Come on Colchester, Norwich, Barnet and, erm, Costa Rica!

The Spoiler’s knowledge of Costa Rican football isn’t as good as it once was and, in truth, it was never that good to begin with. However, after watching Uruguay’s toothless performance against Argentina last month, our hunch is that they can get a result tomorrow night. Here’s why they’re one of four teams in our accumulator this weekend…

Colchester (v Exeter)
The only team they’ve failed to beat at home in the league this season are Leeds. Exeter have lost all four of their away games with top-half sides.

Norwich (v Tranmere)
The Canaries haven’t lost at Carrow Road since their opening day humiliation. Tranmere’s only away points came against bottom side Wycombe.

Barnet (v Hereford)
Ian Hendon’s men are unbeaten at Underhill and have won their last three there to nil. Hereford are yet to win away.

Costa Rica (v Uruguay)
They’ve won nine of their last ten home games, with victims including World Cup qualifiers USA and Honduras.

For a £10 stake, you can win £103.50 on Betfair with this quadruple.

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Hopefully we’ll be bored to tears by events at Anfield tonight

Nine successive Liverpool home games in the Premier League had featured at least three goals prior to the 2-0 win over Manchester United 15 days ago. Here’s why we’re hoping that the flood is about to be followed by a drought…

» The last three meetings between the two sides have all featured under 2.5 goals, with just three goals scored in total during the encounters. Incidentally, Liverpool won none of them.

» Premier League games this season have averaged 3.03 goals a game but Birmingham’s have featured the fewest of any top-flight club, with just 20 in 11 matches - 1.82 a match.

» Liverpool’s is among the highest because of their goal-heavy clashes with Stoke, Burnley and Hull but three of their last four have failed to breach the 2.5 barrier.

You can find odds of 2.28 (almost 13/10) on Betfair that there will be under 2.5 goals in tonight’s game.

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Who do we turn to in our hour of need? Steve McClaren!

It’s been a horrible few days. Firstly, Man United flopped when all the long shots in our Champions League accumulator delivered and then Lyon once again mugged Liverpool in injury time yesterday.

When your luck is down, you probably don’t want to be relying on a Goodison Park goalfest, Spanish strugglers finding form and Steve McClaren. The Spoiler loves a long shot though…

Over 2.5 goals in Everton/Benfica
Six of Everton’s last seven European games have produced three goals or more. Benfica are the most prolific team in Portugal by miles and thumped five

It’s time for Rafa to dig himself out of yet another hole

Yesterday The Spoiler picked out a four-team accumulator and were just one goal away from celebrating a tidy £104.70 profit. With Liverpool a tasty 21/10 on 888sport to win away to Lyon tonight, we’re relying on Rafa’s knack of delivering results when they matter most to make us some money. Here’s why we’re trusting the Reds:

» No team has ever done the double over Liverpool in the Champions League group stage since Rafael Benitez arrived in 2004 and only one side - Benfica in 2006 - have beaten the Reds twice in the same season in the competition.

» Liverpool have won their last four Champions League games in France, beating Bordeaux, Toulouse and Marseille (twice).

» Lyon have triumphed in just four of their last 12 home matches in the competition and were beaten 2-0 by regular strugglers Sochaux the last time they stepped foot in the Stade Gerland.

Click to claim £50 of free bets when opening an 888sport account

Our attempt to turn a £10 note into ten £10 notes

The Spoiler has a bit of a soft spot for Chris Hughton but he let us down badly last night by leaving the Hare well and truly malnourished at Bramall Lane - using him in only the last six minutes to render yesterday’s bet null and void.

Today, we’re taking no chances, pursuing an accumulator so that nothing besides the weather and floodlight failure can rule the bet pointless. We’re looking to turn £10 into £104.70 by backing Juventus, Porto, Wolfsburg and Manchester United to win tonight. Here’s why:

Maccabi Haifa v Juventus - The Israelis have lost all three of their matches so far without scoring.

APOEL v Porto - Porto won their first group meeting and over the past three seasons, whenever they do that they go on to complete a double.

Besiktas v Wolfsburg - A big ask, although Besiktas have lost four of their last ten home games and have scored just once this season in Europe.

Manchester United v CSKA Moscow - United are unbeaten in 23 Champions League matches at Old Trafford, of which they have won 18.

Combine these four together using the Betfair Coupon and you stand to win over ten times your initial stake!

Click here to claim a free £25 bet when opening a Betfair account 

Bramall Lane is a happy hunting ground for Harewood

It’s difficult to confidently argue in favour of either team ahead of tonight’s TV offering of Sheffield United v Newcastle, with the hosts winless in six and the Magpies having ended three of their last four away games empty-handed.

Therefore, our attention turns to Marlon Harewood, a boo-boy victim during last weekend’s 2-1 home win over Doncaster. Assuming Chris Hughton is brave enough to risk the wrath of the Toon Army by starting the Hare, his Betfair odds of 3.75 (11/4) to score are worth a glance.

The 30-year-old isn’t the most prolific striker in the world, which is why his record of five goals in his last seven meetings with Sheffield United - and two on his last three visits to Bramall Lane - is worth paying attention to.

It could also prove a blessing that he is playing away from the sceptical St James’ Park support - six of his last eight league goals have come on the road.

Click here to claim a free £25 bet when opening a Betfair account

The latest transfer gossip, rumours and damned lies

Joleon Lescott to Manchester City
The Times are reporting that the Everton defender spoke to manager David Moyes yesterday to tell him that he wants to join Manchester City and spent the evening writing a letter to chairman Bill Kenwright.

The Spoiler truth-o-meter: It’s claimed that the Toffees are holding out for £30 million but an offer of £22 million may prove too good to turn down for England’s fourth-choice centre-back.

Alberto Aquilani to Liverpool
The Spanish press were reporting yesterday that Liverpool have reached an

The latest transfer gossip, rumours and damned lies

Andrea Pirlo, Franck Ribery and Sergio Aguero to Chelsea
Chelsea have been searching all summer for what they call a “marquee name” and now The Daily Mail expect them to bring three in at once by spending £100 million on Pirlo, Ribery and Aguero.

The Spoiler truth-o-meter: The Blues have been linked with Pirlo ever since Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment and that looks a reasonable possibility but Bayern Munich have said Ribery is no longer available and Aguero is supposedly happy to stay in Spain.

Joe Cole to Spurs
Obviously the arrival of two more midfielders would damage Cole’s chances of