FC Porto vs Olympique de Marseille
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Today’s free tip is in the UEFA Champions League encounter between FC Porto and Olympique de Marseille.
FC Porto are generally good at home, and can grind out wins against similar/lesser teams rather well for that matter, just as they did against Olympiakos Piraeus. I don’t think the game against Olympique de Marseille should be any different either.
The simple reasoning is that the French team aren’t very good. There’s no crime in being not as good as opponents, but there is a crime when a team doesn’t even try to be better, which is basically where Olympique de Marseille are at right now. Can it really be considered a surprise, though? This squad of theirs hasn’t had a proper overhaul in years, they’re constantly recycling managers (this time it’s Villas-Boas’ turn, which is comedy gold in itself, considering he had actually given football up at the time he was appointed), and there seems to be no real purpose to their existence because of it. A huge club, they remain, but not on a good one anymore.
They have some good individuals, to be fair to them – it still amazes me that Thauvin hasn’t returned to England because he’s good enough and mature enough to be a real success there. He’s far too good for the southerners, and carries them a lot of the time. Payet chips in sometimes too, of course, and Strootman is just as good as ever despite being treated like shit by this club for the most part. I’m a fan of Sanson too; I just wish he’d picked a better club to show good he is at!
In general though, the feeling I get from Olympique de Marseille is one of apathy. They’re not effective because they don’t work hard enough. Whether that’s disillusionment at the poor shepherding of the club in general, or whether it’s having naturally complacent or arrogant players, the problem remains the same. Not only have they lost their opening two UEFA Champions League games, but they’ve thoroughly deserved to lose both matches. I just don’t see why tonight’s game would be any different at one of Europe’s more intimidating stadiums – the Estadio do Dragao.
It’s not a great FC Porto side that is facing them, admittedly. They’ve gone off the rails a bit over the past few years, as indeed has Portuguese football in general, joining the Dutch in becoming highly ineffectual in Europe. Still, FC Porto remain Portugal’s most consistent team. They do have a good manager, and they’ve got a good enough squad to win tonight despite players getting plucked from their grasp at younger and younger ages. They’ll always survive, FC Porto – that’s what they specialise in. I do miss the days when they were serial winners, though.
This squad of theirs is good enough, motivated enough, and tenacious enough to win tonight though. Corona, Nakajima (when fit), Oliveira, Viera, Otavio etc. supporting Taremi and Marega makes for goals, one way or another. None of them are especially clinical finishers at this level, but they’ve got everything else, and the recent arrivals of both Grujic and Felipe Anderson have only strengthened the team further. They rely more on brutality than brains in defence but it’s enough to get them through a game against a predictable Olympique de Marseille, in my opinion.
Tactically, individually – whichever way you paint it, FC Porto should win this match. At 4/5, I’m happy to take my chances.
Verdict: FC Porto to win 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.
UEFA Champions League:
Lokomotiv Moscow vs Atletico Madrid
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Borussia Moenchengladbach
Salzburg vs Bayern Munich
Real Madrid vs Internazionale
Manchester City vs Olympiakos Piraeus
FC Porto vs Olympique de Marseille
FC Midtjylland vs AFC Ajax Amsterdam
Atalanta Bergamo vs Liverpool
Copa Sudamericana:
Liverpool Montevideo vs Sport Huancayo
Bolivar La Paz vs Audax Italiano
Deportes Tolima vs Union La Calera
Sao Paulo vs Atletico Lanus
Swiss Challenge League:
Aarau vs SC Kriens
FC Wil vs FC Schaffhausen
Enjoy your free betting tips!