. Their rebuilding is at an early stage and they come up against a Kangaroos side who are far more advanced in their nurturing of youth.

This will be a close one I feel. North Melbourne have not fared well upon previous returns from Perth, losing their last two matches on returning in previous seasons. However, the Bulldogs may be a bit down after letting their match against Collingwood slip last week. I think the Kangaroos will get the points but only by a goal or two.

North Melbourne by 9

Fremantle v Port Adelaide Patersons Stadium, Sunday 4.40pm (EST)

Fremantle got out of jail against a determined Suns outfit last week and coach Ross Lyon knows there will need to be massive improvements heading into this one. Port Adelaide were disappointing against Richmond at home last week going down by 37 points when they really should have been competing.

The Power really missed the presence up forward of Jay Schulz against the Tigers, out with an eye injury. Jackson Trengove is optimistic Schulz could line up for the Power though, describing him as a “fair chance” of playing this week. They’ll need everyone on board to turn around last week’s performance and compete with the Dockers here. The Dockers themselves have a key player returning with star ruckman Aaron Sandilands set to return from a calf injury. He’ll likely cause a bit of a reshuffle with Jon Griffin and Zac Clarke likely to be retained in the 22 despite Sandilands return.

I can’t see anything but a comfortable Fremantle win in this one to be honest. Port Adelaide don’t look like they have improved much from last season on recent showings.

Fremantle by 40

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St Kilda v Carlton Etihad Stadium, Monday 7.40pm (EST)

St Kilda looked good against the Hawks for much of last weeks match but faded badly in the end to lose by 6 goals. Carlton only showed up for the second half against GWS and were missing stars Chris Judd and Jarrad Waite. They still managed a 67 point win over the Giants and a rest to key players will hold them in good stead here.

An injury to Ben McEvoy has thrown a spanner in the works for the Saints with not only their ruck stocks but also their forward line being reshuffled this week. Rhys Stanley will likely start as ruckman after spending much of the year as the No. 3 tall forward. Whether this will work against the Saints with Blues ruckmen Matthew Kreuzer and Shaun Hampson in fine form is another question.

Carlton will need to be up for this one from the outset or they’ll get a surprise here. Coach Brett Ratten was irate at the poor work rate and low energy of his players, who looked disinterested in the first half last week. This should give them the motivation they need to take care of the Saints this week.

Carlton by 30

Thanks for reading, and as always, good luck with your betting!

It’s the FA Cup final this weekend as Chelsea and Liverpool come head-to-head at Wembley Stadium, with both sides trying to put their league form behind them.

Historically the FA Cup Final is a close encounter and, given recent cup fixtures between these two sides, this weekend will be no different. Both sides have struggled to hit the heights expected of them in this season’s EPL and so will look to the FA Cup as the light at the end of the tunnel.

Both teams look set to miss out on Champions League football next season, although Chelsea have, quite remarkably, managed to reach the final of this year’s competition. They will face Bayern Munich on May 19th, but for now they will be fully focussed on thwarting Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool. While Liverpool’s EPL season has been awful, they already have the Carling Cup to their name this season and will keen to make it a double domestic cup winning season to appease the supporters of the club.

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LIVERPOOL

Liverpool began the 2012 FA Cup with a home tie against League One outfit Oldham Athletic. Liverpool went into the game on the back of a 3-0 loss to Manchester City in the league and started with a strong starting eleven. Oldham hadn’t a won an away game in the league in seven attempts, and the Anfield Club ran out comfortably 5-1 winners, with Andy Carroll getting on the scoresheet.

Next, they entertained Manchester United and won 2-1 in a feisty match that saw Dirk Kuyt gran an 89th minute winner to send ‘pool through to the next round. There they were again drawn at home, this time against Brighton and Hove Albion from the Championship. Going into the game Brighton hadn’t scored in four of their last five league games, and so it was no surprise that when Liverpool ran out 6-1 winners, with the Championship side managing two own goals!

The Quarter Finals saw Liverpool once again drawn at home, this time to Stoke who they beat 2-1 to seal a semi final against arch rivals Everton. The Toffees took the lead at Wembley through Nikita Jelavic, but a Suarez equaliser was followed by an 88th minute winner from Andy Carroll to send Liverpool into this weekend’s FA Cup Final.

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CHELSEA

Chelsea’s FA Cup run to the final started with a 4-0 win over Championship side Portsmouth. It was actually a hard fought victory, with three of the goals coming inside the final 5 minutes! Chelsea then ‘travelled’ to fellow West London Club Queens Park Rangers for their 4th round game. Tensions were high after the Anton Ferdinand and John Terry incident in the league match earlier in the season and it was a very tight game. Eventually Chelsea came out on top, with a Juan Mata penalty on the hour mark settling the game.

Chelsea faced Championship side Birmingham City in the next round, with the Londoners being drawn at home. Their respective league form couldn’t have been more different; Chelsea hadn’t won in four games while Birmingham hadn’t lost in 10, so an upset was on the cards. It very nearly happened, but Chelsea grabbed an equaliser through Daniel Sturridge to take the game to a second leg. The second leg was a little more one sided as Chelsea won 0-2, Mata and Meireles with the goals.

The Blues made light work of their Quarter Final opponents Leicester City as they cruised to a 5-2 victory in which Torres grabbed a brace. This set up a Semi Final tie against in form Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley, but the match will be remember for a poor refereeing decision that, effectively, ended the game. With Chelsea leading 1-0, a Juan Mata strike was cleared off the line, only for the referee to inexplicably give the goal. Gareth Bale pulled one back for Spurs but three goals in the final 13 minutes meant Chelsea took the game 5-1 and could look forward to this weekend’s FA Cup Final against Liverpool.

FA Cup Final games are often tight affairs and with these two sides I fully expect that to be the case again. My tip for this game is under 2.5 goals @ $1.74 with Sportingbet.

