TFT Issue 390!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
FC Honka Espoo vs TPS Turku – away win with draw no bet at evens.
Today’s featured game is the Veikkausliiga encounter between FC Honka Espoo and TPS Turku.
Honka are one of the bigger and better sides in the Veikkausliiga but you wouldn’t know it from their displays so far this season. On their day, they’re capable of scoring goals aganist any Finnish side. However, the fact is that they’ve not had “their day” in any of their Veikkausliiga or their Liiga Cup games this season and that’s a problem.
Personally, I attribute their failings to their Arsenal-esque approach to things. Yes, Honka play some lovely football sometimes but there are too many youngsters, not enough experienced players, it’s too easy to score against them, and they sell their best players prior to each campaign. Unfortunately for Honka, they lack an Arsene Wenger to keep bailing them out and it’s starting to show. Prior to this season, it was Demba Savage and Rasmus Schuller that left Honka – for HJK Helsinki, of all sides! That’s right, they sold two of their most instrumental and consistent players to arguably their biggest title rivals, which is just unbelievable. I respect that they brought Petrescu back to Finland because he was always a good player, especially at U21 level for Finland, but now their hopes are down to him and Nigerian hitman Dudu, who must be wishing that he’d stayed at KuPS Kuopio now! Honka are still a capable side but when they intend on showing it is beyond me. A string of bad displays lead them into this game and it’s not even a case of bad luck, in my view – they’re simply not attacking with enough cohesion and conviction to create chances and thus they’re not scoring goals. Honka’s defence is always likely to concede goals and given that they’re not scoring goals right now, that puts Honka in a very dangerous position today.
TPS Turku are gradually rising again and look to be the side that will ultimately replace Honka in the Veikkausliiga title race if their improvements continue. A few years ago, TPS Turku had to part with a lot of good players due to big financial problems. We’ve already seen what happened to Tampere United in that position and a similar fate was considered likely for TPS. They were smart and patient, though, and have almost rebuilt their whole team. This team works very well as a unit and has some of the Veikkausliiga’s best players in it. I question the depth of their squad but their starting eleven is excellent.
The sole flaw that TPS have is their occasional inability to break through solid and well-organised defences, such as Haka, or perhaps an inspired MyPa. Happily, that really shouldn’t be an issue here because Honka can’t and don’t defend. TPS shouldn’t even have to use their dangerous counter-attacks today; that’s how ineffectual Honka really are right now. Looking at Honka’s defence, who is going to nullify the superb Aaritalo? I can’t see anyone being able to manage it and that can be said for numerous TPS Turku players today.
In my opinion, TPS Turku are everything that FC Honka Espoo are not right now and you know that FC Honka Espoo would love it to be the other way around. It’s going to take an inspired FC Honka Espoo display in order for them to beat a very good TPS Turku side today, especially with ex-VPS Vaasa defender Tanska really solidfying the centre of their defence. Given the superiority that TPS Turku are currently enjoying over their hosts, I have to look upon the away win with draw no bet cover at evens as something of a steal today.
Verdict: TPS Turku to win with draw no bet at evens.
Additional games
Lyngby vs Nordsjaelland – away win with -1 Asian Handicap at evens.
Following their morale-boosting win against FC Copenhagen, I thoroughly expect Nordsjaelland to approach this game with the world as their oyster, as we say in England. This basically means that they’re confident enough to do as they wish. When Nordsjaelland are playing that way, they’re simply unplayable by Superligaen standards and even mighty FC Copenhagen discovered that last match. It takes a strong attacking side to smash five goals past AGF Aarhus, especially when 0-2 down, but Nordsjaelland did just that. They look confident, full of attacking options, and incredibly dangerous in the final third. For me, they really should make it count today against a vastly inferior Lyngby side. Lyngby are already relegated to the division below, courtesy of the Danish FA, and thus their morale has gone. They can’t defend as it is but even their attacking game is weak now. For me, this really should be boys vs men and I expect Nordsjaelland to win this game professionally and efficiently. That’s usually enough to score a few goals against disorganised Lyngby and thus the -1 Asian Handicap appeals to me at evens.
Verdict: Nordsjaelland to win with -1 Asian Handicap at evens.
