TFT Issue 287!
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Featured game
Central Coast Mariners vs Newcastle Jets – home win with -1 Asian Handicap at 4/5.
Today’s featured game is the A-League game between high-flying Central Coast Mariners and battling Newcastle Jets.
The Mariners are currently eight points clear of Brisbane Roar in the A-League with a game in hand. That’s not only testament to how inconsistently their rivals have played but as to how consistently the Mariners have played. Ten wins in fifteen games; you can’t ask for much more than that for a side that doesn’t really have any proper “stars”. I can’t praise Arnold enough, really – they’ve won ten out of their last twelve games, are unbeaten throughout that run, and have kept six clean sheets along the way. Ibini-Isei and Amini are causing all kinds of problems for opponents and with a string of impressive displays leading them into this game, we really have to take the A-League title pursuit of Central Coast Mariners very seriously indeed.
Visitors are notoriously bad on the road in the A-League and I expect that to continue here. Apart from the continued absence of experienced Culina in midfield, they miss regular defender Elrich, which doesn’t help a side that is very defence-orientated. The Jets work hard but their defensive mindset doesn’t really do them any favours other than when they play at home. They struggle to adapt in away games and their lack of potency really hurts them in away games as they tend to fall behind and can’t get back in the game. To be honest, that’s exactly what I expect here – the Jets just don’t have what it takes, in my view.
The Jets have lost six out of seven on the road this season and only just about average scoring over a goal per every two away games. The sole game that they’ve avoided defeat in on the road was their trip to then rock-bottom Adelaide United in a 0-0 draw. The Jets lose when they fall behind and that’s what I expect here, which should at the very least activate the insurance side of this bet. The hosts are more than capable of scoring more than one goal here so the -1 Asian Handicap appeals to me at 4/5.
Verdict: Central Coast Mariners to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at 4/5.
Additional games
Anagennisi Deryneia vs Ethnikos Achnas – home win with draw no bet at 6/5.
This one is up to you guys; you can take it or leave it. Word is from Cyprus that this has become a fixed home win. Ethnikos Achnas were about 8/11 to win this game a couple of days and they’ve leapt out to about 7/5 now. Word has it that the players have had enough of their manager and will lose here in a bid to lose their manager his job. With draw no bet, I think the home win is worth a punt here based on reliable information from Cyprus although be careful, as always – fixed games are dubious at the best of times.
Verdict: Anagennisi Deryneia to win with draw no bet at 6/5.
AEL Limassol vs Omonia Nicosia – away win at 6/5.
Omonia Nicosia are the only side to beat AEL Limassol this season and I think that they’ll repeat that feat here today too. AEL Limassol have played very well this season as a unit but they’re not a goalscoring side and they are punching above their weight. They’re a top five side at best but nothing more than that, in my view. I think Christodoulou has done a terrific job in marshalling and organising this team. He’s got experienced players in his team, which helps, and some very talented players, especially Edmar Silva in midfield. However, I do think that they’re out of their depth for this one. They’re not as good as their league placing suggests and it really should come to an end against top class sides like Omonia.
The 3-0 win against Aris Limassol arguably flattered Omonia Nicosia but big sides win games even when they don’t play well and I think that they’re more than capable of grinding out a low-scoring win here. It’ll do them good to have three points under their belts following their return from the winter break and that confidence should be enough to see them win the tricky trip to Limassol.
For me, there’s value on the away win at 6/5 as they’re simply a better side and the odds would not be so generous had AEL Limassol not had such a good season thus far.
Verdict: Omonia Nicosia to win at 6/5.
Team news
Australian A-League:
Central Coast Mariners – Bojic is absent.
Newcastle Jets – Culina and Elrich are absent. Jeffers and Gallaway are doubts. Wheelhouse and Zadkovich return.
Brisbane Roar – Nicholls is a doubt. Broich, Henrique, and Meyer all return.
Sydney FC – McFlynn is absent.
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Standard de Liege – Tchite, Gonzalez, Belhocine, Opare, Buzaglo, and Van Damme are absent. Cyriac is a doubt.
Germinal Beerschot – Sidibe has unofficially left the club and Kagelmacher is absent ahead of a potential move to Kaiserslautern.
Sint-Truiden – Volders, Schoofs, Reza, Okotie, and Christ are absent.
Kortrijk – N’For is absent. Wijns and Mulemo return. Gershon has returned to Standard de Liege.
