A working morning for me today, Biscuit, as my lecturer's activity has recommenced Yes, Tom' have been good this season, would like them to promote really.

Thanks, MrBaboon

Excellent tips.  You must be a millionaire after today

Today we have 1 match of World Cup Qualifications with Russian national team taking part.

Israel - Russia. 20:00 CET.
Capello is talking about a must-win, but we already saw in which way he wants to get those victories in the Northern Ireland match. On the road it will be even more defensive, and Russia doesn't have good history with Israel, in Euro 2008 qualifications we only got 1 point from 2 matches and lost the decisive away match (well, it should have been decisive, if not for unmotivated Croatia beating England in the last round ). I think this match will be as far from a goalfest as you would like and I don't believe in our win. Which means, that recommended bets will be: Russia lay at 2.04, Un2.5 at 1.71 and Un3.5 at 1.28, Both teams to score - no at 1.87.

Top work Andrew. You should put a unit next to each of your bets, so we can see how many units profit this thread must've made.

Israel - Russia. 20:00 CET.
Capello is talking about a must-win, but we already saw in which way he wants to get those victories in the Northern Ireland match. On the road it will be even more defensive, and Russia doesn't have good history with Israel, in Euro 2008 qualifications we only got 1 point from 2 matches and lost the decisive away match (well, it should have been decisive, if not for unmotivated Croatia beating England in the last round ). I think this match will be as far from a goalfest as you would like and I don't believe in our win. Which means, that recommended bets will be: Russia lay at 2.04, Un2.5 at 1.71 and Un3.5 at 1.28, Both teams to score - no at 1.87.

Result: 0-4.

It was surprisingly good from our team, so I don't mind losing several bets

Problems, mate? Create your own thread and put your bets there so all of us will have a chance for a good laugh

i demand that tomsk play again today!goals in their games

Thanks, jeyton
Tony, unfortunately, your demands can't always be fulfilled

Today we have 2 Premier League matches live on Betfair.

Lokomotiv - Rubin Kazan'. 12:30 CET.
This season is a very good one for goals in Russian Premier, and Rubin is one of the teams that score more than expected. Lokomotiv under Bilic charge is showing patches of some good form and I think that this should be a good match with more that one goal and a slight preference of the home side. Which means, that recommended bets will be: Rubin Kazan' lay at 3.05, Ov1.5 at 1.38 and Ov2.5 at 2.2, Both teams to score - yes at 1.8.

Kuban' Krasnodar - Spartak Moscow. 16:00 CET.
If you searching for goals, Spartak Moscow is your team, as they haven't failed to get Ov2.5 so far this season. Kuban' is tough at home and they won't go down without a fight here, but for Spartak this match is actually more important than their Barcelona encounter, as they are not likely to get anything from the Spanish trip, while here they are in with a good chance. Should be an attacking and entertaining match. Which means, that recommended bets will be: Kuban' Krasnodar lay at 3.4, Ov1.5 at 1.36 and Ov2.5 at 2.06, Both teams to score - yes at 1.83.

Today we have 3 Premier League matches live on Betfair.

CSKA Moscow - Alania Vladikavkaz. 14:00 CET.
CSKA is showing patches of good football lately, if we take away their Eupora League campaign and this is a good chance for them to get closer to the top 2 teams. Alania is an attractive team, as they always are, with good attack and just a little bit unlucky this season to not have 4-6 more points. This should be a good watchable match and I don't expect CSKA to smash the opposition. Which means, that recommended bets will be: CSKA Moscow wins at 1.48, Asian handicap Alania +1.5 at 1.64, Ov2.5 at 1.84, Both teams to score - yes at 2.06.

Anzhi Makhachkala - FK Krasnodar. 16:30 CET.
Anzhi is normally relying at home versus underdogs and they are showing some resaltative football this season, but last year and half has shown that Krasnodar can be quite tough for them, as both matches were draws. I expect the away team to close down a little here, so doubt it will be a goalfest and a crushing. Which means, that recommended bets will be: Asian handicap Krasnodar +1.5 at 1.47, Un2.5 at 1.89, First half goals Un1.5 at 1.45, Both teams to score - no at 1.75.

Rostov - Dinamo Moscow. 19:00 CET.
Dinamo keeps losing matches even under Petresku charge, but they at least started to score. Rostov are also quite miserable this season and we can say that both teams are searching for their form. In this match both sides should be attacking a lot as both need points and I think we can finally see the first Dinamo draw, they should't lose here anyway. Which means, that recommended bets will be: Rostov lay at 3.3, Ov1.5 at 1.38 and Ov2.5 at 2.1, Both teams to score - yes at 1.8.

