4.

FC Zenit - AZ Alkmaar
Sydney FC - Steaua Buchurest
Newcastle - Atalanta
Bordeaux - Boca Juniors

FC Zenit - AZ Alkmaar
Alkmaar sit top of the league, can Simons fortune keep them on a path to success? Or will Derek get some glory?
I predict - score draw

Sydney FC - Steaua Buchurest
Craig will be hoping for a better result than I achieved against Steaua, I think he should be able to do it, though John is a tough cookie to play against.
I predict - narrow home win

Newcastle - Atalanta
The two Geordies will draw
I predict - 1-1

Bordeaux - Boca Juniors
Hmm, I totally give up trying to predict what my team will do! No doubt Malky will play 4 AM's and destroy me!
I predict - away win :-(

I think it is time for Snaith's weekly predictions:

FC Zenit - AZ Alkmaar

A big game for both sides even though it is so early in the season. Both teams are capible of winning eachother, so it all comes down to the class of the managers. Alkmaar sit at the top of the table with Zenit in 3rd. However, I cannot see Alkmaar keeping themselves at the top of the league all season, and this may be the game when they start to drop. Something as small as a tactical advantage for more than 45 minutes of this game could be enough to secure the 3 points. I think Zenit can get something from this game, but I am not sure whether they can take all 3 points. I will sit on the fence for this one, but if either of the sides win, I would slightly favour Zenit.

Pred = 1-1

Sydney FC - Steaua Buchurest

A terrible result in round 3 for Sydney FC, all be it with lady luck Alkmaar's corner!! However, Steaua picked up an important 3-1 victory over struggling side Bordeaux. Sydney's luck has to change for this one. Steaua could not have picked a worse time to play Sydney, and I think Sydney could win this one with flying colours.

Pred = 3-0

Newcastle - Atalanta

The two Newcastle fans come head to head on the same day as Newcastle play Sunderland in the barclays premier league! I expect that stranger coincedences have occured, but this is a nice little one to get your teeth into. However, the two managers cant be distracted by that as only 1 point was picked up between them last week, which came from Atlanta's draw at home to Boca Juniours. I think Atlanta can get themselves another point on the board over at St James' Park.

Pred = 0-0


Bordeaux - Boca Juniors

It's the team who have only scored 1 goal V's the side with two poor strikers. This game doesn't look to exciting to the neutral, and I think it will live up to it's expectations. Scott has to pick up a win (which unfortunately for him involves scoring a goal) to pick his side up and get there first 3 points of the season. However, Boca could also do with a win. Can Scott finally pick up a win??

Pred = 0-0

Interesting to see faith shown in Sydney to win this weekend's match against Steaua. But it's going to be a tough one. My slight modification to tactics last week seemed to backfire (even though I was a little unlucky). John is a pretty resourceful manager who made a strange decision to play 4-5-1 L last weekend but paid total dividends with Steaua convincingly beating Bordeaux.

I am definitely looking forward to making up for last week's defeat in Holland, I am fired up no doubt about it.

FC Zenit - AZ Alkmaar
1-2
Sydney FC - Steaua Buchurest
1-1 lol just cus i dont wanna put myself as losing
Newcastle - Atalanta
3-1
Bordeaux - Boca Junior
1-0

truth be told, John was extremely unfortunate to miss out on promotion last season. So he surely has to be a contender this time round?

FC Zenit - AZ Alkmaar
Think Simon's luck is going to run out this week but I don't think he's going to lose either. I'm plumping for a stalemate. A draw won't upset the league leaders too much at this stage. 0-0

Sydney FC - Steaua Buchurest
I wonder what Steaua have prepared this week, it's going to be interesting to find out. Sydney looking to bounce back and I think I can do that. 2-1

Newcastle - Atalanta
Atalanta are without a key defender and Newcastle get their suspended player back. With both teams in mid-table, a draw could be acceptable for both teams at this point. 0-0

Bordeaux - Boca Juniors
Scott seems to enjoy attacking and scoring goals, which surely has to pay dividends sooner rather than later. Boca's attention to attack leaves them exposed at the back and I think we could see Bordeaux's first win of the season this weekend, on home ground as well. 2-1