Marila Pribram vs Viktoria Plzen
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Today’s secondary featured game is the Gambrinus Liga game between Marila Pribram and Viktoria Plzen.
The hosts have earned my respect if nothing else this season. Despite being utterly devoid of quality, they’ve played good attacking football and have obtained some good results from doing so. Young Wagner up front is having a good season and so is Koukal, who provides the support from midfield. Pribram have great spirit as well as a good mix of experience and youth. I admire their tactical approach – it’s both brave and foolish, however. They can’t defend for shit and that should show today. However, they can cause problems for opponents and given that the only side to leave here with a clean sheet this season is giants Sparta Prague, I think it speaks volumes about how dangerous this side is, surprising as that is!
Viktoria Plzen have just got back from a morale-boosting 0-1 win at BATE Borisov in Belarus. The result astounded me because I rate BATE a lot at home but Plzen produced a very astute display, took their chance, and made BATE pay for not having Rodionov or Kezman on the field to take their chances too. It has to be said that Plzen did it in difficult conditions, too, so full credit to the Czech champions, who now look likely to have claimed a UEFA Europa League place as a result. However, they’re going to be a bit tired for this game and there may be a few changes. Their attack doesn’t concern me – they’ve got depth there – but their defence can ship goals. They’ve conceded in all but one away game this season, which was against the terrible Ceske Budejovice. I watched that game, incidentally, and Plzen were terrible in that game, demonstrating next to no cohesion in the final third. However, generally speaking, this side scores goals and you have to fancy them to do so against a weak Pribram defence. It’s interesting to note that the 0-0 draw with Ceske Budejovice was the only time any of Plzen’s away games in the Gambrinus Liga have gone under three goals this season too!
Just one of Pribram’s home games this season has had less than three goals in it and that was in a 2-0 win. This side oozes goals, one way or another, and against one of the most dangerous sides in the Czech Republic I’m sure that they’ll have a tough time. Although I expect an away win, I’d much rather take over 3 goals at evens.
Verdict: Over 3 goals at evens.
Sunday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, please find my value tips listed below in no particular order:
AA Gent vs Racing Genk – home win at evens.
Quality-wise, there’s not much to separate these two sides and I normally wouldn’t get involved but Gent have been immense so far this season, especially at home. They’re playing good football and are scoring goals for fun. Genk, on the other hand, are not doing as well. They’ve had defensive issues in that most of their defence has been/is absent through injury, which doesn’t help their inability to defend as it is. They’ve got a dangerous attack themselves but you have to question how dangerous they feel after a 7-0 drubbing just a few days ago by Valencia CF in Spain. The visitors are not in great shape to do well here and the hosts must surely smell blood. I expect plenty of goals here but find some value on Gent to win this one at evens.
Verdict: AA Gent to win at evens.
Paksi SE vs Fehervar – home win at 58/25.
This is my long shot of the day but I have to say that I do love the odds!
Paksi aren’t the side they were last year – they’ve become a disaster at the back as they now play a more attacking system. However, they score goals for fun thanks to Bode, Bartha, and Vayer and I think they’ll do that today. They’re in superb form and bring great confidence into this game as a result. What game are sides more motivated for than a game against the heavyweights? Fehervar are just that and I think that Paksi will show up today agains them, just as they tend to in home games.
Helpfully, Fehervar have been utterly atrocious away from home this season. They don’t look comfortable on the ball, they don’t create chances, they don’t score goals, and ultimately look far too pressurised to generate a result. This has been the case in all of their away games and despite their blatant superiority to the majority of the sides in Hungary right now, it only really shows on their own turf.
I’m not covering this one with draw no bet because with Paksi’s situation at the back, I do believe that this game will either be an inspired Paksi display (and they win the game) or a staunch Fehervar display (and they win the game). Given the contrasting styles and forms, I’d be sort of surprised to see a draw here so my call is a Paksi win at long odds.
Verdict: Paksi SE to win at 58/25.
Diosgyori VTK vs Ferencvaros – home win at 7/5.
