Heracles Almelo vs FC Utrecht
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Today’s secondary featured game is the Dutch Eredivisie game between Heracles Almelo and FC Utrecht.
Heracles are a very good side to back but only in the right circumstances. Taking them to actually win games away from home is usually daft because they don’t play too well on natural turf. However, in home games against sides that will leave their own box to attack, Heracles tend to excel and that’s what awaits us here.
On paper, four Eredivisie defeats in a row looks like the end of the world and you have people falling over each other to bet against them. That’s what we call a statistis whore, something which I personally disapprove of but hey, each to their own.
Heracles may lose this game in the sense that football is football and anything can realistically happen but I fancy them to turn it on and claim three points here and I’ll tell you why. Yes, they’ve lost four consecutive Eredivisie games but consider that three of them were away from home, which is where Heracles are traditionally awful as it is for reasons listed above. Consider that their only home game during that run was in a very unusual, one-off type of game against ADO Den Haag who actually played well for a change and showed glimpses of how they played under van der Brom last season – that’s how big their improvement was. However, Heracles are a very positive side, mentally speaking. They showed that by taking the game to AZ Alkmaar mid-week in the KNVB Beker and actually beating them to progress to the next round. Confidence should be even higher after that result but to be honest, confidence is not something that Bosz’s side traditionally struggles with – it’s defending. Heracles don’t have much interest in defending as they’re an attacking side but they tend to be good enough in front of goal to outscore opponents such as Utrecht and that’s what I expect here with the timeless Darl Douglas, emerging Armenteros, experienced Everton, and battling Quansah/Overtoom duo in their ranks.
Utrecht are on a three-game unbeaten run and are starting to gather some momentum as a result. However, this is a truly awful side away from home and that’s the Utrecht that I expect to see here today, not the ones who played the best bit of football that Utrecht have ever played when they won 0-2 at Ajax. Removing that game from the statistics list, Utrecht have only scored one goal away from home in the Eredivisie since mid-November, just to back up my point. I don’t know why Utrecht struggle so much on the road when they score so freely at home. Their attacking style is generally something that is hard to deal with, especially when you’ve got the pace of Gerndt alongside Duplan and Demouge, for example. Wesley Sneijder’s younger brother has made great strides this season and aided Utrecht in their push to outscore sides and thus avoid relegation but maybe it’s that lack of experience that they have in their midfield that leaves them so open to other sides when playing away from home. Wouters’ tactics aren’t always spot on but his motivational skills are and thus Utrecht capitulating on the road so freely is a bit of a puzzle but that’s just how football goes sometimes, I guess.
Personally, I think this is the ideal game for Heracles to bounce back. Again, they’re generally a very positive side and they attack a lot as that’s what they’re good at. So long as they take their chances then 10/11 on the home win interests me a lot today.
Verdict: Heracles Almelo to win at 10/11.
Sunday’s Picks
My tips:
De Graafschap vs Feyenoord Rotterdam – home win with +1 Asian Handicap at 11/10.
I’ve no problem admitting that this is a bold call but it’s one I like a lot and I’ll explain why.
Quality-wise, Feyenoord are streets ahead of De Graafschap and the Eredivisie table reflects that rather well, in my eyes. However, Feyenoord have two areas of concern; motivation and age. They’re a very youthful side and thus they’re quite naive. That leads me into my second point; motivation. The correct motivation for each game comes from experienced heads, something that Feyenoord have very few of. That’s why you’ll often see Feyenoord massively competing and dominating against bigger and better sides against the odds and then flopping and failing to win against lesser sides, such as in their recent 1-1 draws with FC Utrecht and RKC Waalwijk respectively. Guidetti is an outstanding striker and he’s really demonstrated that whilst on loan at Feyenoord this season but without him, Feyenoord lack something in attack and that reliance on the Swedish hitman coupled with the lack of motivation for games such as these make me give the advantage to De Graafschap. Today’s hosts were unlucky to lose against Twente earlier this week in a spirited display. Twente wasted some chances but so did De Graafschap. The hosts are notorious for capitulating against the bigger and better sides in the Eredivisie but they held their own rather well and I suspect that they’ll do the same again today against Feyenoord. Let’s face it – De Graafschap simply cannot afford to drop any more points and with motivation likely to play a big part in the outcome of this game, I can’t help but look at the odds of 11/10 on giving De Graafschap a +1 Asian Handicap as a bit of a bargain here.
