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The clash with Aston Villa is an incredibly important game for Stoke city after losing all three fixtures so far this season.
In the 2008/09 season Stoke won 35 of their final 45 points on home ground, however last season they won just seven games at home. Now they are faced with the fact that that have only won one of the last eight games at the Britannia Stadium, which is looking like it is no longer the fortress it once was.
The game is also big for Villa. They have appointed new manager Gerard Houllier and it is also their first away game since the 6-0 thrashing by Newcastle. Villa won their other two games without conceding, so the loss to Newcastle can be forgiven as an off day due to the turmoil at the club surrounding Martin O’Neill’s departure.
Match odds
Kevin Macdonald will keep charge of Villa for this final game before Houllier takes the reins. Stoke will be wary of Villa and it is important for them not to lose a fourth game in a row. Due to this the draw at 3.4 looks a good option, however if Villa have any chance in reaching the top four this season they have to take all three points from games like these. Available at 3.0, backing Villa could be a good move.
Over/Under 2.5 Goals
The two fixtures between these teams last season produced just one goal. This is reflected in the under 2.5 goals price which is at 1.7. However as with most Monday night fixtures, never expect things to go to plan. Over 2.5 goals which is priced at 2.36 looks a slightly better bet than under 2.5. Villa’s attack of Gabriel Agbonlahor, Stewart Downing and Ashley Young will be raring to go after the international break and Stoke have new signing Gudjohnsen who isn’t shy of scoring goals himself. Three goals or more in the match isn’t hard to imagine so the over 2.5 goal bet seems the better of the two.
Correct score
If you are looking to make money on football betting there is nothing like the correct score bet. Due to the importance of this game to both sides it is likely that there will be goals in this match. A 2-1 victory to Villa (13.0) and 3-1 victory to Villa (34.0) look the best bets, while if you really think a draw is on the cards, then 0-0 and 1-1 can be had at 9.2.
