TFT Issue 391!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
FC Copenhagen vs OB Odense – home win with -1.5 handicap at evens.
Today’s featured game is the Superligaen game between league leaders FC Copenhagen and sleeping giants OB Odense.
Over the past few years, this game has tended to be rather instrumental in the Superligaen run-in. However, despite that still being applicable this season, it’s only applicable because FC Copenhagen have been excellent because OB Odense are having the season from hell.
FC Copenhagen are the bigger and better side. Subsequently, that has led to them having the edge in this rivalry game and I expect the same today. Defeat at title rivals Nordsjaelland a few days ago heightens the importance of this encounter for Copenhagen and when they’re motivated they do tend to produce a very efficient display. To be honest, Copenhagen were unlucky to lose the game at Nordsjaelland. It was a lovely finish from Beckmann and Nordsjaelland played with a lot of spirit and determination. However, on another day, Santin would have bagged a hat-trick and as one of the better strikers in the Superligaen, you know that he’d take his chances more often than not. Copenhagen’s display was good enough but luck was against them. Luck or not, though, they have to win this game today, especially with Nordsjaelland now level with them at the top of the table following yesterday’s 0-2 win at Lyngby.
Can OB Odense upset their old rivals though? Normally, I’d say yes, as OB Odense possess some talented individuals and they love to piss Copenhagen off. However, I’ve genuinely never seen OB Odense playing as badly as they are now. They’ve no motivation as they’re safe from relegation following the Danish FA’s decision to relegate Lyngby and they’ve no power to change how they’re playing. I saw their game with Aalborg BK a few days ago and OB were just awful. I thought they took their goal well but they created little and were so bad in defence that it’s unbelievable. There’s no leadership in the team, no organisation, and no recognised goalscorer since Utaka departed. I think OB Odense are well out of their depth here and can count themselves lucky that Lyngby have been relegated or it could have been themselves playing Division 1 football next season.
For me, the rivalry in this game is dead. Copenhagen are a lot better than OB Odense right now in every sense of the word and thus the -1.5 handicap appeals to me a lot at evens.
Verdict: FC Copenhagen to beat the -1.5 handicap at evens.
Additional games
Standard de Liege vs Racing Genk – away win with draw no bet at 6/5.
Standard de Liege rode their lucky against plucky Kortrijk but got what they deserved in their defeat at Club Brugge. Standard haven’t played well for a few week now and some of their players appear more concerned about where they’ll be playing next season. Their spirit isn’t great and they have attacking issues in that only two of their players can score goals and both have them have had injury problems of late. Don’t get me wrong – Standard are never easy to beat in Liege. However, they’re vulnerable right now and given how important this game is to Genk, I have to give the visitors the nod here. I wondered how Genk’s 0-4 humiliation against Anderlecht would affect them but their spirit didn’t vanish or anything like that. Instead, Genk burst out of the traps, defended as calamitously as ever, but believed in their win and eventually claimed a very difficult and impressive 3-4 win at Kortrijk. Genk have plenty of firepower in their attack and when they believe in themselves, they’re one of the best sides in the Eerste Klasse. With all of the above taken into consideration, the away win with draw no bet appeals to me a lot at 6/5.
Verdict: Racing Genk to win with draw no bet at 6/5.
Sparta Prague vs Bohemians 1905 – home win with -2 Asian Handicap at 11/10.
It’s going to take more than an unconvincing win at home against Marila Pribram for me to believe that the old Bohemians are back. They still look a shell of the side that they used to be and it’s cost them some of their supporters, too. They’re not organised well enough at the moment – their defence doesn’t look capable of keeping a cow out, let alone strikers! Their attack is ineffectual and their morale isn’t great, even after breaking their horrible run of form.
Sigma Olomouc dumped Sparta Prague out of the Czech Cup lately so it’s the Gambrinus Liga title or nothing for today’s hosts. We all know that they’ve got the personnel to tear any side in the country apart; all they needed was a spark to begin it. Personally, I think that they’ve had that spark with league leaders Slovan Liberec labouring to an unlucky 0-0 draw against Slovacko on Friday night. Slovan are still five points clear but Sparta Prague have a game in hand, which is today’s game. If Sparta win it, they need to win at rivals Dukla Prague (difficult, but quite possible) and at home against Ceske Budejovice (should be very straightforward). Slovan Liberec, however, have a horrible trip to Jablonec and a home game with a good Viktoria Plzen side. With all the pressure that Slovan now have that they’re simply not used to, they could buckle and as they’re facing two good sides, they could theoretically lose both games. However, Sparta Prague need a good display today to keep that pressure up and I think that they’ve got the perfect opponents to send out that dreaded title warning against.
For me, Sparta Prague have more than enough to clear the -2 Asian Handicap today.
