TFT Issue 383!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
Real Sociedad vs Racing Santander – home win with -1 Asian Handicap 5/6.
Today’s featured game is the Primera Liga game in Spain between Real Sociedad and Racing Santander.
Four consecutive draws lead Real Sociedad into this game and realistically speaking, they’re safe from relegation. That said, a win today would all but guarantee safety with both Sporting Gijon and Real Zaragoza both needing to win all of their remaining games to catch and potentially pass them and I expect Montanier’s players to finish the job properly today
Happily, defensive lynchpin Mikel Gonzalez returns to the centre f defence, which is a big bonus. Inigo Martinez is out, as is full-back Demidov, but Real Sociedad are facing a side that they’re much better than and should make it count here. Xabi Prieto, Aranburu, Zurutuza, Griezmann, and especially Vela – they’re all more than good enough to do the damage here. Anoeta is a fortress for Real Sociedad and I think that they have more than enough firepower to win this one comfortably.
Racing Santander are bottom of the league. They’re already relegated, and deservedly so. They can defend well when they wish to but their attempts at “attacking” are just shocking. They’ve finally the price for being impatient with their managers as this cash-strapped club has not been allowed to properly nurture hot prospects and thus they can’t replace players that they lose. Racing are battlers but they’re even struggling to do that with Segunda Liga football beckoning.
Racing couldn’t manage to score against one of the most vulnerable defences in the league last match against Real Sociedad’s bitter rivals Athletic Club de Bilbao, who incidentally had their eyes firmly fixed on their tie with Sporting Clube de Lisboa and even rested players to boot. Racing still couldn’t capitalise and that speaks volumes for them, really. Athletic can concede against anyone in this division but left Santander with a clean sheet. With nothing left to play for and no attacking threat, it’s hard to take Racing seriously today.
For me, the -1 Asian Handicap appeals to me at 5/6, a does Real Sociedad to win to nil. San Sebastian is not an easy place to play as an away side and with the hosts looking far stronger in both attack and defence than Racing Santander, I’ve no option but to wade in with Basque hosts Real Sociedad today.
Verdict: Real Sociedad to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at 5/6.
Additional games
Standard de Liege vs Kortrijk – away win with draw no bet at 13/5.
And the long shot of today is…Kortrijk to win at Standard! Yes! Standard are a horrible side to face in Liege due to their nutcase fans and strong organisation. However, their organisation has gone out of the window in recent weeks and with hopes of European football rapidly fading, it’s hard to consider taking Standard to beat anyone. Goalkeeper Bolat is out, which removes a large portion of the confidence that the defence has in one another, not to mention their organisational skills. Bolat has been one of the best players in the Eerste Klasse this season for my money and he’ll be sorely missed here. In addition to Bolat’s absence, Standard’s best striker by a mile – Tchite – is back on the sidelines, which affects Standard a lot. Additionally, Ivorian attacker Cyriac is out and this does not bode well for the hosts. Standard rely heavily on African duo Tchite and Cyriac to create/score goals and their absence leaves a gaping hole up front. Look at the Standard attack and tell me where the goals are coming from. That’s right – there is no obvious place. They can still score the odd goal, especially against a shoddy Kortrijk defence, but they’re far from at maximum capacity and they are a shade demoralised right now so I think it’s a good idea to oppose them.
That especially appeals to me because they’re hosting underrated Kortrijk. This side has no concept as to whether they’re winning or losing; they just attack and score goals. It’s a delight to see, to be honest, and they’re bloody good at it, too. Ex/current Anderlecht attackers Chavarria and Veselinovic are very dangerous players and there aren’t many other sides that they’d like to score against than Anderlecht’s bitter rivals Standard de Liege! Kortrijk have no absent players and have the additional bonus of playing without pressure as they’ve already exceeded all expectations of them this season. They’re playing free-flowing attacking football and enjoying themselves, which is great to see. They’re an irresistable side at times and have no fear of the big clubs and thus I think that they could really ruffle a few feathers today.
Liege is never an easy place for the away side but Kortrijk are more than capable of getting a shock result here. For me, there’s value on the away win with draw no bet cover at 13/5.
Verdict: Kortrijk to win with draw no bet at 13/5.
Nomme Kalju vs Maag Tammeka Tartu – over 3.5 goals at 9/10.
