Welcome to yet another SPORTPESA MEGAJACKPOT, POST-MATCH ANALYSIS – THE BREAKDOWN-5. We managed to get 7/17 correct predictions which were poor by our standards. There were close calls and stunning comebacks that threw some of the games off not to mention simply shocking results but in the end; we like to take on any loss as a challenge to do better. We may have had our poorest performance ever in the last week but this has only spurred us to dig even deeper to ensure that we bounce back in a huge way in this week’s sportpesa megajackpot. With that in mind, below is the breakdown of the results as well as an in-depth look at our research methodology in the hopes that with each loss we all gain a lesson that could potentially set us on our way back to the Sportpesa Megajackpot Bonus once again in the coming week.
Newcastle vs Leicester
Our 1st Pick: X
Result: 0-2
Newcastle’s miserable start to the season continued as goals from Jamie Vardy and Harry Maguire gave Leicester a comfortable away victory.
In a game of few chances, striker Vardy broke the deadlock from the penalty spot on the half-hour mark after DeAndre Yedlin handled a Maguire shot. With England manager Gareth Southgate watching at St James’ Park, defender Maguire doubled the Foxes’ lead with a second-half header.
Newcastle remains without a win this season, and fans made their anger known in chants aimed at owner Mike Ashley throughout the game. Ricardo Pereira had the first chance to open the scoring for Leicester, cleverly cutting infield before his shot – destined for the bottom corner – was pushed wide by Martin Dubravka.
Vardy found a way through, though – coolly slotting home his third goal of the season. Jonjo Shelvey went closest for Newcastle in the first half with a speculative lob from his own half which a back-tracking Kasper Schmeichel only just kept out.
The hosts looked more positive in the second half, but Maguire’s second goal of the season consigned them to their fifth defeat of 2018-19. We had backed the home side to at least get a point as they needed it badly but they just weren’t good enough on the day.
Millwall vs Sheffield Utd
Our 1st Pick: 2
Result: 2-3
David McGoldrick’s late double gave Sheffield United a come-back win after a frantic finale at Millwall. Billy Sharp headed the Blades in front with his sixth goal of the season from close range, moments after Ben Amos had turned Sharp’s penalty onto the bar following a handball by Shaun Williams.
Millwall turned the game on its head within the first five minutes of the second half, Cooper heading in the equaliser from Williams’ corner, before Ryan Leonard – on loan from the Blades – set Lee Gregory clear to slot past Dean Henderson.
David McGoldrick levelled from the spot after Williams conceded a second penalty for a shove on Mark Duffy, and then tapped in a late winner.
An unchanged United arrived in good form with five wins from seven, but with a poor record at the Den following 11 defeats in their previous 14 visits. However, even without Sharp’s penalty miss, the visitors held a deserved lead at half-time after creating the best chances and enjoying two-thirds of the possession.
Leonard was allowed to start for Millwall after a clause to prevent him playing against his parent club was not included in his loan deal, and inevitably, the midfielder had an impact by setting up the Lions’ second as the hosts made a lightning start to the second half.
But Millwall could not hold on under increasing pressure for a precious second win of the season, with Sharp also seeing a headed goal disallowed for offside before McGoldrick snatched the winner from Duffy’s assist.
United, who have lost just once in eight matches, remained fourth, but moved within a point of new leaders West Brom, while the Lions, who have lost six of their last seven in the league, drop to second-bottom.
We had backed the away side to carry the day based on current form and it proved an accurate prediction as they rallied to stage a stunning comeback and secure maximum points.
Swansea vs QPR
Our 1st Pick: 1
Result: 3-0
Swansea beat Queens Park Rangers in impressive fashion to end their recent barren run in front of goal. Courtney Baker-Richardson scored his first senior goal and could have had a hat-trick before the break as the hosts dominated throughout the contest.
QPR showed signs of recovering in the second half before Connor Roberts and Jay Fulton struck late to give the Swans a first win in four matches. Swansea had failed to score in their previous three fixtures, a drought of 291 minutes which saw them start this match as the joint-second lowest scorers in the Championship.
