TFT Issue 217!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
The bin
Alki vs Anorthosis Famagusta
Although Anorthosis haven’t been good so far this season, the away win at 7/10 appealed to me a lot as they’re a lot better than Alki and they also play “at home” when playing Alki in an “away” fixture as the two teams share the stadium. However, upon hearing news that Anorthosis have sacked boss Stoilov ahead of this game, I’m going to have to wash my hands of this game and advise a huge “no bet” here.
Legia Warsaw vs Wisla Krakow
The home win at 7/5 really grabbed my attention here but I’ve been put off by the absence of Legia’s captain Borysiuk. They’re a side with a rather frail spirit so they need their leaders or they capitulate usually. However, Wisla’s absences in attack for this game are huge and if Legia put their minds to it then taking them to win at 7/5 will be great value. However, no captain and in a fierce derby – I have to advise not betting on this one.
Featured game
Feyenoord Rotterdam vs ADO Den Haag – home win with -1.5 handicap at 11/10.
Today’s featured game is the Eredivisie encounter between Feyenoord Rotterdam and ADO Den Haag.
The hosts consistently assemble a top team of promising youngsters that delight neutral observers in the Eredivisie due to their attacking nature and ability and this Feyenoord side is no different. They played a good game of football at AZ in their last game and were unlucky to lose, to be honest. Before that, they’d smashed De Graafschap 4-0 at home and won 1-3 at NAC Breda and I doubt their momentum will be too affected by their loss at what is currently the most in-form side in the Eredivisie. Things are looking quite good for Feyenoord with Cisse finally back up front whilst also having the options of new signing Fernandez, promising youngster Cabral, or even on-loan striker Guidetti, all of which are very capable in front of goal. There’s plenty of energy and pace in this Feyenoord side and although their defence is as questionable as ever, their ability to put the ball in the net is outstanding and on their own turf, they shouldn’t pass up on the opportunity to demonstrate that today.
Visitors ADO Den Haag truly are in the doldrums now. Manager van der Brom left pre-season and all the team spirit that was there last season is now pretty much gone. The only sides that they’ve taken points this season have either been missing a lot of players (e.g. Vitesse Arnhem) or been a poor side (VVV Venlo, De Graafschap etc.). In all their other games, ADO Den Haag have been crushed, losing 4-2 at Groningen, 0-3 against PSV Eindhoven, 0-1 against newly-promoted RKC Waalwijk, and recently losing 5-2 at Twente Enschede. Their defence is a mess and they’re not doing enough in front of goal in games like this. ADO still have good players like Wesley Verhoek and Filip Luksik in their ranks, not to mention promising youngster van Duinen up front. However, they’re a long, long way short of what they were last year and it’s generally being highlighted by the bigger sides like Feyenoord and it should be visible here as a result.
I expect a lot of goals as neither side is particularly good in defence but for me, there’s a lot of value in taking Feyenoord with a -1.5 handicap here.
Verdict: Feyenoord Rotterdam to beat the -1.5 handicap at 11/10.
Additional games
Apollon Limassol vs APOEL Nicosia – away win at 4/5.
APOEL could and should rest players here but my answer to that is “so what?”. APOEL are the biggest and best team in Cyprus because of their quality and their strength in-depth. They can field two sides capable of winning games in this league and today is no exception. They’re facing an Apollon Limassol side that are usually tough to face but these guys look a real mess this year, only managing to beat a really poor Ermis side so far this season whilst being ripped to shreds by newcomers Anagennisi Deryneia in a 4-1 rout before being humbled 0-3 at home by a decent AEK Larnaca side. Apollon are not scoring goals, not creating chances, and the atmosphere around the club is very poor as a result. Apollon would normally be able to trouble APOEL in games like these but to be honest, anything but an away win here would surprise me given the terrible state that Apollon are in right now.
Verdict: APOEL Nicosia to win at 4/5.
Real Sociedad vs Athletic Club de Bilbao – home win with draw no bet at 4/5.
Ah, the old foes are reunited again for yet another Basque war. This derby is unlike most other derbies because there’s hate and then there’s Basque hate and boy do these guys know it!
