TFT Issue 3417!

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Bankers

General Information

We aim to give you the best possible information before each game. However, the moment the game starts, anything can happen, ranging from red cards to snow storms to pitch invasions. We can only prepare you for so much; it's up to you to learn how to develop yourself as to know when to jump ship if things aren't going as they should.

Pay attention to the odds provided for each tip. Be aware that the longer the odds are, the less chance there is of it coming in. Don't lean toward backing the bankers containing teams you've heard of or selections at longer odds because you trust the team more or if you see the pound signs flashing before your eyes. Sometimes bankers won't win, try to use the previews to steer you toward the right selection to make rather than taking the quick/lazy way.

Please understand that every single tip has the capacity to win, push, or lose. We aim to find good value bets (probability vs odds) as our focal area.

Banker

ADO Den Haag vs Feyenoord Rotterdam 

KO: (UK time)

I think everybody knows that the game’s up for ADO Den Haag, who need to win all of their remaining games and hope for favours from elsewhere in order to survive. It ain’t over until it’s over though, and that means going for the win today. Now, I may not be a big fan of the current Feyenoord squad, especially not on the road, but attacking that is not a smart move – yet there’s no alternative for the home team. Given their somewhat depressive state, I can’t help but feel that Feyenoord should have lots of fun here. The home team have been conceding way too many goals, and their attacking gambles haven’t paid off. Feyenoord need the points to keep their own slender UEFA Champions League hopes alive, and I suspect that they’ll get them in what should be a very high-scoring game.

Verdict: Feyenoord Rotterdam to win at 7/25.

Banker

Astra Giurgiu vs Politehnica Iasi

KO: (UK time)

Things have gone from bad to worse for the visitors, who are basically in disarray now. Star attacker Cristea has been suspended by the club, they’ve been humped three times on the spin without reply, and even the mayor of the town is going ballistic right now. If they survive the drop, it’ll be a miracle. Taking on an improving Astra, especially away from home, should really only result in one conclusion here.

Verdict: Astra Giurgiu to win at 2/5.

Banker

SS Lazio vs Genoa 

KO: (UK time)

Lazio still fancy their chances of making the UEFA Champions League next season, and why not? They’ve got a good enough squad, and they keep finding ways to win matches, even if they don’t play well. Beating Genoa at home should not be too challenging for them Genoa are in a reasonably good position relegation-wise, and don’t need to go for the win – although could do with avoiding defeat. Genoa have some good players but as per usual, lack continuity and consistency in every sense of both words. I’m sure they’ll make today’s game in the capital interesting, but it’s one that Lazio shouldn’t fail to win.

Verdict: SS Lazio to win at 9/25.

Banker

AFC Ajax Amsterdam vs FC Emmen 

KO: (UK time)

Two more wins, and the Eredivisie crown will belong to Ajax once more. I think it’s only a matter of time anyway. They’ve deserved it too, finally having cottoned on to the fact that not every match can be won in the same manner. They’re in for a real scrap here, given that every point counts for FC Emmen in their battle against the drop, and I actually think they’ve played well in most games in 2021. However, the quality gap is very apparent, and FC Emmen generally don’t take their chances well enough. With that in mind, I have to believe that we’ll see a home win here.

Verdict: AFC Ajax Amsterdam to win at 1/10.

Banker

FK Rostov vs Tambov 

KO: (UK time)

With European football still on the table for Rostov, and Premier League survival completely gone for Tambov, I can’t help but feel that we’re set for a straightforward home win today.

Verdict: FK Rostov to win at 3/25.

Banker

EB/Streymur vs HB Torshavn 

KO: (UK time)

The old foes lock horns once more here and, as per usual nowadays, HB Torshavn look far too good for them. They’ve really settled into their title defence campaign now, the capital club, and with EB/Streymur simply not having the resources they once did in order to build upon their fairly promising young team, the quality gap is still huge. Ergo, anything but an away win would surprise me greatly here.

Verdict: HB Torshavn to win at ? (no odds released yet)

Banker

NSI Runavik vs TB 

KO: (UK time)

Sadly, TB saw fit to sack Winter recently. It’s easy to blame the manager in such situations but with no resources, all of the German’s excellent work last season has been undone as they inevitably lost some key players pre-season without being able to replace them. Tactically, I always found him to be very astute, and I hope it’s not the last we’ve seen of him in the Faroe Islands. It’s hard to imagine just where TB hope to go from here because the squad isn’t good enough, especially not in the final third, no matter who is in charge. Having that problem is bad enough, and having it whilst playing in Runavik is pretty much a death sentence in my world. Home win – and it should be convincingly done.

Verdict: NSI Runavik to win at ? (no odds released yet)

Banker

PSV Eindhoven vs SC Heerenveen

KO: (UK time)

PSV have more than their fair share of absentees yet again, but they’ve got enough depth to deal with it. They need to keep winning, both to put pressure on Ajax in the almost-over title race, and also to keep the wolves from the door with regard to their UEFA Champions League aspirations. They’re lucky enough to be facing an Heerenveen team that have significant absentee problems today – and the northerners don’t have the same depth as their hosts. Being without both Veermans is too much for them, especially against a team with a lethal attack. Therefore, I trust in the home win today.

