What a weekend for TAB soccer customers. There’s a grand spread of matches in TAB soccer pools, ranging from games at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games to Brazil’s Serie A and the pick of some fascinating pre-season friendlies. And to make it all even more exciting, there are cash add-ins and a carryover to no fewer than six pools, including R200,000 boosts to Soccer 10 pools tonight and tomorrow. What a great chance to win big bucks, like the two TAB customers who each pocketed nearly R150,000 on Soccer Any 13 Xtra last weekend.
Liverpool are one of several English Premier League sides spending much of their pre-season touring the USA, and it will be fascinating to see how they start to shape up under new head coach Arne Slot.
Slot has the unenviable task of taking over from much-loved Jurgen Klopp, but the Dutchman can quickly win Reds fans over with some good performances in the USA, even if results in the pre-season mean little in the grander scheme.
Liverpool start their pre-season fixtures this evening, when they go up against Spanish La Liga side Real Betis at the Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Reds will be missing many of their top international stars, who are being given extra time off after reaching the latter stages of EURO 2024 and the Copa America. But they do still have a squad containing Egyptian star Mohammed Salah and Hungarian midfield maestro Domonic Szoboszlai, as well as left-back Andy Robertson and young English talent Jarell Quansah.
Betis are coached by former Manchester City mentor Manuel Pellegrini, who is preparing for his fifth season in charge at the Seville-based side.
Elsewhere on Friday evening, Cairo giants Zamalek are at home to title hopefuls Pyramids FC, who look increasingly likely to miss out on winning the Egyptian Premier League. Pyramids have lost their last two matches, both against Al Ahly, who are in the process of making up a host of games in hand on the rest.
Ahly are now just two points behind Pyramids with three games in hand, and a loss to Zamalek could be a final nail in the coffin for them.
Zamalek are having a poor season by their high standards and are currently fifth in the table, some 20 points behind Pyramids. They do have two games in hand though and may feel they can capitalise against a Pyramids side that must have had their confidence knocked by Ahly.
On Saturday, the 2024 Paris Olympic Games men's football tournament continues with Japan's Under-23 side taking on Mali's under-23 side.
Japan opened their Group D campaign in fine style with a 5-0 hammering of Paraguay, a game in which Sparta Rotterdam's Shunsuke Mito netted a brace.
Mali took on Israel in their opening Group D match and drew 1-1 with Dubai-based Cheickna Doumbia getting the African side's goal.
Also on Saturday, two of England's top sides will go head-to-head in a pre-season clash as Mikel Arteta's Arsenal take on Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
The Gunners opened their pre-season tour of the USA on Wednesday with a penalty shootout victory over Bournemouth after the match at Dignity Health Sports Park in the USA ended in a 1-1 draw.
Manchester United began their pre-season in Europe, where they lost 1-0 to Norwegian side Rosenborg and then beat Glasgow Rangers 2-0 at Murrayfield.
Chelsea will also play on Saturday and take on Glasgow Celtic at the Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana. Enzo Maresca's side opened their pre-season tour with a 2-2 draw with Wrexham in San Francisco.
