TFT Issue 262!
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Featured game
Dinamo Zagreb vs Olympique Lyonnais – away win at 9/10.
Today’s featured game is at Maksimir between Dinamo Zagreb and Olympique Lyonnais. Lyon need a heavy win to have any chance of progressing and luck may be on their side tonight.
Morale isn’t great at Dinamo Zagreb right now and they’ve been disappointing in this competition so things aren’t great for the Croatian Prva Liga champions. They’ve conceded way too many goals in this competition and have been frustratingly poor in their games. I won’t lightly go against them as I know there are good players like Leko and Sammir in this team but they’re going to struggle tonight. They’ve had a bad run leading them into this game and considering that three of their back four are out, I think it’s fair to observe that tough times are ahead for the hosts, especially as they’re all very experienced defenders (Simunic, Cufre, and Tonel respectively). Jurcic has stated that he’ll move one of his defensive midfielders into defence to help out (most likely Leko) but this side already has problems with motivation; how will they succeed here with players playing out of position? Rukavina has never really filled Mandzukic’s boots properly and Dinamo don’t score as many as a result. They’ve got a good midfield and may score here but they should concede at least twice by my reckoning.
I must be frank here – I really don’t like the current Lyon team. I think it’s vastly overrated in every area of the field and I generally won’t back them in Ligue 1 as a result. I’m quite serious when I say that the one thing that prevents Lyon from being an average side is the finesse of Argentinian hitman Lisandro Lopez because the remainder of this squad is packed full of overrated players. However, I have to side with Lyon here. Nothing but a win will help them on their unlikely quest to qualify for the next round and with Lopez and in-form Gomis up front and the experience/set pieces of Kallstrom/Bastos in midfield, we really should see Lyon score enough goals to win this one. Lyon battered Dinamo Zagreb in France earlier in the group despite only scoring twice and them winning again really should be a given if they show up.
For me, there’s a lot of value on the away win at 9/10 with the above in mind.
Verdict: Olympique Lyonnais to win at 9/10.
Team news
UEFA Champions League:
AFC Ajax Amsterdam – Alderweireld, Sigthorsson, de Jong, Boerrighter, Ooijer, and Boilesen are absent. Van der Wiel, Bulykin, Aissati, and Sulejmani are doubts.
Real Madrid – Ronaldo, Ramos, Casillas, and Diarra are absent.
SL Benfica – Luisao, Perez, and Pereira are absent. Cardozo returns. Artur, Aimar, and Gaitan likely to be rested.
Olympique Lyonnais – Pied, Vercoutre, and Tafer are absent.
LOSC Lille – Pedretti, de Melo, and Rozenhal are absent. Gueye returns.
SSC Napoli – Britos and Donadel are absent.
Internazionale – Muntari, Forlan, Viviano, Maicon, Sneijder, Lucio, Cordoba, Poli, and Zanetti are absent.
Dinamo Zagreb – Cufre, Simunic, and Tonel are absent.
Greek Super League:
Doxa Dramas – Neutral stadium.
OFI Crete – No news.