The Pacman's Midweek Multiple / Jamie "The Pacman" Pacheco / 20 November 2007 /

It's tough to keep a good man down but it's even tougher to keep a good Pacman down. After a disastrous start to the Pacman's Midweek Multiple with a barren four weeks, last week's selection came up trumps at odds of 5.61, meaning I'm 61p in profit overall after staking my usual tenner. But I'm not one to rest on my laurels, (I prefer to rest on one of those Lazy boy chairs) so here's the Pacman getting stuck in....

As a kid I watched in utter disbelief as fitter, stronger, more talented boxers with better techniques than Rocky Balboa all fell at the hands of the "Italian Stallion". Whenever he was down, out, exhausted, hurt (and in Rocky IV actually suffering from triple vision) he managed to find one last, little bit of strength and determination to go and win before embracing the long-suffering Adrian. And that is precisely what Northern Ireland's David Healy has been doing for the last year-and-a-half and that's precisely what he did again on Saturday against Denmark (ok, his partner isn't necessarily called Adrian). But just like with the Police Academy films, I've reached a point where I have to say "enough is enough" and that's the point where I see Spain trade at 1.38 to beat them at home.

The great underachievers at big tournaments may well have already qualified but I can't see them taking their foot off the gas in front of their impatient fans. When you're a Spanish midfielder competing for places with the likes of Fabregas, Baraja, Xavi, Iniesta, Alonso and Albelda (to name a few) you can't really afford to take a laid-back approach to any match or else you'll be the one watching the next match from the comfort of your own Lazy boy chair. Spain's record in qualifying is superb and Healy's turning-water-into-wine-like miracles can't go on forever so I'm snapping up the 1.38 on Luis Aragone's thoroughbreds.

Pakistan have had their own David Healy in Mohammad Yousuf in recent times. He has certainly kept his head when all around him others haven't (specially when the likes of Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar are around) and been the cornerstone of anything good the team has achieved. Pakistan have done themselves a huge favour by omitting Afridi but the recall of Mohammad Sami is bad news for Pakistan and good news for Tendulkar, Dravid, Dhoni and buyers of innings extras on the spreads. Sami is quick but unreliable, inconsistent and as a cricket commentator once said "Guilty of bowling at least one four-ball per over".

Add into the equation the fact that Pakistan's blue-ribband bowler Akhtar may not be up to the strain of five-day cricket and that this is Shoaib Malik's debut as Test captain and you can begin to see the sort of trouble the tourists are in. Admittedly, it is also Anil Kumble's debut as Test captain but this is a man with 118 Tests and 566 test wickets under his belt on home soil which makes things a little easier. The pitch has been prepared in a way that is likely to produce a result and unless Yousuf can score 150+ in one his innings I'm pretty convinced it will be 2.49 India that will be getting the result.

Portugal will not be in Austria/Switzerland next Summer if they lose to Finland. Given the beauty of the Portuguese coastline at that time of year, I doubt they'll be too fussed. Or so you'd think. Perennial partyers Cristiano Ronaldo, Quaresma, Miguel and Nani spend most of the year doing just that and I suspect they'd somewhat rather be playing in Euro 2008 than watching it on a TV screen in a nightclub. A draw against Finland would be enough to secure qualification but I can't see those boys taking those sort of risks and their record in qualifying at home is right up there with the best (ie Germany). Portugal look a banker at 1.38 to beat Finland at home.

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