Verdict: PSV Eindhoven to win at 11/50.

Banker

07 Vestur Sorvagur vs KI 

KO: (UK time)

07 Vestur Sorvagur did some good business pre-season but that was undertaken with the intention of avoiding the drop. Challenging one of the ‘big four’ is simply beyond them, even at home. KI need a pick-me-up after their somewhat disappointing display (although respectable result) against HB Torshavn last time out, and this fixture fits the bill nicely. I expect an away win.

Verdict: KI to win at 9/100.

Banker

B68 Toftir vs Vikingur Gota 

KO: (UK time)

B68 astounded me last time out as they managed to overcome a good IF side. I know that the newly-promoted side did some good transfer business pre-season, but I wasn’t expecting that. Truth be told, if it weren’t for the bizarre traits of the bookies with regard to the Faroese Betrideildin this season (i.e. only providing odds for 50% of the matches) then I’d have probably backed IF to win it. I’m sure they’ll give Vikingur a good game today too. The problem they’ve got is that this is the most focused that Vikingur have looked for a while now, and when they’re focused, they’re very good. Finishing in the top four still seems beyond them (fifth is their ‘throne’) because of their inconsistency but with things as they currently are, I wouldn’t bet against it either. For me, the visitors should have too much firepower for their hosts to handle today.

Verdict: Vikingur Gota to win at ? (no odds released yet)

Banker

NK Osijek vs Varazdin 

KO: (UK time)

Although it seems somewhat inevitable that Dinamo will win the title once again, Osijek’s close proximity – plus the longevity of Dinamo’s recent Cup tie – could make it more interesting. One thing is for certain, though – there’s no title race at all unless Osijek keep winning. Beating Varazdin at home is not all that challenging either. Yes, they’ll find the net sometimes, but keeping teams out is something that they seldom achieve by themselves. With that in mind, I’m struggling to doubt the home win.

Verdict: NK Osijek to win at 11/50.

Banker

Tottenham Hotspur vs Sheffield United

KO: (UK time)

After having their arses handed to them by Manchester City in the recent League Cup final, Tottenham Hotspur have a nice ‘welcome home’ match as they host doomed Sheffield United. The good news doesn’t end there, either, as star striker Kane is now actually fit as opposed to being played when he wasn’t at all fit. Sheffield United have cast off some shackles lately, seeing as how they’ve nothing left to lose, but they should still have too little for their hosts to deal with, even with Berge back in the fold. For me, it’s a home win.

Verdict: Tottenham Hotspur to win at 1/4.

Featured game

Sassuolo vs Atalanta Bergamo

KO: (UK time)

It’s not a coincidence that Sassuolo tend to end campaigns strongly, you know. It’s because all those teams that were smart enough to sit back against them earlier in the season are now desperate for points, and have to push out, which is fatal against such a slick passing team. The same applies today, too. Atalanta Bergamo face seriously stiff competition in their bid to secure UEFA Champions League football next season, and only a win will help them here. Beating Sassuolo in their own backyard is so tough though, especially with most of their regulars now back from injury.

The home team have won four on the spin, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they picked up another today. They’re still pushing for a UEFA Europa League place, and with games looming against at least two more teams that need to attack them, I would not bet against such. De Zerbi’s teams do not need any encouragement to attack others, basically. Giving them space is absolutely fatal because everybody gets forward, and most of their final third players are capable of picking killer passes – and they’ve got good finishers too!

Sassuolo’s best displays of 2021 have come against teams that have something to play for – and that’s the case again today. Therefore, I think it’s entirely plausible that we’ll see yet another impressive display from De Zerbi’s men, who exploit space better than most Italian teams do. Boga has matured into a terrific winger, for example, and Caputo has really rolled the years back once more when it comes to leading the line (although he’s out today). Berardi naturally revels in his role as a star player, and they’ve even got French outcast Defrel back to something near to his best too. Containing them is hard enough, but when it’s any combination of Djuricic, Lopez, and Locatelli that are pulling the strings, it’s close to impossible at Serie A level – and that’s without me mentioning my favourite of the lot in Traore. He’s a terrific attacking midfielder; very fit and direct. As a Manchester United fan, I certainly hope that he joins his brother Diallo at Old Trafford in the near future because I think he’s got amazing potential.

I may not trust Sassuolo at the back, but their attacking is very convincing. They always have a real passion for playing football the ‘right’ way, Sassuolo, which is a trademark of De Zerbi’s managerial style. I’d love to see him manage the Italian national team rather than the dinosaurs they’ve been appointing ever since Conte left, which certainly proves that it’s a case of jobs for their friends. I mean, Ventura? Mancini? Seriously? After a forward-thinking, modern manager like Conte? Staggering. This Italian national team has astounding potential that will not be realised unless they’re made to play more modern football. Serie A has progressed massively – I genuinely consider it to be the best league in Europe right now – but its FA have regressed. 