Flora Tallinn vs Nomme Kalju – under 2.5 goals at evens.
I went agaist Flora Tallinn at the Sportland Arena in this fixture a couple of weeks back and it proved to be the right choice as Nomme Kalju yet again demonstrated their Meistriliiga title-winning credentials with a convincing 2-0 win. Nomme Kalju have a bigger and better squad than any other side in Estonia right now, in my view, and they should win the league.
However, Flora Tallinn are not about to lie down and just let it happen. They have problems with their attack and coach Reim knows it, hence his pre-game comments regarding that precise issue. Flora are a stubborn side, though – they don’t like being beaten at all and I’m confident that they’ll do all they can to prevent a loss here. They may have a chance, too – this game is being played at Le Coq Arena, which favours Flora more than Nomme Kalju, who had previously been using Flora’s Sportland Arena for their own home games. In addition to that, Nomme Kalju miss instrumental midfielder Quinteri and dangerous attacker Jevdokimov for this game, which damages their attack significantly. Don’t get me wrong – if Konsa can stop attacking people unnecessarily in clubs and Neemelo can stop with the drinking problems then Nomme Kalju can cause problems here. However, they struggle without Quinteri and as much as playmaker Eino Puri would love to get one over on Flora (he was a former Levadia youngster), I just fancy Nomme Kalju to find this a difficult game today. The absence of Kams at the back for Flora Tallinn may jeopardise this tip but Flora are ineffectual enough in front of goal for this one to sneak over the line.
For me, there’s value in taking under 2.5 goals at even today.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at evens.
Haka Valkeakoski vs Jaro Pietarsaari – under 2.5 goals at 4/5.
I was toying with the idea of taking Haka to beat rivals Jaro today but their lack of consistency this season concerns me so I won’t attempt it. Haka are one of the hardest-working sides in the Veikkausliiga – never forget that – and they will frustrate the bigger clubs the majority of the time. They don’t always produce the goods as favourites, though, hence my concerns.
Haka are not a good goalscoring side, which is a problem for them. They brought in Puustinen to help out with that particular predicament but he’s a doubt today, which will leave Metzger with the job again. He’s alright for counter-attacks on the road but not so much for the difficult home games such as this one. Haka do have some clever players in midfield that are capable of unlocking defences like this, such as Robinson, but they’re not a good side as favourites and I think they’ll struggle here.
Jaro have huge problems scoring goals, however, and that’s doing them no good at all. It’s a little curious as Niang is a good striker but I guess he simply can’t carry the side by himself. Agyeman contributes from time to time but Eremenko’s team has had no joy in front of goal of late and it’s hard to see that improving against a tenacious Haka side. The only goal Jaro have scored over the past two games came from the penalty spot and they’re going to need similar assistance to defeat Haka today, in my view.
The sole concern I have is Jaro’s defence. If they capitulate like they did in Helsinki against HJK then they’re going to get battered here. However, they’ve looked a lot more dependable in their past couple of games so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt here and recommend taking under 2.5 goals between two low-scoring sides.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 4/5.
JJK Jyvaskyla vs FC Lahti – over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
The handicap always appeals to me with JJK because there isn’t a better goalscoring side in the Veikkausliiga than they are right now for my money. They possess one of the best midfields in Finland and with Virtanen back in the middle of it and Wusu back to lead the attack, JJK are pretty much at full-strength. There are so many attacking alternatives for JJK that it’s very difficult to keep them out. They’re relentlessly efficient and dangerous so never underestimate them.
That said, don’t make the mistake that I did last season by overestimating them either. They may be twice the side that FC Lahti are from an attacking perspective but they’re about on par with their newly-promoted opponents when it comes to defending. JJK keeping a clean sheet should always be viewed as a miracle and I’ll be surprised if they manage it today, despite Lahti’s lack of quality in their team. JJK’s attack is more than good enough to send this game over 2.5 goals by itself but you saw what happened against Haka in the exact same scenario so let’s approach this one with caution until JJK gather some consistency.
Lahti will attack here because it’s all they’re good at and because they know JJK cannot defend. Lahti can’t defend either but that’s not their gameplan so it’s not a big problem to them. In my view, it’s a pretty big problem as their goals will dry up ultimately. For now, they’re playing some decent football and creating chances, however, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt today.
