Pools tips for this weekend May 21-22

This will be my final pools blog for this English football season. Normal service will be resumed in August.




Treble chance (home teams): Bolton, Manchester United, Newcastle, Juventus, Toulouse, Deportivo La Coruna, Espanyol, Real Sociedad, Racing Santander, Albacete.


Best draws: Bolton, Manchester United, Newcastle, Juventus, Deportivo La Coruna.


Aways: Liverpool, Wigan, Lorient, Sporting Gijon, Atletico Madrid.


Homes: Everton, Tottenham, West Ham, Wolves, Genoa, Roma, Rennes, Levante, Real Madrid.




Pick of the draws: Manchester City are buoyant at the moment, having won the FA Cup and moved into third place in the Premier League. Their hosts, Bolton, however, will be keen to arrest an end-of-season slide and have lost only three home games. Manchester United are bound to rest some key players before their Champions League final against Barcelona on Saturday week, but I still think they'll be strong enough to share the spoils with Blackpool, who need at least a draw to have any chance of escaping relegation. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will make sure whatever team he fields will be as committed as ever, while Blackpool know no other way than to attack. Newcastle have drawn seven matches at St James' Park this season. They will probably make it eight against West Bromwich, who are one point and one place above them. Too many draws have hindered Juventus in this season's Italian League and I won't be surprised if they get another against third-placed Napoli. Although Deportivo La Coruna have had a disappointing season in the Spanish League, they are capable of matching the better sides - like visitors Valencia.


Away days: Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool had a blip against Tottenham last Sunday, but I'm taking them to bounce back against Aston Villa and finish the season in style. Wigan's terrific comeback when beating West Ham on Sunday should give them the confidence to win at Stoke, which will probably enable them to stay in the Premier League. In the French League, Lorient are worth a punt to prevail at out-of-sorts Nice. In the Spanish League, Sporting Gijon are a good bet to take maximum points off lowly Hercules and Atletico Madrid should be backed at Mallorca.


Homes sweet homes: Everton were unlucky to lose against West Bromwich last Saturday and can put that right against Chelsea, whose Premier League campaign is ending in anti-climax. Tottenham to clinch a Europa League place with victory over Birmingham, who look bound for relegation. Now that they are relegated, West Ham may be able to relax against Sunderland, for whom the season cannot end soon enough. Two consecutive victories have put Wolves in great heart in their battle to escape the drop and I fancy them to complete the job against Blackburn, who are still in danger themselves. Levante, who held Valencia to a goalless draw away last weekend, should be too strong for struggling Real Zaragoza in the Spanish League.