But I digress. The point is that Sassuolo should give a good account of themselves here with nothing to lose, and everything to gain. They’ll have their work cut out against Atalanta Bergamo though, who are one of the few Serie A teams that possess the drive and the stamina to match them for ninety minutes. When these two teams meet, it’s typically an energy-sapping, high-scoring bonanza – and I expect another just like that here. I love Atalanta Bergamo, but defending is simply not their strong suit, even now that they have some fairly swift centre-backs on their books! Teams will always find a way through against such an attack-minded team, even at the business end of the season.

Atalanta Bergamo have put in some seriously good displays lately though. Ironically, I’d say they performed better in their 1-1 draw against AS Roma than they have in most of their recent games that they’ve actually won, but luck simply wasn’t on their side on that day. They’re utterly fearless, today’s visitors, and the love they have for playing terrific attacking football is something that I love to see. They’re fabulous entertainers, Atalanta Bergamo, and they should enjoy this game a great deal because they’re taking on a team that will make little attempt to simply shut them out, as they’re just as keen when it comes to playing attacking football. We should be in for a great game, in other words.

I don’t think any of you need any kind of introduction to the Atalanta Bergamo team; they’ve been impressing on the European stage for a couple of years now. They’ve got lots of options, a very good manager, and they seldom struggle to leave their mark on matches. Containing them is close to impossible, but scoring against them isn’t. So, yeah – I think that we’re in for a seriously entertaining game of football, and thus backing over 3.5 goals at evens suits me just fine here.

Verdict: Over 3.5 goals at evens.

Additional games

Pardubice vs Karvina 

KO: (UK time)

On paper, there really isn’t a lot between these two teams from Czechia. As is often the case at Liga 1 level, the main differential is simply circumstances. Both of these two teams have had very positive moments this season, and for that reason, I’m pleased to see that Karvina have beaten the drop, and that Pardubice are pushing for Europe in their maiden Liga 1 campaign.

In a sense, I suppose you could say that there are no losers here; only winners. It’s easy to say that Pardubice have had the better season but it’s sometimes easier to impress in your debut campaign at the top level because nobody knows anything about you, and that’s especially true because of Pardubice having lots of local lads playing for them. However, what Karvina have done should not be underestimated because, after a season of refusing to invest properly (and only just staying in the division), Karvina have reinvented themselves – and done it well. They’ve played good football, and set a precedent for surviving at this level in the long-term, which is very admirable.

Now, when it comes to today, I have to favour Pardubice, as you can see from the tip. It’s nothing substantial in the sense that there’s no quality gap; I just think that Pardubice are in a better place right now. I watched them beat Slovacko a few weeks ago, and I was really impressed with what I saw. It wasn’t so much the fact that they won – although that obviously helps build momentum – but moreso the things they got right on the day. For example, despite facing a superior team, they always managed to keep them on the back foot, even when being in front on the scoreboard. They pressed hard and high, forcing Slovacko back, and the way they played out from the back rather than rashly smashing the ball downfield was a delight to witness in a league that, well, hasn’t always been of the best standard, if I can put it that way! 

Pardubice may not be a team that I trust to keep teams out, but they are a team that actively try to score goals on a regular basis. Since the Slovacko win, they’ve won two from their following three, and only failing to beat a far superior Sparta Prague side in a 2-2 draw. This is a very confident and close-knit group, and one that has their eyes firmly fixed on European football. The beauty of their push is that it was completely unexpected that they’d do as well as this so there’s zero pressure on them to succeed, and you can see them enjoying their football right now, which is absolutely paramount. If any fear creeps into this team then they’ll struggle, but whilst they’re playing with the freedom they are, I simply don’t have a reason to doubt them.

Pardubice are fast, they move the ball swiftly, and their movement in the final third looks fresher now than it has all season long, meaning the man on the ball always has options. They tire teams out quickly, and they usually do enough to score goals regularly too. This is the kind of team I can trust to win games, especially against a Karvina team who are looking a bit leggy now. They’ve lost two on the spin, including an embarrassing home defeat against Marila Pribram, and it’s because they’ve nothing left to play for this season. 

Subsequently, I have to believe that backing Pardubice here is the right call to make, hence the pick.

Verdict: Pardubice to win at 9/10.

FC Sion vs Lausanne Sport 

KO: (UK time)

I just can’t help myself when it comes to opposing FC Sion at important moments for the club. They’re forever riding their luck, today’s hosts, and this season might just be the time when it runs out. They do not have the mentalities in their squad for a relegation battle because all semblance of pride and togetherness is consistently stamped out by crazy owner Constantin. They have some good individuals, yes, but their collective output is generally poor.

A cursive glance at their Super League form guide may have you thinking that they’re really starting to warm to this relegation battle malarkey, but they’re not. Winning the Geneva derby as handsomely as they did was mere chance; Servette were the better team on the day  but FC Sion were unusually clinical in that game. Prior to that, taking on a depressing FC Zurich team was not much of an ask for them. I think we saw the true, ineffective cowards that FC Sion are in their 2-1 defeat against newly-crowned champions Young Boys Bern, who had zero motivation to win that game – and yet still did.

