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ALASTAIR BROWNLEE'S BIG MATCH PREVIEW - SUNDERLAND v MIDDLESBROUGH 19-9-08
Alastair Brownlee
Just seven days after making their longest Premier League journey to Fratton Park, Boro make the short trip up the A19 to face Sunderland in a battle for local pride and League points at the Stadium of Light.
It’s a big week for Boro as after the clash at Sunderland, they have to prepare for a Carling Cup tie at Manchester United on Tuesday and then next Saturday legendary captain of the “Class of '86”, Tony Mowbray, brings his West Bromwich Albion side to the Riverside.
It is a crucial and hectic spell for Boro and the good news is that after resources were stretched at Portsmouth, due to a combination of illness to David Wheater and injury to a number of first team regulars, Gareth Southgate will have a stronger squad to call upon as Mohamed Shawky and Marvin Emnes return, together with Julio Arca who played forty-five minutes for the reserves in midweek.
After Jermaine Defoe grabbed a late winner for Pompey, the long journey back gave plenty of time for us to reflect on Boro's unwelcome habit of conceding late goals this season. Spurs, Liverpool and Portsmouth have all scored in the final five minutes of matches against Boro and a solution needs to be found if the season is to be the success that everyone hopes.
If you ignore the consolation goal that Tottenham scored on the opening day at the Riverside, the late heartbreakers at Anfield and Fratton Park all came as Boro, through opposition pressure, fell back to defend what would have been a valuable point.
Let's hope that the problem is solved at Sunderland and as Robert Huth - who has started so well this season - pointed out, a key could be to grab that all important second goal which would give Boro a lift and kill off the opposition.
Gareth Southgate is certainly due a win away from home. The last three point display on opposition territory came at Portsmouth back in December 2007 whilst for Roy Keane, his last home win at the Stadium of Light was, ironically, against Boro in April.
It is, however, a much-changed Sunderland with the signings of Djibril Cisse and El Hadji Diouf guaranteed to make it a tough ninety minutes for the Boro defence.
David Wheater, fit again after a bout of tonsillitis, could be recalled and it has been a good week for the defender as he picked up the North-East Young Player of the Year award at the Prince's Trust dinner in Newcastle.
Also recognised for his achievements was Stewart Downing as Player of the Year. Downing, in particular, relishes the atmosphere of a derby.
Stewart, as a Boro lad, is only too well aware of what it means to the fans but Sunderland was also a place where he started to make people sit up and take notice of his talent during a loan spell in 2003.
Downing’s form earned him a recall by Steve McClaren and that was the start of his journey to becoming one of the most important influences in the Boro side and one of, if not the, best left sided players in the Premier League.
The latest Sunderland-Boro encounter inevitably brings thoughts of memorable derbies that have taken place in the past.
My favourite has to be the first meeting at the Stadium of Light on September 28 1997. The game sticks in the mind for a fantastic shot by Emerson that helped Boro to a 2-1 win and his celebration in front of the away fans was an iconic moment from the Brazilian midfielder.
Let's keep our fingers crossed for a similar moment on Saturday and after the match you can have your say, as always, by calling Gary Gill and I on BBC Tees.
The best caller, as judged by Gary, will receive a pair of tickets to see Boro against West Bromwich Albion.
So on the full time whistle, why not pick up the phone and call 01642 225511.
Three points at Sunderland and then off to Manchester United, it could be quite a few days!
Up the Boro.
Ali
BACK TO ALI'S BIG MATCH PREVIEW INDEX
A GUARANTEED PROFIT OF AT LEAST £45.20 ON SPAIN U21 v GERMANY U21
The European U-21 Championship kicks off on Monday and did you know that it is possible to win money on Monday evening's clash between Spain U21 and Germany U21, whatever the result?
The game kicks off at 7.45pm UK Time and we can guarantee you a profit of at least £45.20, whatever the result of the match. All you have to do is follow the simple instructions below and then sit back and enjoy the game. At full-time, you will be at least £45.20 better off, whatever the result of the match.
We must point out that if you want to take this bet, you should do it now because if the odds change, then the figures here will be invalidated. If
they have changed, let us know and we will rework the bet for you.
