TFT Issue 260!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
Nea Salamis vs Alki – home win at 9/10.
Today’s featured game is the Cypriot game between Nea Salamis and Alki.
The newly-promoted hosts have done a good job of irritating most of the old guard in Cyprus, even earning a shocking 2-2 draw in Nicosia against giants Omonia last time out. It wasn’t just fortune, either – they deserved their point. AEK Larnaca laboured to a 1-1 draw against Nea Salamis earlier in the season whereas reigning champions APOEL Nicosia actually lost here 1-0. Without there being a lot of class in the Nea Salamis ranks, there’s certainly a lot of energy, determination, and belief and that’s paying huge dividends for them right now.
Helpfully, Alki are not a good away side. They weren’t last season and nothing has changed ahead of this season, either. The only side that hasn’t beaten them when they’ve played away from home this season is the only side in the division worse than they are – Ermis – and that was in 1-1 draw. They concede goals too easily and a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of cash-strapped Apollon Limassol in their last away game certainly demonstrated why they’re struggling. Their form has improved at home of late but away from home they’re as bad as ever, shipping goals left, right, and centre. Given how confident the hosts are and how defensively inept the visitors are, I’d be surprised to see Alki get a result here.
For me, Nea Salamis are well worth the bet here. They’re playing good attacking football and as long as they take their chances then the home win interests me a lot today.
Verdict: Nea Salamis to win at 9/10.
Additional games
Feyenoord Rotterdam vs PSV Eindhoven – over 3 goals at evens.
I’m not sure I need to write much about this one as most of you know how the Eredivisie is for these two. On one hand, we have Feyenoord, who have one of the youngest squads in the division. They play naively but with great spirit and they’re frighteningly good in front of goal despite their youthfulness. They’ve got some really good prospects right now, the most impressive of which has to be Sweden U21 star Guidetti, who looks more and more composed in front of goal as the weeks go by. Feyenoord have zero ability to defend at any given time but in front of goal, they’re dangerous.
PSV have the strongest attack in all of the Netherlands with an array of attacking power in with the likes of Matavz, Lens, Toivonen, Mertens, Wijndalum, Strootman, and even youngster Labyad to call upon. Each one brings something different to their game and PSV can be absolutely devastating in front of goal as a result. They’re still susceptible at the back with no real left-back available to them right now and I’ve no doubt that Feyenoord will look to exploit that today too. It should be interesting to see how Wijndalum plays for the first time back at the club that raised him – I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few meaty challenges as a result of that.
However, one thing should be a given here and that’s goals. Both sides play attacking football and both have plenty of attacking talent. Neither side is particularly good at the back and although I’d not touch the 1×2 market, taking over 3 goals at evens really appeals to me.
Verdict: Over 3 goals at evens.
Everton vs Stoke City – home win with -1 Asian Handicap at 7/5.
I always find Everton to be priced far too short at home in the Premier League but I’m keen on this one today. They’re a good side; very well-organised by Moyes and very hard to beat. Their biggest flaw is not scoring enough goals but now Cahill is back amongst the goals, I think we’ll see Everton start to score more goals in the Premier League. They do have attacking talent, after all – just not enough of it to last a season.
However, the main focus of this bet lies with Stoke’s inability to play well after a European game. After their European games mid-week, Stoke have consistently been terrible in all of the following games and I expect the same again today. As much as I respect the depth in their squad, I just don’t think they’ve hit the right balance in how to play players and when to play them. Pulis demands 110% from his players at all times but he needs to appreciate that playing a game in the middle of each week does tire his seemingly immortal players and if Stoke don’t have the composure nor dogged determination at the back that they always have then they’re going to lose a lot of games this season as that’s by far and away their main strength.
For me, Everton really should win this one, as long as they take their chances. There’s not much between the two sides but Everton are fresh and always battlers at home whereas I expect Stoke to be tired after their draining game with Dynamo Kiev mid-week. For me, the cheeky -1 Asian Handicap appeals at 7/5.
Verdict: Everton to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at 7/5.
Viktoria Zizkov vs Marila Pribram – away win at 8/5.
Viktoria Zizkov look doomed already to an exit from the Gambrinus Liga with a string of uninspiring and depressive displays leading them to twelve defeats in fifteen games since promotion. They average conceding nearly two goals per game and only just average scoring over a goal per every two games so it’s easy to see where they’re coming undone. They’ve already lost five out of their eight home games this season due to horrendous defending and ineffectual displays and I see nothing to suggest that we won’t see more of the same today. Barring Kalivoda in midfield and Strastny at the back, this side has next to no experience and that really doesn’t help their plight in times like these. They’re lacking in firepower and lacking in composure and I think they’re in for another hard game today.