Another factor to consider is that FC Sion have not made any friends at this level i.e. nobody is going to do them any favours. They’ve been poaching players from other Super League clubs for years, and only serving to ruin them. They play ugly football, which is very un-Swiss indeed, and they honestly just don’t look like they give a shit – ever. Even if they do somehow survive this relegation battle, they’re absolutely screwed whenever Grgic decides he’s had enough. He’s been too good for this club ever since he joined, and his departure looks inevitable at some stage. 

As if it wasn’t already enough that both teams need the points (for contrasting reasons), some fuel was poured on the fire yesterday on Twitter. FC Sion posted an incorrect version of Lausanne Sport’s logo (which has changed a couple of times over the past decade, to be fair) so Lausanne Sport tweeted them, stating – in French – that, “We’ve always managed to keep track of the 50+ managers FC Sion have had over the past ten years (it’s actually twenty years – ironic typo on their part) so why can’t you remember which logo is ours?”. Swiss matches generally aren’t all that fiery, but there might just be a bit of a feistiness here today.

For me though, Lausanne Sport should win it easily enough. I say that for a number of reasons, the main one of which is that despite the crippling absentees they’ve had in 2021, they’ve found a good solution in young players. They’ve been positive, played progressive attacking football without any fear, and they’ve won games by playing the right way. A team like this – with everything to gain and nothing to lose – should thrive in such situations, really. They’re a close-knit group, and they give a shit. FC Sion haven’t had either of those characteristics for a long time now.

I feared for them when they lost Turkes and Zekhnini for a long time, two of their most important attackers. How good have Puertas, Guessand, da Cunha, Brazao, and especially Bares been though? I love the resourcefulness of the club, the truth that clearly exists within it, and the style of play that boss Contini has them playing. They’ve no Schweizer Pokal to distract them, so it’s the Super League only for now. Are they good enough to manage this game, waiting for FC Sion to come at them before striking the killer blow? I believe so.

FC Sion are three points behind Vaduz, and leapfrogging them would only put them into the relegation play-off place, which I doubt they have the mental strength to succeed in. They’ve got five games remaining, and if they’re to stay up, I think that they need to get at least nine points from the available fifteen; possibly even more. With trips to St. Gallen and Lugano whilst hosting Luzern and FC Basel, it’s safe to say that today is their ‘easiest’ remaining game, and in my world, even a cautious team should try to win such a match.

But how can they do it? Hoarau is a class act, of course – if they get a penalty, he’ll score it. There’s no kind of service for him though. It’s all very timid, side-to-side stuff in general. Unless Grgic makes something happen from nowhere – which is always a danger, I’m afraid – then they won’t feed their best attacking player. I get the idea – winger Tosetti was brought in to be that creator for Hoarau. However, Hoarau’s injury earlier in the season fused with a couple of dismal years for the ex-FC Thun man has meant that no chemistry has been established, and there’s no “Plan B” either. For me, this FC Sion team focuses too much on physicality and ball retention rather than properly using it, which again, is not ideal in a relegation battle.

For this game, FC Sion are still without a number of defenders, as well as young Brazilian midfielder Baltazar. They may win their fair share of midfield battles because of their physicality, FC Sion, but keeping out a superior attack and scoring enough to punish them at the other end looks as unlikely as the other. I appreciate that FC Sion haven’t lost against Lausanne Sport for a few years now, but seldom have they looked more likely to do so than they do today.

Therefore, I’m on the away win at evens.

Verdict: Lausanne Sport to win at evens.

Viitorul Constanta vs Dinamo Bucharest 

KO: (UK time)

It’s a bit of a do-or-die affair in Romania’s Liga 1 relegation battle with Viitorul Constanta hosting Dinamo Bucharest, and both very desperate for points. The situation at the capital club is arguably more dire but neither are in a tremendous position so the win is paramount today.

What I find the most curious thing about this fixture to be is that it comes at a favourable time for both teams. Viitorul Constanta have performed well lately, picking up six points from nine, and generally executing impressive game-plans. They’ve scored good goals, and contained teams rather well. It’s too early to make predictions on this front, but if they can maintain this level of professionalism, then avoiding relegation should be rather likely for them this season. Again, it’s very early to make predictions though – it could simply be a case of the ol’ honeymoon period under boss Anghel, who only took over in April.

It was nice to see Macedonian outcast Babunski getting back into the swing of things in their recent 3-0 win against Politehnica Iasi. I appreciate that it’s hardly a result to write home about, but if they can get the best out of him then they’ve got one hell of a player on their hands. Folks in Europe tend to forget how good he was before his ill-fated Japanese adventure. His assist for Santos’ goal was good though, and Viitorul Constanta’s first goal from open play for almost a month, which is important for obvious reasons.

That’s the flip side of the coin, you see. Yes, Fernandes, Tsoumou, and Santos are all good  at winning (and converting) penalties but from open play, this team is still a bit lacking. I’d like to think that Babunski can change that in time though. Luckily for them, they’re facing a kamikaze Dinamo Bucharest defence today so it’s not something I’ll spend time worrying about, but it’s something they need to be mindful of in the battle against relegation. I mean, after this, there are just four games remaining so they need to be wary.