JJK could batter Lahti here with the proper application but I’m not sure they’re ready to deliver that kind of display – yet. I do expect JJK to win but don’t have as much faith in it as normal due to their lack of consistency. Lahti can upset their hosts by scoring a couple here so I’ll stick with a traditional over 2.5 goals call, which is almost always a profitable selection in JJK’s games. This selections should be shorter than 4/5 for all of JJK’s games but some bookies haven’t realised that yet, remarkably. Over 2.5 goals for me.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
KuPS Kuopio vs MyPa Anjalankoski – home win at 11/10.
I can’t pretend that I understand the odds on this game today. KuPS may have produced one of their abject displays earlier this week, losing 0-3 against reigning champions HJK Helsinki, but KuPS are still a good side and they still have plenty of firepower. Quite why they’re 11/10 to beat a side that they’re considerably better than is beyond me, really. KuPS have some very good and experienced attacking players and although they are subject to the occasional mental meltdown, KuPS are a top six side for my money and should be viewed as such at all times. MyPa, on the other hand, are a bunch of nobodies that should be playing Ykkonen football by now as that’s all their quality level merits. MyPa work hard and you could argue that they deserve their Veikkausliiga place because of that but they’re boring, tedious, and weak. They’ll usually upset the odds against the bigger sides but KuPS aren’t viewed as a big side right now and thus I expect a half-assed display from the visitors. If that happens, KuPS can only blame themselves for failing to win what is essentially an easier game than the bookies perceive it to be.
Verdict: KuPS Kuopio to win at 11/10.
KooTeePee Kotka vs OPS Oulu – home win at 7/5.
At this stage of the Ykkonen campaign, it’s hard for me to write much about either side. I simply believe KooTeePee are the better side here based on their pre-season signings and their win at HiFK Helsinki last week. OPS Oulu like to upset the odds but they should be out of their depth here. Home win for me at 7/5.
Verdict: KooTeePee Kotka to win at 7/5.
Lecce vs Fiorentina – home win at evens.
Lecce are a fascinating team, in my view. They’re temperamental as hell and will end most games with ten men but they play with such enthusiasm and passion that you can’t help but like them and their passing game. They gave themselves a lifeline for avoiding relegation from Serie A by miraculously drawing with Juventus in Turin thanks to an uncharacteristic mistake from Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon. Lecce’s never-say-die attitude is notorious, though, and I expect to see that again today as only a win will suffice or they’ll be playing in Serie B next season.
They’ve got the perfect opponents too, in some ways. Fiorentina possess good individuals but are crap as a unit. That was more than evident last match as boss Rossi attacked Adem Ljajic following his cheeky applause to his boss for having substituted him. Rossi landed a few blows and was fired by Fiorentina a short time later. Rossi has incidentally been banned from football for three months. That puts Fiorentina in a right old mess, though. Defeat today could drag them into the relegation dogfight so Fiorentina are looking around for leaders and heroes but who is stepping up to the plate? Their only good striker Amauri is absent today, which is a big blow. The wonderful Jovetic is a big doubt today, as is Kharja. Ljajic is out, Behrami is a doubt, Nastasic is out, Vargas is out, and Gamberini is a doubt. Is anyone else seeing innumerate problems for Fiorentina here? I’m sure some of this is a smokescreen but they still have issues today, both physically and mentally, and south Italy is no place for a struggling side.
For me, Lecce are the more determined and capable side here. As long as they don’t lose their heads, they should be able to punish Fiorentina today. Let’s face it – they need to!
Verdict: Lecce to win at evens.
