TFT Issue 223!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
Lithuania vs Czech Republic – under 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Today’s featured game is the UEFA European Championship Qualifier between Lithuania and Czech Republic.
This game obviously means more to the visitors and on name alone, you could be forgiven for thinking that this is an easy away game. However, I just don’t rate the visitors nowadays – there’s a scattering of quality players but nothing more. Baros, Rosicky, Plasil, Cech, Hubschman, and maybe Necid. Well, Hubschman is suspended here due to his horrendous lunge in the game with Spain, which is a blow. Plasil and Baros are doubts, which is damaging as Baros is their only semi-decent striker with Necid out of the squad due to injury. Only Plasil and Rosicky make anything happen so you can see Plasil’s importance. The Czechs do have a better side than Lithuania, yes, but their ability to score goals is next to nothing nowadays and thus I can’t take the odds on them winning this game seriously at all. Lithuania have problems of their own with their best striker Danilevicius absent. He’s their leader and is very experienced. His absence means Lithuania don’t have their usual powerful frontman – they’ve got the more mobile but not quite as clinical strikers in Sernas and Poskus – neither concern me. Lithuania can normally count on dangerous widemen E.Cesnauskis and D.Cesnauskis, both of which are very quick, good dribblers, and good crossers of the ball, usually assisting the Lithuanian “big striker” approach. Both of those are absent today, which leaves just Mikoliunas to patrol the flanks on his own, quality-wise! Lastly, they miss arguably their best player nowadays in experienced midfielder Semberas so this Lithuania team is basically in a bad way. Their defence is a bit slow but it’s reliable enough. They can threaten through Stankevicius’ long throws and long shots but if the hosts score in this game then I’ll be amazed.
Rather than go for the dubious 1×2 market, however, taking under 2.5 goals looks far more worthwhile here.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Additional game
Germany vs Belgium – home win with -1.5 handicap at 11/10.
A lot are siding with Belgium here but I’m not one of them, I’m afraid. This derby means a lot to Belgium for obvious reasons and they do have a promising squad of players. However, I would emphasise the use of the word “promising” because they’re a very young squad. They’ve got bags of potential and pace but little experience and it shows with their wayward finishing when it counts. Crucially, Belgium’s inexperienced is deepened here due to the suspension of instrumental centre-back Van Buyten, who would be particularly useful against Germany having played most of his career in the Bundesliga. Belgium make silly mistakes at the back and I think they’re going to struggle here with that in mind, despite their potential. Germany has bags and bags of experience in their ranks and Low is not afraid to field players that don’t need to play. These past two games mean nothing to Germany but they’ve still gone out to Turkey to win so why not against Belgium too? They’ve got a couple of doubts/injuries themselves but there’s a lot of quality in their side and a remarkable level of efficiency. I just can’t help but feel that Germany will piss all over the Belgian dream here as I don’t feel Belgium’s young team are ready yet. I’m open to being proven wrong but taking -1.5 on the Germany side in a “men vs boys” game looks favourable here.
Verdict: Germany to beat the -1.5 handicap at 11/10.
Team news
Germany – Klose is absent. Ozil, Schweinsteiger, and Boateng are doubts.
Belgium – Van Buyten is absent. De Camargo, Hazard, and Dembele are doubts.
Ukraine – Shovkovskiy, Shevchenko, Voronin, Devic, and Rakitskiy are absent.
Bulgaria – Stoyanov, Bandalovski, Krachunov, Zlatinski, Sarmov, Bodurov, Angelov, Yankov, Yanev, M.Petrov, Tunchev, and Georgiev are absent. Zanev is a doubt. Genchev and Minev drafted in without having trained.
Bulgaria U21 – Tonev, Tersiev, Zlatinski, Alexandrov, and Krachunov are absent.
Finland – Pasanen and A.Eremenko are absent.
Cyprus – Konstantinou is absent. Set to rotate players.
Cyprus U21 – Charalambous is absent. Mitides drafted into senior team to replace Konstantinou.
Poland – Matuszczyk is absent. Perquis and Polanski are doubts. Pisczek returns.
Serbia U21 – Markovic is absent.
Serbia – Vidic, Fejsa, Tosic, Zigic, and Bisecavac are absent.
Italy U21 – Capuano and Borrini are absent.
Italy – No new absentees since last game.
Czech Republic – Necid, Matejovsky, and Hubschman are absent. Baros, Pudil, and Plasil are doubts, although Plasil and Rezek return from suspension.
Slovakia – Vittek, Karhan, Stoch, Durica, and Skrtel are absent.
Netherlands – Sneijder and Robben are doubts.
Sweden – Ibrahimovic is absent.
Lithuania – Danilevicius, E.Cesnauskis, and Semberas are absent. D.Cesnauskis is a doubt.
Lithuania U21 – Jarmalavicius is absent. Andriuskevicius returns. Boss unwell and will not be at game.
Greece – Torosidis, Avraam, Papadopoulous, Zaradoukas, Samaras, Fetfatzidis, Ninis, Sifakis, Kafes, Liberopoulous, and Georgiaidis are absent.
Northern Ireland – Brunt, Camp, McCann, Lafferty, and Clingan are absent.
Republic of Ireland – Keane and Ward are absent.
Wales – J.Collins, D.Collins, Collison, Ledley, King, and Vaughan are absent.
Scotland – Miller, Fletcher, Mackail-Smith, and Bannan are doubts.
Spain – Raul Albiol, Iniesta, and Fabregas are absent. Ramos and Xabi Alonso are doubts.