Verdict: De Graafschap to win with a +1 Asian Handicap at 11/10.
AFC Ajax Amsterdam vs PSV Eindhoven – over 3 goals at evens.
If PSV were to play in this game as they did a few weeks ago then I’d have been all over Ajax at 6/5. However, I don’t really know what to expect from Cocu as boss after PSV swept aside a very good Heerenveen side. The fact is that PSV have much better strikers than Ajax and they’re more than capable of scoring a few goals here. However, Ajax have better cohesion in their team and play better football too, in my view. That makes this game potentially very interesting, especially as both sides can ill-afford to drop any points at this crucial stage of the season. Both sides are founded upon attacking formations with attacking players and thus I think we’ll see a lot of goals here, which would marry up with the history of this meeting rather well!
Verdict: Over 3 goals at evens.
Galatasaray vs Trabzonspor – home win at 4/5.
Even with ex-Bolton Wanderers striker Johan Elmander out, you still have to fancy Galatasaray to do well here. The Super Lig is their priority this season and the 2-2 draw at bitter rivals Fenerbahce will have only encouraged them here, irrespective of their mid-week cup defeat. Galatasaray have been the best side in Turkey this season, which surprises me as I thought they looked very weak at the start of the season. Nonetheless, you can’t argue with the way that they’ve played, the spirit that they’ve played with, and the success that they’ve obtained. They’re still nowhere near the side that they once were but they play better football than Trabzonspor and with the exception of Yilmaz, Zokora, Altintop, and possibly Sen, Galatasaray have better players than Trabzonspor. Galatasaray may have crashed out of the cup earlier this week but so did Trabzonspor and that was after extra-time so we may see some tired legs out there today. Additionally, we have to consider the possibility that Trabzonspor will be much more motivated for their game with Fenerbahce after this one due to the match-fixing scandal and the affect it had with the European places this season, which has accelerated the rivalry between those two clubs massively. Either way, Galatasaray have the personnel and determination to win this one and I can’t pass them up at 4/5.
Verdict: Galatasaray to win at 4/5.
Accumulator fodder:
Jablonec, EB/Streymur, Olympiakos Piraeus, FK Ventspils, Skonto Riga, Ekranas Panevezys, Libertad Asuncion, Porto, Partizan Belgrade, Tampines Rovers, Deportivo La Coruna, Bellinzona, Antalyaspor, Dynamo Kiev.
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:
Argentinos Juniors vs Estudiantes de la Plata (5) 1-1
Colon de Santa Fe vs Independiente (6) 2-1
Arsenal de Sarandi vs Tigre (4) 0-0
Boca Juniors vs Atletico Lanus (7) 2-1
Australian A-League:
Wellington Phoenix vs Central Coast Mariners (4) 1-1
Sydney FC vs Newcastle Jets (5) 2-1
Gold Coast United vs Brisbane Roar (6) 0-1
Austrian Bundesliga:
Wacker Innsbruck vs Rapid Vienna (6) 0-0
Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:
Naftan Novopolotsk vs Shakhtyor Soligorsk (5) 1-1
Gomel vs Dinamo Minsk (5) 1-2
Bulgarian A PFG:
Montana vs Botev Vratsa (7) 2-0
Levski Sofia vs Minior Pernik (7) 2-1
Svetkavitsa vs Lokomotiv Sofia (4) 0-1
Lokomotiv Plovdiv vs CSKA Sofia (5) 1-0
Cherno More Varna vs Litex Lovech (4) 1-1
