TFT Issue 306!
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Featured game
Omonia Nicosia vs Angennisi Deryneia – home win with -2.5 handicap at 11/10.
Today’s featured game is the Cypriot encounter between heavyweights Omonia Nicosia and minnows Anagennisi Deryneia.
There was already a huge gap in quality between these two sides prior to this game but the absentees of Anagennisi mean that anything but a dominant home win will be an embarassment for Omonia. Omonia haven’t been at their best in recent weeks, it’s true, contrary to what their results have shown. However, they are one of the top two sides in Cyprus and that quality usually shines through. They’ve bolstered their ranks lately by signing Alves, Deyan, and Bergougnoux. Midfielder Bergougnoux has played with both Toulouse and Olympique Lyonnais for a number of years and Alves has ripped the top flight of Hungarian football apart for years now with his lethal finishing. Suffice to say that I am impressed with Omonia’s signings and with their chances of doing well today. Visitors Anagennisi are in bad form, they’re shipping too many goals, and morale is understandably low as a result. To make matters worse, they’re missing pretty much their entire midfield and some of their defence with Soares, Elia, Shialis, Kyriakou, and Pindonis just some of the names that the visitors are missing. Anagennisi don’t have depth as it is and it’s really starting to show. I thoroughly expect the hosts to outclass their opponents here and for me the -2.5 handicap is well worth taking at 11/10.
Verdict: Omonia Nicosia to beat the -2.5 handicap at 11/10.
Additional games
Gabon vs Mali – Gabon to win at 10/11.
With Equatorial Guinea crashing out, the onus is now on the remaining host nation of Gabon to appease their fans with a home win and further their dreams of the African Nations trophy itself. Helpfully, Gabon are facing an overrated Mali side and thus I think they’ve got a good chance of winning this one. Mali have ridden their luck so many times already in this tournament that I find it hard to believe that they’re still in it. Still, you can only respect what sides do to survive and progress so Mali are not to be written off easily. Nonetheless, Gabon have looked confident and dangerous going forward whereas Mali seem to lack a little class going forward. I expect a bit of a crazy game but Gabon winning this one appeals to me at 10/11, especially with their fanatical home support urging them on.
Verdict: Gabon to win at 10/11.
Ghana vs Tunisia – Ghana to win at evens.
Again, I’ve no idea how Tunisia have progressed as far as they have other than by pure luck. They shouldn’t have beaten Morocco but did. They barely managed to overcome Niger and needed help from Niger’s defence in the dying seconds to win that one. They lost against hosts Gabon in their final group game! Tunisia just don’t convince me because they’re not clinical enough and are relying far too much on defensive mistakes to do well. I don’t expect Ghana to make defensive mistakes in this game because they’re a very experienced side at the back. They’re cool and composed; not many sides have troubled them in this tournament. My concern over Ghana is whether they have the patience or not to wait for their opportunity to come in this game. They will get chances to score against a stubborn Tunisian defence but it may take some time, that’s all. Hopefully we won’t see either of the Ayew brothers dismissed through frustration but aside from that, Ghana really should beat a side that they’re frankly a lot better than at good odds.
Verdict: Ghana to win at evens.
Club Brugge vs Germinal Beerschot – home win with -1.5 handicap at 6/5.
Daum’s tactics with Club Brugge are far from adventurous but he’s signed a good player in Bacca to boost their creativity so maybe that will change soon – who knows? All I know is that Club Brugge are a lot better than Germinal Beerschot and as much as they generally detest playing sides that are weaker than they are, I anticipate a different game for them today.
Say, for instance, that Club Brugge were hosting Zulte-Waregem or Mechelen. Those two sides will park the bus and do it well because they know that Club Brugge hate breaking sides down; they’re simply not very good at it. There’s always a chance that you’ll catch Club Brugge on the break and score, too – their defence is far from impregnable. However, Germinal don’t play that way on the road, which is admirable and suicidal at the same time. No, Germinal like to attack and score goals. Whereas that is commendable, it has cost them a lot of points on the road this season and it really should cost them here. You don’t go to face a side that is a lot better than you and try to pass them off the park!
Germinal have been woeful lately and that’s of no surprise to anyone who reads this blog because Sidibe has gone and Germinal have no attack without him and Germinal have no defence because Kagelmacher has gone. This side has financial issues, no depth, and now no core players. Germinal are sitting ducks for the right opponent and I think Club Brugge are the team to do it today.
For me, Club Brugge are worth taking with the -1.5 handicap, especially after convincing back-to-back wins against Lokeren and Mons respectively.
Verdict: Club Brugge to beat the -1.5 hanidcap at 6/5.
Team news
Australian A-League:
Sydney FC – Ryall, Petratos, Antonis, and Cole are absent. Emerton is a doubt.
Newcastle Jets – Culina and Kantarovski are absent.
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Anderlecht – Molins and Vargas are absent.
Racing Genk – Joneleit, Limbombe, Hyland, Vanden Borre, and Koteles are absent.
Club Brugge – Dhoest, van Gijseghem, Blondel, Dirar, Vazquez, and Odijdja are absent. Rafaelov is a doubt.
Germinal Beerschot – Angeli is absent.
Cypriot Division 1:
AEL Limassol – Dede and Airosa return.
APOEL Nicosia – Manduka and Atorno are absent. Almeida is a doubt.
Nea Salamis – Lambropoulos, Benitez, Milic, Leon, Oper, and Pekarik are absent.
Olympiakos Nicosia – Paulinho and Amo are absent. Koutsoukovic may debutise.
Omonia Nicosia – Leandro is absent.
Anagennisi Deryneia – Elia, Soares, Shialis, Kyriakou, and Pindonis are absent.
Greek Super League:
Asteras Tripolis – Pulido is absent. Agryopoulos returns.
Doxa Dramas – No absentees.
Panaitolikos – Camara and Onutasi return. Koutroumanos, Vidal, Fernandez, Blazic, and Siondis are absent.
Atromitos – Zuela returns. Tatos and Skondras are absent.
AEK Athens – Makos and Georgeas are absent.
Panionios – Dibala and Antunes return.
PAOK Salonika – Nimani may debutise.
Olympiakos Piraeus – Diogo and Fetfatzidis are absent. Djebbour returns. Kazim-Kazim expected to debutise.
Israeli Ligat Ha’al:
Ironi Kiryat Shmona – Solari, Rochet, Zaken, and Njuvo are absent. Gazal and Badash return.
Maccabi Haifa – T.Cohen, Vered, Osman, I.Cohen, and Amasha are absent. Cesarec will debutise. Magralashvili has left.
Spanish Primera Liga:
Sporting Gijon – Suarez and Trejo are absent.
Osasuna – Lamah, Cejudo, Sola, Roversio, Echaide, and Shojaei are absent.
Sevilla CF – Perrotti, Luna, Spahic, and Alexis are absent.
Villarreal CF – Ruben, Mubarak, Catala, and Rossi are absent.
Real Zaragoza – Alvarez and Tomas are absent.
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid – Tamudo, Lass, and Gimenez are absent.
Atletico Madrid – Assuncao and Lopez are absent.
Valencia CF – Costa, Canales, Maduro, and Feghouli are absent.