Route One's Daily Football News Round-Up - 19/9/2012

We find the latest football news stories making the headlines, so you don’t have to. 

A last-gasp winner from Cristiano Ronaldo broke Manchester hearts at the Bernabeu in a thrilling Champions League curtain raiser.

Pic courtesy of www.cristianoronaldopics.com/

Real Madrid had bombarded Joe Hart in the Man City goal, but the Light Blues took the lead against the run of play after a tidy finish from substitute Edin Dzeko. 

The Galacticos fought back through Marcelo, but then fell behind again when a free kick out wide from Alexander Kolarov sailed straight in untouched.

In a madcap finish, Karim Benzema equalised before Ronaldo’s effort deceived the unsighted Hart, prompting a wild ‘school disco slide on the knees’ celebration from Jose Mourinho.

Afterwards, Hart was highly critical of his team, prompting a rebuke from his manager Roberto Mancini.

"You can't go 2-1 up with five minutes to go and lose the game," England’s Number One said. "We can only blame ourselves." 

But Mancini insisted that he is the only ‘judge’ that matters. "If anyone should criticise the team, I should criticise the team, not Joe Hart," he responded.

Elsewhere in the Champions League, French aristocrats PSG started their campaign with a 4-1 demolition of Dynamo Kiev, whilst AC Milan were held to a goalless draw at home against Anderlecht.

Borussia Dortmund, Porto, Malaga and Schalke will also be pleased with their starts as they saw off Ajax, Dinamo Zagreb, Zenit St Petersburg and Olympiakos.

Meanwhile back in Blighty, Blackburn maintained their good start to the campaign with a win over Barnsley, cementing their position at the top of the Championship table.

In a packed night of Football League action, Blackpool crushed Middlesborough 4-1 to stay second, Hull and Leeds took part in a humdinger at Elland Road which ended 3-2 to the Tigers, and Derby held off a late comeback from Charlton to also run out 3-2 victors.

There were also wins for Cardiff (against Hull), Birmingham (Bolton), Bristol City (Peterborough) and Brighton (Watford).

In League One, Tranmere remain unbeaten after their 3-0 triumph against Bury.

Victories for Stevenage and Swindon kept them in touch at this early stage, whilst Mk Dons and Notts County duked out a 1-1 draw.

At the other end of the table, a fourth straight defeat for managerless Coventry consigns them to joint bottom of the division, a year after relegation from the Championship.

In League Two, Gillingham stay top despite ending their 1-0 victory against Southend with ten men.

They are joined in the automatic promotion spots by Port Vale and Exeter, who secured wins against Fleetwood and Wycombe respectively.

Chesterfield and Accrington fought out a seven-goal thriller – which the Spireites eventually took 4-3, whilst Barnet remain routed at the bottom following a 1-0 reverse at Aldershot.

In managerial news, Coventry City are set to unveil Mark Robins as their new manager, according to Sky Sports.

The former Barnsley gaffer is the frontrunner to replace Andy Thorn, who won the unenviable race to be first manager sacked this campaign back in August.

The Route One Midweek Football League Bonanza!

Here at Route One we love a midweek punt, and the opportunities for some high quality value football betting that comes with a full league programme (bar the Premiership) really floats our boat.

So to keep all of you in the loop, we’ve dug out some great odds for tonight’s round of matches, with all prices courtesy of Sporting Bet (our Magnificent Seven) and William Hill (our Goals, Goals, Goals coupon). 

Take a look:

The Magnificent Seven

All teams to win. A £2 stake secures a £373 payout.

Notts Forest (against Huddersfield)

Colchester (Pompey)

Doncaster Rovers (Bury)

Notts County (Hartlepool)

Oldham (Walsall)

Preston (Shrewsbury)

Morecambe (York)

Goals, Goals, Goals

You guys know the drill. Although this one has a slight difference – the bottom three games I have selected ‘Both Teams to Score = No’. Controversial! A £1 punt returns £120.

