McCror's Top Tips In Association with 
Every week our in house tipster Mike McCrorie shares his views on the upcoming fixtures and provides sound betting tips on selected games.
Mike is a keen follower of all the major European leagues and has an excellent track record when it comes to picking winners. He likes to justify his selections in detail - therefore giving you more confidence when you place your bets.
This week's selections are below. You can also follow Mike on Twitter, where he posts regular updates, by clicking the available link.
Milan up for the fight in Florence
Fiorentina vs AC Milan (Sat)
 Having not won the Serie A for six years, after previously averaging a championship once every two years between 1992 and 2004, the pressure hung heavily on the shoulders of Massimo Allegri when he took the Rossoneri reins last June. Nevertheless, with the help of some wily business in the transfer market, the Brazilian brought an immediate end to the club’s barren spell and restored Silvio Berlusconi’s AC Milan back to the top of the Italian game.
Consequently, the feel good factor is back around the red and black half of the San Siro and, having put a shaky opening spell behind them, Milan are beginning to display title winning form once again. The pummelling of Catania in their previous fixture signalled five wins on the bounce, making Allegri’s men Serie A’s form team and moving them into third place, only a point behind leaders Udinese. A major factor in the upturn in fortunes has been the increase in their proficiency in front of goal - Milan’s first five matches yielded just five goals, whereas in their most recent five they have scored a whopping 18 times.
There were lots of murmurs surrounding the loss of Andrea Pirlo to Juventus on a free transfer, but the reality is that Milan’s midfield still contains an impressive amount of quality; the guile and experience of Seedorf, Van Bommel and Ambrosini is complimented nicely by the flair and younger legs of Aquilani, Nocerino and Boateng. Unsurprisingly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic remains their star man; the imperious Swede still divides opinion between football fans but the fact remains: for the last six years, whichever team has turned out for has won their domestic league. Coincidence? I think not.
The hosts this weekend are Fiorentina. On paper they are an accomplished outfit with a well-balanced squad that is probably of European standard. However, their inconsistency on the pitch has cost them dearly, causing last season to peter out into a lacklustre mid-table finish. Despite rumours to the contrary, they managed to retain their best players over the summer, but that did not prevent a continuation of their erratic performances into the new season. Delio Rossi’s side have only one win from their last six games and the last thing they need is to be facing a team that has left Stadio Artemio Franchi clutching three points for the last four years in a row. The Rossoneri goal-machine arrives in Florence on Saturday with the sole intention of extending that run.
Away win.
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Werder Bremen (Sat)
If we looked at the Bundesliga table nine months ago and then looked again today, we would be scratching our heads as to how two of last season’s primary strugglers now occupy Champions League positions.
For Gladbach, the transformation was relatively straightforward: they replaced their manager and have since played like a team possessed. Outstanding form towards the end of last season (which saved them from relegation) has continued into this campaign and they also have the rare scalp of Bayern Munich, taken from the Allianz Arena, to boast about. Star player Marco Reus has contributed more than his fair share with a string of sensational performances - the young midfielder is a truly remarkable talent and will be gracing one of Europe’s elite clubs within a year.
The curious case of Werder Bremen is a slightly trickier one. Managed by the perennial one-club man, Thomas Schaaf, last year’s problems weren’t due to a lack of quality within the squad but to recurring below-par displays on the pitch. The amount of talent Schaaf knew he had caused him to question whether it was his own methods that needed refining and if an approach that, in recent times, had proved fruitful required altering. They limped through the season barely achieving survival but, with a summer’s rest under their belts, they returned rejuvenated. Local hero Claudio Pizarro has been playing out of his skin, averaging a goal a game and trailing only the superhuman Mario Gomez in the Bundesliga scoring charts.
Saturday will see both teams collide at Borussia-Park. Bremen, who are strong travellers, will arrive with at least a point in their sights, but will also be aware that Gladbach haven’t lost on home turf since March. Similarly, Gladbach enter the match with confidence but know that an in-form Bremen pose a constant threat. A score draw could be a value bet.
Draw
Bologna vs Cesena (Sun)
After finishing a nerve-jangling 16th last season, Bologna fans would have been hoping that their team might treat them to a slightly less terrifying campaign this time around. By mid-October it appeared that their hopes had been well and truly misplaced, considering Stefano Pioli’s men had managed to muster only a single point - another squeaky-bum season seemed in store.
However, the road is long and as a result of a few good wins Rossoblu have raised themselves out of the relegation zone and could be just three points away from top-half status. As would be expected, the evergreen Marco Di Vaio has led the charge, forming a partnership with fellow Italian frontman Robert Acquafresca. But it is Uruguayan wonder kid, Gaston Ramirez, who is the jewel in the crown. The tricky youngster, who is currently his side’s top scorer, attracted strong interest from the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool over the summer and his inevitable sale will boost the Bologna’s bank account with a sizeable amount, maybe as early as January.
His talents will be available for all to see at lunchtime on Sunday when Cesena arrive at Renato Dall’Ara. The visitors prop up the table and are yet to win a game this season, having notched up just three points from a possible thirty. To make things worse, the seahorses have managed to find the net on only three occasions since the summer break; worrying times indeed for all those involved with Cesena.
Bologna will have smelt the blood and enter Sunday’s game confident that the potency of their attack can prove decisive.
Home win.
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