Plus, get selected bets refunded if Fernando Torres scores at anytime! Only at Sportsbet!

Round 6 of the AFL kicks off on Friday night with the Western Bulldogs hosting Collingwood at Etihad Stadium. There will be some blowouts as usual this week but this week there also appears to be some more evenly contested matches, on paper at least. Check out Sports Banter’s preview of round 6 of the 2012 AFL season below, including tips for each match!

Western Bulldogs v Collingwood Etihad Stadium, Friday 7.50pm (EST)

Collingwood head into this match on the back of a thrilling 1 point win over the Bombers in the traditional ANZAC Day clash. The Bulldogs got themselves a win over the Giants but it was not pretty, in fact it was probably one of the worst matches of the season so far. That was the Bulldogs first win of the season, one that they should have won comfortably, and they’ll do well to get anywhere near the Pies in this one. Collingwood were not at their best against Essendon but they ended the Bombers unbeaten run and will take confidence from that.

Collingwood by 40

Essendon v Brisbane Lions Etihad Stadium, Saturday 1.40pm (EST)

Essendon started the season well and were unbeaten in the first 4 rounds until that ANZAC Day clash with the Pies. I thought the bubble had to burst at some stage as I think they have overachieved so far this season, but they put up a great fight against one of the heavyweights. Brisbane, they have been atrocious at best this year. When they’ve come up against a side with a bit of fight in them they have been completely outplayed. Twice this season they have scored less than 50 points but to be fair to them, last weeks conditions were woeful. They won’t have an easy time here against a side looking to bounce back after their first loss of the season though.

Essendon by 30

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Geelong v Melbourne Demons Simonds Stadium, Saturday 1.45pm (EST)

Geelong got themselves a hard fought win in tough conditions over the Lions at the weekend, booting 12 goals to 4 in torrential rain. The Cats handled the conditions much better and had Hawkins to thank for a 6 goal haul. Last time they played the Demons at home they absolutely thumped them and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of the same in this one. Melbourne have been the most disappointing side of the AFL season to date, they’re without a win and will be lucky to crack the half century in this one. Last time out against Geelong they conceded a whopping 233 points, the most by a team since quarters were shortened to 20 minutes in 1994. We won’t see another one like that but Geelong will get the points easily here.

Geelong by 75

Gold Coast Suns v Fremantle Metricon Stadium, Saturday 4.40pm (EST)

Gold Coast are yet to taste victory in 2012 and have had star player Gary Ablett missing for the last couple of matches. They welcome him back this week and what great timing too, up against the player he had a “Twitter war” with last week in Ryan Crowley. The Suns have been a far better team at Metricon Stadium and have been improving each week. Fremantle had another low scoring game on the weekend, this time going down to Carlton by 8 points. They were looking at a measly total, trailing by 30 late in the last quarter before 4 unanswered goals got them a bit of respectability back. They should have enough in them to see off the Suns but I think it will be a close one.

Fremantle by 10

St Kilda v Hawthorn MCG, Saturday 7.40pm (EST)

Hawthorn head into this match on the back of a poor showing against the Swans at the weekend. They were announced premiership favourites early in the season but they haven’t really lived up to that billing yet. One thing in their favour is the draw though, they’ve had 5 tough matches to start the season and only really have 4 remaining between now and the end of the season. Expect them to make a run now. St Kilda, they had an ugly win against the Demons, but a win nonetheless. They kept the Demons goalless in the final quarter to get the win after the match was in the balance at ¾ time. I really can’t see the Saints getting anything out of this one though as Hawthorn look to improve on their slow start to the season.

Hawks by 30

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Sydney Swans v Adelaide Crows SCG, Saturday 7.40pm (EST)

What a start to the season for the Swans, unbeaten in 5 and taking out the premiership favourites in a devastating second half display last weekend. No-one really expected the Swans to have started the season so well and they sit at the top of the ladder alongside the Eagles as the only 2 unbeaten sides. The Crows got out of jail against their neighbours Port Adelaide on Sunday afternoon, coming from behind at ¾ time to snatch the match away from the Power. In the end it was a comfortable 3 goal victory but they will have a much harder task this weekend to stop the Swans who are in top form at the moment. I can’t see the Crows getting past the Swans at home, but I think they will provide Sydney with stern opposition.

Swans by 12

Carlton v GWS Giants Etihad Stadium, Sunday 1.10pm (EST)

This could be a bloodbath! Carlton have not been very impressive so far this season and will no doubt like to take that out on the Giants here at Etihad Stadium on Sunday. They had a narrow 8 point win over Fremantle on Saturday night, and will be looking for improvements all over the park as they try to play themselves into a bit of form. The Giants acquitted themselves well against the Bulldogs on the weekend, racking up their highest score of their short history. Their youngsters will look to learn from this match and will do their best to contain the Blues but they’ll be doing well to cover the start, I have a feeling there won’t even be any odds released for this one.

Carlton by 120

Port Adelaide v Richmond AAMI Stadium, Sunday 3.15pm (EST)

Port Adelaide can look at the final quarter of their match against the Crows and lament the one that got away. Up by 3 at ¾ time they capitulated and managed just 1 goal in the final term. Richmond had a 10 point loss to West Coast in Perth at the weekend and the match was in the balance right up until final quarter. The Tigers kept the Eagles quiet in the second half but that also effected them going forward, goals were at a premium and they just could not get in front. They’ll be looking for just their second win of the season in this one, as will Port. I have a feeling this will be a close game, and I’m going to go with Port Adelaide based on recent form.

Port Adelaide by 6

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West Coast v North Melbourne Patersons Stadium, Sunday 4.40pm (EST)

West Coast are unbeaten and sit atop the AFL ladder just ahead of the Swans on percentage. They head into this match against the Kangaroos on the back of a 10 point win over the Tigers on Sunday and will be looking to keep that momentum going. The Kangaroos defeated Gold Coast Suns on the weekend, as you’d expect but they made hard work of it. At halftime the Kangaroos were down by a point and it took at 6 goal 3rd quarter to break the shackles, they didn’t look back from there. They won’t be able to turn up to this match in the second half though, West Coast should be far too strong at home.

