Betfair Live Video Preview: A Valentine Victory for Melbourne?

15Feb 2013

Betfair

Betfair Live Video brings you more crucial fixtures from around the world. This week the action comes from Australia, Holland, Belgium and Turkey.

Melbourne Victory vs Western Sydney Wanderers

Saturday 08:45

There will be no love lost this Valentine's weekend, as the tussle for those all important top two spots reaches boiling point in Melbourne. The AAMI Park welcomes the A-League's surprise package Western Sydney Wanderers, fresh off the back of the best run of the season of any team - five back to back victories.

After a disappointing defeat at the hands of Adelaide United last weekend, Ange Postecoglou's Victory team will be looking to leapfrog the Wanderers back into second place after being knocked down into third last weekend. Victory and the Mariners have set the pace for most of the campaign so far, loosing out on a place in the automatic Final Series this late in the season would be a huge disappointment for the boys from Melbourne.

In 21 year old striker Marco Rojas, Victory definitely have the fire power to continue their surge towards the top of the pile. With twelve goals to his name already this campaign he finds himself in a shoot-out with Mariners Daniel McBreen for the illustrious golden boot, his goals could be crucial in the quest to secure an automatic Finals Series spot.

Considered as one of the best sides to watch in the A-League, the hosts will have to rely on their squad depth as the season comes to a close. With Brazilian playmaker Gui Finkler and prolific striker Archie Thompson both out with injuries, Rojas and the rest of the attacking players will have to be focused and take any chances that fall their way.

Taking the full fifteen points from their last five games has seen the Wanderers surge into second spot and with their season gathering serious momentum you would be forgiven for thinking they were an experienced A-league outfit. In their debut campaign Tony Popovic's men have gone from strength to strength. They actually had a sluggish start to the season but thanks to goals from striker Mark Bridge and the attacking flair of Shinji Ono and Youssouf Hersi they continue to prove their critics wrong.

With the second best defence in the league, Popovic will be more than confident in keeping out the Victory strike force, however a counter attack could prove the difference between these two sides as both look to put pressure on the Mariners league lead.

With both sides focusing on nullifying the oppositions threat, expect a cagey game with few goals.

Recommended Bet:

Back the draw @ 3.5

PSV vs Utrecht

Saturday 19:45

It's off to Eindhoven for a top six clash in the Eredivisie, where the red and white army of PSV will be more than aware of the threat that Utrecht posses. With PSV looking to get some breathing space from Ajax at the top of the table and Utrecht on the heels of Vitesse and Twente, three points could prove crucial for either teams push for a successful campaign.

PSV are sitting pretty at the top of the tree and in a decent run of form. With ten points gathered from the last possible five outings they have stretched their lead over rivals Ajax and Feyenoord as both sides struggle for any real consistency.

It's no secret; PSV's success so far this season has been widely down to their phenomenal goal scoring ability. With 75 goals already scored they average around three and a half a game, teams go to the Philips Stadium knowing they will have to outscore the hosts, rather than play for a clean sheet.

This attacking success has been down to a remarkable ensemble of strikers that is responsible for a majority of those goals. Ever present Wijnaldum and Lens have bagged twenty between them while Mertens and Matavz have found the net eleven and ten times respectively. With an array of talent to choose from to lead the line each weekend, coach Dick Advocaat's strikers are the envy of the rest of the division... and rightly so.

After inflicting one of PSV's few defeats upon them earlier on this season. Utrecht will fancy their chances in Eindhoven on Saturday and know that a victory could see them overtake Vitesse into fifth. Morale will be low however after being shocked by a 3-0 home loss to NEC last weekend but coach Jan Wouters has seen significant improvement in his side after the turn of the new year with European football next season a real possibility.

Zambian striker Jacob Mulenga looks to be having his best season yet for Utrecht with eight goals to his name already. The twenty nine year old has benefited greatly from the service of midfielders Nana Asare and Anouar Kali who have caught the eye pulling the strings in midfield.

Utrecht will travel to Eindhoven full of hope and expectation, but with PSV in such rampant home form expect this tie to go to the hosts - comfortably so.

Recommended Bet:

Back PSV @ 1.31

Back 3-0 PSV @ 11.0

Lokeren vs Club Brugge

Sunday 13:30

Sunday's action starts in East Flanders as Lokeren play host to Club Brugge with both teams jostling for positions towards the top of the Jupiler League and determined to hold onto their Championship Play-off spots.

Lokeren sit in third place and are seven points clear of the cut off for the Play-off spots, with only a handful of games still to play they look pretty comfortable but must gather as many points as possible to take into the Play-offs. It would take a monumental drop of form by Anderlecht for them to fail to retain their crown this year but once the Play-offs start the opposition will be tougher and the other five that make it to the mix-up must believe they have a chance of reigning in the league leaders.

Lokeren's form at the Daknamstadion was encouraging towards the end of 2012 but the opposition has got sturdier recently, in their last two they faced back to back matches against the top two and managed just a point. It will be a relief to be playing a team from lower in the division this Sunday and they'll expect to fair better. They should be able to score against a below average Brugge defence but they'll have to manage without Ayanda Patosi. The young South African playmaker suffered a cruciate ligament injury towards the end of January and that's been a huge blow, he had been in awesome form and if he can recover sufficiently could be a superstar in the making.

Club Brugge have been under performing, considering the talent they can call upon they should be fighting it out with Anderlecht at the top. They're not, instead they lie in sixth, they have a five point buffer but they still hang precariously close to missing out on the Play-off action. Their away record is truly volatile but definitely exciting. They conceded four in a loss to Genk last time on their travels but won the previous three scoring a phenomenal sixteen goal. Fifty nine goals have been scored or conceded in their twelve away matches this season, it certainly promises to be an entertaining affair On Sunday. Carlos Bacca who has netted eighteen already is their main threat but he has a new partner in crime, veteran Eidur Gudjohnsen moved from neighbours Cercle last month after impressing in the first half of the season for the bottom club.

Recommended Bet:

Back Brugge to win 3-2 @ 25

Back Over 3.5 Goals @ 2.74

Trabzonspor vs Fenerbahçe

Sunday 17:00

Sunday afternoon and Betfair Live Video brings you more action from the Turkish Super Lig. This time the cameras are in Trabzon to focus on Fenerbache's tricky trip to the South East coast of the Black Sea.

Trabzonspor finished in third last season just one place below Fenerbachce but have been off the pace so far this season, they hang in a disappointing tenth position and need to improve fast if they are to be in the hunt for European places. They had an awful run of results around Christmas when they plummeted down the table but at home they have found some comfort. Five of their seven wins have come on their own pitch and the 4-1 win over Gaziantepspor last time out should help improve confidence. Gustavo Colman and Didier Zakora are reliable in the center but they need to get more out of their strikers. Janko, Henrique and Altintop have all failed to impress despite their reputation.

Fenerbahçe haven't lost an away matches in six and remain within striking distance Of Galatasaray. Whilst all the media frenzy surrounds their arch rivals' marquee signings Fenerbache also improved in the transfer window. Pierre Webo, a proven Super Lig goalscorer and old boys Emre and Ziegler returned to the ranks. As a team they are steadily improving and if they can become more potent up top this seasons title is not Drogba and co's yet. Coach Kocaman will hope to grind out a win and keep his team in the hunt for the crown. One of Webo, Sow or Kuyt should be able to pinch a goal and then they should hold on.

Recommended Bet:

Fenerbahce to win @ 2.8

Fenerbahce to win 1-0 @ 9