To be honest, there’s very little that I can write here that the Meistriliiga table doesn’t already show you. Nomme Kalju are by far the best side in Estonia this season with a whole host of attacking talents and they’re really making it count, especially being spurred on by the unconvincing displays of Tallinn duo Flora and Levadia respectively. Maag Tammeka Tartu lost a lot of good players pre-season and are having big financial problems, hence their predicament. There’s a colossal difference in quality between these two sides and I expect a cricket score in favour of Nomme Kalju. The odds on the handicap markets are not out yet but over 3.5 goals appeals to me a lot at 9/10, especially with three out of Nomme Kalju’s last four home games having gone over 3.5 goals and a 0-4 win at Maag Tammeka Tartu leading them into this game.
Verdict: Over 3.5 goals at 9/10.
PK-35 Helsinki vs Hameenlinna – home win with -1 Asian Handicap at 4/5.
This is the first Ykkonen game of the season for both teams but there already looks to be a huge gulf between these two sides. PK-35 will be battling for promotion to the Veikkausliiga whereas Hameenlinna will be struggling to avoid the drop to the Kakkonen. PK-35 strengthened their squad pre-season with the acquisitions of playmaker Weckstrom from Haka Valkeakoski (formerly of FC Honka Espoo), winger Oravainen from KuPS Kuopio (formerly of HJK Helsinki), and Nyberg from local rivals Viikingit Helsinki. They’ve lost a number of players too, however, so this is a largely unfamiliar squad. It’s unknown how they’ll gel in time for this game but I still like this bet a lot. Hameenlinna are horribly weak this season and tend to fail in epic fashion when it comes to creating and converting chances. Hameenlinna have poached a few of Haka Valkeakoski’s players and although they’ve not lost hordes of players, they still look a bit of a mess to me. Hameenlinna are unfortunately one of those sides that loves to really upset the odds from time to time but they should be totally outclassed by their superior hosts on artificial turf today, especially if PK-35 Helsinki’s players gel as quickly as we all hope that they do. The insurance is there if PK-35 Helsinki don’t manage to break the handicap as anything but a home win would be a big surprise here, especially with Hameenlinna’s attack decimated by the sale of Kuqi and the absence of Suomalainen and Suhonen today.
Verdict: PK-35 Helsinki to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at 4/5.
Jippo Joensuu vs SJK – under 2.5 goals at 9/10.
Odds are nose-diving on the away win and it’s no wonder as to why, really. SJK have just been promoted from the Kakkonen but they have a lot of good players and a lot of support too. They now hold the longest unbeaten run in Finnish football, which stretches to an impressive thirty-eight games! That run should continue here too with their distinct quality advantage. Look at who they brought in pre-season – Lehtinen, Hietaharju, Karike – they’re all Veikkausliiga players! I’m not a big fan of Lehtinen but even he should find his level here in the Ykkonen! They even clinched the signing of Victor Montero from Atletico Madrid, which should give you an idea of the clout that SJK wield this season. They play good football and can almost always muster goals so they’re a side to take seriously here.
However, they’ve been given a real baptism of fire, in my eyes. The trip to Joensuu is one of the hardest that an Ykkonen club can make with the battling and physical hosts always keen to upset their opponents. They’re not in their usual stadium – they’re playing this game on artificial turf nearby at Joensuun Keskukentta, which has an even smaller pitch than normal. These conditions will only favour dogged Jippo and they’re relentless at home. Quality-wise, they’re going to struggle to avoid the drop, especially with such a lack of firepower. However, they’re solid at the back and a nightmare to take on in Joensuu so let’s see how the favoured SJK go on here.
I won’t enter the 1×2 market in this game as I want to see how SJK deal with the occasion in what is essentially a very difficult away game. However, odds of under 2.5 goals looks irresistable at evens as the visitors should claim a 0-0 or 0-1 scoreline here, or even a 1-0 if they approach the game naively.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 9/10.
RoPS Rovaniemi vs AC Oulu – under 2.5 goals at 9/10.
It’s derby day in the Ykkonen and with the bad relationship between these two clubs in mind, it seems that someone in the Finnish FA has a big sense of humour by putting these two against each other on the opening day of the season.
Still, I do like the idea of taking under 2.5 goals in this potentially explosive affair. RoPS Rovaniemi lost an awful lot of players pre-season and are virtually unrecognisable from the side that was relegated from the Veikkausliiga last season. However, they’ve mustered together enough decent players and old friends to stand a chance of being promoted. They host one of their promotion rivals today, however – AC Oulu. As much as I adore RoPS Rovaniemi, I think that AC Oulu are better placed than they are to do well this season. Well, with the proviso that Albanian hitman Stafsula stays fit and doesn’t have any more month-long wedding breaks to attend! AC Oulu are a lot better at dominating games than their local rivals but RoPS have always had a better cutting edge in front of goal. However, a lack of cohesion from the new players of the hosts and a lack of alternatives to Stafsula in attack for the visitors should mean that this game will go under 2.5 goals as long as RoPS don’t suddenly become Barcelona with all their new signings.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 9/10.
