26-06-2007 Premiere League Cup Betting Analysis from PinnacleSports.com

Though the Bundesliga doesn’t kick off until August 10th, fans of German football will only have to twiddle their thumbs until July 21st when the Premiere League Cup begins. The six team pre-season competition starts with a unique double-header at Dusseldorf’s LTU Arena, when as with the regular season of Europe’s five major leagues, PinnacleSports.com will be offering unbeatable 102% match markets.

The Premiere League Cup is contested by the four best placed teams from the previous Bundesliga season – Stuttgart (1st), Schalke (2nd), Werder Bremen (3rd) and Bayern Munich (4th); plus the champions of Bundesliga second division – Karlsruher; and the winner of the German (DFB) Cup - Nurnberg.

Schalke and Karlsruher kick-off the first of the two opening round matches at the LTU Arena, with the winner facing a semi-final trip to Nurnberg on July 24th, hoping to make it to the final which takes place in Leipzig on July 28th.

Schalke will be favourites with PinnacleSports.com to see off Bundesliga new boys Karlsruher who return to the top-flight after a nine-year absence. The winners of the German second division have a poor record in this mini-tournament. Since it started in 1997 the promoted side have never won the event or even made the final.

Returning to the Bundesliga is nothing short of a minor miracle for KSC who spent a season in the Regionalliga Sud (3rd Division) in 2000/01 following a financial meltdown at the club. Last season KSC did however show marked improvement maintaining an unbeaten run for the first 14 games of the season, and became the first team in the history of Bundesliga 2 to maintain a top-two position for the entire season.

Schalke will have had the summer to reflect on the disappointment of letting the Bundesliga title slip through their fingers, having led for a large portion of the season. Coach, Mirko Slomka, has sought to strengthen his squad defensively by signing centre-back, Heiko Westermann, from Arminia Bielefeld, the most established of several early signings which focus on emerging talent. Heading out the door after three seasons at the Veltins Arena is Brazilian midfield playmaker, Lincoln, who joins Turkish side Galatasaray.

The sides last met in 1998 sharing a goalless draw during KSC’s most recent stint in the Bundesliga. If that result was repeated the game would immediately revert to penalties as the Premiere League Cup does not operate extra time.

Soon after the opening game between Schalke and Karlsruher ends at the LTU Arena on July 21, Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich will run out at the same venue providing fans with a mouth-watering double bill. The winners of that game will face a semi-final trip to Bundesliga champions Stuttgart, with the final taking place in Leipzig on July 28th.

Werder are the defending champions having beaten Bayern 2-0 in the 2006 final, but a re-run of that showdown won’t happen as the sides are drawn together in the first round. The Premiere League Cup, or Ligapokal as it is known by Germans, will give Bayern Munich fans the first opportunity to take a look at coach, Ottmar Hitzfeld’s major summer signings. This is a pivotal season for the Bavarians after failing to qualify for the Champions League, and losing Owen Hargreaves, Claudio Pizarro, Mehmet Scholl and Hasan Salihamidzic.

As part of a rebuilding process Hitzfeld fought off fierce competition to land the signature of 24 year old French international winger, Franck Ribery, from Marseille. Known for his dribbling skills Ribery will be expected to provide the ammunition for Azzurri striker, Luca Toni, signed from Serie A side, Fiorentina for 11 million euros. Toni earned the European Golden Boot award in 2006 after scoring 26 goals in the Italian top flight. Munich also welcome back former favourite, Ze Roberto. The Brazilian midfield enforcer had returned home to play for Santos for one season, helping them win the Paulista, but concerns around the security of his family have led him to return to the German giants.

All Werder fans will hope that their talismanic international striker, Miroslav Klose, will be lining up for Bremen in the Premiere League Cup. His current contract ends in June 2008, and speculation has consistently linked him with the Bayern Munich, so there is some uncertainty as which side of the pitch Klose will play any part of Werder’s pre-season program which includes a game in Liechtenstein against FC Basel, on July 14th. There is some good news for Bremen fans with German international, Torsten Frings, extending his contract with the club.

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