West Coast by 35

Thanks for reading and, as always, good luck on the punt!

Wigan Athletic v Newcastle United

With Wigan fighting for their lives and Newcastle targeting a Champions League spot, there’s a lot at stake in this EPL fixture.

Wigan have struggled through this season, although that will come as no surprise to the vast majority of football fans. The lack of goals from Huge Rodallega hasn’t helped matters, but they are pulling together as a team and the bookies are now giving the Latics a 75% of survival. Manager Roberto Martinez always gets his team to play football on the floor, and for that I respect them and hope they stay up. Newcastle United are having a fantastic season and are closing in on Champions League football next season. Shrewd signings in the transfer market have lead to Newcastle being one of the most attractive teams to watch, and they fully deserve their top four position.

Wigan have been poor all season and have actually been worse at home this year, managing just 16 points from 17 games and scoring just 15 home league goals. They have won just once against a side in the top half of the table – a 1-0 victory of league leaders Manchester United earlier this month. Their current form is very impressive, losing just once in their last five home games, drawing two and winning two, keeping three clean sheets along the way. They have, however, only scored two or more in just one of their last 11 home games, and I feel that if they are to win this one, they will have to do just that.

Newcastle’s away form is the sixth best in the league, although they do leak a few too many goals when away from St James’ Park. The Magpies approach this game having won six games on the bounce, including their last two away games in which they have scored five and conceded just one. The club are heading in the right direction but need Champions League football in order to keep hold of their top players. Against bottom half opposition Newcastle have lost just once all season and have scored more than once in 67% of those games.

Although Wigan are on a good run, and they are on a very good run, I think they are playing against the in-form team in the league and will struggle to deal with Newcastle’s attacking threat. I think the $2.50 price on Newcastle to win is nice but, given Wigan’s form and recent evident potential to cause an upset, I will go for the safer option.

My tip for this game is Newcastle, Draw No Bet @ $1.88 with Betfair.

Round 5 of the 2012 AFL season continues on Friday night with Fremantle taking on Carlton at Patersons Stadium. After a blockbuster ANZAC clash, we can probably expect more of the same for the remainder of round 5, well we can only hope anyway.

Here’s Sports Banter’s preview of round 5 complete with tips for each match.

Fremantle v Carlton, Patersons Stadium, Friday 8.45pm (EST)

An interesting battle to start the weekend matches after the epic on Wednesday afternoon. Fremantle need to stop the Carlton midfield to be any chance and the availability of Nat Fyfe will have a lot to do with that. Fremantle are adapting to the play of new coach Ross Lyon and last week was a typical Lyon victory. Fremantle’s problems are mainly up front while several commentators believe Carlton are struggling at the back so it will be an interesting contest to see who gets the upper hand.

Carlton lost last week and will bounce back strongly. Carlton by 12

GWS Giants v Western Bulldogs, Manuka Oval, Saturday 1.45pm (EST) GWS hasn’t looked like winning a game this year however their first real opportunity comes against the Western Bulldogs who have had an unsteady start to the year. Last week GWS showed patches of good football just like their big signing Israel Folau and their team looks reasonably solid around the park. The Bulldogs however will gain some confidence after last weeks win and should win this week.

Western Bulldogs by 30

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North Melbourne v Gold Coast Suns, Etihad Stadium, Saturday, 4.40pm (EST) Without Gary Ablett and Jarrod Harbrow the commentators can talk up the Suns all they want but they simply will not be competitive. North Melbourne beat Geelong two weeks ago and they will be hungry for a percentage boasting win after their disappointing loss to Sydney.

North Melbourne by 75

Melbourne v St Kilda, MCG, Saturday 7.40pm (EST) The Demons have not looked great this season and the outlook doesn’t look pretty despite an improved performance last week against the Bulldogs. St Kilda will outclass Melbourne across the park even without Justin Koschitzke who is suspended. Last week St Kilda won the battle against Fremantle but didn’t get the four points – this week should be different.

St Kilda by 24

Brisbane Lions v Geelong, Gabba, Saturday 7.45pm (EST) Brisbane has incentive to win this week as they celebrate Simon Black’s 300th AFL game. Despite winning 3 premierships and receiving almost every personal accolade its unlikely he will get the four points against a Geelong team who are stuttering along. The Lions have Jonathan Brown and Josh Drummond however the younger players of Geelong seem to be improving and their quality around the ground should get them the points.

Geelong by 35

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Hawthorn v Sydney Swans, Aurora Stadium, Sunday 1.10pm (EST) Great game for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Sydney has been going under the radar and teams continue to under estimate them. The Swans are a team who are tough on the ball and can grind out a win, however it will be interesting to see how they perform on the bigger grounds over the next couple of weeks. The Hawks could have some injury concerns however the depth in their squad should cover any problems. Their top end talent should prove too much for a competitive Sydney team.

Hawks by 18

Richmond v West Coast, Etihad Stadium, Sunday 3.15pm (EST) West Coast are one of the quality teams in the comp this year and we expect they will be difficult to beat anywhere they play. As such, the Tigers will have to play extremely well to have a chance on Sunday. If their backs can stay strong and Jack Riewoldt rediscovers past form then they should stay in the contest.

Richmond by 5

Adelaide Crows v Port Adelaide, AAMI Stadium, Sunday 4.40pm (EST) Local derby’s bring out the best in teams and often form goes out the window. Since promising signs in the pre-season Adelaide have slightly underperformed. Port on the other hand were supposed to be easy beats this season however they have been competitive in most games and stayed within 4 goals of a quality Collingwood outfit.

Adelaide by 9

Thanks for reading and best of luck with the weekend punt!