Bayern Munich vs VfB Stuttgart – over 3 goals at 4/5.
Do I really need to preview this one? Bayern may rest some players following their UEFA Champions League success in Madrid earlier this week but they’ve got more than enough good players to punish a poor Stuttgart defence. However, there will be tired legs in the Bayern camp and motivation cannot possibly be high for this game as it’s somewhat redundant so maybe we’ll see a loss of focus or a few youngsters given a chance. Stuttgart need as many points as possible to try and secure UEFA Europa League football next season and they’re attacking with enough purpose and creativity to manage it. I don’t see either side being able to contain the other and with a history of bizarre games leading them into this encounter, I can only look at odds of 4/5 on there being over 3 goals as a bargain here.
Verdict: Over 3 goals at 4/5.
Hamburger SV vs Mainz 05 – away win with draw no bet at 7/5.
Apply caution here because Mainz are usually pretty shit on the road. However, I really like the odds on them getting a result here, largely because they impress me a lot more than their hosts do.
Hamburg have been woeful this season and their home form is frankly that of a doomed side. There’s still a few matchdays to go and Hamburg may get dragged into the relegation dogfight but it’s no more than they deserve, to be honest. This side plays uninspired, boring, and generally goalless football and thus are sitting ducks for the right opponents.
Are Mainz the right opponents, though? I think so. Mainz always play with great spirit whether they’re at home or away, which is in no small part down to enthusiastic boss Tuchel. Mainz do have the attacking power to trouble their uninteresting hosts and with Hamburg needing the points, they’re going to have to attack Mainz, which always yields interesting results!
The absence of Kacar in midfield doesn’t help Hamburg’s attack or defence as there is no replacement for hm. It does aid Mainz’s quest to dominate midfield and thus have the lion’s share of the chances created, though. Away win with draw no bet cover for me.
Verdict: Mainz 05 to win with draw no bet at 7/5.
Cagliari vs Chievo Verona – home win at evens.
Although not playing in their beloved Sardinia, I always feel inclined to take Cagliari because I admire their tenacity and organisaton a lot. They’re a fairly corrupt side, from what I hear on the grapevine, but they never stop battling and thus they’re one of the few sides that I will consider backing in Serie A at this stage of the season. They don’t possess any world-class players but they have a squad with a very good understanding with some talented creative players such as Nainggolan so they’re not a side to write off. As long as Larrivey stops fucking around when he has the ball in front of goal and actually despatches a shot and as long as Ibarbo uses his strength rather than his samba style, Cagliari’s attack can be devastating.
Speaking of corrupt sides, hello Chievo Verona! They’re easily the most corrupt side in Serie A for my money. You don’t even have to ask them how much they want to throw a game; they’re already bent over. They possess a few quality players but are generally short on depth and tend to apply the defensive approach in games like these. Chievo are generally only motivated for the big games and can lose games like these simply by conceding. Chievo offer little attacking threat and will have little interest in attacking as taking a draw could prove to be a pivotal result in their battle against relegation this season. This game means far more to Cagliari than their opponents and I think that they’ve got what it takes to make it count at evens.
Verdict: Cagliari to win at evens.
Tauras Taurage vs Atlantas – away win with +1.5 handicap at 8/5.
I get the impression that Atlantas are rapidly becoming my favourite A Lyga side because of how horribly long they are but I think we’ll strike gold with them soon. The return of their old chairman and the signing of talented striker Raizulis signals their intent and makes them a side that can actually score goals. It’s inspired the team, too, the signing of Raizulis. At times, they caused Suduva Marijampole and Ekranas Panevezys respectively problems lately and it only takes a weaker side to underestimate Atlantas and be punished for it. Atlantas have problems with fitness when it comes to lasting beyond the seventy-minute mark but Tauras Taurage aren’t much different, to be honest. They have marginally better players and probably should win this game but 1/5 on the home win here is a complete and utter joke. For me, giving Atlantas a +1.5 goal head start is well worth a flutter at 8/5 as their fortunes are slowly starting to change for the better.
Verdict: Atlantas to win with a +1.5 handicap at 8/5.
Heracles Almelo vs Heerenveen – home win at 7/5.