Verdict: Sparta Prague to beat the -2 Asian Handicap at 11/10.
Teplice vs Dukla Prague – lay Teplice at 4/5.
Teplice are the pain-in-the-backside team of the Gambrinus Liga. They love to show up in games that they’ve no right to do well in and then they tend to make a mess of the games that they should easily win. It’s hard to know exactly where Teplice are at, quality-wise, because I’ve seen them attack like Slovacko this season but I’ve also seen them attack like Slovan Liberec so which Teplice is to show up today?
Well, I’ve made up my mind that we’ll see the poor Teplice side here and I’ll explain why. Basically, It’s been recently leaked on Twitter that Teplice boss Petr Rada has been secretly appointed as Slavia Prague’s new boss for next season. Now, Rada hadn’t told anyone about this so I’m sure you can imagine the reaction of the backroom bigwigs at Teplice! Suffice to say that they’re not very impressed and I can’t see how the players will be suitably motivated for this game with that in mind.
Dukla Prague are not a terrific side but they play with such fire and belief that it’s hard not to like them. Consider that this side has only just returned to the Gambrinus Liga after a lengthy absence and yet they’ve only lost eight games all season long, just four of which were on the road. The first two they lost in their first month of being back in the Gambrinus Liga as they struggled to adapt. Since then, the only sides to have beaten them whilst Dukla have been the away side have had to score three goals each in order to win the game. That tells you how spirited and able this Dukla side is. Hell, they even won 0-2 at Jablonec in their last away game, which is such a hard thing to do. Dukla have scored two goals per game for three consecutive away games now so I’ll give them their due respect here.
For me, there’s value in laying Teplice at 4/5.
Verdict: Lay Teplice at 4/5.
Viktoria Zizkov vs Ceske Budejovice – under 2.5 goals at 9/10.
It’s famous last words, I know, but I cannot see this game doing anything but going under 2.5 goals. Zizkov are a horribly poor side when it comes to goalscoring although they have tightened up their defence in the past few weeks. They’re reasonably organised but ineffectual in the final third. Add to the above that they’re facing a very well-organised Ceske Budejovice side, who now boast the timeless Tomas Repka in cenral defence, and he’s made it so it’s very hard to score against Ceske now. The absence of experienced defender Lengyel at the back is missing for today, which is a blow. However, Repka is good enough to organise the Ceske defence without him, in my view. The absence of all of Ceske’s attackers today – Strasky, Machovec, and Reznicek respectively – makes it very hard for Ceske to score today. Given that neither side has any motivation to win this game, I expect a dour encounter that should go under 2.5 goals.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 9/10.
Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur – away win at 5/6.
Spurs are turning it on at the right time of the season and with Arsenal only managing a 3-3 draw at home to Norwich City yesterday, it’s advantage Spurs in their battle for a UEFA Champions League place, especially with Newcastle United hosting Manchester City today. A win for Spurs puts them third so they need to do their utmost to get three points here. Modric, van der Vaart, Adebayor, Lennon – there’s more than enough firepower available to Redknapp to make it happen. Redknapp can say what he wants to about the England job debacle not affecting his team but it’s funny how Spurs are amazing either side of the uncertainty period surrounding Redknapp’s future, isn’t it? Either way, they look full of confidence right now and I will give them the nod here today. I especially like this bet because they’re facing Villa. It’s not just any Villa side; it’s one of the most under-performing Villa sides that I’ve seen for a while. They’re not lacking in quality although they do have some big names out. However, McLeish is too defensive as a manager and he’s nearly cost Villa their place in the Premier League this season because of it. Villa aren’t scoring goals and are conceding too many goals to play a defensive game in an effective manner. Therefore, I’m left with no option but to look upon the away win at 5/6 as a bargain today.
Verdict: Tottenham Hotspur to win at 5/6.
HJK Helsinki vs Inter Turku – lay HJK Helsinki at 10/11.
Well, HJK got lucky against KuPS in Kuopio earlier this week as KuPS decided to produce one of those displays where they don’t bother showing up. Happily, that result means that most people will blindly start backing HJK again, which pleases me. Why? Because HJK aren’t playing well; they’re actually struggling to integrate their new players. Quality-wise, HJK are still just about the best side in the Veikkausliiga but the gap has been significantly lowered following the sales of Ring, Pukki, Rafinha, Bah etc. etc. pre-season. Inter Turku are a lot closer to them than they were last season and it looks like it’s only going to show in the big games, at least for the present. HJK still have lots of quality but you can’t say that they’re as good as least season, especially not when they’re playing a proper right-winger down at right-back!
