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Spain Cup, EFL Cup, Turkish Cup & Friendlies

With the World Cup concluded, attention returns to club football in this weirdest of club campaigns. Premier League action returns on Boxing Day, but before then there is plenty of football to sink your teeth into, with profitable lines to be found on BetKing.

Manchester City v Liverpool

As far as stepping down from the World Cup goes, this is definitely one to look forward to. Liverpool’s campaign has not gone to plan so far, but they showed signs of resurgence just before the World Cup began, and are one of the few teams that have actually beaten Manchester City this term.

For their part, the Citizens would probably have been grateful for the World Cup break, as it would have afforded them the opportunity to clear their heads somewhat and regroup for the second half of the season. While they remain within touching distance in the league and are going reasonably well on other fronts, they clearly were not at their brilliant best; with their stars largely performing poorly in Qatar and a rested Erling Haaland, they have the impetus to go on a strong run now.

Both sides will likely use this as a tune-up for league action, which resumes on Boxing Day. that should mean fairly strong squads, and therefore some exciting football on offer. Recent cup meetings between these sides have tended to be open, and this will likely follow the same pattern.

Over 2.5 total goals at 1.58 odds
Both teams to score (Yes) at 1.48 odds
Under 9.5 total corners at 1.84 odds
Half-time draw/Manchester City to win at full time (HT/FT) at 5.40 odds

Galatasaray v Keciorengucu

Galatasaray,who sit in second place in the Turkish Super Lig, welcome second-tier Keciorengucu for a tie in the Cup on Thursday.

The record champions may only be two points off leaders Fenerbahce, but things look a lot less healthy when one considers their goal balance. Simply put, Gala do not score a lot of goals; even more concerning, they let in quite a bit at the other end. Remarkably, they have only managed three clean sheets in their last 10 matches in all competitions, and were made to sweat for a come-from-behind 2-1 win over third-division strugglers Ofspor in the previous round.

Keciorengucu are hardly entertainers themselves, but they did play out a classic against Bulvaspor to advance to this stage, and have lost only one of their last five matches. They should provide stern opposition, if for nothing else because both their previous meetings with Gala have seen both teams score. This, combined with the fact Galatasaray are far from prolific, offers the possibility of an upset.

Over 2.5 total goals at 1.41 odds
Both teams to score (Yes) at 1.79 odds
Galatasaray to win at half-time and full-time (HT/FT) at 1.71 odds

Cacereno v Girona

It’s a meeting between a team in the Spanish fourth tier and a LaLiga side, a quirk of the Copa Del Rey draw system in Spain. When Girona are not too busy being a feeder club for Manchester City, they are capable of playing some decent football, as they showed in their recent draw with Real Madrid. They also score goals with a fair amount of regularity, a fact that will not be lost on their modest opponents.

Cacereno have not lost in their last seven matches, and beat a Cordoba side who are top of the division above convincingly in the previous round. This is a gutsy team, with Ivan Fernandez and Ruben Solano making the difference at the other end. They should play their part in what should be an open, engaging encounter.

Over 2.5 total goals at 1.88 odds
Both teams to score (Yes) at 2.40 odds
Draw at half-time and Girona to win at full-time (HT/FT) at 3.95 odds

SD Gernika v Celta Vigo

Celta can be an odd side to analyse at the best of times, but one thing they seem well capable of doing is beating sides they are supposed to. The previous round saw them take out CD Alagar 6-1 away from home; clearly, even as they struggle in LaLiga, they boast enough firepower to give minnows a torrid evening.

It is just as well then, for Gernika, that they are in reasonably good form, undefeated in six matches. They dispatched Leganes in the previous round on penalties as well, so they are not to be underestimated.

All that only gives them a fighting chance against Celta, however. New boss Carlos Carvalhal seems to be steadying the ship after taking over at the end of October, and with a number of important players avoiding the exertion of the World Cup, they are in a strong position ahead of this one.

Over 2.5 total goals at 1.72 odds
Both teams to score (No) at 1.45 odds
Celta Vigo to win at half-time and full-time (HT/FT) at 1.67 odds

CD Arenteiro v Atletico Madrid

This has the makings of a miserable football match. Arenteiro are top of the table in Group 1 of the Spanish fourth tier, but have only scored 16 goals in 15 matches. Their place at the top of the table is sustained by their defensive record: they have conceded only seven. Atletico, as is common knowledge by now, are a quite defensive outfit themselves, and so there is unlikely to be a lot of goals in this one.

As a matter of fact, in fixtures like these, los Rojiblancos have made an art of the narrow but decisive win. In the previous round, they came out on top 2-0 against obscure Almazan. However, there is a small wrinkle. No single European club was more heavily represented in the World Cup final than Atleti, and so it is unlikely they will be at full strength. That further dampens the prospect of any excitement here, and lengthens the odds on a high-scoring encounter.