MyPa Anjalankoski vs FC Honka Espoo
FreeToday’s featured game is the Finnish Liiga Cup game between MyPa Anjalankoski and FC Honka Espoo. MyPa Anjalankoski have had a fairly resounding Liiga Cup campaign thus far with wins coming against sides they can compete with and defeats coming against sides that they can’t handle. Honka Espoo have struggled with HJK Helsinki in the Liiga Cup – as usual – but have looked as strong as ever regardless of that and remain a potent opponent.
MyPa Anjalankoski were crushed 3-0 at home by TPS Turku in their last Liiga Cup game. This is unaccetpable because MyPa are generally decent at home and should be able to match TPS due to their lost players and change in manager over the break. However, TPS ran riot, a result I wouldn’t have expected them to attain had they still possessed their squad from last season, frankly. It’s a great result for TPS but one that leaves MyPa short of what they could and should be. MyPa’s two other defeats in the Liiga Cup came against HJK Helsinki and Inter Turku – so basically three of the bigger sides in the Veikkausliiga. Worryingly, MyPa lost all three games without scoring a goal so they’re looking a little devoid of talent currently. They have beaten IFK Mariehamn to their credit but it’s their only creditable result, in my opinion, with their other win coming against an average FC Lahti. MyPa won’t take any comfort from their head-to-head record against Honka Espoo either with MyPa having lost their last four home games against Honka Espoo in all competitions which have included two Liiga Cup games. MyPa find it rare enough to score against Honka Espoo, let alone get a result off them, so MyPa are looking a bit short ahead of their game today.
Honka Espoo are easily one of the best two sides in Finland. I put it that way because I don’t really want to admit that HJK Helsinki are still better than Honka Espoo but also because there’s still not much between them. What HJK have in efficiency is made up for by Honka Espoo’s potency. Honka have already scored ten times in four Liiga Cup games and they’ve faced good sides in three of those games so their quality is unquestionable. They’re lax defensively but they do tend to outscore their opponents. Honka have only played one away game in the Liiga Cup this season and claimed a respectable draw at IFK Mariehamn as a result. However, Honka Espoo have a good record at MyPa, particularly in this competition, so they should be able to do sufficient damage today.
Honka will be keen to overcome HJK in whatever competition that they can due to HJK being a continued thorn in their side. This stretches to even the little-favoured Liiga Cup – Honka will be desperate to win this. To win it, they must perform well and they are but they have to continue that today. MyPa appear to be testing their resources where possible but this doesn’t look like the kind of game they’ll be too bothered about. I expect a fairly comfortable away win today for Honka Espoo but do approach with caution – MyPa Anjalankoski remain sleeping giants irrespective of the present standings in Finland.
Verdict: FC Honka Espoo to win at 11/10.
Wednesday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
Gaz Metan Medias vs CFR Cluj – away win at 11/10.
This should be an interesting game as although Gaz Metan Medias are only a mid-table side, they’re still rather difficult to beat. They’ve only lost three games at home this season and are unbeaten on their return from the winter break, a run which has stretched to four games. However, let’s look at that record a bit more closely. Gaz Metan haven’t done particularly well; they’ve simply drawn three games 0-0 and won 2-1 at a good Universitatea Craiova that were in abysmal form. They’ve drawn with some poor sides and tend to struggle in front of goal so you sense that a solitary goal would be enough for Cluj to win this one today. Cluj have only won four out of ten away games in the Liga this season but remain one of the best sides in Romania. Cluj have only won once since their return from the winter break but they have played reigning champions Unirea Urziceni and bitter rivals Steaua Bucharest and Dinamo Bucharest so perhaps that is forgivable. Ironically, Cluj’s only defeat in those four games came at Otelul Galati, who are a decent home side but nothing more. Cluj won at reigning champions Unirea and drew the other two games so their quality is evident.
I can’t see Gaz Metan scoring against Cluj today because they’re just not a good goalscoring side. What we’re effectively betting on here is whether Cluj will score or not and with Cluj having scored four times in their last four games, I do feel that the moneybags will score today. The odds are good enough to take the away win in what should be a tight and rather boring game but which should result in an away win.
Verdict: CFR Cluj to win at 11/10.
Borac Cacak vs Spartak Subotica – home win at evens.
Borac Cacak may be lingering near the foot of the Super Liga table but they still possess one of the better home records in the division. They’ve won six out of eight home games and boast one of the better defensive records in the division, which has proved pivotal in their home form. The only “poor” side to win here in the Super Liga has been Napredak so Borac Cacak are a strong side on their own turf. Borac Cacak’s big problem tends to be goalscoring but they do it sufficiently enough at home to win games so they’re worthy of consideration today.