Visitors Marila Pribram are a pretty average/poor side, in all honesty. However, massive, massive credit must go to boss Vavruska because he’s making this team punch well above their weight. They’ve won four out of their last five games and demonstrate no fear whatsoever. They play good attacking football and score in the vast majority of their games. They even beat reigning champions Viktoria Plzen 2-1 in their last game, which is frankly superb. Confidence is sky-high in the camp right now and this side will approach this game knowing that three points is there for the taking. Pribram cannot defend so don’t be surprised if they concede here but as far as scoring goes, nobody is doing it better than they are in the Gambrinus Liga right now.
For me, Pribram are a little too long at 8/5 here and they have a good chance of claiming three points. They’ve got a lot more experience and cohesion than their hosts and they’ve got a lot of momentum ahead of this game so I have to give them a shot here at 8/5!
Verdict: Marila Pribram to win at 8/5.
Team news
Australian A-League:
Sydney FC – Bridge is a doubt. Ryall, Grant, and Petratos return.
Brisbane Roar – Redmayne is absent. Jurman, Danning, and Nichols return.
Melbourne Heart – Srhoj, Kalmar, Terra, Zahra, Ibrahim, and Taseski are absent. Behich, Hoffman, and Duganzic return.
Wellington Phoenix – Downey and Pantelis are absent. Pavlovic and Sanchez are doubts.
French Ligue 1:
Girondins de Bordeaux – Chalme is absent.
AS Nancy-Lorraine – No news.
Paris Saint-Germain – Menez, Pastore, Lugano, and Chantome are absent.
Auxerre – Cisse is absent.
Olympique Lyonnais – No absentees.
Toulouse – No news.
German Bundesliga:
Hamburger SV – Arslan, Berg, Petric, Castelen, Sala, and Tavarez are absent.
Nurnberg – Bunjaku, Nilsson, and Pinola are absent.
Schalke 04 – Farfan, Fahrmann, Hoogland, Kenia, Kluge, Jones, and Papapoulos are absent.
Augsburg – Bah, de Jong, Mohrle, Bellinghausen, Ndjeng, Nebel, and Thurk are absent.
Greek Super League:
AEK Athens – Liberopoulos, Kafes, and Gudjohnsen are absent.
Kerkyra – No news.
Doxa Dramas – Neutral ground.
Xanthi – No absentees.
Levadiakos – No news.
Panionios – Manager under a lot of pressure.
PAS Giannina – De Mol fired – no manager.
PAOK Salonika – Ivic, Contreras, Lino, and Vieirinha are absent.
Aris Salonika – New boss Brombertz.
Panathinaikos – Rudolf may return.
Italian Serie A:
Atalanta Begamo – Capelli, Doni, and Schelotto are absent. Brighi, Ferreira Pinto, and Frezzolini are doubts.
Bologna – Cruz, Kone, Loria, Perez, and Pulzetti are absent.
Cagliari – Astori, El-Kabir, Eriksson, Nene, and Nainggolan are absent. Sampaio, Blondini, and Ibarbo are doubts.
Catania – Izco and Suazo are absent.
Cesena – Ceccarelli, Comotto, Martinez, and Ravaglia are absent. Meza, Malonga, Ghezzal, and Colucci are doubts.
Chievo Verona – Sardo, Rigoni, Mandelli, and Morero are doubts.
Fiorentina – Cassani, Cerci, Kroldrup, and Natali are absent. Kharja and Jovetic are doubts.
Juventus – Pirlo is absent. Grosso is a doubt.
Palermo – Budan, Hernandez, Miccoli, and Zahavi are absent.
Parma – Modesto, Gobbi, Floccari, and Valdes are doubts.
AS Roma – Borini, N.Burdisso, Kjaer, Osvaldo, Pizarro, and Rosi are absent. Borriello is a doubt.
Siena – Belmonte, Brienza, Destro, and Vergassola are absent.
Spanish Primera Liga:
Athletic Club de Bilbao – Iturraspe, Ocio, Gurpegi, I.Martinez, and Castillo are absent.
Atletico Madrid – Adrian, Diego Godin, Courtois, Turan, Silvio, and Diego Costa are absent.
Espanyol – Romaric, Sergio Garcia, J.Lopez, J.Marquez, Mattoni, and Albin are absent.
Malaga – Baptisa, Eliseu, Maresca, Gamez, Welington, and Joaquin are absent.
Osasuna – Satrustegui, Raitala, Bertran, Echaide, and Shojaei are absent.
Real Betis Balompie – Iriney, Ezequiel, Montero, and Vadillo are absent.
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid – Perea is absent.
Real Sociedad – Cadamuro, Illarramendi, de la Bella, Bergara, and Xabi Prieto are absent.
Real Mallorca – Castro, Bigas, and Lacruz are absent.
Real Zaragoza – Meira, Juarez, Paredes, Juan Carlos, Da Silva, Franco, and Braulio are absent.
Granada – Rico, Nyom, Lucena, and Mainz are absent.