Tips — Sunday, 9 August 2026

💬 There is very little between these two teams. Kawasaki have won only 6 of their last 19 games, and they score 0.9 a game on the road. Tokyo Verdy have lost by 2 or more only 4 times in their last 20. A 1-1 tie looks the likely result, so Verdy should stay in this one.

💬 Nagasaki are the stronger side and ended last season with two 1-0 wins. Kyoto were poor on the road, scoring only 0.7 goals a game in ten away trips. Kyoto did win both meetings this year, so this is no gift. Still, a 1-0 Nagasaki win looks the likely result.

💬 Manchester City are the stronger side, even with Haaland and Rodri missing. They have won 11 of their last 18 games and let in only 0.9 goals a game. Atletico have lost 9 of their last 18 and have brought a squad full of academy players. It is a friendly on neutral ground, so lineups will change, but a 2-1 City win looks likely.

💬 Hannover tie a lot of games, tying 7 of their last 16. Their last three games all ended level. Hannover finished fourth last season, so Cottbus have a real step up here. Cottbus did not lose at home last season, winning 3 and tying 3, and a 1-1 looks likely.

💬 Nurnberg tie a lot of games. They tied 6 of their last 15, and three of their final five. Dresden are weaker on the road, but they won 2-0 at this ground in April. Dresden have lost by 2 or more only once in 14 games, and a 1-1 tie looks likely.

💬 Neither side scores many goals, and this should stay quiet. St Pauli score 0.8 a game, and their games have 2.6 goals in total on average. Fürth's games have averaged 2.4 goals. A 2-0 St Pauli win fits, and we like the low scoring read here.

💬 Degerfors have lost 5 games in a row and did not score in 4 of their last 5. Malmo have won 8 of the last 10 meetings between these two. Malmo are missing several defenders, which is the worry here. Even so, a 2-0 Malmo win looks the likely result.

💬 Chelsea's games have 3.3 goals in total on average, with 3 or more in 11 of their last 16. Johor have won 13 of their last 17 games and score plenty. Chelsea play their second game in 24 hours and will change most of the team. The most likely score is a 1-2 Chelsea win, but a loose friendly like this can open right up.

💬 Hacken have lost only 3 of their last 16 games, and rarely by a big margin. Hammarby had just 3 days rest, and Hacken had 8. Hammarby are strong at their own ground and should still win this. A 2-1 to Hammarby fits, and Hacken should keep it close enough.

💬 Kilmarnock have lost by 2 or more goals in just 2 of their last 18 games. Celtic keep winning, but often by one goal, including last week's 1-0 over Dundee. Kilmarnock are hard to beat at Rugby Park, where they win most games. Celtic should win a 1-2, and Kilmarnock should stay in touch.

💬 Lillestrom have lost their last two games, including a 0-4 beating at Bodo/Glimt. Rosenborg have won 3 of their last 5 games. Rosenborg do travel poorly and are missing Islamovic and Fossum. A 1-1 tie looks the likely result, and that suits Rosenborg.

💬 Liverpool have Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo back for this last warm up game. At home they have won 6, tied 3 and lost 2, scoring about 2 goals a game. Monaco are a good side who have lost by 2 or more goals just once in their last 16. A 2-1 Liverpool win looks most likely, so we take Liverpool without expecting a big win.

💬 Falkirk let in 1.8 goals a game and their games have 3.4 goals in them on average. 11 of Falkirk's last 18 games had 3 or more goals. Motherwell score 1.6 a game and are unbeaten in four under Alfred Johansson. These meetings have been tight lately, but we read this as a 2-1 home win.

💬 Hearts have lost their last five games and let in 14 goals in their last four. Findlay is suspended and four more defenders are out, so their back line is patched up. Dundee Utd have had 9 days rest, Hearts only 3 since their trip to Lisbon. A 1-1 tie looks the most likely score, and Dundee Utd should keep this tight.

💬 Waterford have tied 8 of their last 20 games and are unbeaten in five. They tie a lot at their own ground too, 5 times in 11 games there. Bohemians are the better team, but they play 3 days after a 0-2 loss in Europe. A return leg follows, so changes are likely, and a 1-1 tie looks most likely.