Can Inter Turku make it count here? It’s difficult to do well at the Sonera because of the especially bouncy artificial turf. However, Inter Turku have played much better football than HJK this season and are scoring goals a lot more easily. The potential absence of flu-ridden Ojala is a problem for Inter Turku today as they don’t have a replacement for him. That would mean it’s down to Kauko etc. to provide Sirbiladze with the support that he needs. However, Inter Turku look very organised at the moment and especially efficient, two things that HJK don’t have right now, so I think there’s a window of opportunity here to exploit.
For me, there’s value in laying the overrated HJK at 5/6.
Verdict: Lay HJK Helsinki at 5/6.
Ekranas Panevezys vs Vilnius – under 2.5 goals at 7/5.
Ekranas are easing into that untouchable A Lyga groove that only they possess and that’s precisely what I expect from them today. They may not be the most entertaining side in Lithuania but they’re by far the most efficient. Look at how much title rivals Suduva Marijampole are suffering now that sides are “parking the bus” against them like they do against Ekranas. Ekranas always find a way through, however, and that’s what makes them a team of champions, in my eyes. There’s a lot of experience in this Ekranas side and that always gives them the edge in difficult games like these. Ekranas haven’t conceded a single goal in eleven consecutive games in all competitions, which backs up my above points perfectly. They beat Vilnius 2-0 in this exact encounter in the Lithuanian Cup a few weeks ago and a similar scoreline today wouldn’t surprise me, particularly with three of their last four A Lyga home games having gone under 2.5 goals.
I watched Vilnius take on Suduva in Marijampole lately and was impressed at how well they contained their vastly superior hosts. Suduva were restriced to very few chances and although Suduva aren’t as used to that position as Ekranas are, I still take my hat off to Vilnius for their tactical success and their organisation. Two out of their last three A Lyga away games have ended 0-0 and that’s what they’ll play for here. I doubt they’ll manage to take a draw away from Panevezys but hey, I won’t rule it out – strange things have happened in Lithuania lately, after all.
With the above in mind, though, taking under 2.5 goals looks a bit of a steal at 7/5. Also, take encouragement from the fact that Ekranas don’t push when they have a lead; they sit on it.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 7/5.
VVV Venlo vs Twente Enschede – home win with +1.5 handicap at 4/5.
I really don’t understand why Twente are so short to win a game that they have no reason to win. If anything, there’s more benefit in them resting players here ahead of the impending UEFA Europa League Play-Off battle that they’re likely to be sucked into! You could argue that if they win then they can pass AZ Alkmaar and claim one of those places but that’s going to involve AZ not beating Groningen at home and bear in mind that Groningen have no motivation to do anything and are one of the worst away sides in Eredivisie history. Personally, I think Twente could and should rest players here ahead of the play-offs, although whether they do or not remains to be seen.
Aside from that, Twente miss Ola John’s pace, whom they’ll miss a lot as they need their skilful players to see them through tough games like this. Star centre-back Douglas is a doubt, as is leading goalscorer De Jong, so Twente aren’t in the best shape here. McClaren also has to pick them up following a 3-4 defeat in Enschede against Heerenveen and I’m just not sure that he can do it. I mean, Twente have looked very tired lately (not surprising considering their UEFA Europa League campaign) and have only actually won three out of their last nine games. They’ve struggled to win those games, too, needing a lot of luck to win at poor sides like De Graafschap and Excelsior respectively. VVV Venlo are better than both of those sides; I just don’t see how Twente will have an easy ride here.
VVV have been consigned to the relegation play-offs but I hope they avoid the drop. They’ve been better than their results suggest this season and their relentless attacking approach is refreshing to see. VVV struggle with stamina and an awful defence but their attack is one of the better attacks in the Eredivisie for my money – you’ll rarely see a VVV game where they don’t score. VVV are especially hard to beat in Venlo, where they’re always their most motivated. I don’t know if it’s their bizarre semi-underground stadium or compact pitch but VVV are much harder to play against at home than they’re given credit for. To put that into perspective for you, VVV have only lost one more game at home than Twente have this season. Just food for thought!
Applying a +1.5 handicap for the home side in all of Twente’s away games this season would mean that Twente have only won five Eredivise away games. Given their tiredness and lack of motivation, I really think that VVV will upset them today, possibly even beating them. I think there’s potentially a lot of value in giving VVV a +1.5 handicap at 4/5.
Verdict: VVV Venlo to win with at +1.5 handicap at 4/5.
NAC Breda vs RKC Waalwijk – away win with draw no bet at evens.
NAC are a home side but they’re not even particularly good at that, for my money. They’re one of the few sides in the Netherlands that are utterly droll and I don’t think anyone has any sympathy for them when they fuck up either. They’ve not had a good striker since Arouna Kone and they’re not an entertaining side. NAC concede goals rather easily and aren’t a terrific threat in front of goal either. Remove Santi Kolk and Donny Gorter from the equation today as both are injured and we have a NAC side without depth and without motivation struggling due to the absence of two of their most consistent players. NAC have only won three home games since December and I would be surprised to see them rediscover how to win at home today.
