TFT Issue 192!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
Georgia U21 vs Spain U21 – away win with -1.5 handicap at 4/5.
Today’s featured game is the UEFA European U21 Championship Qualifier in Kutaisi, Georgia, where the hosts entertain recently crowned UEFA European U21 Champions Spain U21.
Georgia have set about re-establishing themselves in Europe following the appointment of Ketsbaia as senior team boss. It seems all the players are working hard to impress him at every level and even Georgia’s U21 team has shown that with a surprising 0-1 win at Croatia U21 in early August. The result was mostly deserved with the hosts not showing up for the vast majority of the game whilst Georgia U21 looked hungry and well-organised. They’ve got some good players in their ranks, Georgia, like Chanturia, Enukidze, Kazaishvili, and Kvirkvelia, to name a few. However, they’re hosting a fantastic U21 side and I just don’t think that the hosts have enough experience or ability to trouble the likes of Spain U21.
I mean, look at Spain U21’s squad below:
Spain squad
Goalkeepers – Marino (Villarreal CF), de Gea (Manchester United), Robles (Atletico Madrid)
Defenders – Bactra (Barcelona), Planas (Barcelona), Mallo (Celta de Vigo), Amat (Espanyol), Fernandez (Real Madrid)
Midfielders – Illarramendi (Real Sociedad), Roberto (Barcelona), Oriol (Chelsea), Martinez (Real Sociedad), del Pozo (Malaga), Canales (Valencia CF)
Strikers – Muniain (Athletic Club de Bilbao), Pacheco (Rayo Vallecano de Madrid), Tello (Barcelona), Moreno (SL Benfica), Vazquez (Espanyol), Perez Lopez (Real Zaragoza), and Roman (Malaga)
There’s tremendous firepower in this team (for a change) with hot prospect Roman from Malaga joined by ex-Liverpool attacker Pacheco, Bilbao wonderkid Muniain, and what can only be described as an “experienced” Moreno. Canales and Oriol in midfield have plenty of creativity and although their defence is somewhat unfamiliar with one another, they’ve still shown potential and with Manchester United stopper De Gea likely to start behind them, you have to favour them to do a decent job here. It’s Spain’s attack which interests me most, however, because they look very strong here.
I normally don’t rate Spain’s ability to put the ball in the net at this level despite their outstanding passing game. However, this squad looks good to me – I like Roman and Muniain a lot and they should produce goals against their Georgian counterparts today. U21 games can be a bit of a nightmare at the start of domestic campaigns so approach this one with caution but taking the Spain to win this one by two goals or more should be a given, really.
Verdict: Spain U21 to beat the -1.5 handicap at 4/5.
UEFA European U21 Squads (that I’ve found/had submitted – more may follow):
England U21
Goalkeepers – Amos (Manchester United), Butland (Birmingham City), Rudd (Norwich City)
Defenders – Baker (Aston Villa), Bennett (Middlesbrough), Briggs (Fulham), Caulker (Swansea City), Dawson (West Bromwich Albion), Flanagan (Liverpool), Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Wisdom (Liverpool)
Midfielders – Barkley (Fulham), Gosling (Newcastle United), Henderson (Liverpool), Lansbury (West Ham United), McEachran (Chelsea), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Rodwell (Everton), Shelvey (Liverpool)
Strikers – Delfouneso (Aston Villa), Sordell (Watford), Waghorn (Leicester City), Wickham (Sunderland)
Bulgaria U21
Goalkeepers – Iliev (Levski Sofia), Kunchev (Slavia Sofia), Vasilev (Rakovski)
Defenders – Pashov (Chavdar), Dechev (CSKA Sofia), Milanov (Litex Lovech), Drenovichki (Slavia Sofia), Dimitrov (Botev Plovdiv), Terziev (Chernomorets Burgas), Dimov (Chernomorets Pomorie), Kolev (Cherno More Varna), Popov (Litex Lovech)
Midfielders – Tsvetkov (Litex Lovech), Milanov (Litex Lovech), Kostadinov (Chernomorets Pomorie), Tsvetanov (Litex Lovech), Baldzhiyski (Chernomorets Burgas), Kostadinov (CSKA Sofia), Ayas (Bansko), Angelov (Bansko), Penchev (Botev Vratsa), Mechev (Botev Vratsa)
Strikers – Sotirov (Lech Poznan), Kostov (CSKA Sofia), Vasilev (Slavia Sofia), Atanasov (Botev Plovdiv), Vasilev (Osasuna), Paskov (Chavdar)
Netherlands U21
Goalkeepers – Zoet (RKC Waalwijk), Bizot (Cambuur Leeuwarden)
Defenders – Ramsteijn (Feyenoord Rotterdam), Kieftenbeld (Groningen), Buytinck (NEC Nijmegen), Evers (De Graafschap), de Vrij (Feyenoord Rotterdam), Leerdam (Feyenoord Rotterdam), Blind (AFC Ajax Amsterdam).
Midfielders – Clasie (Feyenoord Rotterdam), Berghuis (Twente Enschede), Fer (Twente Enschede), van Ginkel (Vitesse Arnhem), van Haaren (Feyenoord Rotterdam),
Strikers – Narsingh (Heerenveen), Castaignos (Internazionale), Zeefuik (NEC Nijmegen), Cabral (Feyenoord Rotterdam).
Spain U21
Goalkeepers – Marino (Villarreal CF), de Gea (Manchester United), Robles (Atletico Madrid)
Defenders – Bactra (Barcelona), Planas (Barcelona), Mallo (Celta de Vigo), Amat (Espanyol), Fernandez (Real Madrid)
Midfielders – Illarramendi (Real Sociedad), Roberto (Barcelona), Oriol (Chelsea), Martinez (Real Sociedad), del Pozo (Malaga), Canales (Valencia CF)
Strikers – Muniain (Athletic Club de Bilbao), Pacheco (Rayo Vallecano de Madrid), Tello (Barcelona), Moreno (SL Benfica), Vazquez (Espanyol), Perez Lopez (Real Zaragoza), and Roman (Malaga)