TFT Issue 362!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Normal service should now be resumed as I’m back from a brief break so I’ll take over the team news from here. Thanks to all those who contributed!
Featured game
Dukla Prague vs Bohemians 1905 – home win with -1 Asian Handicap at 11/10.
Today’s featured game is the Gambrinus Liga encounter between Dukla Prague and Bohemians 1905.
Despite Dukla only operating at 100% capacity when facing Sparta Prague or Slavia Prague, I do still have faith in them doing the business here. Why? Well, they’re an attacking side by nature and that tends to show in games against sides that they can either match or better. Dukla average scoring nearly two goals per Gambrinus Liga home game and look which teams most of their goals have been scored against – Viktoria Zizkov, Slovacko, Hradec Kralove, Ceske Budejovice, Marila Pribram – all similar or weaker sides. Dukla may have only won five home games in the Gambrinus Liga this season but four of them have beaten the -1 Asian Handicap so let’s give them the benefit of the doubt here. They’ve looked especially good since returning from the winter break, even when playing away from home, so I’m happy to give them a shout here. My sole concern for Dukla is whether they’re motivated or not with very little left to play for but this side always seems at least partially motivated so I’m happy to take a chance today.
Helpfully, the probability of Bohemians 1905 not showing up is pretty high. They’ve been so bad lately that it’s quite unbelievable. I know they’ve lost a lot of depth over the past couple of years but this squad is in a seriously bad state. There are no alternatives for the starting eleven (well, realistic alternatives, at least) and the team has no morale. The big, big problem here is that Bohemians play on morale and on the support from their fans. They don’t have much support in away games when compared to the deafening roar in their home games and they’re playing so terribly that it’s hard for anyone to support them. Bohemians are not a very good side – they do well on compact pitches when playing a physical game but that approach hasn’t worked lately and I don’t see any reason for it to start now.
Therefore, I have to give goalscoring Dukla Prague a big advantage in this game. Bohemians could score – it’d be daft to rule it out – but they should concede at least two to three goals in the game so the -1 Asian Handicap for the hosts looks to have terrific value at 11/10, even on a shitty friday!
Verdict: Dukla Prague to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at 11/10.
Additional game
Standard de Liege vs Anderlecht – away win at 7/5.
I really don’t enjoy going against Standard when playing in Liege, especially when they’re facing bitter rivals Anderlecht. However, having watched both sides lately, I do feel that there’s some value to be had.
Firstly, Standard are not in a good place right now. There’s a continual question mark over integral striker Tchite’s fitness. That’s nothing new, though – what’s new is that Cyriac is out for today’s game and that leaves Standard with Gakpe, who is ok against the smaller sides but not in games like this. Standard’s tactics were horribly wrong in their last game and that was evident from the fact that they concede from three long balls!! Bolat is looking to leave the club in summer (no surprise – he’s probably been the best goalkeeper in the Eerste Klasse this season). Riga’s formations/tactical approaches don’t appear suitable at the moment and we have leader Van Damme as a big question mark despite appearing last match. Is he ready for the onslaught from the Anderlecht fans? I’m not so sure, despite him having tasted it before.
With the above in mind, you can see why I think Anderlecht are worthy of your consideration today. True, they only drew 1-1 with minnows Kortrijk lately but that looked predominantly down to rusty performances from what I saw of the game. Kortrijk could have made it 0-2 before half-time but they also could have and should have conceded a few in he second-half so it’s swings and roundabouts, really. Anderlecht will have high motivation for this game against their rivals and require a win so they should be able to get it, in my view. This won’t be an easy game for them – it never is in Liege – but they still have the personnel to win the game.
For me, the away win is well worth a bet today, despite the tension between the two clubs. Standard lack the unity that made them so hard to beat earlier in the season and Anderlecht are the most potent side in Belgium so this one speaks for itself.
Verdict: Anderlecht to win at 7/5.
Team news
Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:
Belshina Bobriusk – Melnyk and Khaletskiy are absent.
Dinamo Minsk – Damjanovic may debutise.
FC Minsk – Razin is absent.
Dinamo Brest – David Lazari returns.
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Standard de Liege – Buzaglo and Cyriac are absent. Tchite is a doubt.
Anderlecht – Vargas and Safari are absent.
Germinal Beerschot – Stijnen and Ozturk are absent.
Lokeren – Overmeire and Deloose are absent.
Bulgarian A PFG:
Lokomotiv Plovdiv – De Carvalho is a doubt. Dyakov is absent.
Vidma-Rakovski – No absentees.
Danish Superligaen:
OB Odense – Christiansen is absent.
AC Horsens – No news.
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Gyori ETO FC – No absentees.
Kaposvari Rakoczi – Hegedus, Pavlovics, Major, and Fenyvesi are absent. Grumic is a doubt.
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Kruoja Pakruojis – Zigalovas is absent.
Banga Gargzdai – A.Dos Dantos returns.
Turkish Super Lig:
Karabukspor – Shelton, Tomis, and Akin are absent.
Besiktas JK – Ernst, Simao, Cenk, Veli, Tanju, Ismail, and Pektemek are absent.