It’s Grand National weekend, and whilst you can’t beat having a good old flutter on the 40-strong lottery field of the country’s finest horses, you shouldn’t neglect your weekly goals galore fix!
This time of the year is ripe for goals with tired legs seeing games stretched wide open and plenty of chances for teams to find the net. We see teams fighting for their lives in their respective leagues as well as teams chasing title or play-off glory and it all adds up to goals goals goals.
Here’s my pick of the action this weekend:
Reading vs Southampton
These two sides met on Grand National weekend last year when they were both high-flying Championship sides on the verge of Premier League promotion. Despite them both being locked at the top of the league they didn’t play out a bore draw, instead Reading ran out 3-1 winners in a pulsating encounter with 2 late goals from Adam Le Fondre on the eve of the most famous race in the country.
This time round they’re both fighting for survival, they’ve been scoring for fun all year but it’s their defensive frailties that see them both struggling this term. Nigel Adkins welcomes his previous employers and will be keen to get one over on them after his harsh dismissal, there’s sure to be goals!
Huddersfield vs Peterborough
As far as BTTS teams go, these two are your absolute bread and butter that I’m sure you’ve all turned to plenty of times when building your goals galore banker coupons!
Free-scoring strikeforces and seriously shaky defences may not have these clubs in great shape in the league table (they lie 2nd and 3rd bottom respectively) but they’ve kept punters pockets bulging this term! Over 130 goals have been conceded between them in their 40 games apiece but they’ve also netted just shy of a century of goal too. With a vital 3 points up for grabs here it’s hard to see anything but goals!
Cardiff vs Watford
From the depths of despair that is the dreaded relegation trap door, my final selection sees a top of the table clash between two sides gunning for Premier League promotion.
League leaders Cardiff welcome 3rd-placed Watford to the Millenium Stadium knowing that a win could take the sting out of the Hornets title aspirations and move them 11 points clear of Gianfranco Zola’s men.
In-form Watford find themselves with a genuine chance of promotion thanks to a dazzling run of form a la Reading last season. The former-Premier League side are far and away the top scoring team in the Championship this season and will not be shy in front of goal in the Welsh capital.
We should be in for a good old fashioned hammer and tongs battle with both sides eager to not leave anything in the dressing room with the biggest prize in English football potentially at stake here!
