Kevin Hatchard's European Tips: Gladbach to bounce back and Juventus to slip up

FC Koln v Borussia Monchengladbach - Foals to avoid derby defeat

Sunday 11 October, 14:30
Live on Amazon Prime PPV

In the 1970s, Borussia Monchengladbach were a dominant force in German football. Between 1970 and 1977 the Foals were named as German champions five times, they won the UEFA Cup in 1975 and 1979, and in 1977 they were beaten by Liverpool in the final of the European Cup. Since that golden decade, Gladbach have won just one major trophy, and that was the DFB Pokal in 1995.

This fallen giant has had it tough in recent years. A run of five consecutive bottom-half finishes added to a sense of drift, and since current Bournemouth boss Marco Rose left for Borussia Dortmund in 2021, the Foals have fired four different coaches.

The latest boss to try his hand is Alexander Blessin, who was relegated with St Pauli last season. The former Stuttgart striker replaces Eugen Polanski, who was promoted from within after three matchdays of last season, and sacked after three matchdays of this campaign.

However, it's worth noting that the raw material available to Blessin isn't necessarily that of a relegation battler. Keeper Moritz Nicolas is one of the best shot-stoppers in the league, centre-back Kevin Diks has played well since arriving in the Bundesliga, teenage attacking midfielder Wael Mohya is an exciting talent and captain Tim Kleindienst is a German international striker.

Blessin is more of a motivator than an elite tactician, and on that basis having a huge Rhineland derby in Cologne feels that the perfect launchpad for his tenure. Blessin is all about making teams tough to beat and defensively resolute, and I'm not convinced Koln should be priced at just over evens to win this game.

Koln have won just two of their last 18 Bundesliga matches, and they have only won one of the last six Bundesliga derbies between these old foes. They haven't managed a clean sheet in their last 18 top-flight outings, and coach Rene Wagner has plenty to prove after stepping up from the assistant's role at the back end of last term.

I don't think there's much of a gap between these sides in terms of quality, and I'll back Gladbach +0.5 on the Asian Handicap at 1.910/11. If the Foals avoid defeat we get a full payout.

Cagliari v Juventus - Sardinians to put the brakes on Turin giants

Sunday 11 October, 19:45
Live on TNT Sports

Veteran coach Luciano Spalletti was never one to bow to public pressure or opinion, and he's not about to start now. The former Napoli, Roma and Italy boss is aware that Juventus' inconsistent start to the campaign and their failure to secure Champions League qualification last season has invited scrutiny, but he says "pressure is medicine".

Juventus are only three points off top spot in Serie A, so Spalletti is right not to be panicking, but there have been some unconvincing performances. Juve were poor in a 3-2 defeat at Sassuolo, and they needed a stoppage-time equaliser from Federico Gatti to secure a 1-1 draw against Milan.

Now Juve visit in-form Cagliari, who are chasing a fourth consecutive victory in Serie A. Only Inter have beaten the Sardinians in the league, and 40-year-old coach Fabio Pisacane is doing a wonderful job. Pisacane was a Cagliari defender for six years, and worked his way through various assistant and youth roles at the club before taking the top job last year.

Cagliari have conceded just two goals in the league so far, and they've had a long time to prepare for this contest, while Juventus have had a lot more players jetting off for international duty. I'll lay Juve here at 1.618/13.

Nice v Strasbourg - Hosts too short for Sunday showdown

Sunday 11 October, 14:00
Live on Ligue 1 Pass

With INEOS' general mishandling of Manchester United taking centre stage, their poor recent stewardship of Nice has gone somewhat under the radar. The southern club were nearly relegated from Ligue 1 last term, and only a playoff win against St Etienne kept them afloat. The atmosphere became so febrile that a mindless minority of fans attacked players and staff, and it's all a far cry from the talk of title pushes that surrounded INEOS' 2019 takeover.

Nice only picked up their first win of this season just before the international break, and I can't understand why they are favourites here against Strasbourg. Yes, OGC beat a strong Lille team, but before that they lost without scoring at Paris FC and Auxerre, and endured dismal draws at home against Lorient and Le Mans.

It will take time for new coach Olivier Pantaloni to turn things around, and I'll back Strasbourg to avoid defeat here. It's been a mixed picture for the Alsatians under new boss Hugo Oliveira, with positive results against Lens and leaders Monaco offset by defeats at Marseille and Paris FC. However, in terms of player quality, I'd say Strasbourg have the edge.

I'll combine Strasbourg/Draw with Nice striker Elye Wahi to have a shot on target, something he has managed in all four Ligue 1 games so far. That Bet Builder double pays out at 23/202.15.

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