OH Leuven – Raymaekers, Weuts, Dehond, Van Goethem, Hayen, and Gendarme are absent. N’Galula is a doubt. Gislason may debutise.
Lokeren – Persoons is absent. Tshimanga has left the club for Racing Genk.
Mechelen – Destorme is absent. Iddi is a doubt.
Mons – No absentees. Nong may debutise.
Lierse SK – Flavio, Gilberto, and Thompson are absent. Huysegems is a doubt.
AA Gent – Rafinha, N’Diaye, Conte, Soumaoro, M’Sila, Rafinha, and Lepoint are absent.
Cercle Brugge – Gombami and Sergeant are absent.
Westerlo – Deelkens, Cardoso, Owusu, Deelkens, Arbeitman, and Vanaudenaerde are absent.
Cypriot Division 1:
AEL Limassol – Dede and Airosa are absent.
Omonia Nicosia – Bouzon is absent.
Angennisi Deryneia – Gogolos is absent. Bagoura, Belic, Alviz, and Hadjigeorgiou all return. Spirou and Panagi may debutise.
Ethnikos Achnas – Kembatze and Pavicevic sacked by club.
Anorthosis Famagusta – No absentees. Levy has said that he will use exactly the same team as the one that won last match.
Enosis Neon Paralimni – Semedo, Yakubu, and Moukouri are absent. Mambouya is a doubt. New manager – Nir Klinger.
Greek Super League:
Olympiakos Piraeus – Torosidis, Papadopoulous, and Djebbour are absent. Diogo returns from Brazil. Friendly relationship with Levadiakos.
Levadiakos – Melissas, Grbic, and Tomas are absent. Medi could debutise.
AEK Athens – Dellas, Lagos, Makos, and Sialmas are absent.
Xanthi – No absentees.
OFI Crete – Sisic, Mantzios, Bulut, Georgiou, and Kalajdzic are absent.
Doxa Dramas – Psycogios and Aggeloudis are absent.
Italian Serie A:
Catania – Marchese and Biagianti are absent. Suazo, Capuano, and Lanzafame are doubts.
AS Roma – Osvaldo, Pizarro, Cassetti, and Burdisso are absent.
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
Feirense – Carlos Fonseca, Henrique, and Rabiola are absent. Cris returns.
Gil Vicente – Murta, Paulao, and Rodrigo Galo are absent. Jorge Baptista, Sandro, and Roberto return.
SL Benfica – Amorim, Enzo Perez, Garay, Aimar, Gaitan, and Mora are absent. Andre Almeida may debutise.
Vitoria Setubal – Miguel Fidalgo, Ze Pedro, Alex Zahavi, Miguelito, and Ricardo are absent.
Porto – Moutinho, Djalma, Danilo, Fucile, and Guarin are absent. Varela and Iturbe return.
Rio Ave – Atsu and Tarantini are absent. Mendes debutises.
Scottish Premier League:
St.Johnstone – Sheridan and Wright are doubts.
Rangers – Lafferty, Naismith, Whittaker, and Broadfoot are absent.
Aberdeen – Pawlett, Osbourne, Milsom, and Mawene are doubts.
Kilmarnock – Jaakkola, Pursehouse, O’Leary, Fisher, Silva, Harkins, Dayton, and Buijs are absent.
Celtic – Kayal, Majstorovic, and Bangura are absent.
Dundee United – Severin and Swanson are absent.
Dunfermline Athletic – Easton, McCann, Bell, and Phinn are absent.
Hibernian – Murray and O’Hanlon are absent.
Hearts – Kyle, Stevenson, Taouil, McGowan, and Grainger are absent.
St.Mirren – Thompson and Goodwin are doubts.
Motherwell – Carswell and Saunders are absent. Jennings is a doubt.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle – Foran, Tokely, Proctor, and Tudur-Jones are absent.
Spanish Primera Liga:
Granada – Diakhate is absent.
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid – Lass, Pacheco, and Botelho are absent.
Sevilla CF – Navarro and Armanteros are absent.
Espanyol – Romaric, Garcia, Alvarez, Marquez, and Mattioni are absent.
Real Zaragoza – Mateos is absent.
Getafe – Ustari is absent.
Real Mallorca – Pina and Lacruz are absent.
Real Madrid – Khedira and di Maria are absent.
Valencia CF – Canales, Maduro, and Soldado are absent.
Real Sociedad – Martinez is absent.