Odd Grenland Skien vs Tromso – under 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Lekven’s continued absence in midfield keeps Odd Grenland struggling against sides with any remote demonstration of ability and/or organisation and thus I think they’ll struggle today. Odd Grenland love to upset the odds and they’re especially good at that at home due to their artificial turf and spirited football. However, Tromso use artificial turf too so there’s no advantage on that front. In addition to that, Tromso are easily one of the most well-organised and tactically astute sides in the Eliteserien. For me, there isn’t a harder side to break down than Tromso and therefore I anticipate a long game for Odd Grenland. If I had any faith in Tromso’s new-look attack then I might consider taking them to win but I don’t as they still really miss Abdellaoue. Therefore, I’ve no option but to consider taking under 2.5 goals as a bit of a steal here at 4/5.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Sandecja Nowy Sacz vs Ruch Radzionkow – under 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Ruch are far from Liga 1’s greatest away side but what they always possess is pluck and spirit. That’s not often enough without some quality alongside it but they have luck on their side today as the mainstay of Sandecja’s attack in Aleksander is absent. Janic’s absence damages their midfield but top goalscorer Aleksander simply cannot be replaced. Sandecja have lost some momentum following three low-scoring games in a row and it’s hard to see them suddenly destroying little Ruch Radzionkow from nowhere, especially without Aleksander at their disposal. The hosts may nick the win here but for me, the value is in taking under 2.5 goals with the above in mind.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 4/5.
CD Nacional de Madeira vs Gil Vicente – home win at 5/6.
The pressure is off for both sides, which means that we should see a more open and free-flowing game today as that’s what both sides love to do. However, in Madeira, there’s only usually one winner and that’s the home side. Nacional play better football than Gil Vicente and simply possess better players. As long as this game is played as openly as I expect it to be, the home win appeals to me at 5/6.
Verdict: CD Nacional de Madeira to win at 5/6.
Partizan Belgrade vs Red Star Belgrade – home win at 11/10.
It’s time for another of Eastern Europe’s biggest derbies as Partizan Belgrade host Red Star Belgrade. Red Star won the last encounter in the Serbian Cup but Partizan have had the last laugh by winning the Superliga – again! The pressure is off from a league perspective but the passion and tension are very much present for this huge, huge derby. Partizan were a bit unucky against Red Star during their Cup meetings. Partizan dominated possession but were stung on counter-attacks, which are something that Red Star excel at. However, Partizan have looked good in recent weeks and for my money, they have better players than Red Star. It’s probable that the likes of Markovic will be moving on in Summer and thus they’re going to want to give a good display prior to their exit. The superior side playing without Superliga pressures should have enough to finally punish troublesome Red Star and 11/10 looks tempting enough for me to take it too.
Verdict: Partizan Belgrade to win at 11/10.
Athletic Club de Bilbao vs Getafe – home win at evens.
Athletic are at evens to win this game and I don’t really know why. They do have a UEFA Europa League final with Atletico Madrid in four days but that doesn’t matter to Bielsa. He prefers to keep the momentum of his teams flowing at all times and will only rest players who are tired, by his own admission a few months ago. Let’s not forget that Athletic don’t have a huge squad; there’s only a limited number of changes that they could potentially make today. Herrera and Iturraspe had a rest last match as they were suspended and Llorente got a decent rest too. I think we’ll see the majority of their usual starting eleven playing today and although they may not complete the full ninety minutes, they should have enough to get a result here. If they were away, it’d be different, but San Mames always supports its side and I think we’ll see that showcased again today. Athletic are keen to respond following their 0-3 defeat against Real Madrid and I think that they will, too – they’re a very spirited and capable side. With Herrera likely to be back to pull the strings, I think Athletic should win this game.
Getafe can be a good side when it suits them but that happens predominantly at home. However, they’ve not been a good side for a little while now. They’ve been absolutely terrible in their recent games with Racing Santander, Granada, and Real Mallorca respectively, deserving nothing from any of their games. Getafe have lost all interest in the current campaign and it’s showing on the park. They’re never strong away from home and although they possess the personnel to upset Athletic on a good day, it’s hard to imagine Getafe producing the goods today with no motivation and no momentum.
For my money, Athletic will name a strong enough squad to win this game against a demoralised and ineffectual Getafe side at good odds. No handicaps, though – Athletic can concede against any side at any time!
Verdict: Athletic Club de Bilbao to win at evens.
Osasuna vs Real Sociedad – lay Osasuna at 11/10.