Although Heerenveen are the better side here and although they’ve proven that innumerate times this season, I cannot help but be seduced by the odds on Heracles winning the game. The artificial turf at the Polman will always favour the hosts – we all know that. However, Heracles are simply not the side to face when your side is suffering from fatigue and especially not when they’re demoralised, which are two factors that Heerenveen most definitely have to deal with right now. They’re not playing well and despite possessing one of the most lethal attacks in The Netherlands right now, I don’t see how they’ll cope with a very enthusiastic and capable Heracles side here. Heracles are battling hard for a UEFA Europa League place whereas Heerenveen are sinking like a stone with little hope of pulling it round. The absence of Overtoom makes life hard for hosts Heracles but they’ve got more than enough firepower in Armenteros, Everton, and Douglas here. For me, the home win at 7/5 is very appealing with the above in mind.
Verdict: Heracles Almelo to win at 7/5.
Fredrikstad vs Sandnes Ulf – home win with -1 Asian Handicap at 11/10.
Eh, you may think Fredrikstad have problems this season with no real replacements having been brought in the for the departed Piiroja and Borges respectively but at least they still have Elyounoussi. He’s a good match-winner and if we throw into the mix the cohesion of the Fredrikstad side and the massive support that they receive from their hardcore fans then we have a very strong home side, in essence, which isn’t that bad. It’s especially not a bad situation to be in when you consider how poor Sandnes Ulf are! I expected them to struggle this season but I’ve not seen many sides play as badly as they do away from home! At home, they’re capable of springing the odd surprise, as most Eliteserien sides are. However, on the road, they look the Divisjon 1 side that they are at the core. Where’s the quality in this side – Thorsteinsson? Ex-Rosenborg BK attacker Skjolsvik? To top it off, Sandnes Ulf have a tiny squad! If Stabaek weren’t in such a perilous position, I’d be waving goodbye to Sandnes Ulf right now but we’ll see how they fare with a slightly better chance of staying up than they had before Stabaek decided that it’d be a prudent move to sell all of their good players. Either way, the trip to Fredrikstad is hard for even the good sides so how a mediocre side will cope is beyond me. Fredrikstad with the -1 Asian Handicap looks long at 11/10 with the above in mind.
Verdict: Fredrikstad to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at 11/10.
Motherwell vs St.Johnstone – home win at 6/5.
The battle for third place is well and truly on but I have to favour Motherwell to not only win that battle but also the battle on the pitch today. They’ve impressed me much more than St.Johnstone have this season, especially with their consistency. Estonian hotshot Ojamaa is proving to be absolutely lethal in this league and although Motherwell have been far more dangerous on the road this season than they have at home, I fancy them to make inroads into turning their home form around today. They’ve got bags of experience in their team and a good enough blend of creativity and movement to bag the necessary goals to win games like these. Helpfully, St.Johnstone are not in a good position to piss off their rivals with the absence of club star Sandaza. He’s been everything to them in attack this season and with three goalless games leading St.Johnstone into this game, the absence of Sandaza is a huge, huge blow here. We can also take the influential Callum Davidson out of the equation as he’s injured, which is another hefty blow for the visitors. You look at their squad and wonder where the goals will come from, really. Lazy Riordan? I doubt it. For me, Motherwell are well worth a bet to win this one at 6/5.
Verdict: Motherwell to win at 6/5.
Getafe vs Real Mallorca – home win at 10/11.
It’s hard to know when to take Getafe and when not to. However, my golden rules are to take them at home and to take them when Pedro Leon is available. Happily, Pedro Leon is available today and Getafe are playing in Madrid so I’m pretty content with that!
In all seriousness, Getafe play some lovely football when it suits them. Diego Castro, Fedor, Pedro Leon, Lacen – there’s more than enough here for Getafe to do well in this game. It’s not for no reason they they’ve clocked up four consecutive home wins ahead of this game whilst bagging eleven goals, stuffing Valencia CF and Sevilla CF respectively along the way. Getafe need to work on their consistency a lot but at home they always seem additionally motivated and they do have the players to punish opponents so I fancy them to do well here.
Happily, they’re facing Mallorca, who seem to get homesick when simply getting on the plane to actually leave The Balaerics. Despite Caparros’ side being well-organised and hard-working, they are massively lacking on the goalscoring front, which is partially due to average strikers and partially due to the fact that only Castro has the capability to actually make something happen. At home, it’s a different story; they’re a nightmare then. Away from home, though – they’re always vulnerable, and that’s even more true than normal today. Battling midfielder Tissone is out, as are defensive duo Nunes and Caceres, which are big blows for Mallorca as defence is their only weapon on the road. I don’t see where Mallorca’s goals will come from, barring Castro, and I don’t see how they’ll keep Getafe out without Nunes and Caceres, so I think you can see where I am coming from here!
