TFT Issue 275!
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Featured game
Kortrijk vs Standard de Liege – over 2.5 goals at evens.
Today’s featured game is the Eerste Klasse game between Kortrijk and giants Standard de Liege.
Kortrijk are one of the most respected sides in Belgium. It’s not because they’re especially good or because they have a prestigious past, for example. No, it’s because of the way they play football; the old way. This side has no fear of any other side in Belgium and will duly attack and score goals against some of the best clubs in the country. Kortrijk are a side that will give 110% in each game and that’s why nobody likes playing them here, hence six wins from eight home games in the Eerste Klasse this season. The “Anderlecht boys” Veselinovic and Chavarria have given Kortrijk and additional dimension in the final third and to be honest, they’ve got quite a few good attacking players elsewhere too. There’s a good mixture of youth and experience in this side and I for one enjoy watching them play because of the way they approach games and thus I think they’ll give Standard a tough game here, as per usual.
Standard de Liege are the better side, of course, but is that enough to take them here? No way! I’ve not had it confirmed but there are supposed to be a few absentees for Standard today in the form of goalkeeper Bolat, captain Van Damme, full-back Pocognoli, and striker Tchite. They’re all big absentees (if they are indeed absent) to be honest and that’s why I’d much rather side with Kortrijk as far as the 1×2 market goes. However, this is a different kind of game for Standard than normal. Most sides will park the bus against Standard and thus the absence of Tchite would be a massive blow for them in those games as he’s their only natural goalscorer, despite Cyriac showing promise this season. However, Kortrijk will attack Standard and the visitors can absolutely exploit those gaps. Their defence looks in bad shape though, if Van Damme and Pocognoli are indeed absent as the rumours suggest, as they’re two instrumental defensive players. The absence of goalkeeper Bolat won’t help, either – Kortrijk are not the kind of side to sit back and see how Standard play; they’ll force the issue from the start.
So although Standard have been edging away from their “over” games by tightening up at the back and winning by narrow margins, I can’t help but feel that Kortrijk will drag them into one here. I fully expect both sides to score in this game given that Kortrijk can’t defend and that Standard are likely to be missing key defensive figures. Therefore, my call is over 2.5 goals at evens.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at evens.
Additional games
Gold Coast United vs Brisbane Roar – away win at 9/10.
Gold Coast United are not a bad side but they have real issues scoring goals. To put it into perspective, they bagged just over a fourth of their goals for the season in their last match alone. I suppose you could argue the point as to who would do the goalscoring for them, really, with failed Dutch striker Rigters supporting MacAllister and neither being much good. Throughout the whole squad, there’s a big lack of creativity and finesse and although they’re a solid and well-regimented unit, scoring against them tends to be the nail in the coffin lid because they can rarely get themselves back into the game.
Visitors Brisbane Roar are actually on a four-game losing streak, which is a little unusual but perhaps isn’t so unexpected. They’re the reigning champions of the A-League but they’ve had to chop and change pre-season and getting the new players to gather some cohesion will naturally take time. However, Berisha and Henrique form a dangerous partnership up front and I expect it to bloom sooner rather than later as we’ve seen sporadically already this season. They’re a bit short on depth, Brisbane Roar, but Postecoglou is a really good manager, in my opinion, and that experience that he has should help them balance out their squad throughout the course of the season. Importantly, they’re light years ahead of the hosts quality-wise and despite their recent slump in form, I have a lot of faith in them doing the business here.
Gold Coast United have only played in one game this season where they’ve fallen behind and managed to avoid losing. That speaks volumes, really, and their confidence is being destroyed as a result. The visitors are hardly flush with confidence right now for obvious reasons but in my view it will only take them a single goal to win this game and they absolutely have the firepower to get that goal. For me, the away win at 9/10 is well worth it here, especially with Gold Coast United’s first choice goalkeeper Moss absent.
Verdict: Brisbane Roar to win at 9/10.
Stoke City vs Aston Villa – home win at evens.
I’m opposing Villa wherever I can at the moment and it’s generally paying dividends too. Villa are terrible under McLeish – they’re so negative and weak that it’s untrue. They’ve got two excellent strikers in Agbonlahor and Bent (who is expected to return today) but they’re feeding off scraps because there’s no encouragement from boss McLeish for there to be support to Villa’s pacey frontmen. Villa are drab and frankly boring and will usually lose if they concede because of the way they play.
Can Stoke take advantage of that? Of course they can. They’ll be at a packed Britannia Stadium with their excessively vocal fans on their tight pitch. Stoke welcome back Shawcross to the centre of defence following suspension and also welcome back beanpole striker Crouch to give Tony Pulis options up front. Stoke were diabolical at City recently but they’re two very different sides when playing at home and when playing away. Importantly, Stoke have gathered some consistency in their home displays lately, beating both Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur (albeit with the help of the officials) here so they’ll be confident and as determined as ever for this game. Frankly, Stoke are a better side than Villa nowadays in my view and I really expect that to show here.
Villa have scored in just two out of their last six Premier League games so it’s blatantly obvious as to why they’re struggling and being dragged into the relegation dogfight. Hutton is suspended for this game and Villa don’t have a natural right-back to cover for him. Against in-form and dangerous Matthew Etheringon, who most of Stoke’s attacks go through, you have to fancy Stoke to win this one at generous odds of evens, especially given Villa’s nervousness and lack of interest in attacking.
Verdict: Stoke City to win at evens.
Team news
Australian A-League:
Gold Coast United – Broadfoot, Porter, Moss, and Rozic are absent. Salley returns.
Brisbane Roar – Broich, Meyer, Smith, and Henrique are doubts.