TFT Issue 527!
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Featured game
Standard de Liege vs Anderlecht – over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Today’s featured game is the hotly-contested game between Standard de Liege and Anderlecht. A quick word of warning; these two sides do not like one another so taking either side to win this game would be a bit foolish, in my view!
One market I do like for this game is goals, however. Scoring goals is the mainstay of each of these two sides this season and I can’t see either side being good enough defensively to voluntarily sit back and hold a lead. Subsequently, you have to feel that we’re in for goals, one way or another.
Standard haven’t had many problems scoring them this season with their mobile and dangerous midfield. The absence of young striker Ezekiel isn’t ideal but Ogunjimi is the main man so I’m not too concerned. The core of this Standard side – Gonzalez, Ajdarevic, Seijas, Buyens – are entact so I doubt that boss Jans has any doubts over his team’s ability to score goals. Where their problems are is in defence, however, where they sorely miss the departed Felipe. There’s little to no organisation at the back, hence them conceding in all but one of their Eerste Klasse games this season. Indeed, it’s affecting them so much that despite scoring for seven consecutive games, they’ve lost four of their games. I admire their pluck and the passion of their fans but there’s a good reason that Jans is taking so much shit right now and it’s because Standard have lost four consecutive games now. Blame red cards etc. all you want; the fact is that they concede far too many goals and they concede them far too easily. For example, why Kawashima is ahead of Bolat is beyond me; it makes no sense as Bolat is simply a much better goalkeeper. Standard are lacking a bit of confidence and although they’re still scoring goals, they’re not making any progress right now. They’ll be up for this derby, as they always are, but I fear for them today.
Unlike their hosts, Anderlecht had a game mid-week, which they lost heavily against Spanish side Malaga. Did they expect anything else? It’s unlikely, realistically speaking, so I’m hoping that they won’t be rattled here. As far as scoring goals and winning games goes, only Club Brugge can rival Anderlecht this season. They’re not a settled side right now, though, as new boss van der Brom has changed the way that they club approach their games. They play with a lot of confidence but he’s chopped and changed a lot of the squad so that their cornerstones are now different people. For example, Iakovenko has now become an integral part of the side, whether it’s through coming on or starting a game. Kanu has a much more important playmaking role and Biglia, despite being essential to the team, isn’t as “one-man band” as he used to be. This side looks more galvanised now that they’ve identified Mbokani as the man to score their goals whilst everyone else supports him. Van der Brom has brought in lots of promising kids from the Anderlecht academy this season so the likes of Praet, Canesin, and Bruno have featured in this side to give them additional hunger. Van der Brom has also changed his main man in defence as seemingly he’s opted for Wasilewski over Juhasz, which doesn’t make any sense to me. Still, Anderlecht are coming to terms with what he’s telling them and thus it’s no surprise that they’re looking better. They’re actually conceding less goals than usual, which may have gone unnoticed by the masses, but their Dutch manager has tightened them up a little. They do need to take their chances a bit better domestically but this Anderlecht side looks good and I think they’ve got a good future under their new boss.
Still, I can count the number of times on one hand that Anderlecht have travelled to Liege and left with a clean sheet. Their high defensive line causes problems and I am confident that Standard will at least score here. Five out of the last six meetings between these two sides have gone over 2.5 goals and all of Standard’s last seven games have gone over 2.5 goals. Three out of Anderlecht’s last four Eerste Klasse games have gone over 2.5 goals and as long as the red cards are later in the game and as long as Standard contribute to the goals, taking over 2.5 goals should be a good bet today at 4/5.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Additional games
Newcastle Jets vs Adelaide United – under 2.5 goals at 9/10.
Here we have another opening game of the A-League season so again, do approach it with caution.
Still, I like the idea of this one going under 2.5 goals very much indeed. Newcastle Jets were very much an unders side at home for the majority of last season due to their ability to hold a lead when they took it. This season will most likely be very hard for them due to their player sales pre-season. Due to nearly going out of business, Newcastle Jets parted with a whole host of important players, the biggest of which was arguably Brockie. The majority of their defence have moved on and almost all of their firepower has too with only leader Wheelhouse and new signing Heskey capable of posing a threat. I very much doubt that we’ll see anything but a 4-5-1 from Newcastle Jets this season because it doesn’t make sense for them to play any other way. They’ll be a big threat from set pieces but this side don’t look ready to upset most sides just yet.