Brighton v Cardiff

Bristol City v Crystal Palace

Blackburn v Leeds

Scunthorpe v Crewe

Swindon v Crawley

Wolves v Barnsley

Leyton Orient v Stevenage

Shrewsbury v Preston

It’s early days in the season of course – and the Football Leagues have a habit of throwing up some unexpected results, but good money can and will be made! Happy punting.

The Best Value Betting for the nPower Championship 2012/13

Ah yes, the nPower Championship. This is, without doubt, Route One’s favourite division anywhere across the globe. 

There is sometimes silky football, more often there is blood and sand football played on the edge, but always there is the knowledge that any side can beat any other on their day in this division. Which is what makes betting here a bit of a gamble, if you’ll pardon the pun. But we’ll try our best:

Winner & Promotion

 

Again, we must look at the fortunes of the three relegated teams as a starting point. Bolton (7/1, Paddy Power) look a decent punt for a title shove – they’ve brought in Keith Andrews, Matt Mills and Andy Lonergan, but perhaps the best news for the Trotters is the return from long term injuries of Lee Chung-Yong, Stuart Holden and Tyrone Mears. With the exciting Marvin Sordell leading the line, expect Owen Coyle’s eye catching football to get results this campaign.

Blackburn are 12/1 for the title with Coral, and those look fair odds. But Steve Kean has held onto his job by the skin of his teeth, and made perhaps the Championship signing of the summer in Danny Murphy. Alongside Dickson Etuhu in midfield, with the exciting Fabio Nunes on the flank and Nuno Gomes up top, take the 4/1 at William Hill for promotion back to the Promised Land.

With short odds of 5/2 for promotion, Wolves look unbackable (could be a word?). It looks like they are set to lose their prized assets in Steven Fletcher and Matt Jarvis, with Michael Kightly already having left for pastures new. With an unknown quantity in charge in the shape of Stale Solbakken, this could be a season too early for the West Midlands outfit.

For fans of the value punt, both Cardiff (4/1, Paddy) and Birmingham (6/1, Paddy) look decent prices. The Bluebirds (or are they Redbirds now?) have brought in Craig Bellamy – who still looks hungry for success, Heidar Helguson and the talented youngster Jordan Mutch. Combined with the existing midfield of Arron Gunnarsson, Peter Whittingham and Stephen McPhail, this could be the season that Cardiff crack the Premiership nut.

Birmingham have exceptional young manager Lee Clark, and superb youngster Jack Butland between the sticks. Having kept the majority of their squad from last season, the Blues are a good shout for a Play Off spot.

Relegation

 

*All best relegation odds provided by Paddy Power*

Barnsley (11/8) are the hot tip from the bookmakers to be rooted to the bottom of the table come next May. They’ve lost a whole heap of players, including veteran goal poacher Andy Gray, and replaced these with an injury-riddled Egyptian. Yep, step forward Mido. Hard to see how the Tykes can stay up.

When your only signing of the summer is Jody Morris, you know you are in for a tricky season. This is why a whole heap of money has been piled onto Bristol City (5/2). The Robins struggled royally last season, and things look just as bleak for the forthcoming campaign.

Huddersfield (4/1) are a decent young man side with a safe pair of hands at the helm in Simon Grayson, but much will depend on the final destination of Jordan Rhodes as to the success or otherwise of the Terriers.

And Peterborough (2/1) will hope that their goal power will be enough to keep them safe. As fans of the ‘Both Teams to Score’ coupon will know so well, goals tend to fly in at London Road on a regular basis – at both ends. 

Top Goalscorer

 

Here at Route One we reckon you can perm one from six for this prize. Jermaine Beckford (20/1, Coral) will benefit from a full season under Nigel Pearson’s tutelage, and with exciting wingers Ben Marshall and Anthony Knockeart providing the ammunition, expect JB to bulge the net on twenty or more occasions.

Ross McCormack (20/1) and Marvin Emnes (25/1, Paddy Power) are both proven Championship goalscorers, and young scamps Marvin Sordell (25/1) and Charlie Austin (20/1) certainly have goals in them. 

And keep an eye on the Steven Fletcher (14/1, William Hill) situation too – if he stays at Wolves, well, he certainly knows where the net is.