Dinamo Bucharest are in a reasonable place themselves right now though. Well, aside from needing to win this game, of course! They were embarrassing against Gaz Metan Medias, it’s true, but seriously encouraging against Voluntari, which they won 2-0 – their first Liga 1 win since January! Whether they can avoid the drop or not, I really couldn’t say. There’s so much wrong at this club behind the scenes that it makes the challenge seriously tough. However, they’ve got an experienced manager and some capable players so let’s wait and see, shall we? I hope they stay up, though – Romanian football would be missing a significant portion of its history without them in the top flight.

I’d like to think that the win last time out would give Dinamo Bucharest the morale boost they’ve been seeking for a while now. The three points were nice, but Politehnica Iasi and Hermannstadt both losing were merely chance; something that was out of their hands. On another day, the Dinamo Bucharest win could have meant nothing, which is why it’s imperative that Uhrin and co. pick up where they left off. I would not bet against them winning today either. It’s not easy, but they’ve got momentum now, and perhaps the likes of Nemec and Gueye will now recall how good they once were.

There’s plenty of experience in this squad, and the likes of Fabbrini, Anton, and Sorescu have been match-winners in the past. They’ve got harder fixtures than this to come too, so they need to make the most of this fixture. They may have embarrassed themselves in the reversal of this fixture back in February, but don’t forget that they put in a respectable display when they last played in Ovidiu, only losing 2-1 on the day. I’d argue that things are better for Dinamo Bucharest now, and although that certainly doesn’t guarantee them the points that they desperately want here, I think it gives them a better chance than usual of getting them.

Although I’m not nearly brave enough to touch the 1×2 market here, backing both teams to score at 9/10 seems a reasonable expectation. 

Verdict: Both teams to score at 9/10.

FC Midtjylland vs FC Nordsjaelland

KO: (UK time)

Rather surprisingly, FC Nordsjaelland managed to beat FC Midtjylland last time out. They needed some big help from VAR for their second and third goals, but I can’t say that they didn’t deserve it. Normally the reigning champions shackle them rather well but that was not the case in Farum with FC Nordsjaelland often breaking, and they should have scored more than they did. Let’s call it a poor day at the office for FC Midtjylland, and a great day at the office for FC Nordsjaelland – with a splash of luck. The own goal that put them ahead was pivotal; they’re not good at coming from behind. The penalty that Sulemana scored – sometimes you see them given, and sometimes not. The ball had already gone, so was it really a foul? It was a real 50/50 in my world. 

Anyway, FC Nordsjaelland had the rub of the green on the day, and claimed a very good win. The chances of them doing the same again tonight are slim because you’ll seldom find FC Midtjylland put in two displays like that in a row; they’re simply too proud, and too professional. Besides, they’ve got a bigger, stronger squad than their decidedly youthful opponents so they can mix things up today; FC Nordsjaelland cannot. Well, sometimes I wonder if they actually can, you know. The alarming regularity with which FC Nordsjaelland produce talented, hard-working youngsters is beyond impressive so perhaps they do have depth that they’ve simply not chosen to use yet. I mean, young Ivorian striker Adingra already has two goals to his name so who knows?

The point is that, when working with what we know, it’s fair to say that FC Midtjylland should bounce back here. Alright, it’s unlikely that Brondby have enough energy to push them all the way but if today’s hosts keep dropping points, then they’re going to find those energy reserves – and FC Midtjylland do not want that. Therefore, the Danish public are expecting a response from the reigning champions here, and I understand that. As I said above, FC Midtjylland do tend to control these games rather well, and if you control a game against FC Nordsjaelland, then you beat them – it’s that simple. The visitors thrive on open, chaotic games, and few are better in Denmark than FC Midtjylland at shutting encounters down.

However, what I saw from FC Midtjylland in Farum made me wonder if they’re a bit tired. I don’t doubt that they’re good enough to win this game, especially not with such a varied, deadly attack. Their defending has started to bother me though. I know they’ve got Hoegh back from injury, and that they’ve had various problems with defenders being available this season, but for me they still need a faster option. These defenders will make ‘clever’ fouls to disrupt swift teams sometimes but that’s not a prudent measure in the big picture – and that’s what was evident when these two teams last met.

See, FC Nordsjaelland are simply fast, determined, and fit. They’ll do everything swiftly, and they’ll rely on opponents leaving gaps in order to find ways through – and that works pretty well in a Superligaen that is predominantly composed of slow defences. However, they’re by no means the only team in Europe to play in such a manner, and that does not bode well for FC Midtjylland if they intend on having yet another UEFA Champions League adventure. In this year’s group stage, their main weakness was converting the chances they created but their defending was an issue too. It’s something to keep in mind, anyway.

FC Midtjylland have the professionalism, experience, and quality to bounce back today, and against an incredibly youthful FC Nordsjaelland, I would not bet against it. However, I believe that the setup here does favour the visitors. They’re under no pressure to impress so they can sit and wait for their hosts to come at them, who do need the points. Truth be told, I don’t see the visitors being patient enough to play that way; I think they’ll be their usual adventurous selves, meaning that they should go at their hosts and try to win with European football something very much on their agenda. Either way, I think it makes more sense to look at goals rather than a 1×2 market.