Still, if they can win a game then it’s arguably this one. Adelaide United haven’t changed much since last season and that’s not a good thing, really. They’ve still got big target man van Dijk leading their line, which is a huge plus, but they have little to offer him in the way of support. Signing former Chelsea youngster Fabio Ferreira could prove to be a smart move as he looks a clever player. The rest of Adelaide’s signings have question marks over their names, though – nobody really knows what to expect from them. Still, I like that their back four is the same and that they’ve kept Kosmina as boss so they shouldn’t be too troubled defensively today. It’s important that they start this campaign positively, though, so I think they’d take a draw here if it was offered to them because defeat this early in the season would damage Adelaide’s lofty aspirations.
I don’t see either side going all-out to win this one, to be honest. I think they’d both love three points but given the limited quality in both squads, I think that they’d both take a draw here too. I don’t see enough firepower on the field to concern me so taking under 2.5 goals appeals to me a lot at 9/10.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 9/10.
Club Brugge vs Racing Genk – home win at 4/5.
A lot of people expect this to be a close game and I am one of them. Genk have played well this season so they should give league leaders Club Brugge a run for their money.
However, when it comes to actual quality, I do think that Club Brugge have more of it than their opponents. I like that Genk have been smart in the transfer market pre-season by swooping to poach lightning Joseph-Monrose from Kortrijk and the proven De Ceulaer from Lokeren. They’ve kept hold of poacher Vossen and engine Hyland too, so it’s not been a bad time for them. I still question Been’s side defensively, though – I think that good sides exploit them too easily. I rate their firepower but a side that can score more goals than them will do them a lot of damage, hence my interest in today’s game. Genk may be tired from their mid-week trip to Switzerland where they threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Basel whereas Club Brugge won at home against Maritimo Funchal. The hosts are without Rafaelov and Meunier but the rest are either not as important or are only doubts. I think Club Brugge’s midfield is strong enough to damage Genk, especially with the influential Hyland absent for the visitors today. Blondel and Jorgensen have enough creativity and the lethal finishing of Colombian hotshot Bacca and emerging youngster Lestienne has made Club Brugge look a real force this season, so much so that the potential absence of Tchite today isn’t a huge problem. I think they’re better at attacking than Genk are and I think that they’ll score more goals than them. It’ll be a tight one but I personally find value in the home win at 4/5.
Verdict: Club Brugge to win at 4/5.
Liverpool vs Stoke City – under 2.5 goals at 10/11.
Rodgers’ Liverpool have improved a lot but they’re still some way from being a side that can be consistently backed. They lack a consistent finisher and defensive composure, which is a dangerous combination. They work hard and aren’t an easy side to beat but they often fall upon their own sword by giving goals away, which tends to undo their hard work. They’ve got some gifted attackers when it comes to creating chances and making space but again, they do sometimes struggle to take those chances, which is something that Rodgers will need to work on.
For today’s game, I fear that Liverpool won’t have the patience or finesse to penetrate a very solid and strong Stoke City defence. When it comes to playing away from home, Stoke are very much the predictable side as they’ll defend deep with strong banks of four and look to counter-attack with their pacey wingers. Stoke can absorb pressure, set pieces, and attacks all day long as that’s what they prepare for in training. What they can’t defend against, however, is that something special that some players have and some don’t. When that happens and sides take the lead against them, Stoke almost never get back into the game (unless on the compact pitch at the Britannia) because they push out and either concede again or simply fail to convert their chances. Stoke have got good strikers but they don’t get much service away from home and thus they don’t score many goals on the road. We have to bear in mind that a draw at Anfield is a good result for them so I doubt they’ll do much attacking here unless forced into it.
In the last eight meetings between these two sides in the Premier League, seven of their games have gone under 2.5 goals. This is largely due to the above happening, basically. Stoke are never easy to beat and Liverpool’s style doesn’t look convincing enough or dangerous enough to upset Pulis’ side. For me, the value must be on under 2.5 goals at 10/11.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 10/11.
Hannover 96 vs Bv09 Borussia Dortmund – over 3 goals at 10/11.
The history of this fixture shows goals and that’s precisely what I expect today.