Manager Graham Potter made some creative tweaks to his team in order to arrest that slump, handing striker Baker-Richardson only his second league start and deploying usual centre-forward Oli McBurnie just behind him in the number 10 role. It proved an inspired change, with both players combining to put the Swans ahead after a quarter of an hour.
Following patient build-up in midfield, right-back Kyle Naughton swung a deep cross towards the back post, where McBurnie nodded the ball back across goal to Baker-Richardson, who showed agility and poise to hook in from close range. The 22-year-old should have doubled his and Swansea’s lead less than two minutes later but, after a sweeping move which presented him with an open goal, Baker-Richardson somehow managed to launch the ball over the bar.
Another chance came and went before half-time as Baker-Richardson fired straight at QPR keeper Joe Lumley from close range, and there was a creeping sense at the Liberty Stadium that Swansea would soon need to start taking their opportunities or risk squandering what seemed like three points there for the taking.
The visitors grew into the game after the break, with Nakhi Wells and strike partner Tomer Hemed getting into promising positions on more than one occasion. But QPR failed to build on that improvement, and Swansea eventually made sure of victory. Roberts scored a smart first goal for the club, cutting inside on to his apparently weaker left foot and finishing powerfully, via a deflection.
Substitute midfielder Fulton then added a third soon after, his drive also taking a touch on its way in to seal a handsome win.
Rochdale vs Portsmouth
Our 1st Pick: 1
Result: 1-3
Portsmouth moved to the top of League One after coming from behind to beat Rochdale at the Crown Oil Arena. The home side stormed into the lead after just three minutes with a stunning strike from Aaron Wilbraham.
The experienced striker, who joined Dale in the summer from Bolton, opened his account for the club with a dipping 25-yard volley which flew over Craig MacGillivray and beneath the Pompey goalkeeper’s crossbar.
Nathan Thompson was close to equalising when his stinging drive struck the bar but Portsmouth deservedly drew level in the 25th minute when Brett Pitman’s clever turn and pass across the face of goal was turned in by Jamal Lowe.
Dale goalkeeper Josh Lillis denied Kenny Jackett’s men a second before the interval when he kept out Ronan Curtis’ close-range effort. MacGillivray denied Ollie Rathbone and Andy Cannon before Pompey edged ahead in the 70th minute when Lee Brown’s cross to the near post was flicked into the net by Pitman. And it was 3-1 10 minutes from time when Matt Clarke smashed an unstoppable drive into the roof of Lillis’ net from a Curtis corner.
Bradford City vs Bristol Rovers
Our 1st Pick: 2
Result: 0-0
Bradford ended their five-match losing run with a scrappy draw against Bristol Rovers at Valley Parade. It was the first point for new manager David Hopkin, who had also seen the Bantams lose his first three matches in charge.
Bradford struggled to clear the danger after Rovers forced a corner on the left in the fifth minute and when the ball came to Ed Upson, the visitors’ defender struck the upright with a left-foot shot. In the 24th minute Bradford striker George Miller won a tussle with Tom Lockyer after chasing a long ball and raced 30 yards before beating keeper Jack Bonham with an angled shot only to see the ball rebound from the post.
Bradford twice came close taking the lead in the 64th minute. Sean Scannell hit the post after being put through on goal by substitute Jack Payne and the ball rebounded to Eoin Doyle, whose shot was cleared off the line by Tony Craig.
Home goalkeeper Richard Donnell kept his side in the match with a superb save in the 83rd minute. Visiting substitute Liam Sercombe fired low through a crowded goalmouth from the edge of the penalty area and Donnell dived full length to turn away the ball away for a corner.
Wycombe vs Southend
Our 1st Pick: X
Result: 2-3
Wycombe’s miserable winless home run continued as they were beaten by Southend in League One. The hosts fought back and scored a double late on to make it an exciting finish, but Southend were worthy victors.
Theo Robinson broke the deadlock for Southend, tapping home in the 38th minute following a smart cross from Tom Hopper. Earlier, Robinson had missed a sitter when he headed over from close range and was then denied by a great save from Ryan Allsop after he had turned neatly and fired in low.
The Chairboys almost levelled before the break when Matt Bloomfield’s effort was well saved by Mark Oxley. Southend then doubled their lead eight minutes after the restart when Hopper smashed Ben Coker’s cross into the roof of the net. Five minutes later it was three when Simon Cox fired home clinically into the corner after being sent through by Jason Demetriou.