As long as Getafe don’t approach this game stupidly and as long as they deal with the talented Gonzalo Castro in a clever manner, I fully expect Getafe to win this game at 10/11 as they simply have more firepower than their opponents.
Verdict: Getafe to win at 10/11.
IFK Goteborg vs Atvidaberg – over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Does anyone have any idea as to which IFK Goteborg will show up today? No? Well, I’m in the same position, unfortunately. What that means it that we do not enter the 1×2 market here, irrespective of the fact that IFK are two or three times better than Atvidaberg.
However, what I do like is the market that I usually enjoy with the Angelarna – over 2.5 goals. IFK Goteborg’s usually approach at the moment is to throw all their new players into the same starting eleven to speed up the gelling process. They tend to concede a goal and then bring on the old hands to bail them out, which usually results in IFK at least scoring, although not always with much point.
This was precisely what happened in their derby with Hacken last match. Hacken were the better side, took the lead, and IFK looked dead and buried. They came out in the second-half with renewed vigour before slack defending allowed Tobias Sana was given all the time in the world to drill the ball beyond the goalkeeper into the far corner. It’s worth pointing out that only a few minutes prior to that goal, IFK had replaced promising youngster Soder with old hand Stiller up front. The next move of Angelarna boss Stahre was to replace Daniel Sobralense with old hand Stefan Selakovic, who eventually scored the winner from the penalty spot. You can see how important experience is to IFK in these difficult times, can’t you? They’ve still got a terrific array of attacking talent but getting them to play together is proving to be a little tricky. Still, you’ll not see many games where IFK don’t score goals and I doubt that this will be one of them as Atvidaberg’s defence couldn’t keep a cow out!
However, I point-blank refuse to rule out the possibility of Atvidaberg upsetting the odds here. Yes, IFK have the timeless Hysen and bags of experience in ther ranks but their defending is nothing short of shambolic. Had Hacken striker Waris actually got his head up and/or reacted more swiftly in the derby last week then Hacken wouldn’t have just equalised against IFK but they’d have most likely beaten them too. Still, he’s a kid and is still learning the trade, to be fair.
Atvidaberg don’t have many names that you’d be familiar with but they’ve got a relentless spirit and a good understanding and for a strugging side like IFK, that’s jut like kryptonite to Superman! Eriksson, Prodell, and Moller are not going to make it into Sweden’s UEFA European Championships squad, for example, but they’re adept at exploiting vulnerable defences, which is precisely what IFK possess here.
I watched Atvidaberg entertain Helsingborg earlier this week, whom I’d liken to IFK in the sense that neither of them are firing on all cylinders and in the sense that both sides are conceding goals to easily, although IFK have a better attack than Helsingborg. Now, not much happened for the first sixty minutes of the game with both sides feeding off scraps etc. until Helsingborg took the lead from nowhere. Their lack of composure was immediately made apparent as they fell asleep and allowed Atvidaberg to equalise from a cross. Atvidaberg promptly made the same mistake as their more illustrious opponents and conceded a daft goal themselves but unlike Helsingborg, their heads didn’t drop at any stage. In fact, they hemmed Helsingborg in for the vast majority of the remainder of the game and should have taken at least a draw from that game with Helsingborg needing some wayward finishing from Atvidaberg and some goal-line clearances to prevent themselves from throwing three points away – again. Atvidaberg don’t fear the bigger sides and I admire that, although I do fear that they’ll be on the receiving end of a heavy defeat in the near future because they’re not really good enough to do it efficiently for large periods of the Allsvenskan campaign. Imagine they tried doing it with Malmo FF given the form that they’ve display of late – Atvidaberg would be torn apart!
Still, they’ve got a better chance of getting a result in Goteborg today than the bookies odds suggest. Again, I cannot stress enough how much you shouldn’t bet on the 1×2 market here. IFK could and should win this game 5-0 but you can say that for most of their games this season, most of which they’ve failed to win! For me, taking over 2.5 goals is a bit of a steal at 4/5 as IFK need the points, Atvidaberg don’t know how to defend, and both sides attack well in their own respective manners. Therefore, my call is over 2.5 goals in this game.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Team news
Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:
Torpedo Zhodino – No absentees.
Belshina Bobriusk – Khaletski, Melnyk, and Tupchiy are absent.
Shakhtyor Soligorsk – No absentees.
BATE Borisov – Kuntsevich is absent.
Dinamo Brest – Dzemidovich, Goncearov, and Shamruk are absent.
Dinamo Minsk – Plaskonny and Palitsevich are absent.