I just don't like backing favs at those odds Do it from time to time, but no value really

CSKA Moscow - Alania Vladikavkaz. 14:00 CET.
CSKA is showing patches of good football lately, if we take away their Eupora League campaign and this is a good chance for them to get closer to the top 2 teams. Alania is an attractive team, as they always are, with good attack and just a little bit unlucky this season to not have 4-6 more points. This should be a good watchable match and I don't expect CSKA to smash the opposition. Which means, that recommended bets will be: CSKA Moscow wins at 1.48, Asian handicap Alania +1.5 at 1.64, Ov2.5 at 1.84, Both teams to score - yes at 2.06.

Result: 2-0.

Anzhi Makhachkala - FK Krasnodar. 16:30 CET.
Anzhi is normally relying at home versus underdogs and they are showing some resaltative football this season, but last year and half has shown that Krasnodar can be quite tough for them, as both matches were draws. I expect the away team to close down a little here, so doubt it will be a goalfest and a crushing. Which means, that recommended bets will be: Asian handicap Krasnodar +1.5 at 1.47, Un2.5 at 1.89, First half goals Un1.5 at 1.45, Both teams to score - no at 1.75.

Result: 5-2.

Rostov - Dinamo Moscow. 19:00 CET.
Dinamo keeps losing matches even under Petresku charge, but they at least started to score. Rostov are also quite miserable this season and we can say that both teams are searching for their form. In this match both sides should be attacking a lot as both need points and I think we can finally see the first Dinamo draw, they should't lose here anyway. Which means, that recommended bets will be: Rostov lay at 3.3, Ov1.5 at 1.38 and Ov2.5 at 2.1, Both teams to score - yes at 1.8.

Result: 1-0.

A day to forget

Amkar - Volga Nizhnyi Novgorod. 16:00 CET.
Amkar wins at 1.92, Un2.5 at 1.72, Next goal - Amkar at 1.53, Both teams to score - no at 1.89.

Result: 3-2.

Mordovia Saransk - Kryliya Sovetov. 18:30 CET.
Mordovia lay at 2.36, Ov1.5 at 1.39 and Ov2.5 at 2.12, Both teams to score - yes at 1.85.

Result: 2-3.

SKA-Energiya - Rotor Volgograd. 7:00 CET.
SKA-Energiya wins at 1.67, Un2.5 at 1.57, Both teams to score - no at 1.72, Correct score - 1-0 at 5.9.

Result: 1-1.

Yenisey Krasnoyarsk - Sibir'. 14:00 CET.
Yenisey wins at 2.44, Un2.5 at 1.69, Both teams to score - no at 1.89, Half time - the draw at 2.

Result: 1-2.

Metallurg Kuzbass - Tom'. 15:00 CET.
Tom' wins at 1.84, Ov1.5 at 1.34 and Ov2.5 at 2.04, Both teams to score - no at 1.8.

Result: 2-3.

Ural - Khimki. 17:00 CET.
Asian handicap Ural -1.5 at 1.78, Ov2.5 at 1.77, Half time/Full time - Ural at 1.85, Both teams to score - no at 1.68.

Result: 1-0.

Neftekhimik - FC Ufa. 17:30 CET.
Neftekhimik lay at 2.9, Ov1.5 at 1.33 and Ov2.5 at 2.02, Both teams to score - yes at 1.7.

Result: 1-0.

Spartak Nalchik - Salyut. 18:00 CET.
Spartak wins at 1.41, Un2.5 at 1.81 and Un3.5 at 1.33, Both teams to score - no at 1.6.

Result: 0-0.

Torpedo Moscow - Volgar-Gazprom. 18:30 CET.
Torpedo wins at 1.94, Un2.5 at 1.66, Both teams to score - no at 1.74, Half time - the draw at 2.02.

Result: 0-0.

Shinnik - Baltika. 19:00 CET.
Shinnik lay at 2.32, Un2.5 at 1.65, Both teams to score - no at 1.85, Half time - the draw at 2.04.

Result: 0-2.

Malaga - Zenit St Petersburg. 21:45 CET.
Malaga is surprisingly not showing signs of a decline after the loss of several players and they are currently second in Primera without a loss. Also they were solid in their qualification matches not conceding in two of those. Zenit have not lived to the expectations in their last matches, especially after failing to get points against Terek and not scoring with Hulk and Witsel. I don't see our team to get 3 points here, to be fair, this match is much more likely to end in a draw and as Zenit is afterall much more difficult opponent than any of those than Malaga met this season, they just bound to have a stubborn and close match with 1-1 score being the most likely. In that case I would prefer to lay the team with shorter odds. Which means, that recommended bets will be: Malaga lay at 2.52, The draw at 3.45, Un2.5 at 1.73, Both teams to score - yes at 1.93.

