TFT Issue 336!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
Schalke 04 vs Twente Enschede – home win at 4/5.
Today’s featured game is the UEFA Europa League game in Germany between Schalke 04 and Twente Enschede.
I’m not a big fan of Schalke 04, to tell the truth. I tend to find them horribly overrated and rather ineffectual when it counts. However, there’s no denying that they’re strong at home and that they’ve got a good chance of progressing here.
True, the Germans lost 1-0 in The Netherlands in the first leg due to a dubious decision and that may motivate them moreso than normal here. However, for me, the big advantage for the hosts is that Twente are horribly ineffectual in Europe at the moment. In every European game I’ve seen them play in the past few months, they’ve simply looked bland and boring. They’re solid enough at the back but they offer little going forward at this level, which perhaps shows the youthful age of hot prospect De Jong, who has set the Eredivisie alight this season. Twente have capable players but they don’t play the right way to do well at a tough venue like this, in my view, and thus I expect them to struggle.
Schalke can frustrate as it sometimes takes them an age to score goals. However, Huntelaar is more than good enough to score the goals here, just as he did in the Eredivisie. Schalke have some very good players in their squad and although their defence is far from secure, they should have too much pace, tenacity, and create too many chances for Twente to handle them. I watched Schalke labour past Viktoria Plzen in the previous round but the only reason they struggled was because they didn’t take their chances regularly enough. They were the better side but didn’t do enough to show it. However, their work ethic for a poor competition was very impressive and I expect more of the same tonight.
All in all, I expect Schalke to want this more than Twente and put more into it. Twente have the Eredivisie title in their sights and that frankly means more than the UEFA Europa League. Schalke are good enough to win this game and for me, 4/5 on the home win (when nothing but a win will suffice for the hosts) is a good bet today.
Verdict: Schalke 04 to win at 4/5.
Team news
UEFA Europa League:
Besiktas JK – Ernst, Tanju, and Hilbert are absent. Quaresma is a doubt.
Udinese – Basta, Badu, and Isla are absent. Di Natale returns.
Valencia CF – Soldado, Ricardo Costa, Banega, and Victor Ruiz are absent. Hernandez and Topal return.
Athletic Club de Bilbao – Ocio, Gurpegi, and Castillo are absent. Llorente is a doubt.
Atletico Madrid – Diego, Merida, Tiago, Silvio, and Antonio Lopez are absent. Filipe Luis and Pizzi return.
Sporting Clube de Lisboa – Onyewu, Rinaudo, Rodriguez, Joao Pereira, Arias, and Elias are absent.
Standard de Liege – Buzaglo, Mujangi Bia, and Mpoku are absent.
Hannover 96 – Diouf is absent. Schlaudruff and Schmiedebach return.
Schalke 04 – Howedes is absent. Hoeger is a doubt, as is Metzelder. Farfan, Huntelaar, and Matip return.