TFT Issue 341!
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Featured game
Tallinna Kalev vs Trans Narva – lay Trans Narva at 9/10.
Today’s featured game is the Meistriliiga encounter between newly-promoted Tallinna Kalev and heavyweights Trans Narva.
I’m not going to beat around the bush here; Trans Narva are the better side here. However, that’s not always evident in football games and I don’t think it will be here either.
As with all Estonian clubs, a lot of changes happened at Trans Narva over the break and they now look like a team of strangers. They’ve played two of the best clubs in Estonia lately, admittedly, but they’ve been battered in both games and deservedly so, too. Trans Narva can and will turn it around in due course – there’s not a chance in hell that they won’t make the top four this season, as usual – but they look shell-shocked at the moment. The ever-important Abramenko is missing for the visitors and with their captain publicly stating recently that Trans Narva are currently experiencing “dark days”, it’s hard to envision the usual committed and well-organised Trans Narva display that we’ve become accustomed to over the past few years. Tallinna Kalev are little more than battlers on their own turf. They’ve got a big squad and plenty of desire, however. I went against them in their opening game against Flora Paide and they surprised me by winning the game. It wasn’t an impossible result but Flora Paide are in better shape than Tallinna Kalev and are hard to break down. Tallinna Kalev can use that momentum today to upset their more illustrious opponents and with the above in mind, I cannot understand the short odds on a Trans Narva win.
Barring Trans Narva’s usual match-fixing antics, I think Tallinna Kalev will take a least a point here so I see value in laying the visitors at 9/10.
Verdict: Lay Trans Narva at 9/10.
Team news
English Championship:
Bristol City – Nyatanga, Davis, McManus, Elliott, Clarkson, Skuse, and Wilson are absent.
Watford – Mariappa and Kacanlaniklic are doubts. McGinn is absent.
Portsmouth – Kanu is absent. Benjani is a doubt.
Leeds United – Bruce and Bromby are absent.
Birmingham City – Spector, Carr, Mutch, and Huseklepp are absent.
Nottingham Forest – Tudgay and Anderson are absent.
Reading – Griffin, Connolly, and Mills are absent.
Peterborough United – McCann is a doubt.
Crystal Palace – Zaha is absent.
Barnsley – Preece, Hassell, Butterfield, Perkins, Edwards, and O’Brien are absent.
Brighton & Hove Albion – Gonzalo and Elphick are absent.
Derby County – Ward and Barker are absent.
Hull City – Evans is a doubt.
Southampton – Lee is a doubt.
West Ham United – Tomkins, Diop, Vaz Te, Faubert, Reid, and Demel are absent.
Middlesbrough – Robson, Williams, and McDonald are absent. Haroun is a doubt.
Doncaster Rovers – Woods, Friend, and Bamogo are absent. Martis is a doubt.
Millwall – Trotter, Racon, Lowry, Mkandawire, and Mildenhall are absent.
Estonian Meistriliiga:
Levadia Tallinn – No absentees.
Flora Tallinn – No absentees.
Tallinna Kalev – No absentees.
Trans Narva – Abramenko is absent.
Romanian Liga:
Gaz Metan Medias – Bud, Trtovac, Raul del Campo, C.Gheorghe, and Litu are absent. Ciuca is a doubt.
Mioveni – Voicu, Miulescu, and Sandulescu are absent. Naidin and Ad.Iordache are doubts.
Pandurii Targu Jiu – Ad.Rusu, Pleasca, Bacila, Brata, R.Dumitru, and Pintilii are absent.
Vointa Sibiu – Majer and Bunea are absent. Dalbea is a doubt.
Spanish Primera Liga:
Osasuna – Masoud, Sola, Balde, and Lolo are absent. Flano and Lekic return. Sergio, Ricardo, Calleja, Echaide, and Satrustegui didn’t make the squad.
Getafe – Lopo is absent. Cata Diaz returns. Rafa Lopez and Masilela didn’t make the squad.
Barcelona – Villa, Afellay, and Abidal are absent.
Granada – Martins, Yebda, Fran Rico, Diakhate, and Roberto are absent. Mikel Rico is a doubt. Henrique returns.