Both sides have strong attacks; that’s not a secret to anyone. However, what people tend to underestimate about both sides is their willpower. Both sides are extremely head-strong and thoroughly believe that they can win every game that they play in. You saw how well Dortmund did in Manchester mid-week with their belief and attractive passing game. Hannover 96 did even better than that by beating Levante despite being reduced to ten men and trailing 0-1. Hannover 96’s belief in themselves is so strong that sides don’t know how to deal with them. Their defence isn’t especially strong but their attack is very strong indeed, especially with Huszti having been granted a new lease of life since his transfer. Dortmund – well, I don’t need to wax lyrical about how strong they are as you’ve all seen it for yourselves time and time again. What I would say is that Dortmund’s defence is vulnerable when penetrated properly and that’s precisely what I expect here. Despite Manchester City being a better side than Hannover 96, I think that this will be a harder game for the reigning Bundesliga champions because their hosts really believe in themselves and work themselves into the ground to try and win games. I think that this will be one of the better games of the day for the neutral and I thoroughly expect to see goals, hence my interest in over 3 goals at 10/11.
Verdict: Over 3 goals at 10/11.
Fehervar vs Ferencvaros – under 2.5 goals at 9/10.
This is very much a clash of the titans in Hungary. Ferencvaros are the biggest side in the country although they’ve not technically proven it for some time. Fehervar are the ones making waves nowadays with the support of the government etc. and it’s shown in the last few meetings between these two sides.
Paulo Sousa’s side simply don’t get fazed by encountering Ferencvaros nowadays. They’re extremely composed on the ball and few sides and force them into mistakes. They’re not as clinical as they should be but they’re more than capable of preventing any side in Hungary from beating them. Nikolic, Gyurcso, and Mitrovic are all dangerous players and big Torghelle is a handful up front, especially as a long ball option if things aren’t going well. That’s part of the problem with Fehervar today, though. They may be tired from their game mid-week against Sporting Clube de Lisboa and they also miss their big target man through suspension. I wouldn’t ever call him the crux of their attack but they may miss him here if things aren’t going as they should be today.
I don’t honestly believe that Ferencvaros can beat Fehervar today, irrespective of their history or their form. Moniz is gradually turning things around there but it can only ever be gradual at Ferencvaros because they sack their manager before too long and have to start afresh. I respect Ferencvaros, especially when they play at home, and I like the fact that they signed a talented Soproni Liga player in Bode instead of going abroad for players. I just don’t think that they have what it takes to trouble their composed hosts today, though. Ferencvaros have improved defensively since Moniz took over so this should be a tight game.
I’d avoid the 1×2 market here as Fehervar are short for what is essentially a big game. However, I believe that they’re good enough to dominate the ball and should have more chances to win the game than their opponents. Still, I don’t rate their ability to score goals because they don’t take their chances often enough and they never push for more after scoring one. Therefore, all things considered, taking under 2.5 goals looks interesting at 9/10, especially with four out of the last five meetings having also gone under 2.5 goals.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 9/10.
CD Nacional de Madeira vs Gil Vicente – home win at 9/10.
I think it’s about time Nacional actually won a game that they should win! I should be fair to them, though – that comment is aimed much more at their home form than anything where they’ve conceded unbelievable goals to prevent them from winning games.
Diego Barcellos is back now, though, and his creativity should help Nacional in scoring more than enough goals to compensate for their hideous defending. Mateus, Rondon, and Keita are all capable of scoring goals so I have little to no concerns over Nacional scoring at least two goals in Madeira today, especially not with the support from the likes of Isael in midfield. There’s plenty of pace and attacking prowess in this team and it’ll take a side that can match their goals scored to prevent defeat in Madeira.
Can Gil Vicente do that? Last season, perhaps. This season? I doubt it, especially after they sold their best striker pre-season. They ruffled a few feathers for a sustained period last season in the Liga Sagres with their attractive brand of football but everyone knew that they were over-achieving and this season has proven that. Paulo Alves’ team look lightweight in attack and somewhat immobile in midfield too. Their defence is still quite strong and this side never stops working hard but I think that they lack the firepower to trouble their hosts today.
If this game becomes an open game, which is how Nacional prefer it, then I expect them to score more goals than Gil Vicente and win the encounter. If Gil Vicente frustrate them and it takes a long time for the first goal then I still expect a Nacional win because they have the players to score goals from nowhere. For me, this game really should end in a home win at 9/10.
Verdict: CD Nacional de Madeira to win at 9/10.
Spartak Moscow vs CSKA Moscow – over 2.5 goals at 9/10.