It was almost four when Coker saw a far-post strike bravely blocked by Jason McCarthy. Wycombe substitute Craig Mackail-Smith volleyed home a late goal before Adebayo Akinfenwa pounced from close range in the 86th minute to ensure a tense final few minutes for Southend, but they held on.
Preston vs West Brom
Our 1st Pick: 2
Result: 2-3
West Brom boss Darren Moore promised there was “more to come” from his side after they moved to the top of the Championship table with victory at Preston.
After Ryan Ledson hit the post for North End in the first half, Rodriguez headed home Jake Livermore’s cross. Preston drew level when Andrew Hughes curled home the free-kick, but a Ben Davies own goal restored Albion’s lead.
Gayle made it three with a free-kick of his own before Alan Browne headed Preston’s second in added time.The victory puts West Brom one point clear of Leeds, Middlesbrough and Sheffield United, while Preston dropped to the bottom with only five points from 10 games.
Plymouth vs Doncaster
Our 1st Pick: 2
Result: 2-3
Doncaster striker John Marquis celebrated his 100th league appearance with a brace as in-form Rovers beat winless League One basement side Plymouth Argyle to move third. Marquis capped a man-of-the-match performance with a 90th-minute solo goal, rounding goalkeeper Matt Macey before scoring from an acute angle to take his tally to nine for the season.
Marquis fired Doncaster ahead after 18 minutes, cutting in from the left to unleash an unstoppable angled drive into the far corner past Argyle’s on-loan Arsenal keeper Macey. Ruben Lameiras equalised with a superb dipping shot from the edge of the box after 40 minutes, but Matty Blair coolly side-footed Doncaster back in front in the 57th minute from Mallik Wilks’ right-wing cross.
Marquis pinged a rising 20-yard drive off a post after 35 minutes and also sent a volley on the spin over the bar early in the second half. And after Marquis had made it 3-1, Argyle playmaker Graham Carey still had time to score with a thumping strike in stoppage time, beating Rovers keeper Marko Marosi at his near post.
Port Vale vs Exeter
Our 1st Pick: X
Result: 1-1
Substitute Idris Kanu scored a dramatic late equaliser to earn Port Vale a draw with Exeter at Vale Park. League Two promotion hopefuls Exeter led when Nicky Law netted after the break, only for Kanu’s efforts deep into added time to save the day for the hosts.
Having started well, Vale went close when Tom Pope headed at Exeter keeper Christy Pym and Ricky Miller dragged an effort wide. Law then squandered a brilliant opening for Exeter, shooting over from eight yards out. Exeter were indebted to Pym with two minutes of the first half left as the Grecians stopper pushed Tom Conlon’s 25-yard shot on to the crossbar.
Law steered the visitors into the lead three minutes after half-time when he connected with Hiram Boateng’s low cross from the right to tap home from close range. Neil Aspin’s Valiants pushed for a way back into the contest, seeing chances go begging from Miller and Ben Whitfield. However, with time rapidly running out, Kanu headed in from close range following a goalmouth scramble to earn a point.
Crawley Town vs Yeovil
Our 1st Pick: 1
Result: 3-1
Second-half goals from Ashley Nathaniel-George and Filipe Morais helped Crawley earn their third win in four games with victory over Yeovil Town. The Reds, who have scored in every home game since Boxing Day, have now won both home matches since Gabriele Cioffi took charge. Crawley keeper Glen Morris came to his side`s rescue early on by parrying a goal-bound shot from Olufela Olomola after good work by Alex Pattison.
Former Lincoln striker Ollie Palmer struck to give the hosts the lead on 26 minutes with his sixth of the season. Palmer stabbed the ball home at the far post after a cross by Lewis Young has helped on by Luke Gambin.
Yeovil hit back to level three minutes before the break through Carl Dickinson, who fired low passed Morris after a pass by Olomola. Recalled Crawley midfielder Mark Randall dragged a shot wide shortly after the break when set up by Gambin.
Palmer should have tested keeper Nathan Baxter before Olomola shot narrowly wide at the other end following a strong run. Substitute Nathaniel-George restored Crawley`s lead in superb style by rifling home in the 68th minute from 25 yards. Frenchman Morais then sealed victory deep into added time with a well-placed shot after being fed by Nathaniel-George.
