TFT Issue 211!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
The bin
Real Betis Balompie vs Real Zaragoza – home win at 4/5.
I like Betis to win this one; they’ve looked good since promotion, they have good strikers, and they play decent football. Additionally, Zaragoza are in a bad way with very little firepower following a harmful summer. However, the odds have dropped a lot on Betis and there’s just no value in a Betis win at 3/4 and lower, in my view. If it goes to 4/5 then I’m interested but not below that – this could be a 0-0 if Zaragoza defend cleverly enough. No bet!
Featured game
Boca Juniors vs Estudiantes de la Plata – home win at 4/5.
Today’s featured game is the Argentinian Primera Division encounter between heavyweights Boca Juniors and Estudiantes De La Plata.
I can’t begin to say how impressed I am by Boca’s ability to not fire their manager because by giving Falconi the team he needed, he’s moulded them into a very solid side that grind out wins. Ok, it’s not the flowing, exciting football that we’ve come to expect from Boca but football is changing in Argentina – the way to win is to be efficient, not to play attractive football, as both Velez and Estudiantes have demonstrated in recent years. Boca are looking ruthlessly efficient right now and they’ve got the firepower to take their chances and thus that’s why they’ve been winning games this season. Boca Juniors look exactly like Banfield when Falconi managed Banfield only Boca are a lot better than Banfield were in front of goal. Given Velez’s demise, the title belongs to Boca if they win this game, in my view – nobody else can touch them right now, especially with Riquelme dominating midfield.
Estudiantes still have the individuals to challenge for the title but as a team, they’re just not there. Seriously, Veron feeding Fernandez and Boselli is a very dangerous trio and Estudiantes should be scoring more goals than they are. Their defence is just horrendous, though – they’re conceding so easily and it’s going to hurt them here if they continue that trait tonight. Just look at their away form – they’ve drawn 0-0 with a poor Newell’s Old Boys side, lost 1-0 at Independiente, and lost 2-1 at Atletico Lanus. Those aren’t games Estudiantes should be losing with their firepower and they should be really concerned here because Boca look to be everything they’re not as a surprisingly solid and dependable force.
For me, there’s value in Boca winning this one at 4/5. I’ve not had faith in Boca for ages but under Falconi, I’m more than happy to keep taking them as they’re absolute machines right now.
Verdict: Boca Juniors to win at 4/5.
Team news
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
IFK Mariehamn – Forssell, De Abreu, and Strandvall are absent.
TPS Turku – Moisander and Lehtovaara are absent.
Finnish Ykkonen:
KooTeePee Kotka – No absentees.
Jippo Joensuu – No absentees.
PS Kemi Kings – No absentees.
PK-35 Helsinki – No absentees.
Italian Serie A:
AS Roma – Greco, Lamela, and Stekelenburg are absent. Juan is a doubt.
Siena – Reginaldo and Angella are absent. Belmonte is a doubt.
Norwegian Eliteserien:
Rosenborg BK – Jamtfall, Hoiland, Goa, Fredheim Holm, and Wangberg are absent. Ronning is a doubt. Same 11 expected for this game as in the previous game.
Sogndal – Per Egil Flo, Hansen, Halvorsen, and Teniste are absent. Tore Andre Flo returns.