RKC play better football than NAC – it’s as simple as that. Yeah, they don’t have the names and they do miss a goalscorer but hey, they’ve just bagged five goals against Roda in their last game so confidence is through the roof for them. Sno is in terrific form and although regular defender Bandjar and leading goalscorer Ten Voorde are absent, RKC are a very strong and well-oiled unit so I have a lot of faith in them. There’s a tremendous amount of cohesion in this team and they outplay far more sides than the form chart suggests.
RKC need something here to make sure that they’re playing UEFA Europa League football next season and I think they’re more than capable of achieving it too. For me, RKC winning this one with draw no bet cover appeals to me at evens.
Verdict: RKC Waalwijk to win with draw no bet at evens.
Heracles Almelo vs NEC Nijmegen – over 3 goals at 4/5.
Eh, what can I say? Heracles should have “over 2.5 goals” added to the middle of their team name given their enthusiastic attacking football and their shocking defending. Heracles are never short of spirit and they’re usually good to take to win when playing at the Polman too. However, the absence of Quansah damages the strength of Heracles’ midfield and I am not confident in them getting a win here with that in mind. However, they are a very determined side with a lot of attacking power so I think they’ll give NEC a tough game here. NEC are a good footballing side, though, and they’re capable of capitalising here. Their big problem is that they’ve never really replaced striker Vleminckx and thus they don’t score most of their chances. However, Heracles’ defence will be happy to oblige there, I am sure – they usually are! For me, there should be a lot of goals in this one so taking over 3 goals looks interesting at 4/5.
Verdict: Over 3 goals at 4/5
Vitesse Arnhem vs AFC Ajax Amsterdam – under 3.5 goals at 4/5.
I was set to take Ajax here following some devastating form of late but the news that Eriksen, Boerrigter, Sulejmani, and Sigthorsson are all missing this game makes me nervous. The talk is that de Boer will be fielding some other players that haven’t featured much this season to see if they can fit into his plans for next season and if they do that then the odds on an Ajax win look very short. The problem I have with this game is that Ajax have returned to the side they were a few months ago as they don’t have a natural striker in their squad due to those absentees, which makes them usually ineffectual in front of goal. Their star playmaker is out and their two proper strikers are out so it’s hard to see Ajax breaking through Vitesse at the GelreDome, especially when they’ve been so hard to beat there already this season. This game is a dead rubber anyway, as we all know, and the possibility is that Vitesse will rest players here ahead of their UEFA Europa League Play-Off games. Vitesse are a strong side defensively and I don’t see them risking much here as these are the games that Vitesse have to start getting points out of if they intend on becoming a big side. With the above in mind, I think that taking under 3.5 goals is appealing at odds of 4/5.
Verdict: Under 3.5 goals at 4/5.
Heerenveen vs Feyenoord Rotterdam – home win with +1 Asian Handicap at 4/5.
The public bet here is to take Feyenoord as Heerenveen play UEFA Europa League football if Feyenoord beat them but may not if they draw the game. However, there have been developments of late whereby UEFA have given the Netherlands an additional place in the UEFA Europa League due to the Fair Play side of things, which Heerenveen are by far and away top of. Therefore, Heerenveen will be playing UEFA Europa League football next season whatever happens. That makes the odds on the home win suddenly look outrageously long, doesn’t it? Feyenoord are a better side but not to this degree. Feyenoord need the points to claim the Champions League place but now that Heerenveen don’t need the points, they can afford to play a tactical game and counter-attack here. Feyenoord are weak defensively and with star striker Guidetti still absent, I struggle to view the home win with a +1 Asian Handicap at 4/5 as anything but pure value.
Verdict: Heerenveen to win with a +1 Asian Handicap at 4/5.
Haugesund vs Lillestrom – home win with -1 Asian Handicap at evens.
I personally thought that Haugesund’s dominance at home in the Eliteserien this season wouldn’t be as evident but no, they’re out to prove me wrong again! Their organisation and efficiency when playing at home in the Eliteserien is simply breathtaking and the fact that they’ve already beaten Molde FK and Brann Bergen at home this season speaks volumes for that. Credit to Haugesund, though – they’ve played well away from home this season too, even taking points from the Marienlyst against Stromsgodset, which is the stuff dreams are made of in the Eliteserien! Haugesund look better than ever this season and I can’t help but feel that they’ll rip a disorganised, ineffectual, and frankly very poor Lillestrom to pieces today, hence the -1 Asian Handicap selection at evens.
