TFT Issue 226!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
The bin
Lokeren vs Racing Genk – over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
I was all over this, given how well both sides have played lately and given their respective attacking natures. However, the absence of key attackers on both sides leaves me a bit cold here so I’ll give it a miss.
Featured game
Sillamae Kalev vs Nomme Kalju – away win at 4/5.
Today’s featured game is the Meistriliiga encounter between Sillamae Kalev and Nomme Kalju.
Sillamae Kalev were very good earlier this season but have typically died as the season draws to a close. They still try to attack with vigour and finesse but fail against the big boys due to the absence of quality. Alekseev carried this team earlier this season but won’t be doing in the near future as he left the club in July along with a whole host of essential players, including most of their attack and defence. Sillamae Kalev have done well in their absence, to be fair, but note that they’ve lost each time that they’ve played a good side since then and note that they’ve lost most of those games heavily to see the effect that those departures have had. With nothing left to play for and no quality to make it happen, I can’t see Sillamae Kalev doing anything there.
Three points are a must for visitors Nomme Kalju here as they seek what would be an earned Meistriliiga title. It’s a bit of a long shot for them with Flora Tallinn likely to annihlate Ajax Lasnamae today but they’ll keep pushing with that relentless spirit that they’ve had all season long. The form guide suggests that they’ve struggled lately, failing to win three out of their last five games. However, let’s take into account that they faced the only three sides capable of troubling them during that time and that those games were the ones that Nomme Kalju slipped up in and you’ll see the bigger picture much more clearly. Against lesser opposition, Nomme Kalju have dominated the Meistriliiga and without the afore-mentioned players, Sillamae Kalev are very much an inferior side to Nomme Kalju nowadays, in my view.
Uzurkaitis’ absence in midfield today is a further blow for the hosts and the visitors should have enough firepower to take advantage of that, even without pisshead Neemelo up front. 4/5 on the away win suits me perfectly well here.
Verdict: Nomme Kalju to win at 4/5.
Additional games
Wisla Krakow vs Jagiellonia Bialystok – home win with -1 Asian Handicap at evens.
Wisla Krakow playing at Reymonta is always a strong advantage that no other Polish side really has, in my view. They’re still the biggest club in Poland and Maaskant’s team tend to show that the best here. The absence of Malecki and Melikson continues to harm their attack due to the pace and skill being removed from the wide positions with only Kirm providing any kind of replacement. However, there is one huge factor behind my decision to back Wisla today and that’s the return of Bulgarian target man Genkov. Wisla always play much better when he plays because he’s the best striker that they have by some distance. Iliev is a decent replacement and Biton is a totally different kind of striker but Genkov is the main one here and his return should see Wisla at least win this game. Jagiellonia never travel well and despite their well-organised side, I just don’t think that they have the firepower to score goals here. It might take Wisla some time to break through but as the better side by some way with their best goalscorer back, I have to fancy the home win with a -1 Asian Handicap here.
Verdict: Wisla Krakow to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at evens.
Warta Poznan vs Katowice – home win at 4/5.
Two decent sides here. Katowice are the bigger side with the more prestigious history but really fail to show it more often than not with this season not being an exception. The return from the international break could not have come at a worse time for Katowice as half their squad are out right now. Fair play – some aren’t regulars – but the absence of Rzepka at the back is a huge blow, for instance. Warta Poznan have more than good enough players to capitalise on that and really should do so here too with most of their players available to them.
Verdict: Warta Poznan to win at 4/5.
Sparta Prague vs Slovan Liberec – home win with -1 Asian Handicap at 4/5.
Slovan Liberec bring an impressive record in the Gambrinus Liga so far this season into this game but they’re facing the best side in the country; it’s going to be tough for them. Slovan tend to provide a solid united front but that’s generally a lot more visible in their home games than in their away games. I’d not discredit their away games this season as I find that to be quite unfair; you deserve the results you get en mass. However, what I would say is that things have fallen kindly for them, shall we say. Sparta Prague, on the other hand, have just demolished sides at will and I expect them to do the same again today. Their attack looks immense and they’ve got the best defence in the country, not to mention the most experience. For me, taking Sparta Prague with a -1 Asian Handicap when they really should win the game anyway is well worth a punt here.
Verdict: Sparta Prague to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at 4/5.
Catania vs Internazionale – both sides to score at 4/5.
Sicily is quite simply always a hard place for any away side to play. It’s a very intimidating place and to face a feisty side packed with aggressive Argentinians such as Catania is just a nightmare unless you’re 100% prepared for it, which Internazionale just aren’t, in my view. They finally made a smart move by bringing Ranieri in but it’s going to take him a while to sort out this shit, especially with the likes of Chivu moaning that he’s been played out of position for about four years now. Internazionale are missing a whole host of players for this unenviable trip and Catania are always extra-motivated against the bigger sides. Both sides play attacking football and have good attackers in their sides. For me, this game really should end with both sides scoring and probably with a few cards too!
Verdict: Both sides to score at 4/5.
Apollon Limassol vs Ethnikos Achnas – lay Apollon Limassol at 7/5.
