TFT Issue 361!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
Athletic Club de Bilbao vs Schalke 04 – over 3 goals at evens.
Today’s featured game is the UEFA Europa League game in Spain between Athletic Bilbao and Schalke 04.
This may look an obvious choice but it’s still one that I like a lot. Down to the bare bones of it, neither side can defend. It’s as simple as that, really. It doesn’t matter who Bielsa puts in central defence – if Huntelaar plays then he’ll score because he’s a lethal finisher. They have a pacey threat to their weakest area (left-back) in Farfan and the timeless Raul is still prowling. Schalke 04 are not a side that I am overly fond of, to be honest, but I respect them and I expect them to deliver their usual attacking display here.
Similarly, Athletic only know how to attack and they will make life hard for Schalke here. The fact that Bielsa actually rested the likes of Llorente, Muniain, and Herrera against bitter rivals Barcelona finally gives us some indication as to where his priorities lie so I couldn’t blame you if you took the home win tonight, especially at a bouncing San Mames!
However, allow me to throw a word of caution to that bet. A rumour was spread that Bielsa watched 42 DVDs of Schalke 04 before his team played them in the first leg or something like that. I could quite believe it, as he’s very meticulous and a bloody good manager to boot. However, do bear in mind that despite the above, if indeed true, Schalke 04 still outplayed Bilbao. I appreciate that that game was in Germany but still – it’s not easy for me to endorse backing a side to win a game when they’ve won the previous game without being the better side, if that makes sense.
For what it’s worth, I do rate Athletic as the better team and I do think that they’ll win tonight. However, I can only see a frantic game with plenty of goals as Schalke have to win heavily to progress and both sides are dynamite on counter-attacks. Therefore, I have to look at evens on over 3 goals being a bit of a steal here as neither side is often involved with 0-0 draws!
Verdict: Over 3 goals at evens.
Additional game
HB Koge vs Lyngby – away win with draw no bet at evens.
Call me mad, but I really like Lyngby to win this one. Both sides are pretty poor, to be honest, and both are very much in the Superligaen dogfight. However, what I’ve seen from Lyngby of late is improvement, which is important to me. If you look at their recent fixtures, they’ve no right to get anything from any of them, considering how bad their defence is. However, they’ve beaten both Midtylland and OB Odense along the way and have deserved points from most of their other difficult games, if not all of them, since returning from the winter break. Frederiksen’s boys have picked up some momentum as a result and despite being far from the best side in the league, Lyngby can score goals and I think that they will here. HB Koge have also done quite well since the winter break although I would hasten to point out that they’ve generally not played the level of sides that Lyngby have. Credit has to go to any side that wins game in the precarious league placing that either side has right now but I’m just leaning toward an improving and frankly surprising Lyngby for this game as long as they keep Madsen under wraps!
Verdict: Lyngby to win with draw no bet at evens.
Please post your team news below, guys!