Hamilton vs Dundee FC
Our 1st Pick: 1
Result: 0-2
Dundee finally earned their first Scottish Premiership points of the season by edging Hamilton Academical. Andy Boyle headed in the opener from a Calvin Miller free-kick and Karl Madianga sealed the win in injury time. The victory brings Dundee’s seven-game losing streak to a halt and sends them to within a point of Motherwell and St Mirren, easing a little of the pressure on manager Neil McCann.
Hamilton hit the bar twice and Fredrik Brustad missed from point-blank range. For weeks, Dundee have looked comfortable on the ball without threatening and there was a lot of that here, too – comfortable passing play, little penetration.
They were still painfully wasteful for long spells. Ryan Inniss and Adil Nabi squandered second-half chances at a time when McCann’s men were firmly in the ascendancy, feeding off the confidence engendered by Boyle’s opener.
The saving grace for Dundee was that Hamilton were equally profligate. Brustad’s miss was spectacular, screwing a delicious Rakish Bingham cross wide inside the six-yard box. Bingham himself bent a free-kick just off-target soon after, James Keatings cracked the crossbar with another set-piece, and Mason Bloomfield hit it again with a header in the dying minutes.
Dundee rocked, but held on to their clean sheet. And as Hamilton pressed in desperation, they struck the killer blow. Madianga took up a good position, and when the ball found him, he swept it into the net. But despite the defeat, Martin Canning’s side remains in ninth place with six points.
Chelsea vs Liverpool
Our 1st Pick: X
Result: 1-1
Sturridge’s spectacular late equaliser was another reminder that beneath the injury problems and time on the sidelines lurks arguably England’s most naturally gifted striker. The last time he played at Stamford Bridge was on 12 January during a miserable loan spell with West Bromwich Albion. He limped off with a hamstring injury after only four minutes and did not play a full game for the rest of the season.
This was a different story. Liverpool had tried just about everything and missed all manner of chances when Sturridge, with as much nonchalance as brilliance, looked up and sent a 25-yard finish in an arc past the stretching Kepa. Sturridge combines athleticism and in-bred goal scoring instinct, as he proved with his bicycle kick in midweek, and would be a certainty for Gareth Southgate’s England squad if he could string together a sequence of games.
As Sturridge walked off, taking the acclaim from Liverpool’s fans, he cut a stark contrast with Salah, who did not last much longer than an hour against his former club and continues to struggle for form. It is hardly crisis time for the Egyptian, who was never likely to repeat his 44-goal feat of last season, but he looks low on confidence – although he possesses such quality it is surely only a matter of time before he returns to his best.
Salah had three opportunities in the first half, with one finish weak and another wayward before he was denied by Antonio Rudiger’s superb goalline clearance.
It simply was not his day; a fact accepted by Klopp as last term’s talisman was removed and replaced by Xherdan Shaqiri midway through the second half. Hazard, as he had at Anfield in midweek, threatened to be the difference between two very good teams as he punished Liverpool once more when he raced away and finished across Alisson in the first half.
He is, without argument, in the highest echelon of players in the world and his quality was reflected in the reaction of Klopp on several occasions when his side presented possession to the Belgian in dangerous positions.
Each time, Klopp clasped his hands to his Liverpool cap in a mixture of exasperation and anxiety, already well aware of the damage Hazard can do. Put simply, if Hazard continues this form, Chelsea and Sarri have every chance of challenging for honours this season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daNxoLcm1EI
Bayer Leverkusen vs Dortmund
Our 1st Pick: 2
Result: 2-4
Borussia Dortmund scored four times in the last 25 minutes to come from two goals down and beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 on Saturday to climb top of the Bundesliga.
Goals from Jacob Bruun Larsen in the 65th minute, Marco Reus in the 69th and two from Paco Alcacer in the last five minutes overturned a 2-0 lead by Bayer Leverkusen after first-half goals from Mitchell Weiser and Jonathan Tah.
