TFT Issue 204!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
AZ Alkmaar vs Malmo FF – home win with -1.5 handicap at 10/11.
AZ are dynamite at home and I’ll back them at home for most of this season due to it. They score a lot of goals on their own turf and never seem to be happy to settle down when they have a two-goal advantage. They’re a strong attacking force, especially with Altidore looking better in each game, so I fancy them here. Malmo – no idea how they’ve done as well as they have so far. Credit to them for not giving up but to be realistic, they’re not particularly good – they’re not even the best in their country for my money. They’ll work hard here but they look out of their depth to me, although it’ll be interesting to see how they do with new signing Ranegie in their ranks. Either way, there’s a bit class difference here and I expect AZ to win it comfortably at good odds.
Verdict: AZ Alkmaar to beat the -1.5 handicap at 10/11.
Additional games
Slovan Bratislava vs Athletic Club de Bilbao – both sides to score at 4/5.
Hmm. Bielsa hasn’t settled in Bilbao anywhere near as well as he needs to and they look at sixes and sevens because of it. He’s playing stupid formations like 3-5-2 and putting attacking players in defence ala de Marcos, for example. Iraola keeps being dropped – no idea why as he’s a staple part of any Bilbao side – and Bielsa seems intent on Perez, which I have no idea why he’s doing. Bilbao are not themselves under him yet and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them lose this one, to be honest. Slovan are no mugs at home – they’ve done well here in Europe over the past few years, even beating Roma here earlier this season, so don’t write them off. Bilbao’s defence looks extremely vulnerable right now, especially to pace, and despite the undeniable attacking power that they have, I just can’t take them seriously yet. Slovan have to attack here and I’m sure they will. For me, there’s value in taking both sides to score.
Verdict: Both sides to score at 4/5.
Team news
Dynamo Kiev – Gusev is absent. Almeida, Shevchenko, and Mykhalyk are doubts.
Stoke City – Crouch, Begovic, Delap, Etherington, Fuller, and Woodgate are absent.
Tottenham Hotspur – Bale, van de Vaart, Modric, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Defoe, and Parker are absent.
Fulham – Hughes, Senderos, and Etuhu are doubts.
Birmingham City – King will debutise.
Metalist Kharkiv – Devic is absent.
Maribor – Vidovic is absent.
Steaua Bucharest – Matei is absent.
Rapid Bucharest – Rui Duarte, Apostol, Deac, and Teixeira are doubts.
Vaslui – Canu, Gladstone, Balak, Papp, and Annang are absent. Milanovic, Jovanovic, Gerlos, and Hugo Luz are doubts.
Wisla Krakow – Boguski, Genkov, and Nunez are absent.
OB Odense – Traore and Kadria are absent. Fall may debutise.
Legia Warsaw – Hubnik and Kucharczyk are absent. Manu and Choto are doubts.
Udinese – Coda, Ferronetti, Pinzi, and Floro Flores are absent.
Lazio – Klose, Radu, and Cana are absent.
Slovan Bratislava – Cikos is absent. Halenar and Zofcak are doubts. Kralik has been sold.
Celtic – Brown, Stokes, Rogne, Izaguirre, Cha Du-Ri, Majstorovic, and El-Kaddouri are absent.