Servette vs Thun
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Today’s secondary featured game is the Swiss Super League opening day game between newly-promoted Servette and Thun.
I can’t tell you how pleased I am to see Servette in the Super League at long last as it’s where they belong. They’re one of the biggest clubs in Switzerland and their form in the Challenge League over the past season-and-a-half has merited their promotion, although it must be said that Lugano’s capitulation certainly played a big part in their promotion last season. Nonetheless, Servette are back and that is what counts. There’s a great deal of motivation from the Servette camp as they want to hit the ground running to secure their stay in this division and the club have subsequently invited ex-Portuguese international striker Pauleta and ex-Swiss international Muller to be present at the start of the game just to make an event of it. Servette will no doubt play their usual attacking football with Eudis and de Azevedo keen to link up well against as they attempt to confound Super League defences this year. Servette’s weakness is defence but this isn’t the type of game that I expect that to be a great problem in as I expect the hosts to score quite freely today.
Last season, Thun were the hardest side in Switzerland to beat when on their travels, in my view. They weren’t particularly good or potent; they were simply incredibly well-organised in defence and rarely conceded. However, Thun sold integral defender Klose to Nurnberg a couple of weeks ago and any chink of light breaking through this powerful unit lessens their strength and that is a big concern for them – it has to be as they’re not a good goalscoring side. Additionally, Thun drew 0-0 in Albania against Vllaznia Shkoder just three days ago and have the return leg on their minds as it’s being played in just a few days. Will they rest players here? They should, really – I can’t see the likes of Rama or Lustrinelli playing every game for Thun this season at their ages. Lustrinelli was a good acquisition from Bellinzona, though – he did really well last season and should fill the void left by departed German hitman Proschwitz quite well. However, I don’t rate Thun as an attacing force on the road and this is a very difficult away game with the hosts as motivated as they are so I don’t think we’ll see much from Thun here.
These two sides met in a friendly a few weeks ago with the game ending 0-0 in Belp. However, with their fans behind them, motivation high, and attacking football a given, I have to give the advantage to Servette here at 11/10, especially given how well they’ve played in their pre-season friendlies.
Verdict: Servette to win at 11/10.
Sunday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
TPS Turku vs IFK Mariehamn – both sides to score at 4/5.
There’s a lot I don’t like in Finland today but this is one that I do like as neither side is particularly secure defensively. IFK Mariehamn do welcome back Fernando Abreu to their defence today but are still struggling at the back as Kojola misses out through suspension. I can’t remember the last time that IFK had a full defence, to be honest, especially when Trafford was out injured. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that they’ve only kept one clean sheet since May and they should have conceded at least three in that game from what I saw! Okodugha’s continued absence does limit IFK’s attacking options, as does Ingves’ absence, but it’s pleasing to see Kangaskolkka getting the necessary game time and it’s paying huge dividends on the field with the striker looking sharper with each passing game. The continued emergence of Forsell in midfield has helped IFK a lot this season and between the two of them, I think they’ve got enough to at least score here, just as they have in four out of their last five games.
TPS Turku have gone off the boil a bit lately as playmaker Kolehmainen has been serving a ban and it’s really affected their team as their midfield is somewhat limited; it’s their strikers where they excel. Aaritalo, Kuqi, Tarvajarvi, and even young Lehtonen are all good strikers, especially Aaritalo. However, their midfield is really lacking in depth and Kolehmainen’s absence did TPS Turku so much damage that they didn’t know what to do. He’s back for this game today, however, and that should help them out a lot. However, will they rest him or some of his team-mates? They lost 0-1 against strikerless Westerlo a few days ago in the UEFA Europa League and have the return leg in Belgium to think of in the coming days. TPS Turku’s defence is far from the competent at the best of times but with potentially rested players and driven visitors, I’m not sure that TPS Turku will keep a clean sheet here, especially with just one clean sheet from their last seven home games in the Veikkausliiga.
It’s worth noting that TPS have scored and conceded in six out of their last seven Veikkausliiga home games and that IFK Mariehamn have scored in five out of their last seven Veikkausliiga away games – that sets us up nicely for both sides to score here. Football’s not always as logical as that, of course, but with IFK’s back four perpetually changing and TPS Turku’s defence far from reliable, I think 4/5 is a good price on both sides scoring today.