Round 5 of the AFL 2012 season kicks off early this week with the blockbuster ANZAC Day clash between Collingwood and Essendon.

Sports Banter previews the match including their tip for the winner. Keep an eye out for further round 5 previews in the coming days.

Collingwood v Essendon – ANZAC Day 2012 MCG, Wednesday 25 April, 2.40pm

The Traditional ANZAC Day clash comes to us from the MCG and what a match it promises to be. Essendon head into the match unbeaten while last years grand finalists have been up and down with 2 wins and 2 losses from their opening 4 matches.

I’m still not convinced that Essendon are as good as their unbeaten start to the season suggests to be honest. Sure, they beat flag favourites the Blues last weekend but Carlton didn’t turn up for that match. This will be a much tougher test up against a side they haven’t beaten on ANZAC Day since 2009. Collingwood have recorded 65 and 30 point victories in 2010 and 2011 respectively since the Bombers last win.

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The Pies managed to get through last weekends match against Port with no further injuries, however that was after losing Dale Thomas and Heath Shaw prior to the match starting. They have really struggled with injuries to start the season but the signs of a championship team are pushing through these tough times and rising to the top. We’ll see what Collingwood are really made of this weekend.

This should be a cracking match, and based on form you’d be inclined to go with the Bombers in a tight one. I’m going to buck the form guides and take Collingwood in this one, these clashes are made for the Pies and they should come good on ANZAC Day.

Collingwood by 12

B: Harry O’Brien, Lachlan Keeffe, Nathan Brown
 HB: Simon Buckley, Nick Maxwell, Tyson Goldsack
 C: Dane Swan, Sharrod Wellingham, Ben Johnson
 HF: Paul Seedsman, Chris Dawes, Ben Sinclair
 F: Dayne Beams, Travis Cloke, Alex Fasolo
 Foll: Darren Jolly, Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom
 I/C: Alan Toovey, Martin Clarke, Jarryd Blair, Kirk Ugle
 Emg: Alan Didak, Cameron Wood, Tom Young

In: Nathan Brown, Kirk Ugle
 Out: Tom Young, Jackson Paine
 New: Kirk Ugle (Swan Districts)

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B: Dustin Fletcher, Cale Hooker, Dyson Heppell
 HB: Michael Hibberd, Tayte Pears, Kyle Hardingham
 C: Jake Melksham, Jobe Watson, David Zaharakis
 HF: Brent Stanton, Patrick Ryder, Jake Carlisle
 F: Alwyn Davey, Stewart Crameri, Leroy Jetta
 Foll: Tom Bellchambers, Heath Hocking, Angus Monfries
 I/C: Ricky Dyson, Sam Lonergan, Ben Howlett, Cory Dell’Olio
 Emg: Henry Slattery, Travis Colyer, Luke Davis

In: Jake Carlisle
 Out: Michael Hurley (hamstring)

AFL 2012 Preview – Round 4

Week 4 of the 2012 AFL season has arrived and even though most matches have gone to script so far, there has been the odd upset to start the season.

As many as 5 teams could conceivably win this years flag and it’s probably going to be the closest season since, well I can’t remember to be honest. It’s too early to say who will finish at the top of the AFL 2012 ladder but there certainly are a number of serious contenders.

Here is Sports Banter‘s preview of all of this weeks action, feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comments.

St Kilda v Fremantle, Etihad Stadium, Friday 7.50pm (EST) Melbourne hasn’t proved the best hunting ground for Fremantle however Ross Lyon could prove to be a turning point for the Dockers. This will be a very close game with two teams gunning for the top 8. We don’t see many points on the board however expect Fremantle to break the curse and get a rare Melbourne victory.

Carlton v Essendom, MCG, Saturday 1.45pm (EST) The bombers are developing a very good football team with key defenders and forwards expected to take them through to the finals over the next few seasons. The midfield however is difficult to ignore. Despite Essendon having a good midfield Carlton has Chris Judd and Marc Murphy who showed their class last week against the pies.

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Collingwood v Port Adelaide, Etihad Stadium, Saturday 2.10pm (EST) Port Adelaide probably didn’t want Collingwood to get hammered last week because the Pies will come out swinging this week. Although Collingwood appear to have major problems they are still too good for an improving Port Adelaide team who have significantly improved from last season in all aspects of the game.

Adelaide v GWS Giants, AAMI Stadium, Saturday 4.40pm (EST) GWS simply won’t win this but their performances should improve. Hopefully the first quarter won’t get away from them otherwise we can expect another big margin.

West Coast v Hawthorn, Patersons Stadium, Saturday 7.40pm (EST) Game of the round. Hawthorn has Lance Franklin, Rioli and Roughead however they are playing against a very good West Coast team in Perth who are coming off an easy run last week. There are indications that both teams have slight injury concerns however the Eagles and Hawks both have sufficient depth to cover a couple niggles.

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Brisbane Lions v Gold Coast, Gabba, Saturday 7.40pm (EST) Brisbane lions v Gold Coast or Gary Ablett v Jonathan Brown. No doubt a victory is just around the corner for the Suns however Jonathan Brown will have a big say about that after going missing last week with minimal touches. Expect the Suns to show confidence and the Lions are missing Simon Black which could prove pivotal.

Geelong v Richmond, Simonds Stadium, Sunday 1.10pm (EST) A great team rarely stays on the canvas two weeks in a row so expect Geelong to rebound strongly after their loss to North Melbourne last week. Richmond had a solid win last weekend against the Demons however their skill level won’t stand up to the class of a Geelong team bouncing back.

Sydney Swans v North Melbourne, SCG, Sunday 3.15pm (EST) A very close game with the Swan’s missing Adam Goodes through suspension. North Melbourne have had a tough time against the Swans with only one draw in their past six meetings. If the Kangaroos can lock down Josh Kennedy then they will be looking good.

