FC Winterthur vs Servette
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Today’s free tip is in the rearranged Swiss Super League encounter between FC Winterthur and Servette.
I thought Servette were good for a title challenge this season. Well, not from the start – I was gravely concerned for them actually, at least until Weiler settled in. After that though, they were the best team in Switzerland. However, they’ve now sold Vouilloz and Bedia, and the timing of the latter is particularly problematic with Crivelli still injured, thus leaving them without a striker. Vouilloz – well, they can cope without him; I don’t personally think he was that good but FC Basel’s need was greater. However, they’re going to feel his absence whenever Rouiller or Severin is out. For now though, the problem is up front.
Weiler’s predecessor Geiger fielded Fofana up front sometimes, and he did surprisingly well there. That can’t happen now though; Weiler has ostracised him all season long until finally selling him to today’s hosts, FC Winterthur. I can only assume they’ll field winger Kutesa up front for this game because anything other than that makes even less sense than that ‘solution’. He’ll have some joy, I don’t doubt – FC Winterthur are very attack-minded under Rahmen, and have an average defence at the best of times. Will it be enough to win though? I have my doubts.
Servette are going to need to control this game if they’re to win it without conceding too many, and that in itself will be an issue with Douline still injured, and now Ondoua suspended. A midfield containing Antunes and Cognat is still good but lacks that element of control that the afore-mentioned duo bring. That should allow FC Winterthur more time on the ball, and they’ve proven on numerous occasions this season just how dangerous they can be in such scenarios. Servette may not lose this game, but it’s difficult to imagine them winning with the above complications in mind.
FC Winterthur have a very strong attack too, which helps. Ltaief is on international duty and Chiappetta is injured again but neither really matters; Di Giusto and Ballet have been their mainstays in the final third this season, really. Burkart hasn’t played well enough in general but remains extremely capable, and may get a chance here. I’d assume not though, hence the signing of Fofana; I expect him to play against his former club, and he’s very good. He fits FC Winterthur’s attacking approach more than he did into Weiler’s regimented pressing game with Servette; that’s why he was transferred. He’s still a very good player though, and I suspect we’ll see it proven here.
No, I still don’t trust FC Winterthur defensively, even with Lekaj and Stillhart likely to be reunited at the heart of their backline. They’re just not very good at defending, and nor do they pretend to be, hence their attacking approach. Their industry and togetherness is all that stops them from conceding boatloads per game, really. Still, they’re up against a rusty Servette that doesn’t have a striker so maybe, just maybe, they’ll be able to eke out a win against a superior outfit.
You know what tipped the scales for me here though? Jankewitz is back. Araz is still out, but Jankewitz is back. At the start of the season, Rahmen wanted them to attack more so he binned off/ostracised their midfield butchers and replaced them with deep-lying playmakers like Jankewitz, Araz, and especially Zuffi. They struggled toward the end of 2023 because they only had Zuffi fit so opposing teams sat on him, and thus limited the balls into their danger men, which left FC Winterthur incredibly vulnerable. Jankewitz returning allows FC Winterthur to use the ball more effectively, and that makes them very dangerous indeed.
For my money, backing the home team to get a point or more here makes sense, all things considered. It’s also worth pointing out that this game was moved from last weekend as the home stadium hasn’t got undersoil heating and thus the pitch was a mess; I suspect that will hurt Servette’s possession game more than FC Winterthur’s direct approach.
Verdict: FC Winterthur to win with a +0.5 Handicap at 22/25.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts. For confidence ratings, you’ll need to go to the members section here.
Australian A-League:
Newcastle Jets vs Brisbane Roar
Croatian Prva Liga:
Lokomotiva Zagreb vs Dinamo Zagreb
English League Cup:
Chelsea vs Middlesbrough
Swiss Super League:
FC Winterthur vs Servette
Yverdon-Sport vs Luzern
Turkish Super Lig:
Hatayspor vs Alanyaspor
Pendikspor vs Kasimpasa
Besiktas JK vs Adana Demirspor
Enjoy your free betting tips!