SOCCER 10 V1 SUGGESTED BET:
| M1: SonderjyskE vs Lyngby | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Danish Superliga clash kicks off this Soccer 10, which should total some R2 million as a result of TAB injecting a R200,000 cash bonus into the pot. SønderjyskE are winless in their last six games, while Lyngby have failed to win in 10 of their last 15. SønderjyskE won the previous meeting between them 2-0, but that was three years ago. | |||
| M2: Zamalek vs Pyramids FC | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Egyptian Premier League. Pyramids are top with 68 points after 28 games and 20 ahead of fourth-placed Zamalek, who have played two games less. Pyramids have won 14 of their last 15 matches and Zamalek are unbeaten in their last seven. Zamalek have won four of the last seven clashes between the two and Pyramids just one. | |||
| M3: Bohemians vs Dundalk | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Irish premier division. Bohemians are winless in their last six and Dundalk have lost six of their last 11. Dundalk won their last meeting 2-0 in April. | |||
| M4: Bray Wanderers vs Wexford FC | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Irish second tier. Bray have lost seven of their last 13 and Wexford are winless in 12 of their last 15. Bray are fifth with 32 points after 24 games and two ahead of sixth-placed Wexford (23 games). | |||
| M5: Cobh Ramblers vs Athlone Town | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Cobh have lost their last two, whereas Athlone are on a four-game winning streak. Athlone won their last meeting 2-1 in April and are second in Ireland’s First Division, 11 points ahead of Cobh. | |||
| M6: Treaty United vs Finn Harps | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Treaty are winless in 11 of their last 15. Finn Harps won the last meeting between the two 1-0 and three of five before that. They are nine points ahead of Treaty in the table. | |||
| M7: Sevilla vs Al Ittihad | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Friendly. Spain’s Sevilla are on a five-game losing streak and Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia) have lost seven of their last 10. The teams have never met before. | |||
| M8: Liverpool vs Real Betis | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Friendly. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last four games and Real Betis are winless in their last three. Even without some of their stars, Liverpool should pack too many guns for Betis. | |||
| M9: Atlanta United vs DC United | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Atlanta United have lost four of their last six games and D.C. United nine of their last 14. Atlanta won the last meeting between 1-0. | |||
| M10: Orlando City vs Montreal Impact | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Leagues Cup clash. Orlando are unbeaten in their last five MLS games. The teams drew 2-2 in their previous meeting in April with Orlando winning two of the six before that. | |||
Suggested R54 perm: 1 x 1,2,3 x 1,2,3 x 3 x 1,2,3 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1.
SOCCER 10 V3 SUGGESTED BET:
| M1: Japan U23 vs Mali U23 | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Another R200,000-boosted Soccer 10 with an Olympic Games clash to get it rolling. Japan U23 are unbeaten in their last five games, while Mali U23 are unbeaten in their last four. Mali U23 won the only previous meeting between the two 3-1 earlier this year. | |||
| M2: Chelsea vs Celtic FC | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Friendly. Chelsea ended last season with a five-game winning streak in English Premier League. Celtic are unbeaten in their last 14 games across all competitions. The two teams have not faced each other before. | |||
| M3: San Lorenzo vs Newell's Old Boys | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Argentina Liga Profesional. San Lorenzo have won four of their last 14 games and Newell's Old Boys six of 11. Head-to-head record last six games is even with two wins each. | |||
| M4: Juventude vs Criciuma | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Juventude are unbeaten in their last four, while Criciúma have lost eight of 14. Juventude have won four of last seven clashes between the two. | |||
| M5: Manchester City vs AC Milan | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Reigning EPL champs City have won 11 of their last 15 games and Milan are winless in nine of their last 10. | |||
| M6: Arsenal vs Manchester United | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Arsenal ended last season on a six-game Premier League winning streak. United are unbeaten in 11 of their last 15 games. Arsenal won last meeting 1-0 away in EPL on 12 May. | |||
| M7: Philadelphia Union vs Charlotte FC | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Philadelphia have lost six of last eight MLS games, while Charlotte avoided defeat in 11 of 14. Charlotte won last meeting 2-0 in June. | |||
| M8: New York RB vs Toronto FC | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| New York RB are unbeaten in their last seven games, while Toronto have lost eight of their last nine. | |||
| M9: Fortaleza EC vs Sao Paulo | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Fortaleza are on a four-game winning streak and São Paulo have won eight of their last of 14. Fortaleza beat them 2-1 last time. | |||
| M10: St. Louis City vs FC Dallas | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| St. Louis are winless in their last four MLS games and Dallas are unbeaten in their last three. Dallas won the last meeting 2-0. | |||
Suggested R192 perm: 1,2 x 1,2 x 1 x 1,2 x 1 x 1 x 1,2 x 1 x 1,2 x 1,2,3.