Result: 3-0.

Well, that was unbeliavebly bad from Zenit, glad I didn't watch it

Good preview on Russian Eurosport, will try to translate.

All that we got.

Normally in a match preview you need to: 1) put your readers in a good mood, turn them up, give them some spirit; 2) tell about the opponent. Before the match between Barcelona and Spartak you can do neither, as everybody knows without saying what is Barcelona and thus perfectly understands, that today's lax Spartak doesn't stand a chance at Camp Nou - if only something unforeseen happens, for example if all Spartak's defenders and midfielders play the best match of their lives.
Today's Barcelona is admirable - not for nothing vast amount of coaches (Yuri Semin being the latest example) call them a kind of a reference point. Messi, Xavi, Iniesta (the latter won't play, but still...), Puyol (same story), Dani Alves, enormous Camp Nou with its Mes Que Un Club... Spartak practically came from Nazarievo village to Times Square, where everything shines and sparkles. Of course, the most important thing for now is not to open your mouth too wide, otherwise you should't expect much joy: the first rule for a provincial in a big city is to assimilate as fast as possible in order to be taken for a friend.
Unaia Emeri's Valencia learned to assimilate at Camp Nou very well. Basque coach loved to play against Barcelona and he used a philosophy of 'run over with a bus' rather than 'park a bus', he didn't hide from Barcelona, he tried to find their weaknesses and pound on them. The indispensable terms for such a play are exorbitant concentration during all 90 minutes, exact implementation of coach's line and a certain good luck (in Spartak's case - incredible good luck). Spartak doesn't have much problems only with the third clause.
Because concentration, it seems, is nowhere near today's Spartak. After the draw came out, permanent blunders of Russia's vice-champions' defense probably caused hundreds of profound comments on the subject of "well, Barcelona will surely rip them apart". Outside defenders lose their position, central defenders lose their position, supporting midfielders lose their position and fail to pick up the loose balls. Barca won't strike from 30 metres out as Fidler did - they will efficiently and somewhat mockingly screw between the players once and twice and again, and even Dikan' won't save.
Before Spartak's match at Camp Nou there is some kind of savage mix of doom and fanaticism seethes inside. On one hand, it is like a match between Teimuraz Gabashvili and Roger Federer, and on the other hand - "hey, that's great, at least he will play on centre court". It seems impossible to seriously talk about how and with help of what Spartak can survive at Camp Nou - there is no, no, no such a possibility; to survive at Camp Nou is as unreal as survive in the outer space. First of all, in order to survive at Camp Nou you need to be, you know, a manly team, capable of clenching its teeth and endure, endure, endure - you need to be a Chelsea with imperturbable face of John Terry or a Real with a texture of Pepe. While Spartak - it is puffed up lips of Rafael Karioka, who can play spectacularly and who is a talented guy overall, but today something just didn't click for him and he doesn't remember himself, when was the last time it actually clicked.
But still there were cases when absolutely unexpectedly a nonsensical ugly duckling turned into a beatiful swan. Well, there were cases, weren't they? APOEL, for example, played in the last 8 of Champions League recently and Federer lost to Tomas Berdych who is not Gabashvili by any means, but still, but still, but still... Let's perhaps hope and believe - because our mind understands all the same what is ahead of us and it is all that we got.

Today we have 2 Europa League matches with Russian clubs taking part.

Udinese - Anzhi Makhachkala. 20:00 CET.
Anzhi has a perfect record in this tournament so far with 6 wins out of 6 and 6 clean sheets also. They are scoring quite a lot in Russia to add to this and while Udinese are also reliable near opponent's goal this season they do tend to have problems with defense, especially near the end of the match. I expect both teams to score here and also I think that Anzhi may sneak a win. Which means, that recommended bets will be: Udinese lay at 3.15, Anzhi Makhachkala wins at 2.56, Ov2.5 at 2.06, Both teams to score - yes at 1.76.

Inter - Rubin Kazan'. 22:05 CET.
Though Rubin is considered to be one of the most defending teams, this season they tend to score more than usual (as other Russian teams also). They know how to play against Inter and of course they won't go out all guns blazing here and will concentrate on keeping the clean sheet, but I still can see them scoring and at least getting a point. Which means, that recommended bets will be: Inter lay at 1.91, Un2.5 at 1.87 and Un3.5 at 1.33, Inter clean sheet - no at 1.56.

50/50 for tonight?

i like krasnodar and tomsk today thats about it.

You are welcome, sonofshinner