Also, please note that the bonuses are valid for new customers only so if you already have an account with one or more of the bookies we are using,
you won't be able to do this. If that is the case, mail
us or phone us on 01642 223229 as we have alternative bets written and ready to mail out to you using different bookies.
If you are unsure about this bet, you are most welcome to call us on 01642 223229 and we will help you as much as we can.
We're going to lay out a total of £89.00 on the Spain U21 v Germany U21 match and we will collect £134.20 if Spain U21 win, £136.50 if Germany U21 win and £135.00 if it's a draw. That's a minimum profit of over 50%, a much higher interest rate than you will get in any high street bank.
Here's how it's done. Just follow these simple instructions.
1. Open an account with Paddy Power.
Open an account with Bet On Bet.
Open an account with  Bet 24.
This shouldn't take you any longer than a few minutes.
2. Make the following deposits into your new accounts.
Deposit £25.00 into your new Paddy Power account.
Deposit £36.00 into your Bet On Bet account.
Deposit £28.00 into your new Bet 24 account.
3. Now make the following bets.
Back the draw with £25.00 at 11/5 with Paddy Power.
Paddy Power will now add a £25.00 bonus to your account. Place this on the draw as well. You will now have £50.00 riding on the draw.
Back Spain U21 with £36.00 at odds of 2.20 (6/5) with Bet On Bet.
Bet On Bet match your first bet up to £25 so you will now have £61.00 riding on Spain U21.
The £25.00 matched bet will not show in your account but you can read all about how it works on the Bet On Bet site.
Place £28.00 on Germany U21 at odds of 3.25 with Bet 24.
Bet 24 will now add a £14.00 bonus to your account. Place this on Germany U21 as well. You will now have £42.00 riding on Germany U21.
If you are unsure about placing these bets, please feel free to mail us or call us on 01642 223229 and we will talk you through it, no problem at all. There is no such thing as a stupid
question.
You have temporarily laid out a total of £89.00 on the Spain U21 v Germany U21 match. I stress, temporarily... Now sit back, crack a beer open and enjoy the match.
4. Here's what happens at the end of the game. All winnings are paid out on the ninety minute result.
If it's a draw, you collect £135.00 from Paddy Power.
If Spain U21 win, you collect £134.20 from Bet On Bet.
If Germany U21 win, you collect £136.50 from Bet 24.
5. This means that the worst case scenario on the Spain U21 v Germany U21 match is Spain U21 win and you make £45.20 profit. However, if Germany U21 win you make £47.50 profit and if it is a draw you make £46.00 profit. That's a minimum profit of over 50%, a much better rate of interest than you would get at any high street bank or building society.
6. It is absolutely vital that you click on the links on this page to open the accounts with the three bookies or you may not qualify for the
bonuses/free bets.
Also, before you place your bets, you should check that the odds haven't changed. If they have, let us know by mail or phone us on 01642 223229 and we will rework the bet
for you.
There is a wagering requirement at Bet 24. You have to roll your winnings over before we can withdraw them but it is very easy to do this risk-free. If Germany U21 win, please contact us and we'll show you exactly how to do this. Winnings from the other two bookies are immediately withdrawable.
Please feel free to contact us or phone us on 01642 223229 if you have any questions at all about this bet and we will help you as much as we can.
Please note that the bonuses are valid for new customers only so if you already have an account with one or more of the bookies we are using, you
won't be able to do this. If that is the case, mail
us or phone us on 01642 223229 and we'll create an alternative bet for you using different bookies.
This method of betting was used very successfully during the 2006 World Cup and you can read all about how it was done right here.
We guarantee this bet
It's understandable that some people will not believe that it is possible to do this. "What's the catch?" I hear you asking. My answer to that
question is that this is the fifth season that we have been publishing these kind of bets and literally hundreds of people have profited from
following the advice on these pages.
Only twice has our refund guarantee been triggered and that was when we did all the figures wrong and sent refunds out to those who had followed our
advice and made a small loss.
Our refund guarantee works like this. If this bet doesn't work like we say it will and you end up out of pocket, we will refund your losses. Simple as that.
That means that you simply cannot lose on this, whatever happens and even if we messed up the numbers, which is highly unlikely.
The only stipulation here is that you must click on the links on this page to be eligible for the refund guarantee, not that you'll be needing to
claim anyway. Just enjoy the profit and stay posted for many more of these next season.
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