FC Minsk – Vasilyuk, Razin, and Sverchinskiy are absent.
Gomel – No absentees.
Neman Grodno – Lyahchylin is absent.
Naftan Novopolotsk – Berezovskyi is absent.
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
AA Gent – Lepoint and Nahayo are absent.
Club Brugge – Stenman, Deschilder, and De Jonghe are absent.
Standard de Liege – Tchite, Bolat, and Cyriac are absent.
Kortrijk – No absentees.
Bulgarian A PFG:
Cherno More Varna – Manolev and Palominho are absent. Fernandes, Kmazola, and Kolev are doubts.
Lokomotiv Plovdiv – Biserov, Spasov, and Dyakov are absent. Boss Velev is suspended.
Slavia Sofia – Dimitrov is absent. Hristov and Bozhov have left the club.
Beroe – Tanev, Abushev, and Andonov are doubts. Angelov returns.
Montana – Antonov is absent.
Ludogorets – Kabasele is absent. Gargorov is a doubt.
Cypriot Division 1:
Anorthosis Famagusta – Laborde is absent.
Omonia Nicosia – Freddy, Marcasa, Leandro, and Avraam are absent.
AEL Limassol – Bebe, Soousa, and Pericleous are absent.
APOEL Nicosia – Solomou is absent.
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Ceske Budejovice – Strasky, Bakala, Lengyel, and Otepka are absent.
Slovan Liberec – Riike and Vacha are absent.
Banik Ostrava – Sverkos, Smejkal, and Frydrych are absent.
Viktoria Zizkov – Stastny and Sivric are absent.
Slovacko – Fujerik ad Ondrejka are absent.
Teplice – Ljevakovic, Mahmutovic, Volek, Sraga, Ceslak, and Matula are absent.
Danish Superligaen:
Nordsjaelland – Bjelland, Sise, and Runje are absent. Parkhurst returns.
AGF Aarhus – S.Larsen is a doubt. Akharaz is a doubt due to question marks over his attitude.
Danish Division 1:
Hjorring – Butcher may debutise.
AB Copenhagen – No news.
Hobro – No news.
Naestved – No news.
English Championship:
Barnsley – Edwards and Golbourne are absent.
Brighton & Hove Albion – Greer, Harley, and Elphick are absent.
Birmingham City – Fahey, Spector, Carr, Caldwell, and Myhill are absent.
Reading -Kebe, Roberts, Karacan, Connolly, Mills, and Andersen are absent.
Burnley – Paterson is absent. Mee is a doubt.
Bristol City – Cisse, Elliott, Clarkson, and Spence are absent.
Crystal Palace – Gardner, Wright, Williams, Dikgacoi, and Jedinak are absent. Clybe, McShane, Speroni are doubts.
Cardiff City – Conway is absent.
Derby County – Fielding, Buxton, Brayford, and Green are absent.
Peterborough United – Sinclair and Hibbert are absent.
Doncaster Rovers – Martis, Woods, Bamogo, Spurr, Stock, and Diouf are absent.
Ipswich Town – Cresswell, Hyam, Martin, Stevenson, and Bullard are absent.
Leeds United – Bromby and Paynter are absent.
Leicester City – Wellens, King, and Gallagher are absent.
Millwall – Racon and Mkandawire are absent.
Blackpool – Cathcart is absent.
Nottingham Forest – No absentees.
Portsmouth – Ben Haim is absent.
Southampton – Lee and Chaplow are absent.
Coventry City – Thorn, Christie, Cameron, Wood, Hreidarsson, Bell, and Clingan are absent.
Watford – No absentees.
Middlesbrough – Bates is absent.
West Ham United – Maynard, Carew, and O’Brien are absent.
Hull City – Hobbs, Dudgeon, and McLean are absent.
Estonian Meistriliiga:
Trans Narva – No absentees.
Flora Tallinn – Minkeren is absent.
Nomme Kalju – No absentees.
Maag Tammeka Tartu – No absentees.
Viljandi – No absentees.
Sillamae Kalev – No absentees.
Flora Paide – No absentees.
Levadia Tallinn – No absentees.
Tallinna Kalev – Armean is absent.
Kuressaare – No news.
Finnish Ykkonen:
Jippo Joensuu – Ikonen and Koivuranta are doubts.
SJK – Penninkangas, Caumo, and Ti.Lehtinen are absent.
PK-35 Helsinki – Nyberg, Oravainen, and Sorja are absent.
Hameenlinna – Suhonen, Mononen, and Suomalainen are absent. Hertsi is a doubt.
RoPS Rovaniemi – Berg, Yrjanheikki, and Tyystala are doubts.
