Midweek Review
It was a forgettable, yet far from disastrous start to the Pie at half time’s official tipping and punting.
Napoli 3-1 Chelsea (Tip: Draw -£10).
The lure of the Brit Awards proved too strong on Tuesday night. As a result, I did not watch Chelsea‘s humbling in Naples live. I watched the highlights though and must admit that I underestimated, both, how good Napoli‘s attack was and how far Chelsea have fallen under Andre Villas-Boas. On a positive, his hair looked exquisite.
One Direction = one decision
Millwall 1-3 Middlesbrough – Corners 11 (Tip: Over 11 – £10)
I predicted an all-you-can-eat corner buffet and, for most of the game, it looked on the cards. Unfortunately, they ran out of jelly at the last minute and everyone was left disappointed.
Valencia 1-0 Stoke (Tip: Valencia to win [banker] +£22)
Stoke City manager Tony Pulis made the unpopular decision to rest his main men and take a only a minibus of players to Valencia for their Europa League Last 32 second leg.
Despite Pulis’ choice of reserves and rejects, the Potters exceeded expectation by keeping the game, against much superior opposition, competitive. However, after Jonas struck the only goal of the game midway through the first half, this banker never looked in doubt.
Valencia 1-0 Stoke, Celtic 2-0 Dunfermline (Tip: Valencia and Celtic to both win by three goals or more -£5)
Valencia certainly had the capability to deliver Stoke a thrashing, but their maturity and experience got the better of them and they settled for safe conservative passage to the last 16.
Celtic, on the other hand, played their game with Dunfermline in top gear. The Hoops ripped through the Pars’ defence at will and can reflect on finishing more wasteful than a fifteenth ‘bag for life’ as the reason behind the modest scoreline.
The last time Pulis will ever be seen in UEFA chic
Pie at Half Time 