Tips — Friday, 7 August 2026

💬 Kashima are the better team here and they are hard to score against. They have won 14 of their last 19 games and let in only 0.7 goals a game. Yokohama have lost 8 of their last 18 and let in 1.4 a game. Neither side is at home, and a 1-0 Kashima win looks the most likely score.

💬 Gamba have won only two of eight games at their own ground. Urawa have won only 5 of their last 17 games. These two play close games, with four of the last five ending 1-0 or 0-1. A 1-0 Gamba win is still the likeliest single score, but Urawa should keep this tight.

💬 Bochum have won only 4 of their last 13 games, so they are no sure thing. Hertha have won 5 and tied 3 of their last 14, so they are no pushover. Both squads were rebuilt this summer and have been off for 82 days. Three of the last five meetings finished 1-1, and we expect another tight 1-1.

💬 Derry have won by 2 or more goals in just 3 of their last 20 games. They are five days off a tie at St Pat's, with their European exit the week before. Sligo sit bottom and struggle to score away, but they keep games close and tied their last two. We expect a narrow 1-0 Derry win.

💬 Galway score 2 goals a game at home and have won five there this season. Their games have hit 3 or more goals in 13 of their last 20. Drogheda let in 2.25 goals a game on the road. We read this as a 2-1 Galway win, with goals at both ends.

💬 Rovers have won 12 of their last 19 games and sit 14 points clear of Dundalk. They have won 8 of their 10 home games at Tallaght. Dundalk travel well though, and they won the last meeting here 1-0. Rovers are three days off a European game and missing five players, so a narrow 1-0 is our read.

💬 Singapore have not lost in their last five games, with four wins and a tie. They let in only 0.8 goals a game and defend deep and well. Indonesia lost 0-3 to Vietnam four days ago and have had less rest. A tight 1-1 is the most likely score, and that suits Singapore.

💬 Vietnam have won by four or more in only 3 of their last 14 games. They usually do just enough, then manage the game out. Cambodia have lost by 2 or more goals in only 1 of their last 9 games. Vietnam have a semi-final four days later, so expect a controlled 3-0 kind of win.

💬 Neither of these games tends to get busy. Only 2 of Palermo's last 16 games went past three goals, and 4 of Melbourne City's last 20. Palermo have not played a competitive game in 79 days, so expect a steady 1-1 type friendly.

💬 Bayern score plenty, at 3.3 goals a game. Their games have 4.7 goals in total on average, and 14 of their last 18 had 3 or more. Villa are scoring well too, at 2.2 a game with 10 of 15 games hitting 3 or more. Neither defense is at full speed here, and a 3-2 type score looks right.

💬 Palace have played three games in the last few weeks and had only seven days off. Fulham have not played in 75 days and score just one goal a game. Palace are missing Mateta and Sarr, their two main attackers, so neither side looks likely to win big. A 1-1 tie is our read, and Palace have enough to avoid defeat.