AC Oulu – Hinkula is absent. Uusitalo and Haapala are doubts.
German Bundesliga:
Kaiserslautern – Kouemaha and Simunek are absent.
Bv09 Borussia Dortmund – Koch, Bender, and Blasczykowski are absent.
VfL Wolfsburg – Medojevic, Hitzlsperger, and Oroczo are absent.
Werder Bremen – Borowski, Ekici, Bargfrede, Marin, and Kroos are absent.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen – Sam, Schwaab, Da Costa, Augusto, and Rolfes are absent.
Hannover 96 – Diouf, Andreasen, and Rausch are absent.
Hamburger SV – Rajkovic and Kacar are absent.
Mainz 05 – Risse, Svensson, and Zabavnik are absent.
Hoffenheim – Jaissle, Firminho, Vorsah, and Williams are absent.
Nurnberg – Esswein, Hlousek, and Frantz are absent.
Bayern Munich – van Buyten and Breno are absent.
VfB Stuttgart – Boulahrouz, Tasci, and Audel are absent.
SC Freiburg – Flum and Schuster are absent.
Koln – Uth, Chihi, Andrezinho, and Sereno are absent.
Borussia Moenchengladbach – Marx and Stranzl are absent.
Augsburg – Gogia, Molders, Bah, de Jong, and Hosogai are absent.
Schalke 04 – Fahrmann, Hildebrand, Papadopoulos, and Metzelder are absent.
Hertha HSC Berlin – Lustenberger, Franz, Mijatovic, Neumann, Kobiashvili, Djuricin, and Niemeyer are absent.
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Diosgyor VTK – Sekour and Goher are absent.
Debreceni VSC – Coulibaly and Korhut are absent. Novakovic is a doubt.
Siofok – No absentees.
Szombathelyi Haladas – Kenesei is absent.
Italian Serie A:
Cagliari – Dessena, El-Kabir, Eriksson, and Rui Sampaio are absent.
Catania – Potenza is absent. Paglialunga, Izco, Ebagua, Barrientos, and Almiron are doubts.
Chievo Verona – Andreolli, Cesar, Gulan, and Moscardelli are absent. Facchinetti and Uribe are doubts.
SSC Napoli – Campagnaro and Donadel are absent. Grava, Lavezzi, and Rosati are doubts.
Palermo – Della Rocca and Balzaretti are absent. Migliaccio and Pisano are doubts.
AS Roma – Osvaldo, Lobont, Lamela, Juan, De Rossi, and Burdisso are absent. Borini, Cassetti, and Stekelenburg are doubts.
Israeli Ligat Ha’al:
Hapoel Tel-Aviv – Yadin, Gordana, and Antebi are absent. Tamuz is a doubt. Oremus returns. Some fans will boycott this game following owner Tabib declaring that the club is now for sale.
Bnei Sakhnin – Halaula is absent.
Ironi Kiryat Shmona – Amos, Levi, and Tibi are absent.
MS Ashdod – Rosh and Werta are absent.
Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv – Rali is absent.
Maccabi Haifa – Degani and Cohen are absent. Amasha is a doubt. Tawatha returns.
Hapoel Acre – Scepovic is absent. Danin returns.
Hapoel Haifa – Erel, Khatib, Dankovic, and Dora are absent.
Hapoel Rishon Lezion – Sapir and Cohen are absent. Halevi returns.
Hapoel Be’er Sheva – Adelei is absent. Soares is a doubt. Ilmuz returns.
Hapoel Petah Tikva – Zarfati is a doubt. Neutral venue.
Maccabi Petah Tikva – Uzan, Ganon, Ohayon, and Prada are absent. Golan and Kabha return.
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Tauras Taurage – Di Piedi and Kizys are doubts.
Atlantas – No news.
Dutch Eredivisie:
Heracles Almelo – Overtoom, Duarte, Looms, and Vejinovic are absent.
Heerenveen – Vandenbussche, Janmaat, Roorda, Sibon, and Svec are absent.
FC Utrecht – Mulenga is absent.
NAC Breda – Zonneveld, Gudelj, and Kolk are absent.
Vitesse Arnhem – Annan is absent.
Excelsior Rotterdam – Nuytinck, Jansen, and van Steensel are absent.
VVV Venlo – Vorstermans is absent.
ADO Den Haag – Kum and Leeuwin are absent.
Polish Ekstraklasa:
Widzew Lodz – Duda and Dhifallah are absent. Ben Radhia and Dudu are doubts.
Lechia Gdansk – Kosecki is absent. Malkowski may return.