Chilean Primera Division:
Antofagasta vs Cobreloa (6) 2-2
Cobresal vs Audax Italiano (5) 0-1
Colo Colo vs Palestino (7) 2-0
Colombian Primera A:
Deportes Tolima vs Atletico Huila (7) over 2.5 goals
Cucuta Deportivo vs La Equidad Bogota (6) 1-0
Atletico Junior Barranquilla vs Real Cartagena (7) 1-0
Independiente Medellin vs Atletico Nacional de Medellin (5) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Croatian Prva Liga:
Rijeka vs Inter Zapresic (4) 1-1
Hajduk Split vs Cibalia Vinkovci (5) 1-0
Cypriot Division 1:
Nea Salamis vs Aris Limassol (4) 2-2
Apollon Limassol vs Anorthosis Famagusta (6) 0-1
Enosis Neon Paralimni vs Alki Larnaca (5) 1-1
Ethnikos Achnas vs AEL Limassol (4) 1-0, at least one red card in this game
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Viktoria Zizkov vs Jablonec (8) 0-2
Hradec Kralove vs Mlada Boleslav (6) 0-1
Teplice vs Sigma Olomouc (4) 0-0
Danish Superligaen:
OB Odense vs HB Koge (7) 1-0
AC Horsens vs Nordsjaelland (5) 1-2
Silkeborg vs FC Copenhagen (6) 1-2
Brondby vs Lyngby (7) 2-0
English Premier League:
West Bromwich Albion vs Newcastle United (6) 1-1
English Championship:
Birmingham City vs Cardiff City (6) over 2.5 goals
Faroese Meistaradeildin:
TB Tvoroyri vs Vikingur Gotu (5) 1-0
EB/Streymur vs KI Klaksvik (9) over 2.5 goals
IF Fuglafjordur vs NSI Runavik (6) 2-1
HB Torshavn vs B68 Toftir (4) 2-2
French Ligue 1:
Dijon FCO vs Stade Malherbe de Caen (5) 1-1
Toulouse vs Auxerre (6) 1-1
Paris Saint-Germain vs Girondins de Bordeaux (6) 2-1
German Bundesliga:
VfB Stuttgart vs Nurnberg (6) 2-1
Koln vs Bv09 Borussia Dortmund (7) 1-2
Greek Super League:
Doxa Dramas vs Levadiakos (5) 1-1
AEK Athens vs Panaitolikos (7) 2-1
PAS Giannina vs Ergotelis (6) 1-1
Kerkyra vs PAOK Salonika (5) 0-1
Olympiakos Piraeus vs Asteras Tripolis (8) 2-0
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Gyori ETO FC vs Paksi SE (7) over 2.5 goals
Szombathelyi Haladas vs Ferencvaros (5) 1-1
Irish Premier League:
Bohemians vs St.Patrick’s Athletic (4) 0-1, at least one red card in this game
Israeli Ligat Ha’al:
Beitar Jerusalem vs Maccabi Petah Tikva (6) 2-1
Italian Serie A:
Atalanta Bergamo vs Bologna (6) 0-0
Lazio vs Cagliari (5) 2-1
SSC Napoli vs Catania (7) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Genoa vs Fiorentina (6) 1-0
Novara vs Lecce (5) 1-1
Cesena vs Parma (4) 0-1
Chievo Verona vs Siena (5) 1-1
Juventus vs Internazionale (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Latvian Virsliga:
FK Ventspils vs Spartak Jurmala (9) -1.5 handicap
Metta/LU vs Gulbene 2005 (7) 1-2
FC Jurmala vs Skonto Riga (8) 1-2
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Ekranas Panevezys vs Tauras Taurage (8) 1-0
Banga Gargzdai vs Vilnius (7) 2-1
Atlantas vs Dainava (7) over 2.5 goals
Macedonian First League:
Shkendija 79 vs Teteks Tetovo (7) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Vardar Skopje vs Metalurg Skopje (4) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Bregalnica Stip vs Horizont Turnovo (6) 1-0
Sileks Kratovo vs 11 Oktomvri (7) 2-0
Ohrid vs Rabotnicki Skopje (5) 0-1
Mexican Primera Division:
Pumas UNAM vs Tigres UANL (7) 2-0
Puebla vs Cruz Azul (6) 1-1
Dutch Eredivisie:
AZ Alkmaar vs RKC Waalwijk (5) 1-0
Heracles Almelo vs FC Utrecht (7) over 2.5 goals
De Graafschap vs Feyenoord Rotterdam (5) 2-2
