First act of 2022-23 season
The new soccer season is upon us and there’s mega entertainment ahead for TAB soccer customers with add-ins totalling R750,000 to selected pools that are loaded with enthralling matches from both sides of the Atlantic and South America
By Mark Gleeson
It’s month-end and another big week for TAB soccer pool fans with cash add-ins to five pools through the weekend and cracker games galore, ranging from UEFA Champions League midweek to the first round of the 2022-23 English Championship and the Jurgen Klopp-Pep Guardiola duel in the Community Shield at the weekend.
Champions League games in midweek should not provide too many upsets in TAB soccer pools as clubs continue to plough their way through the preliminary knockout rounds in search of a place in the group phase.
It was a little treacherous for the likes of Swiss champions FC Zurich in the first leg of the second preliminary round last week, but with more playing time in their legs now there’s a chance to correct and restore their superiority.
The likes of Norway’s Bodo/Glimt, Fenerbahce, Olympiakos and Sheriff Tiraspol should all prove victorious at home and progress to the third preliminary round next week.
Brazilian clubs have had a hectic last few weeks of league and cup action, both midweek and at weekends, and the fast pace continues with the quarter-finals in the Copa do Brasil tomorrow and Thursday night.
Holders Atletico Mineiro and Serie A log-leaders Palmeiras were both eliminated in the previous round earlier this month, leaving an open field for top honours this year.
Flamengo’s tie against Athletico Paranaense holds the most appeal. The Rio giants are recovering from their poor start to the season and will go into their quarter-final first-leg at home with four successive victories to their credit.
Athletico on the other hand have dipped in form and a 2-0 loss at Botafogo at the weekend sees them down to fifth in the Serie A standings when they were up in second place at one stage.
Atletico Goianense know they will need a decent home win in the first leg of their quarter-final tie to take to Rio de Janeiro for the return clash with Corinthians, which will only be played in mid-August.
The two sides met in the cup last year and Goianense scored a shock 2-0 aggregate triumph, winning away in the first leg and then holding out at home in the return in a goalless draw.
The weekend sees the kick-off of the English campaigns, as always heralded by the Community Shield clash at Wembley on Saturday, when champions Manchester City and FA Cup winners Liverpool go to war over the season’s first piece of silverware.
It is also the first weekend of action in the Championship with Huddersfield Town hosting relegated Burnley in the first game on Friday.
Burnley play for the first time under new manager Vincent Kompany, who has come across from Belgium where he had no success in three years as coach of Anderlecht.