This is a risky one but if there’s a time to go against Apollon Limassol then it’s now. The hosts’ financial problems have resulted in them losing some of their best players pre-season and they now look like an empty shell of what they used to be. Their football is poor, their attacking is ineffectual, and poor results have left the club with battered morale. This side really shouldn’t be where they are in the table, admittedly, but they’re not playing well enough to get out of it so why should that change today? Ethnikos Achnas are generally viewed as a side that are very hard to face away from home rather than when they’re on the road and I’d generally agree with those sentiments. However, they’re a very tenacious side that will not surrender to anyone and given that their new manager has his first game in charge today, they should be even further motivated to do well here. For me, the plucky visitors should be able to score at least a draw off their miserable and demoralised hosts and the odds are good enough to take a chance on.
Verdict: Lay Apollon Limassol at 7/5.
Team news
Australian A-League:
Central Coast Mariners – Amini and Musialik are absent. Wilkinson is a doubt.
Gold Coast United – Broadfoot is absent.
Sydney FC – Makela and Bridge are absent. Kisel is a doubt.|
Brisbane Roar – Mundy and Visconte are absent.
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Lokeren – Tshimanga and Finnbogason are absent.
Racing Genk – Nadson, Joneleit, Simaeys, and Barda are absent. Vossen is a doubt.
Germinal Beerschot – Dayan is absent.
Kortrijk – Wijns and Vandenbroek are absent.
Mechelen – Geudens and Ruiz are absent.
Lierse SK – Andreasson, Ayew, Gomez, and Sonck are absent.
OH Leuven – Vastmans, Ogbu, and Boi are absent.
Sint-Truiden – Daerden is absent.
Bulgarian A PFG:
Ludogorets – No absentees.
Minior Pernik – No absentees.
Lokomotiv Plovdiv – Georgiev, de Carvalho, Luchini, and Zlatinski are absent.
Svetkavitsa – No news.
Litex Lovech – No absentees.
Montana – Gadzhev is absent. Mechechiev, Lichkov, and Vodenicharov are doubts.
CSKA Sofia – Bandalovski and Zicu are doubts.
Slavia Sofia – No news.
Cypriot Division 1:
APOEL Nicosia – Kissas, Konstantinou, Alexandrou, Marisinio, and Paolo Jorge is absent.
AEL Limassol – No absentees.
Apollon Limassol – Bagoura and Avgousti are absent.
Ethnikos Achnas – Giannefski’s first game in charge. Poyiadgis, Kasio, and Lars are absent.
AEK Larnaca – Dimeh, De Cler, and Garcia are absent.
Enosis Neon Paralimni – No absentees.
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Sparta Prague – Kusnir and Husek are absent. Matejovsky is a doubt.
Slovan Liberec – No absentees.
Banik Ostrava – Kraut, Ferencik, Poliacek, Fantis, and Smejkal are absent.
Hradec Kralove – No news.
Estonian Meistriliiga:
Levadia Tallinn – No news.
Maag Tammeka Tartu – Kristal was sacked last week and is now with Levadia Tallinn as a temporary coach (not manager).
Sillamae Kalev – Uzurkaitis is absent.
Nomme Kalju – Neemelo is absent.
Ajax Lasnamae – No absentees.
Flora Tallinn – No absentees.
Kuressaare – No absentees.
Viljandi – Liivamagi is absent.
Flora Paide – No absentees.
Trans Narva – No absentees.
Greek Super League:
Kerkyra – Mpargoglou, Paraskeyaidis, Flavinho, Boukouvalas, Labropoulos, Tsigas, and Mihos are absent.
Atromitos – Sfakianakis and Makris are absent.
AEK Athens – Kostandopoulos is absent. New manager.
Olympiakos Piraeus – Torosidis, Maniatis, Feisa, and Yeste are absent.
Japanese J-League:
Cerezo Osaka – Karata and Bo-Kyung are absent. Ogihara, Takahashi, and Kiyotake are doubts. Martinez returns.
Ventforet Kofu – Uchiyama and Daniel are absent. Jin-Kyu and Ishihara are doubts.
Jubilo Iwata – Sousa is a doubt. Yamamoto and Kanazono return.
Kashima Antlers – Honda and Iwamasa are absent. Gabriel returns.
Yokohama F.Marinos – Ogura and Nakamura return.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima – Inami is absent.
Nagoya Grampus – Denilson is absent. Tamada is a doubt. Tulio returns.
Gamba Osaka – Kaji and Myojin are doubts. Shimohira returns.
Avispa Fukuoka – Matsuura and Ramazotti are absent.
Vegalta Sendai – Max, Shimakawa, and Akamine are absent. Kamata returns.
Urawa Red Diamonds – Tanaka and Takahashi are doubts. Okamoto and Ugajin return.
Omiya Ardija – Watabe is absent. Chun-Soo returns.
Vissel Kobe – Ogawa, Tokura, Okubo, and Tanaka are absent.
Shimizu S-Pulse – Kobayashi, Brosque, and Kodama are absent. Ito is a doubt. Takahara and Ono return.
Italian Serie A:
Catania – Alvarez and Llama are absent. Suazo, Spolli, Potenza, Ledesma, Biagianti, and Bellusci are doubts.
