TFT Issue 179!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
Viktoria Plzen vs Teplice – over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Today’s featured game is the Czech Gambrinus Liga game between reigning champions Viktoria Plzen and Teplice.
As an Englishman, it’s times like these I really envy countries like the Czech Republic because look how much consideration they give to their teams! The Czech FA has unsurprisingly put Viktoria Plzen’s game on a friday night to give them an additional day to prepare for their trip to FC Copenhagen in Denmark in next week’s UEFA Champions League game, which I think is brilliant. In England, you’ll generally find that games will be moved closer to the respective European games just to piss everyone off, the worst one of which that springs to mind was Fulham’s game being played on a monday night before a UEFA Europa League Semi-Final game just a few days later.
But anyway, enough of that ranting! Plzen are still one of the top sides in the Czech Republic despite the sale of Jan Rezek to Anorthosis Famagusta and their potency so far this season has demonstrated that. I admire their fluent attacking style and goal-filled midfield a lot. However, their defensive frailties are even more apparent this season than ever and they’ve subsequently conceded in four out of their five games in all competitions this season, including four in their two Gambrinus Liga games! I suppose that’s always a danger when deploying an attacking brand of football but they seem even more vulnerable than normal this season. They bizarrely drew 2-2 at home against poor travelling Slovan Liberec and lost 2-1 at Bohemians 1905 last match, which wasn’t entirely unexpected as it’s a nightmare away game for any side. Plzen’s firepower never concerns me but their defence really does this season and with Sparta Prague oozing their way through each game with ominous ease, I think Plzen need to be very careful this season.
No news has been released as to whether Plzen will rest players or not but I expect more of the above if they do, to be honest, just as there was against Mlada Boleslav in the Super Cup. Teplice are a very over 2.5 goals side themselves, helpfully, as they’ve abandoned any kind of need for defending this season. They’ve inexplicably conceded three goals against a rather goal-shy Banik Ostrava and were drubbed 0-3 by a poor Hradec Kralove. Teplice aren’t a prolific goalscoring side themselves, unfortunately, especially now human tower Dosek has moved on. The only bright part of Teplice’s very bleak future is their Bosnian contingent that is spear-headed by Mahmutovic and supported by Cajic and Ljevakovic. Those three are dangerous and may well expose Plzen’s defence today. However, Teplice’s defensive woes should be the main reason behind this game going over 2.5 goals as the departure of Vidlicka to Sparta Prague pre-season was the nail in the coffin lid for a poor Teplice defence.
There has been no reported players absent for this game and with four out of the last five meetings between these two sides having gone over 2.5 goals, over 2.5 goals today at 4/5 is very appealing.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Additional game
FC Minsk vs BATE Borisov – BATE Borisov HT/FT at 7/5.
This is fairly risky as I’m still awaiting FC Minsk to explode into life as they still have a strong squad despite their precarious league placing. However, taking the odds into consideration, I cannot pass up on this bet.
BATE Borisov are the best side in Belarus. There’s no avoiding that. They dominate all sides and score at will. They’ve struggled scoring goals this season because of Rodionov’s injury but hey, guess who’s back! Yes, Rodinov is back and scoring goals so the Vysshaya Liga title race is now officially over, in my view – nobody can catch BATE. BATE have a big game next week, however – they’re facing Sturm Graz as they bid to reach the UEFA Champions League group stage. It’s four days away so maybe BATE will rest players – who knows? They’ve got the depth to do so. One player they won’t rest is Renan, however – he’s suspended for the game with the Austrian giants so he’ll play all of this game, which pleases me immensely because he’s good enough to win this game on his own.
FC Minsk are a good side, surprising as it may seem. Little has changed since last season so I can only attribute their downfall to “second season syndrome” and European committments. Either way, they’re sitting ducks right now, especially at home, and may even be relegated if they’re not careful. They fall behind far too easily in games, though – that’s why I like this bet. They’ve been trailing at half-time in half of their home games this season and have lost six out of those ten home games. BATE Borisov have been winning in half of their away games in the Vysshaya Liga this season and have gone on to win seven out of their ten away games so you can see where I am coming from here.
