WORLD football fanatic James O'Rourke (@JamesOR1) continues his quest for global value with a selection of hand-picked best bets from across the planet on Sunday.
Shakhtar Donetsk v Dynamo Kiev | Sunday 10th November 2019, 15:00
The Ukrainian Premier League often hides away in the shadows largely until the Klasychne Derby comes around, and that’s exactly what is happening this weekend as rivals Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev take to the field. This game pits together the two most successful clubs in Ukrainian football, and the two teams which has formed the top-two league positions in 18 of the last 20 seasons.
Shakhtar have won the last three titles and they’re the side that firmly is the number one in the country as things stand. They already go into this game enjoying a ten-point lead over Kiev at the summit of the standings and have won 12 of their 13 league clashes, and are yet to taste defeat. Luís Castro is now at the helm with fellow Portuguese Paulo Fonseca now in Serie A with Roma.
Castro’s side are of course negotiating the UEFA Champions League as they normally do, but this shouldn’t be a hindrance considering they are used to it and Dynamo Kiev are in Europa League action on Thursday, so from a fitness and preparation perspective that helps this weekend’s home side.
Shakhtar do really make home advantage count, especially at this level, having not lost a home league game since April, 2018, when Dynamo Kiev were the visitors.
Kiev just simply haven’t been able to maintain the kind of standards that Shakhtar have been setting for a while now. They finished 11 points behind last season, and whilst the year before that it was only two-points in the end, it just proves that they can’t quite match them over a season.
They’re actually in decent form at the moment, but dropping points even in one game often proves costly with Shakhtar winning for fun. Kiev drew their last home game at home to Karpaty, which is inexcusable for them really.
What Kiev however do tend to do is raise their game for this derby encounter. Whilst they struggle over the season to match them, they generally have done so for 90 minutes. Shakhtar have only won two of the last ten head-to-head renewals inside 90 minutes, with four of the last were level before extra time intervened in two of those in question.
Also, seven of the last ten meetings saw each team score, proving that there really isn’t that much between the two when taking to the same pitch. I’m pleasantly surprised we can locate odds of 17/20 (Paddy Power) for BTTS for Sunday’s game, and that has to be our play knowing Kiev can make life difficult for Shakhtar.
Rosenborg v Bodo/Glimt | Sunday 10th November 2019, 19:00
We’re coming to the final straight of the Norwegian Eliteserien and whilst most of the action appears to surround the bottom of the table, there are still a few scenarios which could play out at the top. Rosenborg and Bodo/Glimt go into this weekend sitting in the top-four and it promises to be an entertaining battle.
It looks as though Molde will now win the title considering they hold an eight-point lead with only nine points to play for, even though they do meet Bodo/Glimt, but it is still asking a lot for Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s former side not to lift the crown.
You just wonder if Bodo/Glimt ran their race when throwing away a 2-0 lead at home to Haugesund last weekend to draw, and seeing their reaction at full-time, they knew the title is really gone.
Nevertheless, they’ve had an excellent season and have done exceptionally well to remain in contention for as long as they have. They have dipped in recent weeks by winning two in ten, but six frustrating draws has definitely halted their progress, including their last four in a row.
Rosenborg would have started the season with very high expectations having won the league last season, but they started the campaign terribly and were never able to recover to a level enough where they battled back into contention. Still, they’re now fourth and go into this weekend only four points behind third, which would help them qualify for the UEFA Europa League.
Rosenborg are having to negotiate the UEL with their league action at the moment, but it would take a bit of a miracle for them to progress to the next stage. Whilst they aren’t in the best of form, winning one of their last five in the league, but they’re determined to get one over one of the better sides in the league.
I have to get Rosenborg on side as the Bodo/Glimt players really looked dejected at full-time in their last game and they may well have run their race in this title pursuit. Rosenborg may have lost the last head-to-head meeting but they’re unbeaten in the six before that and Bodo/Glimt haven’t won away in Rosenborg since 2008.
Rosenborg to win and Over 1.5 goals will be the play at 21/20 (Betway). Bodo/Glimt’s league games has averaged 3.50 goals this season, whilst it is 3.00 for Rosenborg.
Only eight out of 54 league matches combined for this two finished with either zero or one goal exactly. Rosenborg have lost one league encounter at home this season, which was all the way back in May, whilst Bodo/Glimt are winless in five away.
Best Bets
Shakhtar Donetsk v Dynamo Kiev – Both Teams To Score (17/20 Paddy Power)
Rosenborg v Bodo/Glimt – Rosenborg to win and Over 1.5 Goals (21/20 Betway)
