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    Thursday acca: Beleaguered Barcelona to get back on track, plus five other selections

    Michael GrahamMichael Graham23 September 2021
    Rold Araujo

    Rold Araujo

    Barca need a win, and them getting one against Cadiz should the the cornerstone of your Thursday accumulator.

    Thursday nights can produce a veritable feast of soccer from across Europe for your viewing and betting pleasure, and this one is no different.

    There are three games apiece in both La Liga and Serie A, with all the usual stories and subplots attached.

    With that in mind, we took a look at some ideas you may want to consider for a soccer accumulator.

    And you can still take advantage of our fantastic new ACCA INSURANCE offer to help you out placing your Thursday evening wagers. This promotion is available to new and existing Planet Sport Bet customers, and full T&Cs apply.

    Cadiz vs Barcelona

    Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman cannot afford anything other than a win in this one if he is to keep his job.

    Many reports suggest his fate is already sealed regardless, with it just a matter of a replacement being secured, but for now Koeman is still in there and fighting.
    Whether or not the Barcelona players are still fighting for him, though, is another question entirely.

    They were thrashed by Bayern Munich in the Champions League earlier this month and then salvaged a last-gasp draw at home to Granada last time out.

    Cadiz are yet to win at home this season, however, so back Barcelona and Koeman may get some blessed relief.

    Osasuna vs Real Betis

    Both of these sides find themselves in the middle of the La Liga table after five matches, so there doesn't appear much between them.

    That suggests a draw, but we'd urge punters to resist that temptation.

    Real Betis have only lost one match this season, and that was against Real Madrid. Even then, Carlo Ancelotti's men were made to work exceptionally hard for it.

    The same can be said for Osasuna. Valencia are the only team to beat them, although that was something of a rout.
    They have yet to win at home, though, and that raises doubts about how well suited they are to taking the game to the opposition.

    Osasuna also have a dreadful record against Betis, who they have not beaten since 2014. Of the seven matches they have played since, Betis have won six.

    This should make it seven.

    Granada vs Real Sociedad

    Granada got what was a very creditable draw at Barcelona last time out, although they ended up being bit-parts in the Ronald Koeman story.

    Despite that result, Granada have endured a torrid start to the season. They are yet to win a game, although in fairness they have drawn three of the five they have played.

    Sociedad, on the other hand, have started very impressively indeed. They recovered from an opening-day thrashing against Barcelona to win three on the bounce and draw one and are currently sitting pretty in the Champions League spots.

    They don't have a lot of goals in them, but they may not need many to put away this Granada side.

    Sampdoria vs Napoli

    This match is arguably the most exciting on the Thursday list, with both teams looking full of goals.

    The easy call to make would be to look at the Serie A table, see Napoli sitting in second with a 100% record and back them to win. It may not be the smart call, though.

    Sampdoria have looked good at home this season, and held champions and leaders Inter Milan to a draw there earlier in the season.

    As good as Napoli have looked, they are obviously going to drop points along the way.

    They have enough to get something from the game, though, so backing the draw looks like the shrewd middle ground.

    Torino vs Lazio

    This looks about as tight a contest to call as you are likely to find right now.

    Both teams have had a mixed start to the season and both find themselves already rooted in the middle of the table.

    We are going to take Lazio here, though, simply because they are a better side. There was a big gulf between them in the table last season, and little to suggest things have changed drastically over the summer.

    Torino are chasing a third straight win, so they will be confident, but Lazio will be a step up in quality of opposition.

    Roma vs Udinese

    Roma have made a fine start under new boss Jose Mourinho, winning three of their first four Serie A games.

    They came surprisingly unstuck at Verona last time out, but back at the Stadio Olympico you have to fully expect them to bounce back.
    Udinese have made a decent start themselves, but a 4-0 home walloping to Napoli last weekend is unlikely to have done their confidence much good.
    Back Roma to return to winning ways here, and probably with a degree of ease.

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