Football Accumulator Tips: Thursday 8/1 Treble backs goals in the FA Cup

Sevilla vs Athletic Bilbao – Sevilla 

Quique Sanchez Flores is set to lead Sevilla in his inaugural home match when they play Athletic Bilbao in Thursday's La Liga clash. Currently occupying the 16th spot, the hosts face the 15th-placed visitors as they embark on the new year.

Sevilla have encountered a challenging season so far, undergoing two managerial changes in a campaign marked by struggles in both domestic and European competitions.

With only three victories in 18 league matches, Sevilla find themselves just three points clear of the relegation zone. Additionally, their European journey concluded after finishing at the bottom of a challenging Champions League group with Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, and Lens.

In contrast, Bilbao have reason to be satisfied with their performance in the 2023-24 season. Ernesto Valverde's team concluded 2023 on a high note with a thrilling win against newly-promoted Las Palmas, extending their unbeaten streak to 10 matches across all competitions (7 wins, 3 draws).

Unai Gomez, a 20-year-old talent, made a significant impact by scoring a 94th-minute winner in that match. We are backing Sevilla to win this one, albeit we expect it to a hard fought game. 

Crystal Palace vs Everton – BTTS 

The FA Cup third-round action kicks off at Selhurst Park on Thursday night as Crystal Palace welcome fellow Premier League side Everton.

Both teams aim to surpass their performances from last season, where they were eliminated in the third round by Southampton and Manchester United, respectively.

Crystal Palace, coming off a challenging eight-game winless streak in the Premier League, concluded 2023 on a positive note by rallying to a 3-1 victory against Brentford at Selhurst Park last Saturday. Although both sides engaged in a thrilling five-goal encounter just two months ago, Thursday's match might witness a more closely contested affair if lineup changes are implemented.

Despite Everton's recent success against Crystal Palace, the Eagles enter the contest with elevated spirits following their weekend triumph. We are backing this to be another closely fought match up and for that reason and are backing BTTS at Selhurst Park.

Las Palmas vs Barcelona – Barcelona 

Barcelona, the current champions, kick off the new year with an away fixture at Gran Canaria against Las Palmas in Thursday's La Liga clash. 

Entering 2024, the Catalan powerhouse holds the fourth position in the league standings, while their newly promoted adversaries sit comfortably in ninth place.

Las Palmas have displayed a competitive edge, securing seven victories, four draws, and seven losses in their 18 league matches.

Despite being among the lower-scoring teams with 15 goals, their defensive resilience is noteworthy, having conceded only 15 times in La Liga this season—a defensive record matched only by joint leaders Real Madrid.

Barcelona will recognise the challenge posed by a Las Palmas side that has lost just one home league game this season. The reigning champions will need to perform at their peak to secure a victory against the resilient newly-promoted team. 

Nevertheless, we believe that Barcelona possesses enough quality in their squad to clinch a narrow win in this encounter.