PoPa Pori vs PK-35 Helsinki
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Today’s secondary featured game is the Ykkonen game between PoPa Pori and PK-35 Helsinki.
PoPa Pori are starting to become a lot more predictable now that they’ve got their players back from injury. Their new manager has inspired them to a recent run of good form but the underlying facts are that they’ve done well against bad sides but have been drubbed whenever they’ve faced good sides. PoPa have always been an attacking side so you can usually expect them to score goals if they show up. However, you can always expect them to concede goals because their defence isn’t the best and they don’t bother trying to improve it. That shouldn’t improve today either, not with regular defender Viljanen absent (again!). I like PoPa Pori and I think it’s foolish to underestimate them when they’re facing the likes of OPS Oulu and Jippo Joensuu as they can spring a surprise. However, there are a few teams in this league that are head-and-shoulders above them; you know, the kind of teams you don’t want to give an advantage too. Well, PK-35 Helsinki are one of those sides so it looks a bit grim for PoPa Pori after AC Oulu brought them crashing back down to a reality with a 4-0 battering in their last Ykkonen game. Viljanen’s absence lends further assistance to the visitors today too.
The visitors were on the receiving end of a strange result last match, bizarrely – they lost 1-3 against OPS Oulu desipte more than matching their opponents, in my view. 1-3 was beyond flattering but I guess that’s football! PK-35 Helsinki are one of the heavyweights of the Ykkonen, however, and they’ve demonstrated it numerous times already this season. Will they get promoted to the Veikkausliiga? I doubt it. FC Lahti are better than they are and I still think that AC Oulu will pass them now that Stafsula is back. However, PK-35 Helsinki are definitely top three material and I expect that to show today, especially with promising striker Ristola in good form.
Say what you will about PK-35’s away form; they’ve had some very hard games. PoPa Pori’s recent run is because of their opponents rather than a sudden discovery of ability. PoPa have descended into a mid-table side but that’s not enough to trouble the visitors today, in my view. PK-35 Helsinki should be good value for the win today at evens – they’re simply a better side than their hosts.
Team news – PoPa Pori miss Viljanen whereas PK-35 Helsinki miss Halonen.
Verdict: PK-35 Helsinki to win at evens.
Saturday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
Godoy Cruz de Mendoza vs Velez Sarsfield – away win with draw no bet at 4/5.
You know, I really can’t fathom these odds on Velez Sarsfield. I have a lot of respect for Godoy Cruz de Mendoza and their relentless attacking style despite not having classy players. They’re gutsy, hard-working, and very dangerous in front of goal. However, Velez Sarsfield have always had the measure of them since they were promoted and I don’t see anything that has changed that. Velez have actually won seven out of the last eight meetings between these two sides at either ground, not even conceding a goal in their last four wins against Godoy, which not only demonstrates just why I think Velez are the best in Argentina but also the gulf that is opening up between them and everyone else. Unlike their conemporaries, Velez can attack and defend efficiently and effectively, which only Estudiantes De La Plata used to be able to match. Velez have a great deal of talent in their team and it’ll take more than the sale of Alvarez to Internazionale to convince me otherwise. They signed talented Legia Warsaw midfielder Cabral to replace him as well as promising Uruguayan youngster Ramirez. They’ve got almost exactly the same squad as last year, which includes their lethal attacking threesome of Moralez, Silva, and Martinez. Guille Franco is always a useful back-up striker and with pacey Zapata and Fernandez patrolling the flanks and ex-Godoy Cruz de Mendoza midfielder Ramirez in their team, Velez are still very much the best side in Argentina for me. Godoy are never easy to play against but Velez always make it look so. Therefore, the away win with draw no bet cover at 4/5 appeals to me an awful lot.
Verdict: Velez Sarsfield to win with draw no bet at 4/5.
JJK Jyvaskyla vs HJK Helsinki – lay HJK Helsinki at 9/10.