Although Ferencvaros have looked quite solid lately, you just know that the contraversial giants of Hungarian football are never far away from imploding. They made a stupid decision to part with Prukner earlier this season, in my view, and subsequently have lost all chances of obtaining a European place this season, or so I believe it to be. There are sides playing better football than Ferencvaros right now and Disogyori VTK are somewhat surprisingly one of them, especially at home. Their Spanish contingent are a nightmare to play against and seven wins from eight home games speaks for itselfm, really. Ferencvaros still aren’t scoring goals and you have to score goals against Disogyor to get a result. Additionally, the hosts have some of the craziest fans in Hungary, as do the visitors, so we can expect cards on the field here too, which are more likely to head to Ferencvaros players as they have very little discipline. For me, there’s definitely value on the home win today.
Verdict: Disogyori VTK to win at 7/5.
RKC Waalwijk vs Feyenoord Rotterdam – away win at evens.
RKC Waalwijk are amongst the worst sides in the Eredivisie nowadays. They had a promising start, played some good football, caused a couple of upsets, and then promptly died and haven’t been seen since then. This game is Feyenoord’s to lose, basically.
However, the reason I’ve not made this one my secondary featured game of the day is because of Feyenoord’s inconsistency. Despite the youthful average age of their squad, this side plays very good attacking football and scores goals for fun, hence their unprecedented 0-4 win at a good Vitesse Arnhem side lately. However, the inexperience and naivety of this Feyenoord side makes them drift from the sublime to the ridiculous in no time at all, which is my only real concern for this game. True enough, Feyenoord can’t defend for shit but this is one of the few games in a season where I don’t expect it to matter. Feyenoord have the firepower and momentum to win this one and at evens, I’m all over it.
Verdict: Feyenoord Rotterdam to win at evens.
Universitatea Cluj vs Otelul Galati – home win at evens.
After their stint in the UEFA Champions League this time around, Otelul are probably the more familiar side to most of you (unless you’re from Romania, of course!) but I would certainly hesitate before saying that they’re the better side here. Otelul won the league last season because all their rivals were poor and because they were very efficient and tenacious. They don’t play attacking football, unlike Rapid Bucharest, Dinamo Bucharest, Vaslui etc. They play dour, defensive football – but it works. However, if they encounter a side that scores goals then they tend to find it hard as just one goal conceded tends to mean that Otelul won’t win the game. Univ. Cluj aren’t great at the back but this side has lots of firepower and it’s no surprise really, not with Cristea pulling the strings. In Niculescu they’ve got a great finisher and he has a good partner in Nwakaeme, not to mention Machado – if he ever shows his ability again. There are goals in this Cluj team and they’re not easy to face nowadays. Otelul played a tiring game with Basel a few days ago and lost 2-3. They don’t have a big enough squad to rotate players and although they have a good level of cohesion, this is the kind of game that I expect them to really struggle in. Otelul have lost here for two years in a row now and Univ.Cluj making it three years in a row wouldn’t surprise me at all. In my view, the home win is worth taking at evens.
Verdict: Universitatea Cluj to win at evens.
Espanyol vs Osasuna – home win at 9/10.
A lot people won’t want to get involved in this one and maybe they’re right – after all, Espanyol have missed a natural hitman since Osvaldo left the club. However, for me, the combination of Pochettino being in charge and Espanyol playing at home makes the hosts a dangerous club. They’ve already won three of their five home games this season and given that only Real Madrid and Athletic Club de Bilbao have scored against them in Barcelona, I think you can see just how strong Espanyol are at the back. You know that they have goals in Garcia and Pandiani, though – they just need the service – and I think they’ll get it today. It may even be worth a bet on Pandiani to score anytime against his former club – he tends to do that quite a lot!
