Austria vs Slovakia
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Today’s free tip is in the international friendly between Austria and Slovakia.
Friendly or not, I’d like to think that Austria are simply too good for Slovakia here. It’s not even just a case of them having better players, either – I think they move the ball better, create chances more easily, and convert them more regularly. Neither are any great shakes at the back but Austria simply look more convincing to me.
I’ll go into more detail in my Euro 2020 (2021) preview but Slovakia simply look slow to me. I think their team has been forced together rather than moulded together, having had to bring players out of retirement to help them out after a dismal twelve months or more. There’s little cohesion in this squad, one that used to principally rely upon its organisation in order to irk opponents. There’s next to no goal threat too. I just don’t know what the plan is here, really, nor what the plan is for the future.
The only good things going on for Slovakia are in midfield. Hamsik will help, of course, but he’s no Maradona. The likes of Mak and Duda will help there, both of which did very well for their respective clubs in 2021. They can help Slovakia be a bit less predictable, and if Weiss decides to show up, Slovakia might even score a goal. How about that? Schranz is their only in-form forward, and I really don’t know if he has what it takes for this level but a lack of alternatives means he’s in the equation. It’s just not a very good Slovakian team, simply put.
Austria, on the other hand, are very good. A lot of their players are in really good places right now, and they’ve even found a solution to their goal-scoring situation in towering target man Kalajdzic, fresh off the back of a strong campaign at VfB Stuttgart; a modern day Marc Janko! With a target man, Austria are deadly because their midfield has everything you could wish for – great movement, excellent energy, good passers, and lots of confidence. This is a strong setup that they’ve assembled.
Defensively speaking, they look capable of winning plenty of physical battles, and determined enough to deter teams. They won’t win too many foot races, and I have question marks hovering above the head of each of their goalkeepers, but this is still a good squad, and their defence is protected well by tenacious holding midfielders. I’m also extremely keen to see how young playmaker Baumgartner does, who was the leading light of a wholly uninspiring TSG Hoffenheim this season.
These two teams are in different places right now, and heading in different directions. My interpretation is that Austria should be too slick for Slovakia in this derby of sorts, and thus I’m happy to take my chances on the handicap today.
Verdict: Austria to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at 11/10.
Sunday’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.
International Friendlies:
Austria vs Slovakia
Moldova vs Azerbaijan
England vs Romania
Denmark vs Bosnia-Herzegovina
Netherlands vs Georgia
Luxembourg vs Scotland
Norway vs Greece
Belgium vs Croatia
Algeria vs Mali
UEFA European U21 Championship:
Portugal vs Germany
Australian A-League:
Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City
Brazilian Serie A:
Fluminense vs Cuiaba
America Mineiro vs Corinthians
Fortaleza vs Internacional
Palmeiras vs Chapecoense
Juventude vs Athletico Paranaense
Sport Recife vs Atletico Mineiro
Finnish Ykkonen:
RoPS vs Ekenas IF
Jaro Pietarsaari vs Gnistan
PK-35 Helsinki vs TPS
Jippo Joensuu vs VPS
Enjoy your free betting tips!