We’re either going to see FC Midtjylland win this game convincingly, shutting FC Nordsjaelland down, or we’ll see a repeat of their last meeting, which means it’d be a coin toss as far as the 1×2 market goes. Either way, backing over 3.5 goals makes sense to me.

Verdict: Over 3.5 goals at 11/10.

Team news

Note

All of the information in this section is listed to the best of our knowledge, and we use local sources for as many areas as we can.

Australian A-League:

Melbourne Victory – Brimmer, Kruse, and McManaman return. Traore, Shotton, and Rojas are absent.
Central Coast Mariners – Urena is absent. Janota and Kuol return.

Belgian Eerste Klasse:

Club Brugge – Balanta, Ricca, and Badji are absent.
RSC Anderlecht – Delcroix and van Crombrugge are absent.
AA Gent – Bukari, Fortuna, Niangbo, and Chakvetadze are absent.
KV Mechelen – van Damme and Coucke are absent. Engvall and van den Eynden are doubts.

Croatian Prva Liga:

Istra 1961
Gorica
NK Osijek
Varazdin – 

Czechia Liga 1:

Baumit Jablonec – Holik and Martinec are absent. Haiti and Pilar are doubts.
Sigma Olomouc – Yunis, Gressak, and Zmrzly are absent. Hubnik and Zahradnicek are doubts.
Teplice – Heidenreich, Kucera, Macej, Mazuch, Nemecek, Reznicek, and Zitny are absent. Fortelny, Mares, Shejbal, and Trubac are doubts.
Zlin – No absentees.
Pardubice – Bohac and Petran are absent.
Karvina – No absentees.
Slovan Liberec – Chalus, Jugas, and Rabusic are doubts.
Sparta Prague – Vindheim, Krejci II, Kozak, and Julis are absent. Soucek, Polidar, Krejci I, and Stetina are doubts.
Slavia Prague – Hovorka and Sima are absent. Bah, Olayinka, and Provod are doubts.
Viktoria Plzen – Hejda and Bucha are absent. Cermak, Kayamba, Kovarik, and Limbersky are doubts. 

Danish Superligaen:

Randers – Kamara, Kopplin, Hogh, and Lauridsen are absent.
Brondby – Riveros is absent.
FC Midtjylland Ailton and Evander are doubts.
FC Nordsjaelland – Amon, Sulemana, Tychosen, Diomande, Djourou, and Hansen are absent.
SonderjyskE – Albaek is absent.
OB – Drachmann, Christensen, and Thrandarson are absent. 

English Premier League:

Newcastle United Wilson starts. Ritchie returns. Willock, Hayden, Lascelles, Darlow, and Fraser are absent.
Arsenal – Aubameyang is a doubt.
Manchester United – Martial and Jones are absent.
Liverpool – Phillips is a doubt. Van Dijk, Origi, Kelleher, Matip, Henderson, and Gomez are absent.
Tottenham Hotspur – Davies is absent. Kane returns.
Sheffield United – McBurnie, Robinson, O’Connell, and Sharp are absent. Berge and Basham return.

Finnish Veikkausliiga:

KuPS – No news.
HJK – Moren, Murillo, and Olusanya are doubts. Halsti is absent. 

French Ligue 1:

Girondins de Bordeaux – Bakwa, Koscienly, Otavio, and Seri are absent.
Stade Rennais – Martin is absent.
Stade Brestois – Cibois, Herelle, Philippoteaux, and Lasne are absent.
FC Nantes Atlantique – Traore is absent.
Dijon FCO – Boey, Konate, Ndong, and Ngonda are absent.
Metz – Nguette, Kouyate, Pajot, Tchimbembe, and Cabit are absent.
Lorient Delaplace, Fontaine, Ilori, and Saunier are absent.
Angers SCO – Alioui, Bamba, Boufal, Ebosse, Fulgini, and Doumbia are absent.
Nimes Olympique Briancon, Cubas, Depres, and Martinez are absent.
Stade de Reims – Berisha, Cafaro, Faes, and Ghislain Konan are absent.
Montpellier HSC – Ferri, Hilton, Oyongo, Mendes, and Souquet are absent.
AS Saint-Etienne – Macon, Bajic, and Modeste are absent.
AS Monaco – Diatta, Diop, Golovin, Jovetic, Martins,Matazo, Matsima, and Millot are absent.
Olympique Lyonnais – Bard and Depay are absent. 

