WORLD football fanatic James O'Rourke (@JamesOR1) looks to continue his fabulous form with a selection of hand-picked best bets from across the planet on Sunday.
AGF Aarhus v Midtjylland | Sunday 24th February 2019, 15:00
It remains a two-horse race at the top of the Danish Superliga and, with every passing game, every points becomes just that little bit more important.
It isn’t too long until the league separates into two, and Midtjylland will definitely form part of the Championship Group, whilst Aarhus are very much battling to play their part. They sit in seventh spot, one point outside the top six. Eight clubs from third to tenth however are separated by only four points. There is everything to play for…
FCM have won back-to-back games since resuming following the winter break. That means they’ve secured victories in their last five. Copenhagen defeated them in late November, but that was only their second league defeat of the campaign. C
onfidence is high, but they are ultimately playing catch-up and again cannot afford to drop points here, especially with playing the following day at home to second form bottom Vendsyssel. They’ve won 10/11 at home, whilst they’ve won 5/11 away, but they’ve won three on the spin on the road.
Aarhus have also won both matches since the league returned following the winter stoppage. They’ve won four out of their last five in the Superliga and momentum is certainly on their side as well.
Something has to give this weekend. These two teams met on the opening day of the season, playing out a 0-0 draw. That means Aarhus are one of only two teams to deny FCM scoring in a league game in the current campaign. These two form two of the best three league defensive records, but FCM have scored considerably more.
It has been two slender triumphs for FCM since coming back into league action. 1-0 away to Vendsyssel and 2-1 at home to Aalborg. They’re certainly not quite back at their scintillating best, with Copenhagen returned with a 6-1 home win and excellent 2-0 away win at Randers. FCM therefore need to keep up the pace and push to win this weekend, but that is easier said than done. I can see this being a real banana skin.
Aarhus have won their last three at home, suffering only two setbacks here all season. They even held league leaders Copenhagen to a 1-1 draw here back in August. Another incredibly stat is that they’ve either won or drew their last ten in all competitions, suggesting that they can still be a little inconsistent. That is what makes them a dangerous proposition for FCM this weekend.
FCM has experienced both teams scoring in 82% of their away games, whilst Aarhus it is 64% at home – Both Teams To Score is our play here, and it is available at 14/19 (10BET).
St Truiden v Charleroi | Sunday 24th February 2019, 19:00
We quite often make a play for the top league in Belgian football on a weekly or fortnightly basis and that continues here. Considering it is only a 16-team league, there is always bound to be some tasty fixtures every Saturday or Sunday. Whilst this clash doesn’t necessarily catch the eye in one regard, in another it could easily be one of the more entertaining contests.
Both teams have similar agendas for the remainder of the campaign. St Truiden, along with Antwerp, remain the surprise package in the league and they are looking to maintain their position in the top-six, before the league separates into two. They currently have a five-point gap over Gent and also Charleroi. That places big importance on three points for either side this weekend, especially in the case of visitors Charleroi.
There are many similarities between these two teams. Based on their last 10 in the league, St Truiden has only claimed one additional point, scored three fewer goals and conceded one less. St Truiden are unbeaten in four, three of which has seen them claim all three points. They were amidst a sticky spell in the games prior to this, but they’ve very much come out the other side in that regard.
Charleroi remain the definition of inconsistency at this present moment. Their last four has returned one win, one defeat and two draws, all against teams lower than them in the league standings. They have however started to improve their away form, winning two of their last three, including a 1-0 triumph in Club Brugge, who have just two home losses to their name in the current campaign.
Any outcome wouldn’t be a great shock this weekend, which is why I am not going to touch the 1×2 market in any way, shape or form. St Truiden are the favourites, which is understandable with them being at home. Charleroi however can raise their game however, but there isn’t much between these two.
Another similarity between these two, and practically all teams in this wonderful league, is that they can score, but they can ship a few in the other end too. Both teams have scored in 73% of St Truiden games (and 69% at home) and 69% of Charleroi’s (and 77% away).
We can’t ignore Both Teams To Score on this occasion either. Considering it is available at 3/4 (Bet365), we most certainly cannot pass it over.
Best Bets
AGF Aarhus v Midtjylland – Both Teams To Score (14/19 10BET)
St Truiden v Charleroi – Both Teams To Score (3/4 Bet365)