This is the main Moscow derby nowadays, for my money, and it tends to show. These two sides tend to go at it and produce plenty of goals and cards along the way, which is precisely what I expect to happen today.
I love how predictably unpredictable Spartak Moscow are, if that makes sense. You can always rely on them to make a mess of things when they should easily win games. They miss when they should score and they lose their cool when they should stay calm. However, they score when they shouldn’t, they love to upset the odds, and they actually play the best football in Russia – when it suits them. Unai Emery’s side know how to attack and score goals, which is precisely why all but one of their games in every competition this season have gone over 2.5 goals! They make stupid mistakes at the back – frequently – but can and will break down any defence as they did against Rubin Kazan and as they did against Amkar Perm, who are two of the most defensively-able sides in Russian football. There simply isn’t a defence that can hold them so quite how an ageing and fairly immobile CSKA defence will handle Welliton, Ari, McGeady, Emenike, Ananidze, and Kombarov is beyond me, especially now that Kallstrom is making the chances and Romulo is sweeping up the mess.
Still, CSKA live for these derbies and they have a good record in them in recent years. I attribute that partially to Spartak being rather restless and being packed full of individuals, though. CSKA have never made the rash mistakes that Spartak have and it shows, really. They’ve had three defenders and a goalkeeper in their backline for as long as I care to remember and that solidarity shows in the CSKA displays. However, what Spartak have that CSKA lack is a whole host of attacking options for any time. CSKA do have dangerous players, none moreso than the superb Honda at this moment in time, and they’ll almost certainly score today. They really miss Doumbia up front, though – nobody else is as consistent as he is in front of goal. Still, with Gonzalez, Tosic, and Elm helping Honda out in midfield, you know that CSKA can and will score at some stage. They’ve got bigger players than Spartak, too – Tosic/Honda’s set pieces should cause no end of problems.
Pick a winner in this one if you dare! I wouldn’t advise it as anything can happen. I do love over 2.5 goals being priced at 9/10, though – this game was made for goals to be scored!
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 9/10.
OFK Belgrade vs Rad Belgrade – away win with draw no bet at 9/10.
Bringing Milinkovic in as new boss of OFK Belgrade may appease the fans or the bettors but I still don’t know why people fancy them to do well here. Sure, it’s a derby, and that means approach it with caution. However, this side has no consistent attacking threat with only Jovanovic having registered more than one goal for OFK this season and they’re conceding copious amounts of goals due to their young and relatively inexperienced defence. It’s even harder for OFK today though, with regular shot-stopper Lukac, regular defender Petkovic, and ex-Red Star Belgrade striker Bogavac all missing out today. In all honesty, I believe it will take something special for the demoralised and uninspired hosts to win today.
Rad Belgrade have impressed all season longer under Nikolic. They’ve looked dangerous in front of goal whilst looking surprisingly well-organised at the back, which is not so common when you consider the average age of the squad. There are plenty of goal threats, most notably in the form of Kojic and Luka, but the support from former Red Star Belgrade winger Prso and Causic means that Rad Belgrade are rarely short of shooting opportunities. This Rad side is seriously young but they don’t play like it, which is a testament to the manager, really. They play with great belief and maturity, which is refreshing to see in this day and age. All of the above just makes me like Rad more for today’s game.
Derby or not, these two sides are polar opposites so I cannot help but take the away win with draw no bet cover at 9/10.
Verdict: Rad Belgrade to win with draw no bet at 9/10.
Real Mallorca vs Granada – home win at 5/6.
I saw a lot of people favouring (or even rating) Mallorca’s chances at Getafe earlier this week and that surprised me, really. When you have been in this game for a while, you pick up on certain things to do and to not do. It surprised me that others hadn’t but then I realised that perhaps I’d not mentioned them enough myself so made a mental note to do so today.
Basically, the unwritten rules of the Primera Liga (in relation to the sides competing in this game) are to never take Mallorca away from home and to never oppose them at home. This side does not travel well under any circumstance. I can count the number of convincing away displays that they’ve shown over the past few years on one hand. Generally speaking, if they win away from home, it’s down to the home side not showing up. At home, though, even the heavyweights tend to struggle with Mallorca’s competitive streak.