Verdict: Haugesund to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at evens.
Molde FK vs Aalesund FK – under 2.5 goals at evens.
It’s derby day in western Norway and I don’t think it’s very well timed if you’re a Molde fan. Although Molde are winning some of their games, they simply don’t look very convincing, especially when it comes to breaking stubborn sides down. Molde are absolutely lethal on counter-attacks but their approach to a side that “parks the bus” isn’t as convincing as it could or should be and that’s precisely what I expect Aalesund to do today because that’s what Aalesund always do on the road. Rekdal organises his side well and they’re not easy to score against, wherever you face them. Aalesund’s big problem is not scoring goals, however, and that tends to mean that Molde enjoy the lion’s share of the derby spoils between these two. However, Molde aren’t firing on all cylinders yet and Aalesund aren’t easy to beat so a cheeky punt on under 2.5 goals appeals to me here.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at evens.
IFK Norrkoping vs Syrianska Sodertalje – over 2.5 goals at 9/10.
IFK Norrkoping could and should win this game but I have my reservations about them doing so, enough so for me to think that their current odds are a joke.
You see, IFK Norrkoping are a big game side. If they’re facing Malmo or IFK Goteborg, for example, then they’ll play the best game of their season and work harder than ever. If they’re facing a side that they’re either on a par with or are better than, they tend to lose some of their motivation and it can cost them. IFK Norrkoping are good at attacking, especially so from set pieces, and will usually score goals. However, their defence is vulnerable at all times and when motivation is low, their defence tends to be one of the areas that it’s exposed in. Track back to their 2-2 draw at home to GIF Sundsvall and you’ll see what I mean. GIF could have and should have scored about five goals in that game and only wayward finishing prevented that from happening. IFK Norrkoping were very complacent in the first-half and a stronger second-half allowed them to salvage a draw. I respect IFK Norrkoping and their spirit but this is the kind of game that they make a mess off.
That said, Syrianska are not in a good place right now. Confidence is very low following a string of bad results and even their semi-decent defence are falling apart. The results they’ve been on the end of thus far would suggest that they’ll be playing Superettan football next season but we’ll see how that goes; this is a long season, after all. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Syrianska don’t have good players because they do. They simply have problems scoring goals unless they’re facing a big club (much like IFK Norrkoping!) or if they’re facing a side with defensive problems. Syrianska are a dangerous side to underestimate, though – players like Mourad, Chanko, Felic, and especially Touma have been around and have plenty of experience. Syrianska can cause problems and realistically speaking, this is one of the few away games in the Allsvenskan that they have a chance of getting something from so don’t be surprised if Syrianska give it a go today.
Again, IFK Norrkoping are at stupidly short odds to win a game against a side that they’re only marginally better than. Norrkoping can score goals freely but they can also concede goals freely. The 1×2 market is a no-go for me but over 2.5 goals looks a good value bet at 9/10.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 9/10.
Malmo FF vs Atvidaberg – home win with -1 Asian Handicap at 3/4.
Well, it’s happened – I’ve finally convinced myself to handicap Malmo! They’ve played good football for a few weeks in a row now and I respect that. Malmo aren’t the most consistent of sides, as you may have noticed, but the way they’ve played of late impresses me. Their defence is fairly vulnerable at times but their attack is outstanding. Indeed, it’s one of the best in the Allsvenskan right now for my money with a whole host of players that are playing very well, especially Durmaz. Figueiredo should return for this game to bolster Malmo’s already impressive arsenal and with Ranegie and Larsson both ready to pounce on any scraps that they’re given, I firmly believe that Malmo will score a good number of goals here if their motivation is as it should be.
I wouldn’t normally handicap Malmo but Atvidaberg’s bubble has burst and they’re sinking without a trace. They’re not a particularly good side as it is so to lose four games in a row is mentally crushing for them. They don’t have many good players and they have an incompetent defence but their attack is generally quite dangerous. However, even their heads are dropping with this recent run of form and given how strong Malmo are right now, I can’t help but feel that Atvidaberg are going to get a bit of a lesson in how to play football today.
There aren’t many games where I’ll endorse a -1 handicap in Allsvenskan football because there generally isn’t a big enough quality gap to merit it. However, this is one of the few occasions where it really should come in so my call is for Malmo to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at 3/4.
Verdict: Malmo FF to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at 3/4.
Trabzonspor vs Fenerbahce – home win with draw no bet at 11/10.