Team news – IFK Mariehamn miss both Paatelainens, Okodugha, Ekhalie, Ingves, and Kojola.
Verdict: Both sides to score at 4/5.
Accumulator fodder:
Qatar, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Levadia Tallinn, PK-35 Helsinki.
Recommended bets:
Servette and PK-35 Helsinki at just over evens.
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 America:
Brazil vs Paraguay (6) 1-1
Chile vs Venezuela (7) 1-0
International Friendlies:
Qatar vs India (8) 2-0
Iran vs Madagascar (9) -1.5 handicap
United Arab Emirates vs Lebanon (8) 2-0
Austrian Bundesliga:
Salzburg vs Austria Vienna (6) 1-0
Brazilian Serie A:
Internacional vs Sao Paulo (5) 2-1
Ceara vs America Mineiro (6) 2-1
Cruzeiro vs Bahia (6) 1-0
Danish Superligaen:
Midtylland vs Silkeborg (6) 2-1
AC Horsens vs HB Koge (6) 1-0
SonderjyskE vs FC Copenhagen (7) 0-1
Brondby vs Aalborg BK (4) 1-1
Estonian Meistriliiga:
Levadia Tallinn vs Sillamae Kalev (8) 2-0
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
RoPS Rovaniemi vs FC Honka Espoo (4) 1-2
KuPS Kuopio vs Jaro Pietarsaari (5) 1-1
TPS Turku vs IFK Mariehamn (6) 1-1
Finnish Ykkonen:
OPS Oulu vs FC Lahti (6)
Viikingit Helsinki vs FC Espoo (7)
KPV Kokkola vs FC Hameenlinna (6)
PK-35 Helsinki vs HiFK Helsinki (8)
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Budapest Honved vs Gyori ETO FC (6) 0-0
Kaposvari Rakoczi vs Ferencvaros (6) 1-2
Paksi SE vs Kecskemeti TE (6) 2-1
Icelandic Urvalsdeild:
UMF Grindavik vs IBV Vestmannaeyjar (5) 0-1
FH Hafnarfjordur vs Fylkir Reykjavik (6) 2-1
KR Reykjavik vs Valur Reykjavik (7) 2-1
Japanese J-League:
Kashima Antlers vs Vegalta Sendai (6) 1-0
Omiya Ardija vs Yokohama F.Marinos (5) 1-2
Montedio Yamagata vs Nagoya Grampus (5) 0-0
Jubilo Iwata vs Urawa Red Diamonds (6) 1-0
Latvian Virsliga:
RFS/Olimps Riga vs Liepajas Metalurgs (6) 0-1
FC Jurmala vs Jelgava (5) 1-1
Gulbene 2005 vs Daugava Daugavpils (6) 0-1
Norwegian Eliteserien:
Sogndal vs Sarpsborg 08 (5) 1-0
Molde FK vs Haugesund (7) 1-0
Stromsgodset vs Start Kristiansand (7) 2-1
Viking Stavanger vs Aalesund FK (4) 1-1
Stabaek vs Rosenborg BK (5) 2-2
Tromso vs Valerenga Oslo (6) 1-1
Romanian Supercupa:
Otelul Galati vs Steaua Bucharest (5) 1-0
Singaporean S-League:
Geylang United vs Etoile (7) 0-1
Slovakian Corgon Liga:
MSK Zilina vs Kosice (6) 2-1
Spartak Trnava vs DAC Dunajska Streda (7) 1-0
Slovenian Prva Liga:
Triglav vs Nafta Lendava (6) 1-1
Mura 05 vs Koper (5) 0-1
Rudar Velenje vs Domzale (5) 1-1
Olimpija Ljubljana vs Celje (6) 1-0
Swedish Allsvenskan:
Gefle vs AIK Solna (6) 1-1
GAIS Goteborg vs Orebro (7) 2-1
Halmstad vs Elfsborg Boras (5) 1-1
Swiss Super League:
Neuchatel Xamax vs Luzern (6) 1-1
Servette vs Thun (6) 2-1
Ukrainian Premier League:
Karpaty Lviv vs Chernomorets Odessa (7) 2-0
Obolon Kiev vs Vorskla Poltava (6) 1-1
Arsenal Kiev vs Illichivets Mariupol (6) 1-0
Enjoy your free betting tips!