My view is that BATE will want to put this game to bed early on to avoid fatigue later in the game and I don’t rate FC Minsk’s defence highly enough to keep them out. FC Minsk’s strength was always attacking and they’re not doing that well this season, hence their predicament. I think BATE are more than capable of scoring in the first-half and holding it until the end of the game so taking BATE HT/FT at 7/5 looks very interesting indeed.
Verdict: BATE Borisov HT/FT at 7/5.
Team news
Croatia:
Dinamo Zagreb – Badelj, Alispahic, Tomecak, Morales, and Kramaric are absent.
Karlovac – Novinic, Stambolija, Cejvanovic, Likic, Batarelo, and Jankovic are all doubts.
NK Zagreb – Orsolic are absent.
Lucko – No absentees.
Inter Zapresic – Scrbec is absent.
Sibenik – Kartelo, Z.Husmani, and Jelic are absent.
Finland:
HJK Helsinki – Moren, Rafinha, Bah, Lahti, and Hakanpaa are absent for varying reasons. Rihilahti, Ring, and Pukki are doubts.
FC Honka Espoo – Tammilehto returns.
Haka Valkeakoski – Pirinen, Koljander, and Popovits are absent whilst Koroma is a doubt.
Inter Turku – Parviainen, Osinachi, and Asis are absent.
Jaro Pietarsaari – Zeze and Warg are absent. Teles and Niang are doubtful.
IFK Mariehamn – Strandall, Ingves, and Okodugha are absent. Emet and Bellisomo return.
KuPS Kuopio – Holopainen, Ollo, Vilmunen, and Balogh are absent. Oravainen and Ilo return. Nwakaeme could feature but very hard to say nowadays with constant links to move elsewhere.
MyPa Anjalankoski – Okkonen, Anttilainen, Kukka, and Aho are absent.
TPS Turku – Lehtovaara and Kolehmainen are absent.
RoPS Rovaniemi – Qerimi, Hanninen, Grohn, Isteri, and Tabe are absent.
VPS Vaasa – Tanska is absent. Woodbine, Koskela, and Koskimaa return.
JJK Jyvaskyla – Okkonen and Korte are absent. Nieminen is a doubt.
Ireland:
Shamrock Rovers – Oman, Turner, and O’Donnell are absent.
UCD – Meenan is absent.
Drogheda United – Flynn and O’Brien are absent.
Dundalk – Osborne, Hawkins, and O’Donnell are absent.
Bray Wanderers – No absentees.
Galway United – Kelly, Keane, and Ryan are absent.
Derry City – No listed absentees.
Bohemians – No listed absentees.
Lithuania:
Suduva Marijampole – Grigaitis is absent.
Atlantas – No absentees listed.
Poland:
Ruch Chorzow – Janoszka, Piech, Straka, Jankowski, and Lisowski are doubts.
Slask Wroclaw – Diaz is a doubt following his public bust-up with Lenczyk.
Legia Warsaw – Hubnik and Kucharczyk are big doubts.
Gornik Zabrze – Przybylski, Maguera, and Golebiewski are absent. Shirki could debutise.
Gornik Polkowice – No known absentees.
Warta Poznan – Radlinski and Ujek are absent.
Olimpia Elblag – Matwijow is absent. Playing in Plock tonight despite being “hosts”.
Wisla Plock – Ricardinho and Zagurskas are doubts.
Portugal:
Gil Vicente – Yero, Leandro Costa, and Joao Pedro are absent.
SL Benfica – Luisao is absent.
Romania:
CFR Cluj – Muresan, Niocara, and Maftei are absent.
Gaz Metan Medias – Raul del Campo, Eric, Zaharia, Vukadinovic, Dudita, Muntean, Buchta, and Parvulescu are absent.
Mioveni – Enache and Iordache are absent.
Astra Ploiesti – N’Doye, Goian, Grigore, Nogo, Patrascu, and Barboinau are absent.
Slovenia:
Celje – Pavlovic is a doubt.
Nafta Lendava – No listed absentees.