The first weekend of 2024 will not be marked by any spectacular offerings, especially since only the Italians, among the “big five” leagues, are playing a league round. However, cup matches are also being played in England and France. The suggested odds were valid at the time of compiling the suggestions.
Lecce – Cagliari – t1 over 1.5 @ 2.45 at Mozzartbet
The host had a fantastic start but experienced a dip in form as the season progressed, which was not unexpected. Everything is still under control for the Lecce team, considering that the “southerners” don’t have high ambitions, except for survival. Currently, the team from Apulia is in 13th place with 20 points, despite having two consecutive losses in the league. These were not blunders, considering they played away against Inter and Atalanta, and they did not disgrace themselves in either of these away games. At home, they had a series of tough rivals and it’s no wonder they only celebrated at the Via del Mare Stadium against Frosinone about twenty days ago, having been without a win in five matches before that. Now, they are hosting the elite returnee, Cagliari’s team. The team from Sardinia celebrated the holidays in the relegation zone, but only have a worse goal difference than the first team above the line, which is Verona. Cagliari has been without a win for three rounds, after two away losses they managed to get a point against Empoli at home, but we doubt they are satisfied with such an outcome. Lecce is a better team and has the advantage of the home ground and passionate fans.
Our suggestion is for the host to score two goals with odds of 2.45 at Mozzartbet.
Brest – Angers – fr 1 @ 1.70 at Mozzartbet
This is the third round of the French Cup, but only the first match for the Brest team as the top division teams are now joining in. They will host the team from Angers, from Ligue 2, but a team that, not so long ago, was also in the elite. Angers has already had to eliminate two rivals, albeit from lower divisions, and this clash with Brest is their first real test. The team from Brittany is playing excellently in Ligue 1 this season and is in a high 4th place after 17 rounds, which few could have anticipated. Ahead of them are only the leader PSG, and the teams of Nice and Monaco. This performance is credited to their results in the last six rounds, in which Brest has earned 16 points, more than half of their total. As for Angers, the team from western France is playing excellently in Ligue 2 and is in the first position with two points more than Auxerre. Considering that the top two teams go directly to the elite, it won’t be a surprise if Brest and Angers play their next duel in Ligue 1. Angers has not lost for more than two months, last defeated at the end of October in Saint-Etienne, but they will have a hard time dealing with Brest. After all, their most important goal is returning to the elite, and the cup is “the least of their concerns.”
For a home win (fr 1), the odds at the Mozzartbet bookmaker are 1.70.
Middlesbrough – Aston Villa – 2&ov 1.5 @ 1.78 at Mozzartbet
The significance of the FA Cup for English clubs goes without saying, but this competition has always been very important. How could it not be when it’s the oldest football competition in the world? In recent years, it has become increasingly rare for a lower-division team to make it to the final stages, let alone reach the final or win the title. In the past, this happened regularly, but now the quality of the elite teams is such that such “incidents” are just that, mere “incidents.” Of course, we don’t mean to say that Middlesbrough doesn’t stand a chance in the duel with Aston Villa. The London team is a member of the Championship, and at the beginning of the season, it had ambitions to return to the Premier League, but poor performances have only brought them to 12th place at this moment, after 26 rounds. They will have a chance to qualify for the playoffs, but they need to significantly improve their performance for that. Aston Villa is coming to Riverside, certainly the strongest opponent this season. The team from Birmingham is the second-placed team in the Premier League but may be in a slight crisis compared to the start of the season. We conclude this from the results against Sheffield United and Burnley at their Villa Park, where they earned 4 points but struggled with two bottom-table teams. We expect Aston Villa to win at Riverside in London with at least two goals.
For 2&ov 1.5 goals the odds are 1.78 at Mozzartbet.
Elche – Girona – t2 over 1.5 @ 2.00 at Mozzartbet
We have no more words to add to the praises of the Girona team this season. The Catalan team defies all predictions and still shares the first position in the La Liga table with Real Madrid. On Wednesday, they defeated Atletico Madrid at home in another dramatic but beautiful match. Girona scored the winning goal for a 4:3 victory in injury time, making the triumph even sweeter, especially considering they now have 10 points more than Atletico. Even if they don’t become champions, the chances of playing in the Champions League are increasing day by day. Probably, that is Girona’s main goal, and anything beyond that will be a real bonus. In the Copa del Rey, they play against Elche, a team that was relegated from the Spanish elite last spring and hasn’t fared well in the Segunda. Currently, Elche is only in 12th place but with just 9 points less than the leader Leganes, or only three from the last team in the playoff zone. The league is so balanced that everything can change very quickly, and Elche certainly doesn’t give up on direct promotion to La Liga. They are now in a bad momentum, before the break they were three rounds without a win, with only one point gained. When they gave Simeone’s Atletico four goals, Girona’s players can surely score at least two against Elche.
Our suggestion is t2& over 1.5 goals with odds of 2.00 at the Mozzartbet bookmaker.
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