Lays of the Weekend: No way off the canvas for Malaga

12Apr 2013

Betfair

Fresh from another two-out-of-three success in his regular column, Christian Crowther goes continental for more laying opportunities...

Lay Malaga to beat to beat Osasuna @ 2.14

Barring those folks with money on a Borussia Dortmund win, anybody watching Malaga's stoppage-time capitulation in Germany would have felt sympathy for the Spaniards. Until the match entered added time, Manuel Pellegrini's side looked to have pulled off the perfect Champions League away performance but then it all unravelled in a manic two-minute spell. To rub salt in the wound, replays showed that Felipe Santana's winning goal should have been flagged offside. Having won only one of their six previous La Liga games to boot, Malaga must somehow pick themselves off the canvas for this date with Osasuna. They've also lost their last three following European dates.

Lay AC Milan to beat Napoli @ 2.18

Due to a succession of frustrating draws throughout February, second-placed Napoli let leaders Juventus prise open an ominous nine-point gap at the Serie A summit. With the title seemingly out of their grasp, Napoli's main goal is surely to stop the advancing Milan beyond them and claiming that all-important second automatic Champions League spot. Three wins on the spin have certainly aided that cause greatly, ensuring that the visitors to the San Siro will start this game four points clear of their third-placed hosts. The sides have drawn their last two top-flight meetings but, with the attacking trio of Goran Pandev, Blerim Dzemaili and Edinson Cavani in such top goalscoring form and Mario Balotelli suspended for the hosts, Napoli can go one better.

Lay Heracles to beat Groningen @ 2.06

These Dutch Eredivisie sides last met in December and on that occasion Groningen, currently one place above their hosts in the table, ran out comfortable 2-0 winners. That made it two successive wins for Groningen in this fixture and represented their third win over Heracles in the last four encounters. Furthermore, the form table shows Heracles suffered defeat in four of their last six games and the last two of those in succession. In contrast, Groningen are on an upward curve having strung together two straight victories, while only tasting defeat once in their last four matches.