I just can’t accept HJK Helsinki being priced at 4/5 to beat one of the best goalscoring sides in the Veikkausliiga. I’m fully appreciative of the fact that HJK are the best side in the country but even so – they’ve only just got back from an exhausting and frankly demoralising game in Croatia where they lost to Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champions League. Therefore, we’ll either see a tired first-team (unlikely) or a rotated side. I’ve mentioned before that HJK have two squads of very good players and I whole-heartedly agree with that statement even now. However, that doesn’t mean I think they’ll win every game – far from it. This HJK side could be good enouh to win the game if Muurinen makes the changes that I expect him to but they’re absolutely not worth anything below 6/5 unless all the big guns are playing and are 100% fit, which is frankly impossible. JJK are a very potent home side with plenty of goals from midfield. Korte’s absence is a blow but Markkula returns so it’s not too concerning. Virtanen, Gruborovics, and Manninen are constant threats and I think they’ll do HJK a lot of damage – they’re certainly capable of it. JJK haven’t lost at home this season and despite HJK being the only side in the Veikkausliiga that I’d back to do it – if everything was in their favour – I still find them ludicrously short to win this game. For me, there’s good value in laying HJK Helsinki at 9/10 today – the hosts are no mugs and this HJK side is tired!
Team news – JJK Jyvaskyla miss Korte, Tuomanen, and Okkonen whereas HJK Helsinki have doubts over Litmanen and are expected to give partial rests to Ring, Sadik, and Pukki as they have international duties next week.
Verdict: Lay HJK Helsinki at 9/10.
Hannover 96 vs Hoffenheim – home win at 11/10.
It’s always risky to wade heavily into the opening round of fixtures in any league so be careful with this one today. However, I do like it a lot, primarily because I like the consistency and style of Hannover 96 a lot. They’re not classy or flambuoyant but fiery and efficient. They work hard, defend and attack as a unit, and tend to hold leads. They were untouchable at home last season and with minimal changes over the summer break, I expect more of the same from them this season. Hoffenheim’s problems last season were well-documented with the saga of Luis Gustavo’s move to Bayern Munich and Demba Ba refusing to play for the club again. All this after Carlos Eduardo’s departure pre-season and their manager walking out meant that Hoffenheim were in no man’s land and they’re still in that position now. Hoffenheim were never a big club to begin with; they had a strong foundation and it worked well. However, they have to start from scratch following all those dramatic changes and it’s going to take time. Their best player – Ibisevic – is absent today through injury so where will the Hoffenheim goals come from? Hit-and-miss Babel? Attacking midfielder Salilovic? Sigurdsson? I like those players, particularly the latter two, but they’re not regular goalscorers because that’s not what they’re there to do. For me, there’s far too much reliance on Icelandic prodigy Sigurdsson and that will cost them in games like this as Hannover 96 can nullify him with a 4-5-1. Hannover 96 are a far more complete and varied team than their opponents and with Ibisevic out, I think we’ll see a narrow but deserved home win for efficient Hannover 96 today.
Team news – Hoffenheim miss Ibisevic.
Verdict: Hannover 96 to win at 11/10.
Accumulator fodder:
Flora Tallinn, Inter Turku, Fehervar, Metalurg Skopje, Santos Laguna, Cruz Azul, Dacia Chisinau, Bogdanka Leczna, Tampines Rovers, Basel, Metalist Kharkiv.
