TFT Issue 340!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
Espanyol vs Racing Santander – home win with -1 Asian Handicap at 7/5.
Today’s featured game is the Primera Liga game between Espanyol and Racing Santander in Barcelona.
Although traditionally a side that doesn’t score many goals, I fancy Espanyol to really tear Racing Santander a new one tonight. Why? Well, their absentee list is dwindling and now only Baena remains out for the Catalans, which is a huge boost for Pochettino. Back into the fold come Slovak winger Weiss, Uruguayan hitman Pandiani, and regular defender Rodriguez. Forlin joins his fellow defender in the backline and his presence at the back encourages me when considering whether Espanyol will keep a clean sheet or not. In midfield, Baena’s absence is not ideal but with Verdu, Romaric, Weiss, and the impressive Coutinho, Espanyol have plenty of attacking options to choose from and that’s definitely a welcome sight. Pandiani and Garcia have enough up front to trouble opponents, as does Uche, and Espanyol are generally pretty dominant at home. Deploying a good passing game, Espanyol are generally good to watch at home and they tend to grind out the results too. With the above in mind, I have to fancy Espanyol to do well here.
Now, if this game was being played earlier in the season then I wouldn’t take it. Why? Well, contrary to popular belief, Racing are actually really, really good at keeping opposing sides out. When they have nothing to play for, they’ll come to places like this, park the bus, and hope to leave with a point. If you get chance, go and check their away record in the Primera Liga over the past few seasons – it’s a lot better than you think it is, I promise you! They’re not a goalscoring side so any goals conceded do tend to be fatal but they’re very sound defensively. However, this game isn’t one where a simple point will suffice any longer. The fact is that Racing are very much in the middle of a relegation dogfight and they need to take as many points as possible. Subsequently, I expect the unimpressive Racing to attack in this game at some point and a pacey side like Espanyol are more than good enough to punish them. Helpfully, regular defender Cisma misses the trip to Barcelona tonight and thus even Racing’s strongest area has a large question mark over it.
Yet another manager is at the helm for Racing Santander – Alvaro Cervera. Yet another manager will fail to fill the boots of Marcelino. Racing should really be relegated this season; I don’t see anywhere near enough attacking quality in their ranks for it to be otherwise. Like all northern Spain sides, Racing are battlers but sometimes that just isn’t enough – like tonight. Espanyol are battlers too – they just happen to be a better side than Racing that plays better football to boot. With returning strikers and an inspired midfield, I feel compelled to take a gamble on Espanyol to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at 6/5.
Verdict: Espanyol to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at 6/5.
Additional game
Dukla Prague vs Slavia Prague – home win at 7/5.
Dukla’s revenge part two is here and I think it’s time to leap aboard!
Ok – there are two sides that Dukla hate more than any other in the Gambrinus Liga and that’s Sparta Prague and Slavia Prague. The reason Dukla hate them is because they both stole the limelight that Dukla felt belonged to them. Dukla are actually a really big club and were big long before Sparta/Slavia etc. were. Circumstances went against them and they were relegated some time ago but now they’re back, and they’re pretty angry! You could see how insanely motivated they were against Sparta Prague earlier in the season and I expect more of the same here.
However, the difference is that quality-wise, Dukla are arguably a shade better than Slavia nowadays. Slavia are the victim of financial ruin and the club is basically in chaos each day. Lots of good players have left the club and although some still remain, the cohesion simply isn’t there and to describe this side as anything but a mid-table side nowadays would be unrealistic. Slavia can grind out draws from time to time but the quality just isn’t there nowadays.
Additionally, Slavia decided to help us out a lot for today’s game by announcing that most of their midfield is out of contention with Frejlach, Kores, and Milutinovic electing to leave veteran Jarolim to carry the flag. On top of that, Slavia miss their only good striker Pospech, leaving brute Vicek and youngster Hurka to lead the line. Had it not been for Belarusian defender Trebila and Slovak goalkeeper Contofalsky then Slavia would be a lot worse off at the moment than they currently are.
Slavia have failed to score in three out of four games since returning from the winter break and that’s no coincidence. Big Blazek up front is a decent hitman but he has zero service. Where is Kisel when you need him? Slavia Prague have no attack, no midfield, and no confidence. For me, a determined Dukla Prague that always have goals in them are well worth a punt at 7/5.
Verdict: Dukla Prague to win at 7/5.
Team news
Bulgarian A PFG:
CSKA Sofia – Trifonov, Yanchev, Stoyanov, Anise, and Bolado are absent. Moraes is a doubt.
Montana – No news.
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Dukla Prague – Siml is absent.
Slavia Prague – Frejlach, Milutinovic, Pospech, Simecek, and Kores are absent.
Danish Superligaen:
HB Koge – Bjerring may return.
Aalborg BK – Bogelund is absent.
Israeli Ligat Ha’al:
Beitar Jerusalem – Moyal returns.
Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv – No absentees.
Italian Serie A:
AS Roma – Burdisso, Juan, Pjanic, and Totti are absent.
Genoa – Antonelli, Kucka, Granqvist, Constant, Sculli, and Bovo are absent. Birsa is a doubt.
Polish Ekstraklasa:
Lechia Gdansk – Madera and Machaj are doubts. Deleu returns.
Korona Kielce – Jamroz and Kielb return.
Romanian Liga:
Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt – Garcia is absent.
Vaslui – Cerniauskas, Annang, Zmeu, and Gerlem are absent.
Spanish Primera Liga:
Espanyol – Baena is absent. Weiss, Forlin, Pandiani, and Rodriguez return. Thievy, Marquez, Alvarez, and Mattioni didn’t make the squad.
Racing Santander – Acosta and Cisma are absent. Tono returns.
Turkish Super Lig:
Besiktas JK – Tanju, Rustu, Hilbert, and Toraman are absent. Necip and Quaresma are doubts.
Manisaspor – Makukula and Guven are absent. Klukrowski and Aysan are doubts.