💬 Cruzeiro let in just 0.7 goals a game, and their games have 2.0 goals in them on average. 12 of their last 18 games had 2 goals or fewer. Mirassol score only 0.7 goals per away game and have players missing as well. Two of the last three meetings had 3 goals or more, but a 1-0 Cruzeiro win looks most likely.

💬 Halmstad score just 0.7 goals a game, the worst attack in the league. Gais are little better on the road, scoring 0.88 goals per away game. The last two meetings both finished 1-1, and these games average 2.4 goals. Gais also have six players out, and a 0-1 away win looks most likely.

💬 IFK Goteborg have scored just one goal a game in their nine home games. They played Gent three days ago and are missing two forwards. Kalmar have had eight days to rest and let in 1.4 goals a game. A 1-1 tie looks likely, and Kalmar look good enough to stay in it.

💬 Ham-Kam score 1.4 goals a game, so they win without piling on goals. Aalesund have not won by 2 or more goals in their last 18 games. Ham-Kam should lead, and Aalesund carry enough to pull one back. A 2-1 looks the most likely score, which keeps the goal count down.

💬 Rangers have won 13 of the last 20 meetings with Hibernian. They score 2.6 goals a game and won by 2 or more in 6 of their last 17. Hibernian are missing three players, including centre back Rocky Bushiri. Rangers should win this, but a 2-1 is the most likely score.

💬 Marseille have had 3 or more goals in 12 of their last 18 games. Athletic Club let in more than two goals a game away from home last season. Marseille should build a lead and Athletic Club pull one back once both benches empty. A 2-1 to Marseille looks the most likely score, so this should not be quiet.

💬 St Patrick's have tied three of their last four league games 1-1. Only 7 of their last 19 games had 3 or more goals. Shelbourne are three days back from a 1-3 loss at Ajax and will sit deep. A 1-1 looks the most likely result, and this should stay a low-scoring game.

💬 Spartak have been very good at home, winning 6 of their 8 games there. Krasnodar are hard to beat too, losing just 1 of their last 16 games. Neither side has lost by 2 or more goals in their last 16. Spartak are our pick of the game, but they need a win, and 1-1 looks likely.

💬 Molde's games have 3.3 goals in them on average, and 10 of their last 16 had three or more. Kristiansund let in 1.7 goals a game and have lost four of their last five. A 1-2 win for Molde looks the likely score, which means goals at both ends. The last two meetings were very tight, so this is a solid pick rather than a certainty.

💬 Both Parma and Sampdoria score only 0.9 goals a game. Parma have not played for 77 days and Sampdoria for 93, so both will be rusty. Their last 18 meetings averaged 2.4 goals in total. A scrappy 1-1 looks the likely score, and few goals is the sensible call.

💬 Bahia have tied each of their last three league games. They are missing five players, including Erick Pulga and M. Moreno up front. Vasco have won 8 and tied 5 of their last 19 games. A 1-1 looks the likely score, so Vasco should keep this close.

💬 Palmeiras lead the league on 47 points and score 1.9 goals a game. Internacional sit 17th and have lost four of their last five league games. Palmeiras are missing six players though, including three centre-backs. A 2-1 win for Palmeiras looks the likely score, and quality should tell.

💬 Atletico Paranaense score just 0.56 goals a game away from home. The last 20 meetings between these two averaged 2.1 goals. Santos look busier in front of goal, but that came from cup wins over weaker teams. A 1-0 looks the likely score, so expect a quiet, low-scoring game.

💬 Bragantino let in only 0.8 goals a game and Corinthians let in 0.9. Only 6 of Corinthians' last 18 games had three or more goals. The last 20 meetings between them averaged 1.9 goals. A 1-0 to Bragantino looks the likely score in a tight, low-scoring game.

💬 Vitoria's games are usually busy, with 3 or more goals in 12 of their last 20. The last 19 meetings between these two averaged 3.3 goals. Vitoria are missing three of their centre backs and let in 2 goals a game on the road. A 2-0 to Flamengo is still the most likely score, but three goals is well within reach.