AFC Ajax Amsterdam vs PSV Eindhoven (6) over 2.5 goals, at least one red card in this game
Norwegian Eliteserien:
Tromso vs Fredrikstad (7) 1-0
Valerenga Oslo vs Haugesund (7) 2-0
Stabaek vs Aalesund FK (7) 0-1
Odd Grenland Skien vs Sogndal (7) 2-0
Rosenborg BK vs Brann Bergen (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Paraguayan Division Profesional:
Sol de America vs Sportivo Luqueno (6) 2-1
Libertad Asuncion vs Deportivo Carapegua (8) 2-0
Peruvian Primera Division:
Cienciano vs Universidad San Martin (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Sport Huancayo vs Melgar FBC (7) 1-0
Inti Gas vs Universidad Cesar Vallejo (5) 1-1
Sporting Cristal vs Real Atletico Garcilaso (7) 2-0
Juan Aurich vs Universitario Lima (4) 1-1
Polish Ekstraklasa:
Lech Poznan vs Slask Wroclaw (4) 1-1
Ruch Chorzow vs Wisla Krakow (5) 1-0
Polish Liga 1:
Nieciecza vs Polonia Bytom (7)
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
Beira-Mar vs CD Nacional de Madeira (4) 0-1
Vitoria Setubal vs Uniao de Leiria (6) 1-0
Rio Ave vs Vitoria Guimaraes (6) 0-0
Pacos de Ferreira vs Porto (8) over 2.5 goals
Romanian Liga:
Vointa Sibiu vs Sportul Studentesc (5) 2-1
Astra Ploiesti vs Targu Mures (5) 0-0
FC Brasov vs Rapid Bucharest (6) 1-1
Dinamo Bucharest vs Vaslui (5) 1-1
Russian Premier League:
Rostov-na-Donu vs Spartak Nal’chik (6) 1-0
Dinamo Moscow vs Spartak Moscow (6) 1-1
Zenit St.Petersburg vs Rubin Kazan’ (7) 1-0
Anzhi Makhachkala vs Kuban’ Krasnodar (7) 2-0
Scottish Premier League:
Rangers vs Celtic (5) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Serbian Super Liga:
Hajduk Kula vs Partizan Belgrade (8) 0-2
Metalac GM vs Smederevo (6) 1-0
Singaporean S-League:
Tampines Rovers vs Hougang United (8) 2-0
Harimau Muda vs Young Lions (7) 1-0
Home United vs Albirex Niigata (7) 2-1
Slovenian Prva Liga:
Triglav vs Koper (5) 1-1
Mura 05 vs Olimpija Ljubljana (7) 0-1
Maribor vs Celje (7) 2-0
Spanish Primera Liga:
Real Zaragoza vs Atletico Madrid (7) 0-1
Levante vs Osasuna (4) 1-1
Espanyol vs Malaga (7) 2-1
Athletic Club de Bilbao vs Sporting Gijon (7) 2-1
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid vs Villarreal CF (6) 1-0
Real Betis Balompie vs Racing Santander (7) 2-1
Spanish Segunda Liga:
Barcelona II vs Alcoyano (7)
Numancia vs Real Valladolid (5) at least one red card in this game
Deportivo La Coruna vs Cordoba (8)
Swiss Super League:
Luzern vs Grasshopper Zurich (7) 2-1
Sion vs Lausanne Sports (7) 1-0
Young Boys Bern vs Thun (6) 2-1
Swiss Challenge League:
Bellinzona vs Locarno (8)
Biel-Bienne vs St.Gallen (7) over 2.5 goals
Turkish Super Lig:
Orduspor vs Genclerbirligi (5) 1-1
Ankaragucu vs Antalyaspor (8) 0-2
Samsunspor vs Mersin Idmanyurdu (5) 0-1
Manisaspor vs Sivasspor (5) 0-1
Karabukspor vs Kayserispor (6) 1-0
Eskisehirspor vs Gaziantepspor (5) 1-1
Galatasaray vs Trabzonspor (7) 2-1
Ukrainian Premier League:
Illichivets Mariupol vs Dynamo Kiev (8) 0-1
Chernomorets Odessa vs Vorskla Poltava (4) 0-1
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih vs Tavriya Simferopol (6) 1-1
Karpaty Lviv vs Oleksandriya (7) 2-0
Uruguayan Primera Division:
Cerrito vs Bella Vista (6) 2-1
Montevideo Wanderers vs Cerro (4) 1-1
Rentistas vs El Tanque Sisley (6) 1-0
Liverpool Montevideo vs Cerro Largo (7) 2-1
Welsh Premier League:
Bala Town vs Neath Athletic (5) 1-1
Enjoy your free betting tips!