I’ve mentioned before that Osasuna are in for a long season and nothing has changed my mind. They lost key players pre-season that they’ve yet again failed to replace. Raul Garcia’s return to them club is helping them out but they’re horribly short of talent in attack and they’re crippled at the back whenever any of their defence is absent, particularly Miguel Flano. Echaide is absent today, which gives them no natural replacement at left-back following the sale of Monreal pre-season. Sergio is out – yet another big loss at the back for his experience – and Iranian midfielder Shojaei is still out and they do miss his creativity. You look at this Osasuna team and you wonder where the goals are coming from, barring Raul Garcia shooting from range. Balde and Lamah are threats with their power but they’re horribly inconsistent when it comes to finishing and Osasuna simply cannot afford that as they don’t make enough chances in a game for them to redeem themselves.
Osasuna are conceding a lot of goals away from Pamplona this season, moreso than normal, and even goal-shy Espanyol can take advantage of that today. The hosts have the firepower to do damage here and Osasuna don’t look capable of stopping them. For me, there’s value on the home win today.
Verdict: Espanyol to win at 9/10.
Accumulator fodder:
Olympiakos Piraeus, AC Milan, Twente Enschede, Libertad Asuncion, Juan Aurich, Dinamo Bucharest, Tampines Rovers, Home United, Ath;etic Club de Bilbao.
Recommended bets:
Olympiakos Piraeus, Espanyol, and Twente Enschede at around 9/5.
Universitatea Cluj, Dinamo Bucharest, and AC Milan at around 2/1.
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 to prevent endless questions about my thoughts on certain games!
Argentinian Primera Division:
Arsenal de Sarandi vs Estudiantes de la Plata (6) 1-0
Velez Sarsfield vs Colon de Santa Fe (4) 1-1
Godoy Cruz de Mendoza vs Boca Juniors (7) 0-1
Banfield vs Argentinos Juniors (6) 0-0
Australian A-League:
Wellington Phoenix vs Sydney FC (6) 1-1
Melbourne Victory vs Gold Coast United (6) 2-1
Austrian Bundesliga:
Sturm Graz vs Admira Wacker (7) 2-1
Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:
Neman Grodno vs Torpedo Zhodino (7) 2-2
Dnepr Mogilev vs Vitebsk (7) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Dinamo Brest vs BATE Borisov (5) 1-1
Dinamo Minsk vs FC Minsk (4) 1-2, at least one red card in this game
Shakhtyor Soligorsk vs Gomel (6) 1-0
Naftan Novopolotsk vs Belshina Bobriusk (6) 2-1
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
AA Gent vs Racing Genk (7) 2-1
Brazilian Serie A:
Palmeiras vs Sao Paulo (6) 1-0, at least one red card in this game
Santos vs Bahia (5) 2-2
Flamengo vs Internacional (5) 0-1
Fluminense vs Vasco da Gama (5) 1-1
Gremio vs Atletico Goianiense (7) 2-0
Atletico Mineiro vs Botafogo (5) 2-1
Figueirense vs Corinthians (6) 0-1
Coritiba vs Avai (7) 2-0
America Mineiro vs Atletico Paranaense (4) 1-1
Ceara vs Cruzeiro (6) 1-1
Bulgarian A PFG:
Svetkavitsa vs Levski Sofia (6) 0-1
Lokomotiv Plovdiv vs Litex Lovech (6) 0-0
