Ascoli vs Hellas Verona
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Today’s free tip is in the Italian Serie B encounter between Ascoli and Hellas Verona. Ascoli might well be a pain in the backside to beat but level-pegging with Hellas Verona to win this game? I don’t buy it for a second.
Sure, Hellas Verona can be a bit annoying on the road because they don’t know how to tighten up at the back – I know! Most unseemly for a Verona club, right? Still, what they lack in defence they make up for in attack. That approach caused them to get relegated from Serie A because they were surprised(!) by the fact that better teams were able to outscore them at a higher level. However, when they play that style at Serie B level, they’re too good for most teams. It’s like they need a new division between Serie A and Serie B just for them!
Hellas Verona can’t control games, so don’t expect them to do a professional job on Ascoli tonight. It just won’t happen. Instead, expect them to treat this encounter like any other; with tremendous gusto and attacking intent. When a team at this level has a battering ram like Pazzini leading the attacks and support from players like Matos, Laribi (who helped Parma get promoted last season), Henderson, Marrone, Zaccagni, Colombatto etc., the team will score goals because there’s a fine balance there between both attacking and defending. Throw in a defence that is more than happy to join in attacks and you’ve got a strong Hellas Verona attack, even if their defending is a joke. That’s why the visitors should be favourites here – well, that and possessing better players!
Ascoli’s home record this season flatters them as they’ve faced three average/poor teams and one over-achieving, newly-promoted team. I won’t deny that they’re organised and resilient but they lack quality. They’ve only got three individuals that are worth their salt at this level, in my view – big striker Ardemagni, Serbian creator Ninkovic, and defensive battle-axe D’Elia. It’s enough to keep the team in shape but it’s not enough for them to legitimately trouble good teams, in my opinion.
I do like what Ascoli are doing in the long-term, admittedly. They’re making good signings for smart amount so it’s plain to see that they’re ambitious. I just don’t think what they’ve done is enough to serve them as they’d like for the forthcoming campaign. This process can’t be rushed. They need to be patient, Ascoli, and start to invest more in natural creators. Then they’ll start to get somewhere. Until then, I only trust them to do well against lesser teams, or against those that underestimate them.
Hellas Verona may lack defensive organisation but they don’t lack work-rate. Their usual approach to games should be enough to see them pick up three points tonight, or at the very least draw, hence the below tip.
Verdict: Hellas Verona to win with draw no bet at 4/5.
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.
Copa Libertadores:
Gremio vs River Plate
Copa Sudamericana:
Deportivo Cali vs Independiente de Santa Fe Bogota
Australian FFA Cup:
Adelaide United vs Sydney FC
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Club Brugge vs KV Oostende
Royal Excel Mouscron vs AA Gent
Sporting Charleroi vs Sint-Truiden
Bulgarian Cup:
Dunav 2010 vs Lokomotiv Plovdiv
CSKA Sofia vs Vitosha Bistritsa
Croatian Cup:
Zadar vs Lokomotiva Zagreb
Inter Zapresic vs Istra 1961
English League Cup:
Bournemouth vs Norwich City
French Coupe de la Ligue:
Montpellier HSC vs Nantes Atlantique
Racing Club Strasbourg vs Lille OSC
German DFB Pokal:
Darmstadt 98 vs Hertha Berlin
Hannover 96 vs VfL Wolfsburg
Ulm vs Fortuna Dusseldorf
Chemie Leipzig vs Paderborn 07
Augsburg vs Mainz 05
Heidenheim vs SV Sandhausen
Rodlinghausen vs Bayern Munich
Wehen Wiesbaden vs Hamburger SV
Italian Serie B:
Ascoli vs Hellas Verona
Carpi vs Palermo
Cittadella vs Foggia
Cosenza vs Pescara
Cremonese vs Venezia
Perugia vs Padova
Spezia vs Benevento
Dutch KNVB Beker:
PSV Eindhoven vs RKC Waalwijk
De Graafschap vs PEC Zwolle
Spanish Copa del Rey:
Ebro vs Valencia CF
Lugo vs Levante
Leganes CF vs Rayo Vallecano de Madrid
Sant Andreu vs Atletico Madrid
Swedish Allsvenskan:
Elfsborg Boras vs Dalkurd
Enjoy your free betting tips!