The domestic football season may seem over, but there’s still quite a bit of action for us to look forward to this weekend. The idea that the Euros is the next time we get top quality football might be forming, but there’s still a lot more to come before that, including the Champions League final.
With the Euros in mind, focus is also switching towards internationals as coaches make their final preparations for France. That means this is the last weekend of club action, with some international friendlies going on too. The clash between the two Madrid sides is obviously a highlight, but the Football League isn’t quite done yet. This weekend is play-off weekend, on top of everything else. With a big mix of action to come, we’re looking at four big games and we’ve picked out a betting tip for each.
Friday 27th May 2016
England v Australia (19:45) – England to win and both teams to score (2/1 with Coral)
England’s second Euro 2016 warm up match comes at the Stadium of Light, as they make Australia travel even further to make it for this fixture. The Three Lions had a mixed game against Turkey on Sunday, and they’ll need to get working hard ahead of the Euros. Their defence in particular was a worry, as they looked very messy at the back. That fact that Chris Smalling also had a horror show for Man United at Wembley last weekend won’t help Hodgson either. Just how does he get them out of this mess?
We aren’t sure he can. He’s only picked three centre-halves, and none of them are playing well. With no other options to come in they seem very short, and there’s little experience within this defence. It’s a major worry for England and it doesn’t look like one they can sort out in time for France. While they should easily see off Australia here, we aren’t sure that we’d even back their defence in this game. They’re prone to some pretty massive errors at the back, and they seem to struggle away from Wembley. We’re going for a win for Hodgson’s men, but we’re also backing the Aussies to get on the scoresheet, which is priced at 2/1 with Coral.
Saturday 28th May 2016
Hull v Sheffield Wednesday (17:00) – Sheffield Wednesday to win (12/5 with Sky Bet)
This game may be overshadowed by the Champions League final, but this one is a far more valuable game. There’s been no match in history that’s been worth as much as this clash. A win will see either in to the Premier League, which rewards them with a massive TV deal jackpot. They’d be guaranteed £100 million next season regardless, while there’d be extra performance money on top of that and parachute payments. This is a make or break game for these two clubs, and one will be left bitterly disappointed.
Many neutrals will side with Sheffield Wednesday here, as they tend to back the slightly newer face making the top flight. Having been relegated from the Premier League in 2000, Wednesday could make a long awaited return. Given how abysmal Hull were in their play-off semi-final second leg against Derby, we think that the Owls will win this one. The Tigers came close to throwing away a 3-0 lead at home last week, while Wednesday knocked out third placed Brighton 3-1 on aggregate. They may be the outsiders, but we’re backing the Owls to make the jump to the Premier League on Saturday.
Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (19:45) – Atletico Madrid to win (21/10 with Betfair)
A repeat of 2014 final, Real Madrid take on their rivals Atletico in Milan on Saturday night. Neither side have won a trophy this term, but they’re both desperate for European success. Atleti have been targeting this competition to confirm their place among Europe’s elite. Real, on the other hand, are desperate for an 11th European crown. The most successful club in the history of the competition come in as favourites, but do they deserve that? Based on the recent meetings between the sides, you’d fancy Atletico here.
Since the 2014 final, these sides have met 10 times. In those games, Real have come out on top once. Diego Simeone’s men won at the Bernabeu in their last meeting, and they’ve had the better of Real in most of the clashes. With reports now suggesting that Cristiano Ronaldo will be missing for the game, things slide even more in to Atletico’s favour. We’re backing Simeone to be lifting the European Cup by the end of this one. Given how his side are 21/10 outsiders despite being in much better shape, they seem worth backing.
Sunday 29th May 2016
Barnsley v Millwall (15:00) – Both teams to score (19/20 with Betfair)
The League One play-off final takes place on Sunday, with Barnsley and Millwall meeting at Wembley. These two were comfortable winners in their semi-final clashes, with Barnsley crushing third placed Walsall 6-1 on aggregate. Millwall went through 4-2 against Bradford, having won 3-1 away from home in the first leg. The two teams showed fantastic attacking quality to make it this far, but just which one will be making a return to the second tier next season? Right now it’s a very tough one to call.
They’ve both hit form to make it this far, with Barnsley only finishing sixth in the table. They had a poor start to the season, but they got themselves together to make the play-offs. You can make a strong case for either team winning this one, so we’re going to give the match betting a miss here. Instead, both teams to score is our bet, at 19/20 with Betfair. Given how well both sides attack, we can see goals coming in this one. They both in good form and full of confidence, so this could end up being a great game. Should it go that way, BTTS will look very well priced at just under evens.
See also:
- BTTS tips (27th to 30th May)
- Acca tips (27th to 20th May)