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Melbourne v Western Bulldogs, MCG, Sunday 4.40pm (EST) Both teams have had a disappointing start to the season and we arn’t confident picking either team. Last week the teams had one horrible quarter while the Dogs can’t kick a goal. The Demons probably have a chance in a low scoring game but we think the Dogs will get the cookies.

Hope you enjoyed reading Sports Banter’s preview of the weekend’s footy fixtures! Happy Punting!

A-League Grand Final – Brisbane Roar v Perth Glory

After a long season it all comes down to one game, as Perth Glory take on the Brisbane Roar in Sunday’s A-League Grand Final.

Right from the off, Brisbane were the favourites to retain their title and they began the season brightly with four wins in a row, in which the Roar scored 13 and conceded just one, including a 7-1 thrashing of Adelaide.

The Roar were at their unbeatable best for the opening 8 games of the season, but the run came to crashing end in December when the Roar lost 2-0 away to Sydney. How the Roar would react to their first defeat in 37 games. The answer was there for all to see as Brisbane went on to lose their next four games. This run of five defeats meant that the Central Coast Mariners were running away with the Premier’s title.

A 3-1 win over Melbourne Victory steadied the ship, but just one win from the following five games didn’t bode well for the Brisbane side. After their dismal 1-0 defeat to Newcastle Jets at the end of January the Roar needed to see a vast improvement to make the AFC Champions League places, let alone retain their title.

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The team responded well and went the remaining 8 games of the season unbeaten, collecting 20 of the 24 points available, helping them on the way to second place in the ladder. This run included a convincing 0-3 victory over fellow-finalists Perth Glory, in which Besart Berisha put in a man of the match performance as he grabbed two goals, giving him 19 for the season and lead to him finishing as top scorer.

Perth Glory also began the season well, as they won their opening three games. Glory failed to capitalise on their strong start, and defeat at the Central Coast Mariners saw the start of an 11 match run in which Glory won only won game and lost seven.

Hopes of a place in the Grand Final were probably not even close to the minds of the players and the staff. Following a spirited 3-3 draw with the resurgent Brisbane Roar, the Perth players rallied and went on to five of their next six games with Shane Smeltx back amongst the goals.

After an impressive fight back, defeat to Sydney FC saw a turbulent end to the season for the Glory as they lost three and won four of their final seven games, including a 0-3 defeat to Brisbane Roar.

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Route to the Grand Final

Brisbane Roar faced Premier title holders the Central Coast Mariners in the Major Semi Final. The first leg went to the Roar as an early, and deserved, Henrique goal put Brisbane ahead and a late Paartalu goal ended proceedings – final score 2-0 to the Roar.

The second leg was less of a formality. Broich put the Roar in front with a controversial opener after just two minutes. By half-time, however, a spate of goals left the score at 2-2, leaving the Mariners plenty to do in the second 45 minutes. Brisbane secure their place in the Grand Final with a Henrique goal 22 minutes from time which, it must be said, came very much against the run of play. The Mariners were very good but had left themselves too much to do from the 1st leg.

Perth had a longer route to the final following their third place finish on the ladder. Their first test came against Melbourne Heart; the game was goalless going into the second half, with neither side really testing the opposition goalkeeper. But with 25 minutes left on the clock, Shane Smeltz burst into life and notched a quick fire hat-trick to give the Glory a comfortable 3-0 victory.

Next up it was Wellington Phoenix in an epic encounter that went to extra time before a 112th minute Todd Howarth winner sealed the victory for glory. Glory lead 1-0 at half-time but the Phoenix began the second half brightly and were in front just 10 minutes after the restart. Mehment levelled on 72 minutes to take the game into extra time where Glory were the dominant side.

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After the extra win over Wellington would Perth Glory be able to compete against the Mariners? It was an action-packed game which either side could have won in normal time; it truly was a crowd pleaser. Adam Kwasnik had put the Mariners in front on 33 mintues, but that man Shane Smeltz made the most of a lack of focus in the Mariners’ defence and provided a simple finish after Mehmet had beaten the offside trap.

The game went to penalties and we all know what happened there. McGlinchey missed the fourth spot kick for the Mariners (after Zwaanswijk had missed one in the 56th minute) and with Glory converting all five of theirs, the Perth side went through to Sunday’s Grand Final.

Our Tip for the Grand Final

With the finals often leading to surprise results as the under dog finds something extra for the occasion I will be steering clear of predicting a result in this match. For the Grand Final, given his form this season, I will be tipping Besart Berisha to find the next on a Insurebet First Goalscorer with Sportsbet at $3.50.

Enjoy the day!

Chelsea v FC Barcelona

This should be another cracking game of football between two sides who, to put it mildly, have history.

While Chelsea have struggled domestically this season, they have put it the back of their minds when playing in Europe and now find themselves within touching distance of the final. Barca, as expected, have reached this stage of the competition with a fair degree ease and many will be predicting that it will be an all-Spanish finale.

From the outset, Chelsea looked to have drawn an ‘easy’ group, but following a draw at Genk and defeat at Leverkusen, found themselves in a spot of trouble. They eventually managed to top the group with a 3-0 victory over Valencia as Leverkusen could only manage a point away to Racing Genk. Only Real Madrid (2) conceded fewer goals in the group stage than Chelsea (4). Chelsea’s reward for finishing in first place was a last 16 clash with the impressive, counter-attacking Napoli who, effectively, put City out of the competition.

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It wasn’t a great night in Naples for Chelsea as Napoli won the game 3-1 despite Chelsea taking the lead through Juan Mata. Previous manager, Villas Boas, had made it quite clear that the future was in the youth, while Di Matteo showed that, in the here and now, experience was key. His decision was soon vindicated as Lampard, Terry and Drogba were on the scoresheet before Branislav Ivanovic scored the extra time winner as Chelsea ran out 4-1 winners. Next they faced Benfica where, with a spirited performance and a Salomon Kalou goal, Chelsea left with a 0-1 lead. A Lampard penalty and a late Raul Meireles strike saw Chelsea through to the Semi-Final.