Visitors Spartak Subotica are doing well following promotion to the Super Liga and currently occupy fourth place in the table. Their stubborn defence has been pivotal to their success and they’ve won four out of eight away games this season already – one of the better away records in the Super Liga – so they’re definitely a threat so I urge caution with this bet. They’ve put in good stints in the vast majority of their away games and it’s unlikely that today will be different. However, they’re playing a side that are strong at home and are experienced in this division – and even in Europe – so it won’t be all the way of the newly-promoted visitors today.
We should see a close and interesting game between these two sides today as it proves either how strong Borac Cacak are at home or how well Spartak Subotica have done following promotion. I can’t see the visitors keeping up their good run but I can see a stubborn Borac Cacak maintaining their strong home form so odds of evens on the home win do look inviting.
Verdict: Borac Cacak to win at evens.
Le Mont vs Thun – away win at 3/4.
Newly-promoted Le Mont have won two games since returning from the winter break and looked on course to make a late break away from the relegation zone. However, a disheartening defeat at home to fellow relegation battlers Stade Nyonnais last match will send them back to the doldrums if only temporarily. Le Mont aren’t a particularly good side as they’ve already lost five out of nine home games with the number of goals conceded nearly doubling the number scored. Le Mont are one of the weakest goalscoring sides at home and one of the leakiest sides at home so it stands to reason that Le Mont will come unstuck again this season whilst this record continues.
Thun have already won five out of eight away games in the Challenge League this season. Despite losing their first game back from the winter break 3-1 at home to Wil, disappointingly, Thun have bounced back in real style by winning four games consecutively since then without even conceding a goal whilst scoring nine times. A side that scores goals and doesn’t concede will win more games than they lose, that’s for sure! Thun have won two away games during that run against SC Kriens and Wohlen respectively so Thun’s momentum and confidence are through the roof currently, as well as their potency.
There aren’t many sides in this division that can claim to have a gulf between themselves and another side but Le Mont are at the bottom of the food chain – they’re just not good enough to be here. Although they’re fighting valiantly, some sides should simply sweep them aside and Thun are one of those sides. With Thun in such consistently irresistable form, it’s hard to overlook the intriguing odds of 3/4 on the away win.
Verdict: Thun to win at 3/4.
Accumulator fodder:
Barcelona, Girondins de Bordeaux, Monterrey, Newcastle United, Grasshoppers Zurich.
Recommended bets:
Honka Espoo, Grasshoppers Zurich, Newcastle United, and Girondins de Bordeaux at 8/1.
As ever, if there any questions/explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the complete picks listing, see below!
UEFA Champions League:
Barcelona vs VFB Stuttgart (8) over 2.5 goals
Girondins de Bordeaux vs Olympiakos Piraeus (8) 2-0
Copa Libertadores:
Caracas vs Universidad Catolica (5) 2-1
Cerro Porteno vs Corinthians (5) 1-1
Universidad de Chile vs Flamengo (6) 1-1
Monterrey vs Once Caldas Manizales (7) over 2.5 goals
Belgian Tweede Klasse:
Tubize vs Ronse (6)
Boussu Dour Borinage vs Beveren (6)
Eupen vs Liege (7)
Oostende vs Tournai (6)
Turnhout vs KVSK United (6)
OH Leuven vs Standaard Wetteren (5)
Dender vs Mons (5) under 2.5 goals
Antwerp vs Lierse SK (7)
Red Star Waasland vs Brussels (6)
English Championship:
Newcastle United vs Scunthorpe United (8) -1.75 handicap
English League One:
Exeter City vs Bristol Rovers (6)
Finnish Liiga Cup:
MyPa Anjalankoski vs FC Honka Espoo (6) 1-2
International Friendly:
Mexico vs North Korea (8) 2-0
Romanian Liga:
Pandurii Targu Jiu vs Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt (6) 0-0
Gloria Bistrita vs Universitatea Craiova (4) 0-1
Gaz Metan Medias vs CFR Cluj (6) 0-1
Dinamo Bucharest vs Steaua Bucharest (5) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Serbian Super Liga:
Borac Cacak vs Spartak Subotica (6) 1-0
Singaporean S-League:
Young Lions vs Balestier Khalsa (5) 1-0
Swiss Super League:
Grasshoppers Zurich vs Sion (8) 2-0
Swiss Challenge League:
Le Mont vs Thun (7)
Winterthur vs Lausanne Sports
Enjoy your free betting tips!