Rakovski vs Botev Vratsa (6) 1-0
Chernomorets Burgas vs Montana (7) 2-1
Chilean Primera Division:
Cobreloa vs Santiago Morning (4) 1-1
Cobresal vs Deportes Iquique (5) 1-1
Union La Calera vs Santiago Wanderers (7) 1-0
Audax Italiano vs Universidad de Chile (6) 2-2
Universidad Catolica vs La Serena (7) 2-1
Colombian Primera A:
Itagui Ditaires vs Atletico Nacional de Medellin (3) 0-1
Deportivo Pereira vs Envigado (5) 2-1
Deportes Quindio vs La Equidad Bogota (7) 2-0
Deportes Tolima vs America de Cali (7) over 2.5 goals
Real Cartagena vs Independiente de Santa Fe Bogota (5) 1-2
Deportivo Cali vs Atletico Huila (7) 1-0
Millonarios Bogota vs Atletico Junior Barranquilla (5) 1-0
Boyaca Chico vs Cucuta Deportivo (7) 1-0
Independiente Medellin vs Once Caldas Manizales (5) 2-2
Croatian Prva Liga:
Inter Zapresic vs Dinamo Zagreb (7) 0-2
Cypriot Division 1:
Alki vs Ethnikos Achnas (5) 1-1
Ermis vs Anagennisi Deryneia (4) 0-1
Enosis Neon Paralimni vs APOEL Nicosia (6) 1-1
Aris Limassol vs Apollon Limassol (5) 2-2
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Viktoria Zizkov vs Slovacko (6) 1-0
Teplice vs Bohemians 1905 (5) 1-0
Mlada Boleslav vs Ceske Budejovice (7) 2-0
Marila Pribram vs Viktoria Plzen (7) over 2.5 goals
Sigma Olomouc vs Hradec Kralove (7) 2-0
Danish Superligaen:
Silkeborg vs Nordsjaelland (5) 1-1
SonderjyskE vs Lyngby (7) 1-0
FC Copenhagen vs HB Koge (7) 2-0
Aalborg BK vs AGF Aarhus (7) 2-1
Ecuadorian Primera A:
Liga de Quito vs Imbabura (5) 2-1
Deportivo Cuenca vs LDU Loja (7) 2-0
El Nacional Quito vs Olmedo Riobamba (7) 2-0
Manta vs Emelec Guayaquil (7) 0-1
Espoli Cayambe vs Independiente (4) 0-0
Barcelona Guayaquil vs Deportivo Quito (5) 1-1
English Premier League:
Swansea City vs Aston Villa (6) 1-1
Liverpool vs Manchester City (6) 1-2
French Ligue 1:
Auxerre vs Olympique Lyonnais (6) 0-1
Lorient vs OGC Nice (7) 1-0
Olympique de Marseille vs Paris Saint-Germain (5) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
German Bundesliga:
Werder Bremen vs VfB Stuttgart (7) 2-1
Mainz 05 vs Bayern Munich (7) 1-2
Greek Super League:
Levadiakos vs Doxa Dramas (6) 1-0
Panathinaikos vs OFI Crete (7) 1-0
Panionios vs Aris Salonika (5) 0-0
Asteras Tripolis vs Olympiakos Piraeus (8) 1-2
Xanthi vs Atromitos (5) 1-0
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Paksi SE vs Fehervar (6) 2-1
Diosgyori VTK vs Ferencvaros (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Italian Serie A:
Cagliari vs Bologna (6) 1-0
Cesena vs Genoa (6) 1-2
Palermo vs Fiorentina (4) 1-1
Siena vs Internazionale (7) 0-1
AC Milan vs Chievo Verona (8) 2-1
Japanese J-League:
Ventforet Kofu vs Albirex Niigata (4) 1-1
Vissel Kobe vs Jubilo Iwata (6) 1-1
Macedonian First League:
Horizont Turnovo vs Rabotnicki Skopje (4) 1-1
Shkendija 79 vs Renova Dzepciste (7) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Mexican Primera Division:
Santos Laguna vs Jaguares (7) 2-0
Tigres UANL vs Pachuca (6) 1-1
Dutch Eredivisie:
RKC Waalwijk vs Feyenoord Rotterdam (7) over 2.5 goals
Excelsior Rotterdam vs ADO Den Haag (5) 2-2