Trabzonspor may have rode their luck in their 0-0 draw with Galatasaray but they were impressively organised if nothing else, and I respect that. They’re still a good side and to take them on in Trabzon is not a task relished by any Super Lig side, especially not Fenerbahce, whom Trabzonspor now hate with a passion following the whole match-fixing debacle. This is the first game between these two sides in Trabzon since Fenerbahce were all but cleared of the possibility of being relegated so I can only imagine how furious the fans, players, and club in general are. I therefore expect a backlash from Trabzonspor and I expect them to be very motivated to do well here. Additionally, I saw Fenerbahce’s game with Besiktas a few days ago and Fenerbahce were just awful. They could barely string a few passes together in attack and they should have conceded at least four goals. Had Besiktas any composure whatsoever then it’d have been a far heavier scoreline, I’m sure. Fenerbahce need to get something today, though, and that’s a dangerous game to play in Trabzon. I’ve not heard any team news about this game, unfortunately, but I still find odds of 11/10 on taking the highly-charged hosts with draw no bet against their disappointing opponents a bit of a steal today.
Verdict: Trabzonspor to win with draw no bet at 11/10.
Galatasaray vs Besiktas JK – home win with -1 Asian Handicap at 4/5.
Galatasaray dominated Trabzonspor earlier this week but were unable to score the necessary goals. It’s the second time in a row that the yellow-and-red of Istanbul have had luck against them in that area of the pitch, losing 1-2 against Fenerbahce in a previous game despite having a ridiculously high number of shots on goal. Let’s just hope it’s not getting to them, eh? They were handed a lifeline with Fenerbahce losing against Besiktas and that should motivate Terim’s side to do well today. Happily, Galatasaray are a better side than Besiktas and are a lot more motivated too. Besiktas have some top individuals but they lack the cohesion to be a top side. Hell, they even lack composure from their top players so you can begin to see the problems that Besiktas have internally already, hence their Super Lig campaign going so badly wrong. Besiktas won’t make this easy for Galatasaray but I have to expect the superior side to win this one convincingly as Besiktas’ defence is not solid and this side has no mental strength to turn things around if they’re not playing well and/or losing. For me, taking Galatasaray to beat the -1 Asian Handicap looks a good bet at 4/5.
Verdict: Galatasaray to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at 4/5.
Eskisehirspor vs Istanbul BB – over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
This is a pivotal game when it comes to deciding which Super Lig side will be competing in the UEFA Europa League next season as these are the only two sides in the group with a realistic chance of winning it with Bursaspor having already qualified for the UEFA Europa League via the Turkish Cup. There’s not much to choose between them but both are very much “home sides” as that’s where they produce their best displays. Both sides are attack-minded and thus tend to score copious amounts of goals. Eskisehirspor need to win this game whereas three points for Istanbul BB would see them claim the final UEFA Europa League place. A draw would help the visitors but they need goals to get a draw at Eskisehirspor so one way or another, I think we’ll see this game go over 2.5 goals, just like the vast majority of games have in this group already.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Bursaspor vs Sivasspor – over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Bursaspor may have already qualified for the UEFA Europa League but that’s not hindered their appetite for winning games. Eskisehirspor came to Bursaspor in their last match, expecing Bursaspor to play a complacent game. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, with Bursaspor winning the game 3-2 despite not even needing to do so. Bursaspor are a very dangerous side to attack as they’re good on the counter-attack and they’re playing with confidence. They’re the best side in this group, for my money, and it’s something that is generally visible from their overall play. Sivasspor have to attack them today, though, and that’s never a good thing. Bursaspor will pick Sivasspor off on the counter-attack time and time again. However, Sivasspor are good at goalscoring and nothing but three points will appease them in their quest to return to European football so I expect an open game here which should end up going over 2.5 goals.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Team news
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Anderlecht – Vargas, Wasilewski, and Suarez are absent.
Club Brugge – Stenman, De Jonghe, Hoefkens, Hogli, and Deschilder are absent.
Standard de Liege – Tchite, Belhocine, Bolat, Buzaglo, and Cyriac are absent.
Racing Genk – Camus, Ayab, Hubert, Vanden Borre, Joneleit, Barda, and De Bruyne are absent.
Bulgarian A PFG:
Lokomotiv Sofia – Dafchev is absent.
Ludogorets – No news.
Lokomotiv Plovdiv – Dakson and Spasov are absent.
Levski Sofia – Mulder, Calvo, Mladenov, Tasevski,and Ramos are absent.
Cypriot Division 1:
AEK Larnaca – De Cler, Yakubu, and Palic are absent.
Alki Larnaca – No news.
Apollon Limassol – Players not paid for four months. Some players have not shown up for training this week.
Nea Salamis – Players not paid for months.
Olympiakos Nicosia – No team news.
Aris Limassol – Klible and Randosavlevic are absent.
Ethnikos Achnas – Simov and Risp are doubts.
Enosis Neon Paralimni – Krivokapic is absent.
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Viktoria Zizkov – Balek and Kolar are absent.
