RoPS Rovaniemi vs Jaro Pietarsaari
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Consultancy
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Today’s secondary featured game is the Veikkausliiga game in northern Finland between rock-bottom RoPS Rovaniemi and ever-improving Jaro Pietarsaari.
I won’t generally go against RoPS at home often because they’re plucky and rarely lose on their artificial turf. However, you can see the belief and energy sap out of the RoPS’ players over the past few weeks as relegation to the Ykkonen looks to be a mere formality now. They’re a long way adrift of safety with a wafer-thin squad of demoralised players. They’ve not won a game in their last seventeen attempts and half of their home losses this season have come in their last four home games. They’ve still got some good players ala Mexican attacker Rivera, who has impressed me quite a lot this season. Estonian youngster Ojamaa looks a threat too, and Muionen has certainly pulled his weight whilst Gotzl has done his reputation no harm. However, these are fleeting glimpses of light at the end of the tunnel for a RoPS side that has lost its belief. They concede goals far too easily as too many of their squad are Ykkonen quality and they don’t score enough. They need three points here but they’re going to find it very tough against a rejuvenated Jaro here.
Signing Georgian hitman Sirbiladze has completely changed Jaro’s season. He’s now bagged seven goals in seven games and Jaro look strong in attack once more. Amusingly, a striker was the last thing they actually needed with Zeze and Niang to call upon but it’s working for Eremenko’s attacking side, especially with Belgian attacking midfielder Agyeman a constant thorn in opposing defences. Regular German defender Grove is still injured so he won’t feature here but I’m not too concerned with that; Jaro’s defence is unstable at the best of times so I’m not going to read much into his absence here. Jaro have bagged ten goals over their last four games and have looked good whilst doing so, creating chances a-plenty and scoring them too. They’d love to counter-attack the desperate RoPS Rovaniemi here and they should have ample opportunity, too, with the hosts needing the points.
The reversal of this fixture ended 8-2 in a strange game in which RoPS capitulated and Jaro played very well. I doubt we’d ever see that scoreline again between these two sides but I still think there’s enough firepower in this Jaro side to win against a RoPS side that couldn’t really be in a worse state of mind right now.
Verdict: Jaro Pietarsaari to win at evens.
Thursday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
FC Honka Espoo vs JJK Jyvaskyla – JJK Jyvaskyla to score over 1.5 goals at 13/8.
This is quite a fun one, in my view. JJK have scored two or more goals in six out of their eleven away games this season and are the second top goalscoring side in the Veikkausliiga in away games so why not continue that run today? They’ve got a terrific midfield with plenty of goals in it and only their shoddy defending prevents them from winning most of their away games so why not here? Honka have proven on numerous occasions this season they still cannot defend, whether it’s down to youthful inexperience or just bad defending. Honka are and always have been an attacking side; JJK are very similar to them in this aspect. Honka have some very good individuals but I rate JJK more as a team than Honka. However, that’s somewhat irrelevant, I suppose, as the 1×2 market has zero value for me. I like JJK scoring goals, though – that’s simply something that they do very well and backing them to score two or more against anyone in the Veikkausliiga at 13/8 has to be given some serious thought. The first time these two sides met was at the start of the season in a bizarre 0-0 draw which could have and probably should have ended 3-1 to Honka; only terrific goalkeeping displays from both goalkeepers kept the score to a strange stalemate. I’d be surprised to see that again today.
Verdict: JJK Jyvaskyla to score over 1.5 goals at 13/8.
Accumulator fodder:
Universidad Catolica, Tampines Rovers.
Recommended bets:
Universidad Catolica and Jaro Pietarsaari at about 8/5.
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!
Copa Sudamericana:
Velez Sarsfield vs Argentinos Juniors (6) 1-0
Universidad Catolica vs Deportes Iquique (8) 2-0
Brazilian Serie A:
Vasco da Gama vs Coritiba (4) 2-2
Bahia vs Gremio (6) 1-0
Corinthians vs Flamengo (5) 1-0
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
MyPa Anjalankoski vs IFK Mariehamn (7) 1-0
FC Honka Espoo vs JJK Jyvaskyla (5) 2-2
RoPS Rovaniemi vs Jaro Pietarsaari (6) 1-2
VPS Vaasa vs Haka Valkeakoski (4) 1-2
TPS Turku vs HJK Helsinki (7) 1-2
Singaporean S-League:
Geylang United vs Balestier Khalsa (6) 1-0
Tampines Rovers vs Tanjong Pagar (9) -1.5 handicap
Swedish Allsvenskan:
Gefle vs Malmo FF (6) 0-1
Swedish Superettan:
GIF Sundsvall vs Varnamo (5) both sides to score
Enjoy your free betting tips!