Brno vs Sigma Olomouc
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Today looks a bit of a grim day, to be honest! However, my secondary featured game is the Gambrinus Liga encounter between Brno and Sigma Olomouc. Brno have demonstrated rather well just why they’re facing a relegation battle due to some atrocious defending and yet have frustrated their fans as they’re still a rather potent side whereas visitors Sigma Olomouc have baffled their fans by powering on stronger than ever despite the loan departure of giant Michal Hubnik in attack, who was previously the leading goalscorer in the Czech Republic this season!
Brno average scoring nearly two goals per home game and yet are still second from bottom in the Gambrinus Liga. Why? Shoddy defending. Even a very poor Usti nad Labem side, who are the only side remaining that are actually below Brno, haven’t conceded as many goals at home as Brno have this season. Brno average conceding nearly two goals per home game and with most clubs in this division better than they are, it’s no surprise at all that the afore-mentioned records have led to them losing six times in nine home games. They’re not an easy side to face by any means and they never give up but it appears that their financial ruin is finally taking its toll on the club in varying ways. Brno battled well against Slavia Prague to a 1-1 draw in their first game back after the winter break but a 5-0 destruction by a good Mlada Boleslav side saw Brno’s morale nosedive as Brno showed very little of anything during that game. Brno won’t be too pleased to see that they’re hosting Sigma Olomouc today either – they’ve lost their last four consecutive head-to-heads against Sigma Olomouc, two of which were at home! Therefore, it does look rather bleak for Brno today.
Visitiors Sigma Olomouc don’t have a particularly convincing away record in the Gambrinus Liga this season – indeed, few sides actually do – but they remain a good side nonetheless. Their team is a bit young to be relied upon on a consistent basis, in my view, but their recent excellent displays cannot be overlooked. The departure of striker Hubnik was one that I expected to impact them immediately but if anything, it’s made them stronger. I’ve got little doubt that this is a temporary thing and that his absence will be felt as soon as they receive their first poor result in the latter part of the current campaign as this side will find it hard to bounce back from a defeat without an experienced head like Hubnik – hell, they’ll find it hard to come from behind without a proven “Plan B” but we’ll see how that goes in due course. I don’t believe Sigma Olomouc’s inevitable slip-up will be today, to be frank. They’ve smashed Usti nad Labem 0-3 in Teplice in their first game back after the winter break and have since eased past Banik Ostrava 2-0 at home so confidence is high and momentum favours the away team here. Although their attack is a little predictable, if a side like Olomouc is playing well then there’s not often much that sides can do about it, especially one as weak defensively as Brno are, hence me favouring the away win today.
Given Sigma’s unreliable displays on the road so far this season, I’d avoid this bet if the odds drop below 5/6. However, it cannot be denied that they’re a superior side to financially-ruined Brno and that they’re playing really well at the moment, scoring goals for fun. I expect Brno to work as hard as ever in this game and don’t be surprised if they score a goal or two – they’ve always got that threat in their locker. However, their defensive inability leaves me in little doubt that Sigma Olomouc should edge this one today. Over 2.5 goals interests me but if Brno play as badly as they did against Mlada Boleslav then the chances of them even scoring here are minimal so I favour the away win instead at decent odds of evens.
Team news – Sigma Olomouc miss Schulmeister and Murin.
Verdict: Sigma Olomouc to win at evens.
Friday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
Accumulator fodder:
Admira Wacker, Colo Colo, St.Patrick’s Athletic, Zwolle, LKS Lodz.
Recommended bets:
Sigma Olomouc and LKS Lodz at 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:
Olimpo vs All Boys (6) 1-1
Tigre vs Banfield (5) 0-0
Austrian Liga 1:
Lustenau vs Admira Wacker (8)
Hartberg vs Austria Lustenau (5) both sides to score
Gratkorn vs First Vienna (5) over 2.5 goals
St.Polten vs Grodig (6)
SCR Altach vs WAC/St.Andra (7) under 2.5 goals
Chilean Primera Division:
Colo Colo vs Union La Calera (8) over 2.5 goals
Croatian Prva Liga:
Lokomotiva Zagreb vs Inter Zapresic (4) 0-1, draw no bet
NK Zagreb vs Zadar (6) 1-0
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Brno vs Sigma Olomouc (7) over 2.5 goals
Finnish Liiga Cup:
TPS Turku vs Inter Turku (5) 1-2, at least one red card in this game
French Ligue 1:
Stade Rennais vs Olympique de Marseille (5) 0-0
French Ligue 2:
Evian Thonon Gaillard vs Clermont Foot (5)
Istres vs Sedan-Ardennes (5)
Stade Lavallois vs Angers SCO (6) under 2.5 goals
Le Havre vs Boulogne (6)
Metz vs Tours (7)
Nantes vs AC Ajaccio (6)
Reims vs Chateauroux (5)
Troyes vs Dijon FCO (5)
Vannes OC vs Grenoble Foot (5) at least one red card in this game
German Bundesliga:
Koln vs Hannover 96 (4) both sides to score
German Bundesliga 2:
Karlsruher SC vs MSV Duisburg (5)
Rot-Weiss Oberhausen vs Erzebirge Aue (7)
FSV Frankfurt vs Ingolstadt (6) both sides to score
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
MTK Budapest vs Gyori ETO FC (4) over 2.5 goals
Irish Premier League:
Bohemians vs Drogheda United (7) 2-0
Dundalk vs Galway United (6) 1-0
St.Patrick’s Athletic vs Bray Wanderers (8) 2-0
UCD vs Derry City (5) 1-1
Italian Serie A:
Brescia vs Internazionale (4) 1-1
Mexican Primera Division:
Necaxa vs Monterrey (6) 1-1
Dutch Eredivisie:
FC Utrecht vs Groningen (5) 1-0
Dutch Eerste Divisie:
Volendam vs RKC Waalwijk (6)
Helmond Sport vs Go Ahead Eagles (6)
Zwolle vs Dordrecht ’90 (8)
RBC Roosendaal vs MVV Maastricht (4)
Den Bosch vs Telstar (6)
Emmen vs Veendam (5)
Fortuna Sittard vs Sparta Rotterdam (5)
Cambuur Leeuwarden vs Almere City (7)
Polish Ekstraklasa:
Legia Warsaw vs Slask Wroclaw (4) 1-1
Gornik Zabrze vs Arka Gdynia (7) 2-0
Polish Liga 1:
Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski vs Pogon Szczecin (5)
LKS Lodz vs Dolcan Zabki (8)
GKS Katowice vs Piast Gliwice (6)
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
Beira-Mar vs Pacos de Ferreira (5) 1-1
Romanian Liga:
Pandurii Targui Jiu vs Gloria Bistrita (6) under 2.5 goals
Victoria Branesti vs Steaua Bucharest (4) over 2.5 goals
Singaporean S-League:
Geylang United vs Balestier Khalsa (6) 1-0
Slovakian Corgon Liga:
DAC Dunajska Streda vs MSK Zilina (6) 1-2
Spanish Segunda Liga:
Elche vs Cordoba (6) under 2.5 goals
Turkish Super Lig:
Manisaspor vs Besiktas JK (5) 2-2
Ukrainian Premier League:
Obolon Kiev vs Metalurg Zaporizhya (6) 1-0
Welsh Premier League:
Aberystwyth Town vs Haverfordwest County (6) 1-0
Bala Town vs Airbus UK (4) 1-1
The New Saints vs Prestatyn Town (7) 2-1
Enjoy your free betting tips!