FRIDAY IN EUROPE: The Ultra previews Friday’s matches between GLADBACH v DORTMUND and EMPOLI v CREMONESE both with a recommended BETDAQ bet.
GLADBACH V DORTMUND
7.30pm The countdown to the winter World Cup is on, and we just have one more weekend before the domestic leagues break! I have to say it’s been a very busy run with so much football on over the last three weeks as the domestic leagues tried to cram in as many fixtures as possible – with the World Cup a little over a week away on BETDAQ Betting Exchange, one wonders what sort of preparation sides will get heading into the biggest tournament of them all. Nevertheless before we get there, we have another exciting weekend in the markets with plenty of action to enjoy. Friday night football in Europe comes from the Bundesliga and Serie A, and we kick the evening off in the Bundesliga with Gladbach hosting Dortmund. We had a full midweek fixture list in the Bundesliga too, and unfortunately for both these sides they both recorded loss on Tuesday night. Gladbach lost 2-1 to Bochum and Dortmund lost 2-0 to Wolfsburg – I don’t think either can have any complaints with the results either looking at their performances. Gladbach are pretty much a mid-table Bundesliga side these days, but that loss will be a massive blow for Dortmund as they look to “keep up” with the title race.
Dortmund are now six points behind Bayern instead of three, and it looks plain sailing for Bayern now after dropping more points than usual in the early season. This season was always going to be a difficult one for Dortmund without Erling Haaland, but you could even question whether or not they get into the top four and the Champions League spots now. The first few weeks after we return from the World Cup will be very interesting. Gladbach are a reasonably solid side, and I was surprised to see Dortmund trading as short as 2.18 when I clicked into the market. Although it’s only marginal, Gladbach have been creating more than they have been conceding this season. Their average xG is 1.6, whereas their conceded average is 1.5. Very small margins, but they aren’t competing for the European spots so it’s pretty much in line with that. Dortmund aren’t a million miles away – they are creating marginally more at an average of 1.7 and conceding less at 1.2 but most of Dortmund’s average performances have come away from home this season so I’m happy to lay them here at 2.18. I just expect a closer game than the odds suggest.
The Ultra Says:
Two points lay (liability) Dortmund to beat Gladbach at 2.18 with BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE.
You can view all markets here -> https://betdaq.biz/GlaDor
EMPOLI V CREMONESE
7.45pm We move to Serie A next to finish the evening as Empoli host Cremonese. As well as the Bundesliga and La Liga, Serie A had a full fixture list midweek. Both these sides played on Tuesday with Empoli losing 2-0 to Napoli and Cremonese getting a 0-0 draw against AC Milan. Although Cremonese would have been delighted with that draw, it still leaves them sitting in the relegation zone. They have only managed seven points from their 14 games this season, and they are the only side left in the league to have not won a game this season. Even Verona and Sampdoria have won at some stage! This should still be an interesting game though, because Empoli aren’t that far away from Cremonese. They sit around that 14th position which is a nice comfort because there’s a few teams between them, but with seven points between the sides this game becomes massive. Empoli won’t want to get dragged into a relegation battle and a win here would see them move away from that as we go into the World Cup. A win for Cremonese would give them a fighting chance of staying up, and a nice boost before heading to the World Cup too – it would be a great shame if they went to the World Cup without a win all season but you have to say away from home here it’s pretty likely that will happen!
As you would expect, Empoli come into the game as favourites but they aren’t odds on. They are actually trading a bit good away from odds on as they are currently 2.38 at the time of writing. I would suggest having home advantage is a major plus for Empoli here because they have looked far more comfortable home. They have won two of their last three home games, and the defeat came against Atalanta. They have actually had a difficult fixture list here – they’ve already had to play Roma, AC Milan and Atalanta from their home games. Their away performances have been very poor, but they do hold their own at home. Despite conceding an average xG of 1.9 this season in Serie A, Cremonese have grinded out results in four of their last five games. They’ve had two 2-2 draws and two 0-0 – so we’re in for an eventful game or a boring one! Although Empoli are better at home, I ctually feel Cremonese are playing the better football at the moment. Their recent xG figures can give them hope, and they are creating more lately. I feel they can get another result here, and I’m happy with a small lay on Empoli from a value point of view at 2.38.
The Ultra Says:
Two points lay (liability) Empoli to beat Cremonese at 2.38 with BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE.
You can view all markets here -> https://betdaq.biz/EmpCre