NEC Nijmegen vs AFC Ajax Amsterdam (6) 1-1
Twente Enschede vs Vitesse Arnhem (8) both sides to score
Norwegian Eliteserien:
Sogndal vs Molde FK (7) 0-2
Rosenborg BK vs Viking Stavanger (4) 1-1
Aalesund FK vs Brann Bergen (5) 1-1
Haugesund vs Stromsgodset (5) 2-2
Start Kristiansand vs Tromso (6) 0-1
Lillestrom vs Fredrikstad (6) 2-1
Sarpsborg 08 vs Odd Grenland Skien (4) 1-1
Valerenga Oslo vs Stabaek (6) 2-1
Paraguayan Division Profesional:
Guarani Asuncion vs Cerro Porteno (5) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
3 de Febrero vs Sol de America (6) 2-1
Libertad Asuncion vs General Caballero (8) 2-0
Peruvian Primera Division:
Universitario Lima vs Universidad Cesar Vallejo (6) 1-1
Sport Huancayo vs Alianza Atletico (7) 2-0
Melgar FBC vs Alianza Lima (4) 1-0
Juan Aurich vs Cobresol (8) 2-0
CNI vs Inti Gas (5) 2-1
Sport Boys vs Union Comercio (7) 1-0
Universidad San Martin vs Cienciano (4) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Leon de Huanuco vs Sporting Cristal (7) 1-0
Polish Ekstraklasa:
Cracovia Krakow vs GKS Belchatow (4) 1-1
Lech Poznan vs Widzew Lodz (7) 1-0
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
Feirense vs Rio Ave (6) 0-0
Gil Vicente vs Uniao de Leiria (5) 2-1
Porto vs Sporting Braga (4) 1-1
Pacos de Ferreira vs Olhanense (7) 1-0
Romanian Liga:
Vointa Sibiu vs CFR Cluj (7) 0-1
Universitatea Cluj vs Otelul Galati (7) 2-1
Mioveni vs Dinamo Bucharest (8) 0-2
Russian Premier League:
Tom’ Tomsk vs FK Krasnodar (4) 1-1
Rostov-na-Donu vs Amkar Perm’ (7) 1-0
Zenit St.Petersburg vs Lokomotiv Moscow (7) 2-0
Anzhi Makhachkala vs CSKA Moscow (6) 1-0
Scottish Premier League:
Kilmarnock vs Rangers (7) 0-1
Serbian Superliga:
Smederevo vs Spartak Subotica (6) 0-0
Borac Cacak vs Rad Belgrade (5) 0-0
Radnicki 1923 vs Jagodina (7) 2-1
Singaporean S-League:
Tampines Rovers vs Balestier Khalsa (8) 2-0
Home United vs Geylang United (8) 2-1
Slovenian Prva Liga:
Koper vs Olimpija Ljubljana (6) 1-2
Spanish Primera Liga:
Real Betis Balompie vs Real Sociedad (5) 1-0
Levante vs Sporting Gijon (6) 1-1
Real Mallorca vs Racing Santander (6) 1-0
Espanyol vs Osasuna (7) 2-0
Athletic Club de Bilbao vs Granada (8) over 2.5 goals
Real Zaragoza vs Sevilla CF (6) 1-1
Spanish Segunda Liga:
Hercules Alicante vs Elche (7)
Sabadell vs Real Murcia (6) over 2.5 goals, both sides to score
Swiss Challenge League:
Stade Nyonnais vs Delemont (7)
Turkish Super Lig:
Eskisehirspor vs Ankaragucu (7) 2-1
Istanbul BB vs Gaziantepspor (6) 1-0
Manisaspor vs Kayserispor (5) 0-1
Trabzonspor vs Besiktas JK (7) 1-1
Ukrainian Premier League:
Oleksandriya vs Zorya Lugansk (7) 1-0
Karpaty Lviv vs Shakhtar Donetsk (6) 1-2
Arsenal Kiev vs Chernomorets Odessa (7) 1-0
Uruguayan Primera Division:
El Tanque Sisley vs Defensor Sporting (6) 1-2
Bella Vista vs Cerro (5) 1-1
Rentistas vs Fenix (5) 0-0
Cerro Largo vs Danubio (6) 0-1
Montevideo Wanderers vs Club Nacional de Montevideo (5) 1-1
Welsh Premier League:
Prestatyn Town vs Aberystwyth Town (7) 2-0
Bala Town vs Neath Athletic (5) 2-2
Enjoy your free betting tips!