Spaniard Alcacer, who joined from Barcelona this season, had come on as a substitute in the 63rd minute. Dortmund now has 14 points, one ahead of champions Bayern Munich, who suffered their first defeat of the season on Friday with a 2-0 loss at Hertha Berlin.
“We kept believing we can turn this around,” said Dortmund coach Lucien Favre. “I think it was a fantastic game for the fans. “We put in a good start. Now we are at the top of the table after six match days. Obviously we are satisfied.”
Reims vs Bordeaux
Our 1st Pick: 1
Result: 0-0
The hosts having played 7 matches came into this encounter in position 14 with 8 points in the 2018-2019 French ligue 1. Their opponents on the other hand, having played 7 matches are at position 10 with 10 points.
The two teams had met a total of 9 times in the past, Reims having won 4 times. Bordeaux 1 time and 4 matches ending as draws which was the eventual outcome in what was a rather lacklustre and forgettable match.
Huesca vs Girona
Our 1st Pick: 1
Result: 1-1
This Sunday’s game saw two of La Liga’s smaller clubs meet. Girona were looking to build on an excellent first season in the top flight while Huesca were doing their upmost to emulate them.
Girona had already shown enough to suggest last season was no one-off but they did come into this following a disappointing home defeat against Betis. While Huesca made a bright start and haven’t played terribly in their matches since, there have been a few too many moments at both ends of the pitch where they’ve looked a bit short on the quality needed to succeed at this level. Defensive lapses and poor finishing had blighted their recent games and four straight defeats at this stage has to be cause for concern when you are a newly promoted team trying to find your feet in the top flight.
With Huesca pointless at home so far and Girona unbeaten in 5 away league games, the value certainly looked to lie with the visitors but we backed the home team to get its first point at home this season and that seemed to be the case as the teams settled for a draw with both goals coming from the penalty spot.
Bologna vs Udinese
Our 1st Pick: 1
Result: 2-1
The hosts had made a terrible start, but they did claim their first goals and three points of the season last weekend. Success against Roma was a huge result for Pippo Inzaghi’s men, and their 2-0 win over the Giallorossi felt like a turning point. It was unlucky for them to face Juve straight after, but they were looking to hopefully carry their form from last weekend over to this one. They weren’t humiliated at the champions, and a 2-0 defeat there is a better fate than many sides will have in Turin this season. However, the hosts needed points, so they couldn’t let this weekend’s opportunity slip.
The issue for the hosts ahead of such a big game was their defensive struggles. They hadn’t been too convincing on the clean sheet front, while they conceded in 79% of their home matches last season. This raised concerns, because Udinese aren’t an easy side to handle on the road. They hit 24 goals on their travels last season, finding the net in 79% of their trips. They scored at every bottom half side, and so far the Zebrette had four goals in three trips.
Bologna had started to pick up their scoring form, and we felt that they would be able to find the target this weekend. A goal from Santander and a late winner by Orsolini was enough to seal the victory for the hosts while the visitors got their consolation via an Ignacio Pussetto goal.
Cardiff vs Burnley
Our 1st Pick: X
Result: 1-2
Burnley continued their Premier League revival, securing back-to-back wins for the first time since April with a 2-1 victory at struggling Cardiff on super Sunday. Second-half strikes from Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Wales international Sam Vokes were enough to secure the win for Sean Dyche’s men, who now find themselves 12th in the table having overcome a difficult start to the campaign.
Josh Murphy broke his Cardiff duck with his first Premier League goal to equalise on the hour, but Vokes’ winner confirmed a fourth consecutive defeat for Neil Warnock’s side. It means Cardiff, who remain second-bottom in the Premier League, is without a win from their first seven games back in the top flight.
There were a total of 8 away wins, 5 draws and 4 home wins in last week’s Sportpesa Megajackpot which was won by one lucky individual.
That’s it for another pulsating week of our sportpesa megajackpot post-match breakdown. There were some surprising results but with each failure one can only hope to learn. Here’s a tip for all our sports betting enthusiasts, sometimes stats may favor a particular team but dig deeper and trust by your gut. Sometime your winning slip could be hinged on you backing the underdog and going against the norm. As they say, fortune favors the bold. Be on the lookout for our Sportpesa Megajackpot Predictions this week.
At Multibets Kenya, we have something for everyone and always remember to bet responsibly.
