TFT Issue 525!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Feeling rather unwell at the time of writing this so my apologies for the brief previews. If you have any questions then just ask and I’ll try to respond around 12:00 GMT.
Featured game
PSV Eindhoven vs SSC Napoli – over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Napoli will rotate players for this game, which naturally hands the advantage to PSV. PSV have been very hit-and-miss this season, though. I thought that they were awesome at weekend but were woeful in their last Europa League game. Still, they’re a side that is designed to attack and they’ll have some joy against Napoli’s 3-5-2, I’m sure. Napoli themselves are more than capable in attack, though, especially against a weak PSV defence with no recognisable left-back. PSV may well win it but with Napoli still being a better side for my money, I’d rather take over 2.5 goals today.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Additional game
Panathinaikos vs Tottenham Hotspur – away win at evens.
Spurs were very impressive in their win at Man Utd at weekend. Villas-Boas takes all competitions seriously and this one is no exception. No trip to Greece is an easy one but their hosts havent been a recognisably good side for some time. Panathinaikos can’t score goals, can’t create chances, have zero consistency, and can’t keep clean sheets. It’s a really bad time for the Greek giants and any kind of half-hearted Spurs display today should damage them, realistically speaking, especially with the pace that Spurs have in their side. Be wary, though – these two bosses know each other well for their time at Porto.
Verdict: Tottenham Hotspur to win at evens.
Team news
UEFA Europa League:
FC Copenhagen – No absentees.
PSV Eindhoven – Pieters, Willems, and Jorgenson are absent.
Twente Enschede – Fer, Kuiper, Bulykin, Rendla, and Bjelland are absent.
Hapoel Tel-Aviv – New boss – Abuksis. Ben-Yosef and Petkovic are absent. Kende has left. Gordana returns.
Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona – Landau has been fired. Neutral venue – Haifa. Amos returns.
Girondins de Bordeaux – Sertic, Maurice-Belay, and Ben Khalfallah are absent.
Olympique Lyonnais – Gourcuff and Bastos are absent.
Olympique de Marseille – Abdallah, N’Diaye, and Diawara are absent. Barton may debutise. French “El Clasico” at weekend so may rotate.
Steaua Bucharest – No absentees.
Internazionale – Cassano, Palacio, Stankovic, Milito, Mariga, Sneijder, and Chivu are absent. Rotation to be expected ahead of Milan derby.
Lazio – Brocchi, Diakite, Radu, Klose, and Ledesma are absent.
SSC Napoli – Britos is absent. Rotation will happen.
Udinese – Muriel, Domizzi, and Basta are absent.
Helsingborg – Sadik and Hantsveit are absent. P.Larsson, Mahlangu, and Gashi are doubts.
AIK Solna – No absentees.
Maribor – Potokar, Rep, and Arghus are absent.
Sparta Prague – Vidlicka is a doubt.
Viktoria Plzen – Adamov, Kolar, and Pavlik are absent.
Anzhi Makhachkala – Gabulov and Akhmedov are absent.
Rubin Kazan’ – Arlauskis is absent.
Fenerbahce – Kesimal is absent. Yobo and Meireles are doubts. Yobo has left.
Levante – Juanlu and Pallardo are absent.
Atletico Madrid – Falcao and Emre are absent.
Athletic Club de Bilbao – Perez and Herrera are absent.
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
FC Honka Espoo – No news.
MyPa Anjalankoski – No news.