Empoli vs Ancona
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Today’s featured game is the Serie B encounter between Empoli and Ancona. Neither side has played particularly well in recent times but Empoli are experienced in their promotion push whereas Ancona are beginning to struggle a little with the pressure of being at the top so do look a little vulnerable currently.
Empoli are on a barren run of form currently with no wins in their past six Serie B games. However, I would hasten to point out that four of those games were away from home, which is where Empoli are really very vulnerable. Their two home games played were against good sides – Sassuolo and Torino – so I can forgive Empoli for drawing both of those games. Empoli’s trademark has long been winning games without conceding goals, which is largely why only two Serie B sides have conceded less goals at home than Empoli have this season. Empoli average scoring two goals per home game and have won eight out of eleven home games this season, remaining unbeaten throughout. Although Empoli aren’t playing their best football at the moment, I do feel that their struggles are at least partially justified and that they’re more than capable of ending that run in what is a very important game for them tonight that they really need to win.
Visitors Ancona have slipped away from the top of the Serie B table and find themselves in fourth place following a run of five games that has seen them win just once, lose three times, and draw once. Not only has this run left them a tad bereft of momntum but note that all three of Ancona’s defeats came away from home against sides that they’re frankly better than. Each away game saw Ancona fail to score and they conceded a total of six goals, which is an average of two goals per away game. Much like hosts Empoli, Ancona struggle massively away from home. Ancona have lost eight out of twelve away games this season and their current form doesn’t do much to oppose that statistic either.
Ironically, these two sides are something of a mirror-image of each other with each winning most of their home games but consistently struggling on the road. However, Empoli are more experienced in this position than Ancona and I expect them to do the business in this game, particularly as they need the three points more than Ancona. Ancona’s away form does nothing to make me believe that they’ll launch an inspired away performance so the home win looks logical and valuable tonight.
Verdict: Empoli to win at 10/11.
Friday’s Picks
My tips:
My most sincere apologies first of all. I’d written out all of the previews for the below games and published it and yet they’ve all mysteriously vanished somehow and I simply don’t have time to re-write them all. Normally my system will at least save the draft but hilariously it didn’t even manage to do that so again – apologies.
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
Wellington Phoenix vs Central Coast Mariners – home win at 5/6.
Newcastle Jets vs Adelaide United – home win at 10/11.
LASK Linz vs Rapid Vienna – lay Rapid Vienna at 11/10.
Northampton Town vs Aldershot Town – home win at 10/11.
TPS Turku vs Inter Turku – away win at 13/10.
Tours vs Metz – away win at 15/8.
Excelsior vs Cambuur Leeuwarden – home win at 5/4.
Omniworld vs MVV Maastricht – home win at 6/4.
Pacos de Ferreira vs Sporting Clube de Lisboa – home win at 12/5.
Recommended bets:
St.Pauli, De Graafschap, Empoli, and Excelsior at 6/1.
AC Milan, Zwolle, Inter Turku, and Omniworld at 12/1.
As ever, if there are any questions/explanations required then feel free to post a comment! For the complete picks listing, see below!
Argentinian Primera Division:
Rosario Central vs Chacarita Juniors (6) 1-0
Arsenal de Sarandi vs Tigre (6) 2-1
Australian A-League:
Wellington Phoenix vs Central Coast Mariners (7) 2-1
Newcastle Jets vs Adelaide United (6) over 2.5 goals
Austrian Bundesliga:
LASK Linz vs Rapid Vienna (4) over 3.5 goals
Belgian Tweede Klasse:
KVSK United vs Oostende (6)
Colombian Primera A:
Millonarios Bogota vs Deportes Quindio (6) 1-0
Ecuadorian Primera A:
Liga de Quito vs Independiente (8) 2-0
Manta vs Olmedo (6) 1-0
English League Two:
Burton Albion vs Crewe Alexandra (5)
Northampton Town vs Aldershot Town (6)
Finnish Liiga Cup:
TPS Turku vs Inter Turku (6) 0-1
French Ligue 2:
Clermont Foot vs AC Ajaccio (6)
Angers SCO vs Arles (6)
Bastia vs Dijon FCO (5)
Istres vs Laval (6)
Tours vs Metz (5)
Stade Malherbe de Caen vs Guingamp (7)
Nimes vs Le Havre (5)
German Bundesliga:
Borussia Moenchengladbach vs FC Nurnberg (6) 2-1
German Bundesliga 2:
Rot-Weiss Ahlen vs Arminia Bielefeld (5)
St.Pauli vs FSV Frankfurt (8)
Paderborn vs Union Berlin (6)
Greek B Ethniki:
Anagennisi Karditsas vs Kerkyra (6)
Italian Serie A:
AC Milan vs Udinese (8) 1-0
Italian Serie B:
Empoli vs Ancona (7)
Dutch Eredivisie:
NEC Nijmegen vs NAC Breda (6) over 2.5 goals
Dutch Eerste Divisie:
Veendam vs Eindhoven (5) draw no bet
De Graafschap vs Emmen (9) -1.75 handicap
Excelsior vs Cambuur Leeuwarden (6) over 2.5 goals
Dordrecht ’90 vs Den Bosch (5)
Omniworld vs MVV Maastricht (6)
Volendam vs AGOVV Appeldoorn (6)
Zwolle vs Telstar (9)
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
Pacos de Ferreira vs Sporting Clube de Lisboa (5) 1-0
Spanish Segunda Liga:
Cordoba vs Cadiz (6) at least one red card in this game
Venezuelan Primera Division:
Yaracuyanos vs Real Esppor Club (5) 1-1
Aragua vs Deportivo Lara (6) 1-0
Zulia vs Atletico El Vigia (6) 1-1
Llaneros de Guanare vs Trujillanos (7) 2-1
Deportivo Anzoategui vs Zamora (6) 2-1
Centro Italo vs Monagas SC (6) 0-0
Enjoy your free betting tips!