Unsurprisingly, Barcelona sailed through the group stage, scoring 20 goals and conceding just four – all in game against AC Milan who they would meet later in the competition. Barcelona faced Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 and after a 1-3 win in Germany all but guaranteeing their passage through to the quarter-final, the Blaugrana thumped Leverkusen 7-1 in the Nou Camp as Messi, the competition’s top scorer, getting on the scoresheet five times.

Next they travelled to Stadio Giuseppe Meazza for the first leg of their Quarter-Final with AC Milan. The game had numerous chances, particularly for Milan and Ibrhimovic, but neither side managed to make the most of it and Barca would make them pay in the second leg. Two first half Lionel Messi penalties all but ended the tie, with Nocerino (Milan) and Iniesta completing the scoring as Barca took the game 3-1.

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The last time these two sides met at Stamford Bridge there were chaotic scenes as several, somewhat blatant, penalty appeals were turned away by Norwegian referee Tom Ovrebo. Soon after Iniesta smashed home a 90th minute away goal (Barca’s first shot on target all game) Chelsea had what must have been their fourth obvious penalty turned down. Michael Ballack chased the referee back up the pitch to remonstrate with him, while at the final whistle, Drogba came back onto the pitch to vent his frustration.

Players have come and gone since then, but Terry, Lampard and Droga will be out for revenge. Unfortunately for the Stamford Bridge outfit I can see nothing other than a Barca win here but, more importantly, I think there will be a few goals. 4 out of Chelsea’s five home Champions League fixtures have seen over 2.5 goals, while the same amount of Barca away games have seen that same result.

My tip is over 2.5 goals @ $1.77 with Centrebet.

Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

We’re at the Semi-Final stage of the European Champions League and this match promises to be worthy of the occasion.

These two sides have been fantastic in the Champions League this year with both teams topping their groups before cruising into the Quarter Finals where both comfortably made it through to the Semi-Final stage.

Bayern Munich topped Group A, the so-called ‘Group of Death’, containing Napoli and big spending Manchester City. Bayern lost just once in their 6 group games; a 2-0 defeat away to Man City, at which point they had already guaranteed their place in the last 16 where they would face Basel. After losing 1-0 in the first leg the German giants demolished the Swiss outfit in the second leg, with Mario Gomez grabbing four goals in a 7-0 thrashing.

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Bayern then faced a struggling Marseille side, who put up little in terms of resistance, in a Quarter-Final fixture that saw Bayern winning 2-0 in both legs and cruise through to the Semi-Finals. Gomez picked up another goal in the 0-2 first leg win in France, leaving the striker with 11 goals in this year’s competition; only Messi has more (14).

Real Madrid are a team of superstars, they have been for as long as I can remember, but Jose Mourinho has them playing like more of a team than previous coaches have managed. Their group stage qualification was a mere formality as Los Blancos won all six of their group fixtures, scoring 19 and conceding just twice. They faced a potentially tricky trip to Moscow as they faced CSKA in last 16 round, a match which ended 1-1, before Madrid took control at the Bernabeu, winning 4-1 on the night with Christiano Ronaldo netting twice.

Madrid got the luck of the draw as they were paired with Cypriot minnows APOEL Nicosia and routinely saw off Ivan Jovanovic’s men 8-2 on aggregate to book their place in the Semi-Final. Unsurprisingly, Ronaldo is Madrid’s top scorer in this year’s competition with 8 goals.

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Both sides have immense attacking ability, with Bayern finding the net on 22 occasions and Madrid 32, but both have also been solid defensively. Each side have played 10 games in this year’s Champions League, with Madrid conceding just six and Bayern letting in seven, but it must be pointed out only Bayern have faced really tough opposition.

I can’t see Bayern keeping out Madrid for a whole 90 minutes with the attacking talent at their disposal. Similarly, I can’t see a Madrid side, who have kept just one clean sheet in their last 8 La Liga fixtures, stopping Kroos, Ribery, Robben and Gomez.

My tip for this game is for both sides to score @ $1.62 with Centrebet.

The Grand National is fast approaching and Bet With Aus are taking a look at the main contenders for this years gruelling 4.5 mile race.

The race includes thirty tough fences along the longest course in National hunt racing, the most notorious of which is Becher’s Brook. After many years the drop has finally been reduced to make it a safer jump for the horses.

As ever, there’s a huge number of runners starting the race, 40 in total, but the highest number ever to have finished the race is 23, back in 1984. Last year 19 of the starters managed to complete the race, including three of the $101 shots. 1st place was taken by Ballabriggs, ridden by Jason Maguire, winning the race by 2.25 lengths. Punters were able to back Ballabriggs at 14/1 SP, meaning a $20 bet returned $300!

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As we look ahead to the 2012 Grand National, Bet With Aus will run through the main contenders and offer up our longshot for the race for those of you looking for large returns from small stakes!

SYNCHRONISED Ridden by AP McCoy, Synchronised won last month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup and so goes into the race on good form. The horse certainly has the ability but, more importantly for this particular race, it posses excellent stamina, as proven by it winning the Welsh and Midlands nationals. It would, however, be the first horse to win both the Gold Cup and the Grand National since 1934 – but there’s always room for an upset in this race!

JUNIOR Ridden by Tom Scudamore, Junior is looking to complete a remarkable hat-trick of wins for the season, having already been victorious at the Cheltenham festival and Royal Ascot. While this would this would be a phenomenal achievement, many tipsters are pointing out not get too carried away with the aforementioned previous victories as there are question marks over Junior’s jumping ability. This course really will put the horse to the test.

CAPPA BLEU Ridden by Paul Maloney, Cappa Bleu came third in the Welsh National which is a promising trial for the Grand National at Aintree. This season has seen a return to form for Cappa Bleu after going off-the-boil following victory in the Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham back in 2009. Maloney has said he prefers Cappa Bleu to State of Play who has finished in the first four on three occasions.