GKS Belchatow – Kosowski and Szmatiuk are doubts. Bozok and Nowosielski are absent.
Korona Kielce – Korzym and Kuzera are absent.
Ruch Chorzow – Djokic and Szyndrowski are absent. Malinowski, Janoszka, Grodzicki, and Zienczuk are doubts.
LKS Lodz – Szczot, Papikyan, and Staporski are absent.
Polish Liga 1:
Flota Swinoujscie – Opalacz are absent.
Warta Poznan – Magdziarz is absent. Bartkowiak is a doubt. Boss Araszkiewicz has left.
Gornik Polkowice – No news.
Zawisza Bydgoszcz – Skowronski and Zawistowski are absent. Witan is a doubt.
Olimpia Grudziadz – No news.
Sandecja Nowy Sacz – Janic, Trochim, Burkhardt, and Szeliga are absent. Wisniewski and Frohlich may return.
Olimpia Elblag – Pacan and Borsukow are absent.
Nieciecza – Baran, Cios, Martus, Pochron, Pleva, and Kowalski are absent.
Katowice – Kaciczak is absent.
Wisla Plock – Big financial problems. No team news.
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
Gil Vicente – Luis Manuel, Hugo Cunha, and Claudio return.
Vitoria Guimaraes – Alex is absent. Joao Amorim and Freire return.
Maritimo Funchal – Ibrahim, Roberto Sousa, Fabio Felicio are absent. Pouga and Joao Diego return.
Porto – Emidio Rafael, Cristian Rodriguez, Iturbe, Mangala, and Alvaro Pereira are absent.
Russian Premier League:
Anzhi Makhachkala – Gabulov is absent.
Lokomotiv Moscow – Tarasov and Tigorev are absent.
Rubin’ Kazan – A.Eremenko, Carlos Eduardo, Orehov, and Kaleshin are absent.
Kuban’ Krasnodar– Ionov is absent.
CSKA Moscow – Ignashevich, Gonzalez, Dzagoev, Mamaev, and Revyakin are absent.
Spartak Moscow – Kayumov, Welliton, Bilyaletdinov, Parshivlyuk, Dikan, Kozlov, and K.Kombarov are absent.
Zenit St.Petersburg – Danny is absent.
Dinamo Moscow – Garnet is absent.
Scottish Premier League:
Dundee United – Gunning and Kenneth are absent.
Hearts – Hamill, Black, and Mrowiec are absent.
Dunfermline Athletic – Bell, Rutkiewicz, and Gallacher are absent. McMillan, Graham, and Buchanan are doubts.
Aberdeen – Milsom, Fallon, and Reynolds are absent.
Kilmarnock – Heffernan, Kroca, Pascali, Hay, and Buijs are absent.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle – Morrison, Hogg, and A.Shinnie are absent.
Motherwell – Craigan is absent.
St.Johnstone – C.Davidson, Croft, and Sandaza are absent.
Spanish Primera Liga:
Espanyol – Albin and Mattioni are absent. Weiss returns.
Sporting Gijon – Eguren, Canella, Ivan Hernandez, and Carmelo are absent. Galvez returns.
Getafe – Ustari, Lopo, and Rafa are absent. Pedro Leon returns.
Real Mallorca – Caceres, Alvaro, Kevin, Tissone, and Nunes are absent. Chico and Marti return.
Levante – Juanfran returns.
Granada – Roberto, Diakhate, Yebda, Fran Rico, Benitez, Uche, and Mainz are absent.
Real Sociedad – Demidov is absent. Inigo Martinez and Markel are doubts. Gonzalez returns.
Racing Santander – Picon and Mario are absent. Arana, Stuani, Sotres, and Babacar are doubts. Tono returns.
Villarreal CF – Catala, Oriol, and Rossi are absent.
Osasuna – Flano, Sergio, Kike Sola, Echaide, and Masoud are absent. Raul Garcia and Balde return.
Swedish Allsvenskan:
Syrianska Sodertalje – No news.
BK Hacken Goteborg – Bjurstrom, Henriksson, Arkivou, and Wahlstrom are doubts. Hernandez returns.
IFK Goteborg – No absentees.
Atvidaberg – Suljic is absent.
Turkish Super Lig:
Trabzonspor – Vittek, Cora,and Sercan are absent. Burak Yilmaz is a doubt.
Galatasaray – Mehmet Batdal and Yigit Gokoglan are absent.
Istanbul BB – Zayatte, Vinicius, Hasagic, and Guzeldal are absent. Depe is a doubt.
Sivasspor – Hayrettin, Kivanc, and Murat Akca are absent.