Italian Serie A:

SS Lazio – Acerbi, Felipe, and Escalante are absent. Caicedo is a doubt.
Genoa – Pellegrini and Pandev are absent. Criscito is a doubt.
Sassuolo – Caputo and Romagna are absent. Raspadoni is a doubt.
Atalanta Bergamo – No absentees.
SSC Napoli Ghoulam is absent. Lobotka is a doubt.
Cagliari – Marin, Sottil, Rog are absent. Pereiro is a doubt.
Bologna – Schouten, Dijks, Dominguez, Medel, Hickey, and Santander are absent. Sansone is a doubt.
ACF Fiorentina – Kokorin is absent. Valero is a doubt.
Udinese – Deulofeu, Pussetto, Jajalo, Nestorovski, and Musso are absent. Braaf is a doubt.
Juventus – Demiral is absent. Chiesa is a doubt.
Sampdoria Torregrossa is a doubt.
AS Roma – Pedro and Zaniolo are absent. Spinazzola, Calafiori, Lopez, Veretout, Diawara, and El Shaarawy are doubts.

Dutch Eredivisie:

ADO Den Haag – del Fabro, Janmaat, Vejinovic, Bijen, and Kishna are absent.
Feyenoord Rotterdam – Balde, Nieuwkoop, and Berghuis are absent.
AFC Ajax Amsterdam – Onana and Blind are absent.
FC Emmen – Carty and Bakker are absent.
FC Groningen – da Cruz, van Hintum, and Gudmundsson are absent.
Sparta Rotterdam – Coremans is absent.
PSV Eindhoven – Gutierrez, Dumfries, Mauro Junior, Romero, Ihatteren, Ledezma, Thomas, and Baumgartl are absent.
SC Heerenveen – H. Veerman, J. Veerman, and Bochniewicz are absent.

Romanian Liga 1:

Academica Clinceni – Dumitru, Bilali, Jutric, and Markovic are absent.
Universitatea Craiova – Vatajelu, Baiaram, Screciu, and Papp are absent. Ofosu is a doubt.
Astra Giurgiu – Ionita II, Seto, de Sousa, and Fatai are absent. Radut is a doubt.
Politehnica Iasi – Calcan has left. Cristea is absent.
Voluntari – No news.
Hermannstadt – No news.
Viitorul Constanta – No news.
Dinamo Bucharest – No news.

Russian Premier League:

FK Khimki – Dolgov, Dyadyun, Glushakov, and Kazantsev are absent.
Ural Sverdlovskaya Oblast – El Kabir is absent.
FK Rostov – Normann is absent.
Tambov – No absentees.
Zenit St. Petersburg – Lovren is absent.
Lokomotiv Moscow – Lysov is absent.

Spanish Primera Liga:

Real Valladolid – Garcia is absent.
Real Betis Balompie – Camarasa and Martin are absent.
Villarreal – Capoue, Foyth, Iborra, and Trigueros are absent.
Getafe – Cabaco and Cucho are absent.
Granada – Kenedy, Duarte, Milla, Lozano, Neva, Silva, and Vallejo are absent.
Cadiz – Quezada, Perea, Espino, and Alex are absent.
Valencia – Cillessen is absent.
Barcelona – Braithwaite, Coutinho, and Fati are absent.

Swedish Allsvenskan:

Halmstad – Ofosu-Ayeh is absent.
IFK Goteborg – C. Johansson, J. Johansson, and Karlsson-Lagemyr are absent.
Orebro Karjalainen is absent.
IFK Norrkoping – No absentees.
Ostersunds FK – Ouattara, Amin, and Arhin are absent.
Varberg – Krezic is absent.
AIK Solna – Kahl is absent.
Elfsborg Boras – Bernhardsson is absent.

Swiss Super League:

Servette – Antunes and Henchoz are absent. Valls, Mendy, Imeri, and Cespedes are doubts.
Young Boys Bern – Elia, Lustenberger, Maier, and Petignat are absent. Camara is a doubt.
FC Sion – Costa, Abdellaoui, Doldur, Kabashi, Vlasenko, and Wesley are absent. Tupta is a doubt.
Lausanne Sport – Falk, Geissmann, Mastil, E. Monteiro, Turkes, and Zohouri are absent. Flo is a doubt.
FC Zurich Khelifi and Sobiech are absent.
Lugano – Daprela and Kecskes are absent.

Turkish Super Lig:

Antalyaspor – Kudryashov, Podolski, Bayradkar, and Drole are absent. Sam, Ozmert, Sinik, Gurler, and Ozturk are doubts.
Goztepe – Nwobodo and Mihojevic are absent.
Denizlispor – Murawski, Yasin, and Aktas are absent. Altintas, Gomen, Sacko, Yumlu, and Yilmaz are doubts. New boss – Tandogan.
Rizespor – Djokovic, Gorgen, and Meriah are absent. Pehlivan is a doubt.
Konyaspor – Kravets, Uludag, Bircan, Anicic, and Milosevic are absent. Eduok is a doubt.
Faith Karagumruk – Roco, Bertolacci, Erdem, and Kabian are absent. Altinay, Sobiech, and Balkovec are doubts.
Genclerbirligi – Toure and Ayite are doubts.
Galatasaray –  Omar, Yedlin, Ozornwafor, Ozturk, Luyindama, and Etebo are absent. Onyekuru and Linnes are doubts.