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ON HIS OWN Ridden by Ruby Walsh, On His Own has attracted plenty of attention following victory in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran in Januray. Conincidentally, (or not!) trainer Willie Mullins also trains Hedgehunter, who won the Grand National in 2005 following a win in the Thyestes Chase in January of the same year. A promising omen?

WEST END ROCKER Ridden by Wayne Hutchinson, West End Rocker has been the subject of heavy betting in the build up to this race. The horse has been well rested and the softening conditions will play to it’s strengths. Despite falling at Becher’s Brook last time out, many are expecting a much improved performance that will see West End Rocker right up there with the front runners.

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That concludes our look at the top contenders for this year’s 2012 Grand National. A quick look to our longshot tip for the race…

THE MIDNIGHT CLUB Ridden by Paul Townend and trained by Willie Mullins, The Midnight Club was favourite of the morning of the 2011 Grand National but only managed to finish 6th, much to the dismay of many punters. His run out in the Gold Cup wasn’t the best, but he has been here before and has proven he has the stamina and jumping ability to finish the race, which already puts The Midnight Club in the top half of horses. Finishing 6th is no disgrace and Paul Townend will be looking to get that little bit extra out of the 11 year old to take first place.

I hope that you enjoyed our write up and that, one or another, you make profit on the 2012 Grand National! Let me know your thoughts on our Facebook page.

West Brom v QPR

Both sides have had fairly disappointing seasons and will be looking to finish strongly, with QPR still in a relegation battle.

West Brom have struggled this season, mostly with their home form, although this has improved recently. They are currently 13th in the EPL but are only four points away from being in the top half, something they will surely be aiming for. The Baggies are on a poor run of form at the moment, having won just one of their last six games, and were comfortably beaten my Man City in their last fixture, 4-0. QPR are still fighting to avoid the drop and find themselves just two points above the relegation zone with five games to play. They will, again, be missing Djibril Cisse after he was sent off for a two-footed lunge in their 3-1 defeat at Sunderland; his second sending off since joining the club in January.

West Brom have been poor at home this season and have actually earned five more points from their away games. As I mentioned earlier, they have begun to improve their home form and have won 3 of their last four fixtures at the Hawthorns while managing to keep a clean sheet in each of these three victories. It’s not as though they were facing poor opposition either, beating Chelsea 1-0 and Sunderland 4-0. Their most recent victory was a convincing 3-0 win over Blackburn Rovers; this victory was most impressive for the fact that they became only the second team to prevent Blackburn scoring an away goal. It has come a little too late for their season to have any true success but they will want to continue the run until the end of the season.

QPR have the joint worst away record in the EPL, along with Wolves, earning just 11 points from a possible 48. They haven’t won an away game since November and have suffered defeat in each of their last 4 away EPL fixtures. Time and time again, clubs are promoted to the EPL and focus to much on scoring goals and buying attacking players, and that is what QPR have done. They don’t have a problem scoring goals but have kept just five clean sheets all season and have conceded more than one goal in 63% of their away games. Mark Hughes will be hoping that his side can carry some of their home form into this fixture as they face a tough run-in in their final five fixtures.

Given the additional motivation QPR have for this game I am going to steer clear of calling a winner. Instead, I look to the goals markets where I think there is a clearly evident pattern that has emerged, particularly in recent games, for these two sides. 56% of West Brom’s home games have seen over 2.5 goals in them, including five of their last six. Similarly, 56% of QPR away games have seen over 2.5, including four of their last five. Despite West Brom’s recent clean sheet record, QPR are desperate for points and, I think, will go for the win here. QPR have been leaking goals all season and are without an away clean sheet since September last year; a run of 13 games.

My tip for this game is for there to be over 2.5 goals @ $1.84 with Luxbet.

Sunderland v Wolves

With Wolves already resigned to relegation Sunderland will look at this game as a chance to restore some pride after defeat at Everton.

Sunderland have, undoubtedly, improved under Martin O’Neill and have given themselves a decent platform to build upon for next season. They sit just outside of the top half of the EPL table but are likely to lose both Niklas Bendtner and Stephen Sessegnon in the summer. They will be looking to finish strongly to give the supporters a cause for optimism next season. Wolves’ season has been a miserable one, rarely getting out of the relegation positions and sacking Mick McCarthy mid-season without having a replacement lined up. They will be playing football in The Championship next season and will lose a number of their first team players.

Sunderland’s home form is not too bad; they’ve picked up 26 points from their 16 home games, 20 of which came under the management of Martin O’Neill and from just 9 home games. The current outlook for Sunderland may be a lot brighter had O’Neill been in charge from the start of the season, but again, this points to a bright future for the club. The club are currently three league games without victory, and will be desperate to erase memory of their 4-0 drubbing away to Everton in their last EPL fixture. The Black Cats have lost just one of their last nine home games and have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven at the Stadium of Light.

Wolves have a terrible record, both home and away, earning just 11 points from each of their 16 home and away EPL fixtures. They have the worst away record in the division, with just two victories from 16 games, the last of which came against a QPR side who were reduced to 10-men after Djibril Cisse saw red. That was at the beginning of February, and since then Wolves have lost three out of four of their away games, scoring four and conceding 11. They are a team low on confidence and, judging by the on-pitch row between Johnson and Hennessey recently, they are lacking the team spirit necessary to escape relegation.

Wolves actually managed to win here last season in 1-3 victory, but prior to that they had failed in seven attempts and I fully expect them to fail again this weekend. I like Wolves, I always have, they try to play football properly, but their defensive ineptitude is astounding. They’ve conceded more than any other side (73), while only Stoke and Wigan have scored fewer goals. Sunderland no longer have the FA Cup to worry about and can focus entirely on this game and I fully expect them to get back to winning ways with relative ease here.

Based on this, I’m tipping Sunderland -0.75 @ $1.64 on Betfair.