A decent number of players on both sides have played for the opposing side so there’s plenty of personal rivalry all over the field. It’s expected to be a hot day in northern Spain and I don’t think Sociedad have ever forgiven Bilbao for pipping them in the battle to stay in the Primera Liga a few years ago so taking over 6 cards (Asian) at 10/11 is certainly in my mind for this one.
However, I’m going to bravely stick my neck out and take a stab at the 1×2 market here because Sociedad have done much more to impress me this season than Bilbao have, much as it pains me to say it!
Sociedad always look good in Anoeta and now that starlet Griezmann can cast off some of the pressures of expectation because Xabi Prieto is back in the Sociedad ranks, I expect to see Sociedad do a lot of damage to what I can only describe as a shaky and uncertain Bilbao defence. Quality-wise, Bilbao are the better side but with Bielsa’s peculiar tactical decisions, you’d never know it from watching the two sides. One thing I will say for Bilbao is that they look solid going forward but what would you expect from a manager that fields a winger at left-back and playmaker at centre-back?!
Sociedad rarely lose at Anoeta against anyone and I don’t think Bilbao will be able to do it either, much as though I’d love them to for obvious reasons. They’ve been complaining lately of a packed fixture schedule, which is true – this is their sixth game in seventeen days. However, they’re not the first side to encounter that and they won’t be the last – they just need to pick themselves up and get on with it. Quality-wise, Bilbao definitely have the ability to score here but to win? I’m not sure at all – they look far too weak at the back. Sociedad are no great side but they’re a nightmare to face in San Sebastian and they look far more solid as a unit than Bilbao do right now so for me, the value is on the home win with draw no bet cover.
Verdict: Real Sociedad to win with draw no bet at 4/5.
Team news
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Germinal Beerschot – Losada, Maes, and Omolo are absent.
Club Brugge – Kujovic, Van Gijseghem, Stenman, Perdicchi, Lestienne, and Vydra are absent.
Standard de Liege – Bellochjhine is absent.
Lierse SK – Ayew, De Wree, Gomez, and Andreasson are absent.
Racing Genk – Nadson and Jonelit are absent.
Anderlecht – Mazuch and Molins are absent.
Bulgarian A PFG:
Svetkavitsa – No news.
CSKA Sofia – Dechev is absent. Moraes is a doubt.
Levski Sofia – Risp and Mladenov are absent. Toni Calvo is a doubt.
Lokomotiv Sofia – No absentees. Internal problems due to players not being paid in approximately three months.
Cypriot Division 1:
Apollon Limassol – Vasilogiannis, Piattaras, Dimitriou, Bagoura, and Avgousti are absent.
APOEL Nicosia – Manduka is absent. Boss Jovanovic is expected to rotate, however.
Alki Larnaca – Solari and Christou are absent. Markes is a doubt.
Anorthosis Famagusta – Ramos, Michael, and Mintikkis are absent. Laban and Lavorde return. Coach Stoilov has been sacked and Roni Levi will replace him.
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
JJK Jyvkasyla – Okkonen, Wusu, and Hyyrynen are absent.
KuPS Kuopio – Hynynen, Kaivonurmi, Nykanen, and Nissinen are absent.
FC Honka Espoo – No absentees.
TPS Turku – Lehtovaara and Pennanen are absent. Makinen is a doubt.
IFK Mariehamn – Helmke, Markus Paatelainen, and Mikko Paatelainen are absent. Wicks is a doubt.
HJK Helsinki – Valtteri Moren is absent.
Jaro Pietarsaari – Aho is absent.
VPS Vaasa – Tanska, Koskela, Funicello, Kokko, and Inutile are absent.
Finnish Ykkonen:
Jippo Joensuu – Koivuranta, Ake, and Ikonen are doubts.
AC Oulu – Majava is absent.
FC Lahti – Huuhka, Rafael, and Backman are absent.
KooTeePee Kotka – No absentees.
PK-35 Helsinki – No absentees.
KPV Kokkola – No absentees.