Recommended bets:
PK-35 Helsinki, Metalist Kharkiv, and Dacia Chisinau at below 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:
All Boys vs Belgrano de Cordoba (6) 1-0
Arsenal de Sarandi vs Colon de Santa Fe (7) 1-0
Godoy Cruz de Mendoza vs Velez Sarsfield (7) 1-2
Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:
Naftan Novopolotsk vs Vitebsk (7) 2-0
Neman Grodno vs Dinamo Brest (5) 1-1
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Germinal Beerschot vs AA Gent (6) 1-1
Zulte-Waregem vs OH Leuven (7) 2-1
Lierse SK vs Racing Genk (5) 1-2
Cercle Brugge vs Mons (6) 1-0
Brazilian Serie A:
Palmeiras vs Gremio (7) 1-0
Flamengo vs Coritiba (7) 2-1
Atletico Mineiro vs Figueirense (6) 1-0
Bulgarian A PFG:
Cherno More Varna vs Montana (7) 2-0
Botev Vratsa vs Svetkavitsa (5) 1-1
Minior Pernik vs Rakovski (7) 2-0
Ludogorets vs Lokomotiv Plovdiv (6) 2-1
Chernomorets Burgas vs Kaliakra (7) 1-0
Chilean Primera Division:
Nublense vs Universidad de Chile (7) 1-2
Audax Italiano vs Universidad Catolica (6) 1-2
Huachipato vs Union La Calera (7) 1-0
Croatian Prva Liga:
Osijek vs NK Zagreb (5) 1-1
Cibalia Vinkovci vs Inter Zapresic (7) 1-0
Lucko vs Istra 1961 (5) 0-0
Slaven Koprivnica vs Dinamo Zagreb (6) 0-1
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Marila Pribram vs Viktoria Zizkov (5) 0-0
Slovan Liberec vs Slavia Prague (7) 2-1
Sigma Olomouc vs Banik Ostrava (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Czech Republic Druha Liga:
Sparta Prague II vs Znojmo (6)
Banik Sokolov vs Spartak Sezimovo Usti (7)
Karvina vs Zenit Caslav (7)
Opava vs Usti nad Labem (6)
Zlin vs Trinec (6)
Danish Superligaen:
SonderjyskE vs AGF Aarhus (6) 1-1
AC Horsens vs Aalborg BK (7) 2-1
English Championship:
Coventry City vs Leicester City (6)
Burnley vs Watford (4)
Reading vs Millwall (6)
Nottingham Forest vs Barnsley (6)
Middlesbrough vs Portsmouth (7)
Bristol City vs Ipswich Town (5)
Peterborough United vs Crystal Palace (6)
Derby County vs Birmingham City (7)
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Doncaster Rovers (7)
Southampton vs Leeds United (6)
Estonian Meistriliiga:
Levadia Tallinn vs Nomme Kalju (5) 1-2
Sillamae Kalev vs Viljandi (6) 1-0
Maag Tammeka Tartu vs Trans Narva (7) 0-2
Kuressaare vs Flora Tallinn (8) 0-1
Ajax Lasnamae vs Flora Paide (4) 1-2
Faroese Meistaradeildin:
KI Klaksvik vs B71 Sandur (6) 1-1
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
Inter Tuku vs Jaro Pietarsaari (8) over 2.5 goals
JJK Jyvaskyla vs HJK Helsinki (5) 2-1
Finnish Ykkonen:
PS Kemi Kings vs HiFK Helsinki (7)
OPS Oulu vs Jippo Joensuu (7)
PoPa Pori vs PK-35 Helsinki (7)
French Ligue 1:
AC Ajaccio vs Toulouse (6) 1-1
Stade Brestois vs Evian Thonon Gaillard (5) 0-0
Stade Malherbe de Caen vs Valenciennes (6) 2-1
Olympique de Marseille vs Sochaux (7) 2-1
Montpellier HSC vs Auxerre (6) 1-0
AS Nancy-Lorraine vs LOSC Lille (6) 1-2
OGC Nice vs Olympique Lyonnais (4) 1-1
Paris Saint-Germain vs Lorient (7) 1-0
German Bundesliga:
Werder Bremen vs Kaiserslautern (5) over 2.5 goals
Hannover 96 vs Hoffenheim (7) 1-0
VfB Stuttgart vs Schalke 04 (7) 2-1
Koln vs VfL Wolfsburg (5) 2-2
Augsburg vs SC Freiburg (5) 0-1
Hertha BSC Berlin vs Nurnberg (6) 0-0
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Vasas Budapest vs Szombathelyi Haladas (4) 1-1
Siofok vs Gyori ETO FC (4) 0-1
Lombard Papa vs Kaposvari Rakoczi (5) 2-1