I like Osasuna but they’re too short here. This is a Basque derby, after all, and goalscoring is not a strength of Osasuna’s. Both are strong battling sides with solid defences but Real Sociedad possess a better attack with Vela and Griezmann in their ranks, not to mention Xabi Prieto. Raul Garcia inspires Osasuna and Real Sociedad occasionally miss that kind of leadership but they’re still a very capable side in front of goal, much moreso than they’re given credit for. Osasuna will be tired after playing Valencia with ten men for half of their last match where their tiredness finally told as Osasuna fell to a 4-0 defeat despite it being 0-0 with just twenty minutes remaining in the game. Osasuna have a strong spirit but they’re going to be tired here and they’re facing a side that will work hard against them. For me, this will be a tight game so I see value in laying the hosts as the visitors are good enough to score goals here. A cheeky punt on the away win is not out of the question but I’ll leave that up to yourselves. My call is to lay goal-shy Osasuna at 11/10 as Real Sociedad are good enough to match them, if not better them.
Verdict: Lay Osasuna at 11/10.
GIF Sundsvall vs Helsingborg – home win with draw no bet at 8/5.
GIF Sundsvall lost 2-0 at IFK Goteborg earlier this week and the bookies seem to be reading a lot into that, looking at the odds on GIF winning today. I’m not saying that they’re a particularly good side but they’re spirited and dangerous in the final third so they need to be respected. GIF’s weakness is being pretty poor defensively, hence them conceding so early against IFK Goteborg earlier this week, which is almost always fatal. The trick to beating IFK Goteborg is to not give them any confidence earlier in the game as your side will always get chances against their susceptible defence. GIF decided conceding early was the best option, however, and were punished for their stupidity.
They’re not a side to lie down and cry, though, GIF. I fancy them to bounce back with another positive, goal-filled display. What I like about GIF is that their goals are coming from all over the place, ranging from playmaker Walker to defender Brink. There aren’t really any stars in this GIF side, although I suppose you could say that captain Skulason and playmaker Walker are amongst their better players. They have a good level of cohesion though, GIF, and they do play a good possession game. They’ve had no fear of any side in the Allsvenskan thus far so why start today? They’re more than capable of winning this game, in my view.
I especially like this game because Helsingborg are bloody awful right now. On paper, Helsingborg should win games like these nine times out of ten. However, paper doesn’t mean anything here because Helsingborg have no confidence due to not winning games. They’re slow and predictable in the final third and they look nervous when trying to hold a lead, which is something that I don’t expect from a very experienced Helsingborg side. Helsingborg are more than good enough to win this game but the same can be said for their games with GAIS Goteborg, Orebro, and Mjallby, and they didn’t win any of those. If Helsingborg didn’t have such a strong defence then they’d be much further down the table right now so that’s at least one plus for the visitors. I genuinely don’t know how they’re going to turn their fortunes around, though, as it’s not simply bad luck that is the problem; it’s a lack of a creative spark.
The lack of creativity and lack of goalscoring is naturally a problem, as we’ve already looked at. Helsingborg have one further problem today though, and that’s their defence. It’s experienced, it’s generally reliable, and it’s strong. However, for this game, it’s been utterly decimated. Atta is out. C.Andersson is out. Baffo is out. Wahlstedt is out. Edman hasn’t played a game this season! Who the hell is going to lead them at the back here? They’re going to have a makeshift defence to say the least and that’s the last thing that they need right now as it hardly inspires confidence in the rest of their team to attack.
I think GIF Sundsvall are playing well enough to punish Helsingborg here, as against the odds as it seems to be. Nobody fears Helsingborg right now and why should they? They’re vulnerable! GIF have plenty of pluck and as long as their luck holds out in terms of keeping Helsingborg out despite having a weak defence, I really fancy GIF to upset the odds and win this one with draw no bet at 8/5.
Verdict: GIF Sundsvall to win with draw no bet at 8/5.
Team news
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
AA Gent – Thijs and Jorgensen return.
Kortrijk – Capon and Van Hout are absent. Keet, Pavlovic, and Messoudi are doubts.
Bulgarian A PFG:
Kaliakra – Jashar is absent.
Minior Pernik – Tom, Bibishkov, and Chvorovic are absent. Stoichev is a doubt.
Vidma-Rakovski – Kolev and Tafradzhyiski are absent. Ignatov returns.
