WEEKEND SOCCER HIGHLIGHTS: 30 Aug - 1 Sep
MEGA SOCCER 13 POOL SET TO GENERATE BUMPER PAYOUT
Read moreThe real action in EURO 2024 kicks off this weekend with the first four round-of-16 clashes and there are bags of lovely loot to be won on TAB soccer pools with a guaranteed R10-million Soccer 13 pool on Saturday and four other cash-added pools.
Tonight’s Soccer 10 and second Soccer 6 get cash injections of R150,000 and R50,000 respectively, and punters who can navigate through a variety of tricky matches look sure to collect a substantial payout. There do look to be a couple of potential bankers, notably Kerry to win at home in an Irish second division clash and Valur Reykjavik away in a top-tier game in Iceland. And it could pay to banker Dundalk at home to beat higher-placed Waterford.
Getting back to EURO 2024, it’s fair to say that no team has emerged as a convincing outright favourite to win the competition. Spain were the only country to finish the group stages with a maximum nine points, but they laboured to 1-0 wins over Italy and Albania after an impressive opening success.
Hosts Germany sparkled in their opening win over Scotland, but were troubled by Hungary and then came ever so close to losing to Switzerland in their final group match. But they were always going to qualify after beating Scotland and are likely to raise their game in the knockout stage.
France haven’t got going yet, their only goals in the tournament so far coming from an Austria own goal and a Kylian Mbappe penalty. And it’s much the same story with England. They finished top of their group, but bar an effective opening 30 minutes against Serbia, have been as dull as dishwater. Manager Gareth Southgate simply seems to have no clue as to how to get the best out of a talented bunch of players, but fact remains that the likes of Phil Foden and Harry Kane have the ability to turn a match on its head in a split second.
Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Belgium have also failed to consistently deliver quality football that has made them stand out as likely winners.
The opening games of the last-16 stage kick off tomorrow night. Switzerland can send Italy home in the first of them and later in the evening hosts Germany, who have looked so much better since the return of midfield general Toni Kroos, should overcome Denmark. Make both bankers to win, as well as Spain on Sunday. England clash with Slovakia in the early EURO game on Sunday and will find it heavy going on what we have seen of them so far. But they have the capacity to play infinitely better and it will be no surprise if they destroy their rivals.
SOCCER 10 V2 SUGGESTED BET:
M1: Helsingborg vs Varberg | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
Last Friday night of the month and this R150,000-added Soccer 10 should yield a bumper pool of nearly R2 million. A Swedish second division clash kicks off the bet. Helsingborg are eighth with 17 points and unbeaten in 12 of their last 15 games. They won the last meeting with Varberg, who are 14th with 12 points. | |||
M2: Odd vs Kristiansund | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
Odd have lost five of their last eight games and are 12th in Norway’s Eliteserien. Kristiansund have lost six of their last nine and are ninth. Their last meeting ended 1-1. | |||
M3: HK vs KA | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
Iceland’s Úrvalsdeild. HK, eighth with 13 points, face 12th-placed KA with five points. Last match ended 1-1. HK have lost eight of 14 games but won last at home, whereas KA lost last away game. | |||
M4: IA vs Valur | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
The visitors are unbeaten in their last 12 games and are second in Úrvalsdeild, nine points ahead of fourth-placed ÍA. Valur won the last meeting 2-0. | |||
M5: Dundalk vs Waterford | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
Irish Premier League. Struggling Dundalk are ninth and winless in 11 of their last 15 games, while Waterford are fourth with a better goal difference and have won six of their last nine. Waterford won the last meeting 4-1. | |||
M6: Kerry vs Wexford | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
Irish second division. Kerry have lost eight of their last 11 games and Wexford are winless in their last five. Wexford won the last meeting between the two and have eight points more than Kerry. | |||
M7: Shelbourne vs Galway Utd | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
Shelbourne have won five of their last six and top the Irish Premier Division log with 43 points, 13 more than Galway United in fifth. Galway have avoided defeat in 10 of their last 12. | |||
M8: Sligo Rovers vs Shamrock | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
Sligo have lost their last two and are seventh in the Irish Premier Division table. Shamrock Rovers have avoided defeat in 10 of their last 15 games and are third. | |||
M9: St Patrick's Athletic vs Bohemians | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
St Patrick's are sixth with 27 points in Ireland’s Premier Division with Bohemians eighth on 24 points. Both teams are on winless streaks and drew their last match 2-2. | |||
M10: New York City FC vs Orlando City | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
New York are on a three-game losing streak, but are sixth in the USA’s MLS with Orlando City 10th. The visitors notched their fourth win in their last 14 games last time. |
Suggested R144 perm: 1,2 x 1 x 1 x 3 x 1,2 x 1 x 1 x 1,2,3 x 1,2,3 x 1,2
SOCCER 10 V3 SUGGESTED BET:
M1: Degerfors vs Sandviken | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
This Soccer 10 starts with R150,000 in the kitty from TAB, which should guarantee a bumper pool. Sandviken are second in Sweden’s second division and are unbeaten in their last seven games, winning the most recent one. Degerfors are third and unbeaten in their last six. | |||
M2: South Africa vs Botswana | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
South Africa are unbeaten in their last five and won their last match 3-1. Botswana have avoided defeat in 10 of 14 games and also won their last game 3-1. South Africa won the last clash between the two 2-1. | |||
M3: GIF Sundsvall vs Orebro | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
Both sides battling and both winless in their last five matches. Orebro are 14th in the table, three points ahead of last-placed Sundsvall who won the last meeting between them 0-1. | |||
M4: Utsikten vs Oddevold | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
Utsikten are on a three-game losing streak and are sixth with 19 points. Oddevold are winless in their last seven and are 12th in the table with 14 points. | |||
M5: Coritiba vs Vila Nova | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
Coritiba are unbeaten in their last three Serie B games in Brazil and won their last home match. Vila Nova have won two in a row and are fourth in the table with Coritiba eighth. | |||
M6: Botafogo SP vs Sport | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
Botafogo are on a four-game winning streak and Sport Recife have eight wins in their last 14 games. Sport Recife are fifth in Serie B with 19 points, three ahead of 11th-placed Botafogo. | |||
M7: Cuiabá vs RB Bragantino | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
Cuiabá are unbeaten in their last three Serie A games, but are 14th with 11 points. Bragantino, sixth with 18 points, won their last fixture and their last meeting against Cuiabá. | |||
M8: Vasco vs Botafogo | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
The visitors are fourth in Serie A and have won 10 of their last 15 games. Vasco da Gama, 15th on the log, have lost eight of their last 14. Both teams have three wins from their last six meetings. | |||
M9: Argentina vs Peru | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
Argentina are on a six-match winning streak and Peru are unbeaten in their last six. Argentina won their last encounter 2-0 and have dominated the last six clashes between the two with four wins. | |||
M10: Canada vs Chile | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
Canada have lost five of their last eight games, whereas Chile have avoided defeat in 11 of their last 15. Their last meeting was a 2-2 draw 37 years ago. |
Suggested R108 perm: 1,2,3 x 1 x 1,2,3 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1,2 x 1,2,3 x 1 x 3.