Ceske Budejovice – Lengyel, Machovec, Strasky, Bakala, and Reznicek are absent. Danek is a doubt.
Mlada Boleslav – Fabian, Opiela, Kalina, Zahustel, Fillo, and Sirl are absent.
Viktoria Plzen – No absentees.
Teplice – Lukas, Ljevakovic, Volek, Ceslak, and Sraga are absent. Mahmutovic is a doubt.
Dukla Prague – No absentees.
Sigma Olomouc – Klesnil, Koutny, Petr, and Horava are absent. Rossi is a doubt.
Jablonec – Jarolim and Vukovic are absent.
Spata Prague – Sionko is absent.
Bohemians 1905 – Kaufman and Nikl are absent.
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
HJK Helsinki – Asraf and Valtteri Moren are doubts. Aho, Schuller, and Zeneli return.
Inter Turku – Diallo is absent. Ojala is a doubt.
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Budapest Honved – No news.
Kaposvari Rakoczi – Zsok and Major are absent. Grumic and Bebeto are doubts.
Gyori ETO FC – Pilibaitis is absent.
Debreceni VSC – Novakovic is absent.
Israeli Ligat Ha’al:
Maccabi Haifa – Falach, Golassa, and Meshumar are absent.
Maccabi Tel-Aviv – Yitzhaki and Vered are absent. Haimov, Pavicevic, and Atar are doubts. Medujanin may return.
Italian Serie A:
Atalanta Bergamo – Brighi, Capelli, and Marilungo are absent. Bellini is a doubt.
Bologna – Casarini, Gillet, Gimenez, Kone, Krhin, Portanova, and Ramirez are absent. Perez, Pulzetti, and Crespo are doubts.
Cagliari – Agostini, El-Kabir, Rui Sampaio, and Eriksson are absent. Ariaudo is a doubt.
Cesena – Pudil, Mutu, Martinez, Lelli, Lauro, Iaquinta, and Calderoni are absent. Comotto is a doubt.
Chievo Verona – Gulan, Drame, Dainelli, Andreolli, Moscardelli, and Thereau are absent. Vacek, Cruzado, and Facchinetti are doubts.
Genoa – Antonelli, Bovo, Constant are absent. Kaladze is a doubt.
Internazionale – Stankovic, Chivu, and Castaignos are absent.
Juventus – De Ceglie is absent. Pepe is a doubt.
Lazio – Stankevicius, Rocchi, Radu, Marchetti, Makinwa, Ledesma, Dias, Brocchi, and Alfaro are absent. Hernanes, Klose, and Matuzalem are doubts.
AC Milan – Thiago Silva, Roma, Pato, and Inzaghi are absent. Antonini, Emanuelson, and Seedorf are doubts.
SSC Napoli – Donadel and Fernandez are absent. Rosati and Campagnaro are doubts.
Novara – Marianini and Ujkani are absent. Paci, Mascara, and Ludi are doubts.
Palermo – Della Rocca and Ilicic are absent. Miccoli, Mantovani, Acquah, and Balzaretti are doubts.
Parma – Mariga, Mirante, Santacroce, and Valdes are absent. Ferrario is a doubt.
Siena – Angelo, Calaio, Giorgi, Gonzalez, and Pesoli are absent.
Udinese – Isla is absent. Badu and Ferronetti are doubts.
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Banga Gargzdai – Tatiefang is absent.
Dainava – No news.
Ekranas Panevezys – Kavaliauskas is a doubt.
Vilnius – No news.
Dutch Eredivisie:
Vitesse Arnhem – Propper and Piiroja are absent.
AFC Ajax Amsterdam – Eriksen, Boerrigter, Sigthorsson, Sulejmani, and Boilesen are absent.
NAC Breda – Zonneveld, Kolk, and Gorter are absent.
RKC Waalwijk – van Dijk, Ramos, Janssen, and Bandjar are absent.
ADO Den Haag – Leeuwin, Visser, and Kum are absent.
De Graafschap – Gyasi, Nalbantoglu, Frankel, and Meijer are absent.
Excelsior Rotterdam – Nuytinck, van Steensel, van Buren, and Ten Verde are absent.
PSV Eindhoven – Pieters is absent.
Heerenveen – Vandenbussche, Roorda, Sibon, and Svec are absent.
Feyenoord Rotterdam – Swerts, Fernandez, Guidetti, and Ramsteijn are absent.
AZ Alkmaar – Ortiz, Reijnen, Altidore, Martens, and Beerens are absent.
Groningen – Johansson, Kwakman, Kieftenbeld, Enevoldsen, and van Dijk are absent.
Heracles Almelo – Quansah and Vejinovic are absent.
NEC Nijmegen – Goossens, George, Wellenberg, and Nijland are absent.
