Pre-season Friendly Betting: Hamburg v Valencia

Betfair Live Video / Michael Lintorn / 02 August 2011 / Leave a Comment

Unai Emery has guided Valencia to some impressive pre-season results

"None of Hamburg's 11 games to date have been drawn [[3.65]] and ten have featured over 2.5 goals, which is offered at a tempting [1.86]."

Hamburg and Valencia meet in a glamour friendly in Germany on Tuesday evening, in which Michael Lintorn fancies the visitors to impress once again.

Being the third best team in Spain is no longer considered a great achievement now that it entails finishing over 20 points behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, but there is much to admire about the ability of Valencia to reinvent themselves without missing a beat.

Last season, they survived the departures of David Villa and David Silva despite spending less than half of what they gained in sales by investing what they could afford wisely to retain third ahead of neighbours Villarreal. They are [3.15] to be La Liga's best of the rest again.

A third straight top-three finish will be the toughest of the lot to achieve given the rise of moneybags Malaga, who have signed Ruud van Nistelrooy, Jeremy Toulalan, Santi Cazorla and Valencia duo Joaquin and Isco, though underappreciated coach Unai Emery is the best man to thwart them.

Pre-season preparations have gone fairly well so far, the majority of exits being dictated by the club rather than to them, with prize asset Juan Mata still there and the clause allowing him to leave for £22 million expiring and Real Madrid youngster Sergio Canales the latest of several new additions.

Their friendly form has been strong, with victories and clean sheets achieved against PSV, Leicester and Sporting Lisbon, and only Rapid Wien defeating them, yet they are [3.25] to triumph in their latest away to Hamburg, which is live for Betfair customers to watch at 6.15pm on Betfair Live Video.

Hamburg have had a busy summer themselves, complete with a new boss in Michael Oenning, new sporting director in Frank Arnesen and a load of ex-Chelsea youngsters such as Michael Mancienne, Gokhan Tore and on-loan Jeffrey Bruma.

A mixed pre-season has featured losses to Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund, indicating that their odds of [2.3] appeal to lay rather than back. None of their 11 games to date have been drawn [[3.65]] and ten have featured over 2.5 goals, which is offered at a tempting [1.86].

Best Bet: Valencia to win @ [3.25]
Other Recommended Bet: Over 2.5 goals @ [1.86]

There is another hugely appetising friendly that Betfair customers can watch for free on Wednesday, as Barcelona and Bayern Munich contest the Audi Cup Final......

Few pre-season games attract 74,244 fans but this meeting of capital clubs from Germany and Spain is a rare exception that you can watch live on Betfair......

Barcelona are not as certain of victory over South American giants Internacional in the semi-finals of the Audi Cup as their odds suggest, says Michael Lintorn....

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Pre-season Friendly Betting: Barcelona v Bayern Munich

Betfair Live Video / Michael Lintorn / 27 July 2011 / Leave a Comment

Bayern Munich beat Italian champions AC Milan on penalties to earn this tie

"The hosts are taking the tournament more seriously than their guests because it marks their final friendly action before the start of the new campaign."

There is another hugely appetising friendly that Betfair customers can watch for free on Wednesday, as Barcelona and Bayern Munich contest the Audi Cup Final...

This writer's suggestion to lay Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the Audi Cup semi-finals proved shrewd - unlike the under 2.5 goals suggestion for Barca's 2-2 draw with Internacional - but both progressed regardless with the aid of a penalty shootout.

The consequence is that the lucky supporters at the Allianz Arena get to see two giants of European football with four Champions League wins apiece collide in Wednesday night's final, with home advantage enough to render Bayern slight frontrunners to triumph in 90 minutes at [2.74].

Barcelona aren't far behind at [2.78], though it could be judged a surprise that they are outsiders at all given the dominant manner with which they saw off the [1.61] Bundesliga favourites 5-1 on aggregate when they last met in the Champions League quarter-finals in 2008-09.

Counting against Jupp Heynckes' side are poor recent results, their one 90-minute victory in four fixtures coming against fan club Red Bulls Taubenbach. The fact that Barcelona have started pre-season with draws against Hajduk Split and Internacional points to another as the best bet at [3.45].

One other thing worth noting is that the hosts are taking the tournament more seriously than their guests because it marks their final friendly action before the start of the new campaign, and they fielded effectively their strongest available team against AC Milan on Tuesday.

By contrast, Barcelona are without their Copa America stars Dani Alves, Javier Mascherano, Lionel Messi and new signing Alexis Sanchez, and despite the big-name absentees still opted for a mix of experience and youth, so if you play the "draw no bet" market, Bayern appear the sounder option.

There is no favourite when it comes to over/under 2.5 goals, with both options priced at [1.96], but overs looks more attractive as two of their last three clashes have filled that criteria. It is [1.63] that both sides score in this match, which Betfair customers can watch through the Live Video service.

Best Bet: The draw @ [3.45]
Other Recommended Bet: Over 2.5 goals @ [1.96]

Few pre-season games attract 74,244 fans but this meeting of capital clubs from Germany and Spain is a rare exception that you can watch live on Betfair......

Barcelona are not as certain of victory over South American giants Internacional in the semi-finals of the Audi Cup as their odds suggest, says Michael Lintorn....

One of the most enticing friendlies of the summer is available for Betfair customers to watch on Tuesday afternoon as Valencia and PSV meet in the Karnten Cup....

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