Slavia Sofia – Sandanski is absent. Bozhov and Hristov were released.
Beroe – da Silva is absent. Last game for boss Iliev.
Cherno More Varna – Manolov, Palominho, Kolev, Fernandes, and Alexandrov are absent.
Chernomorets Burgas – Boli and Yordanov are absent.
Litex Lovech – Vajusi and Sandrinho are absent.
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Marila Pribram – Koukal and Hejda are absent. Stochl is a doubt.
Banik Ostrava – Sverkos, Smejkal, and Gregus are absent.
Danish Superligaen:
Lyngby – No absentees.
Nordsjaelland – Runje is absent.
Estonian Meistriliiga:
Flora Tallinn – Kams is absent.
Nomme Kalju – Quinteri and Jevdokimov are absent.
Kuressaare – Some big absentees but no names mentioned.
Viljandi – S.Latt is absent.
Levadia Tallinn – No absentees.
Tallinna Kalev – Alijev is absent.
Tammeka – No absentees.
Flora Paide – No absentees.
Trans Narva – Malkov kicked out of team.
Sillamae Kalev – Technical director has left.
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
FC Honka Espoo – Lahde, Ahola, and Rexhepi are absent. Makijarvi and Koskinen are doubts. Simpanen and Aijala return.
TPS Turku – Nyberg and Hyyrynen are doubts.
JJK Jyvaskyla – Virtanen and Wusu return. Van Gelderen may debutise.
FC Lahti – No news.
KuPS Kuopio – Puri is absent. Hynynen returns.
MyPa Anjalankoski – Anttilainen, Saxman, Kaipio, and Sesay are absent.
Haka Valkeakoski – Matrone and Mattilan are absent. Pesonen, Puustinen, and Sanevuori are doubts.
Jaro Pietarsaari – No news.
VPS Vaasa – Henriksson is absent. Fowler and Koskimaa are doubts.
IFK Mariehamn – No news.
Finnish Ykkonen:
AC Oulu – Hinkula, Uusitalo, and Haapala return. Blomberg and Haipus are doubts.
Jippo Joensuu – Lauri Ikonen and Koivuranta are absent.
SJK – T.Lehtinen, Caumo, and Penninkangas are absent.
HiFK Helsinki – Karkkainen, Koskinen, and Suikki are absent.
KooTeePee Kotka – Lomidze and Jammeh are absent. Jarviniemi and Ositashvili are doubts.
OPS Oulu – No absentees.
Hameenlinna – Suomalainen and Mononen are absent. Suhonen is a doubt. Hertsi returns.
RoPS Rovaniemi – Berg, Tyystala, and Yrjanheikki are absent. Turcios is a doubt due to work permit issue.
German Bundesliga:
Augsburg – Gogia, Bah, and De Jong are absent.
Hamburger SV – Rajkovic, Kacar, Drobny, and Ilisevic are absent.
Bv09 Borussia Dortmund – Koch and Owomoyela are absent.
SC Freiburg – Schuster is absent.
Hannover 96 – Diouf and Pander are absent.
Kaiserslautern – Kouemaha, Simunek, Rodnei, and Jorgensen are absent.
Hertha BSC Berlin – Franz, Lustenberger, Mijatovic, Neumann, Djuricin, Morales, and Torun are absent.
Hoffenheim – Jaissle, Firminho, Williams, and Weis are absent.
Koln – Uth, Chihi, Andrezinho, and Sereno are absent.
Bayern Munich – Breno and van Buyten are absent.
Mainz 05 – Zabavnik, Risse, Svensson, and Zidan are absent.
Borussia Moenchengladbach – Marx and Nordveit are absent.
Nurnberg – Hlousek, Chandler, Mendler, Judt, Rakovsky, Zeitz, and Kamavuaka are absent.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen – Kadlec, Augusto, Schwab, and Sam are absent.
VfB Stuttgart – Tasci, Audel, and Niedermeyer are absent. Kuzmanovic and Kvist are doubts.
VfL Wolfsburg – Hitzlsperger, Orozco, and Dejagah are absent.