I was concerned as to how Mallorca would cope this season, having sold arguably their best attacking player Castro to Real Sociedad in a move which baffled me. Then again, Mallorca are the selling club of the Primera Liga; anyone worth the money does not stay with Mallorca. They’re essentially the Genoa of Spanish football. You can already see their home strength from their games this season, though, with three wins from three games. Say what you will about their style (or lack of) but they win their home games and usually keep clean sheets too. I am not so sure that they’ll keep a clean sheet today with Nunes and Lopez both missing for the hosts but I do think that they’ll win this game. Caparros is a good manager; he knows how to win home games. He hasn’t made signings pre-season that set the world alight but he’s made smart signings. Take Arizmendi, for example. He’s not a top striker but what he does bring is a strong work ethic and pace. To me, that makes him a Mallorca player already; that’s what they’re all about. Arizmendi is used to playing for the underdogs, you know? He came through at Deportivo and played for Zaragoza so he knows what he needs to do. It’s nice to see that Israeli striker Hemed isn’t just scoring penalties this season for Mallorca too; he’s more of a complete part of the team now. Without Caparros having any stars in his team, they do have a lot of hard-working players with good attitudes and that should never be underestimated as it makes them far stronger than they look on paper. Caparros also signed dos Santos, incidentally, which is potentially a genius move. He’s a cracking player; all he needs is his attitude to be curbed and this is the place where it will happen. Caparros could well have found a star for the club if the Mexican shows what he is capable of here.
Now – what Granada do to prevent the favoured home win today? For my money – not a lot. What Granada bring to this game that most sides don’t is something similar to Mallorca in the sense that they work very hard. Much like Mallorca, they also struggle to find the net away from home. I like that they’re big pals with Udinese, hence the acquisitions of Floro Flores and Torje, both of which bring something different to the Granada attack. I especially like the signing of Brahimi; I really rate this guy. With a good run of games in the side, this fella could become a very good winger. Some players can naturally dribble and some can’t; well, Brahimi can. I don’t know why he didn’t show his true ability at Rennes but perhaps we’ll see the real side to him now. For today’s game, though, Granada miss what is essentially their leading striker nowadays in Floro Flores and that’s a problem. They possess one of the thinnest squads in Spain and I don’t believe that they can handle his absence here, especially not when Mallorca tend to dominate possession in their home games. Granada’s midfield isn’t good enough to handle Mallorca’s midfield, in my view, and despite their tenacity, I don’t fancy their chances of getting a result here, especially with a very dubious defence at their disposal.
For me, this really should be a home win. Granada were one of the few sides to avoid defeat here last season but I don’t believe that lightning will strike twice today.
Verdict: Real Mallorca to win at 5/6.
Team news
Argentinian Primera Division:
Belgrano de Cordoba – C.Perez and J.Velazquez are absent. Carranza is a doubt.
Boca Juniors – Erbes is absent.
Independiente – Gabbarini, Tula, and Santana are absent.
Atletico Rafaela – No absentees.
Newell’s Old Boys – No absentees.
River Plate – Mercado and Maidana are absent. Villalva is a doubt.
Australian A-League:
Newcastle Jets – Heskey is a doubt.
Adelaide United – Kamara is absent. McKain and Caravella are doubts.
Perth Glory – No absentees.
Brisbane Roar – Smith and Henrique are doubts.
Croatian Prva Liga:
Slaven Koprivnica – Rak, Saban, and Grgic are absent.
Dinamo Zagreb – No absentees.
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Jablonec – Pitak and Vales are doubts.
Ceske Budejovice – Klesa is absent.
Zbrojovka Brno – Skoda, Fall, Svancara, and Kaufman are absent.
Slovan Liberec – Toth and Hadascok are absent. Bicik is a doubt.
Teplice – New boss – Scasny. No absentees.
Vyoscina Jihlava – Jungr and Rada are absent.
Marila Pribram – Tarczal, Smejkal, and Wagner are absent.
Viktoria Plzen – Kolar, Adamov, and Pavlik are absent. Horvath is a doubt.
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
Jaro Pietarsaari – Ashraf is absent.
FC Lahti – Makitalo is absent. Lansitalo, Kemppinen, and Grossohmichen are doubts. Ngueukam returns.
KuPS Kuopio – Joenmaki, Puri, and Tabe are absent. Voutilainen, Obiefule, and Karkkainen are doubts.
Haka Valkeakoski – No absentees.
MyPa Anjalankoski – No absentees.
VPS Vaasa – Parikka is a doubt.
TPS Turku – Pennanen, S.Makinen, and Lehtovaara are absent.
