Helsingborgs vs AIK Solna
FreeToday’s featured game is the Allsvenskan game between giants Helsingborgs and reigning champions AIK Solna. Helsingborgs have been impressive so far this season and will look to continue that impressive run by overcoming an under-achieving but always threatening AIK Solna tonight.
Helsingborgs have beaten AIK at home for two seasons running now and have rarely looked as comfortable as they do now at home. They’ve won all four of their home games so far this season and generally look the real deal – calm, composed, efficient, organised etc. It’s strange because I’ve not seen Helsingborgs play this way for some time, really – they’ve tended to be unpredictable in recent years with occasional brilliance and occasional atrocity. The departure of legend Henrik Larsson in the break between seasons as he moved to coach Superettan outfit Landskrona BoIS was what I thought was a stumbling block for them as they looked lost without him previously. However, you could now even draw the conclusion that they relied too heavily upon him and Helsingborgs appeared to be more galvanised than ever before this season so I take my hat off to them. They’ve been one of Sweden’s biggest sides for a long time now and an Allsvenskan title is long overdue with no titles for ten long years. They looked well-balanced enough to win this one however, with IFK Goteborg and Elfsborg Boras stuttering, Kalmar meandering their way through poor form, AIK Solna not scoring goals, and only the tempremental Malmo offering any kind of realistic threat. Helsingborgs have only conceded twice in their past five games but have scored eight goals along the way so they’re looking very strong currently. I must reiterate just how good Helsingborgs have been at home this season though – they’ve won four out of four home games but three of those games have been against three sides that pose a legitimate title threat – Elfborg Boras, Malmo, and reigning champions AIK Solna respectively – so the hosts have really started this season well and I expect them to continue that run tonight.
AIK Solna do concern me, I won’t lie to you. Much like Kalmar last night, they’re due a result and they’re starting to play well again. AIK in-form don’t concede goals and it’s this type of game that could be the catalyst for their season. However, that’s mere speculation on my part and hopefully won’t affect the cold, hard logistics of this game. AIK have played four away games this season, losing twice, drawing once, and winning once. They’ve struggled because they’ve not scored goals, failing to find the net in five out of their eight Allsvenskan games this season. AIK have never been a good goalscoring side – they tend to rely on their iron defence and the odd goal to gain their wins which is why they’re struggling so much without their odd goal or two. AIK aren’t defending particularly badly but no goals means no wins! AIK are unbeaten in their last two games but haven’t performed well here in recent times so I’m going to go against their recent burst of form and say that they’ll lose this one.
Some people might be tempted to take the home win on the handicap tonight – not me. I think this game will be very close indeed and I am concerned that AIK will finally start playing well in time for tonight’s game. However, statistics and ability both favour Helsingborgs at the moment and they’ve beaten some damn good sides already this season so the odds of 5/6 on the home win look intriguing to me tonight.
Verdict: Helsingborgs to win at 5/6.
Thursday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
Fulham vs Hamburger SV – home win at 6/5.
I do hate the Europa League with a passion but I’ll bravely wade into it tonight by calling a home win. Hodgson has shown his tactical supremacy in this competition this season and I’ve frankly been overwhelmed with what he’s done with the side. They’re not a great side, Fulham, but they’re exceptionally well-organised. They defend and attack in numbers, which is a priceless characteristic nowadays and will take points off most sides unless their opponents match their work-rate and take their chances. Fulham have looked very good in this competition overall and Hodgson clearly wants to win it so I’d have to give them their chances tonight, particularly given the miracles he’s worked with a sporadic Bobby Zamora.
I’d stay away from this game a lot more readily had Hamburg not sacked manager Bruno Labaddia at weekend after a horrendous 5-1 defeat at usually goal-shy Hoffenheim. Sacking him was a bit harsh but Hamburg have been tempremental under his reign and look set to struggle tonight without him. New managers often spark a revival of form but that’s generally at home so I’m not going to read too much into that. If Hamburg can concede five goals at a weak Hoffenheim side then they can concede against an astute Fulham side, basically.
Hamburg have convinced in dribs and drabs this year but have still succumbed to 3-0 defeats at the likes of Rapid Vienna earlier in this tournament. Rapid were well-organised and determined, just like Fulham, and that appears to be what Hamburg hate playing against the most. Hamburg tend to concede heavily at the most inconvenient of times and although I fear the backlash of veteran Ruud van Nistelrooy, I have to favour Fulham tonight on every front against a disjointed and demoralised Hamburg side, particularly with such generous odds.
Verdict: Fulham to win at 6/5.
Accumulator fodder:
Cruzeiro, Once Caldas Manizales, Luch-Energiya Vladivostok, Elfsborg Boras.
Recommended bets:
Luch-Energiya Vladivostok, Elfsborg Boras, and Helsingborgs at 4/1.
As ever, if there any questions/explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the complete picks listing, see below!
UEFA Europa League:
Fulham vs Hamburger SV (6) 1-0
Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid (7) 1-0
Copa Libertadores:
Cruzeiro vs Club Nacional de Montevideo (7) 2-1
Alianza Lima vs Universidad de Chile (4) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Once Caldas Manizales vs Libertad Asuncion (8) 1-0
Dutch Nacompetitie:
Den Bosch vs Helmond Sport (6) over 2.5 goals
Russian Division 1:
Energiya Khabarovsk vs Ural Sverdlovskaya Oblast (6)
Luch-Energiya Vladivostok vs Irtysh Pavlodar (7) under 2.5 goals
Nizhnyi Novgorod vs Krasnodor (5)
Salyut Belgorod vs Baltika Kaliningrad (6)
Avengard Kursk vs Dinamo St.Petersburg (6)
Volgar Gazprom Astrakhan vs Shinnik Yaroslavl’ (5) under 2.5 goals
Khimki vs KamAZ Nab Chelny (7)
Kuban Krasnodor vs Volga Nizhnyi Novgorod (6) under 2.5 goals
Rotor Volgograd vs Dinamo Bryansk (4) over 2.5 goals
Mordovia Saransk vs Zhemchuzhina Sochi (6)
Singaporean S-League:
Beijing Guoan vs Woodlands Wellington (5) 2-1
Etoile vs Young Lions (7) 1-0
Swedish Allsvenskan:
Elfsborg Boras vs Brommapojkarna (8) 2-1
Djurgardens vs Mjallby Solvesborg (6) 1-1
IFK Goteborg vs Malmo (7) 2-2, at least one red card in this game
Trelleborg vs Atvidabergs (6) 2-1
Helsingborgs vs AIK Solna (6) 1-0
Swedish Superettan:
Osters vs Landskrona BoIS (6)
Syrianska Sodertalje vs Orgryte (5)
Enjoy your free betting tips!