AFL 2012 Preview – Round 3

Round 3 of the 2012 AFL season kicks off with a cracking match between two clubs that should be up there at the top of the AFL 2012 ladder come grand final time. Check out Sports Banter‘s preview of all of the Round 3 AFL action below, and be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Carlton v Collingwood MCG, Friday 7.50pm (EST) Match of the round and should be a cracker. Carlton have slowly built their team over the past couple of years while Collingwood have been the front runners. Carlton look fresh, big and hungry for a victory and a strong start to the season. Not much will separate these two teams however the midfield of Carlton with Chris Judd could prove the difference.

Richmond v Melbourne Demons MCG, Saturday 1.45pm (EST) Mick Malthousesaid the loser of this team won’t make the finals? Slightly early for that talk but it proves this game is vital for both clubs. In the first couple of rounds both teams have been disappointing with a pinch of bad luck. Melbourne have looked the worse of the two teams and could get a touch up this week given their overall playing roster doesn’t jump off the page.

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Port Adelaide v Sydney Swans AAMI Stadium, Saturday 2.10pm (EST) If this game wasn’t played in Adelaide you would say Sydney by plenty however Port have shown some improvement over the first couple of rounds with an early victory and a respectable hit out last week against Essendon. Sydney will expect a spot in the top 8 at the end of the season and these are the must win games.

Fremantle v Brisbane Lions Patersons Stadium, Saturday 4.40pm (EST) Both teams are a work in progress however Fremantle are a top 8 team and Brisbane could be fighting off the wooden spoon. Jonathan Brown returns for the Lions however that is unlikely to take away the 4 points from Fremantle. Its a home game for Fremantle, they can kick 20 goals in a game, and Brisbane don’t have the man power to stop them.

Gold Coast Suns v Essendon Metricon Stadium, Saturday 7.40pm (EST) Gold Coast are still a work in progress after only one season in the competition however unless they start winning some games or become more competitive many will question whether they have recruited the talent to take them to the finals in a few years like many expect. Essendon on the other hand are another team who could or should make the finals. Across the park Essendon will be too strong for the Suns and the question is only by how much.

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Western Bulldogs v St Kilda Etihad Stadium, Saturday 7.40pm (EST) St Kilda have been a team on the slide while the Bulldogs have been up and down. Not much will separate these teams on Saturday night however the St Kilda forward line looks slightly more polished while Lukas Markovic and Brian Lake played well last week and could cause the Dogs some trouble at the back

GWS Giants v West Coast Blacktown, Sunday 1.10pm (EST) Blood bath… what else is there to say. West Coast are premiership contenders and GWS are a bunch of kids thrown out onto the park. GWS will try to ensure they keep the margin respectable while West Coast will find this closer to an easy practice run. If the Eagles play it will be a cricket score.

Hawthorn v Adelaide Crows MCG, Sunday 3.15pm (EST) For the Hawks to be a top 4 team they need to be consistent and win these matches. Adelaide on the other hand are out performing early expectations and are yet to lose under Brenton Sanderson. The Crows have Taylor Walker and Kurt Tippett combining better and Jason Porplyzia performing at his peak however this won’t get them across the line against a quality opponent.

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North Melbourne v Geelong Etihad Stadium, Sunday 4.40pm (EST) Geelong somehow got across the line last weekend against the Hawks and it is difficult to imagine the Cats not to account for North Melbourne. Two things going for the Kangaroo’s is Geelong could be coming off a high after last weekend and it’s being played at Etihad Stadium.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it! Fingers crossed we make some money this weekend, happy punting!

Yes that’s right, you heard it here first, two of E4′s reality-stars are totes going out.  Jay Camilleri, star of Dirty, Sexy Things, and Danny Denkmayer, who was Playing it Straight, have been spotted together in London hot spots and announced on Twitter that they are officially in a relationship.

It’s unknown what happened to Danny’s last boyfriend, one part of sexy twin duo, Ben Alley; who was a fellow cast member on the homo guessing game. After the show’s finale, the two not only revealed their sexuality but their budding romance too. But with their new z-list lifestyle came temptations of the Camilleri kind.

Recently all  pictured partying together, the model and the Playing it Straight crew seemed like the ultimate reality show gays. But the break from the Hacienda proved too much for the couple and they split after six months together. With the hair-dressing, Essex boy recently tweeting, then deleting, his shock at how fast they’ve both moved on from each other.

Party-animal Jay is no stranger to a reality star, he’s been rumoured and linked to a number of z-list boys and girls. He’s apparently broke 17-year-old, TOWIE star Harry Derbidge’s heart but the two are now back to being friends. And has flirted with both Richard and Judy’s daughter Chloe Madley and Top Shop heir Chloe Green.

With their 15-minutes quickly dwindling and their fame soon to be replaced by another reality star, are the two boys in it for the wrong reasons or is this the real deal? Only Twitter will tell…

Brisbane Lions v Carlton Blues Gabba, Thursday 5 April, 7.40pm

Sports Banter previews week 2 of the 2012 AFL season, starting with the Lions clash with Carlton on Thursday night. Keep an eye out over the next day or two for our preview of the remaining games.

This match pits two round 1 winners against each other, with the Lions taking out the Demons and Carlton finishing over the top of Richmond. The Lions win was one of the upsets of the round while Carlton were expected to take care of the Tigers.

Carlton will take the same 22 players that defeated Richmond into this clash against the Lions after naming an unchanged line-up on today. The Lions have made just the one change from their win over the Demons, with Sam Sheldon omitted for the clash and replaced in the side by Jesse O’Brien.

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Carlton will head into this match as favourites, and for good reason seeing as they are odds on to make the top 4. The Lions aren’t expected to figure in the make up of the top 8. However, as we saw in round 1, anything can happen and the Lions will no doubt be buoyed by their big win in the opening round.

Despite this, and the fact the match is the Lions home game, I’m tipping Carlton to come away with the 4 points.