JJK Jyvaskyla – Wusu and Tuomanen are absent.
French Ligue 1:
Stade Brestois – Khaled, Ba, Mendy, Alphonse, and Toure are absent.
Girondins de Bordeaux – Traore, Bellion, Poundje, Ben Khalfallah, Maurice-Belay, and Sertic are absent.
Lorient – Lautoa, Autret, Mareque, Coutadeur, and Ecuele Manga are absent.
Olympique Lyonnais – Ghezzal, Reveillere, Michel Bastos, and Gourcuff are absent.
Olympique de Marseille – Barton, Diawara, and N’Diaye are absent. Abdallah returns.
Paris Saint-Germain – Sakho, Rabiot, Lavezzi, Thiago Motta, Lugano, and Bodmer are absent. Menez and Chantome return.
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Fehervar – Torghelle and Stopira are absent.
Ferencvaros – No news.
Debreceni VSC – Cvitkovics is absent. Simac may return.
Siofok – No news.
Italian Serie A:
Atalanta Bergamo – Stendardo, Radovanovic, Manfredini, Lucchini, Ferreira Pinto, Carmona, Capelli, Biondini, and Bellini are absent.
Bologna – Perez, Krhin, and Curci are absent. Agilardi, Antonsson, Gabbiadini, Garics, Gimenez, and Riverola are doubts.
Cagliari – Camilleri, Cossu, Rossettini are absent.
Catania – Capuano and Spolli are absent. Terracciano, Potenza, and Keko are doubts.
Fiorentina – Aquilani, Camporese, Della Rocca, Rodriguez are absent. Pizarro is a doubt.
Internazionale – Stankovic, Sneijder, and Mariga are absent. Palacio is a doubt.
Juventus – Bonucci and Pepe are absent.
Lazio – Radu, Ederson, Diakite, and Brocchi are absent.
AC Milan – Muntari, Pato, Strasser, and Didac Vila are absent. Valoti, Traore, De Sciglio, Antonini, and Ambrosini are doubts.
SSC Napoli – Britos and Cannavaro are absent.
Parma – Santacroce and Palladino are absent. Zaccardo is a doubt.
Pescara – Chiaretti, Cosic, Crescenzi, Modesto, Savelloni, Weiss, and Zanon are absent. Colucci is a doubt.
AS Roma – Lobont, Pjanic, and Dodo are absent. Romagnoli is a doubt.
Siena – Contini and D’Agostino are absent. Campagnolo is a doubt.
Torino – Birsa and Suciu are absent. Masiello and Diop are doubts.
Udinese – Badu and Muriel are absent. Basta is a doubt.
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Zalgiris Vilnius – Kuklys and A.Jankauskas are absent.
Ekranas Panevezys – No absentees.
Dutch Eredivisie:
AFC Ajax Amsterdam – Sigthorsson, Klaasen, Enoh, Boilesen, Serero, and Sulejmani are absent.
FC Utrecht – Ayoub, Gerndt, and Duplan are absent.
PSV Eindhoven – Pieters, Willems, and Jorgensen are absent.
NAC Breda – Looms, Zonneveld, and Seuntjens are absent.
Groningen – Johansson and Suk are absent.
Feyenoord Rotterdam – De Vrij, Mulder, Goossens, and Te Vrede are absent.
Twente Enschede – Bjelland, Fer, Rendla, Bulykin, and Kuiper are absent.
AZ Alkmaar – Ortiz and Lewis are absent.
Norwegian Eliteserien:
Haugesund – Bangura, Maeland, Nygaad, and Andreassen are absent. Nilsen and Osmanagovic may return.
Fredrikstad – Hansen, Gueye, and Dure are absent. Holm is a big doubt.
Molde FK – Hovland is absent. Hussain, Gatt, Angan, and Hoseth are doubts.
Sandnes Ulf – Hoiland, Haugland, Westlye, B.Andersen, U.Andersen, and Vindenes are absent. Bytygi returns.
Sogndal – Skaasheim, Karadas, Roed, Rudolfsen, and Naess are absent.
Lillestrom – Gulbrandsen and Ringstad are absent.
Stabaek – Aase, Cunningham, Hanssen, and Sortevik are absent. Haidal and Jalasto join them on the sidelines.
Tromso – Sahlman is absent.
Rosenborg BK – Hoiland and Braathen are absent. Reginiussen is a doubt.