Fehervar vs Diosgyori VTK (8) over 2.5 goals
Italian Super Cup:
AC Milan vs Internazionale (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Japanese J-League;
Kashima Antlers vs Montedio Yamagata (7) 2-1
Ventforet Kofu vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima (6) 2-1
Urawa Red Diamonds vs Vissel Kobe (6) 1-0
Kashiwa Reysol vs Yokohama F.Marinos (4) 1-2
Kawasaki Frontale vs Cerezo Osaka (7) over 2.5 goals
Albirex Niigata vs Shimizu S-Pulse (6) 1-1
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Kruoja Pakruojis vs Mazeikiai (6) 2-1
Klaipeda vs Atlantas (7) 2-0
Macedonian First League:
Sileks Kratovo vs Renova Dzepciste (6) 2-1
Bregalnica Stip vs Napredok (7) 2-0
Metalurg Skopje vs Horizont Turnovo (8) 2-0
Mexican Primera Division:
Queretaro vs Pachuca (6) 0-1
Cruz Azul vs Atlante (8) 2-0
Santos Laguna vs Tijuana (8) over 2.5 goals
Guadalajara vs Pumas UNAM (6) 2-1
Monterrey vs Morelia (6) 2-1
Moldovan Divizia Nationala:
Olimpia Balti vs Sfintul Gheorghe (5) 2-2
Milsami-Ursidos vs CSCA-Rapid Chisinau (7) 2-0
Academia UTM vs Nistru Otaci (6) 1-1
Sheriff Tiraspol vs Zimbru Chisinau (7) 1-0, at least one red card in this game
Dacia Chisinau vs Tiraspol (8) 2-0
Dutch Eredivisie:
Roda JC Kerkrade vs Groningen (5) 2-1
Heerenveen vs NEC Nijmegen (6) over 2.5 goals
RKC Waalwijk vs Heracles Almelo (5) 1-1
VVV Venlo vs FC Utrecht (5) 1-2
Paraguayan Division Profesional:
Tacuary vs Libertad Asuncion (6) 0-1
Guarani Asuncion vs Rubio Nu (7) 1-0
Peruvian Primera Division:
Inti Gas vs Sport Huancayo (6) 2-1
Cobresol vs Leon de Huanuco (5) 1-0
Universitario Lima vs CNI (7) 2-0
Polish Ekstraklasa:
GKS Belchatow vs Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biala (6) 1-0
Jagiellonia Bialystok vs Lechia Gdansk (6) 1-0
Polonia Warsaw vs Wisla Krakow (5) 1-2
Polish Liga 1:
Dolcan Zabki vs Gornik Polkowice (6)
Bogdanka Leczna vs Ruch Radzionkow (8)
Olimpia Grudziadz vs Katowice (5)
Zawisza Bydgoszcz vs Olimpia Elblag (6) at least one red card in this game
Pogon Szczecin vs Warta Poznan (6)
Russian Premier League:
CSKA Moscow vs Zenit St.Petersburg (6) 1-0
Anzhi Makhachkala vs Tom’ Tomsk (7) 2-0
Kuban’ Krasnodar vs Dinamo Moscow (6) 0-1
Volga Nizhnyi Novgorod vs Rostov-na-Donu (6) 2-1
Scottish Premier League:
Dundee United vs St.Mirren (7) 1-0
Dunfermline Athletic vs Inverness Caledonian Thistle (6) 0-0
Singaporean S-League:
Balestier Khalsa vs Tampines Rovers (8) 1-2
Slovakian Corgon Liga:
Trencin vs Nitra (6) 1-1
Kosice vs Zlate Moravce (5) 2-1
Tatran Presov vs Dukla Banska Bystrica (6) 1-2
DAC Dunajska Streda vs Ruzomberok (7) 1-0
Slovenian Prva Liga:
Triglav vs Maribor (5) 0-1
Rudar Velenje vs Mura 05 (7) 2-0
Domzale vs Koper (7) 2-1
Gorica vs Celje (6) 1-1
Swedish Allsvenskan:
Mjallby Solvesborg vs Malmo FF (5) 1-1
Trelleborg FF vs Gefle (5) 0-0
Swedish Superettan:
Degerfors vs Atvidaberg (6)
Swiss Super League:
Basel vs Sion (8) 1-0
Servette vs Lausanne Sports (7) 2-1
Swiss Challenge League:
Bruhl vs Etoile Carouge (6)
Biel-Bienne vs Delemont (6)
Wil vs SC Kriens (4)
Wohlen vs Chiasso (5)
Locarno vs Bellinzona (6)
Winterthur vs St.Gallen (5)
Ukrainian Premier League:
Tavriya Simferopol vs Obolon Kiev (7) 1-0
Metalist Kharkiv vs Oleksandria (8) 2-0
Chernomorets Odessa vs Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk (4) 1-0
Enjoy your free betting tips!