Internazionale – Chivu, Coutinho, Forlan, Julio Cesar, Obi Joel, Poli, Ranocchia, Sneijder, and Viviano are absent. Motta, Jonathan, and Cordoba are doubts.
AC Milan – Ambrosini, Boateng, Flamini, Pato, and Yepes are absent. Gattuso and abate are doubts.
SSC Napoli – Britos and Pandev are absent. Donadel is a doubt.
Palermo – Balzaretti and Di Matteo are absent. Miccoli is a doubt.
Parma – Crespo and Palladino are doubts.
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Klaipeda – No news.
Mazeikiai – No news. Player wages rows finally resolved.
Kruojia Pakruojis – Pihockij and Petrauskas are absent. Cistjakovs is a doubt.
FBK Kaunas – Thompson is absent.
Polish Ekstraklasa:
GKS Belchatow – Popek, Jarmuz, and Zbozien are absent. Nowak is a doubt.
Slask Wroclaw – Spahic and Sztylka are absent. Sobota is a doubt.
Polonia Warsaw – Teodorczyk is absent.
Gornik Zabrze – Bebenek, Nowak, Banas, and Golebiewski are absent. Zahorski is a doubt.
Wisla Krakow – Malecki, Melikson, and Sobolewski are absent. Chavez and Diaz are doubts.
Jagiellonia Bialystok – Slowik, Plizga, and Grzelak are absent.
Polish Liga 1:
Olimpia Elblag – Dremluk is absent. Game played at neutral venue.
Flota Swinoujscie – No news.
Rudh Radzionkow – Ruch boss has complained about a lot of club policies lately.
Arka Gdynia – Lagiewka, Zoch, Arifovic, and Czoska are absent.
Gornik Polkowice – No news.
Warta Poznan – Sobieraj, Marciniak, Klatt, Bartkowiak, and Bereszynski are absent.
Katowice – Pitry, Rzepka, Napierala, Kozik, Cholerzynski, Sadowski, and Sobotka are absent. Goncerz, Holota, and Rakels return.
Pogon Szczecin – Takahoshi, Lewandowski, and Matuszczyk are absent. Hriczko is a doubt.
Zawisza Bydgoszcz – Gevorgyan and Ekwueme are absent. Skrzynski, Illkow-Golab, Klofik, and Witan return.
Romanian Liga:
Sportul Studentsc – No absentees.
Targu Mures – Ba is absent.
Concordia Chiajna – Pana is absent.
CFR Cluj – Maftei is absent.
Petrolul Ploiesti – No absentees.
Vointa Sibiu – Buican, Majer, Zavoi, Cigan, and Lukanov are absent.
Russian Premier League:
CSKA Moscow – Akinfeev, Gonzalez, Honda, Necid, V.Berzeutskiy, Aldonin, and Nababkin are absent.
Terek Grozny – Utsiev is absent.
FK Krasnodar – No absentees.
Rostov-na-Donu – Radic, Yankov, and Boussaid are absent.
Krylya Sovetov Samara – Escobar is absent.
Volga Nizhnyi Novgorod – Bondarv is absent.
Zenit St.Petersburg – Kerzhakov is absent.
Dinamo Moscow – Voronin is absent.
Scottish Premier League:
Kilmarnock – O’Leary is absent.
Celtic – Commons, Izaguirre, Wilson, and Brown are absent. Samaras is a doubt.
Aberdeen – No absentees.
Dundee United – Severin and Dillon are absent. Watson is a doubt.
Dunfermline Athletic – Barrowman, Thomson, Phinn, Hardie, and Rutkiewicz are absent.
Hearts – Kyle and Elliot are absent. Obua are Driver are doubts.
Hibernian – Welsh and Hart are absent.
Motherwell – Hutchinson and Saunders are absent.
Rangers – Ness and Bartley are absent.
St.Mirren – Murray, Mooy, and McGregor are absent.
St.Johnstone – Parkin and Higgins are absent.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle – Chippendale is absent. Hayes, Cox, and Meekings are doubts.
Serbian Superliga:
Metalac GM – No news.
Red Star Belgrade – No absentees.
Novi Pazar – Bogunovic is a doubt.
Borac Cacak – No news.
Sevojno – No news.
BSK Borca – No news.
OFK Belgrade – Pejevic is absent.
Smederevo – No news.
Jagodina – Arsenijevic is a doubt.
Javor Ivanjica – Milojevic has left the club. New coach – Janic.
Partizan Belgrade – Kamara is absent.
Spartak Subotica – No news.
Slovenian Prva Liga:
Domzale – Krcic and Apatic return. Still missing many players.
Maribor – No absentees.
Rudar Velenje – Jelecevic is absent. Purisic, Djokic, Klinar, and Rotman return.
Olimpija Ljubljana – Besic is absent. Cadikovski has left the club.
Nafta Lendava – No news.
Celje – Mocivnik, Gobec, Radulovic, Pavlovic, Kapic, SMitran, Krljanovic, Popovic, Medved, Kotnik, and Bezjak are all doubts.
Gorica – No absentees.
Koper – No news.