Norwegian Divisjon 1:
Start Kristiansand – Visktol is absent.
Mjondalen – Boldt, Strange, Ronningene, Solberg, and Ohr are absent.
Baerum – Lundemo is a doubt.
Alta – Erlandsen, Norbye, and N’Gom are absent. Nikolaisen, Lindberg, Nilsson, Jarosinski, Erstas are doubts.
Ranheim – Asen returns.
Notodden – Holmen, Granerud, Jahr, and Larsen are absent.
Strommen – Nordheim, Jorgensen, and Olsen are absent.
Ullensaker/Kisa – Soltvedt and Hanssen are absent.
Tromsdalen – Strom is absent.
Bryne – Stenersen, Okoli, and Nyborg are absent.
Hamarkamaratene – Hogan and Sjolstad are absent. Hagen is a doubt.
Hodd – Ahmed, Heltne, Brandal, and Nilsen are absent.
Kongsvinger – Johanse, Fazlagic, Forsund, and Larsen are absent.
Bodo Glimt – C.Berg and Nordberg are absent. Berglann is a doubt.
Sarpsborg 08 – Baigorri is absent.
Sandefjord – Royrane and Brix are absent.
Polish Ekstraklasa:
Widzew Lodz – Bartkowski and Lebiediew are doubts.
Pogon Szczecin – Djousse, Bonin, and Lawa are absent. Traore returns.
Slask Wroclaw – Diaz, Voskamp, and Kowalczyk are doubts.
Polonia Warsaw – Holota and Baszczynski are absent. Przybeski, Todorovski, and Kielb are doubts.
Polish Liga 1:
Dolcan Zabki – No news.
Polonia Bytom – New boss – Trzeciak.
Warta Poznan – No news.
Nieciecza – Jarecki, Piatek, and Biskup are absent.
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
Vitoria Setubal – Ricardo Silva is absent. Ze Pedro returns.
Pacos de Ferreira – Abdullah, Josue, Uiliam, Poulsen, Hurtado, and Nuno Santos are absent. Antunes returns.
CD Nacional de Madeira – Skolnik and Kim are absent. Barcellos and Marcal return.
Gil Vicente – Luan, Yeto, Tiero, and Daniel are absent.
Sporting Braga – Carlao is absent.
Olhanense – Silva, Vinha, and Fernandez are absent. Micael and Babanco return.
Estoril – Carlitos, Gomes, and Goncalo are absent. Leal returns.
Rio Ave – Hassan returns.
Academica de Coimbra – Wilson Eduardo, Carlos Saleiro, Halliche, Marcos Paulo, and Peiser are absent.
Vitoria Guimaraes – Defendi, Freire, Dinis, and Amorim are absent.
Porto – Rafael and Miguel Lopes are absent. Kelvin returns.
Sporting Clube de Lisboa – Pereirinha is absent. Oceano’s first game in charge.
Romanian Liga:
Steaua Bucharest – Chiriches and Georgievski are doubts.
CFR Cluj – Vass, Aguirregaray, Martinez, Sare, Deac, and Ronny are absent. Sougou, Bastos, and Kapetanos are doubts.
Spanish Primera Liga:
Athletic Club de Bilbao – Amorebieta, Perez, and Herrera are absent.
Barcelona – Pique, Thiago Alcantara, Puyol, Abidal, Cuenca, and Muniesa are absent.
Granada – Floro Flores, Ighalo, Benitez, Rico, and Yebda are absent.
Levante – Juanlu and Pallardo are absent.
Malaga – Toulalan, Juanmi, Buonanotte, and Baptista are absent.
Atletico Madrid – Falcao and Tiago are doubts.
Osasuna – Bertran is absent.
Real Madrid – No absentees.
Real Mallorca – Nunes, Navarro, Lopez, Marquez, and Gimenez are absent.
Valencia CF – Feghouli, Costa, Mathieu, Piatti, Albelda, Banega, and Canales are absent.
Turkish Super Lig:
Sivasspor – Sahin, Kaya, and Celikay are absent. Chahechouhe is a doubt.
Bursaspor – Pinto, Sanli, and Aziz are absent.
Fenerbahce – Kesimal is absent.
Besiktas JK – Quaresma, Koybasi, Pektemek, Demirci, and Akgun are absent.
Mersin Idmanyurdu – Yattara is absent.
Kayserispor – No absentees.