German Bundesliga:
Hamburger SV – Arslan, Mancienne, Stepanek, and Tavares are absent.
Schalke 04 – Escudero, Hoogland, and Kenia are absent.
Hannover 96 – Andreasen, Carlitos, Miller, and Sobiech are absent.
Werder Bremen – Ayik, Avdic, Balogun, Boenisch, Borowski, SIlvestre, and Wiese are absent.
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Ferencvaros – Somalia and Gruz are absent. Hakola and Gyenes are doubts.
Fehervar – No absentees.
Debreceni VSC – Zahovaikos and Rezes are absent. Szakaly and Meszaros return.
Diosgyori VTK – Rados returns.
Italian Serie A:
Bologna – Cherubin, Crespo, Cruz, Gillet, Morelo, and Taider are absent. Mudingayi, Raggi, and Ramirez are doubts.
Cagliari – El-Kabir and Eriksson are absent.
Catania – Alvarez, Llama, and Biagianti are absent. Legrottaglie, Potenza, and Spolli are doubts.
Cesena – Rennella is absent. Antonioli, Mutu, and Parolo are doubts.
Chievo Verona – Luciano is absent. Grippo is a doubt.
Fiorentina – Gilardino and Kroldrup are absent. Gulan is a doubt.
Genoa – Dainelli, Mesto, and Ze Eduardo are absent.
Juventus – Iaquinta is absent. Pepe is a doubt.
Lazio – Mauri is absent. Biava, Brocchi, Dias, and Del Nero are doubts.
Lecce – Carrozzieri, Esposito, Grossmuller, and Olivera are absent.
AC Milan – Abate, Flamini, Gattuso, Mexes, Pato, and Robinho are absent. Ambrosini is a doubt.
Novara – Lisuzzo and Mazzarani are absent. Coser, PInardi, and Radovanovic are doubts.
Palermo – Alvarez, Budan, and Di Matteo are absent. Reubinho and Cetto are doubts.
Parma – Crespo is absent. Marques, Modesto, Morrone, Valdes, Valiani, and Ze Eduardo are doubts.
Siena – Angella, Angelo, Del Grosso, and Troianello are absent. Brkic is a doubt.
Udinese – Barreto, Coda, Ferronetti, Floro Flores, and Pasquale are absent. Domizzi is a doubt.
Japanese J-League:
Kashima Antlers – Honda and Gabriel are absent.
Kashiwa Reysol – Kondo is absent. Kirihata is a doubt. Wanger, Kitajima, and Domingues return.
Vegalta Sendai – Shimakawa, Max, and Kamata are absent. Sekiguchi is a doubt.
Cerezo Osaka – Martinez and BoKyung are absent. Komatsu and Kiyotake are doubts.
Shimizu S-Pulse – Kodama, Ito, and Kobayashi are absent. Takahara and Ono are doubts.
Nagoya Grampus – Tulio and Danilson are absent.
Gamba Osaka – Shimohira is absent.
Urawa Red Diamonds – Okamoto and Tanaka are absent. Hirakawa, Ugajin, and Takahashi are doubts. Mazzolla returns.
Polish Ekstraklasa:
Legia Warsaw – Boysiuk, Hubnik, and Kosecki are absent.
Wisla Krakow – Melikson, Malecki, and Genkov are absent.
Slask Wroclaw – Spahic, Gancarczyk, Sztylka, and Voskamp are absent.
Polonia Warsaw – Teodorczyk and Bruno are absent.
Polish Liga 1:
Kolejarz Stroze – Still has big financial problems.
Pogon Szczecin – Andradina, Akahoshi, Lewandowski, and Sotirovic are absent. Lawa and Fabiniak return. Wojcik may debutise.
Scottish Premier League:
Hearts – Kello, Kyle, C.Elliot, Glen, and Driver are absent.
Celtic – Ledley, Izaguirre, and Du-Ri are absent. Commons is a doubt.
Serbian Superliga:
Javor Ivanjica – No news.
OFK Belgrade – Petkovic and Osamnagic are absent.