Werder Bremen – Borowski, Ekici, Bargfrede, Kroos, Marin, Ignjoski, Thy, Silvestre, and Arnautovic are absent.
Schalke 04 – Metzelder, Faehrmann, Hildebrand, Papadopoulos, Sarpei, and Obasi are absent.
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Kecskemeti TE – Pekar, Lencse, Dosso, and Gyagya are absent.
Fehervar – Polonkal is absent.
Szombathelyi Haladas – Kenesei is absent.
Paksi SE – No absentees.
Ferencvaros – Junior consigned to the reserves for a bad display.
Lombard Papa – No news.
Israeli Ligat Ha’al:
Bnei Sakhnin – Kandil is absent. Halaula returns. Strike by players lately – club isn’t sure why.
Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv – Menashe is a doubt.
MS Ashdod – No absentees.
Hapoel Tel-Aviv – Abutbul and Badier are absent. Igiebor is a doubt. Tamuz, Kende, and Yadin return.
Maccabi Netanya – Dajani returns.
Ironi Kiryat Shmona – Amos, Hasarma, and Levi are absent. Tibi returns.
Beitar Jerusalem – Ben-Shushan is absent. Cohen is a doubt.
Hapoel Petah Tikva – Ben-Moha is absent.
Hapoel Be’er Sheva – Illuz is absent.
Hapoel Acre – Levi and Davidov are absent.
Hapoel Haifa – Dankovic is absent. Dora and Erel erturn.
Ironi Ramat Hasharon – Barel and Suissa are absent.
Maccabi Petah Tikva – Golan, Ganon, Elbaz, and Uzan are absent. Prada returns. Financial problems – players not been paid.
Ironi Rishon Lezion – Sapir, Diak, and Cohen are absent.
Italian Serie A:
Lecce – Julio Sergio, Corvia, Carrozzieri, Cuadrado, and Muriel are absent.
Fiorentina – Nastasic, Kroldrup, Amauri, Vargas, and Ljajic are absent. Jovetic, Behrami, Kharja, and Gamberini are doubts.
AS Roma – Burdisso, Juan, and Stekelenburg are absent. Kjaer, Rosi, Osvaldo, Curci, Lobont, and Cassetti are doubts.
Catania – Potenza and Spolli are absent. Capuano, Suazo, Llama, Campagnolo, and Incerto are doubts.
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Suduva Marijampole – No news.
Tauras Taurage – Mascia and Sirevicius are doubts.
Kruoja Pakruojis – No news.
Siauliai – Rimkevicius is a doubt.
Norwegian Eliteserien:
Odd Grenland Skien – Andersson, Addo, Lekven, and Semb are absent.
Tromso – Ahmed is absent.
Polish Liga 1:
Olimpia Grudziadz – Kryszak is absent. Bialek returns.
Nieciecza – Baran is absent. Kowalski is a doubt.
Arka Gdynia – Benevente, Nwaogu, and Zolnierewicz are absent.
Katowice – Kaminski and Sabela are absent. Cholerzynski returns.
Sandecja Nowy Sacz – Fechner, Janic, and Aleksander are absent. Zlatohlvay is a doubt.
Ruch Radzionkow – No news.
Wisla Plock – No news.
Zawisza Bydgoszcz – No news.
Pogon Szczecin – No absentees.
Kolejarz Stroze – Gajtkowski is absent. Chrapek returns.
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
Porto – Mangala, Iturbe, Kadu, Alvaro Pereira, and C.Rodriguez are absent.
Sporting Clube de Lisboa – Rinaudo, Matias Fernandez, and Ribas are absent.
SL Benfica – No news.
Uniao de Leiria – Only 13 players in their whole squad for this game.
Sporting Braga – Carlao, Douglao, and Imorou are absent. Mossoro and Baiano return.
Beira-Mar – Cintra, Tavares, and Camara are absent. Zhang, Marques, and Turan return.
Academica de Coimbra – Orlando, Diogo Gomes, Eder, Pape Sow, and Reiner Ferreira are absent. Flavio and Cabral return.
Vitoria Setubal – Peter Suswam, Kiko, Zahavi, Meyong, and Amaro are absent. Ney, Amoreirinha, Goncalves, and Miguelito return.
