Kevin Hatchard's European Tips: Back star strikers to net and visitors to win Basque derby | OneFootball

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Kevin Hatchard's back with another trio of tips

It's another intriguing weekend on the continent, and Kevin Hatchard has three bets for us across Germany, Spain and France...

Football... Only Bettor. Listen to the latest episode now.

Hamburg v Bayern - Take advantage of Tottenham connection

Saturday 31 January, 17:30Live on Sky Sports Football

It's been a tough start to the year for Hamburg. Sporting director Stefan Kuntz left the club amidst allegations of sexual harassment, and now winger Jean-Luc Dompe has been suspended after being detained by police for drink-driving.

On the field, HSV have suffered a five-match winless run, and they have drawn their last two games 0-0. Merlin Polzin's men are just three points above the dropzone, and the idea of going straight back down after spending seven years trying to get back into the top division is unthinkable.

One bright spark in the season has been on-loan Tottenham centre-back Luka Vuskovic. The 18-year-old Croatian is a man mountain, he plays with great passion (he once punched a goalpost after missing a chance and damaged two of his fingers) and he is really comfortable in possession. He is also a threat at set plays, scoring three goals and having at least one goal attempt in 15 of his 19 games for club and country.

Bayern were undone by a set play in their shock 2-1 home defeat to Augsburg last weekend, a reverse that ruined their chances of an unbeaten Bundesliga season. They bounced back by winning 2-1 at PSV to secure second spot in the Champions League, as Harry Kane fired home a well-struck winner.

Kane has rattled in 21 Bundesliga goals and has scored a further 13 across the Champions League and DFB Pokal. In 127 games for Bayern he has scored a staggering 120 goals, and the England captain is thought to be in contract talks with the club.

In the reverse fixture, Kane scored twice in a 5-0 win, and I'll double up a Kane goal with a Vuskovic shot at 13/10 on the Bet Builder.

Athletic Club v Real Sociedad - Visitors to avoid defeat

Sunday 01 February, 20:00Live on Premier Sports

It's turning into a horrible season for Athletic Club. On Wednesday they were twice in front at home to Sporting, only for the Portuguese champions to turn things around in a 3-2 away win. A 94th-minute goal sealed Athletic Club's exit from the competition, and Ernesto Valverde's men have now lost six of their last ten competitive games.

In La Liga, the Bilbao side have already suffered a staggering 11 defeats, and only rock-bottom Real Oviedo have been beaten more often. Valverde will always be a hero for ending Athletic's decades-long trophy drought by winning the 2024 Copa del Rey, but the credit he had in the bank is dwindling.

Now, Basque rivals Real Sociedad come to San Mames, and they have benefited from a recent coaching change. Former Stuttgart and Hoffenheim boss Pellegrino Matarazzo has led the team to a famous win over Barcelona, and a five-match unbeaten run has pushed the team above Athletic and into the top eight.

La Real won the reverse fixture 3-2, and they have only lost four of the last 13 Basque derbies between these old foes. We can back them +0 & +0.5 here at 1.96 on the Asian Handicap, which gives us a half-win if the game is drawn, and a full winner at nearly evens if the visitors take all three points.

Lyon v Lille - On loan Madrid start to net again

Sunday February 01, 14:00Live on Ligue 1 Pass

After the chaos of the John Textor reign, experienced football investor Michelle Kang has Lyon on a more stable footing. OL are currently fourth in Ligue 1, and coach Paulo Fonseca is doing a fine job.

Fonseca's cause has been aided by the winter signing of Real Madrid striker Endrick on loan. Madrid's surfeit of attacking talent saw Endrick on the outside with his nose pressed up against the glass, but at Lyon he has the chance to get star billing.

The Brazilian international is desperate to force his way into national team boss Carlo Ancelotti's plans for the World Cup, and the 19-year-old is playing like someone who wants to impress. He bagged a hat-trick in last weekend's 5-2 victory at Metz, and he netted the winner at Lille in the Coupe de France.

Endrick will face the same opponents in the league this weekend, and at a hefty 8/5 we simply have to back him to score again. Lille's season is completely unravelling, with a run of three straight league defeats complementing the cup exit to Lyon. Last weekend, Lille were demolished 4-1 at home by Strasbourg, and with 29 goals conceded they now have the worst defensive record in the top eight.

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