Remaining thoughts

Note

The "remaining thoughts" section is there to be a rough guide in case you want to get involved in games we haven't tipped. It is not there to tell anybody to back specific scorelines, or to guarantee that "2-2" games will go over 2.5 goals, for example. Ian lists what he believes to be the most likely outcome, and this is based on his assessment as to which way each game will develop. However, a "remaining thoughts" game listed with a 2-2 scoreline may have only just edged out a 0-0 scoreline in terms of probability because each game can develop in different ways.

Australian A-League:

Melbourne Victory vs Central Coast Mariners (5) 2-1

Belgian Eerste Klasse:

Club Brugge vs RSC Anderlecht (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
AA Gent vs KV Mechelen (6) 2-0

Croatian Prva Liga:

Istra 1961 vs Gorica (6) 1-1
NK Osijek vs Varazdin (7) 2-0

Czechia Liga 1:

Baumit Jablonec vs Sigma Olomouc (6) 2-0
Teplice vs Zlin (5) 1-0
Pardubice vs Karvina (6) 2-1
Slovan Liberec vs Sparta Prague (5) 1-1
Slavia Prague vs Viktoria Plzen (5) 2-1

Danish Superligaen:

Randers vs Brondby (5) 1-0
FC Midtjylland vs FC Nordsjaelland (5) over 2.5 goals
SonderjyskE vs OB (6) 2-1

English Premier League:

Newcastle United vs Arsenal (5) 1-1
Manchester United vs Liverpool (5) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Tottenham Hotspur vs Sheffield United (7) 1-0

Estonian Meistriliiga:

Tammeka vs FCI Levadia Tallinn (7) over 2.5 goals

Faroese Betrideildin:

B36 Torshavn vs IF (6) over 2.5 goals
B68 Toftir vs Vikingur Gota (7) over 2.5 goals
EB/Streymur vs HB Torshavn (7) 0-1, at least one red card in this game
NSI Runavik vs TB (8) 2-0
07 Vestur Sorvagur vs KI (7) over 2.5 goals

Finnish Veikkausliiga:

KuPS vs HJK (5) 2-1

French Ligue 1:

Girondins de Bordeaux
vs Stade Rennais (5) 1-1
Stade Brestois vs FC Nantes Atlantique (5) 1-1
Dijon FCO vs Metz (5) 0-1
Lorient vs Angers SCO (5) 2-1
Nimes Olympique vs Stade de Reims (5) 1-2
Montpellier HSC vs AS Saint-Etienne (5) 1-2
AS Monaco vs Olympique Lyonnais (6) 1-1

Hungarian Liga 1:

Budafoki MTE vs Budapest Honved (5) 0-1

Icelandic Pepsideild:

Vikingur Reykjavik vs Keflavik (6) 2-1
Breidablik Kopavogur vs KR (5) 1-1

Italian Serie A:

SS Lazio vs Genoa (7) over 2.5 goals
Sassuolo vs Atalanta Bergamo (5) over 2.5 goals
SSC Napoli vs Cagliari (4) 1-2
Bologna vs ACF Fiorentina (5) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Udinese vs Juventus (6) 1-2
Sampdoria vs AS Roma (5) 1-1

Dutch Eredivisie:

ADO Den Haag vs Feyenoord Rotterdam (7) 0-2
AFC Ajax Amsterdam vs FC Emmen (7) over 2.5 goals
FC Groningen vs Sparta Rotterdam (6) 1-1
PSV Eindhoven vs SC Heerenveen (7) over 2.5 goals

Portuguese Liga 2:

UD Oliveirense vs SL Benfica II (4) 2-1
Vizela vs Feirense (5) 2-1
Sporting Covilha vs Leixoes Matosinhos (6) 2-0
Penafiel vs Estoril (5) 1-1
Casa Pia vs Academico Viseu (5) 0-1

Romanian Liga 1:

Academica Clinceni vs Universitatea Craiova (6) 0-1
Astra Giurgiu vs Politehnica Iasi (7) 2-1
Voluntari vs Hermannstadt (5) 1-0
Viitorul Constanta vs Dinamo Bucharest (4) 1-2

Russian Premier League:

FK Khimki vs Ural Sverdlovskaya Oblast (6) 2-1
FK Rostov vs Tambov (7) 2-0
Zenit St. Petersburg vs Lokomotiv Moscow (6) over 2.5 goals

Spanish Primera Liga:

Real Valladolid vs Real Betis Balompie (5) 1-1
Villarreal vs Getafe (4) 0-1
Granada vs Cadiz (6) 2-1
Valencia vs Barcelona (5) 1-1

Swedish Allsvenskan:

Halmstad vs IFK Goteborg (5) 1-0
Orebro vs IFK Norrkoping (6) 1-2
Ostersunds FK vs Varberg (5) 1-0
AIK Solna vs Elfsborg Boras (4) 1-1

Swiss Super League:

Servette vs Young Boys Bern (6) over 2.5 goals
FC Sion vs Lausanne Sport (6) 1-2
FC Zurich vs Lugano (5) 1-1

Turkish Super Lig:

Antalyaspor vs Goztepe (5) 1-1
Denizlispor vs Rizespor (6) 1-2
Konyaspor vs Faith Karagumruk (5) 1-2
Genclerbirligi vs Galatasaray (5) 2-2

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