CD Nacional de Madeira – Mihelic, Juliano, Edgar Costa, and Neto are absent. Skolnik and Stojanovic return.
Gil Vicente – Pedro Moreira, Sandro, Roberto, Arantes, Yero, and Peixoto are absent. Luis Carlos, Andre Cunha, and Claudio return.
Pacos de Ferreira – Barros, Cassio, Manuel Jose, Vitor, Caetano, and Luisinho are absent. Cohene is a doubt.
Rio Ave – Fabio Faria, Rafa, Wires, Anselmo, Yazalde, and Kelvin are absent. Pateiro and Dias return.
Olhanense – Wilson Eduardo is absent.
Maritimo Funchal – Pouga, Felicio, Benachour, Rafael Miranda, Robson, and Roberge are absent. Roberto Sousa, Hassan, and Ibrahim return.
Feirense – Jonathan, Fontes, and Freitas are absent. Fonseca and Rabiola return.
Vitoria Guimaraes – Nuno Assis, Pedro Mendes, Joao Paulo, and Nilson are absent. Alex and Molina return.
Romanian Liga:
Dinamo Bucharest – Moti and Scarlatache are absent.
CFR Cluj – Kapetanos returns.
Scottish Premier League:
Rangers – Kerkar and Naismith are absent.
Motherwell – No absentees.
Kilmarnock – Heffernan, Kroca, Pascali, Hay, and Buijs are absent.
Aberdeen – Fallon, Milsom, Robertson, Hughes, Folly, Osbourne, and Pawlett are absent.
St.Mirren – Barron is absent.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle – Hogg is absent.
Serbian Superliga:
Partizan Belgrade – Eduardo, Scepovic, and Lazevski are absent. Vukic and Markovic are doubts.
Red Star Belgrade – No news.
OFK Belgrade – Rodic and Sindjic are absent.
Metalac – No news.
Novi Pazar – Lotinica, Markovic, and Afirivic are absent. Bogunovic, Rasic, and Ademovic are doubts.
Vojvodina Novi Sad – Moreira and Appiah are absent.
Radnicki 1923 – Kostic, Spalevic, and Milosevic are absent.
Spanish Primera Liga:
Athletic Club de Bilbao – Ocio, Castillo, and Gurpegi are absent. Amorebieta is a doubt. Herrera and Iturraspe return.
Getafe – Rafa, Lopo, Ustari, Diego Castro, and Ortiz are absent.
Atletico Madrid – Perea, Silvio, and Lopez are absent. Falcao is a doubt. Tiago returns.
Malaga – Baptista, Maresca, Mathijsen, Caballero, and Toulalan are absent. Isco returns.
Barcelona – Abidal and Villa are absent. Sanchez and Valdes are doubts.
Espanyol – Albin, Mattioni, and Sergio Garcia are absent. Uche returns.
Sporting Gijon – Botia, de los Cuevas, Canella, and Carmelo are absent.
Real Betis Balompie – Santa Cruz, Iriney, Canas, Benat, and Dorado are absent. Sergio Rodriguez and Molina return.
Granada – Diakate, Yebda, Fran Rico, and Mainz are absent.
Real Madrid – Di Maria returns.
Real Mallorca – Ramis, Alvaro, Ogunjimi, Kevin, and Nunes are absent. Tissone returns.
Levante – Kone returns.
Osasuna – Roversio, Damia, Lekic, Kike Sola, Masoud, Echaide, and Sergio are absent.
Real Sociedad – No news.
Sevilla CF – Escude, Spahic, Negredo, and Medel are absent. Perotti and Kanoute return.
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid – Sueliton, Armenteros, and Javi Fuego are absent. Piti is a doubt.
Valencia CF – Canales and Banega are absent. Feghouli returns.
Villarreal CF – Cesar, Marchena, Rossi, Cani, and Senna are absent.
Real Zaragoza – Aranda and Zuculini are absent.
Racing Santander – Cisma, Munitis, and Kennedy are absent. Adrian returns.
Swedish Allsvenskan:
GIF Sundsvall – Forsberg is absent.
Helsingborg – Bergholtz, Atta, Baffo, Wahlstedt, and Andersson are absent.