Roda JC Kerkrade – De Beule, Staelens, Kieszek, and Pluim are absent.
FC Utrecht – Schut, Bovenberg, and Mulenga are absent.
VVV Venlo – Maguire is absent.
Twente Enschede – Rendla, John, and Bengtsson are absent. Douglas and De Jong are doubts.
Norwegian Eliteserien:
Haugesund – Maeland and Pozniak are absent.
Lillestrom – Magnusson, Gulbrandsen, and Sundgot are absent. Ramovic is a doubt.
Sandnes Ulf – Holmvik is absent. Okoli and Frejd are doubts.
Honefoss – Gjermundstad is absent. Bolseth and Mora are doubts.
Stromsgodset – Hanssen, Ovenstad, and Hamoud are absent.
Sogndal – Egil Flo, Rudolfsen, Roed, Naess, Lund, and Mecinovic are absent.
Valerenga Oslo – Kone, Thomassen, Solli, and Muri are absent. Haestad and Pusic are doubts. Gunnarsson returns.
Fredrikstad – Rafn, Ramberg,and Horn are absent. Holm is a doubt.
Molde FK – Stensild is absent.
Aalesund FK – Leke James, Sellin, and Matland are absent.
Polish Ekstraklasa:
GKS Belchatow – Giel, Lacic, Kisiel, Bozok, and Kosowski are absent.
Cracovia Krakow – Nykiel, Suvorov, and Struna are absent.
Jagiellonia Bialystok – Frankowski, Pejovic, and Norambuena return.
LKS Lodz – No absentees.
Legia Warsaw – Hubnik is absent.
Korona Kielce – Sobolewski is absent. Korzym and Kuzera return.
Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biala – Dancik, Konieczny, and Latka are absent.
Polonia Warsaw – Coutinho, Przyrowski, Cani, Jez, Baruchyan, and Baszczynski are absent.
Ruch Chorzow – Malinowski and Djokic are absent.
Lechia Gdansk – Wilk, Nowak, Machaj, Surma, and Lukjanovs are absent. Janicki is a doubt.
Widzew Lodz – Bieniuk and Batrovic are absent.
Lech Poznan – Krivets and Arboleda are absent.
Wisla Krakow – Biton, Jaliens, Bunoza, Chavez, Boguski, Jovanovic, Palijc, and Lamey are absent. Melikson, Diaz, Iliev, and Nunez are doubts.
Slask Wroclaw – Fojut is absent.
Zaglebie Lubin – Horvath is absent.
Gornik Zabrze – Danch and Pazdan are absent.
Russian Premier League:
Dinamo Moscow – No absentees.
Lokomotiv Moscow – Da Costa, Amelchenko, Guilherme, Tigorev, Tarasov, and Pavlyuchenko are absent.
Rostov-na-Donu – Radic, Smolnikov, Falcao, Chesnauskis, and Kalachev are absent.
Volga Nizhnyi Novgorod – Karyaka, Bondarev, and Buyvolov are absent. Coach Cheryshev is confined to the stands for this game.
Terek Grozny – Katzaev, Legear, and Mguni are absent.
Amkar Perm’ – Popov, Smirnov, and Cherenchikov are absent.
Zenit St.Petersburg – Danny and Bukharov are absent.
Spartak Moscow – Dikan, Parshivlyuk, Pareja, Ananidze, and Welliton are absent.
Anzhi Makhachkala – Carlos is absent.
Rubin Kazan’ – Orehov, Ansaldi, Eduardo, Valle, and Eremenko are absent.
Scottish Premier League:
Dundee United – Lacny is absent. Gunning, Kenneth, Russell, and Flood are doubts.
Celtic – Ki and Forrest are absent.
Hearts – Mrowiec, Hamil, and Beattie are absent.
St.Johnstone – Croft and Mackay are absent. Millar and Wright are doubts.
Swedish Allsenskan:
IFK Norrkoping – A.Johansson returns.
Syrianska Sodertalje – No news.
Malmo FF – Figueiredo and Thern may return.
Atvidaberg – Gustavsson is absent.
Turkish Super Lig:
Bursaspor – No absentees.
Sivasspor – Yerlikaya and Kavuk are absent.
Eskisehirspor – Ozbayraktar, Ivesa, Coskun, and Gucer are absent. Kamara and Yaman are doubts.
Istanbul BB – Zayatte, Can Arat, Cesario, Hasagic, and Tekdemir are absent.
Galatasaray – Batdal is absent.
Besiktas JK – Uysal and Kayhan are absent. Korkmaz is a doubt.
Trabzonspor – Yumlu is absent.
Fenerbahce – Alex, Sow, Ozturk, and Ozgur Cek are absent. Gokhan Gonul is a doubt.