FC Lahti vs TPS
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Today’s free tip is in the Finnish Veikkausliiga encounter between FC Lahti and TPS
FC Lahti are the better team here, and the odds reflect that. It’s not worth backing them at this moment in time, though. They’re giving far too much away at the back, and the continued absence of French defender Coubronne continues to haunt them. I actually thought they played pretty well against KuPS last time out but still couldn’t do a job on them. Admittedly, TPS are no KuPS, but FC Lahti keep playing out the same story in each game of late – attack well, score goals, concede too many for it to matter.
For today’s game, FC Lahti welcome a number of players back. French forward Imbongo is one of them, who should make the FC Lahti attack even more lively than usual. Goalkeeper Rakovsky and holding midfielder Eninful also return for the hosts. Under ordinary circumstances, I would probably handicap them here, to be honest. They’re more than good enough to blitz TPS if they focus enough, especially now Imbongo and Hambo are reunited in attack.
These are not ordinary circumstances, though. They are giving away far too many sloppy goals, look utterly incapable of holding a lead, and both Arkivuo and Lahti are letting the team down in Coubronne’s absence. The quality in this FC Lahti side should grant them a top six Veikkausliiga finish, but playing like this? They’ve no chance. Something needs to change, and it’s impossible to get any common sense out of zany boss Zeneli, who would probably say that they should beat Real Madrid if they happened to come up against them somehow. Quite when FC Lahti will revert back into a team I like and trust, I don’t know, but I’m sure it will come. For now though, the only thing I trust them to do is both score and concede goals.
TPS arrive in this game on the back of a handy 1-1 draw against IFK Mariehamn. The bettors appeared to favour the home team earlier this week, which I found curious. I went the other way, personally – IFK Mariehamn are playing far better than it appears, and so it proved in Turku. They absolutely battered TPS until they took Sjoroos and Pelvas off. TPS were camped inside their own half until then. A lucky break and a surprisingly decent finish from Olawale ensured that the game ended 1-1 but it was undeserved; the islanders were far better.
Still excited about Johansson being boss are you, TPS fans? This team is no better now than when Pikkarainen was in charge. At least then I thought they were better tactically, not that he had much luck. Now they attack more often, TPS, and to be fair to Johansson, they score more goals playing that way. The negative side of that is that they also concede a lot more too, and there aren’t many Veikkausliiga teams that TPS will beat in an open game of football with this squad. They got schooled by both KuPS, Haka Valkeakoski, and IFK Mariehamn for playing that way, and what’s it got them for their troubles – one point from nine? Playing the old defensive style, they’d have gotten at least four points from those three games, in my opinion. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
TPS lack quality; let’s be quite clear on that front. Their defence is poor whether they’re attacking or defending. What I like about these players is that they work hard, though. Give them a job to do, and they’ll do it. Johansson wants them to be more creative and that really doesn’t suit them all that well; that’s not why most of them were brought to Turku in the first place. As encouraging as the kids have been for TPS lately – Pyyhtia all season long, but Haarala the most recently – there’s not a lot to like about this team. Their plans have fallen flat. Strasser can’t get a game anymore. Jean (full-back) is the only one that knows how to pass a ball. Lahde has disappointed. Espinosa is still injured. There are far more questions than answers in this camp right now, and the only reason I’m giving them the time of day here is that TPS will attack FC Lahti today, and FC Lahti do not look capable of stopping them from scoring. Other than that, I’d expect a strong home win.
Therefore, my tip is to back both teams to score at 9/10.
Verdict: Both teams to score at 9/10.
Thursday’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:
Internacional vs America de Cali
Estudiantes de Merida vs Alianza Lima
Universidad Catolica (CHI) vs Gremio
Independiente Medellin vs Caracas
Bolivar La Paz vs Palmeiras
UEFA Europa League:
Backa Topola vs FCSB
Sfintul Gheorghe vs Partizan Belgrade
Lokomotiv Plovdiv vs Tottenham Hotspur
Budapest Honved vs Malmo FF
Lincoln Red Imps vs Rangers
Renova Dzepiste vs Hajduk Split
DAC Dunajska Streda vs Baumit Jablonec
Shamrock Rovers vs AC Milan
Kaisar vs APOEL Nicosia
Lokomotiv Tbilisi vs Dinamo Moscow
Coleraine vs Motherwell
Teuta Durres vs Granada CF
Viking Stavanger vs Aberdeen
CSKA Sofia vs BATE
Laci vs Hapoel Be’er Sheva
FK Ventspils vs Rosenborg BK
Servette vs Stade de Reims
Olimpija Ljubljana vs Zrinjski Mostar
Piast Gliwice vs Hartberg
Hibernians (MLT) vs Fehervar
Neftchi Baku vs Galatasaray
IFK Goteborg vs FC Copenhagen
OFI Crete vs Apollon Limassol
Bala Town vs Standard de Liege
Botosani vs Shkendija ‘79
Aris Salonika vs Kolos Kovalivka
Riteriai vs Slovan Liberec
Borac Banja Luka vs Rio Ave
Kukesi vs VfL Wolfsburg
NK Osijek vs FC Basel
Bodo/Glimt vs Zalgiris Vilnius
Inter Club d’Escaldes vs Dundalk
KuPS vs Slovan Bratislava
Linfield vs Floriana
Riga vs Tre Fiori
Djurgarden vs Europa
Flora Tallinn vs KR
Sileks Kratovo vs Drita
FK Astana vs Buducnost Podgorica
Ararat-Armenia vs Fola Esch
Connah’s Quay Nomads vs Dinamo Tbilisi
Maccabi Haifa vs Kairat Almaty
Mura vs AGF
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
FC Lahti vs TPS
French Ligue 1:
Olympique de Marseille vs AS Saint-Etienne
Swedish Allsvenskan:
Elfsborg Boras vs Mjallby Solvesborg
Falkenberg vs Varberg
Enjoy your free betting tips!